Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of the Chikungunya fever outbreak in Shunde District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province in July 2025 and the risk factors associated with delayed viral RNA clearance.Methods:A total of 562 patients with Chikungunya fever admitted to three designated hospitals in Shunde District from July 10 to 30, 2025 were enrolled. Demographic data, clinical manifestations, and laboratory findings were collected. Patients were categorized into four age groups including minors (<18 years), young adults (18 to 39 years), middle-aged adults (40 to 64 years) and elderly adults (≥65 years). The differences of clinical characteristics among these age groups were analyzed. Intergroup comparisons were performed using chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance, or Kruskal-Wallis H test. Pairwise comparisons between groups were conducted using the Bonferroni or Games-Howell or Dunn method. Binary logistic regression was employed to analyze risk factors associated with delayed viral RNA clearance (>7 days). Results:The mean age of the 562 enrolled Chikungunya fever patients was (44.8±21.3) years. Fever, arthralgia and rash were the three core symptoms, with incidence rates of 87.5% (492/562), 88.4%(497/562) and 69.6%(391/562), respectively. At discharge, only 54.1%(304/562) of patients achieved complete symptom resolution, while 26.5%(149/562) still had arthralgia and 36.1%(203/562) had residual rash. Significant differences were observed among age groups in the incidence of fever ( χ2=9.43, P=0.024), peak body temperature ( F=6.54, P<0.001), incidence of arthralgia ( χ2=26.89, P<0.001), duration of arthralgia ( F=12.68, P=0.001), incidence of rash ( χ2=68.99, P<0.001), rate of residual rash at discharge ( χ2=32.37, P<0.001), lymphocyte count ( F=12.94, P<0.001), platelet count ( F=14.95, P<0.001), and C-reactive protein levels (CRP) ( H=94.18, P<0.001). Further pairwise comparisons revealed that compared to the middle-aged and elderly groups, the minor group had a higher incidence of fever and a lower incidence of arthralgia, and the duration of arthralgia was shorter than the elderly group (all P<0.008 3). Compared with the other three groups, the elderly group had lower incidence and residual rate of rash, and lower platelet counts (all P<0.008 3), and higher levels of CRP (all P<0.05). The elderly group had lower lymphocyte counts compared to the minor and young adult groups (both P<0.05). Significant differences were found among age groups in the time to viral RNA clearance ( F=5.77, P=0.003) and length of hospital stay ( F=11.64, P<0.001), with the elderly group having significantly longer duration for both compared to the other three groups (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that advanced age (odds ratio ( OR)=1.049, 95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.015 to 1.083), longer duration of fever ( OR=1.529, 95% CI 1.086 to 2.155) and longer duration of arthralgia ( OR=1.927, 95% CI 1.318 to 2.817) were independent risk factors for delayed viral RNA clearance (all P<0.05). Conclusions:Patients with Chikungunya fever in Shunde District primarily present with fever, arthralgia and rash. The incidence and characteristics of these three core symptoms show age-related variations. Elderly patients and those with longer durations of fever or arthralgia are more likely to experience delayed viral clearance.

Objective To investigate the impact of catheter-associated urinary tract infection(CAUTI)on the prognosis of neurosurgical inpatients with indwelling catheters.Methods Neurosurgical inpatients with indwelling catheters and hospital stays＞2 days from January 2018 to December 2023 were selected as the study subjects.CAUTI during hospitalization was used as the exposure factor.A 1∶2 propensity score matc-hing method was applied to control for confounding factors,subsequently,63 patients were included in the CAUTI group and 121 in the non-CAUTI group.The impact of CAUTI on prognostic indicators in these pa-tients was analyzed.Results A total of 554 neurosurgical inpatients with indwelling catheters were included,among whom 70 developed CAUTI,yielding an infection rate of 12.64％.After propensity score matching,compared with the non-CAUTI group,the CAUTI group showed significantly longer hospital stays and in-dwelling catheter durations,higher total hospitalization costs,and higher out-of-pocket expenses,the differ-ences were statistically significant(P＜0.05).However,there was no significant difference in mortality be-tween the two groups(P＞0.05).Among the various medical cost items,significant differences were observed in medical service fees,diagnostic fees,other treatment fees,Western medicine fees,antibacterial drug fees,traditional Chinese medicine fees,consumable costs,and other expenses(P＜0.05),while no significant differ-ence was found in surgical treatment fees(P＞0.05).Conclusion CAUTI prolongs hospital stays and in-dwelling catheter durations,and increases medical costs.Effective measures should be taken to prevent and control CAUTI,thereby improving patient prognosis,reducing patients' direct financial burden,and enhancing the utilization of medical resources.

Point-of-care testing(POCT)has the characteristics of simple operation,low price,rapid detec-tion,no need for a fixed testing site,can be carried out next to the patient,and high applicability to operators and testing conditions.In recent years,POCT technology has been widely used in the medical field and has demonstrated certain clinical value,such as its application in disease screening,diagnosis,treatment monito-ring,and prognosis evaluation.The occurrence,spread and prevalence of infectious diseases in high-altitude ar-eas often have its particularity due to the special geographical,climatic and humanistic environment.Rapid and accurate detection of infectious diseases is not only an important part of the public health security system,but also crucial to the prevention and control of infectious disease outbreaks.This article discusses the characteris-tics of infectious diseases in high-altitude areas and the application of POCT technology in detection.

Objective To investigate the application of cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking(CMR-FT)in assessing myocardial strain in dilated cardiomyopathy(DCM)patients residing at high altitudes.Methods We retrospectively enrolled 29 DCM patients living at high altitudes(DCM-H),27 DCM patients living in a low-altitude plain environment(DCM-P),23 healthy volunteers living at a high altitude(HV-H),and 24 healthy volunteers living in a low-altitude plain environment(HV-P).All subjects underwent cine MRI scanning using a 3.0T rapid steady-state free precession sequence.The CMR images thus acquired were analyzed using cvi42,a post-processing software,to obtain left ventricular function and myocardial strain parameters.Results Compared with the HV-H group,the DCM-H group showed higher left ventricle end-diastolic volume(LVEDV)and left ventricle end-systolic volume(LVESV),and lower left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)and stroke volume(LVSV)(all P＜0.01).No significant difference was observed in cardiac function between the DCM-H and DCM-P groups(all P＞0.05).The absolute values of global radial strain(GRS),global circumferential strain(GCS),and global longitudinal strain(GLS)in the DCM-H group were lower than those in the HV-P group([14.5±6.5]％vs.[34.2±10.7]％,[-11.1±4.4]％vs.[-19.9±2.8]％,and[-7.7±3.2]％vs.[-13.6±4.1]％,respectively),with the differences being statistically significant(all P＜0.001).The DCM-H group had higher absolute GRS,GCS,and GCS values than the DCM-P group did([14.5±6.5]％vs.[7.0±2.7]％,[-11.1±4.4]％vs.[—5.4±2.2]％,and[—7.7±3.2]％vs.[—4.3±1.7]％,respectivley,all P＜0.01).Conclusion Myocardial strain in DCM patients living at a high altitude is lower than that in healthy volunteers living at a high altitude,but higher than that in DCM patients living in a low-altitude plain environment.CMR-FT can be used to quantitatively assess myocardial contractility in DCM patients living at a high altitude,showing promise for clinical application.

Purpose To quantitatively evaluate myocardial three-dimensional strains using cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking,investigate whether ferroptosis contributes to myocardial injury in experimental autoimmune myocarditis(EAM),and explore the relationship between strains and ferroptosis biomarkers.Materials and Methods EAM was induced in Lewis rats via subcutaneous injections with porcine cardiac myosin emulsified in same amount of complete Freund's adjuvant.Both EAM(n=15)and control(n=15)rats underwent 7T cardiac magnetic resonance and were euthanatized at day 21.Cardiac magnetic resonance assessments included left ventricular function and strains.The cardiac damage and ferroptosis-related markers were measured with histopathology,serology,Western blot and polymerase chain reaction.Results The left ventricular ejection fraction declined in the rats post-immunization with porcine cardiac myosin at day 21(t=7.86,P<0.001).Global,basal,middle and apical strains encompassing radial strain,circumferential strain and longitudinal strain were significantly lower in the EAM group compared to the control group(t=2.61-10.45,P<0.05).Cardiac and inflammatory biomarkers,including lactate dehydrogenase,cardiac troponin I and interferon γ indicated myocardial injury in EAM group compared to the control group(t=16.54,21.20,16.06,all P<0.001).Prussian blue staining revealed iron overload in EAM group.Compared to the control group,malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen significantly increased in EAM group(t=15.75,3.47,both P<0.01),and superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased(t=14.21,P<0.001).Western blot and histopathology showed that the protein expression of ferritin heavy chain was significantly higher in the EAM group compared to the control group(t=5.15,P<0.01).The solute carrier family 7 member 11/glutathione/glutathione peroxidase 4 axis was down regulated at serum,mRNA and protein expression levels in EAM group(t=7.73-30.14,all P<0.001).Global circumferential and longitudinal strains were significantly associated with ferroptosis biomarkers(r=-0.854-0.829,all P<0.05).Conclusion Cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking has the potential to quantitatively evaluate myocardial damage of EAM which involves ferroptosis.The strains are related with ferroptosis biomarkers.

Meningeal metastasis is a kind of serious complications of malignant tumor cells invading the leptomeninges and spreading along the cerebrospinal fluid, whose detection rate is gradually increased with advanced imaging diagnostic techniques. Although traditional intrathecal chemotherapy can prolong the survival of patients with meningeal metastasis, its efficacy is still unsatisfactory. In recent years, new intrathecal injection regimens, targeted drug therapy, and proton radiotherapy have significantly improved the prognosis of some patients with meningeal metastasis; however, these treatment regimens still require high-quality evidence-based medical evidences. This article reviews the recent advance in intrathecal injection, systemic treatments (systemic chemotherapy, molecular targeted therapy and immunotherapy), and radiotherapy of meningeal metastasis in recent years, so as to help selecting treatment regimens for meningeal metastasis in clinical practice.

Objective:To report the nationwide surveillance results of pathogenic profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Gram-positive bloodstream infections in China in 2023.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-posttive bacteria from blood cultures were collected in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）during January to December 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the dilution method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. Statistical analyses were conducted using WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software.Results:A total of 4 385 Gram-positive bacterial isolates were obtained from 60 participating center. The top five pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 544，35.2%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=1 441，32.9%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=574，13.1%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=385，8.8%），and α-hemolytic Streptococci（ n=187，4.3%）. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）was 26.2%（405/1 544）and 69.8%（1 006/1 441），respectively. Notably，all Staphylococci remained susceptible to glycopeptide or daptomycin. Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated excellent susceptibility（>97.0%）to cephalobiol，rifampicin，trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline，tigecycline，and eravacycline. No Enterococcus exhibiting resistance to linezolid were detected. Glycopeptide resistance was uncommon but more frequent in Enterococcus faecium（resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin：both 1.7%）compared to Enterococcus faecalis（both 0.3%）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS exhibited significant regional variations across the country（ χ2=17.674 and 148.650，respectively，both P<0.001）. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci were detected in central China. Institutional comparison demonstrated higher prevalence of MRSA（ χ2=14.111， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.828， P=0.028）in provincial hospitals than that in municipal hospitals. Socioeconomic analysis identified elevated detection rates of both MRSA（ χ2=18.986， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.477， P=0.034）in less developed regions（per capita GDP

Objective:To report the results of bacterial resistant investigation collaborative system（BRICS）on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-negative bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2023，and provide reference for clinical tretment of bloodstream infections and prevention and control of bacterial resistance.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of BRICS were collected during January 2023 to December 2023. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 were used to analyze the data.Results:During the study period，11 492 strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected from 60 hospitals，of which 10 098（87.9%）were Enterobacterales and 1 394（12.1%）were non-fermentative bacteria. The top 5 bacterial species were Escherichia coli（50.0%）， Klebsiella pneumoniae（26.1%）， Pseudomonas aeruginosa（5.1%）， Acinetobacter baumannii complex（5.0%）and Enterobacter cloacae complex（4.1%）. The ESBL-producing rates in Escherichia coli， Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirablilis were 46.8%（2 685/5 741），18.3%（549/2 999）and 44.0%（77/175），respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli（CREC）and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（CRKP）were 1.3%（76/5 741）and 15.0%（450/2 999）；32.9%（25/76）and 78.0%（351/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to ceftazidime/avibactam combination，respectively. 94.7%（72/76）and 90.2%（406/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to aztreonam/avibactam combination. Furthermore，57.9%（44/76）and 79.1%（356/450）were sensitive to imipenem/relebactam combination. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii（CRAB）complex was 64.6%（370/573），while more than 80.0% of CRAB complex was sensitive to tigecycline，eravacycline and polymyxin B. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa（CRPA）was 17.0%（99/581）. There were differences in the composition ratio of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections and the prevalence of important Gram-negative bacteria resistance among different regions in China，with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of CREC，CRKP，CRPA and CRAB complex（ χ2=10.6，28.6，10.8 and 19.3， P<0.05）. The prevalence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli， CREC，CRAB complex and CRKP were higher in provincial hospitals than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=12.5，9.8，12.7 and 57.8，all P<0.01）. Conclusions:Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China，and Escherichia coli is ranked in the top，while the trend of Klebsiella pneumoniae increases continuously with time. CRKP infection shows a slow upward trend，CREC infecton maintains a low prevalence level，and CRAB complex infection continues to exhibit a high prevalence rate. The composition and resistance patterns of pathogens causing bloodstream infections vary to some extent across different regions and levels of hospitals in China.

Purpose To quantitatively evaluate myocardial three-dimensional strains using cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking,investigate whether ferroptosis contributes to myocardial injury in experimental autoimmune myocarditis(EAM),and explore the relationship between strains and ferroptosis biomarkers.Materials and Methods EAM was induced in Lewis rats via subcutaneous injections with porcine cardiac myosin emulsified in same amount of complete Freund's adjuvant.Both EAM(n=15)and control(n=15)rats underwent 7T cardiac magnetic resonance and were euthanatized at day 21.Cardiac magnetic resonance assessments included left ventricular function and strains.The cardiac damage and ferroptosis-related markers were measured with histopathology,serology,Western blot and polymerase chain reaction.Results The left ventricular ejection fraction declined in the rats post-immunization with porcine cardiac myosin at day 21(t=7.86,P<0.001).Global,basal,middle and apical strains encompassing radial strain,circumferential strain and longitudinal strain were significantly lower in the EAM group compared to the control group(t=2.61-10.45,P<0.05).Cardiac and inflammatory biomarkers,including lactate dehydrogenase,cardiac troponin I and interferon γ indicated myocardial injury in EAM group compared to the control group(t=16.54,21.20,16.06,all P<0.001).Prussian blue staining revealed iron overload in EAM group.Compared to the control group,malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen significantly increased in EAM group(t=15.75,3.47,both P<0.01),and superoxide dismutase were significantly decreased(t=14.21,P<0.001).Western blot and histopathology showed that the protein expression of ferritin heavy chain was significantly higher in the EAM group compared to the control group(t=5.15,P<0.01).The solute carrier family 7 member 11/glutathione/glutathione peroxidase 4 axis was down regulated at serum,mRNA and protein expression levels in EAM group(t=7.73-30.14,all P<0.001).Global circumferential and longitudinal strains were significantly associated with ferroptosis biomarkers(r=-0.854-0.829,all P<0.05).Conclusion Cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking has the potential to quantitatively evaluate myocardial damage of EAM which involves ferroptosis.The strains are related with ferroptosis biomarkers.