OBJECTIVE To investigate the apoptosis-inducing effect of esculetin （Esc） on acute myeloid leukemia （AML） HL-60 cells by regulating the protein kinase B （AKT）/S-phase kinase-associated protein 2 （SKP2）/MutT homolog 1 （MTH1） pathway. METHODS AML HL-60 cells were randomly divided into control group （routine culture）， Esc low-concentration group （L-Esc group， 25 μmol/L Esc）， Esc medium-concentration group （M-Esc group， 50 μmol/L Esc）， Esc high-concentration group （H-Esc group， 100 μmol/L Esc）， and high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 （AKT agonist） group （100 μmol/L Esc+5 μmol/L SC79）. Cell proliferation in each group was detected by MTT assay and colony formation assay. The level of reactive oxygen species （ROS） in cells was measured by using the CM-H2DCFDA fluorescent probe. Cell apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Western blot assay was performed to detect the expression levels of apoptosis-related proteins [B-cell lymphoma 2 （Bcl-2）， Bcl-2-associated X protein （Bax）， cleaved caspase-3]， AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway-related proteins （p-AKT， AKT， SKP2， MTH1）， along with the upstream and downstream proteins of AKT phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）， cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1 （P21） and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1B （P27）. RESULTS Compared with control group， the cell viability， colony number， and the phosphorylation levels of AKT and PI3K proteins as well as protein expressions of SKP2， MTH1 and Bcl-2 were significantly decreased （P＜0.05）， while ROS level， apoptosis rate， and the expression levels of Bax， cleaved caspase-3， P21 and P27 proteins were significantly increased （P＜0.05）. Moreover， the effects of Esc exhibited concentration-dependence （P＜0.05）. Compared with H-Esc group， above indexes of high-concentration of Esc+ SC79 group were reversed significantly （P＜0.05）. CONCLUSIONS Esc may promote massive ROS production and induce activation of apoptosis in HL-60 cells by inhibiting the AKT/SKP2/MTH1 pathway， thus inhibiting the proliferation of HL-60 cells.

Objective The aim was to evaluate the effects of efforts directed toward controlling Oncomelania hupensis snails on small environmental modification projects in Anqing City to provide a reference for comprehensively controlling O. hupensis in hilly areas where schistosomiasis is endemic. Methods Field and retrospective surveys were conducted to collect data using questionnaires. The data from 35 questionnaires on small-scale environmental modification projects in Anqing City and the effects of snail obtained from monitoring forms were sorted. The data were descriptively analyzed using basic information on environmental modifications and investment costs. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to compare snail status before and after environmental interventions. The Friedman test was applied to evaluate the changes in snail populations in the years after environmental intervention. Non-parametric independent sample tests were adopted to compare differences in the effects of different environmental interventions, environmental characteristics, and between project and control areas. Results A total of 35 environments altered from 2017 to 2023, including the creation of 29 ditches,1 dry land, and 5 pond-weirs. The main environmental interventions included hardening of ditches and pond-weirs as well as tilling with intercropping. The average investment costs of mortared rubble masonry hardening and tilling with intercropping were the highest(147.10 yuan/m2)and lowest(4.62 yuan/m2), respectively. The pre-intervention snail-infested area was 78 900 m2, which decreased to 18 100 m2, a decrease of 77.06%. After environmental intervention, the density and rate of living snails significantly decreased on frames with snails(P<0.001). In ditch environments, the smoothness of the ditch walls and the presence of snails in the upper reaches did not significantly decrease the living snail density; however, the presence of cracks on the inner side of the ditches significantly impacted the decline in the rate(P<0.001). No significant difference was found in the rates at which the living snail density or snail frame occurrence decreased among different environmental modification method. The effects of brick masonry, concrete, and mortared rubble masonry on snail control were significantly stronger than those of chemical snail control(P<0.01), whereas no significant difference was found in the decline in these two rates between project areas using other modification method and control areas using chemical snail control. Conclusions Schistosomiasis-prevention-oriented environmental interventions effectively eliminate snails from hilly snail-infested areas. Cost-effective modification method should be selected based on the environmental type, and post-modification monitoring and maintenance must be strengthened to further increase snail control effectiveness.

Background/Aims: Anti-reflux mucosal ablation (ARMA) is a promising endoscopic intervention for proton pump inhibitor (PPI)-dependent gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). However, the effect of ARMA on esophageal motility remains unclear. Methods: Twenty patients with PPI-dependent GERD receiving ARMA were prospectively enrolled. Comprehensive self-report symptom questionnaires, endoscopy, 24-hour impedance-pH monitoring, and high-resolution impedance manometry were performed and analyzed before and 3 months after ARMA. Results: All ARMA procedures were performed successfully. Symptom scores, including GerdQ (11.16 ± 2.67 to 9.11 ± 2.64, P = 0.026) and reflux symptom index (11.63 ± 5.62 to 6.11 ± 3.86, P = 0.001), improved significantly, while 13 patients (65%) reported discontinuation of PPI. Total acid exposure time (5.84 ± 4.63% to 2.83 ± 3.41%, P = 0.024) and number of reflux episodes (73.05 ± 19.34 to 37.55 ± 22.71, P < 0.001) decreased significantly after ARMA. Improved esophagogastric junction (EGJ) barrier function, including increased lower esophageal sphincter resting pressure (13.89 ± 10.78 mmHg to 21.68 ± 11.5 mmHg, P = 0.034), 4-second integrated relaxation pressure (5.75 ± 6.42 mmHg to 9.99 ± 5.89 mmHg, P = 0.020), and EGJ-contractile integral(16.42 ± 16.93 mmHg · cm to 31.95 ± 21.25 mmHg · cm, P = 0.016), were observed. Esophageal body contractility also increased significantly (distal contractile integral, 966.85 ± 845.84 mmHg · s · cm to 1198.8 ± 811.74 mmHg · s · cm, P = 0.023). Patients with symptom improvement had better pre-AMRA esophageal body contractility. Conclusions ARMA effectively improves symptoms and reflux burden, EGJ barrier function, and esophageal body contractility in patients with PPIdependent GERD during short-term evaluation. Longer follow-up to clarify the sustainability of ARMA is needed.

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a central neurodegenerative disease characterized by progressive cognitive decline and memory impairment in clinical. Currently, there are no effective treatments for AD. In recent years, a variety of therapeutic approaches from different perspectives have been explored to treat AD. Although the drug therapies targeted at the clearance of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) had made a breakthrough in clinical trials, there were associated with adverse events. Neuroinflammation plays a crucial role in the onset and progression of AD. Continuous neuroinflammatory was considered to be the third major pathological feature of AD, which could promote the formation of extracellular amyloid plaques and intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. At the same time, these toxic substances could accelerate the development of neuroinflammation, form a vicious cycle, and exacerbate disease progression. Reducing neuroinflammation could break the feedback loop pattern between neuroinflammation, Aβ plaque deposition and Tau tangles, which might be an effective therapeutic strategy for treating AD. Traditional Chinese herbs such as Polygonum multiflorum and Curcuma were utilized in the treatment of AD due to their ability to mitigate neuroinflammation. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and indomethacin had been shown to reduce the level of inflammasomes in the body, and taking these drugs was associated with a low incidence of AD. Biosynthetic nanomaterials loaded with oxytocin were demonstrated to have the capability to anti-inflammatory and penetrate the blood-brain barrier effectively, and they played an anti-inflammatory role via sustained-releasing oxytocin in the brain. Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells could reduce neuroinflammation and inhibit the activation of microglia. The secretion of mesenchymal stem cells could not only improve neuroinflammation, but also exert a multi-target comprehensive therapeutic effect, making it potentially more suitable for the treatment of AD. Enhancing the level of TREM2 in microglial cells using gene editing technologies, or application of TREM2 antibodies such as Ab-T1, hT2AB could improve microglial cell function and reduce the level of neuroinflammation, which might be a potential treatment for AD. Probiotic therapy, fecal flora transplantation, antibiotic therapy, and dietary intervention could reshape the composition of the gut microbiota and alleviate neuroinflammation through the gut-brain axis. However, the drugs of sodium oligomannose remain controversial. Both exercise intervention and electromagnetic intervention had the potential to attenuate neuroinflammation, thereby delaying AD process. This article focuses on the role of drug therapy, gene therapy, stem cell therapy, gut microbiota therapy, exercise intervention, and brain stimulation in improving neuroinflammation in recent years, aiming to provide a novel insight for the treatment of AD by intervening neuroinflammation in the future.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of clinically isolated Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021,and provide evidence for rational use of antimicrobial agents.Methods Data of H.influenzae and M.catarrhalis strains isolated from 2015 to 2021 in CHINET program were collected for analysis,and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disc diffusion method or automated systems according to the uniform protocol of CHINET.The results were interpreted according to the CLSI breakpoints in 2022.Beta-lactamases was detected by using nitrocefin disk.Results From 2015 to 2021,a total of 43 642 strains of Haemophilus species were isolated,accounting for 2.91％of the total clinical isolates and 4.07％of Gram-negative bacteria in CHINET program.Among the 40 437 strains of H.influenzae,66.89％were isolated from children and 33.11％were isolated from adults.More than 90％of the H.influenzae strains were isolated from respiratory tract specimens.The prevalence of β-lactamase was 53.79％in H.influenzae strains.The H.influenzae strains isolated from children showed higher resistance rate than the strains isolated from adults.Overall,779 strains of H.influenzae did not produce β-lactamase but were resistant to ampicillin(BLNAR).Beta-lactamase-producing strains showed significantly higher resistance rates to these antimicrobial agents than the β-lactamase-nonproducing strains.Of the 16 191 M.catarrhalis strains,80.06％were isolated from children and 19.94％isolated from adults.M.catarrhalis strains were mostly susceptible to both amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and cefuroxime,evidenced by resistance rate lower than 2.0％.Conclusions The emergence of antibiotic-resistant H.influenzae due to β-lactamase production poses a challenge for clinical anti-infective treatment.Therefore,it is very important to implement antibiotic resistance surveillance for H.influenzae and guide rational antibiotic use.All local clinical microbiology laboratories should actively improve antibiotic susceptibility testing and strengthen antibiotic resistance surveillance for H.influenzae.

Objective To understand the changing composition and antibiotic resistance of bacterial species in the clinical isolates from outpatient and emergency department(hereinafter referred to as outpatients)and inpatient children over time in various hospitals,and to provide laboratory evidence for rational antibiotic use.Methods The data on clinically isolated pathogenic bacteria and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates from outpatients and inpatient children in the CHINET program from 2015 to 2021 were collected and analyzed.Results A total of 278 471 isolates were isolated from pediatric patients in the CHINET program from 2015 to 2021.About 17.1％of the strains were isolated from outpatients,primarily group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus,Escherichia coli,and Staphylococcus aureus.Most of the strains(82.9％)were isolated from inpatients,mainly SS.aureus,E.coli,and H.influenzae.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant S.aureus(MRSA)in outpatients(24.5％)was lower than that in inpatient children(31.5％).The MRSA isolates from outpatients showed lower resistance rates to the antibiotics tested than the strains isolated from inpatient children.The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis or E.faecium and penicillin-resistant S.pneumoniae was low in either outpatients or inpatient children.S.pneumoniae,β-hemolytic Streptococcus and S.viridans showed high resistance rates to erythromycin.The prevalence of erythromycin-resistant group A β-hemolytic Streptococcus was higher in outpatients than that in inpatient children.The prevalence of β-lactamase-producing H.influenzae showed an overall upward trend in children,but lower in outpatients(45.1％)than in inpatient children(59.4％).The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae(CRKpn),carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa(CRPae)and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii(CRAba)was 14％,11.7％,47.8％in outpatients,but 24.2％,20.6％,and 52.8％in inpatient children,respectively.The prevalence of multidrug-resistant E.coli,K.pneumoniae,Proteus mirabilis,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains was lower in outpatients than in inpatient children.The prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant E.coli,ESBLs-producing K.pneumoniae,ESBLs-producing P.mirabilis,carbapenem-resistant E.coli(CREco),CRKpn,and CRPae was lower in children in outpatients than in inpatient children,but the prevalence of CRAba in 2021 was higher than in inpatient children.Conclusions The distribution of clinical isolates from children is different between outpatients and inpatients.The prevalence of MRSA,ESBL,and CRO was higher in inpatient children than in outpatients.Antibiotics should be used rationally in clinical practice based on etiological diagnosis and antimicrobial susceptibility test results.Ongoing antimicrobial resistance surveillance and prevention and control of hospital infections are crucial to curbing bacterial resistance.

Objective To investigate the changing antibiotic resistance profiles of E.coli isolated from patients in the 52 hospitals participating in the CHINET program from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested for clinical isolates of E.coli according to the unified protocol of CHINET program.WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 20.0 software were used for data analysis.Results Atotal of 289 760 nonduplicate clinical strains ofE.coli were isolated from 2015 to 2021,mainly from urine samples(44.7±3.2)％.The proportion of E.coli strains isolated from urine samples was higher in females than in males(59.0％vs 29.5％).The proportion of E.coli strains isolated from respiratory tract and cerebrospinal fluid samples was significantly higher in children than in adults(16.7％vs 7.8％,0.8％vs 0.1％,both P＜0.05).The isolates from internal medicine department accounted for the largest proportion(28.9±2.8)％with an increasing trend over years.Overall,the prevalence of ESBLs-producing E.coli and carbapenem resistant E.coli(CREco)was 55.9％and 1.8％,respectively during the 7-year period.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing E.coli was the highest in tertiary hospitals each year from 2015 to 2021 compared to secondary hospitals.The prevalence of CREco was higher in children's hospitals compared to secondary and tertiary hospitals each year from 2015 to 2021.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing E.coli in tertiary hospitals and children's hospitals and the prevalence of CREco in children's hospitals showed a decreasing trend over the 7-year period.The prevalence of CREco in secondary and tertiary hospitals increased slowly.Antibiotic resistance rates changed slowly from 2015 to 2021.Carbapenem drugs(imipenem,meropenem)were the most active drugs amongβ-lactams against E.coli(resistance rate≤2.1％).The resistance rates of E.coli to β-lactam/β-lactam inhibitor combinations(piperacillin-tazobactam,cefoperazone-sulbactam),aminoglycosides(amikacin),nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin(for urinary isolates only)were all less than 10％.The resistance rate of E.coli strains to antibiotics varied with the level of hospitals and the departments where the strains were isolated,especially for cefazolin and ciprofloxacin,to which the resistance rate of E.coli strains from children in non-ICU departments was significantly lower than that of the strains isolated from other departments(P＜0.05).The E.coli isolates from ICU showed higher resistance rate to most antimicrobial agents tested(excluding tigecycline)than the strains isolated from other departments.The E.coli strains isolated from tertiary hospitals showed higher resistance rates to the antimicrobial agents tested(excluding tigecycline,polymyxin B,cefepime and carbapenems)than the strains from secondary hospitals and children's hospitals.Conclusions E.coli is an important pathogen causing clinical infection.More than half of the clinical isolates produced ESBL.The prevalence of CREco is increasing in secondary and tertiary hospitals over the 7-year period even though the overall prevalence is still low.This is an issue of concern.

Objective To evaluate the impact of healthcare-associated infection(HAI)control culture construction on the hand hygiene(HH)compliance of health care workers(HCWs),and provide a basis for strengthening HAI management.Methods HCWs in a hospital in Xi'an City were selected as the research objects.On the occasion of World HH Day,a series of publicity activities on HH as well as HAI prevention and control were held.Pre-activi-ties period was April 1-30,2024.During May 1-31,2024,a series of publicity activities on HH as well as HAI prevention and control were carried out.The post-activities investigation period was June 1-30,2024.During De-cember 1-31,2024,HH compliance survey was carried out in batches in the whole hospital(including key depart-ments).HH compliance at different stages was compared.Results After a series of publicity activities on HH as well as HAI prevention and control,HCWs'HH compliance rate was improved.HH compliance rate of nursing staff increased from 70.15％to 85.11％;HH compliance rate of HCWs before contacting with patients increased from 47.83％to 78.38％;both with statistically significant difference(both P＜0.05).During December 1-31,2024,a batch survey on HH compliance of the whole hospital(including key departments)showed that the HH compliance rates of medical and nursing staff in key departments were higher than those of the whole hospital,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).HH compliance rates before aseptic operation and after contacting with patients in key departments were both higher than those of the whole hospital,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion Publicity activities on HH as well as HAI prevention con-trol can improve HH compliance rate of HCWs.HAI managers should pay more attention to the general depart-ments and improve HH compliance rate of HCWs.

Blood from a case of group B epidemic cerebrospinal meningitis identified in February 2024 in Ganzhou City,Jiangxi Province,and throat swabs from close contacts were collected for isolation and culture.The isolates were subjected to serogrouping,drug sensitivity testing,and whole genome sequencing and analysis,to provide a basis for epidemiological inves-tigation and clinical drug use.One strain of Neisseria meningitidis was isolated from the blood of the case and denoted group B.The MLST type was ST-7962,with no clonal group attribution.The phylogenetic tree showed that it was genetically close to the 1977 Shanghai carrier isolate(id-52231).Drug sensitivity results indicated that the strain was sensitive to 8 drugs:azithro-mycin,cefotaxime,minocycline,ceftriaxone,chloramphenicol,meropenem,rifampicin,and benzylpenicillin;resistant to cot-rimoxazole,levofloxacin,and ciprofloxacin;and showed an intermediate response to penicillin.This report describes the first case of ST-7962 group B meningoencephalitis found in Jiangxi Province.Monitoring of Neisseria meningitidis carriage,drug re-sistance,and molecular characteristics of strains in the healthy population in this region should be strengthened,to provide la-boratory support for the clinical use of medications,traceability,and control of the pathogen underlying meningoencephalitis infection.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of transoral robotic surgery (TORS) in the treatment of malignant tongue base tumors.Methods:A multicenter study was conducted to collect and analyze the clinical data of patients with malignant tongue base tumors who underwent TORS at five otolaryngology-head and neck surgery centers in China, including Eye Ear Nose and Throat Hospital of Fudan University, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Tongji Hospital of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, and the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University between January 2017 and January 2023. Among the patients, 38 were males and 11 were females, with a mean age of 59.0±8.8 years. Baseline characteristics, complications, and follow-up data were compared between groups. Independent sample t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests was used for comparisons of continuous variables; chi-square tests or Fisher′s exact tests was applied for categorical variables. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method to calculate overall survival and disease-free survival, and differences between groups were compared using the log-rank test. Results:Among the 49 patients, 41 (83.7%) were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with a p16 positive rate of 51.2% (21/41). There were no statistically significant differences between the p16-positive group ( n=21) and the p16-negative group ( n=20) in age, sex, or postoperative bleeding (all P>0.05). However, there was a significant difference in TNM stage between the two groups ( χ2=14.556, P=0.020), with the p16-positive group predominantly in stage I (66.7%) and the p16-negative group primarily in stages Ⅲ and Ⅳ (40.0% and 30.0%, respectively). The postoperative tracheotomy rate was 30.6% (15/49), and the incidence of postoperative bleeding was 6.1% (3/49). The 1-year and 3-year overall survival rates were 98.0% and 92.5%, respectively, while, the 1-year and 3-year disease-free survival rates were 89.2% and 84.9%, respectively. No significant differences were observed between the p16-positive and p16-negative groups in 3-year overall survival (100% vs. 83.8%, χ2=1.093, P=0.518) or 3-year disease-free survival (68.2% vs. 88.9%, χ2=2.161, P=0.382). Conclusion:TORS for malignant tongue base tumors demonstrates high clinical safety and favorable oncological outcomes.