OBJECTIVE: Poxviruses are zoonotic pathogens that infect humans, mammals, vertebrates, and arthropods. However, the specific role of ticks in transmission and evolution of these viruses remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic and metatranscriptomic raw data from 329 sampling pools of seven tick species across five continents were mined to assess the diversity and abundance of poxviruses. Chordopoxviral sequences were assembled and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to trace the origins of the unblasted fragments within these sequences. RESULTS: Fifty-eight poxvirus species, representing two subfamilies and 20 genera, were identified, with 212 poxviral sequences assembled. A substantial proportion of AT-rich fragments were detected in the assembled poxviral genomes. These genomic sequences contained fragments originating from rodents, archaea, and arthropods. CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that ticks play a significant role in the transmission and evolution of poxviruses. These viruses demonstrate the capacity to modulate virulence and adaptability through horizontal gene transfer, gene recombination, and gene mutations, thereby promoting co-existence and co-evolution with their hosts. This study advances understanding of the ecological dynamics of poxvirus transmission and evolution and highlights the potential role of ticks as vectors and vessels in these processes.
Animals ; Poxviridae/physiology* ; Ticks/virology* ; Phylogeny ; Transcriptome ; Evolution, Molecular ; Poxviridae Infections/virology* ; Genome, Viral

Lung cancer poses a serious threat to global public health security.Chemotherapy,as the main strategy for cancer treatment,faces challenges such as high toxicity and drug resistance.Anticancer peptides have the potential of being developed into new anticancer drugs due to their advantages of broad-spectrum anticancer activity,rapid action,and difficulty in generating drug resistance,but they also face shortcomings such as weak activity and strong toxic side effects.The weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors(pH 6.5-6.8)provides a good idea for the design of anticancer peptides of high-efficiency and low-toxicity.Previously,we designed the acid-sensitive antibacterial peptide pHly-1 using the wolf spider(Lycosa singoriensis)toxin Lycosin-Ⅰ as a template.In this study,we found that pHly-1 also had acid-sensitive anticancer activity.Further alanine scanning analysis of pHly-1 was carried out,and we ob-tained a mutant pHTP-2 with better acid sensitivity,whose IC50(half maximal inhibitory concentration)against A549 cells was 15.68 μmol/L at pH 6.6 and was greater than 100 μmol/L at pH 7.4.At pH 6.6,pHTP-2 could act on various lung cancer cell lines and induce the death of A549 cells by rapid ly-sis;at pH 7.4,500 μmol/L pHTP-2 had weak toxicity to red blood cells(the hemolysis rate was ap-proximately 38％)and primary myocardial cells(the inhibition rate was 49.7％,with P＜0.05).Analy-sis of its charge,particle size,morphology,and secondary structure showed that at pH 6.6,the histidine in the sequence of pHTP-2 was protonated,increasing the positive charge(P＜0.01),decreasing the hy-drated particle size(P＜0.05)and forming an α-helical structure to induce membrane lysis of A549 cells.At pH 7.4,it was deprotonated,the positive charge decreases,a β-sheet structure was formed and self-aggregation occurred,limiting its effect on the A549 cell membrane and showing weak activity.In summary,pHTP-2 could respond to the weakly acidic microenvironment of tumors to exert selective cyto-toxic activity,effectively overcoming the shortcomings of anticancer peptides such as low efficiency and high toxicity.Our findings suggest that it is a high-quality lead molecule for anticancer drugs.

Objective:To investigate lymph node metastasis(LNM)in the prostatic anterior fat pad(PAFP)of PCa patients after robot-assisted radical prostatectomy(RARP),and analyze the clinicopathological features and prognosis of LNM in the PAFP.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed the clinicopathological data on 1 003 cases of PCa treated by RARP in the Department of Urolo-gy of PLA General Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022.All the patients underwent routine removal of the PAFP during RARP and pathological examination,with the results of all the specimens examined and reported by pathologists.Based on the pres-ence and locations of LNM,we grouped the patients for statistical analysis,compared the clinicopathological features between different groups using the Student's t,Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square tests,and conducted survival analyses using the Kaplan-Meier and Log-rank methods and survival curves generated by Rstudio.Results:Lymph nodes were detected in 77(7.7％)of the 1 003 PAFP samples,and LNM in 11(14.3％)of the 77 cases,with a positive rate of 1.1％(11/1 003).Of the 11 positive cases,9 were found in the upgraded pathological N stage,and the other 2 complicated by pelvic LNM.The patients with postoperative pathological stage≥T3 constituted a significantly higher proportion in the PAFP LNM than in the non-PAFP LNM group(81.8％[9/11]vs 36.2％[359/992],P=0.005),and so did the cases with Gleason score ≥8(87.5％[7/8]vs 35.5％[279/786],P=0.009).No statisti-cally significant differences were observed in the clinicopathological features and biochemical recurrence-free survival between the pa-tients with PAFP LNM only and those with pelvic LNM only.Conclusion:The PAFP is a potential route to LNM,and patients with LNM in the PAFP are characterized by poor pathological features.There is no statistically significant difference in biochemical recur-rence-free survival between the patients with PAFP LNM only and those with pelvic LNM only.Routine removal of the PAFP and inde-pendent pathological examination of the specimen during RARP is of great clinical significance.

Objective To investigate the short-term efficacy of 3D-printed artificial vertebral body combined with PEEK-Cage implantation in anterior cervical surgery for ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the cervical spine(OPLL).Methods The clinical data of 15 patients with OPLL who underwent anterior cervical surgery with 3D-printed artificial vertebral body and PEEK-Cage implantation in the Fifth Department of Orthopaedics,Liaoning Provincial People's Hospital from September 2022 to June 2023 was retrospectively analyzed.The surgical time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative drainage volume,bed rest time,hospital stay,and surgery-related complications of patients were analyzed.The Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score and visual analogue scale(VAS)score of patients were counted before surgery,3 days after surgery,1 month after surgery and 6 months after surgery.The changes of Cobb angle of fusion segment of patients were recorded before surgery,3 days after surgery,1 month after surgery and 6 months after surgery.Results All 15 patients successfully completed the surgery.The surgical time was 130 to 160 minutes,with an average of(148.68±10.04)minutes.The intraoperative blood loss was 50 to 200 mL,with an average of(130.0±18.8)mL.The postoperative drainage volume was 220 to 980 mL,with an average of(270.0±24.6)mL.The bed rest time was 3 to 11 days,with an average of(3.6±2.8)days.The hospital stay was 7 to 16 days,with an average of(8.2±2.6)days.All patients'incisions healed in the first stage,and no infection occurred.One patient suffered from dural sac tear during surgery;4 patients had dysphagia after surgery;1 patient suffered from muscle weakness of one limb after surgery;Hematoma formed in the incision of cervical spine in 1 patient 3 days after surgery.At 3 days,1 month,and 6 months after surgery,the Cobb angle,VAS score and JOA score of 3 patients with myeloid symptoms and upper limb root pain were significantly improved compared with those before surgery(P<0.05),and the Cobb angle and JOA score of 12 patients with only myeloid symptoms were significantly improved compared with those before surgery(P<0.05).Conclusion 3D-printed artificial vertebral body combined with PEEK-Cage implantation in anterior cervical surgery is an effective method for the treatment of OPLL,which can significantly relieve patients'pain and improve their dysfunction in a short time,with good stability and fusion effect.

Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of fetal cardiac ultrasound view visualization in the first trimester for congenital heart disease（CHD）.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 13 323 singleton fetuses who underwent first-trimester（11-13 +6 weeks）ultrasound screening at the Ultrasound Medicine Center，the Affiliated Suzhou Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to June 2024. Cardiac views including the four-chamber view（4CV），left ventricular outflow tract view（LVOT），and Results:The study group showed significantly higher rates of "poorly visualized" 4CV，LVOT，and 3VT than the control group（2.70% vs. 0.14%， P=0.005；36.49% vs. 4.76%， P<0.001；36.49% vs.2.46%， P<0.001）. The efficacies of combination 1（any view abnormal）and combination 2（any view "poorly visualized" or "abnormal"）were comparable，with AUCs of 0.86 and 0.85（ P=0.424）. The AUCs of combination 3（3VT "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"）and combination 4（4CV "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"）were 0.88 and 0.86（ P=0.424），all significantly higher than combination 5（LVOT "poorly visualized" or any view "abnormal"，AUC=0.84，all P<0.05）. Conclusions:"Poorly visualized" cardiac views in the first trimester demonstrate good diagnostic efficacy for CHD，particularly when 3VT or 4CV are affected，warranting heightened clinical vigilance for fetal cardiac anomalies.

Objective To investigate the short-term efficacy of transforaminal endoscope combined with percutaneous fixation in the treatment of single-segment Brucella spondylitis with intraspinal abscess. Methods The clinical data of 14 patients with single-segment lumbar Brucella spondylitis with intraspinal abscess treated by transforaminal endoscopic decompression combined with percutaneous fixation in our hospital from March 2021 to August 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The operation time,intraoperative blood loss,erythrocyte sedimen-tation rate(ESR) and C-reactive protein(CRP) before operation,3 days and 3 months after operation,postoperative drainage volume,post-operative bed rest time and occurrence of complications were recorded. Before operation,3 days and 3 months after operation,the visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the pain degree of lower back and leg,the lumbar function was evaluated by Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score,Oswestry disability index (ODI)was used to evaluate the dysfunction,and the modified Macnab criteria was used to evaluate the good to excellent rate of efficacy. Results The operation time of 14 patients was 182～217 min,with an average of (197.3±18.6) minutes. The mean intraoperative blood loss was (37.8±15.5)mL;the mean drainage volume was (23.5±5.8)mL;the postoperative bed rest time was (3.5±1.4) days. ESR and CRP gradually decreased 3 days and 3 months after operation compared with those before opera-tion,with statistically significant differences(P<0.05). The VAS scores of lower back and legs,JOA scores,and ODI at each time point of follow-up after operation were significantly improved compared with those before operation,with statistically significant differences (P<0.05). After 3 months of follow-up,the good to excellent rate of efficacy was 85.7％.Conclusion The minimally invasive technique of transforaminal endoscope in the treatment of Brucella spondylitis with intraspinal abscess can conduct neuraxial root decompression,abscess removal,and local surgical area irrigation,significantly relieve the pain of lower limbs,and combined with the percutaneous fixation can significantly alleviate the low back pain and improve the function of patients. The combination of the two methods is minimally invasive,safe and effective in the treatment of Brucella spondylitis with intraspinal abscess.

Objective:To explore the effect of empathy theory nursing combined with pulmonary rehabilitation on elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) .Methods:A convenience sampling method was used to select 120 COPD patients who were treated at the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine of Huzhou Central Hospital from June 2020 to June 2023. Based on the admission time, the 60 patients admitted from June 2020 to December 2021 were assigned to the control group, and the 60 patients admitted from January 2022 to June 2023 were assigned to the intervention group. The control group received routine nursing care and pulmonary rehabilitation training, while the intervention group received empathy theory nursing and pulmonary rehabilitation training. Both groups were intervened for two months. Pulmonary function was assessed using maximum voluntary ventilation (MVV) , peak expiratory flow (PEF) , forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1) , forced vital capacity (FVC) , and FEV 1/FVC ratios before and after the intervention. Psychological status was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) , and quality of life was assessed using the St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) . Results:After the intervention, the MVV, PEF, FEV 1, FVC, and FEV 1/FVC ratios in the intervention group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05) . The HAMD, HAMA, and SGRQ scores in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:Empathy theory nursing combined with pulmonary rehabilitation positively improves pulmonary function, psychological status, and quality of life in COPD patients.

Objective To study the effect of auditory and speech development after cochlear implant(CI)in children with bilateral cochlear nerve deficiency(CND)and its influencing factors.Methods A total of 20 children with bilateral CND were included in the study,of which 5 were implanted bilaterally and 15 unilaterally.CT of the temporal bone showed stenosis of the cochlear aperture in 14 cases and atresia of the cochlear aperture in 6 cases.There were 8 cases accompanied by other inner ear malformations,and 12 cases with no accompanying inner ear mal-formations.MRI of the internal auditory canal showed 1 nerve in 5 cases,2 nerves in 6 cases,3 nerves in 8 cases,and 4 nerves in 1 case.There were 6 cases in which the EABR was not elicited and 14 cases in which it was elicited.The postoperative auditory and speech abilities of the subjects were evaluated using categories of auditory perform-ance(CAP)and speech intelligibility rating(SIR).Results ① The CAP(P＜0.001)and SIR(P＜0.001)scores of the children with stenosis of the cochlea nerve canal were higher than those of the patients with atresia of the cochlea nerve canal.② The more nerve roots in the internal auditory canal,the higher the score of CAP(P=0.003)and SIR(P=0.008).③ CAP score of the children with EABR elicited was higher than that of the children without EABR elicited(P=0.030).The difference in SIR scores was not statistically significant(P=0.14).④The differences in CAP and SIR between those with bilateral CI and unilateral CI,as well as between those with and without other inner ear malformations,were not statistically significant(P＞0.05).Conclusion Children with bi-lateral CND had significant postoperative improvement in auditory function but poor speech development after CI.Postoperative auditory speech ability was related to the condition of the cochlear foramen,the number of nerve roots in the internal auditory canal,and whether or not the EABR was elicited intraoperatively.

This study was conducted at a tertiary hospital,where the PDCA(Plan-Do-Check-Act)cycle was applied to establish a refined electricity conservation management system encompassing organizational structure,institutional frameworks,technical measures,and awareness campaigns.Through data analysis,on-site investigations,and case validation,multidimen-sional initiatives were implemented,including enhancing institutional frameworks,carrying out energy-saving technological up-grades,leveraging information technology,adopting market-based electricity procurement,and conducting publicity and educa-tion.The results demonstrated that after the implementation of the system,the hospital's annual electricity consumption growth rate showed a year-on-year decline,reaching 2.25％in 2024-a reduction of 3.66 percentage points compared to 2022.This study verifies the scientific rationale and practical effectiveness of the PDCA cycle in electricity conservation management,offering rep-licable experience for healthcare institutions striving to achieve energy savings and carbon emission reduction goals.