Hepatic fibrosis is not only a pathological process of hepatic self-repair after chronic liver injury， but also a critical stage in the progression of chronic liver disease to liver cirrhosis. Studies have shown that as a pro-inflammatory form of programmed cell death， pyroptosis plays an important role in various diseases and is also considered a potential therapeutic target for hepatic fibrosis. This article systematically reviews the association of pyroptosis in hepatocytes， hepatic stellate cells， and hepatic macrophages with hepatic fibrosis and discusses pyroptosis-mediated therapeutic strategies targeting hepatic fibrosis.

Objective To investigate the changing antimicrobial resistance profiles of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from children in Chongqing area from 2011 to 2022,and to provide evidence for rational use of antibiotics and prevention of nosocomial infections.Methods The clinical data of S.pneumoniae strains isolated from pediatric patients during 2011-2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed with commercial automated systems and E-test.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints in CLSI document(2022 edition).Results A total of 26 668 strains of S.pneumoniae were isolated during the 12-year period.The proportion of S.pneumoniae was 16.0％in the total pathogenic bacterial isolates and 46.4％in all the gram-positive bacterial pathogens.S.pneumoniae strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(97.1％),followed by blood samples(1.5％).The highest proportion of S.pneumoniae isolates was in infants(38.2％),followed by toddlers(32.4％),preschool age(22.9％),school age(5.6％),adolescents(0.6％)and neonates(0.4％).All of the 38 strains of nonmeningitis SS.pneumoniae(0.1％)isolated from cerebrospinal fluid were resistant to penicillin.Overall,35.7％and 32.4％of these strains were resistant to cefotaxime and meropenem,respectively.The majority of S.pneumoniae(99.9％,26 630/26 668)were nonmeningitis isolates.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible(PSSP),-intermediate(PISP),and-resistant(PRSP)strains was 71.9％(16 083),25.1％(5 610),and 3.0％(674),respectively.The prevalence of PRSP in infants and preschool children was higher than that in other age groups.The nonmeningitis S.pneumoniae isolates showed higher than 95％resistance rate to erythromycin,clindamycin and tetracycline,but 0.2％,0.2％and 0.1％resistance rate to levofloxacin,moxifloxacin and rifampicin,respectively.No S.pneumoniae strains were found resistant to vancomycin or linezolid.Conclusions The proportion and antimicrobial resistance profiles of S.pneumoniae strains isolated from pediatric patients varied with age group and specimen type.The decreasing prevalence of PRSP may inform empirical treatment of S.pneumoniae infections in children in Chongqing area.

To construct a recombinant fowl adenovirus 4(FAdV-4)expressing the Cap protein of goose astrovirus genotype 2(GoAstV-2),the expression cassette of Cap gene was inserted into the natural 1 966 bp deletion region of the FAdV-4 genome in the infectious clone p15A-cm-FAdV4-HNJZ.The resulted recombinant plasmid p15A-cm-FAdV4-HNJZ-Cap/GoAstV-2 was linearized with restriction enzyme and transfected into chicken hepatoma cell line(LMH)to rescue the recombinant FAdV-4 expressing the Cap protein of GoAstV-2,rF Ad V4-Cap/GoAstV-2.After 15 passages in LMH cells,the recombinant rFAdV4-Cap/GoAstV-2 was identified by PCR using primers flanking the insertion site of the Cap gene expression cassette and using viral genome DNA extracted from rFAdV4-Cap/GoAstV-2 infected LMH cells as template.LMH cells were in-fected with 15th passage rFAdV4-Cap/GoAstV-2 and indirect immunofluorescence was performed with a polyclonal antibody against Cap protein as the primary antibody.Western blot was carried out with lysates of rFAdV4-Cap/GoAstV-2 infected LMH cells.The in vitro replication dynamic of the 15th passage of the rFAdV4-Cap/GoAstV-2 was also investigated in LMH cells.The results demonstrated that the Cap gene of GoAstV-2 was presented in the genome of the recombinant vi-rus rF AdV4-Cap/Go Ast V-2,and could be expressed stably.The prepared recombinant virus in this study will lay a foundation for developing inactivated bivalent vaccine candidate against co-in-fection of FAdV-4 and GoAstV-2 in goose.

Objective To investigate the changing antimicrobial resistance profiles of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from children in Chongqing area from 2011 to 2022,and to provide evidence for rational use of antibiotics and prevention of nosocomial infections.Methods The clinical data of S.pneumoniae strains isolated from pediatric patients during 2011-2022 were retrospectively analyzed.Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed with commercial automated systems and E-test.The results were interpreted according to the breakpoints in CLSI document(2022 edition).Results A total of 26 668 strains of S.pneumoniae were isolated during the 12-year period.The proportion of S.pneumoniae was 16.0％in the total pathogenic bacterial isolates and 46.4％in all the gram-positive bacterial pathogens.S.pneumoniae strains were mainly isolated from respiratory specimens(97.1％),followed by blood samples(1.5％).The highest proportion of S.pneumoniae isolates was in infants(38.2％),followed by toddlers(32.4％),preschool age(22.9％),school age(5.6％),adolescents(0.6％)and neonates(0.4％).All of the 38 strains of nonmeningitis SS.pneumoniae(0.1％)isolated from cerebrospinal fluid were resistant to penicillin.Overall,35.7％and 32.4％of these strains were resistant to cefotaxime and meropenem,respectively.The majority of S.pneumoniae(99.9％,26 630/26 668)were nonmeningitis isolates.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible(PSSP),-intermediate(PISP),and-resistant(PRSP)strains was 71.9％(16 083),25.1％(5 610),and 3.0％(674),respectively.The prevalence of PRSP in infants and preschool children was higher than that in other age groups.The nonmeningitis S.pneumoniae isolates showed higher than 95％resistance rate to erythromycin,clindamycin and tetracycline,but 0.2％,0.2％and 0.1％resistance rate to levofloxacin,moxifloxacin and rifampicin,respectively.No S.pneumoniae strains were found resistant to vancomycin or linezolid.Conclusions The proportion and antimicrobial resistance profiles of S.pneumoniae strains isolated from pediatric patients varied with age group and specimen type.The decreasing prevalence of PRSP may inform empirical treatment of S.pneumoniae infections in children in Chongqing area.

Objective:To explore the molecular epidemiological characteristics of human metapneumovirus (HMPV) in children with acute respiratory infection (ARI) in Beijing from 2023 to 2024.Methods:In the longitudinal study, 9 834 children with ARI were enrolled from August 2023 to December 2024, including the influenza-like illness (ILI) group from emergency and outpatient department receiving influenza virus (Flu) and HMPV test and the ARI inpatient group for 13 common respiratory pathogen screening test including HMPV, Flu, respiratory syncytial virus, and so on. All respiratory samples positive with HMPV were genotyped by amplifying and sequencing of G gene and further phylogenetic analysis. The χ2 test and Wilcoxon rank-sum test were used to compare the positive rate and basic clinical data of the 2 groups. Results:Among 9 834 enrolled patient, there were 5 276 male and 4 558 female children, with age 5.4 (1.9, 8.2) years. In ILI group of 1 460 patients, there were 83 cases (5.7%) positive for HMPV, with the age 4.9 (3.6, 6.6) years and children under 6.0 years old 59 cases (71.1%). Among 8 374 ARI inpatients, there were 256 cases (3.1%) positive for HMPV, with age 3.5 (1.3, 6.4) years and children under 6.0 years old 188 cases (73.4%). The HMPV positive rate and the age of children positive for HMPV in ARI inpatient group were significantly lower than that in ILI group (both P<0.001). In December, 2024, the HMPV positive rates of ILI and ARI inpatient group (21.3% (17/80), 15.0% (47/314)) were significantly higher than the total positive rates of each group (both P<0.001). Among 279 subtyped specimens, there were 155 cases (55.6%) belonging to genotype A and 124 cases (44.4%) belonging to genotype B. Sub-lineage A2.2.2 containing 111nt-insertions was predominate one in 2023 with positive ratio 89.2% (91/102), and B2 was predominate in 2024 with positive ratio 64.4% (114/177). Conclusions:From 2023 to 2024, the positive rate of HMPV in the ILI group was higher than that in the ARI inpatient group, suggesting a common epidemic of HMPV infection. Children positive for HMPV in the ARI inpatient group were younger than that in the ILI group. A severe epidemic of HMPV was observed in the winter of 2024, which requires attention. Sub-lineage A2.2.2 with 111nt-duplicate insertions and B2 were the predominant epidemic strains in 2023 and 2024, respectively.

Objective:To explore the categories and characteristics of health behaviors of community residents in Dongfang City, Hainan Province, and to analyze the influencing factors of different categories.Methods:From March to May 2023, 795 community residents of Dongfang City were selected for the study using a simple random sampling method. General Information Questionnaire, Chinese version Short of Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile-Ⅱ, Health Conception Scale, and Self-rated Abilities for Health Practice Scale were used to conduct the survey. Cluster analysis was used to explore the health behavior categories of community residents, and a decision tree model was applied to analyze the influencing factors of different categories.Results:A total of 830 questionnaires were distributed, and 795 valid questionnaires were recovered, with a valid recovery rate of 95.78%. The health behaviors of 795 community residents in Dongfang City were divided into four categories of comprehensive behavior group (26.04%, 207/795), healthy behavior group (37.23%, 296/795), risky behavior group (18.99%, 151/795), and poor health behavior group (17.74%, 141/795). The decision tree model showed that exercise efficacy, gender, ethnicity, and clinical health concepts were the factors influencing different health behavior categories of community residents in Dongfang City ( P<0.05), with exercise efficacy being the core factor. Conclusions:There is heterogeneity in the health behavior of community residents in Dongfang City. Community healthcare workers can implement targeted health promotion measures according to the behavioral characteristics of the population.

Objective To introduce an innovative technique, the "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" and its application in the subxiphoid uniportal video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) for anterior mediastinal masses resection. Methods Patients who underwent single-port thoracoscopic assisted anterior mediastinal tumor resection through the xiphoid process at the Department of Thoracic Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University from May to June 2024 were included, and their clinical data were analyzed. Results A total of 7 patients were included, with 3 males and 4 females, aged 28-72 years. The diameter of the tumor was 1.9-17.0 cm. The operation time was 62-308 min, intraoperative blood loss was 5-100 mL, postoperative chest drainage tube retention time was 0-9 days, pain score on the 7th day after surgery was 0-2 points, and postoperative hospital stay was 3-12 days. All patients underwent successful and complete resection of the masses and thymus, with favorable postoperative recovery. Conclusion The "balance-shaped sternal elevation device" effectively expands the retrosternal space, providing surgeons with satisfactory surgical views and operating space. This technique significantly enhances the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive surgery for anterior mediastinal masses, reduces trauma and postoperative pain, and accelerates patient recovery, demonstrating important clinical significance and application value.

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of Qi Shi Shen Shu Capsule combined with dapagliflozin in treating type 2 diabetic nephropathy.Methods 120 patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy(qi-yin liangxu syndrome)admitted to the endocrinology department in the inpatient and outpatient depart-ments of endocrinology from May 2022 to December 2023 were randomly divided into control and observation groups(60 cases each).The control group received dapagliflozin plus placebo capsules,while the observation group received dapagliflozin plus Qi Shi Shen Shu Capsule for 6 months.The therapeutic effects were observed between the two groups.Parameters including serum creatinine(Scr),urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio(uACR),24-hour urinary protein quantification(24hUP),glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c),and tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α),interleukin-6(IL-6),and high sensitivity-C reactive protein(hs-CRP)were measured be-fore and after treatment.Results The total effective rate was higher(P＜0.05)in the observation group(93.33％)than in the control group(78.33％).After treatment,both groups showed decreased levels of uACR,Scr,24hUP,HbA1c,TNF-α,IL-6,and hs-CRP compared with baseline,with lower levels in the obser-vation group(P＜0.05).Conclusion Qi Shi Shen Shu Capsule combined with dapagliflozin can effectively re-duce uACR,Scr levels and serum inflammatory cytokines levels in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

ObjectiveTo investigate the correlation of the serum levels of aminotransferases and their ratios with liver inflammation activity in pediatric chronic hepatitis B （pCHB） patients， and to provide a basis for selecting the dominant population for treatment. MethodsThis study was conducted among 1 267 pCHB patients who were admitted to The Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2010 to August 2022 and these patients did not receive antiviral therapy. The patients were analyzed in terms of demographic features， blood routine， blood biochemistry， HBV serological markers， and liver biopsy data. According to liver inflammation activity based on liver biopsy， the patients were divided into no or mild inflammation activity （G0‍ ‍—‍ ‍G1） group and significant inflammation activity （G2‍ ‍—‍ ‍G4） group. The serum levels of aminotransferases and their ratios were compared between groups， and their correlation with liver inflammation activity in pCHB patients was analyzed. Additionally， the patients were stratified by the age， and the relationship between serum aminotransferase levels and liver inflammation activity was analyzed in each age group. For comparison of continuous data between two groups， the independent samples t-test was used when the data were normally distributed， while the Mann-Whitney U test was used when the data were not normally distributed； the chi-square test was employed for comparison of categorical data between two groups. A Spearman’s correlation analysis was performed for correlation assessment. ResultsAmong the 1 267 pCHB patients， there were 468 （36.9%） in the G0‍ ‍—‍ ‍G1 group and 799 （63.1%） in the G2‍ ‍—‍ ‍G4 group， and there were significant differences between the two groups in the levels of aspartate aminotransferase （AST）， alanine aminotransferase （ALT）， AST/ALT ratio， gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase （GGT）， total bilirubin， direct bilirubin， HBeAg quantification， low-density lipoprotein， and platelet count （PLT） （all P<0.05）. The correlation analysis showed that liver inflammation activity was negatively correlated with PLT and low-density lipoprotein （both P<0.05） and was positively correlated with GGT， total bilirubin， direct bilirubin， and HBeAg titer （all P<0.05）， while it was not significantly correlated with ALT， AST， and AST/ALT ratio （all P>0.05）. In the 0‍ ‍—‍ ‍12 years group， the 13‍ ‍—‍ ‍18 years male group， and the 13‍ ‍—‍ ‍18 years female group， liver inflammation activity aggravated with the increases in the serum levels of ALT and AST， and there were significant differences between groups （all P<0.05）. In the 0‍ ‍—‍ ‍12 years group， there was a significant difference in significant liver inflammation activity between the AST/ALT ratio >1 group and the AST/ALT ratio ≤1 group （P<0.001）. Among the 1 267 patients， 447 （35.28%） had an ALT level of <2×upper limit of normal （ULN）， among whom 196 （43.85%） had G≥2 liver inflammation， accounting for 15.47% of all children enrolled. ConclusionLiver inflammation activity is not significantly correlated with ALT， AST， and AST/ALT ratio in pCHB patients， suggesting that the serum levels of aminotransferases cannot truly reflect liver inflammation activity in pCHB patients with an aminotransferase level of <2×ULN. In clinical practice， liver biopsy should be performed for children with an aminotransferase level of <2×ULN to clarify whether antiviral therapy should be performed.

Objective To explore the clinical,pathological,imaging characteristics,treatment,and prognosis of primary pericardial mesothelioma(PPM).Methods The clinical,pathological and imaging data of 11 PPM patients diagnosed in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2014 to 2024 were retrospectively collected,the Kaplan-Meier curve was calculated by Log-Rank test to determine the prognostic factors of the patients.Results The median age of the 11 patients was 48 years,including one well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma,and ten malignant mesothelioma.CA125 was elevated in all patients.PET/CT all indicated increased pericardial metabolism.Male patients and patients with ECOG score>2 points had worse prognosis(P=0.018,P=0.01,re?spectively).Compared with the untreated group(4 cases),both immunotherapy(3 cases)and chemotherapy(3 ca?ses)can prolong patient survival(P=0.025,P=0.025,respectively),and the benefit of immunotherapy was greater than chemotherapy(P=0.049 9).Conclusions This study is the largest single center pericardial mesothe?lioma cohort in China.CA125 and PET/CT contributes to the diagnosis of PPM,and immunotherapy might be the future direction of PPM treatment.