Objective To examine the impact of extreme temperature and drought stress on the survival of Bulinus globosus, so as to provide the theoretical evidence for the genomic research of Bulinus in absence of reference genes. Methods B. globosus snail samples were collected from Kiwani Shehia in Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, and offspring snails were obtained through laboratory breeding and reproduction. A total of 120 10-week-old B. globosus snails from the same generation were selected and randomly assigned into four groups, including the high-temperature drought (HD) group, normal temperature drought (D) group, low-temperature drought (LD) group, and the control (C) group, of 30 snails in each group. Snails in HD, D, and LD groups were placed in beakers containing dry soil at the bottom and subsequently housed in climate chambers at 35, 26 ℃, and 10 ℃, respectively, while snails in Group C were maintained in 500 mL petri dishes containing dechlorinated tap water at 26 ℃. Following 3 days of breeding, living snails in each group were collected, and soft tissues were dissected and isolated. Total RNA was extracted from snail soft tissues for library construction, followed by high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq 4000 sequencing system. De novo transcriptome assembly was performed using the Trinity software, and the longest transcripts were selected as unigenes. Gene functional annotations of unigenes were conducted using the Diamond software against Gene Ontology (GO) knowledgebase, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway database, NCBI non-redundant (NR) protein sequences database, Protein Family (Pfam) database, and UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot (Swiss-Prot) knowledgebase. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were performed using the topGO and clusterProfiler software, respectively. In addition, four relevant genes were selected for validation using a real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) assay to verify the reliability of transcriptome sequencing results. Results Following 3 days of breeding, there were 7, 20, 28, and 30 survival B. globosus snails in HD, LD, D, and C groups, with corresponding survival rates of 23.33% (7/30), 66.67% (20/30), 93.33% (28/30), and 100.00% (30/30), respectively (χ² = 52.72, P < 0.001). De novo transcriptome assembly generated 176 942 unigenes, with annotation rates of 0.98%, 13.49%, 26.46%, 12.48%, and 14.39% against GO knowledgebase, KEGG pathway database, NR protein sequences database, Pfam database, and Swiss-Prot knowledgebase, respectively. There were 33 up-regulated and 72 down-regulated genes in Group D, 483 up-regulated and 815 down-regulated genes in Group HD, and 245 up-regulated and 172 down-regulated genes in Group LD relative to in Group C. Following removal of overlapping genes across groups and unmatched genes, 11 candidate genes were identified. GO and KEGG analyses revealed 3 heat shock protein (HSP)-related DEGs in these 11 candidate genes, which were annotated as HSP12.2, HSP70, and HSP20 genes and were all significantly up-regulated in each treatment group. Three immune and nervous system-related DEGs were identified, and were all significantly down-regulated in each treatment group, which were involved in the neural cell adhesion molecule L1-like protein pathway, fibrinogen binding protein pathway, and leukocyte elastase inhibitor-like protein pathway. qRT-PCR assay quantified that the expression trends of four genes related to temperature and drought stress across different treatment groups were highly consistent with transcriptome sequencing data. Conclusion The survival rate of B. globosus significantly reduces under combined stresses of extreme temperature and drought, possibly due to an imbalance in its cellular homeostasis regulatory system.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the mechanism by which resveratrol improves renal injury in rats with uric acid nephropathy （UAN） through inhibition of the protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase （PERK）/eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2α （eIF2α） pathway.METHODS A UAN rat model was established via oral administration of adenine plus potassium oxonate， and the rats were divided into a UAN model group， a positive control group （allopurinol 10 mg/kg）， a resveratrol group （100 mg/kg）， and a resveratrol+tunicamycin group [resveratrol 100 mg/kg+tunicamycin （PERK activator） 1 mg/kg]. A control group （without modeling） was also established， with 6 rats in each group. Rats in each group were administered the corresponding drug solution and/or normal saline via gavage or intraperitoneal injection once daily for 28 consecutive days. The contents of renal function-related parameters （24-hour urinary total protein， and uric acid， creatinine and blood urea nitrogen in serum）， the levels of inflammation-related markers [interleukin-6 （IL-6）， IL-18， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， IL-10， and nucleotide-binding domain leucine-rich repeat and pyrin domain-containing receptor 3 （NLRP3）]， and pathological changes in renal tissue were determined， and the score for tubular damage， the score for inflammatory infiltration， and the degree of mesangial proliferation were assessed. The mRNA expressions of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin （NGAL） and kidney injury molecule-1 （KIM-1）， as well as the expressions of proteins associated with the PERK/eIF2α pathway， were measured in renal tissue from each group.RESULTS Compared with the control group， rats in the UAN model group exhibited marked tubular damage， inflammatory cell infiltration， and mesangial proliferation. The contents of renal function-related parameters， levels of IL-6， IL-18， TNF-α and NLRP3， scores for tubular damage and inflammatory infiltration， degree of mesangial proliferation， mRNA expressions of NGAL and KIM-1， and phosphorylation levels of PERK and eIF2α， as well as the expressions of activating transcription factor 4 and C/EBP homologous protein， were all significantly increased or upregulated， while IL-10 levels were significantly decreased （ P ＜0.05）. Compared with the UAN model group， the resveratrol group and the positive control group showed significant improvements in all of the aforementioned parameters （ P ＜0.05）. Tunicamycin could significantly reverse the beneficial effects of resveratrol on all quantitative parameters （ P ＜0.05）.CONCLUSIONS Resveratrol can reduce inflammatory responses in renal tissue of UAN rats， and improve tubular damage and renal function. These effects may be related to the inhibition of endoplasmic reticulum stress mediated by the PERK/eIF2α pathway.

Objective: To evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of co-administration with bivalent human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and hepatitis E virus (HEV) vaccine, so as to provide reference for optimizing the vaccination schedule. Methods: Females aged 18 to 25 years were recruited from September to October 2021 in Hengdian College of Film & Television in Zhejiang Province and randomly divided into the HPV+HEV group, the HPV group, and the HEV group. The vaccination procedures were one dose each at 0, 1, and 6 months. Immunogenicity was evaluated by detecting the geometric mean titers (GMT) of HPV16 IgG, HPV18 IgG, and/or HEV IgG antibodies before the first vaccination and one month after the full course of immunization, and comparing the difference in seroconversion, and the GMT ratio. The non-inferiority margin was set at a seroconversion difference of ≤5%, and the lower limit of the 95%CI of the GMT ratio was >0.5. Safety was evaluated by collecting conjunctive local reactions/events and systemic reactions/events within 7 days after each dose, non-conjunctive adverse events within 30 days after each dose, and serious adverse events throughout the observation period (0 to 7 months). Results: A total of 240 females were included, among whom 236 completed the full vaccination program, including 79 in the HPV+HEV group, 77 in the HPV group, and 80 in the HEV group. One month after the full course of immunization, the seroconversion rates of HPV16 IgG and HPV18 IgG antibodies in both the HPV+HEV group and the HPV group were 100%, and the differences in seroconversion rates were 0 (95%CI: -3.39%-+∞). The seroconversion rates of HEV IgG antibodies in both the HPV+HEV group and the HEV group were 100%, and the difference in seroconversion rates was 0 (95%CI: -3.27%-+∞). The GMT of HPV16 IgG and HPV18 IgG antibodies in the HPV+HEV group was 393.88 and 284.86 IU/mL respectively, which was not inferior to 489.39 and 341.24 IU/mL in the HPV group, and the GMT ratios were 0.80 (95%CI: 0.66-+∞) and 0.83 (95%CI: 0.68-+∞), respectively. The GMT of HEV IgG in the HPV+HEV group was 13.55 U/mL, which was not inferior to 12.72 U/mL in the HEV group, and the GMT ratio was 1.07 (95%CI: 0.92-+∞). The incidences of pain, pruritus, and induration in the HPV+HEV group were 54.43%, 21.52% and 40.51% respectively, which were significantly higher than 10.39%, 0, and 0 in the HPV group (all P<0.05). The incidences of redness/swelling, muscle pain/general weakness in the HPV+HEV group were 2.53% and 0, respectively, which were significantly lower than 12.50% and 16.25% in the HEV group (both P<0.05). Conclusion The co-administration of the bivalent HPV vaccine and HEV vaccine is not inferior to individual vaccination in terms of immunogenicity and safety, and the vaccination plan can be optimized through co-administration.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of internal heat acupuncture therapy for knee osteoarthritis of early to middle stages, and explore its influence on cartilage thickness. METHODS: A total of 44 patients with knee osteoarthritis of early to middle stages were treated with internal heat acupuncture therapy at ashi points (most of them are located at the subpatellar fat pad, both sides of the patellar ligament, the tendon of the quadriceps and the attachment of the medial and lateral collateral ligaments), once a week, a total of 4 weeks of treatment. Before and after treatment, after 3 months of treatment completion (in the follow-up), the visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) score, frequency of 30-second chair stand test (30sCST), cartilage thickness of femoral intercondylar and knee joint ultrasound score were compared, and the clinical effect was evaluated. RESULTS: After treatment, the VAS、WOMAC and knee joint ultrasound scores were reduced (P<0.05), frequency of 30sCST was increased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment; in the follow-up, the VAS、WOMAC scores were reduced (P<0.05), frequency of 30sCST and cartilage thickness of femoral intercondylar were increased (P<0.05) compared with those before treatment. After treatment, the total effective rate was 93.2% (41/44), in the follow-up, the total effective rate was 95.5% (42/44). CONCLUSION Internal heat acupuncture therapy is effective in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis of early to middle stages, could relieve the pain, improve the joint function, and delay cartilage degeneration and disease progression.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Adult ; Acupuncture Points

Due to its high sensitivity and non-destructive nature, Raman spectroscopy has become an essential analytical tool in biopharmaceutical analysis and drug development. Despite of the computational demands, data requirements, or ethical considerations, artificial intelligence (AI) and particularly deep learning algorithms has further advanced Raman spectroscopy by enhancing data processing, feature extraction, and model optimization, which not only improves the accuracy and efficiency of Raman spectroscopy detection, but also greatly expands its range of application. AI-guided Raman spectroscopy has numerous applications in biomedicine, including characterizing drug structures, analyzing drug forms, controlling drug quality, identifying components, and studying drug-biomolecule interactions. AI-guided Raman spectroscopy has also revolutionized biomedical research and clinical diagnostics, particularly in disease early diagnosis and treatment optimization. Therefore, AI methods are crucial to advancing Raman spectroscopy in biopharmaceutical research and clinical diagnostics, offering new perspectives and tools for disease treatment and pharmaceutical process control. In summary, integrating AI and Raman spectroscopy in biomedicine has significantly improved analytical capabilities, offering innovative approaches for research and clinical applications.

Salmonellosis represents a global epidemic, and the emergence of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) Salmonella and its sustained transmission worldwide constitutes a significant public health concern. Flagellum-mediated motility serves as a crucial virulence trait of Salmonella that guides the pathogen toward the epithelial surface, enhancing gut colonization. Artemisia argyit essential oil, a traditional herb extract, demonstrates efficacy in treating inflammation-related symptoms and diseases; however, its effects on flagellum assembly and expression mechanisms in anti-Salmonella activity remain inadequately explored. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism by which Artemisia argyit essential oil addresses Salmonella infections. Network pharmacological analysis revealed that Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Artemisia argyit exhibited anti-Salmonella infection potential and inhibited flagellum-dependent motility. The application of Artemisia argyit essential oil induced notable motility defects through the downregulation of flagellar and fimbriae expression. Moreover, it significantly reduced Salmonella-infected cell damage by interfering with flagellum-mediated Salmonella colonization. In vivo studies demonstrated that Artemisia argyit essential oil administration effectively alleviated Salmonella infection symptoms by reducing bacterial loads, inhibiting interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) production, and diminishing pathological injury. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis identified forty-three compounds in Artemisia argyit essential oil, with their corresponding targets and active ingredients predicted. Investigation of an in vivo model of Salmonella infection using the active ingredient demonstrated that alpha-cedrene ameliorated Salmonella infection. These findings suggest the potential application of Artemisia argyit essential oil in controlling Salmonella, the predominant food-borne pathogen.
Artemisia/chemistry* ; Oils, Volatile/chemistry* ; Animals ; Flagella/drug effects* ; Salmonella Infections/microbiology* ; Humans ; Mice ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology* ; Salmonella/pathogenicity*

BACKGROUND:Steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head is a common progressive,crippling and high incidence of non-traumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head,but its exact pathogenesis is not clear.Internal heat acupuncture therapy has a good clinical effect in the treatment of steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head,but its specific mechanism is not clear.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of internal heat acupuncture on osteoblast apoptosis and expression of Bcl-2-associated X protein(Bax)and B lymphocytoma-2(Bcl-2)in steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head in rabbits.METHODS:Totally 24 male New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into blank group,model group,and internal heat acupuncture group(n=8).The rabbit model of steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head was made in the last two groups by methylprednisolone sodium succinate combined with Escherichia coli endotoxin.After successful model establishment for 4 weeks,the rabbits in the internal heat acupuncture group received internal heat acupuncture intervention on the buttocks of rabbits,once a week for 20 minutes each time,while the other two groups did not receive any intervention.After 4 weeks of treatment,samples were harvested.Morphological changes of femoral head and osteoblast apoptosis were observed by hematoxylin-eosin staining and TUNEL assay.Protein expression of Bcl-2 and Bax in rabbit femoral head tissue was detected by immunohistochemistry and western blot assay.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)In the blank group,there were abundant hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow cavity,clear and orderly trabecular structure,few adipocytes and few empty bone lacunae.In the model group,the number of adipocytes in the bone marrow cavity increased significantly,accompanied by hyperplasia,steatosis of some osteocytes and more empty bone lacunae.After the intervention of internal heat acupuncture,the number of adipocytes and hollow bone lacunae was less than that in the model group,but more obvious than that in the blank group.(2)Compared with the blank group,the apoptosis of osteoblasts in the model group was significantly increased,the expression of Bax was significantly increased(P＜0.001),and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly decreased(P＜0.001).After the intervention of internal heat acupuncture,the apoptosis of osteoblasts was significantly decreased,the expression of Bax was significantly decreased(P＜0.001),and the expression of Bcl-2 was significantly increased(P＜0.001).(3)The results show that internal heat acupuncture can alleviate steroid-induced avascular necrosis of the femoral head by inhibiting osteoblast apoptosis in the femoral head.

Objective To enhance the patient's medical experience by facilitating real-time reading monitoring of their offline outpatient medical progress,providing a centralized display of the status of various medical processes,and proactively de-livering the essential message notifications to patients at designated intervals.Methods The system was developed by adopting a message reminder functionality and integrating with the display of critical diagnostic and treatment processes(including registra-tion,payment,examination,testing,medication collection,and evaluation)so as to ensure that patients receive timely informa-tion that guides their subsequent actions.Results Following the developement and implementation of the system,empirical evi-dence demonstrated that patients were able to clearly comprehend their diagnostic and treatment progress.The system reduced waiting time and confusion.In addition,it enhanced the coherence and convenience of medical services.Conclusion The out-patient medical guidance system,grounded on the Internet hospital model,has effectively minimized patient confusion and stre-amlined operational procedures through an active service approach.Future enhancements are anticipated to further elevate the in-telligence of medical services by broadening business coverage and integrating advanced technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence and other technologies in the future.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between collateral circulation and viable myocardium (VM) in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO).Methods:A total of 88 patients (76 males, 12 females, age (61.0±9.8) years) with coronary CTO were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent both 99Tc m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (MIBI) SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging and 18F-FDG PET myocardial metabolism imaging for evaluation of VM at the First People′s Hospital of Changzhou between September 2012 and June 2023, and they were scheduled to receive coronary revascularization. The perfusion/metabolism mismatch myocardium was regarded as VM. The VM index within the CTO region was calculated, reflected the quantities of VM: VM index=(summed rest score within the CTO region-summed 18F-FDG uptake score within the CTO region)/reduced perfusion myocardial segments×4×100%. Rentrop grading of collateral circulation was performed based on coronary angiography. The differences of VM index within the CTO region between poor-developed (PD, Rentrop grade 0-1) and well-developed (WD, Rentrop grade 2-3) collateral circulation, and among different Rentrop grades were analyzed by the independent-sample t test or Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test. The linear regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between Rentrop grading and VM index within the CTO region. The ROC curve was constructed to analyze the predictive value of Rentrop grading for VM within the CTO region. Results:The VM index within the CTO region was significantly higher in WD patients ( n=54) compared to those in PD patients ( n=34): (45.8±16.3)% vs (21.3±16.7)% ( t=-6.79, P<0.001). Moreover, the VM index within the CTO region increased with increased Rentrop grade, and there was a significant difference among 4 groups ( H=30.22, P<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that only the Rentrop grading was an independent influencing factor for the VM index within the CTO region ( β=9.29, 95% CI: 5.91-12.67, P<0.001). ROC curve showed that the sensitivity and specificity of Rentrop grading score≥2 for predicting the presence or absence of VM within the CTO region were 65.8%(52/79) and 7/9, with the AUC of 0.724(95% CI: 0.619-0.814). Conclusions:In CTO patients who are scheduled for revascularization and evaluation of VM, as the Rentrop grading increases, the VM index within the CTO region also increases. The presence of VM within the CTO region can be predicted with Rentrop grading score ≥2.

Objective:To explore the safety and efficacy of intraosseous regional administration (IORA) of vancomycin for preventing infection in primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA).Methods:A total of 124 patients with knee osteoarthritis undergoing TKA between February 2024 and May 2024 at nine hospitals were enrolled. Preoperative infection prophylaxis involved either IORA (0.5 g vancomycin administered via intraosseous regional infusion before incision) or intravenous infusion (1 g vancomycin via peripheral vein). The IORA group included 15 males and 47 females with a median age of 66.5 years (range, 60.0-70.0 years), while the intravenous group included 14 males and 48 females with a median age of 66.0 years (range, 61.8-70.3 years) years. Intraoperative samples were collected including fat and synovium tissues after incision, before prosthesis placement, and after tourniquet release; distal femoral cancellous bone during femoral osteotomy; proximal tibial cancellous bone during tibial osteotomy; proximal intercondylar cancellous bone before prosthesis placement; and peripheral blood from non-infused arms at surgery initiation and after tourniquet release. Vancomycin concentrations were measured using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Vital sign changes were recorded from admission to 5~10 minutes post-IORA (IORA group) or post-incision (intravenous group). Follow-ups were conducted on postoperative day 1 and 3, and at 1 and 3 months, to document complications including IORA-related adverse events, periprosthetic joint infections, surgical site infections, red man syndrome, acute kidney injury, deep vein thrombosis and so on.Results:Vancomycin concentrations in bone, fat, and synovial tissue samples were significantly higher in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05), while vancomycin concentrations in blood samples were significantly lower in the IORA group than in the intravenous group ( P<0.05). Only 7.3%(41/558) of tissue samples in the IORA group had vancomycin concentrations below 2.0 μg/g (the minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin against coagulase-negative staphylococcus), compared to 59.3%(331/558) in the intravenous group (χ 2=11.285, P<0.001). In the intravenous group, 16.9%(21/124) of blood samples had vancomycin concentrations exceeding 15.0 mg/L (the threshold associated with a significantly increased risk of nephrotoxicity), while all concentrations in the IORA group were below this threshold, the difference was statistically significant (χ 2=22.943, P<0.001). There were no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05) in vital signs changes before and after vancomycin administration between the two groups. Two patients in the intravenous group experienced incision exudate, while no other related complications occurred in either group. Conclusions:Compared to the traditional intravenous infusion of 1 g vancomycin, intraosseous injection of a low dose (0.5 g) of vancomycin achieves higher local tissue concentrations in the knee joint with a lower incidence of adverse reactions and is safe for infection prophylaxis. Despite guidelines not recommending the routine use of vancomycin for preventing infection after primary TKA, intraosseous injection of 0.5 g vancomycin may be considered intraoperatively for primary TKA in the following scenarios: patients in medical institutions with a high prevalence of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections, patients with potential preoperative MRSA colonization, or patients with cephalosporin allergy.