Objective To analyze the virus subtypes, molecular evolutional and molecular transmission network features of the first confirmed mpox case in Huai’an City, Jiangsu Province, so as to provide insights into understanding of the transmission and evolution dynamics of mpox virus and formulation of the mpox control strategy in the city. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from swabs of the first confirmed mpox case’s skin lesions in Huai’an City, and the amplicon sequencing library was constructed using the hypersensitive mpox virus whole-genome capture kit. High-throughput sequencing was performed using the GridION X5 nanopore sequencer on the Nanopore sequencing platform, and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis of mpox virus genome sequences was performed following sequence assembly. In addition, phylogenetic analysis, genetic genealogy and molecular traceability analysis were performed. Results The virus whole genome sequence of the first confirmed mpox case was successfully obtained by high-throughput sequencing, with a full length of 197 182 bp, and was named hMpxV/China/JS-HA01/2023, which belonged to the clade IIb (West African clade) lineage B.1.3. Compared with the mpox virus reference sequence MPXV-M5312_HM12_Rivers-001 (GenBank accession number: NC_063383), the genome sequence of the Huai’an virus isolate carried 86 SNPs, including 40 SNPs in the coding region as non-synonymous mutations and 73 SNPs as nucleotide mutations caused by APOBEC3 (APOBEC3). Of the 97 mpox virus gene sequences, 79 sequences were included in the molecular network (81.44%), and the threshold of the genetic distance accessed to the network was 0.35/10⁵. There were two large molecular transmission clusters and one scattered cluster in the molecular transmission network of the mpox virus, andthehMpxV/China/JS-HA01/2023 sequence was located in the large cluster. The 97 gene sequences formed 92 haplotypes, including three shared haplotypes Hap_4, Hap_6 and Hap_38, and an exclusive haplotype Hap_1 of hMpxV/China/JS-HA01/2023 generated from mutation of the exclusive haplotype Hap_43, while the exclusive haplotype Hap_43 was generated from mutation of the shared haplotype Hap_38. Conclusions The whole genome sequence of the mpox virus isolated from the first confirmed mpox case in Huai’an City has been successfully obtained, and the molecular evolutionary and molecular transmission network characteristics of the virus have been preliminarily understood.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the improvement effects and mechanism of Xiangsha yiwei tang on gastric mucosal injury in rats with chronic atrophic gastritis （CAG）. METHODS Rats were randomly assigned into normal control group， model group， Xiangsha yiwei tang low-， medium- and high-dose groups （6， 12， 18 g/kg， calculated by crude drug）， and high-dose group of Xiangsha yiwei tang+740 Y-P [Xiangsha yiwei tang 18 g/kg+transforming growth factor β1/phosphatidyl inositol 3 kinase/ protein kinase B（TGF-β1/PI3K/Akt） pathway activator group 740 Y-P 10 mg/kg]， with 18 rats in each group. Rats in each group were administered the corresponding drugs via oral gavage or injection， once daily， for 4 consecutive weeks. Gastric mucosal blood flow， the levels of serum gastrointestinal hormones [including motilin （MTL）， gastrin （GAS）， and pepsinogen （PP）]， as well as inflammatory cytokines [including tumor necrosis factor- α （TNF- α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， IL-6] in rats were measured. Pathological damage to gastric mucosal tissue was observed in rats； the apoptotic rate of gastric mucosal cells was detected. The expressions of TGF-β1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins [including B-cell lymphoma-2 （Bcl-2） and Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）] in the gastric mucosal tissues of rats were assessed. RESULTS Compared with normal control group， model group had abnormal gastric mucosal tissue structure， with shedding of gastric mucosal epithelial cells， and prominent infiltration of inflammatory cells. Gastric mucosal blood flow， the serum levels of MTL， GAS， PP， and Bcl-2 protein expression were lowered significantly， while serum levels of TNF-α， IL-1β and IL-6， apoptosis rate， protein expressions of Bax and TGF-β1， the phosphorylations of PI3K and Akt were increased significantly （P＜0.05）. Compared with model group， Xiangsha yiwei decoction groups exhibited attenuated histopathological injuries in gastric mucosal tissues， reduced inflammatory cell infiltration， and significant improvements in the aforementioned quantitative parameters （P＜0.05）. Compared with high-dose group of Xiangsha yiwei tang， high-dose group of Xiangsha yiwei decoction combined with 740 Y-P exhibited significantly aggravated histopathological injuries in gastric mucosal tissues， and the aforementioned quantitative parameters were markedly reversed （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Xiangsha yiwei tang can alleviate gastric mucosal damage in CAG rats， and its mechanism of action is related to the inhibition of TGF-β1/PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of serum serine protease (Corin) in chronic renal failure (CRF) complicated with heart failure.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 120 patients, (64.05±13.89) years old, 77 male (64.17%), with chronic renal failure combined with heart failure admitted to Zhengzhou People′s Hospital from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2023. The control group consisted of 87 patients, (60.59±8.78) years old, 54 male (62.07%), with simple chronic renal failure. Clinical information, laboratory test indicators and echocardiographic parameters were collected. Serum Corin concentration was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The experimental group was divided into grade Ⅱ(31 cases), grade Ⅲ(47 cases) and grade Ⅳ(42 cases) according to the New York College of Cardiology heart function classification system. Serum Corin levels were compared between the experimental group and the control group and among different cardiac function grades. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the relationship between serum Corin and brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), D-dimer. ROC analysis was conducted to assess the predictive value of serum Corin in CRF complicated with heart failure and cardiac function classification; Binary Logistic regression was used to construct a multi-index joint prediction model, the joint prediction probability was obtained, and ROC curve was drawn to compare the diagnostic value of serum Corin and BNP in CRF combined with heart failure and the diagnostic value of serum Corin combined with D-dimer and BNP in CRF combined with heart failure.Results:The serum Corin level[2 568.97±477.70 pg/ml vs. 1 727.81±480.60 pg/ml, t=12.47, P<0.001], BNP [700.00(256.00, 2 089.75) pg/ml compared with 88.00 (43.00, 230.00) pg/ml, Z=-9.00, P<0.001], D-dimer [1 150.00(643.00, 1 874.75)μg/L compared with 556.00 (301.00, 865.00)μg/L, Z=-6.57, P<0.001] in chronic renal failure complicated with heart failure group was higher than that in simple CRF group, and the difference was statistically significant. Among patients with CRF complicated with heart failure, serum Corin[2 231.74±311.39 pg/ml vs. 2 562.09±365.30 pg/ml vs. 2 825.57±536.83 pg/ml, F=74.33, P<0.001], BNP [234.00(168.00, 612.00) pg/ml compared with 514.00(260.00, 1 455.00) pg/ml compared with 2 200.00(640.50, 4 682.75) pg/ml, H=29.42, P<0.001], D-dimer [753.00(514.00, 1 280.00) μg/L compared with 1 187.00(590.00, 1 840.00) μg/L compared with 1 603.00(810.00, 3 313.25) μg/L, H=14.98, P<0.001] increased with the increase of cardiac function grade, and the difference was statistically significant. According to Spearman correlation analysis, serum Corin was positively correlated with BNP ( r=0.409) and D-dimer ( r=0.299), P<0.001. According to the ROC analysis, the AUC of serum Corin in the diagnosis of CRF complicated with heart failure and cardiac function grade Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ were 0.890(95% CI 0.846-0.935), 0.807 (95% CI 0.728-0.885), 0.911 (95% CI 0.864-0.959), 0.927 (95% CI 0.882-0.972) respectively; the AUC of BNP in the diagnosis of CRF complicated with heart failure was 0.867 (95% CI 0.817-0.916), the AUC of serum Corin combined with D-dimer, BNP combined with D-dimer, serum Corin combined with D-dimer and BNP in the diagnosis of CRF complicated with heart failure were respectively 0.930 (95% CI 0.897-0.962), 0.892 (95% CI 0.847-0.936), 0.952 (95% CI 0.927-0.977). Conclusions:Serum Corin expression is elevated in patients with CRF complicated with heart failure, and the degree of elevation is related to cardiac function grade. Serum Corin has a good diagnostic value for CRF complicated with heart failure and its severity. Serum Corin is expected to become a new biomarker for diagnosis of CRF complicated with heart failure.

Objective:To explore changes in the serum TBNK lymphocyte subset levels in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemother-apy and analyze their correlation with prognosis.Methods:Ninety-two patients undergoing standard regimen lung cancer chemotherapy who attended Beijing Jingmei Group General Hospital from January 2020 to June 2023 were selected.The level of TBNK lymphocyte subpop-ulations was detected before the first chemotherapy and after one and three cycles of chemotherapy.Their prognosis was evaluated 3 months after the end of chemotherapy and assigned into the remission group(63 cases)and the non-remission group(29 cases).The correl-ation between the levels of TBNK lymphocyte subsets and prognosis was analyzed.Results:The CD3+,CD3+CD4+,and CD3-CD19+levels in the stage Ⅲ group were lower than those in the stage Ⅳ group after one and three cycles of chemotherapy,while the CD3+CD8+and CD3-CD16+CD56+levels were higher than those in the stage Ⅳ group(P<0.05).The CD3+,CD3+CD4+,and CD3-CD19+levels in the remission group were lower than those in the non-remission group after one and three cycles of chemotherapy,while the CD3+CD8+and CD3-CD16+CD56+levels were higher than those in the non-remission group(P<0.05).The staging and prognosis of lung cancer patients un-dergoing chemotherapy positively correlated with CD3+,CD3+CD4+,and CD3-CD19+,and negatively correlated with CD3+CD8+and CD3-CD16+CD56+(P<0.05).The area under the curve(AUC)of the TBNK lymphocyte subsets combined to predict the prognosis of lung can-cer patients after three cycles of chemotherapy was the highest,reaching 0.907(P<0.05).The TBNK lymphocyte subsets have a good risk warning effect on the prognosis of patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy.Conclusions:Changes in peripheral blood TBNK lymphocyte subsets in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy were associated with immune function status and prognosis.Monitoring the levels of the relevant indicators can predict the prognosis of patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy.

ObjectiveTo compare the effects of different doses and withdrawal time of 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide （VCD） on the reproductive endocrine levels of female rats， and to explore the effective， stable， and safe dosage of VCD for constructing a premature ovarian insufficiency （POI） rat model. MethodSD rats with regular estrous cycles were randomly divided into three groups： blank group， low-dose VCD group （80 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， and high-dose VCD group （160 mg·kg^-1·d^-1）， with 24 rats in each group. After drug intervention， samples were collected on the 15th day （D15） and the 45th day （D45） after intervention. The general condition， rate of estrous cycle disturbance， serum hormone levels， ovarian histomorphology， follicle count， pregnancy outcome， and the protein and mRNA expression of transforming growth factor （TGF）-β and Smad2/3 were assessed. ResultCompared with the blank group， the low-dose VCD group showed no significant differences in the rate of estrous cycle disturbance or serum follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH）， luteinizing hormone （LH）， and estradiol （E₂） levels. Ovarian tissue was damaged. Specifically， the number of primordial and primary follicles decreased on D15 （P<0.01）， and the number of secondary follicles （P<0.01） and antral follicles （P<0.05） further decreased on D45. The litter number decreased on D15 （P<0.05）， but there was no significant difference on D45. Furthermore， TGF-β protein levels increased on D15 （P<0.05） and D45 （P<0.01）. The Smad2/3 levels increased on D45 （P<0.01）， and TGF-β and Smad2/3 mRNA levels increased on D45 （P<0.05）. Compared with the results in the blank group， the disturbance rate of the estrous cycle increased on D45 in the high-dose VCD group （P<0.01）. The serum of FSH and LH increased （P<0.01）， while E₂ decreased （P<0.05）. Ovarian tissue was damaged， and the downward trend of follicles at all levels was similar to that in the low-dose VCD group. The litter number significantly decreased on D15 and D45. TGF-β and Smad2/3 protein levels increased （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and TGF-β mRNA increased on D45 （P<0.05）. ConclusionHigh-dose VCD is an ideal method for constructing a POI rat model， being effective， stable， and safe.

OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of levosimendan on cardiac function， hemodynamics and prognosis of patients with septic shock complicated with myocardial depression， and evaluate the safety of levosimendan. METHODS Patients with septic shock complicated with myocardial depression who were admitted to the Department of Critical Care Medicine of Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital from April 2021 to August 2023， underwent adequate fluid resuscitation， had a mean arterial pressure （MAP） ≥65 mmHg， and received pulse indicator continuous cardiac output （PiCCO） monitoring were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into dobutamine group and levosimendan group according to a random number table， with 20 patients in each group. Both groups received intravenous infusion of Norepinephrine bitartrate injection at a dose of 0.1-2.0 μg/（kg·min）. On this basis， the dobutamine group additionally received intravenous infusion of Dobutamine hydrochloride injection at a dose of 5- 10 μg/（kg·min） for 3 to 7 days， while the levosimendan group additionally received intravenous infusion of Levosimendan injection at a dose of 0.1-0.2 μg/（kg·min） for 24 hours. Heart rate （HR） and hemodynamic parameters [systolic blood pressure， diastolic blood pressure， MAP， central venous pressure （CVP）]， PiCCO monitoring parameters [cardiac function index （CFI）， cardiac index （CI）， stroke volume index （SVI）， extravascular lung water index， global end-diastolic volume index， pulmonary vascular permeability index （PVPI）， global ejection fraction （GEF）， systemic vascular resistance index， left ventricular contractility index]， and prognosis indicators [death within 3 days after administration， mechanical ventilation time，intensive care unit （ICU） stay time， 28-day mortality rate] were compared between the two groups before treatment and at 24 and 72 hours after treatment. Adverse reactions were E-mail：recorded for both groups. RESULTS Compared with before treatment in the same group， CFI， CI and GEF at 24 hours after treatment， CI and GEF at 72 hours after treatment in the dobutamine group， as well as SVI at 24 hours after treatment and SVI and GEF at 72 hours after treatment in the levosimendan group were significantly increased； PVPI at 72 hours after treatment in the dobutamine group was significantly decreased （P＜0.05）. Compared with the dobutamine group during the same period， patients in the levosimendan group had significantly lower HR and significantly higher CVP at 24 hours after treatment （P＜0.05）. Within 3 days after administration， there were no deaths in either group； there were no statistically significant differences in mechanical ventilation time， ICU stay time， 28-day mortality rate， or the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups （P＞0.05）. CONCLUSIONS For patients with septic shock complicated with myocardial depression who have undergone adequate fluid resuscitation and have a MAP of ≥65 mmHg， levosimendan is comparable to dobutamine in improving cardiac function and hemodynamic parameters， without affecting patients’ prognosis or increasing the risk of adverse reactions such as hypotension.

Objective:To study the biological traits and mutations of the influenza A (H3N2) virus in order to produce a vaccine and offer references for controlling and preventing influenza epidemics.Methods:Four strains of the influenza A(H3N2) virus were chosen from the Huai′an surveillance network laboratory. Nucleic acid extraction, library building, and sequencing (CridION x5 MKI Nanopore) were used to produce the whole-genome sequences. Using homologous alignments of whole-genome sequences, phylogenetic tree construction, and amino acid variant screening, bioinformatics analysis was carried out.Results:The nucleotide identity between 8 gene segments ranged from 97.1% to 100.0%. The gene that differed the most from the reference sequences was HA (97.1%-99.9%), and the gene that differed the least was MP (98.6%-99.9%). The HA gene (3.06%) and MP gene (1.43%) were the regions with the greatest and lowest frequencies of nucleotide site change, respectively. The rates of nucleotide change varied significantly between the genes ( χ2=14.293, P=0.046). Four influenza A(H3N2) virus strains′ whole-genome phylogenies from each of the eight gene segments maintained a roughly consistent topological structure. One strain was linked to the 3C.2a1b.1b clade, which was lost at the 142NWT, 149NGT(HA1), and 436NLS(NA). Three strains were linked to the 3C.2a1b.2a.1a clade lineage. Amantadine and NA inhibitors were effective against all Huai′an strains. Conclusions:The antigenicity of one strain of Huai'an strain changed and its matching with the vaccine strain of that year was low. It is suggested that the genetic surveillance of H3N2 influenza virus should be continuously strengthened to provide scientific basis for influenza prevention and control and influenza vaccine screening.

Objective:To assess the efficacy of neoadjuvant treatment with PD-1 (programmed cell death protein 1) inhibitors combined with paclitaxel (albumin-conjugated) and cisplatin (TP regimen) for locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma and laryngeal organ function preservation.Methods:Data of 53 patients, including 51 males and 2 females, aged 38-70 years old, who were diagnosed with locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous carcinoma confirmed by histology and enhanced CT at the Cancer Prevention and Control Center of Sun Yat-sen University during the initial treatment from January 1, 2019 to January 15, 2023, were retrospectively analyzed. All patients received neoadjuvant therapy with PD-1 inhibitors combined with albumin-bound paclitaxel (260 mg/m 2) and cisplatin (60 mg/m 2) for 3 to 4 cycles. The main outcome measures were larynx dysfunction-free survival (LDFS), overall survival (OS), and progression-free survival (PFS). Survival curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox multifactorial analysis was further performed if Cox univariate analysis was statistically significant. Results:The overall efficiency was 90.6% (48/53). The 1-year and 2-year LDFS rates were 83.8% (95% CI: 74.0% to 94.8%) and 50.3% (95% CI: 22.1% to 91.6%), the 1-year and 2-year OS rates were 95.2% (95% CI: 88.9% to 100.0%) and 58.2% (95% CI: 25.6% to 81.8%), and the 1-year and 2-year PFS rates were 83.9% (95% CI: 74.2% to 94.9%) and 53.5% (95% CI: 32.1% to 89.1%). Adverse events associated with the neoadjuvant therapy were mainly myelosuppression (45.3%), gastrointestinal reactions (37.7%) and hypothyroidism (20.8%). Conclusion:The neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma using PD-1 inhibitors combined with paclitaxel and cisplatin can provide with a higher survival rate with a improved laryngeal organ function preservation rate.

Objective:To explore the relationship between blood glucose levels and blood glucose fluctuations and short-term prognosis in patients with acute cerebral hemorrhage.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the medical records of patients with acute cerebral hemorrhage admitted to our hospital's Emergency Intensive Care Unit (EICU) from January 2020 to December 2022. Patients were divided into the survival group and death group based on their 28-day survival status. Differences in general information, intravenous blood glucose data, and cerebral hemorrhage-related scoring data between the two groups were compared. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors, and the predictive significance was verified using the ROC curve.Results:The results of the multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that intracranial hemorrhage volume of no less than 30 mL, GCS score at admission, systolic blood pressure at admission, and the maximum amplitude of blood glucose fluctuations were correlated with the mortality rate of cerebral hemorrhage cases within 28 days. The relationship between the maximum amplitude of blood glucose fluctuations and death within 28 days was established using the ROC curve, with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.711 ( P<0.01). Conclusions:The largest amplitude of glucose excursion (LAGE) is an independent risk factor for short-term death and has predictive value for the prognosis in patients with ICH.

Background/Aims: We aimed to investigate the role and working mechanism of Homo sapiens circular RNA_0003602 (hsa_circ_0003602) in colorectal cancer (CRC) development. Methods: The expression of circ_0003602, miR-149-5p, and solute carrier family 38 member 1(SLC38A1) was detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RNase R assays were conducted to determine the characteristics of circ_0003602. CCK-8 assays, flow cytometry analysis, transwell invasion assays, wound healing assays and tube formation assays were employed to evaluate cell viability, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and angiogenesis. All protein levels were examined by Western blot or immunohistochemistry assay. The glutamine metabo-lism was monitored by corresponding glutamine, α-ketoglutarate and glutamate assay kits. Dual-luciferase reporter assay was utilized to confirm the targeted combination between miR-149-5p and circ_0003602 or SLC38A1. A xenograft tumor model was established to analyze the role of circ_0003602 in CRC tumor growth in vivo. Results: Circ_0003602 was upregulated in CRC tissues and cell lines. Circ_0003602 silencing suppressed CRC cell viability, migration, invasion, angiogenesis, and glutaminolysis; induced cell apoptosis in vitro; and blocked tumor growth in vivo. Moreover, circ_0003602 directly interacted with miR-149-5p to negatively regulate its expression, and circ_0003602 knockdown suppressed the malignant behaviors of CRC cells largely by upregulating miR-149-5p. MiR-149-5p directly bound to the 3’ untranslated region of SLC38A1 to induce its degradation, and miR-149-5p overexpression reduced the malignant potential of CRC cells largely by downregulating SLC38A1. Circ_0003602 positively regulated SLC38A1 expression by sponging miR-149-5p in CRC cells. Conclusions Circ_0003602 knockdown impedes CRC development by targeting the miR-149-5p/SLC38A1 axis, which provides a novel theoretical basis and new insights for CRC treatment.