Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and diagnosis of imported Plasmodium malariae and P. ovale malaria cases in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Zhejiang Province, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Henan Province from 2014 to 2021, so as to provide insights into malaria control in these five provinces. Methods All data pertaining to malaria cases reported in five provinces of China were captured from Chinese Disease Control and Prevention Information System from 2014 to 2021, and the epidemiological characteristics of imported P. malariae and P. ovale malaria cases were analysed using a descriptive epidemiological method. The duration from onset of malaria to initial diagnosis, duration from initial diagnosis to definitive diagnosis, institutions of initial and definitive diagnoses, and proportion of correct malaria diagnosis at initial diagnosis were statistically analyzed. Results A total of 1 223 imported P. malariae and P. ovale malaria cases were reported in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Zhejiang Province, Henan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2014 to 2021, there were 158 P. malariae malaria cases (12.92%) and 1 065 P. ovale malaria cases (87.08%). Totally 98.53% (1 205/1 223) of the imported malaria cases were from Africa, with Angola (18.99%, 30/158), Nigeria (11.39%,18/158), Cameroon (10.76%, 17/158), Ghana (10.13%, 16/158) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (10.13%,16/158) as predominant countries where P. malariae malaria cases were from, and Ghana (23.19%, 247/1 065), Cameroon (14.74%, 157/1 065), Nigeria (9.39%, 100/1 065) and Angola (6.95%, 74/1 065) as predominant countries where P. ovale malaria cases were from. There were significant differences in the duration from onset of malaria to initial diagnosis (χ² = 27.673, P = 0.000) and duration from initial diagnosis to definitive diagnosis of P. malariae and P. ovale malaria cases (χ² = 29.808, P = 0.000), and the proportions of correct initial diagnosis of P. malariae and P. ovale malaria cases were 38.61% (61/158) and 56.53% (602/1 065). There were 74.69% (118/158) of P. malariae malaria cases with definitive diagnosis in county-, city-, and province-level medical institutions, and 79.25% (844/1 065) of P. ovale malaria cases with definitive diagnosis in county- and city-level medical institutions and county-level centers for disease control and prevention. Conclusions The imported P. malariae and P. ovale malaria cases in Anhui Province, Hubei Province, Zhejiang Province, Henan Province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from 2014 to 2021 were mainly returned from Africa and the proportion of correct diagnosis of P. malariae and P. ovale malaria was low at initial diagnosis. Persistent improvements in the diagnostic capability of malaria are required in medical institutions.

Background Natural pyrethrins have long been widely used in the fields of environmental and household hygiene. Studies have reported that natural pyrethrins have potential liver toxicity, but their specific mechanisms are still unclear yet. Objective To explore the effect of natural pyrethrins on DNA damage in human liver cells. Methods This study used human liver cell QSG7701 as an in vitro testing model. After exposure to DMSO and a series of concentrations of natural pyrethrins (5, 10, 20, and 40 μg·mL⁻¹) for 6 and 24 h, reactive oxygen species (ROS) was detected by fluorescence microscopy using a fluorescence probe, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) by colorimetric method using a microplate reader, DNA damage by comet assay through observing DNA fragment migration under microscope, and phospho H2AX (γH2AX) and 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG) by immunofluorescence assay using a laser confocal microscope. Results As the exposure concentration of natural pyrethrins increased, the fluorescence intensity of ROS significantly increased in a concentration-dependent manner. The differences in ROS between the 10 μg·mL⁻¹ and above groups and the control group were statistically significant (P<0.01), and the ROS levels in the 20 μg·mL⁻¹ and 40 μg·mL⁻¹ treatment groups were 2.17 and 3.05 times higher than that in the control group respectively. The TBARS level increased in a concentration-dependent manner in natural pyrethrins treated cells (P<0.01), and the levels in the 20 μg·mL⁻¹ and 40 μg·mL⁻¹ treatment groups were 2.46 and 3.01 times higher than that in the control group respectively. The results of comet assay showed trailing formation of cellular DNA in each dose group; as the exposure concentration of natural pyrethrins increased, indicators such as tail DNA content (TDNA%), tail length (TL), tail moment (TM), and Olive tail moment (OTM) increased in a concentration-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, the differences in the indicators between the 20 μg·mL⁻¹ and above groups and the control group were statistically significant (P<0.01), especially in the 40 μg·mL⁻¹ treatment groups, where TDNA%, TL, TM, and OTM were (46.92 ± 3.52) %, (64.67± 4.16) μm, 30.96 ± 2.94, and 22.64 ± 3.89, respectively. The cellular immunofluorescence results showed that natural pyrethrins induced the formation of γH2AX and 8-oxoG, the fluorescence intensities of γH2AX and 8-oxoG increased in a concentration-dependent manner, and the differences between the 10 μg·mL⁻¹ and above groups and the control group were statistically significant (P<0.01). Conclusion Natural pyrethrins could induce DNA damage in human liver cells, and ROS-mediated oxidative stress may play an important role in its liver cell genotoxicity.

Objective To investigate the attributable risk(AR)of Acinetobacter baumannii(AB)infection in criti-cally ill patients.Methods A multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted among adult patients in inten-sive care unit(ICU).Patients with AB isolated from sterile body fluid and confirmed with AB infection in each cen-ter were selected as the infected group.According to the matching criteria that patients should be from the same pe-riod,in the same ICU,as well as with similar APACHE Ⅱ score(±5 points)and primary diagnosis,patients who did not infect with AB were selected as the non-infected group in a 1:2 ratio.The AR was calculated.Results The in-hospital mortality of patients with AB infection in sterile body fluid was 33.3％,and that of non-infected group was 23.1％,with no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P=0.069).The AR was 10.2％(95％CI:-2.3％-22.8％).There is no statistically significant difference in mortality between non-infected pa-tients and infected patients from whose blood,cerebrospinal fluid and other specimen sources AB were isolated(P＞0.05).After infected with AB,critically ill patients with the major diagnosis of pulmonary infection had the high-est AR.There was no statistically significant difference in mortality between patients in the infected and non-infec-ted groups(P＞0.05),or between other diagnostic classifications.Conclusion The prognosis of AB infection in critically ill patients is highly overestimated,but active healthcare-associated infection control for AB in the ICU should still be carried out.

AIM To determine the contents of aspartic acid,glutamic acid,serine,glycine,threonine,citrulline,arginine,alanine,γ-amino-butyric acid,tyrosine,valine,phenlalanine,isoleucine,ornithine,leucine,lysine and proline in Gualoupi Injection and its intermediates,and to analyze their change laws.METHODS The OPA-FMOC online derivatization analysis was performed on a 45℃ thermostatic Waters XBridge C18 column(4.6 mm×100 mm,3.5 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of phosphate buffer solution-[methanol-acetonitrile-water(45 : 45 : 10)]flowing at 1 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and the detection wavelengths were set at 262,338 nm.Principal component analysis and heatmap analysis were adopted in chemical pattern recognition for the corresponding intermediates in ten processes of six batches of samples.RESULTS Seventeen amino acids showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(R2>0.998 0),whose average recoveries were 83.4％-119.5％with the RSDs of 0.91％-7.94％.Different batches of samples in the same process were clustered,and the corresponding intermediates in different processed were clustered into three groups.Alcohol precipitation and cation exchange column demonstrated the biggest influences on amino acid composition.CONCLUSION This experiment can provide important references for the critical factors on quality control of Gualoupi Injection,thus ensure the stability and uniformity of final product.

Objective Tissue uptake and distribution of nano-/microplastics was studied at a single high dose by gavage in vivo.Methods Fluorescent microspheres (100 nm, 3 μm, and 10 μm) were given once at a dose of 200 mg/(kg·body weight). The fluorescence intensity (FI) in observed organs was measured using the IVIS Spectrum at 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 h after administration. Histopathology was performed to corroborate these findings.Results In the 100 nm group, the FI of the stomach and small intestine were highest at 0.5 h, and the FI of the large intestine, excrement, lung, kidney, liver, and skeletal muscles were highest at 4 h compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In the 3 μm group, the FI only increased in the lung at 2 h (P < 0.05). In the 10 μm group, the FI increased in the large intestine and excrement at 2 h, and in the kidney at 4 h (P < 0.05). The presence of nano-/microplastics in tissues was further verified by histopathology. The peak time of nanoplastic absorption in blood was confirmed.Conclusion Nanoplastics translocated rapidly to observed organs/tissues through blood circulation;however, only small amounts of MPs could penetrate the organs.

Objective This study aimed to understand the epidemic status and phylogenetic relationships of rotavirus group A(RVA)in the Pearl River Delta region of Guangdong Province,China. Methods This study included individuals aged 28 days-85 years.A total of 706 stool samples from patients with acute gastroenteritis collected between January 2019 and January 2020 were analyzed for 17 causative pathogens,including RVA,using a Gastrointestinal Pathogen Panel,followed by genotyping,virus isolation,and complete sequencing to assess the genetic diversity of RVA. Results The overall RVA infection rate was 14.59%(103/706),with an irregular epidemiological pattern.The proportion of co-infection with RVA and other pathogens was 39.81%(41/103).Acute gastroenteritis is highly prevalent in young children aged 0-1 year,and RVA is the key pathogen circulating in patients 6-10 months of age with diarrhea.G9P[8](58.25%,60/103)was found to be the predominant genotype in the RVA strains,and the 41 RVA-positive strains that were successfully sequenced belonged to three different RVA genotypes in the phylogenetic analysis.Recombination analysis showed that gene reassortment events,selection pressure,codon usage bias,gene polymorphism,and post-translational modifications(PTMs)occurred in the G9P[8]and G3P[8]strains. Conclusion This study provides molecular evidence of RVA prevalence in the Pearl River Delta region of China,further enriching the existing information on its genetics and evolutionary characteristics and suggesting the emergence of genetic diversity.Strengthening the surveillance of genotypic changes and gene reassortment in RVA strains is essential for further research and a better understanding of strain variations for further vaccine development.

Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laboratory diagnosis of viral encephalitis is a worldwide challenge.Recently,high-throughput sequencing technology has provided new tools for diagnosing central nervous system infections.Thus,In this study,we established a multipathogen detection platform for viral encephalitis based on amplicon sequencing. Methods We designed nine pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR)primers for the 12 viruses by reviewing the relevant literature.The detection ability of the primers was verified by software simulation and the detection of known positive samples.Amplicon sequencing was used to validate the samples,and consistency was compared with Sanger sequencing. Results The results showed that the target sequences of various pathogens were obtained at a coverage depth level greater than 20×,and the sequence lengths were consistent with the sizes of the predicted amplicons.The sequences were verified using the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLAST,and all results were consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing. Conclusion Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology is feasible as a supplementary method for the pathogenic detection of viral encephalitis.It is also a useful tool for the high-volume screening of clinical samples.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Objective To compare the clinical outcomes of using elastic intramedullary nail and plate to fix fibular frac-ture.Methods The 60 patients with tibiofibular fractures admitted from January 2015 to December 2022 were divided into two groups:intramedullary nail group and plate group,30 cases each,intramedullary nail group was treated with elastic in-tramedullary nail fixation group,plate group was treated with steel plate and screw fixation group.Intramedullary nail group,there were 18 males and 12 females,aged from 22 to 75 years old with an average of(39.4±9.8)years old,including 24 cases of traffic accidents injury,6 cases of falling injury,23 cases of closed fractures,7 cases of open fractures.Steel plate group,there were 15 males and 15 females,aged from 24 to 78 years old with an average of(38.6±10.2)years old.The 22 cases were injured by traffic accident,8 cases were injured by falling.The 24 cases were closed fractures and 6 cases were open fractures.The operation time,intraoperative bleeding,American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society(AOFAS)ankle and hind foot scores,clinical healing time of fibula and the incidence of wound complications were compared between the two groups.Re-sults The patients in both groups were followed up for 6 to 21 months,with an average of(14.0±2.8)months.Compared with plate group,intramedullary nail group had shorter operative time,less bleeding,shorter clinical healing time of fibula,and low-er infection rate of incision,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.05).There were 2 cases of delayed healing in intramedullary nail group,1 case of nonunion in plate group,and 2 cases of delayed healing in plate group,and there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).In the last follow-up,according to the AOFAS scoring standard,the ankle function in intramedullary nail group was excellent in 17 cases,good in 12 cases,fair in 1 case,with an av-erage of(88.33±4.57)points,while in plate group,excellent in 16 cases,good in 10 cases,fair in 4 cases,with an average of(87.00±4.14)points;There was no statistical difference between the two groups(P＞0.05).Conclusion Elastic intramedullary nail has the advantages of short operation time,less intraoperative bleeding,short fracture healing time and less incision com-plications in the treatment of fibular fracture,which is worthy of clinical application.

Objective:To understand the serological characteristics of irregular antibodies in pregnant women and explore their clinical significance.Methods:From January 2017 to March 2022,151 471 pregnant women in Women and Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University were enrolled in this study,microcolumn gel card test was used for irregular antibody screening,and antibody specificity identification was further performed in some antibody-positive subjects.Results:The positive rate of irregular antibody screening in the enrolled pregnant women was 0.91％(1 375/151 471),0.23％(355/151 471)was detected in the first trimester,0.05％(71/151 471)in the second trimester,and 0.63％(949/151 471)in the third trimester.The positive rate of irregular antibody screening in the third trimester was significantly higher than that in the first and second trimester,and a significant increase in the number of positive cases was found in the third trimester than that in the second trimester.The analysis of agglutination intensity of 1 375 irregular antibody screening positive results showed that the weakly positive agglutination intensity accounted for 50.11％(689/1 375),which was the highest,the suspicious positive was 18.69％(257/1 375),and the positive was 31.20％(429/1 375).The significant difference in distribution of agglutination intensity was not observed between the first trimester group and the second trimester group,however,in the third trimester,the proportion of suspicious positive and weakly positive was lower than the first trimester,while,the proportion of positive was higher than the first trimester,and the difference was statistically significant(P＜0.001).Among the irregular antibody screening positive pregnant women,the proportion of pregnant women with pregnancy number ≥ 2 was significantly higher than that with pregnancy≤1.Among 60 pregnant women who underwent antibody identification,the distributions of the antibodies were as follows:Rh blood group system accounted for 23.33％(14/60),Lewis system 43.33％(26/60),Kidd system 3.33％(2/60),MNS system 16.67％(10/60),P1PK system 1.67％(1/60),autoantibodies 1.67％(1/60),and 4 cases was unable to identify(6.67％,4/60).Among specific antibodies,the anti-Lea was the most common(30.00％),followed by anti-E(16.67％)and anti-M(16.67％).Conclusion:The differences of irregular antibody serological characteristics exist in pregnant women from different regions with different genetic backgrounds,understanding the characteristics of irregular antibody in local pregnant women is of great significance for ensuring transfusion safety in pregnant women and preventing hemolytic disease of newborn.