Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of schistosomiasis surveillance in Jiangsu Province during the stage moving from transmission control to transmission interruption, and to analyze the current risk and challenges, so as to provide the evidence for achieving the target of schistosomiasis elimination. Methods Schistosomiasis surveillance data were collected from Jiangsu Province from 2012 to 2024, and the endemic areas, Schistosoma japonicum infections in humans and livestock, Oncomelania hupensis snail distribution and implementation of integrated interventions were descriptively analyzed. In addition, the trends in areas with snails, seroprevalence of human S. japonicum infections and numbers of advanced schistosomiasis cases were assessed using a Joinpoint regression model. Results The endemic areas of schistosomiasis continued to shrink in Jiangsu Province from 2012 to 2024, with the number of schistosomiasis-eliminated counties (cities, districts) increasing from 53 (75.71%) to 63 (96.92%), and interruption of schistosomiasis transmission was achieved across the province. A total of 4 600 300 person-times were tested for serum antibodies against S. japonicum, with 28 719 person-times positive detected; and 616 500 person-times were tested S. japonicum infections among local residents in Jiangsu Province from 2012 to 2024, with only 3 egg-positives detected, and no egg-positives found since 2017. A total of 187 600 herd-times were tested for schistosomiasis in livestock, and no S. japonicum infections were found. O. hupensis snail survey was performed covering 1 018 408.97 hm², and a total of 35 556.35 hm² was found with snail-infested habitats, including 174.40 hm2 of emerging snail-infested habitats. A total of 1 102 800 O. hupensis snails were identified for S. japonicum infections, and no infections were found. The areas of snail-infested habitats appeared a tendency towards a rise in Jiangsu Province from 2019 to 2023 (APC = 23.67%, P < 0.05), and the actual areas of snail-infested habitats appeared a tendency towards a decline from 2012 to 2015 (APC = −22.77%, P < 0.05), and towards a rise from 2015 to 2023 (APC = 9.76%, P < 0.01). The seroprevalence of anti-S. japonicum antibodies appeared a tendency towards a decline among residents in Jiangsu Province from 2017 to 2023 (APC = −14.92%, P < 0.01). In addition, the number of newly diagnosed advanced schistosomiasis cases appeared a tendency towards a decline from 2012 to 2024 (APC = −12.02%, P < 0.01), and the numbers of advanced schistosomiasis patients requiring treatment showed a tendency towards a decline from 2012 to 2021 (APC = −10.56%, P < 0.01) and from 2021 to 2023 (APC = −20.06%, P < 0.01). Conclusions Great progresses had been achieved in schistosomiasis control in Jiangsu Province following transmission control, and transmission interruption had been achieved; however, there are still snail-infested habitats. High-intensity surveillance and integrated control are required to be maintained to advance the achievement of the target of schistosomiasis elimination in Jiangsu Province.

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 examine the association between epidemiological characteristics of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) and meteorological factors in Shenzhen City during the period from 2012 to 2019. Methods Average atmospheric pressure, average air temperature, average relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed, and sunshine duration were captured from Meteorological Bureau of Shenzhen City each month from 2012 to 2019. The average monthly rodent densities in Shenzhen City from 2012 to 2019 were acquired from the Vector Surveillance Management System of Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the monthly HFRS incidence was retrieved from Shenzhen Municipal Disease Surveillance System from 2012 to 2019. The correlation between meteorological factors and the monthly incidence of HFRS was examined us ing Spearman’s rank correlation in Shenzhen City, and the temporal trends in monthly HFRS incidence and the degrees of freedom for the rodent density were determined in Shenzhen City with a generalized additive model. The optimal lag time was identified using excess risk (ER) and its 95% confidence interval (CI), and univariate and multivariate models were fitted to evaluate the impact of meteorological factors on HFRS incidence in Shenzhen City. Results The median number of incident HFRS cases was 3.00 (interquartile range, 3.25) in Shenzhen City from 2012 to 2019, with an average air temperature of (23.44 ± 4.91) °C, average relative humidity of (76.05 ± 7.61)%, median precipitation of 4.10 (interquartile range, 6.83) mm, average wind speed of (1.97 ± 0.26) m/s, average sunshine duration of (5.17 ± 1.64) h, and median monthly rodent density of 1.74% (interquartile range, 2.52%). Spearman’s rank correlation analysis showed that the average air temperature positively correlated with average relative humidity (r_s = 0.420, P < 0.05), precipitation (r_s = 0.658, P < 0.05) and sunshine duration (r_s = 0.633, P < 0.05), and the atmospheric pressure negatively correlated with average air temperature (r_s = −0.925, P < 0.05), relative humidity (r_s = −0.614, P < 0.05), precipitation (r_s = −0.789, P < 0.05) and sunshine duration (r_s = −0.437, P < 0.05), while the average relative humidity correlated positively with precipitation (r_s = 0.724, P < 0.05) and negatively with sunshine duration (r_s = −0.218, P < 0.05). Univariate modeling analysis showed that the ERs and their 95% CI were 0.639% (0.540%, 0.737%) for average atmospheric pressure, −7.157% (−8.113%, −6.190%) for average air temperature, −3.603% (−4.219%, −2.985%) for average relative humidity, −5.889% (−7.085%, −4.669%) forprecipitation,21.881% (−5.149%, 56.612%) for average wind speed, and −13.877% (−16.641%, −11.022%) for sunshine duation (all P values < 0.05). Multivariate modeling analysis showed that in the ensemble model combining average atmospheric pressure and precipitation, the highest ER (6.686%) was caused by increased average atmospheric pressure, and the highest absolute ER values for average air temperature (6.615%), average relative humidity (3.107%) and precipitation (5.386%) were seen after adjustment only for sunshine duration (all P values < 0.05), while the highest absolute ER for sunshine duration (11.875%) was found after adjustment for precipitation (P < 0.05). Conclusions An increase in average air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation and sunshine duration resulted in a reduced incidence rate of HFRS in Shenzhen City from 2012 to 2019, and an increase in average atmospheric pressure increased the incidence of HFRS. Meteorological factors are important determinants affecting HFRS incidence in Shenzhen City.

Objective:To investigate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)on the proliferation and collagen expression levels of L929 cells,and to clarify its related mechanism.Methods:The BMSCs were extracted from the 4-week-old C57BL/6 mice.The phenotypes of BMSCs were identified by immunofluorescence staining.The L929 cells were divided into control group(L929 cells),co-culture group(L929 cells and BMSCs),inhibitor of Janus kinase(JAK)WP1066 group(WP1066-treated L929 cells and BMSCs),and dimethyl sulfoxide(DMSO)group(DMSO-treated L929 cells and BMSCs).Cell counting kit-8(CCK-8)assay was used to detect the proliferation activities of the L929 cells in various groups at different time points;Western blotting method was used to detect the expression levels of type Ⅰ collagen(Col Ⅰ)and type Ⅲ collagen(Col Ⅲ)in the L929 cells in various groups;immunofluorescence staining was used to detect the expressions of Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ proteins in the L929 cells in various groups.Results:The fluorescence assay results of surface antigen(SA)showed that the surface markers CD29+,CD45-,CD90+and CD105+were found in the BMSCs.The CCK-8 assay results showed that compared with control group,the proliferation activities of the L929 cells in co-culture group and DMSO group were significantly increased(P＜0.01);compared with co-culture group,the proliferation activity of the L929 cells in WP1066 group was significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The Western blotting method results showed that compared with control group,the expression levels of Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ proteins in the L929 cells in co-culture group and DMSO group were significantly increased(P＜0.01);compared with co-culture group,the expression levels of Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ proteins in the L929 cells in WP1066 group were significantly decreased(P＜0.01);compared with DMSO group,the expression levels of Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ proteins in the L929 cells in WP1066 group were significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The immunofluorescence staining results showed that compared with control group,the fluorescence intensities of Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ proteins in the L929 cells in co-culture group and DMSO group were significantly increased(P＜0.01);compared with co-culture group,the fluorescence intensities of Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ in the L929 cells in WP1066 group were significantly decreased(P＜0.01);compared with DMSO group,the fluorescence intensities of Col Ⅰ and Col Ⅲ in the L929 cells in WP1066 group were significantly decreased(P＜0.01).Conclusion:MSCs can promote the proliferation and collagen production of the L929 cells of the mice through the JAK2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)signaling pathway.

Objective:To evaluate surgical strategies and clinical outcomes in supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma management, providing evidence-based guidance for therapeutic decision-making. Methods:Seven patients with supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma in our hospital from 2021 to 2023 were enrolled in this study. The clinical manifestations, imaging findings, and surgical outcomes of patients were retrospectively analyzed. A systematic literature review focused on surgical anatomy correlations and imaging-based approach selection. Results:All seven cases of supra-labyrinthine cholesteatoma were unilateral. Preoperative otoendoscopy, CT, and intraoperative findings confirmed that they were classified as supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma according to Sanna's classification. Two cases were operated entirely with otoendoscopy, three cases used a postauricular approach with microscopic assistance, and two cases involved a combined approach with endoscopy and microscopy. Hearing reconstruction with ossicular prosthesis was performed in five cases, while two cases did not undergo hearing reconstruction due to preoperative anacusis confirmed by both subjective and objective hearing tests. In all seven cases, various segments of the facial nerve were exposed during surgery, but postoperative facial nerve function remained intact, hearing was preserved, no cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred, and no recurrences have been observed to date（as of June 2024）. Conclusion:With the advancement of imaging techniques and microsurgical technology, early diagnosis and surgical methods for supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma have significantly improved. Compared to traditional approaches, the newer methods reduce unnecessary complications and offer advantages such as minimal surgical trauma, superior hearing preservation rates, and shorter recovery times with better postoperative neural function. This study reviews recent literature on petroclival cholesteatomas, combined with our own cases, to analyze the classification of supral-abyrinthine cholesteatoma and surgical approach selection. The findings aim to optimize treatment strategies and guide appropriate surgical methods, ultimately improving patient prognosis and quality of life.
Humans ; Cholesteatoma/surgery* ; Ear, Inner/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Disrupted bone morphogenetic protein type 2 receptor (BMPR2) signaling in endothelial cells drives pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, targeted recovery of this signaling pathway by lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) has not been explored as a therapy. Here, we employed Design of Experiments to optimize the delivery efficiency of LNPs targeting pulmonary endothelial cells developed by our laboratory, resulting in a remarkable 35-fold increase in a simplified three-component formulation without helper lipids. Administration of BMPR2 mRNA LNPs effectively reversed established PAH in two experimental rat models (monocrotaline or SU5416-hypoxia) by reversing pulmonary vascular remodeling. Specifically, BMPR2 mRNA LNPs replenished the expression of BMPR2 protein and subsequently activated downstream pathways, as confirmed by elevated levels of p-SMAD1/5/9 and ID1 proteins. The relief of pulmonary arterial occlusion was demonstrated by thinned pulmonary arterial media and decreased proportion of full muscularized vessels. Alleviation of right ventricular hypertrophy was indicated by declined Fulton index, the cross-sectional area of right ventricular cardiomyocytes as well as collagen deposition. Effective recovery of right ventricular function was evidenced by increased pulmonary artery flow acceleration time/pulmonary artery flow ejection time ratio. These findings underscore the potential of restoring BMPR2 signaling through pulmonary endothelial cell-specific LNPs for treating PAH.

Digital technologies have become an integral part of complete denture restoration. With advancement in computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM), tools such as intraoral scanning, facial scanning, 3D printing, and numerical control machining are reshaping the workflow of complete denture restoration. Unlike conventional methods that rely heavily on clinical experience and manual techniques, digital technologies offer greater precision, predictability, and efficacy. They also streamline the process by reducing the number of patient visits and improving overall comfort. Despite these improvements, the clinical application of digital complete denture restoration still faces challenges that require further standardization. The major issues include appropriate case selection, establishing consistent digital workflows, and evaluating long-term outcomes. To address these challenges and provide clinical guidance for practitioners, this expert consensus outlines the principles, advantages, and limitations of digital complete denture technology. The aim of this review was to offer practical recommendations on indications, clinical procedures and precautions, evaluation metrics, and outcome assessment to support digital restoration of complete denture in clinical practice.
Humans ; Denture, Complete ; Computer-Aided Design ; Denture Design/methods* ; Consensus ; Printing, Three-Dimensional

Diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome （IBS-D） is a common digestive system disease with high prevalence and recurrence rates for years， high treatment costs， and serious impacts on patients' quality of life and economic burden. Therefore， it is important to explore new and safe treatment methods. The pathogenesis of IBS-D is complex， in which the gut-brain axis is a key factor. The gut-brain axis， a bidirectional signaling pathway connecting the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system， regulates gastrointestinal motility， secretion， and immune responses， playing a key role in the occurrence and development of IBS-D. Up to now， antidiarrheal agents， probiotics， and neurotransmitter modulators are the main methods for the clinical treatment of IBS-D. Although they can partially curb the progression of this disease， the therapeutic effects remain to be improved. Studies have confirmed that traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has significant advantages in the treatment of IBS-D since it can regulate the gut-brain axis via multiple pathways and targets to improve the gastrointestinal motility and strengthen immune defenses. However， there is a lack of systematic reviews on the regulation of the gut-brain axis by TCM in the treatment of IBS-D. Based on the review of IBS-D-related articles published in recent years， this paper systematically summarized the relationship between the gut-brain axis and IBS-D and the role of TCM in the treatment， providing new ideas for the treatment of IBS-D.

Neovascular age-related macular degeneration(ARMD)is a condition where various causes induce the formation of choroidal neovascularization(CNV)in the macula, leading to macular hemorrhage, accumulation of fluid, and development of fibrosis, resulting in a large, dark spot in the center of the visual field, causing severe central vision loss in over 90% of patients. Endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs)are a heterogeneous group of cells that play a crucial role in neovascularization. Under pathological stimulation, EPCs are mobilized into the systemic circulation, migrate toward the avascular zone, and promote the restoration of blood vessels and endothelialization in the damaged area. Toll-like receptors(TLRs)are pattern recognition receptors and type Ⅰ transmembrane proteins that are mainly expressed in monocytes, dendritic cells, and other immune cells, recognizing the surface of pathogens and transmitting signals to cells, participating in the innate immune response and adaptive immune response. Studies have shown that most TLRs are involved in the development of neovascularization, and EPCs can express TLRs. Therefore, exploring the role of EPCs/TLRs in the pathogenesis of ARMD can help us understand the disease and may provide new insights for targeted therapy in the future.

Objective To evaluate the performance of the artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled snail identification system for recognition of Oncomelania hupensis robertsoni and Tricula in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of Yunnan Province. Methods Fifty O. hupensis robertsoni and 50 Tricula samples were collected from Yongbei Township, Yongsheng County, Lijiang City, a schistosomiasis-endemic area in Yunnan Province in May 2024. A total of 100 snail sample images were captured with smartphones, including front-view images of 25 O. hupensis robertsoni and 25 Tricula samples (upward shell opening) and back-view images of 25 O. hupensis robertsoni and 25 Tricula samples (downward shell opening). Snail samples were identified as O. hupensis robertsoni or Tricula by schistosomiasis control experts with a deputy senior professional title and above according to image quality and morphological characteristics. A standard dataset for snail image classification was created, and served as a gold standard for recognition of snail samples. A total of 100 snail sample images were recognized with the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system based on a WeChat mini program in smartphones. Schistosomiasis control professionals were randomly sampled from stations of schistosomisis prevention and control and centers for disease control and prevention in 18 schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts, cities) of Yunnan Province, for artificial identification of 100 snail sample images. All professionals are assigned to two groups according the median years of snail survey experiences, and the effect of years of snail survey experiences on O. hupensis robertsoni sample image recognition was evaluated. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted, and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Youden’s index and the area under the curve (AUC) of the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system and artificial identification were calculated for recognition of snail sample images. The snail sample image recognition results of AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system and artificial identification were compared with the gold standard, and the internal consistency of artificial identification results was evaluated with the Cronbach’s coefficient alpha. Results A total of 54 schistosomiasis control professionals were sampled for artificial identification of snail sample image recognition, with a response rate of 100% (54/54), and the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, Youden’s index, and AUC of artificial identification were 90%, 86%, 94%, 0.80 and 0.90 for recognition of snail sample images, respectively. The overall Cronbach’s coefficient alpha of artificial identification was 0.768 for recognition of snail sample images, and the Cronbach’s coefficient alpha was 0.916 for recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni snail sample images and 0.925 for recognition of Tricula snail sample images. The overall accuracy of artificial identification was 90% for recognition of snail sample images, and there was no significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni (86%) and Tricula snail sample images (94%) (χ² = 1.778, P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of snail sample images with upward (88%) and downward shell openings (92%) (χ² = 0.444, P > 0.05), and there was a significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of snail sample images between schistosomiasis control professionals with snail survey experiences of 6 years and less (75%) and more than 6 years (90%) (χ² = 7.792, P < 0.05). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity and AUC of the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system were 88%, 100%, 76% and 0.88 for recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni snail sample images, and there was no significant difference in the accuracy of recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni snail sample images between the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system and artificial identification (χ² = 0.204, P > 0.05). In addition, there was no significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of snail sample images with upward (90%) and downward shell openings (86%) (χ² = 0.379, P > 0.05), and there was a significant difference in the accuracy of artificial identification for recognition of snail sample images between schistosomiasis control professionals with snail survey experiences of 6 years and less and more than 6 years (χ² = 5.604, P_adjusted < 0.025). Conclusions The accuracy of recognition of snail sample images is comparable between the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system and artificial identification by schistosomiasis control professionals, and the AI-enabled intelligent snail identification system is feasible for recognition of O. hupensis robertsoni and Tricula in Yunnan Province.