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

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis （IPF） is a chronic interstitial lung disease characterized by dyspnea and progressive deterioration of lung function， which significantly impacts patients' quality of life and imposes a major burden on society. Although modern medicine has increasingly enriched the treatment options for pulmonary fibrosis， unfavorable factors such as high costs and significant side effects contribute to the persistently low survival rate of patients. Studies have shown that the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis are closely related to abnormalities in multiple pathways. Among these， Rho/Rho-associated coiled-coil protein kinase （ROCK） plays a key role in the disease progression of IPF by regulating the cytoskeleton. This pathway not only transmits biochemical molecular signals that promote the progress of fibrosis but also responds to the biomechanical environment， such as the increased lung tissue stiffness caused by the deposition of extracellular matrix （ECM） during the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Therefore， research on this pathway is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of IPF. In recent years， traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） has shown remarkable effects in preventing and treating IPF. Many TCM compounds and active components can reduce the production of α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， CollagenⅠ （ColⅠ）， ColⅢ， and inflammatory factors in lung tissue by regulating the Rho/ROCK signaling pathway. These compounds inhibit the transformation of fibroblasts （FBs） into myofibroblasts （MyoFBs）， intervening in the process of pulmonary fibrosis. Based on this， the article briefly reviews relevant research from recent years， discusses the key role of the Rho/ROCK pathway in pulmonary fibrosis from an interdisciplinary perspective， and summarizes the mechanisms through which TCM regulates Rho/ROCK to prevent and treat IPF， based on resources from PubMed， CNKI， and other databases， in order to provide important references for the broader clinical application of TCM in the prevention and treatment of IPF.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between clinical symptoms，BIG score，laboratory examination and the prognosis of children with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI)，to determine the indicators associated with poor prognosis，in order to make early judgment for the prognosis of children with moderate to severe TBI.Methods:A total of 78 children with moderate to severe TBI were enrolled in the PICU of Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital from January 2022 to January 2023. Clinical data，laboratory tests，BIG scores and Glasgow prognostic score were collected upon admission. The patients were followed up for 6 months and divided into poor prognosis group（Glasgow prognostic score1-3）and good prognosis group（Glasgow prognostic score4-5）based on the Glasgow prognostic score. The indicators related to poor prognosis were selected，and the efficacy of the indicators to predict the prognosis was analyzed and compared.Results:There were statistical differences among BIG score，hemoglobin，lactic acid，glucose，respiratory failure，and hypotension shock（ P<0.05）. The BIG score was an independent risk factor for a poor prognosis. The BIG score had the highest AUC value（0.820）among the four indices. The combined indices（BIG score，hemoglobin，lactic acid，glucose）had the highest AUC value（0.851）and had better performance for predicting the prognosis of moderate to severe TBI in children than any of the four indexs alone. Conclusion:The BIG score can be an independent predictor of early outcome in children with moderate to severe TBI. The combination of BIG score，hemoglobin，lactic acid，and glucose has better performance for predicting the prognosis of moderate to severe TBI in children than any of the four indices alone.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of percutaneous ureteral flexible ureteral holmium laser lithotripsy(PNHLL)and single ureteral flexible percutaneous nephrolithotomy(ECIRS)in the treatment of complex kidney stones.Methods The clinical data of 103 patients with complex renal calculi admitted to our hospital from January 2015 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.According to the surgical methods,they were divided into PNHLL group(53 cases)and ECIRS group(50 cases).The perioperative related indicators,stone clearance rate,renal function,stress response and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups.Results The operation time of ECIRS group was longer than that of PNHLL group[(97.62±19.52)min vs.(72.43±14.48)min],and the success rate of stone removal was higher than that of PNHLL group[92.00％(46/50)vs.75.47％(40/53)](P＜0.05).After operation,the levels of blood urea nitrogen(BUN)[(15.44±3.08)mmol/L vs.(17.21±3.44)mmol/L],cystatin C(CysC)[(611.85±34.22)μg/L vs(637.42±35.41)μg/L],creatinine(Scr)[(77.52±8.64)μmol/L vs.(81.63±9.07)μmol/L],superoxide dismutase(SOD)[(108.64±7.24)U/ml vs.(115.27±7.68)U/ml],prostaglandin E2(PGE2)[(162.41±18.05)μmol/L vs.(175.48±19.47)μmol/L],nitric oxide(NO)[(74.61±8.29)μmol/L vs.(78.58±8.73)μmol/L]and cortisol(Cor)[(188.64±29.02)nmol/L vs.(212.42±32.68)nmol/L]in ECIRS group were lower than those in PNHLL group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Compared with PNHLL,ECIRS has a higher success rate of stone clearance in the treatment of complex renal calculi,and has less renal function and postoperative traumatic stress response,which is beneficial to postoperative recovery.

Objective:To investigate the regulatory effects of transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) on functional connectivity (FC) of thalamic subregions in patients with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Clinical, laboratory, and imaging data were retrospectively collected from 56 PMS patients (PMS group) and 66 healthy controls (control group) recruited from various universities and hospitals in Nanning between November 2021 and June 2024. Resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data and fMRI data during taVNS immediate stimulation (2 Hz, 25 Hz) were acquired from subjects during their late luteal phase. Using thalamic subregions (anterior thalamic nucleus, lateral nucleus, ventral nucleus, medial nucleus, central nucleus, posterior nucleus) as seeds, two-sample t-tests or paired t-tests were employed to analyze alterations in thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and the regulatory effects of taVNS on these changes. Independent samples t-test were used to compare the differences in clinical and laboratory indicators between the PMS group and the control group. The relationship between taVNS regulation of thalamic subregion FC in PMS patients and thalamic internal functional connectivity were analyzed using mediation effect analysis. Results:Compared to the control group, patients in the PMS group showed increased scores on the Daily Record of Severity of Problems, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale 17, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 14 during the late luteal phase ( P<0.05). At baseline, PMS patients exhibited higher FC between the left thalamic lateral nucleus and the left insula, and lower FC between the left medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, and ventral nucleus of the thalamus and the right middle frontal gyrus (MFG) compared to the control group (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 2 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation in PMS group, FC between the left thalamic medial nucleus, posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the right MFG, as well as the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleu and the left MFG increased compared to baseline levels; meanwhile, FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus, ventral nucleus and the left insula decreased compared to baseline levels (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). During 25 Hz taVNS immediate stimulation, the FC between the left thalamic ventral nucleus and the right MFG decreased compared to the baseline level (GRF corrected, voxel-level P<0.001, cluster-level P<0.05). Mediation effect analysis showed that the FC between the left thalamic posterior nucleus and the left lateral nucleus mediated part of the association between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-left insula and the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-left putamen/insula; there were significant direct effects between the FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left posterior nucleus and FC of the left lateral thalamic nucleus-the left insula, as well as between the FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the left MFG and FC of the left ventral thalamic nucleus-the right MFG. Conclusions:taVNS can modulate abnormal FC of the left thalamic subregions in PMS patients, restoring it toward normalization. The regulatory effects of 2 Hz stimulation are more pronounced than those of 25 Hz stimulation. This modulation primarily operates through two pathways: the left thalamic lateral nucleus-left insula-left thalamic ventral nucleus pathway and the left MFG-left thalamic ventral nucleus-right MFG.

BACKGROUND:It is urgent to improve the study on the molecular mechanism of Ban's Culuan Zhuyun Decoction improving oocyte quality in polycystic ovary syndrome.OBJECTIVE:To observe the effects of Ban's Culuan Zhuyun Decoction on oocyte quality in a mouse model of polycystic ovary syndrome and to explore the underlying mechanisms of its intervention in polycystic ovary syndrome.METHODS:Subcutaneous injection of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate was used to establish the polycystic ovary syndrome model in 21-day-old female Kunming mice,and the treatment was conducted for 21 consecutive days.The estrous cycle and pregnancy was recorded.ELISA was used to detect serum sex hormone levels.The rate of apoptosis in oocytes was detected using Annexin V staining.The level of reactive oxygen species in oocytes was detected using dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate.The condition of spindle bodies and chromosomes in oocytes were detected using the immunofluorescence method.Network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to verify the binding properties of Ban's Culuan Zhuyun Decoction core active components and oocyte maturation-related factors(growth differentiation factor 9 and bone morphogenetic protein 15).Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of growth differentiation factor 9 and bone morphogenetic protein 15 in oocytes,respectively.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Ban's Culuan Zhuyun Decoction core active components(quercetin,kaempferol,and β-sitosterol)showed good binding activities with growth differentiation factor 9 and bone morphogenetic protein 15.(2)Ban's Culuan Zhuyun Decoction ameliorated the estrous cycle,regulated serum hormone,increased the pregnancy,decreased the rate of apoptosis,declined the level of reactive oxygen species,diminished the rate of abnormal spindle assembly and chromosome loss(P<0.01,P<0.05);and promoted the mRNA and protein expression of growth differentiation factor 9 and bone morphogenetic protein 15(P<0.05).Therefore,Ban's Culuan Zhuyun Decoction may improve the oocyte quality and increase the fertility of polycystic ovary syndrome mice by regulating the gene expression of growth differentiation factor 9 and bone morphogenetic protein 15.

To construct a subgenomic replication subsystem of foot-and-mouth disease virus(FM-DV)carrying fluorescent protein(UnaG),the full-length cDNA plasmid of FMDV was employed as the template.A few of structural and non-structural protein genes of FMDV were removed by double-enzyme digestion.By substituting reporter gene sequences expressing the green fluorescent protein UnaG for specific structural protein sequences of FMDV,FMDV-UnaG replicators were successfully created.After PCR and sequencing,linearized FMDV-UnaG replicons were transfected into BSR/T7 cells expressing T7 RNA polymerase,and the fluorescence signal was observed through fluorescence microscopy and laser confocal technique.The results demonstrated that the constructed FMDV-UnaG replicons could effectively express UnaG protein,and the protein colo-calized with FMDV 3A protein.Additionally,Western blot and RT-qPCR also detected that the replicator RNA could express the non-structural proteins of the virus and replicate autonomously in BSR/T7 cells,respectively.In conclusion,the successful construction of FMDV-UnaG sub-genomic replicators offers a favorable tool for further research on the replication and translation mechanism of FMDV and the development of vaccine vectors.

Purpose To explore the characteristics of left and right ventricular myocardial strain in hypertensive heart disease(HHD)assessed by magnetic resonance feature tracking technique,and to assess the effect of HHD on right ventricular function.Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis was performed on 40 patients with HHD at the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University from January 2022 to August 2023.Among these 40 HHD patients,19 presented with a left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF)of≥50%,and 21 presented with an LVEF of<50%.Additionally,25 healthy controls were enrolled.All subjects underwent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.The cine sequence images were imported into cardiac post-processing analysis software(QIR suite software).The left ventricular radial strain(LVRS),left ventricular circumferential strain(LVCS),left ventricular longitudinal strain(LVLS)and right ventricular longitudinal strain(RVLS)were measured,and left and right ventricular strain parameters of the three groups were analyzed statistically.Results The absolute values of LVRS,LVCS,LVLS and RVLS in the HHD group with LVEF<50%were lower than those in the normal control group(t=7.48,-12.69,-8.19,-6.32,all P<0.001)and those in the HHD group with LVEF≥50%(t=5.97,-8.88,-4.50,-4.90,all P<0.001);the area under the curve values of LVRS,LVCS,LVLS and RVLS for distinguishing HHD from normal controls were 0.804,0.785,0.829,0.832,respectively,and the cut-off values of LVRS,LVCS,LVLS and RVLS were 22.9%,-10.0%,-11.9%and-18.7%,respectively.Conclusion Magnetic resonance feature tracking technique can detect left and right ventricular myocardial dysfunction in HHD at an early stage and can provide a new basis for evaluating cardiac function.

Continuous care can effectively improve the quality of life, self-management ability and health outcomes of lung transplant recipients, and is important for reducing readmission rates and medical costs, but there are no standardized criteria for evaluating the quality of continuous care for lung transplant recipients. Based on the Donabedian three-dimensional quality evaluation model, this paper presents a review of the indicators for evaluating the quality of continuous care for lung transplant recipients, and analyses the current state of the art of assessing the quality of care in the current literature, in order to provide reference for the development of a multi-dimensional, highly sensitive and specific evaluation index system for lung transplant recipients′ continuous care, as well as providing a direction for future research and clinical application.

Objective:To analyze the diagnostic value of video-electroencephalography(VEEG)combined with C-reactive protein(CRP)and procalcitonin(PCT)in infectious diseases of the central nervous system with convulsions.Methods:This study included 100 pediatric patients with convulsions who were suspected as central nervous system infection at Bengbu First People's Hospital from May 2022 to May 2024.VEEG and laboratory tests were performed on them.These patients were divided into the infection group(36 cases)and the non-infection group(64 cases)according to whether they were judged as central nervous system infection by using testing cerebrospinal fluid.The abnormal situation of VEEG test,CRP and PCT levels of two groups were compared,and the consistency between the diagnostic result of VEEG combined with CRP and PCT,and the tested result of cerebrospinal fluid was further analyzed.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was adopted to analyze the diagnostic efficiency of VEEG combined with CRP and PCT.Results:In 36 pediatric patients of infection group,2 cases(5.56%)were within normal range of VEEG examination,and 11 cases(30.56%)were at cutoffvalue,and 23 cases(63.89%)were abnormal.In 64 pediatric patients of non-infection group,54 cases(84.38%)were normal,and 6 cases(9.38%)were within normal range,and 3 cases(4.68%)were at cutoffvalue,and 1cases(1.56%)were abnormal.The abnormal results of the infection group were significantly higher than those of the non-infection group(Z=8.81,P＜0.05).The CRP and PCT levels of infection group were significantly higher than those of non-infection group(t=6.859,5.410,P＜0.05).There was higher consistency between the diagnosis of VEEG combined with CRP and PCT,and the tested result of cerebrospinal fluid(Kappa=0.867).The ROC analysis showed that the AUC value,sensitivity and specificity of VEEG combined with CRP and PCT in diagnosing the central nervous system infection with convulsions were respectively 0.963,86.11%and 98.44%,which were higher than those of the single VEEG diagnosis.Conclusion:There are significant differences in VEEG abnormalities,CRP and PCT levels between pediatric patients with central nervous system infection with convulsions,and pediatric patients without central nervous system infection with convulsions.The diagnosis of applying VEEG combined with CRP and PCT has higher diagnostic efficiency in clinical work.