Objective:To study the risk factors and the molecular epidemiology characteristics for Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae(CRE) colonization in neonatal inpatients in Shenzhen region, China, which provide reference for the prevention and control of clinical CRE infection.Methods:This study is a prospective case-control study.Anal samples from inpatients between January 2023 and December 2023 at Longgang Maternity and Child Institute of Shantou University Medical College and Shenzhen Children's Hospital were collected for screening CRE strain. Drug susceptibility test, modified Carbapenem Inactivation Method (mCIM) test, drug resistance-related gene sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed for isolated CRE strains.Meanwhile, the clinical data were collected for analyzing the risk factors of CRE intestinal colonization by multivariate regression analysis.Results:A total of 1 517 patients were screened, 26 CRE(1.7%, 26/1 517) were identified which including 14 Escherichia coli(53.8%, 14/26), 11 Klebsiella pneumoniae(42.3%, 11/26), 1 Enterobacter cloacae(3.9%, 1/26). The predominant carbapenemase gene was New Delhi Metallo(NDM) (92.4%, 24/26), followed by Imipenem (IMP) (3.8%, 1/26) and Guiana extended spectrum gene (GES) (3.8%, 1/26).Among the carried NDM resistance genes, New Delhi Metallo 5 (NDM5) was the main one, accounting for 84.6% (22/26).The MLST typing of Escherichia coli was mainly Sequence Type 48 (ST48) (6/14), while that of Klebsiella pneumoniae was mainly Sequence Type 35 (ST35) (10/11). All CRE isolates were resistant to penicillin, penicillinase inhibitors, cephalosporins, ertapenem and imipenem.The resistance rates of Escherichia coli to amikacin, levofloxacin was 1/14, 4/14, respectively. All isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were sensitive to amikacin, and the resistance rate to levofloxacin is 1/11. Risk factors for CRE colonization include the older age, length of hospital stay, tracheal intubation, invasive respiration, lumbar puncture, Apgar <7 score, and exposure to antibiotics.Conclusions:NDM5 is the predominant resistant gene in CRE isolated from neonatal patients feces in Shenzhen region.It is necessary to strengthen the screening of CRE colonization in neonate for prevention and control of CRE infection.

Objective:To evaluate the acute toxicities and related influencing factors of vertebral-body-sparing proton craniospinal irradiation (VBSpCSI) using pencil beam scanning (PBS) technology in pediatric patients, and to assess spinal growth and survival outcomes.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 pediatric patients treated with PBS-based VBSpCSI at Hebei Yizhou Cancer Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022, and continued to follow up until November 2023. Acute toxicities were assessed, and linear regression analysis combined with receiver operating characteristic curve were employed to investigate the dose-effect relationship between vertebral dose and toxicities. Spinal growth after radiotherapy was evaluated by measuring the Cobb angle on follow-up MRI. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results:The median age of patients at the time of irradiation was 6 years (range, 2-16 years). Two patients (3%) developed grade ≥3 gastrointestinal toxicities, while 7 patients (10%) experienced grade 1 radiation-induced esophagitis. The nadirs of white blood cell count (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) during treatment were significantly negatively correlated with vertebral V 5 Gy ( P=0.009, 0.006, 0.001) and vertebral V 20 Gy ( P=0.007, 0.011, <0.001). When vertebral V 5 Gy<86.5% and vertebral V 20 Gy<73.2%, the incidence of grade ≥3 myelosuppression was significantly reduced ( P<0.001, =0.001). Additionally, younger patient age (in months) and concurrent chemotherapy were also significantly associated with increased acute hematologic toxicity. Among 43 patients with MRI follow-up, no scoliosis, kyphosis, or chronic lumbosacral pain was observed. The 3-year OS and PFS rates were 95.7% and 86.4%, respectively. Conclusions:PBS-based VBSpCSI in pediatric patients demonstrates manageable acute toxicities, with a clear dose-effect relationship between vertebral V 5 Gy , V 20 Gy and hematologic toxicities, and the incidence of non-hematological toxicities remains low. No adverse effects on spinal growth or survival outcomes were observed in the short term.

Objectives:To investigate the prognostic value of the CHA2DS2-VASc and R2CHA2DS2-VASc scores in patients with atrial fibrillation(AF)and heart failure(HF).Methods:Patients with AF and HF from hospitals diagnosed by the Heart Failure Center in Guangdong Province between January 2017 and December 2021 were selected.Major adverse cardiovascular events(MACE)were used as the follow-up endpoint.Statistical methods such as the area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve(AUC),net reclassification index(NRI),and integrated discrimination improvement(IDI)were applied to evaluate the predictive value of the CHA2DS2-VASc and R2CHA2DS2-VASc scores in patients with AF and HF.Results:A total of 1 839 patients were enrolled in this study,comprising 703 patients in the MACE group and 1 136 patients in the non-MACE group.Compared with the non-MACE group,the MACE group exhibited significantly advanced age,higher prevalence of New York Heart Association class Ⅳ and coronary artery disease,lower diastolic blood pressure and estimated glomerular filtration rate levels,and elevated serum N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentrations(all P<0.05).Additionally,significantly lower proportions of patients in the MACE group received angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers/angiotensin receptor-neprilysin inhibitors,beta-blockers,mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists,or anticoagulant therapy(all P<0.05).Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that each 1-point increment in both CHA2DS2-VASc and R2CHA2DS2-VASc scores was associated with approximately 10%increased risk of MACE.ROC curve analysis demonstrated that the AUC values for predicting MACE in AF patients with HF were 0.555(95%CI:0.528-0.582,P<0.001)for CHA2DS2-VASc and 0.576(95%CI:0.549-0.608,P<0.001)for R2CHA2DS2-VASc,indicating marginally superior discriminatory capacity of the R2CHA2DS2-VASc score.Delong's test confirmed statistically significant differences between the two scoring systems(P=0.001).The R2CHA2DS2-VASc score demonstrated a NRI of 0.259(95%CI:0.166-0.352,P<0.001)and an IDI of 0.007(95%CI:0.005-0.010,P<0.001)compared with the conventional CHA2DS2-VASc score.Although the R2CHA2DS2-VASc score exhibited slightly better predictive accuracy and outcome discrimination capacity than the original scoring system,both scores demonstrated suboptimal clinical predictive performance.Conclusions:Both the R2CHA2DS2-VASc and CHA2DS2-VASc scores show suboptimal performance for predicting the risk of MACE in patients with AF and HF,and the predicting performance of R2CHA2DS2-VASc score is marginally superior to CHA2DS2-VASc score in this patient cohort.

Objective:To study the risk factors and the molecular epidemiology characteristics for Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae(CRE) colonization in neonatal inpatients in Shenzhen region, China, which provide reference for the prevention and control of clinical CRE infection.Methods:This study is a prospective case-control study.Anal samples from inpatients between January 2023 and December 2023 at Longgang Maternity and Child Institute of Shantou University Medical College and Shenzhen Children's Hospital were collected for screening CRE strain. Drug susceptibility test, modified Carbapenem Inactivation Method (mCIM) test, drug resistance-related gene sequencing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed for isolated CRE strains.Meanwhile, the clinical data were collected for analyzing the risk factors of CRE intestinal colonization by multivariate regression analysis.Results:A total of 1 517 patients were screened, 26 CRE(1.7%, 26/1 517) were identified which including 14 Escherichia coli(53.8%, 14/26), 11 Klebsiella pneumoniae(42.3%, 11/26), 1 Enterobacter cloacae(3.9%, 1/26). The predominant carbapenemase gene was New Delhi Metallo(NDM) (92.4%, 24/26), followed by Imipenem (IMP) (3.8%, 1/26) and Guiana extended spectrum gene (GES) (3.8%, 1/26).Among the carried NDM resistance genes, New Delhi Metallo 5 (NDM5) was the main one, accounting for 84.6% (22/26).The MLST typing of Escherichia coli was mainly Sequence Type 48 (ST48) (6/14), while that of Klebsiella pneumoniae was mainly Sequence Type 35 (ST35) (10/11). All CRE isolates were resistant to penicillin, penicillinase inhibitors, cephalosporins, ertapenem and imipenem.The resistance rates of Escherichia coli to amikacin, levofloxacin was 1/14, 4/14, respectively. All isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae were sensitive to amikacin, and the resistance rate to levofloxacin is 1/11. Risk factors for CRE colonization include the older age, length of hospital stay, tracheal intubation, invasive respiration, lumbar puncture, Apgar <7 score, and exposure to antibiotics.Conclusions:NDM5 is the predominant resistant gene in CRE isolated from neonatal patients feces in Shenzhen region.It is necessary to strengthen the screening of CRE colonization in neonate for prevention and control of CRE infection.

Objective To investigate the biological function of the proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9(PCSK9)in prostate cancer(PCa)and its effect on ferroptosis sensitivity Methods Bioinformatics was used to analyze the relationship between the expression of PCSK9 and the prognosis of prostate cancer.The expression of PCSK9 in PCa cell lines were detected using RT-qPCR.PCa cells with PCSK9 knockdown were constructed using siRNA,and the The effect of PCSK9 on cell proliferation,migration,and invasion were detected using CCK-8 assays and Transwell assays.The Cancer Therapeutics Response Portal(CTRP)was employed to investigate the correlation between PCSK9 and ferroptosis drug sensitivity,and PCa cells with PCSK9 knockdown were treated with the ferroptosis inducer(RSL3)to detect the sensitivity to ferroptosis.Results Bioinformatics showed low expression of PCSK9 had longer disease specific survival(P<0.05).The results of the in vitro experiments showed that PCSK9 knockdown significantly inhibited the proliferation,migration,and invasion of PCa cells(P<0.001).Furthermore,CTRP analysis showed that cellular sensitivity to ferroptosis inducers correlated with the expression level of PCSK9.PCSK9 knockdown cells exhibited higher sensitivity to the ferroptosis inducer RSL3.Conclusion Knockdown of PCSK9 inhibits the proliferation,migration,and invasion of PCa cells,and increases the sensitivity of cells to ferroptosis inducers.PCSK9 may provide new insights for the treatment of PCa.

Objective:To report the nationwide surveillance results of pathogenic profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of Gram-positive bloodstream infections in China in 2023.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-posttive bacteria from blood cultures were collected in member hospitals of National Bloodstream Infection Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System（BRICS）during January to December 2023. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed using the dilution method recommended by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. Statistical analyses were conducted using WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 software.Results:A total of 4 385 Gram-positive bacterial isolates were obtained from 60 participating center. The top five pathogens were Staphylococcus aureus（ n=1 544，35.2%），coagulase-negative Staphylococci（ n=1 441，32.9%）， Enterococcus faecium（ n=574，13.1%）， Enterococcus faecalis（ n=385，8.8%），and α-hemolytic Streptococci（ n=187，4.3%）. The prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus（MRSA）and methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative Staphylococci（MRCNS）was 26.2%（405/1 544）and 69.8%（1 006/1 441），respectively. Notably，all Staphylococci remained susceptible to glycopeptide or daptomycin. Staphylococcus aureus demonstrated excellent susceptibility（>97.0%）to cephalobiol，rifampicin，trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole，linezolid，minocycline，tigecycline，and eravacycline. No Enterococcus exhibiting resistance to linezolid were detected. Glycopeptide resistance was uncommon but more frequent in Enterococcus faecium（resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin：both 1.7%）compared to Enterococcus faecalis（both 0.3%）. The detection rates of MRSA and MRCNS exhibited significant regional variations across the country（ χ2=17.674 and 148.650，respectively，both P<0.001）. No vancomycin-resistant Enterococci were detected in central China. Institutional comparison demonstrated higher prevalence of MRSA（ χ2=14.111， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.828， P=0.028）in provincial hospitals than that in municipal hospitals. Socioeconomic analysis identified elevated detection rates of both MRSA（ χ2=18.986， P<0.001）and MRCNS（ χ2=4.477， P=0.034）in less developed regions（per capita GDP

Objective:To report the results of bacterial resistant investigation collaborative system（BRICS）on the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical Gram-negative bacteria isolates from bloodstream infections in China in 2023，and provide reference for clinical tretment of bloodstream infections and prevention and control of bacterial resistance.Methods:The clinical isolates of Gram-negative bacteria from blood cultures in member hospitals of BRICS were collected during January 2023 to December 2023. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were conducted by agar dilution or broth dilution methods recommended by Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute（CLSI）. WHONET 5.6 and SPSS 25.0 were used to analyze the data.Results:During the study period，11 492 strains of Gram-negative bacteria were collected from 60 hospitals，of which 10 098（87.9%）were Enterobacterales and 1 394（12.1%）were non-fermentative bacteria. The top 5 bacterial species were Escherichia coli（50.0%）， Klebsiella pneumoniae（26.1%）， Pseudomonas aeruginosa（5.1%）， Acinetobacter baumannii complex（5.0%）and Enterobacter cloacae complex（4.1%）. The ESBL-producing rates in Escherichia coli， Klebsiella pneumoniae and Proteus mirablilis were 46.8%（2 685/5 741），18.3%（549/2 999）and 44.0%（77/175），respectively. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli（CREC）and carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae（CRKP）were 1.3%（76/5 741）and 15.0%（450/2 999）；32.9%（25/76）and 78.0%（351/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to ceftazidime/avibactam combination，respectively. 94.7%（72/76）and 90.2%（406/450）of CREC and CRKP were sensitive to aztreonam/avibactam combination. Furthermore，57.9%（44/76）and 79.1%（356/450）were sensitive to imipenem/relebactam combination. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii（CRAB）complex was 64.6%（370/573），while more than 80.0% of CRAB complex was sensitive to tigecycline，eravacycline and polymyxin B. The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa（CRPA）was 17.0%（99/581）. There were differences in the composition ratio of Gram-negative bacteria in bloodstream infections and the prevalence of important Gram-negative bacteria resistance among different regions in China，with statistically significant differences in the prevalence of CREC，CRKP，CRPA and CRAB complex（ χ2=10.6，28.6，10.8 and 19.3， P<0.05）. The prevalence of ESBL-producing Escherichia coli， CREC，CRAB complex and CRKP were higher in provincial hospitals than those in municipal hospitals（ χ2=12.5，9.8，12.7 and 57.8，all P<0.01）. Conclusions:Gram-negative bacteria are the main pathogens causing bloodstream infections in China，and Escherichia coli is ranked in the top，while the trend of Klebsiella pneumoniae increases continuously with time. CRKP infection shows a slow upward trend，CREC infecton maintains a low prevalence level，and CRAB complex infection continues to exhibit a high prevalence rate. The composition and resistance patterns of pathogens causing bloodstream infections vary to some extent across different regions and levels of hospitals in China.

Objective:To evaluate the acute toxicities and related influencing factors of vertebral-body-sparing proton craniospinal irradiation (VBSpCSI) using pencil beam scanning (PBS) technology in pediatric patients, and to assess spinal growth and survival outcomes.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 70 pediatric patients treated with PBS-based VBSpCSI at Hebei Yizhou Cancer Hospital between January 2020 and December 2022, and continued to follow up until November 2023. Acute toxicities were assessed, and linear regression analysis combined with receiver operating characteristic curve were employed to investigate the dose-effect relationship between vertebral dose and toxicities. Spinal growth after radiotherapy was evaluated by measuring the Cobb angle on follow-up MRI. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.Results:The median age of patients at the time of irradiation was 6 years (range, 2-16 years). Two patients (3%) developed grade ≥3 gastrointestinal toxicities, while 7 patients (10%) experienced grade 1 radiation-induced esophagitis. The nadirs of white blood cell count (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), and absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) during treatment were significantly negatively correlated with vertebral V 5 Gy ( P=0.009, 0.006, 0.001) and vertebral V 20 Gy ( P=0.007, 0.011, <0.001). When vertebral V 5 Gy<86.5% and vertebral V 20 Gy<73.2%, the incidence of grade ≥3 myelosuppression was significantly reduced ( P<0.001, =0.001). Additionally, younger patient age (in months) and concurrent chemotherapy were also significantly associated with increased acute hematologic toxicity. Among 43 patients with MRI follow-up, no scoliosis, kyphosis, or chronic lumbosacral pain was observed. The 3-year OS and PFS rates were 95.7% and 86.4%, respectively. Conclusions:PBS-based VBSpCSI in pediatric patients demonstrates manageable acute toxicities, with a clear dose-effect relationship between vertebral V 5 Gy , V 20 Gy and hematologic toxicities, and the incidence of non-hematological toxicities remains low. No adverse effects on spinal growth or survival outcomes were observed in the short term.

Objective:To study the distribution characteristics of current patients with Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) in Molidawa Daur Autonomous Banner (referred to as Morin Banner), and provide suggestions for service management.Methods:Information of KBD current patients in Morin Banner was collected from January 1, 2018 to June 30, 2024 using the "KBD Current Patient Survey System" provided by the Center for Endemic Disease Control, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. A descriptive study method was used to analyze the basic information and clinical data of current patients.Results:As of June 30, 2024, a total of 6 223 KBD current patients were reported in Morin Banner, and the patients were distributed in 15 townships (towns). There was a statistically significant difference in the prevalence rate of KBD among different townships (towns, χ 2 = 3 069.01, P < 0.001). The minimum age of the KBD current patients was 27 years old, and the maximum was 98 years old, mainly concentrated in the age range of 45 - 74 years old, accounting for 95.7% (5 954/6 223). There was a significant difference in the prevalence rate of KBD among different age groups (χ 2 = 5 912.76, P < 0.001). The male to female ratio was 1.00∶1.14 (2 910 ∶ 3 313), and there was a statistically significant difference in prevalence rate of KBD between genders(χ 2 = 44.38, P < 0.001). The KBD current patients mainly had a primary school education, married, and farmers, accounting for 59.2% (3 685/6 223), 89.8% (5 590/6 223), 93.2% (5 802/6 223), respectively; and the clinical grading of patients is mainly degree Ⅰ. There was a statistically significant difference in the rate of limb disability among patients with different clinical grades (χ 2 = 64.26, P < 0.001). The rate of limb disability in males was higher than that in females (χ 2 = 10.36, P = 0.001). Conclusions:The KBD current patients in Morin Banner are distributed in various township (town), with middle-aged and elderly famers being the main ones. It is necessary to strengthen monitoring of KBD, and pay attention to personalized treatment and management of KBD current patients.

Objective:To study the growth inhibition of Thunberg Fritillary extract on non-small cell lung cancer.Methods:The Thunberg Fritillary extract was prepared and characterized by UPLC-QE/MS.Replicated Lewis lung carcinoma ectopic tumor-bear-ing mouse model,yeast injection induced acute inflammation,compared the effect of Thunberg Fritillary extract combination with acute inflammation on the growth,tumor volume and tumor suppression rate of Lewis lung carcinoma mice,and determine the content of inflammatory factors by the flow CBA method(IL-6,IL-1β,IL-1α,IL-10,IL-27,IL-17A,IL-12p70,IL-23,TNF-α,IFN-γ,IFN-β,GM-CSF,MCP-1).Results:The inhibition of Lewis lung carcinoma mice was similar to that of cisplatin alone,and the tumor suppression rate was 35%;the tumor suppression rate of Thunberg Fritillary extract combined with acute inflammatory stimulation of yeast was 62%,1.8 times that of cisplatin alone.The decrease in the expressions of cytokines IL-23,MCP-1 after acute inflammatory stimulation in yeast was associated with tumor suppression;while the increased expressions of IL-6,IL-1β,IL-1α,IL-10,IL-27,IL-17A,IL-12p70,TNF-α,IFN-γ,IFN-β and GM-CSF cytokines were associated with tumor suppression.Conclusion:The Thun-berg Fritillary extract combination with acute inflammation can play a positive role against non-small cell lung cancer,which will pro-vide new research ideas and methods for the prevention and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.