Objective: To analyze the process of handling a pulmonary tuberculosis(TB) outbreak among senior high school students in a boarding school in Chongqing, as well as to investigate the underlying causes of the outbreak, so as to provide evidence to inform TB prevention and control strategies in school settings. Methods: From November 2023 to April 2024, an epidemiological investigation was conducted into the TB outbreak in a grade 12 class from a boarding high school. Suspected cases were screened using symptom screening, tuberculin skin test (TST), and chest X-ray examinations. Confirmed cases underwent individual epidemiological interviews and sputum culture; Cultured positive mycobacterial strains were subjected to whole genome sequencing after identification as Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Results: A total of 10 active pulmonary TB cases were identified, all from the same class, yielding a student attack rate of 16.67%. Three isolates were culture positive, as well as all strains were of L2 type，and the WGS analysis of the strains suggested a common transmission chain. Excluding the index case, four additional cases were detected through symptom driven health care visits. Notably, 70% of patients presented with "chest tightness and chest pain" symptoms, and 50% had "cough" symptoms,but none were detected during morning health checks or tracking of absences due to illness. A total of 326 contacts were identified and underwent three rounds of screening and one follow up examination. In the initial screening, 35 close contacts from the same class showed strong TST positivity, corresponding to a strong positivity rate of 55.56%, significantly higher than the 20.76% observed among casual contacts ( χ 2=29.80, P <0.01). Among the 35 strongly TST positivvity close contacts and five individuals with moderate TST positivity whose induration had increased by ≥10 mm over two years, none received timely preventive treatment initially; five of them were subsequently diagnosed with active TB within three months. Following this, 25 individuals initiated preventive therapy, resulting in a preventive treatment initiation rate of 62.50%. Among TST negative classmates who converted to strong positivity on repeat TST testing at three months, 75.00% started preventive treatment, but only 22.22% completed the full course. Conclusion Inadequate implementation of morning health checks and cause tracking for absenteeism due to illness, poorly standardized screening procedures, and delayed preventive treatment may have been key factors contributing to the spread of the outbreak.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the public health governance capacity in Jiangsu Province and provide an optimized pathway for the construction of a “strong, rich, beautiful, and high-quality” new Jiangsu. MethodsA total of 806 policy documents, 658 public information reports, and 148 research literatures related to public health governance capacity in Jiangsu Province from January 1995 to December 2023 were collected. The status of current public health goverance was assessed based on the evaluation criteria suitable for public health systems, and the strengths and the weaknesses of the system were identified. ResultsThe public health governance capability of Jiangsu Province was scored at 738.3 points, ranking 3rd nationally. Maternal health care and emergency response capacities achieved leading positions nationwide, both ranking 2nd. Jiangsu had exhibited a standardized guidance in the strategic level, a well-established management mechanism, an extensive coverage in information collection, and a scientifically established health targets setting. However, bottlenecks remained, including an unclear division of responsibilities across organizational departments, an insufficient public-health workforce, the absence of a stable growth mechanism for government funding investment, and difficulties in promptly identifying public needs. ConclusionJiangsu’s public-health system demonstrates leading nationally, yet several components remain underdeveloped. Future efforts should consolidate advantages while addressing weaknesses, further diversify content and forms, establish a stable funding increase mechanism, and clarify departmental functions, thereby providing solid health support for realizing the developmental goals of a “strong, rich, beautiful and high-quality” new Jiangsu.

AIM: To investigate whether proanthocyanidins(PAC)can ameliorate ferroptosis in retinal pigment epithelium(RPE)cells via the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway, and to evaluate its protective effect in dry age-related macular degeneration(ARMD). METHODS: The protective effects of PAC against ferroptosis were evaluated using an in vitro model of H2O2-stimulated human RPE cells(ARPE-19)and an in vivo dry ARMD animal model induced by sodium iodate(NaIO3). CCK-8 assay was applied to assess cell viability. Calcein-AM/PI staining was applied to determine the level of cell death. Lipid peroxidation(LPO)levels were measured using a lipid peroxidation assay kit. CM-H2DCFDA was used to detect the level of reactive oxygen species(ROS)in cells. MitoSOX probe was employed to measure the mitochondrial ROS level. JC-1 staining was used to evaluate the changes in mitochondrial membrane potential. Western Blot was performed to detect the expression levels of proteins(Nrf2, GPX4, and HO-1)related to the Nrf2 pathway. Retinal flat mounts were used to evaluate the structure and function of RPE. Hematoxylin and eosin(H & E)staining was applied to assess the morphological changes in rat retinas. Rhodopsin and opsin staining was used to evaluate visual function in the retina. TUNEL staining was employed to detect apoptosis in retinal cells. RESULTS: H2O2 exacerbates ferroptosis in ARPE-19 cells, as evidenced by elevated levels of Fe2+, ROS, and LPO. PAC preconditioning ameliorates mitochondrial function, reduces intracellular Fe2+, ROS, and LPO levels, and suppresses ferroptosis in RPE cells via activation of the Nrf2/GPX4 signaling pathway. In a NaIO3-induced dry ARMD model, both PAC and the ferroptosis inhibitor Fer-1 reverse the downregulation of retinal Nrf2/GPX4 expression and attenuate retinal cell death.CONCLUSION:PAC inhibits ferroptosis via the Nrf2/GPX4 pathway, offering a novel potential therapeutic strategy for retinal degeneration.

Background: As Taiwan’s population ages, falls among older adults have become a critical public health concern. However, limited data exist regarding temporal trends and injury patterns in fall-related emergency department (ED) visits. This study aimed to examine trends in fall-related ED visits and hospitalizations among older adults in Taiwan and to explore injury distributions by age group. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from the National Taiwan University Hospital between 2011 and 2017. Patients aged ≥65 years were compared with those aged 20–64 years. Fall-related visits were identified using chief complaints and the International Classification of Diseases 9th/10th revision (ICD-9/ICD-10) codes. Outcomes included hospitalization rates, length of stay, and 30-day mortality. Results: A total of 22,471 fall-related ED visits were analyzed. While visits among younger adults declined (annual growth rate, -1.34%), visits among older adults increased (2.37% annually), with the steepest rise in those aged ≥85 years. Hospitalization occurred in 27.1% of older adults, nearly double that of younger adults (14.4%). Older adults also had longer hospital stays and higher 30-day mortality rates, findings consistent even when restricted to lower limb fractures. Conclusion Fall-related ED visits and hospitalizations are rising disproportionately among Taiwan’s older population. Targeted prevention strategies and transitional care interventions are urgently needed to address the growing clinical and economic burden of falls in aging societies.

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics of a clustered outbreak of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome(SFTS)as well as the ecological tick monitoring results for Zibo City, and to provide a scientific basis for formulating prevention and control strategies. Methods A case definition was cited before epidemic investigations were performed. Epidemiological investigations were performed on the index cases and their close contacts. Blood samples were collected from cases and close contacts, and quantitative real-time RT-PCR was used to detect SFTS virus(SFTSV)nucleic acid sequences. A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze risk factors and develop prevention and control strategies. Results This clustered outbreak involved two index cases and six close contacts with no deaths. Case A exhibited symptom onset on July 26. SFTS was confirmed on August 2. Case B exhibited symptom onset on August 1, and SFTS was confirmed on August 3. Patient B reported a recent history of tick bites. In both index cases, the incubation period for SFTS was inferred to be 7-12 days. The time interval from symptom onset to clinical diagnosis in the two cases ranged from 2-8 days, with an average period of 5 days. SFTSV nucleic acid test result were positive for both patients, whereas all six close contacts tested negative. All captured ticks tested negative for SFTSV using quantitative real-time RT-PCR. The densities of parasitic and free-living ticks in the emergency monitoring area around the cases were 12.60 and 4.65 ticks/(flag·100 m). In 2024, the average parasitic tick index and free-living tick density index were 4.21 and 2.43 ticks/(flag ·100 m)in Yiyuan County, respectively. Conclusions No evidence of human-to-human transmission was found in the assessed SFTS clusters. The infections were likely acquired through tick bites during fieldwork, and the risk of a subsequent outbreak spreading was low.

Purpose: Plasmablastic lymphoma (PBL) is a rare, aggressive lymphoma that is characterized by terminal B-cell differ‑ entiation. In the West, PBL usually occurs in patients with immunodeficiencies, particularly those induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. We investigated the clinicopathological features of PBL at a single institute in Taiwan, where HIV infection is rare. Methods: This retrospective chart review identified PBL cases that were treated at a single institute in southern Tai‑ wan between 2008 and 2024. Results: We identified nine patients (four males and five females; median age 71 years). Of the eight patients tested for HIV, only one tested positive. Pathologically, the tumors showed plasmablastic morphology and immunopheno‑ type, and three (33%) cases tested positive for Epstein–Barr virus. Six (67%) patients presented with Stage IV disease, including five (56%) with malignant effusion. Six patients were treated with chemotherapy and the remaining three received only supportive care. During a median follow-up of 10 months, five patients died of progressive disease, two died of unrelated diseases, and two were alive with PBL relapse. Conclusion In Taiwan, PBL constitutes a rare and aggressive clinical condition and is frequently associated with malignant effusion. In contrast to Western patients, the PBL in most patients from Taiwan was unrelated to HIV infection.

The chemical composition of Paeoniae Radix Alba(PRA) is complex, with primary secondary metabolites including monoterpenoids, tannins, triterpenoids, and flavonoids. In previous studies on the material basis of PRA, it was found that, in addition to the widely studied characteristic monoterpene glycosides, tannic acid components also play an important role in the efficacy of PRA. However, their pharmacological effects have not been thoroughly investigated. This paper reviews the tannic acid components in PRA, including pentagaloyl glucose(PGG), tetragaloyl glucose(TGG), trigaloyl glucose(TriGG), and gallic acid, along with their structures, properties, and characteristics to provide a detailed discussion of their pharmacological activities and related mechanisms, aiming to offer a theoretical basis for the material basis research and clinical application of PRA.
Paeonia/chemistry* ; Tannins/chemistry* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Animals ; Plant Extracts

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a clinically rare, genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous condition characterized by chronic respiratory tract infections, male infertility, tympanitis, and laterality abnormalities. PCD is typically resulted from variants in genes encoding assembly or structural proteins that are indispensable for the movement of motile cilia. Here, we identified a novel nonsense mutation, c.466G>T, in cilia- and flagella-associated protein 300 ( CFAP300 ) resulting in a stop codon (p.Glu156*) through whole-exome sequencing (WES). The proband had a PCD phenotype with laterality defects and immotile sperm flagella displaying a combined loss of the inner dynein arm (IDA) and outer dynein arm (ODA). Bioinformatic programs predicted that the mutation is deleterious. Successful pregnancy was achieved through intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Our results expand the spectrum of CFAP300 variants in PCD and provide reproductive guidance for infertile couples suffering from PCD caused by them.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; China ; Ciliary Motility Disorders/genetics* ; Codon, Nonsense ; East Asian People/genetics* ; Exome Sequencing ; Homozygote ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Kartagener Syndrome/genetics* ; Pedigree ; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic ; Cytoskeletal Proteins/genetics*

AIM To investigate the renal protective effects of Qizhi Tongluo Formula on a mouse model of diabetic nephropathy.METHODS The male db/db mice were randomly divided into the model group,the dapagliflozin group(0.76 mg/kg)and the low,medium and high dose Qizhi Tongluo Formula groups(7.83,15.65 and 31.3 g/kg),with 6 mice in each group,in contrast to the 6 db/m mice of the control group.When the mice of the control group and the model group were given distilled water by gavage,those of the other administration groups were dosed with the corresponding drug by gavage once daily for 8 weeks.After the drug administration,the mice had their levels of FBG,BUN,Scr and 24 h-UTP detected;their renal pathological changes observed by transmission electron microscopy(TEM)and HE staining;their levels of serum Nrf2,HO-1,Keap1 and renal oxidative stress assessed by ELISA;their renal Nrf2 protein expression observed by immunofluorescence(IF);their renal protein expressions of Nrf2,HO-1 and Keap1 detected by Western blot;and their renal Nrf2,HO-1,and Keap1 mRNA expressions detected by RT-qPCR.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the model group displayed increased levels of 24 h-UTP,Scr,FBG and renal MDA(P＜0.01);decreased renal activities of SOD,CAT and GSH-Px(P＜0.01);mild glomerular mesangial hyperplasia,vacuolated renal tubular epithelial cells,widely fused podocyte foot processes,disappearance of tear film,decreased secretion levels of serum Nrf2 and HO-1 and renal protein and mRNA expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1(P＜0.05,P＜0.01);and decreased secretion levels of serum Keap1 and renal Keap1 protein and mRNA expressions(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,the high-dose Qizhi Tongluo Formula group demonstrated decreased levels of 24 h-UTP,Scr,FBG and renal MDA(P＜0.01);increased renal activities of SOD,CAT and GSH-Px(P＜0.01);alleviated renal pathological damage,increased secretion levels of serum Nrf2 and HO-1 and renal protein and mRNA expressions of Nrf2 and HO-1(P＜0.01);and increased level of serum Keap1 secretion and renal Keap1 protein and mRNA expressions(P＜0.01).CONCLUSION Qizhi Tongluo Formula can inhibit oxidative stress and alleviate kidney damage in db/db mice by activating Nrf2/Keap1/ARE signaling pathway.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between blood pressure reactivity index (BPRI) and in-hospital mortality risk in patients with sepsis-associated acute kidney injury (SA-AKI). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect data from patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and clinically diagnosed with SA-AKI between 2008 and 2019 in the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV (MIMIC-IV) database in the United States. The collected data included demographic characteristics, comorbidities, vital signs, laboratory parameters, sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and simplified acute physiology scoreII(SAPSII) within 48 hours of SA-AKI diagnosis, stages of AKI, treatment regimens, mean BPRI during the first and second 24 hours (BPRI_0_24, BPRI_24_48), and outcome measures including primary outcome (in-hospital mortality) and secondary outcomes (ICU length of stay and total hospital length of stay). Variables with statistical significance in univariate analysis were included in LASSO regression analysis for variable selection, and the selected variables were subsequently incorporated into multivariate Logistic regression analysis to identify independent predictors associated with in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis was employed to examine whether there was a linear relationship between BPRI within 48 hours and in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Basic prediction models were constructed based on the independent predictors identified through multivariate Logistic regression analysis, and receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve) was plotted to evaluate the predictive performance of each basic prediction model before and after incorporating BPRI. RESULTS: A total of 3 517 SA-AKI patients admitted to the ICU were included, of whom 826 died during hospitalization and 2 691 survived. The BPRI values within 48 hours of SA-AKI diagnosis were significantly lower in the death group compared with the survival group [BPRI_0_24: 4.53 (1.81, 8.11) vs. 17.39 (5.16, 52.43); BPRI_24_48: 4.76 (2.42, 12.44) vs. 32.23 (8.85, 85.52), all P < 0.05]. LASSO regression analysis identified 20 variables with non-zero coefficients that were included in the multivariate Logistic regression analysis. The results showed that respiratory rate, temperature, pulse oxygen saturation (SpO₂), white blood cell count (WBC), hematocrit (HCT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), lactate, oxygenation index, SOFA score, fluid balance (FB), BPRI_0_24, and BPRI_24_48 were all independent predictors for in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients (all P < 0.05). RCS analysis revealed that both BPRI showed "L"-shaped non-linear relationships with the risk of in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. When BPRI_0_24 ≤ 14.47 or BPRI_24_48 ≤ 24.21, the risk of in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI increased as BPRI values decreased. Three basic prediction models were constructed based on the identified independent predictors: Model 1 (physiological indicator model) included respiratory rate, temperature, SpO₂, and oxygenation index; Model 2 (laboratory indicator model) included WBC, HCT, APTT, and lactate; Model 3 (scoring indicator model) included SOFA score and FB. ROC curve analysis showed that the predictive performance of the basic models ranked from high to low as follows: Model 3, Model 2, and Model 1, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.755, 0.661, and 0.655, respectively. The incorporation of BPRI indicators resulted in significant improvement in the discriminative ability of each model (all P < 0.05), with AUC values increasing to 0.832 for Model 3+BPRI, 0.805 for Model 2+BPRI, and 0.808 for Model 1+BPRI. CONCLUSIONS BPRI is an independent predictor factor for in-hospital mortality in SA-AKI patients. Incorporating BPRI into the prediction model for in-hospital mortality risk in SA-AKI can significantly improve its predictive capability.
Humans ; Acute Kidney Injury/mortality* ; Sepsis/complications* ; Retrospective Studies ; Hospital Mortality ; Prognosis ; Blood Pressure ; Intensive Care Units ; Male ; Female ; Length of Stay ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Adult ; Logistic Models