Triatoma rubrofasciata is currently the most widely distributed species of Triatoma worldwide, and it is also widespread in southern China. T. rubrofasciata has been proven to transmit Trypanosoma cruzi, and is one of vectors transmitting Chagas disease, which poses a potential risk for transmission of imported Chagas disease in China. Findings from latest studies have shown that T. rubrofasciata naturally infects T. lewisi, T. conorhini, and T. rangeli, which undoubtedly increases significant risks of and challenges to trypanosomiasis control in China. This article briefly describes the species of T. rubrofasciata-transmitted trypanosomes, and summarizes the epidemiological characteristics of trypanosomiasis, so as to provide insights into T. rubrofasciata-transmitted trypanosomiasis surveillance and control, and prevention of trypanosomiasis development and transmission in China.

OBJECTIVE To explore the changes and correlations of color， components and anti-tumor activity of Gelsemium elegans during sand-frying processing， so as to provide a reference for the toxicity-attenuating and efficacy-preserving processing as well as quality control of sand-fried G. elegans decoction pieces.METHODS Raw G.elegans and its processed products prepared by sand-frying for 15， 30， 75， 105 and 120 s were taken as test samples. The chromatic values， contents of total alkaloids and seven main active components （gelsemine， humantenine， koumine， gelsenicine， etc.） were determined. Their in vitro anti-tumor activity was investigated. The correlations between color and component contents， as well as between total alkaloid content and anti-tumor activity were analyzed.RESULTS The color of G.elegans samples generally darkened after sand-frying， and the total color difference （Δ E * ） of samples sand-fried for 75 s was greater than 20. At the initial stage of sand-frying （15-30 s）， the total alkaloid content in processed products decreased sharply compared with the raw material； at the later-stage of sand-frying （75-105 s）， the declining rate of total alkaloid content slowed down and tended to be stable. The contents of gelsenicine and humantenidine in processed products dropped drastically at 30 s of sand-frying， while the contents of koumine and sempervirine decreased substantially （by about 80%） after 75 s of sand-frying and then gradually tended to be stable. The anti-HepG2 cell proliferation activity of each processed product decreased with the extension of frying time. Correlation analysis demonstrated that color brightness and yellow-blue chromaticity were significantly positively correlated with the contents of total alkaloids and all determined active components except gelsemine （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）； red-green chromaticity was significantly positively correlated with the contents of koumine， sempervirine， gelsemivirine and humantenidine （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）； Δ E * was significantly negatively correlated with the contents of total alkaloids and all determined active components except gelsemine. Besides， total alkaloid content was significantly negatively correlated with the half maximal inhibitory concentration of the samples on HepG2 cells （ P ＜0.05 or P ＜0.01）.CONCLUSIONS With the prolongation of sand-frying time， the color of sand-fried G.elegans decoction pieces gradually turned brownish-brown， the contents of seven active components and total alkaloids decreased progressively， and its anti-HepG2 cell activity showed an overall downward trend. Sand-frying for 75 s serves as a critical turning-point for the above-mentioned changes.

Objective Exploring the relationship between the cognitive function level of elderly patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and malnutrition. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on 456 patients with PD admitted to the hospital between April 2021 and April 2025. The nutritional status and cognitive function of patients were evaluated by Mini Nutrition Assessment Short Form (MNA-SF) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Pearson correlation analysis explored the correlation between MNA-SF score and MoCA total score. Based on the occurrence status of cognitive dysfunction, the patients were classified into cognitive dysfunction group (264 cases) and normal cognitive function group (192 cases). Multivariate logistic regression was utilized to analyze the independent relevant factors of cognitive dysfunction. Results Among the 413 PD patients in this study, the MNA-SF score and total MoCA score were (9.35±2.16) points and (25.26±2.34) points. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that MNA-SF score was positively associated with MoCA total score (r=0.615, P<0.001). Compared with patients in the normal cognitive function group, the patients in the cognitive dysfunction group were older, had shorter years of education, longer PD course, higher proportion of cerebrovascular lesion and lower MNA-SF score (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, PD course, cerebrovascular lesion and decreased MNA-SF score were independent relevant factors of cognitive dysfunction in elderly PD patients (P<0.05). Conclusion Malnutrition in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease is significantly associated with cognitive impairment, and as an independent factor, it can increase the risk of cognitive dysfunction in these patients.

AIM:This study aims to investigate the role of histone methyltransferase SET and MYND domain containing 2(SMYD2)in facilitating renal fibrosis through the macrophage-myofibroblast transition in diabetic kidney dis-ease(DKD).METHODS:(1)C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally administered 55 mg/kg of streptozotocin to induce diabetes mellitus(DM).The experimental groups were categorized as follows:normal control,DM(20 weeks),DM(28 weeks),and DM(36 weeks).Blood glucose(BG),serum creatinine(SCr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)levels were determined using a biochemical analyzer.Hematoxylin-eosin(HE)staining and Masson staining were performed to assess morphological and fibrotic changes in renal tissues.Western blot analysis was used to measure the protein levels of SMYD2,histone H3 lysine 4 trimethylation(H3K4me3),arginase-1,matrix metalloproteinase 9(MMP9),collagen type Ⅰ(Col Ⅰ)and α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA).Immunofluorescence staining was conducted to examine the localization and expression of F4/80,α-SMA,SMYD2,CD86,CD206 and CD163.(2)Mouse monocyte/macrophage RAW264.7 cells were cultured in vitro and assigned to groups as follows:normal glucose(NG)+negative control siRNA(siNC),high glucose(HG)+siNC,NG+SMYD2 siRNA(siSMYD2),and HG+siSMYD2.Western blot analysis was used to assess the expression of relevant proteins.RESULTS:(1)Compared with normal control group,the levels of BG,SCr and BUN were significantly elevated in DM(28 weeks)and DM(36 weeks)groups(P＜0.05).Renal tissue exhibited tubular atro-phy,dilation,and collagen fiber deposition.The levels of H3K4me3,arginase-1,MMP9,Col Ⅰ and α-SMA proteins were up-regulated(P＜0.05).The CD86,CD206,CD163 and F4/80 were primarily localized in the interstitial macrophages of the renal tubules,α-SMA was predominantly detected in the renal interstitium,and SMYD2 was mainly expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells and the renal interstitium.(2)Compared with NG+siNC group,the protein levels of SMYD2,H3K4me3,arginase-1,CD163,Col Ⅰ,α-SMA,transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1)and p-Smad3 in the cells of HG+siNC group were significantly increased(P＜0.05).Knockdown of SMYD2 resulted in a reduction of these indicators(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:The SMYD2 protein appears to facilitate renal fibrosis in DKD by promoting the macrophage-myofibroblast transition,potentially through the modulation of TGF-β1/Smad3 signaling pathway.

BACKGROUND:Mongolian medicine Echinops sphaerocephalus L.is a commonly used medicine for bone injury in Mongolian medicine.It is effective for tendon injury,fracture,bone nonunion,bone fever,tingling,sore and other diseases.Our previous studies have confirmed that Mongolian medicine Echinops sphaerocephalus L.can promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells,but its effect on angiogenesis in the process of bone defect repair is unknown.OBJECTIVE:To investigate the effect of Echinops sphaerocephalus L.on in vitro angiogenesis in human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells and to explore the angiogenesis-promoting active ingredients and their mechanisms of action of Echinops sphaerocephalus L.using network pharmacology technology.METHODS:The ethanol extract of Echinops sphaerocephalus L.was prepared and preserved by freeze-drying.The proliferation,migration,chemotaxis and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells were observed after treatment with different concentrations(1 000,100,and 10 μg/mL)of Echinops sphaerocephalus L.The active components and possible signaling pathways that promoted angiogenesis were enriched and analyzed by network pharmacology.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)The effect of Echinops sphaerocephalus L.on angiogenesis was regulated by its mass concentration:at low mass concentration(10 μg/mL),Echinops sphaerocephalus L.could promote the proliferation,migration,chemotaxis and angiogenesis of human umbilical vein vascular endothelial cells;on the contrary,Echinops sphaerocephalus L.inhibited the proliferation,migration,and chemotaxis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells at high mass concentration(1 000 μg/mL).However,the inhibitory effect of Echinops sphaerocephalus L.on angiogenesis was not significant at high mass concentration due to the limitation of experimental time.10 μg/mL Echinops sphaerocephalus L.could up-regulate the mRNA expression of angiogenesis-associated factors,including kinase insert domain receptor,vascular endothelial growth factor A,and hypoxia-inducible factor α,and thereby influenced angiogenesis during bone repair.(2)Network pharmacological analyses indicated that Echinops sphaerocephalus L.may bind to eight core targets(TGFB1,TNF,IL-6,STAT3,CTNNB1,IL-1B,AKT1,and HIF-1A)through four core active components(apigenin,caffeic acid,quercetin,and chlorogenic acid)to exert an effect on angiogenesis,atherosclerosis,multiple viral infections,and tumor angiogenesis-related signaling pathways.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of chronic endometritis(CE)in patients with repeated implantation failure(RIF),and the correlation between diagnostic indexes of CE and classification of peripheral blood immune cells.Methods:A total of 64 patients with RIF who visited Outpatient of Hebei Reproductive Health Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were retrospec-tively analyzed.General information of patients,results of hysteroscopy and endometrial immunohistochemistry in the mid luteal phase,the number and percentage of NK cells,Th1 cells,Th2 cells,Th17 cells and Treg cells in peripheral blood,and Th1/Th2,Th17/Treg were collected,and the pregnancy outcome of retransplantation was followed up.To evaluate the consistency of hysteroscopy and endometrial immunohistochemistry CD138 in diagnosis of CE in RIF patients,to analyze whether chronic inflammation of endome-trium was related to classification of peripheral blood immune cells,and to analyze the pregnancy outcome of patients with RIF diag-nosed with CE after retransplantation.Results:Prevalence of CE in RIF patients detected by hysteroscopy was 53.12%,which was sig-nificantly higher than that detected by endometrial immunohistochemistry CD138(25.00%,P<0.05).There was no significant differ-ence in the number and percentage of immune cells in peripheral blood between CE and non CE patients.After antibiotic treatment,the 12-week continuous pregnancy rate and live birth rate in the CD138 positive group were higher than those in negative group,with a statistically significant difference(P<0.05).Conclusion:The combination of hysteroscopy and endometrial CD138 immunohistochem-istry at the right time for RIF patients is beneficial to improve their pregnancy rate and pregnancy outcome.The infiltration of endome-trial plasma cells does not affect the classification of peripheral blood immune cells.

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of Gongxuening Capsules in reducing post-abortion bleeding following artificial abortion.Methods:A multicenter, randomized, double-blind study was conducted. From May 31, 2022 to March 31, 2023, 484 women who underwent vacuum aspiration abortion for early intrauterine pregnancy were enrolled in 11 centers and randomly assigned to control group and the study group at a 1∶1 ratio using a center-block randomization method. Control group were administered a placebo of Gongxuening Capsules for 9 d, while the study group received the actual Gongxuening Capsules for the same duration. The outcomes measured included vaginal bleeding volume, duration of vaginal bleeding, endometrial thickness, time to menstrual recovery, and complications.Results:1) A total of 484 subjects were enrolled, and 472 completed the study. Totally 450 subjects were included in the efficacy analysis set, with 224 in control group and 226 in the study group; 468 subjects were included in the safety analysis set, with 236 in control group and 232 in the study group. The baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable (all P>0.05). 2) The vaginal bleeding volume was lower in the study group [(13.30±12.14) mL] than in control group [(19.00±17.67) mL, P<0.001]. The proportion of subjects in the study group with bleeding days less than 4 d [29.65% (67/226)] was higher than that in control group [19.20% (43/224), P=0.010]. 3) No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of time to menstrual recovery and endometrial thickness (all P>0.05). 4) In the study group, 3 subjects experienced non-therapeutic-related complications, while 11 subjects in control group. The incidence of complications was lower in the study group [1.29% (3/232)] than in control group [4.66% (11/236), P=0.033]. Conclusion:The administration of Gongxuening Capsules to women following artificial abortion significantly reduced vaginal bleeding volume and was associated with good safety, with the treatment being well-tolerated by the subjects.

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness,safety and economy of generic venlafaxine sustained-release capsules and the original drug in clinical practice based on real world clinical data.Methods This is a multicenter,retrospective real-world study.The information of outpatients who used venlafaxine sustained-release capsules in 7 hospitals from October 2021 to October 2022 was collected,including prescription data and laboratory data.They were divided into generic drug group and original drug group.After the baseline level was corrected by propensity score match method,the prescription daily dose,plasma concentration,medication possession ratio,the continuous medication rate for 3,6 and 9 months,dressing change rate,the incidence of adverse reactions,the frequency of drug use,the average daily cost,the annual cost per capita and the proportion of the average annual cost of drugs were compared between the two groups.Results After the baseline level was corrected by propensity score matching method,the prescription daily dose and medication possession ratio(MPR≥0.8)in the generic drug group were higher than that of the original drug group(P＜0.05).There was no statistically difference in plasma concentration between the two groups(P=0.294).The continuous medication rate for 3,6 and 9 months in the generic drug group were statistically higher than those in the original drug group(P＜0.01).The single dressing change rate of the generic drug group was lower than that of the original drug group(P=0.032).There was no significant difference in the rate of secondary dressing change between the two groups(P=1.000).There were no significant differences in the incidence of abnormal ALT,AST,TC,Na,APTT,and PLC between two groups(P＞0.05).The average daily cost of the generic drug group was lower than that of the original drug group.The per capita annual cost of drugs and the proportion of average annual cost of drugs in the generic drug group were significantly lower than those in the original drug group(P＜0.01).Conclusion In the actual clinical diagnosis and treatment,no clinically significant differences in effectiveness and safety were found between the generic venlafaxine sustained-release capsule and the original-patented,while the economic advantages of the generic drug were better than that of the original-patented drug.

Mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA)is a critical target in forensic genetic analysis,playing a pivotal role in deciphering population genetic structures,tracing maternal lineages,identifying complex kinship relationships,and deconvoluting mixed biological samples.For aged or severely degraded biological specimens where nuclear DNA profiling is impossible,mtDNA may emerge as the sole detectable DNA source due to its unique circular structure and multi-copy characteristics.With the continuous advancement of DNA sequencing technologies,mtDNA analysis has evolved from first-generation sequencing focusing on the control region to whole-genome approaches in second-generation sequencing,simultaneously enhancing haplotype resolution and promoting forensic mtDNA applications.Recently,long-read third-generation sequencing technologies have introduced a novel methodological paradigm for mtDNA analysis,enabling non-spliced acquisition of mtDNA control regions or full sequences.This approach not only mitigates the potential interference from nuclear-mitochondrial DNA sequences but also significantly improves heterogeneity recognition rates.This review will elucidate the principles of various sequencing technologies and comprehensively examine the research progress and applications of mtDNA in forensic science,including individual identification,kinship verification,mixed sample detection,and biogeographic ancestry inference,with the aim of providing valuable insights for future research and practical implementations.

Objective This study aims to investigate controversial cases of forensic clinical re-identification of fractures,exploring the characteristics,causes,and countermeasures related to identification errors in primary bone injuries,complications,and subsequent changes.The goal is to provide identification strategies for similar cases regarding the collection of identification materials,timing,and examination method selection,ultimately establishing a paradigm for such identifications.Methods A total of 103 cases of clinical re-identification of fractures accepted by the West China Forensic Identification Center from 2020 to 2024 were collected,and the data from initial identifications and re-identifications were retrospectively analyzed.Results Male cases accounted for 69.90%of the re-identifications,with disability grade(67.96%)and injury degree(30.10%)being the primary concerns.Individual requests represented a high proportion(92.86%)in the initial assessment of disability levels,while unit or joint requests dominated the re-assessment(92.86%).The agreement rates for disability grade and injury degree were 55.26%and 59.38%,respectively.The reassessment of disability grades primarily involved fractures of limb long bones,spine,and ribs,with 75.53%of opinions resulting in downgraded disability levels.Rib,orbital,and nasal bone fractures were the main focus in injury degree reassessments,with 84.62%of opinions indicating aggravated injuries.The consistency rates for fracture identification in disability grade assessments was 92.21%,while rates for injury degree and sequelae were 65.63%and 48.94%,respectively.Inconsistencies in identifying damage facts—including the presence of fractures,distinguishing between fresh and old fractures,and determining the nature of fractures and sequelae—were primarily noted in rib,orbital,and nasal bone fractures.The utilization rate of CT metadata in initial evaluations(25.00%)was significantly lower than in re-evaluations(95.00%).The identification time for joint mobility dysfunction after fracture in re-identifications was significantly longer than in initial identifications(P=0.0002),and the identification time for cases with agreement was significantly shorter than for cases with disagreement(P=0.036).Conclusion Image data type and identification timing are critical factors that may influence the accuracy and consistency of forensic clinical identification of bone injuries.When necessary,dynamic CT metadata in conjunction with image post-processing technology can be routinely employed to identify fractures of the ribs,orbital bones,or nasal bones,thereby reducing the risk of misidentification.