Objective To investigate the current distribution and predict the future suitable habitats of Haemaphysalis longicornis in Nanjing City, so as to provide insights into control and early warning of ticks and management of tick-borne diseases in Nanjing City. Methods The electronic map of Nanjing City was obtained from the National Platform for Common GeoSpatial Information Services. The distribution of H. longicornis and the longitude and latitude of distribution points from 2022 to 2024 were obtained from centers for disease control and prevention across each district in Nanjing City. Climatic and environmental variable data in Nanjing City were captured from the Worldclim database. Initially, 19 bioclimatic variables in this database were selected, including annual mean temperature, mean diurnal range, isothermality, temperature seasonality, maximum temperature of the warmest month, minimum temperature of the warmest month, temperature annual range, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, mean temperature of the driest quarter, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, mean temperature of the coldest quarter, annual precipitation, precipitation of the wettest month, precipitation of the driest month, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the wettest quarter, precipitation of the driest quarter, precipitation of the warmest quarter, and precipitation of the coldest quarter. The elevation and normalized difference vegetation index were obtained from Data Sharing Platform of the Center for Resources and Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Then, the distribution points of H. longicornis, elevation, vegetation index and 19 bioclimatic variables were loaded into the software MaxEnt 3.4.4 to evaluate and screen out the variables with a contribution rate of 1% and higher. ArcGIS 10.8.1 software was used to extract the elevation, vegetation index and 19 bioclimatic variables of the distribution points of H. longicornis for a correlation analysis. If the absolute value of the correlation coefficient was 0.8 and higher, the variable with the higher contribution was retained. The 2050 dataset of the BCCCSM2-MR atmospheric circulation model in the coupled model intercomparison project phase 6 (CMIP6) were obtained from the Worldclim database as climate data for 2050. Screened H. longicornis species data and environmental and climate data were loaded into the maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model with the software MaxEnt 3.4.4 for training and validation, and then, all data generated from the model were imported into the software ArcGIS 10.8.1 to generate raster data and yield the map pertaining to the distribution of H. longicornis risk in Nanjing City. The accuracy of the model was evaluated with a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, and the predictive effect of the model was assessed with area under the ROC curve (AUC). The suitable habitats of H. longicornis were classified in Nanjing City with the software ArcGIS 10.8.1, and the areas of distribution of suitable habitats in various categories were recorded to create the map of current H. longicornis suitable habitats classification in Nanjing City. The climatic and geographic information data in 2050 were employed as future environmental and climatic factors, and current environmental and climatic factors and current H. longicornis distribution data were additionally used to predict the future suitable habitats of H. longicornis in Nanjing City. In addition, the contributions of environmental and climatic factors to distribution of suitable habitats of H. longicornis was evaluated with the Jackknife method in Nanjing City. Results A total of 10 environmental and climatic variables were screened for analysis of the suitability of H. longicornis in Nanjing City based on correlation analyses and contributions of the MaxEnt model, including annual mean temperature, precipitation of the warmest quarter, vegetation index, precipitation of the wettest month, temperature annual range, annual precipitation, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, elevation, mean temperature of the wettest quarter, and maximum temperature of the warmest month, and annual mean temperature (34.8%), precipitation of the warmest quarter (17.3%), vegetation index (13.1%), and precipitation of the wettest month (10.8%) contributed relatively highly to the distribution of suitable habitats of H. longicornis in Nanjing City. The mean AUC of the ROC curve was 0.810 ± 0.055 for 10 repeated modeling results of the MaxEnt model, indicating high predictive performance of the model. The potential distribution areas of H. longicornis were predicted to be mainly located in Luhe District, Pukou District, Jiangning District, Lishui District, and Gaochun District in Nanjing City with the MaxEnt model. Under current climatic conditions, the area of potential suitable habitats of H. longicornis was 4 182.42 km² in Nanjing City, including 1 252.94 km² highly suitable habitats, which accounted for 19.00% of the total area of Nanjing City. Under the climate scenario in 2050, the area of potential suitable habitats of H. longicornis was projected to increase to 5 467.58 km² in Nanjing City, accounting for 82.95% of the total area of the city, and these habitats were mainly concentrated in Luhe District, Pukou District, Jiangning District, Lishui District, and Gaochun District. The areas of suitable habitats of H. longicornis at various categories were predicted to vary greatly in 2050, and the area of highly suitable habitats of H. longicornis was projected to increase to 2 378.82 km², accounting for 36.08% of the total area of Nanjing City. Based on jackknife tests and contributions of environmental and climatic variables, 6 dominant environmental and climatic factors were screened, including annual mean temperature (34.8% contribution), precipitation of the warmest quarter (17.3% contribution), vegetation index (13.1% contribution), precipitation of the wettest month (10.8% contribution), temperature annual range (5.4% contribution), and mean temperature of the warmest quarter (5.0% contribution), with cumulative contributions of 86.4%. Conclusion The distribution of H. longicornis is strongly associated with vegetation, temperature and precipitation in Nanjing City. Future climate change may lead to an expansion of the distribution area of H. longicornis in Nanjing City.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodoutang （MLC） improves obesity-type polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsThirty-six female Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank control group （Con） and an obesity-type PCOS model preparation group. The model was induced by gavage with letrozole （1 mg·kg^-1） combined with a high-fat diet （HFD）. After model establishment， the obesity-type PCOS model preparation group was further divided into the model group （Mod， normal saline）， metformin group （Met， 0.3 g·kg^-1）， low-dose MLC group （MLC-L， 4.3 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose MLC group （MLC-M， 8.6 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose MLC group （MLC-H， 17.2 g·kg^-1）. Active components of MLC and targets of obesity-type PCOS were screened from databases， a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed， and gene ontology（GO）and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis was performed. The gut microbiota structure was analyzed based on 16S rRNA sequencing and correlated with network pharmacology pathways. Body weight and estrous cycle were dynamically monitored. Ovarian morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）， testosterone （T）， and estradiol （E₂）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K/PI3K （p-PI3K/PI3K）， phosphorylated Akt/Akt （p-Akt/Akt）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. ResultsNetwork pharmacology screening identified 124 active components of MLC and 408 overlapping targets between the herbal formula and the disease. Core targets such as Akt1 and Bcl-2 were revealed. As indicated by 16S rRNA sequencing， the abundances of Lachnospiraceae， Lachnoclostridium， and Dorea were increased in the MLC groups （P<0.05）， while the abundance of Veillonella was decreased （P<0.05）. KEGG correlation analysis integrating network pharmacology and gut microbiota data showed significant enrichment of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Animal experiments showed that， compared with the Mod group， body weight decreased to normal levels in the Met， MLC-M， and MLC-H groups. The estrous cycle became regular. The number of corpora lutea increased and cystic follicles decreased. Serum levels of T， FSH， and LH/FSH were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the E₂ level was increased （P<0.01）. Ovarian cell apoptosis was reduced （P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and Bcl-2 in ovarian tissue were significantly increased， whereas Bax protein expression was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionMLC can regulate gut microbiota structure， effectively improve ovarian pathology in rats with obesity-type PCOS， and inhibit ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis. The mechanism may be associated with upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms by which Mahuang Lianqiao Chixiaodoutang （MLC） improves obesity-type polycystic ovary syndrome （PCOS） through the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt） signaling pathway. MethodsThirty-six female Sprague-Dawley （SD） rats were randomly divided into a blank control group （Con） and an obesity-type PCOS model preparation group. The model was induced by gavage with letrozole （1 mg·kg^-1） combined with a high-fat diet （HFD）. After model establishment， the obesity-type PCOS model preparation group was further divided into the model group （Mod， normal saline）， metformin group （Met， 0.3 g·kg^-1）， low-dose MLC group （MLC-L， 4.3 g·kg^-1）， medium-dose MLC group （MLC-M， 8.6 g·kg^-1）， and high-dose MLC group （MLC-H， 17.2 g·kg^-1）. Active components of MLC and targets of obesity-type PCOS were screened from databases， a protein-protein interaction （PPI） network was constructed， and gene ontology（GO）and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes （KEGG） pathway enrichment analysis was performed. The gut microbiota structure was analyzed based on 16S rRNA sequencing and correlated with network pharmacology pathways. Body weight and estrous cycle were dynamically monitored. Ovarian morphology was observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining. Cell apoptosis was detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling （TUNEL）. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect levels of follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， anti-Müllerian hormone （AMH）， testosterone （T）， and estradiol （E₂）. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression levels of phosphorylated PI3K/PI3K （p-PI3K/PI3K）， phosphorylated Akt/Akt （p-Akt/Akt）， B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2）， and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）. ResultsNetwork pharmacology screening identified 124 active components of MLC and 408 overlapping targets between the herbal formula and the disease. Core targets such as Akt1 and Bcl-2 were revealed. As indicated by 16S rRNA sequencing， the abundances of Lachnospiraceae， Lachnoclostridium， and Dorea were increased in the MLC groups （P<0.05）， while the abundance of Veillonella was decreased （P<0.05）. KEGG correlation analysis integrating network pharmacology and gut microbiota data showed significant enrichment of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Animal experiments showed that， compared with the Mod group， body weight decreased to normal levels in the Met， MLC-M， and MLC-H groups. The estrous cycle became regular. The number of corpora lutea increased and cystic follicles decreased. Serum levels of T， FSH， and LH/FSH were reduced （P<0.05， P<0.01）， while the E₂ level was increased （P<0.01）. Ovarian cell apoptosis was reduced （P<0.01）， and the protein expression levels of p-PI3K/PI3K， p-Akt/Akt， and Bcl-2 in ovarian tissue were significantly increased， whereas Bax protein expression was significantly decreased （P<0.05， P<0.01）. ConclusionMLC can regulate gut microbiota structure， effectively improve ovarian pathology in rats with obesity-type PCOS， and inhibit ovarian granulosa cell apoptosis. The mechanism may be associated with upregulation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective: To evaluate the intervention effect of school based salt reduction health education, so as to provide a scientific basis for constructing a more effective and sustainable salt reduction intervention model for children. Methods: According to a randomized controlled trial design, in June 2022, probability proportional to size sampling was used to select 501 second grade students (248 in the control group and 253 in the intervention group) from 10 primary schools in Zhenjiang (intervention group) and 10 primary schools in Yangzhou (control group), Jiangsu Province. An one year school based salt reduction health education intervention was implemented. This included 20 online and 8 offline health education sessions, monitoring of salt consumption in the canteen, and the establishment of a salt reduction environment on campus. The control group received no additional salt reduction interventions. A questionnaire survey and 24 hour urinary sodium test were conducted before and after the intervention. The difference in differences method was used to evaluate the intervention effect. Results: After the intervention, the intervention group showed significant net intervention effects in knowledge aspects, including knowing that primary school students consume less salt than adults ( OR=3.55,95%CI =1.69-7.47), daily salt intake of primary school students ( OR=6.64,95%CI =3.71-11.87), long term high salt intake leading to hypertension ( OR=6.83,95%CI =3.93-11.91), low salt intake not causing hair graying ( OR= 1.66 ,95%CI =1.00-2.75), salt content in food labels ( OR=4.56,95%CI =2.63-7.91), and common high salt foods ( OR=3.39,95%CI =1.87-6.14) (all P <0.05). In terms of attitude, the net intervention effect for having a positive attitude toward using less salt in home cooking was significantly increased ( OR=1.88,95%CI =1.13-3.12, P <0.05). There were no statistically significant net intervention effects for salt reduction related behaviors (all P >0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the changes of 24 hour urinary sodium between the intervention group and the control group before and after intervention ( P >0.05). Conclusions School based salt reduction health education effectively improves students salt reduction knowledge and attitudes but has a limited effect on behavior change. The home-school collaboration should be strengthened, and the dietary environment should be optimized simultaneously.

Objective:To investigate the feasibility and clinical outcomes of using the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap to repair stage Ⅳ pressure ulcers in elderly patients with the femoral trochanter.Methods:Retrospective analysis of clinical data of elderly patients with stage Ⅳ pressure ulcers of the femoral trochanter treated at the Medical Center of Burn Plastic and Wound Repair, the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from May 2018 to May 2023 using the deep inferior epigastric perforator flap.The deep inferior epigastric perforator flap was designed on the same side of the abdomen based on the preoperative detection of the paraumbilical perforating branch.The axis of the inferior epigastric artery was determined by the line connecting the femoral artery pulsation point at the inguinal ligament and the obvious paraumbilical perforating branch point. The axis of the skin flap was determined by the line connecting the obvious paraumbilical perforating branch point and the subscapular angle. Combined with the situation of the sinus after pressure ulcer debridement and the range of skin and soft tissue defects, the inferior epigastric artery perforating branch skin flap was cut and repaired. The pedicle of the inferior epigastric artery was freed to the required length according to the location of the pressure ulcer, and the wound was transferred and repaired through a subcutaneous tunnel. The donor area was directly pulled and sutured. The survival of the skin flap and the healing of the donor site wound after surgery were observed, and the recurrence of pressure ulcers, the appearance and texture of the skin flap, and the recovery of the donor site were followed up regularly.Results:A total of 11 patients were included, including 7 males and 4 females; age ranged from 66 to 83 years old, with an average of 72.1 years old. There were total of 11 pressure ulcers in the femoral trochanter, with an area of 5.0 cm × 3.0 cm-13.0 cm ×6.0 cm before debridement and an area of 8.0 cm × 5.0 cm-16.0 cm × 8.0 cm after debridement. The deep inferior epigastric perforator flap was used to repair the wound. The flap was cut with an area of 10.0 cm × 6.0 cm-18.0 cm × 9.0 cm, and the length of the blood vessels in the flap pedicle was 12-16 cm, with an average of 14 cm. After surgery, 9 of the 11 flaps survived completely. One skin flap developed purplish discoloration at the distal end 24 hours after surgery, which was relieved by removing the suture at the site with high tension at the wound edge. One skin flap also showed slight necrosis at the distal end. The flap was removed under local anesthesia at the bedside of the ward, and the surgical wound was directly sutured. After dressing change, it healed. The wounds in the donor area all healed well. Follow up for 3-15 months postoperatively, with an average of 11 months, showed no recurrence of pressure ulcers in all patients. The skin flap had a soft texture, and its color and appearance were similar to those of the surrounding skin. No abdominal wall hernia was observed in the inferior epigastric donor area.Conclusion:The deep inferior epigastric perforator flap has a long vascular pedicle, reliable blood supply, sufficient tissue volume for cutting, no recurrence of pressure ulcers after surgery, good appearance and texture of the affected area, and no secondary abdominal wall hernia in the donor site. It is an effective method for repairing stage Ⅳ pressure ulcers of the femoral trochanter in elderly patients.

AIM:To observe the effects of Huangqi-Danggui mixture(HQDG)on the pyroptosis of brain tis-sues in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(MCAO/R),and to explore the mechanism of neuroprotec-tion provided by HQDG.METHODS:Sixty-four SD rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:sham group,model group,HQDG group,and Xuesaitong(XST)group.The infarct volume of brain tissues was observed by 2,3,5-triphenyl-tetrazolium chloride staining,while hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological changes of brain tis-sues.Immunofluorescence was employed to assess the expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like recep-tor protein 3(NLRP3),cleaved caspase-1 and gasdermin D(GSDMD)in the ischemic penumbra of brain tissues.The se-rum levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-18 were measured using ELISA.Western blot was used to detect NLRP3,cleaved caspase-1,apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain(ASC),IL-1β and IL-18 in brain tissues.RESULTS:Compared with sham group,the neurological deficit scores of the rats in model group were significantly increased(P<0.01),while those in HQDG and XST groups were significantly reduced compared with model group(P<0.01).The cerebral infarct volume ratio was significantly reduced in HQDG and XST groups compared with model group(P<0.01).The pathological damage of brain tissue in HQDG and XST groups was significantly reduced compared with model group.The positive rates of NLRP3,cleaved caspase-1 and GSDMD in the ischemic penumbra of brain tissues were significantly decreased in HQDG group compared with model group(P<0.01).The expression of pyrop-tosis-related proteins,NLRP3,cleaved caspase-1 and ASC,in the ischemic penumbra of brain tissues was significantly el-evated in model group compared with sham group(P<0.01),and significantly decreased in HQDG group compared with model group(P<0.01).The serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly increased in model group compared with sham group(P<0.01),and significantly reduced in HQDG group compared with model group(P<0.01).CONCLU-SION:The HQDG effectively attenuates brain tissue injury in rats with MCAO/R,and its mechanism may be related to the inhibition of neural cell pyroptosis.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) on the prognosis of patients with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) wild-type lung adenocarcinoma.Methods:A total of 132 surgical paraffin specimens of EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed at the Tumor Hospital Affiliated to Xinjiang Medical University from January 2016 to December 2023 and 12 pairs of cancer and paracancerous fresh tissues from patients with EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma diagnosed in March-July 2024 were collected with their clinical information. Western blotting and immunofluorescence were used to detect the expression levels of citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) in cancerous and paraneoplastic tissues. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the infiltration of PD-L1, CD4 + T cells and CD8 + T cells in the tumors. The clinical and prognostic correlations between NETs and EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma patients were analyzed. Results:The expression of MPO ( P＜0.001) and CitH3 ( P=0.009) was significantly increased in the tumors compared with the paracancerous tissues. The rate of high expression of NETs in cancer tissues was higher in patients with EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma who were in stage Ⅲ and Ⅳ, with lymph node metastasis, distant metastasis, pleural invasion, high expression of Ki-67, low expression of CD8 + T, and lowered lymphocyte counts when compared to paraneoplastic tissues ( P＜0.05). Patients were stratified based on TNM stage Ⅱb for prognostic analysis. Kaplan-Meier univariate analysis showed that the median overall survival (OS) (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: 47 vs 87 months; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: 27 months vs not reach) and the median disease-free survival (DFS) (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: 42 vs 78 months; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: 18 vs 39 months) of patients with high expression of NETs in stage Ⅰ to II b and stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ were lower than those with low expression (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: OS, P＜0.001; DFS, P＜0.001; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: OS, P=0.001; DFS, P=0.022). The OS (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: HR=3.513, 95% CI: 1.966-6.277, P＜0.001; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: HR=3.215, 95% CI: 1.324-7.806, P=0.010) and the DFS (stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb: HR=2.478 ,95% CI: 1.396-4.400, P=0.002; stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ: HR=2.248, 95% CI: 1.089-4.638, P=0.028) in the group with high expression of NETs in either stage Ⅰ to Ⅱb or stage Ⅲ to Ⅳ were significantly shorter than those in the group with low expression. Conclusion:The EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma patients with high expression of NETs have relatively shorter DFS and OS, which are independent risk factors for the prognosis of patients with EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma, and are likely to be the potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and treatment of EGFR wild-type lung adenocarcinoma.

Objective To investigate the cognition of both doctors and patients in the neurology department of a tertiary hospital in Linyi City regarding graded diagnosis and treatment,and to explore its influencing factors.Methods Convenient sampling was used to select 456 survey subjects from 20 medical institutions within the medical consortium of a tertiary hospital in Linyi City,including 191 medical staffs and 265 patients;A total of 35 medical staffs and patients were interviewed.Results The overall awareness of graded diagnosis and treatment among medical staff and patients was(3.731±0.563)points and(3.136±0.367)points,respectively.The influencing factors of medical staff on grading diagnosis and treatment are professional title,years of work experience,and hospital grade.The influencing factors of patient on grading diagnosis and treatment are age,type of medical insurance,average monthly income,and whether they had a transfer experience.Conclusion While strengthe-ning information technology construction,government supervision and investment,and enhancing the capacity building of grassro-ots medical institutions,it is also necessary to actively promote the construction of close medical consortia to accelerate the forma-tion of a standardized and orderly new system for medical treatment and diagnosis.

China's Medical Service Price(MSP)reform has entered a new phase,implementing management measures.The compilation,implementation,and coordination of MSP item guidelines and the existing contradictions and problems were reviewed.It proposes strengthening price item management in planning under the background of the new era,itemizing in the alignment particle size,and comparing prices in the same coordinate system.This can offer systematic approaches and innovative strategies for improving the quality and efficiency of deepening MSP reform.

Cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS)is a common and frequently-occurring disease threatening human health.The mech-anism of CIS is very complex,involving energy metabolism disorder,oxidative stress,inflammatory,excitatory amino acids toxicity,and other aspects.Due to its complex pathogenesis,the treatment is rather difficult.Autophagy and pyroptosis are essential mecha-nisms of CIS.Proper autophagy can reduce neuronal damage and inhibit pyroptosis.Excessive autophagy can aggravate neuronal dam-age by promoting pyroptosis.How to balance autophagy and pyroptosis to reduce CIS nerve injury has become the research focus of the prevention and treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease.Studies have found that the interaction between autophagy and pyropto-sis can regulate the development process of CIS in the aspect of oxidative stress,endoplasmic reticulum stress,and inflammatory re-sponse.The related studies on the mechanism of autophagy and pyroptosis induced in CIS,and how the two interact with each other and affect the process of CIS are reviewed in this paper,to provide a reference for future research on new targets for the prevention and treatment of CIS.