ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological characteristics of a local dengue fever cluster outbreak in Qingpu District of Shanghai in 2024, and to provide a reference for subsequent dengue fever prevention and control. MethodsSeven confirmed local dengue fever cases reported through the National Notifiable Infectious Diseases Surveillance System in Qingpu District of Shanghai in 2024 were selected as the research subjects. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to conduct investigation and analysis from the aspects of onset, medical treatment and reporting, clinical symptoms, travel and contact history within 15 days before onset, and activity trajectories. ResultsA total of 7 cases were identified in this outbreak. None of the cases had a travel history to dengue-endemic areas within 15 days prior to onset, while all had shared exposure environments and mosquito bite histories, indicating a local clustered transmission pattern. The main clinical manifestations included fever (100.00%) and myalgia (42.86%). All 7 cases were positive for dengue virus serotype 2 (DENV-2) by nucleic acid testing. Genetic sequencing showed that the virus strains belonged to the Cosmopolitan genotype and were most closely related to the epidemic DENV strains circulating in southern China in recent years. ConclusionThis outbreak might be a local secondary infection caused by the short-term stay of dengue fever-infected individuals, and the possible source of importation was dengue fever endemic areas in southern China.

Objective To analyze and compare the efficacy of DNA barcode,i.e.,Cytochrome b(Cytb)and 12S ribosomal RNA(12S rRNA)gene sequences,in the species identification of wildlife.Methods DNA extraction,quantification,PCR amplification of Cytb and 12S rRNA gene fragments,Sanger sequencing,and sequence alignment analysis were performed on ten wildlife samples.Results Both gene fragments were successfully amplified in six samples,while Cytb alone was successfully amplified in 1 sample,and 12S rRNA alone in 3 samples.Sequence analysis indicated that Cytb enabled species-level identification for 6 samples(Gallinula chloropus,Streptopelia orientalis,Phasianus colchicus,Falco naumanni,Myiopsitta monachus and Lynx lynx)and genus-level identification for 1 sample(Lepus).In contrast,12S rRNA achieved species-level identificaggion for 8 samples(Gallinula chloropus,Lepus sinensis,Phasianus colchicus,Myiopsitta monachus,Muntiacus reevesi,Macaca mulatta and Lynx lynx),representing seven species,and genus-level identification for 1 sample(Falco).However,by combining Cytb and 12S rRNA,all samples could be identified to the species level.Conclusion When applying DNA barcodes to wildlife identification,the Cytb and 12S rRNA gene regions analyzed here can effectively identify common species such as Gallinula chloropus and Streptopelia orientalis,but face difficulties in distinguishing closely related species within the same genus.Therefore,when conducting wildlife species identification,it is recommended to use two or more DNA barcode markers.

Objective·To detect immunoglobulin(Ig)expression levels in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma(MM)patients before and after induction therapy,and to explore the clinical significance of Ig expression levels and their dynamic changes in relation to treatment efficacy,infection occurrence,and prognosis.Methods·Clinical data from 142 MM patients treated at the Department of Hematology,The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University between August 2018 and September 2020 were analyzed.Baseline Ig expression levels and post-induction changes following bortezomib-lenalidomide-dexamethasone(VRD)regimen were assessed.Immunoparesis was defined as uninvolved Igs below the laboratory lower limit of normal.Patients were stratified by immunoparesis severity(mild,moderate,severe,extremely severe).ANOVA,rank-sum tests,and x2 tests were used to analyze correlations with baseline characteristics.The relationship between the improvement in immunoparesis and the induction efficacy,infection occurrence,and prognosis was analyzed based on the dynamic changes in immunoparesis.Results·Normal Igs were severely reduced in newly diagnosed MM patients.Immunoparesis was present in 128 patients(90.1%),with severe or extremely severe immunoparesis accounting for 76.1%.Patients with extensive immunoparesis(all uninvolved Ig levels below the lower normal limit)were more likely to have severe immunoparesis(P<0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in age,gender,presence of severe renal insufficiency,and high-risk cytogenetics among MM patients with different degrees of immunoparesis(P>0.05),but there were statistically significant differences in MM staging(P=0.008)and typing(P=0.010).Most patients with severe immunoparesis were at stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ based on the Revised International Staging System(R-ISS)and were of the IgG type.At diagnosis,the levels of the involved Ig or light chain were negatively correlated with normal Ig levels(P<0.05).Improvement in immunoparesis after induction therapy was positively correlated with treatment response(P=0.006).The infection rate was high(26.8%),but no significant correlation was found between immunoparesis and infection occurrence(P>0.05).After induction therapy,patients showing improvement in immunoparesis had significantly longer progression-free survival(PFS)(median PFS:not reached vs 38 months,P=0.025),but no significant impact on overall survival(OS)was observed(P=0.450).Conclusion·Immunoparesis is common and severe in newly diagnosed MM patients,with severity correlating with disease stage and subtype.VRD therapy can partially reverse immunoparesis,and improvement is positively associated with treatment response and PFS benefit.Infection risk appears unrelated to immunoparesis severity and warrants comprehensive prevention strategies.Humoral immune deficiency may serve as a prognostic indicator in MM,but its impact on OS requires further investigation.

Objective To analyze and compare the efficacy of DNA barcode,i.e.,Cytochrome b(Cytb)and 12S ribosomal RNA(12S rRNA)gene sequences,in the species identification of wildlife.Methods DNA extraction,quantification,PCR amplification of Cytb and 12S rRNA gene fragments,Sanger sequencing,and sequence alignment analysis were performed on ten wildlife samples.Results Both gene fragments were successfully amplified in six samples,while Cytb alone was successfully amplified in 1 sample,and 12S rRNA alone in 3 samples.Sequence analysis indicated that Cytb enabled species-level identification for 6 samples(Gallinula chloropus,Streptopelia orientalis,Phasianus colchicus,Falco naumanni,Myiopsitta monachus and Lynx lynx)and genus-level identification for 1 sample(Lepus).In contrast,12S rRNA achieved species-level identificaggion for 8 samples(Gallinula chloropus,Lepus sinensis,Phasianus colchicus,Myiopsitta monachus,Muntiacus reevesi,Macaca mulatta and Lynx lynx),representing seven species,and genus-level identification for 1 sample(Falco).However,by combining Cytb and 12S rRNA,all samples could be identified to the species level.Conclusion When applying DNA barcodes to wildlife identification,the Cytb and 12S rRNA gene regions analyzed here can effectively identify common species such as Gallinula chloropus and Streptopelia orientalis,but face difficulties in distinguishing closely related species within the same genus.Therefore,when conducting wildlife species identification,it is recommended to use two or more DNA barcode markers.

ObjectiveTo establish fingerprint profiles and a quantitative determination method for Lycii Cortex， providing a scientific basis for the formulation of quality standards for Lycii Cortex and its roasted products. MethodsHigh performance liquid chromatography（HPLC） was developed for the quantitative method for determining kukoamine B in Lycii Cortex and its roasted products on an Alphasil XD-C₁₈ CH column（4.6 mm×250 mm， 5 μm）. HPLC fingerprint profiles were established for 10 batches of Lycii Cortex and its roasted products， and ultra-performance liquid chromatography-quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry（UPLC-Q-TOF-MS） was used to identify the common peaks based on reference standards， literature and MS information. Quality evaluation indicators included yield of decoction pieces， appearance properties， content of kukoamine B， and fingerprint profiles. The temperature and time of the roasting process were investigated to select the optimal preparation process， which was then verified. Additionally， chemical pattern recognition was combined to assess the differences in the chemical composition of Lycii Cortex before and after roasting， as well as among samples from different origins. ResultsQuantitative analysis indicated that the contents of kukoamine B in Lycii Cortex and its roasted products were 0.35%-5.51% and 0.24%-4.15%， respectively. The transfer rate of kukoamine B was 58.6%-78.9% after roasting. The fingerprint profile analysis demonstrated that the method established in this study effectively separated kukoamine B from other components in the samples and distinctly differentiated it from its impurity peak， cis-N-caffeoylputrescine. The HPLC fingerprint profiles of Lycii Cortex and its roasted products showed high similarity（all above 0.95）， with 7 common peaks identified and five common components， including kukoamine B， cis-N-caffeoylputrescine， N-coumaroyl tyramine， feruloyltyramine， and glucosyringic acid， confirmed. Process optimization confirmed that baking at 110 ℃ for 20 min was a stable and feasible method for roasting Lycii Cortex. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis showed that there was little difference in the chemical composition between raw and roasted Lycii Cortex， but the quality of Lycii Cortex from different origins differed greatly. ConclusionThis study successfully established the fingerprint profiles and a quantitative method for the effective component kukoamine B in Lycii Cortex and roasted Lycii Cortex. The qualitative and quantitative analyses clarified that the impact of the roasting process on the chemical composition of Lycii Cortex was less significant than the variations due to its geographical origin. The findings of this study offer a reference for the development of quality evaluation methods and the establishment of quality standards for Lycii Cortex and its processed products.

Traditional development of small protein scaffolds has relied on display technologies and mutation-based engineering, which limit sequence and functional diversity, thereby constraining their therapeutic and application potential. Protein design tools have significantly advanced the creation of novel protein sequences, structures, and functions. However, further improvements in design strategies are still needed to more efficiently optimize the functional performance of protein-based drugs and enhance their druggability. Here, we extended an evolution-based design protocol to create a novel minibinder, BindHer, against the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). It not only exhibits super stability and binding selectivity but also demonstrates remarkable properties in tissue specificity. Radiolabeling experiments with ^99mTc, ⁶⁸Ga, and ¹⁸F revealed that BindHer efficiently targets tumors in HER2-positive breast cancer mouse models, with minimal nonspecific liver absorption, outperforming scaffolds designed through traditional engineering. These findings highlight a new rational approach to automated protein design, offering significant potential for large-scale applications in therapeutic mini-protein development.

Objective:To explore the clinical application value of artificial intelligence（AI）-assisted training in enhancing the accuracy of nuchal translucency（NT）identification，standardization of measurement，and diagnostic efficacy for abnormalities among ultrasound residents.Methods:A retrospective collection of 300 standard fetal NT ultrasound images was conducted at the Center for Medical Ultrasound，Suzhou Hospital Affiliated of Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to June 2024. The AI model performed NT measurements and diagnoses once. Four sonographers of different seniority levels（including two resident physicians）independently conducted NT measurements and diagnoses twice. Prior to the experiment，the middle-age and resident sonographers had uniformly completed traditional theory training. Following the first independent measurements，the two resident sonographers received additional AI-assisted training，after which all 4 sonographers performed the second independent measurements. A fetal medicine expert evaluated blindly all the results and compared the differences in NT recognition accuracy，measurement standard rate and diagnosis accuracy between the middle-age sonographer（traditional training only）and two resident sonographers（traditional + AI-assisted training）.Results:For the middle-aged sonographer who only received traditional lecture-based training，the accuracy of NT recognition，standardization rate of measurement，or diagnostic accuracy were not significantly improved befroe and after the training，and the diffrence was not statistically significant（ χ2=0.189，1.887，0.326；all P>0.05）. In contrast，the second-year resident（Resident 2）and first-year resident（Resident 1），who received both traditional lecture-based training and AI training，demonstrated some improvements in the accuracy of NT measurement site recognition，though the differences were not statistically significant（ χ2=1.301，2.418；all P>0.05）. However，both residents did significant improvements in the standardization rate of NT measurement（ χ2=25.768，17.035；all P<0.05）. In terms of diagnostic accuracy，Resident 1 did significant improvement（ χ2=10.180， P<0.05），while Resident 2 also did some improvement，though the difference was not statistically significant（ χ2=2.573， P>0.05）. Conclusions:The AI-assisted training system enhances the ability of ultrasound resident sonographers to recognize，measure，and diagnose NT，providing a novel and efficient training model for standardized residency training in ultrasound specialties.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of fetal cardiac ultrasound view visualization in the first trimester for congenital heart disease（CHD）.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 13 323 singleton fetuses who underwent first-trimester（11-13 +6 weeks）ultrasound screening at the Ultrasound Medicine Center，the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to June 2024. Cardiac views including the four-chamber view（4CV），left ventricular outflow tract view（LVOT），and Results:The study group showed significantly higher rates of "poorly visualized" 4CV，LVOT，and 3VT than the control group（2.70% vs. 0.14%， P=0.005；36.49% vs. 4.76%， P<0.001；36.49% vs.2.46%， P<0.001）. The efficacies of combination 1（any view abnormal）and combination 2（any view "poorly visualized" or "abnormal"）were comparable，with AUCs of 0.86 and 0.85（ P=0.424）. The AUCs of combination 3（3VT "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"）and combination 4（4CV "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"）were 0.88 and 0.86（ P=0.424），all significantly higher than combination 5（LVOT "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"，AUC=0.84，all P<0.05）. Conclusions:"Poorly visualized" cardiac views in the first trimester demonstrate good diagnostic efficacy for CHD，particularly when 3VT or 4CV are affected，warranting heightened clinical vigilance for fetal cardiac anomalies.

The incidence rate of thyroid cancer has been rising in recent years. How to accurately distinguish malignant and benign thyroid nodules before surgery has become an important research direction. Ultrasound, as a non-invasive and fast examination method, has been widely used in clinical practice. Some typical ultrasound features, such as calcification, unclear boundaries, multiple lesions, low echo, and aspect ratio>1, can indicate the occurrence of thyroid cancer before surgery. Further analysis of these ultrasound features is still a focus of current research. This article will review the expression and distribution of calcification, a typical ultrasound feature, in benign and malignant thyroid nodules, in order to provide a basis for predicting the malignancy of thyroid nodules based on the characteristics of calcification under preoperative ultrasound.

Objective:To investigate the effect of Lulongzaisheng decoction on ferroptosis in aplastic anemia (AA) model mice and its potential mechanism of action on AA.Methods:Using female BALB/c mice as controls (control group), a mouse model of AA was established by intraperitoneal injection of interferon-γ (IFN-γ) combined with oral gavage of busulfan. The AA group was treated with continuous oral gavage of Lulongzaisheng decoction for 10 days. The effects on the Jak2/Stat3/Acsl4 signaling pathway were assessed. Bone marrow biopsy and histopathological examination were performed to observe the degree of AA in each group of mice. Flow cytometry was used to detect the production of lipid reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the bone marrow cells. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to observe the expression of 4-HNE in the sternum. Western blot analysis was conducted to determine the protein expression levels of Jak2, p-Jak2, Stat3, p-Stat3, and Acsl4. ELISA was used to measure the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the peripheral blood plasma.Results:Compared with the control group, mice in the AA group exhibited a reduction in hematopoietic tissues within the bone marrow cavity and significant fatty infiltration. In contrast, mice in the AA+Lulongzaisheng decoction group showed partial recovery of the bone marrow and a decrease in fatty infiltration. The lipid ROS proportions in the control, AA, and AA+Lulongzaisheng decoction groups were (47.01±3.07) %, (53.81±1.99) %, and (49.50±3.98) %, respectively ( P<0.05), indicating that the AA + Lulongzaisheng decoction group had a slightly lower accumulation of lipid ROS than the AA group. The expression areas of 4-HNE in the bone marrow cavity for the control, AA, and AA+Lulongzaisheng decoction groups were (6.34±1.07) %, (35.26±3.68) %, and (16.97±1.30) %, respectively ( P<0.05), demonstrating a significant reduction in 4-HNE accumulation in the bone marrow in the AA + Lulongzaisheng decoction group compared with that in the AA group. Compared with the control group, the AA group exhibited upregulated expression of the ferroptosis-related protein Acsl4, along with increased expression of p-Stat3 and p-Jak2. In the AA+ Lulongzaisheng decoction group, the expression of Acsl4 was downregulated, whereas those of p-Stat3 and p-Jak2 were inhibited ( P<0.05). The levels of IL-6 in the peripheral blood plasma were (65.60±6.01), (166.50±3.32), and (119.37±4.29) pg/ml in the control, AA, and AA+Lulongzaisheng decoction groups, respectively ( P<0.05). Compared with the AA group, the AA + Lulongzaisheng decoction group exhibited a significant decrease in IL-6 levels. Conclusion:This study shows that Lulongzaisheng decoction has a significant therapeutic effect on AA model mice by regulating the Jak2/Stat3/Acsl4 pathway. The mechanism of action of this traditional Chinese medicine involves inhibiting the Jak2/Stat3 signaling pathway and regulating the expression of Acsl4, thereby improving hematopoietic function in AA model mice. These findings provide new drug targets and treatment strategies for the treatment of AA.