ObjectiveTo characterize the seasonal patterns of influenza in Kunming City, Yunnan Province before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic, and provide scientific evidence for optimizing influenza prevention and control strategies. MethodsInfluenza-like illness (ILI) and etiological surveillance data for influenza from the 14^th week of 2010 to the 13^th week of 2024 in Kunming City of Yunnan Province were collected. Harmonic regression models were constructed to analyze the epidemic characteristics and seasonal patterns of influenza before (2010/2011‒2019/2020 influenza seasons), during (2020/2021‒2022/2023 influenza seasons), and after (2023/2024 influenza season) the COVID-19 pandemic. ResultsBefore the COVID-19 pandemic, influenza in Kunming City mainly exhibited an annual cyclic pattern without a significant semi-annual periodicity, peaking from December to February of the next year, with an epidemic duration of 20‒30 weeks. During the pandemic, influenza seasonality shifted, with an increase in semi-annual periodicity and an approximate one month delay in annual peaks. However, after the pandemic, the annual amplitude of influenza increased compared with that before the pandemic, and the epidemic duration extended by about one month. Although the annual peak largely reverted to the pre-pandemic levels, the annual peaks for different influenza subtypes/lineages had not fully recovered. ConclusionInfluenza seasonality in Kunming City underwent substantial alterations following the COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet fully reverted to pre-pandemic levels. Continuous surveillance on different subtypes/lineages of influenza viruses remains essential, and prevention and control strategies should be adjusted and optimized in a timely manner based on current epidemic trends.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the accuracy and safety of pedicle screw placement using 3D-printed auxiliary guides in scoliosis correction surgery for adolescents. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 51 patients who underwent posterior scoliosis correction surgery from January 2020 to March 2023. Among them, there were 35 cases of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and 16 cases of congenital scoliosis. The patients were divided into two groups based on the auxiliary tool used:the 3D-printed auxiliary guide screw placement group (3D printing group) and the free-hand screw placement group (free-hand group, without auxiliary tools). The 3D printing group included 32 patients (12 males and 20 females) with an average age of (12.59±2.60) years;the free-hand group included 19 patients (7 males and 12 females) with an average age of (14.58±3.53) years. The two groups were compared in terms of screw placement accuracy and safety, spinal correction rate, intraoperative blood loss, number of intraoperative fluoroscopies, operation time, hospital stay, and preoperative and last follow-up scores of the Scoliosis Research Society-22 (SRS-22) questionnaire. RESULTS: A total of 707 pedicle screws were placed in the two groups, with 441 screws in the 3D printing group and 266 screws in the free-hand group. All patients in both groups successfully completed the surgery. There was a statistically significant difference in operation time between the two groups (P<0.05). The screw placement accuracy rate of the 3D printing group was 95.46% (421/441), among which the Grade A placement rate was 89.34% (394/441);the screw placement accuracy rate of the free-hand group was 86.47% (230/266), with a Grade A placement rate of 73.31% (195/266). There were statistically significant differences in the accuracy of Grade A, B, and C screw placements between the two groups (P<0.05), while no statistically significant differences were observed in intraoperative blood loss, number of fluoroscopies, correction rate, or hospital stay (P>0.05). In the SRS-22 questionnaire scores, the scores of functional status and activity ability, self-image, mental status, and pain of patients in each group at the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before surgery (P<0.05), but there were no statistically significant differences in all scores between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION In scoliosis correction surgery, compared with traditional free-hand screw placement, the use of 3D-printed auxiliary guides for screw placement significantly improves the accuracy and safety of screw placement and shortens the operation time.
Humans ; Male ; Scoliosis/surgery* ; Female ; Adolescent ; Printing, Three-Dimensional ; Retrospective Studies ; Pedicle Screws ; Child

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the characteristics of gut microbiota changes in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing induction chemotherapy and to explore the relationship between infectious complications and gut microbiota. METHODS: Fecal samples were collected from 37 newly diagnosed AML patients at four time points: before induction chemotherapy, during chemotherapy, during the neutropenic phase, and during the recovery phase. Metagenomic sequencing was used to analyze the dynamic changes in gut microbiota. Correlation analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between changes in gut microbiota and the occurrence of infectious complications. RESULTS: During chemotherapy, the gut microbiota α-diversity (Shannon index) of AML patients exhibited significant fluctuations. Specifically, the diversity decreased significantly during induction chemotherapy, further declined during the neutropenic phase (P < 0.05, compared to baseline), and gradually recovered during the recovery phase, though not fully returning to baseline levels.The abundances of beneficial bacteria, such as Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes, gradually decreased during chemotherapy, whereas the abundances of opportunistic pathogens, including Enterococcus, Klebsiella, and Escherichia coli, progressively increased.Analysis of the dynamic changes in gut microbiota of seven patients with bloodstream infections revealed that the bloodstream infection pathogens could be detected in the gut microbiota of the corresponding patients, with their abundance gradually increasing during the course of infection. This finding suggests that bloodstream infections may be associated with opportunistic pathogens originating from the gut microbiota.Compared to non-infected patients, the baseline samples of infected patients showed a significantly lower relative abundance of Bacteroidetes (P < 0.05). Regression analysis indicated that Bacteroidetes abundance is an independent predictive factor for infectious complications (P < 0.05, OR =13.143). CONCLUSION During induction chemotherapy in AML patients, gut microbiota α-diversity fluctuates significantly, and the abundance of opportunistic pathogens increase, which may be associated with bloodstream infections. Patients with lower baseline Bacteroidetes abundance are more prone to infections, and its abundance can serve as an independent predictor of infectious complications.
Humans ; Gastrointestinal Microbiome ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/microbiology* ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Feces/microbiology* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged

Objective:To observe and evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of albumin-bound paclitaxel as first-line treatment for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in China, and to explore the prognosis-related molecules in pancreatic cancer based on next-generation sequencing (NGS) of tumor tissues.Methods:From December 2018 to December 2020, patients with locally advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer were recruited to accept albumin-bound paclitaxel as first-line treatment in the oncology departments of 24 hospitals in East China. The primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and treatment related adverse events, and the secondary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). Adverse effects were graded using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events 5.0 (CTCAE 5.0). NGS sequencing on the primary or metastatic tissue samples of pancreatic cancer obtained through surgical resection or biopsy was performed.Results:This study recruited 229 patients, including 70 patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) and 159 patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer (mPC). The disease control rate was 79.9% and the objective response rate is 36.3%.The common adverse effects during treatment were anaemia (159 cases), leucopenia (170 cases), neutropenia (169 cases), increased aminotransferases (110 cases), and thrombocytopenia (95 cases), and the incidence of grade 3-4 neutropenia is 12.2% (28/229). The median follow-up time was 21.2 months (95% CI: 18.5-23.1 months). The median PFS (mPFS) was 5.3 months (95% CI: 4.37-4.07 months) and the median OS (mOS) was 11.2 months (95% CI: 9.5-12.9 months). The mPFS of patients with LAPC was 7.4 months (95% CI: 6.6-11.2 months), and their mOS was 15.5 months (95% CI: 12.6-NA months). The mPFS of patients with mPC was 3.9 months (95% CI: 3.4-5.1 months), and their mOS was 9.3 months (95% CI: 8.0-10.8 months). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that clinical stage ( HR=1.47, 95% CI: 1.06-2.04), primary tumor site ( HR=0.64, 95% CI: 0.48-0.86), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG PS) score ( HR=2.66, 95% CI: 1.53-4.65), and whether to combine radiotherapy ( HR=0.65, 95% CI: 0.42-1.00) were independent influencing factors for the PFS of these patients. The primary tumor site ( HR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.48-0.95), ECOG score ( HR=5.82, 95% CI: 3.14-10.82), and whether to combine radiotherapy ( HR=0.58, 95% CI: 0.35-0.96) were independent influencing factors of the OS of these patients. The most frequent gene mutations in these advanced stage pancreatic patients were KRAS (89.66%), TP53 (77.01%), CDKN2A (32.18%), and SMAD4 (21.84%) by NGS of tumor tissues from 87 pancreatic cancer patients with sufficient specimens. Further analysis revealed that mutations in CDKN2B, PTEN, FGF6, and RBBP8 genes were significantly associated with an increased risk of death ( P＜0.05). Conclusion:Albumin-bound paclitaxel as first-line treatment demonstrated feasible anti-tumor efficacy and manageable safety for patients with advanced pancreatic cancer in China.

Objective:To study the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) genotype of Yersinia pestis and its regional distribution characteristics in natural plague focus of Tibet Autonomous Region. Methods:A total of 125 representative Yersinia pestis strains isolated from natural plague focus in Tibet Autonomous Region at different times, regions, hosts and vectors were selected as experimental strains, and the phenol chloroform mixed extraction method was used to extract Yersinia pestis DNA. Three pairs of CRISPR primers (for YPa, YPb, YPc locus) were used to amplify the DNA of the experimental strains, and the CRISPR genotype of Yersinia pestis was determined by sequencing. Results:All 125 strains of Yersinia pestis had three CRISPR locus: YPa, YPb, and YPc. A total of 18 spacer were found, including 8 in YPa loci, 6 in YPb loci, and 4 in YPc loci. Two new types of spacers had been discovered, namely b52 and c14. CRISPR typing revealed 10 genotypes, including G1, G7, G7-b4''', G7-b52, G7-c2 -, G8, G22, G22-a4 -, G22-b4''', and G22-c14, of which 6 were newly discovered genotypes. Among the 125 experimental strains, G7 was the main genotype, accounting for 65.6% (82/125), which was distributed in 6 prefecture level citys and 1 region of Tibet Autonomous Region. Next were G22 and G7-c2 - genetypes, accounting for 14.4% (18/125) and 11.2% (14/125), respectively. G22 gene type was distributed in Nagqu, Changdu, Lhasa citys, and Ngari Prefecture, while G7-c2 - genetype was distributed in Shigatse and Shannan cities. Conclusion:The CRISPR locus of Yersinia pestis in natural plague focus of Tibet Autonomous Region is highly polymorphic, and the Yersinia pestis strains with different genotypes have obvious regional distribution characteristics.

Aim To screen and study the expression of long non-coding RNA (IncRNA) in rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) with MCAO treated with Tao Hong Si Wu decoction (THSWD) and determine the possible molecular mechanism of THSWD in treating MCAO rats. Methods Three cerebral hemisphere tissue were obtained from the control group, MCAO group and MCAO + THSWD group. RNA sequencing technology was used to identify IncRNA gene expression in the three groups. THSWD-regulated IncRNA genes were identified, and then a THSWD-regu-lated IncRNA-mRNA network was constructed. MCODE plug-in units were used to identify the modules of IncRNA-mRNA networks. Gene ontology (GO) and kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) were used to analyze the enriched biological functions and signaling pathways. Cis- and trans-regulatory genes for THSWD-regulated IncRNAs were identified. Reverse transcription real-time quantitative pol-ymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) was used to verify IncRNAs. Molecular docking was used to identify IncRNA-mRNA network targets and pathway-associated proteins. Results In MCAO rats, THSWD regulated a total of 302 IncRNAs. Bioinformatics analysis suggested that some core IncRNAs might play an important role in the treatment of MCAO rats with THSWD, and we further found that THSWD might also treat MCAO rats through multiple pathways such as IncRNA-mRNA network and network-enriched complement and coagulation cascades. The results of molecular docking showed that the active compounds gallic acid and a-mygdalin of THSWD had a certain binding ability to protein targets. Conclusions THSWD can protect the brain injury of MCAO rats through IncRNA, which may provide new insights for the treatment of ischemic stroke with THSWD.

Acute liver injury (ALI) is one of the common severe diseases in clinic, which is characterized by redox imbalance and inflammatory storm. Untimely treatment can easily lead to liver failure and even death. Rosmarinic acid (RA) has been proved to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, but it is not clear how to protect ALI through antioxidation and inhibition of inflammation. Therefore, this study explored the therapeutic effect and molecular mechanism of RA on ALI through in vitro and in vivo experiments. In the mouse ALI model, the effects of RA on liver function and inflammatory indexes were studied, the pathological changes of liver were observed by HE, the effect of RA on reactive oxygen species in liver was detected by fluorescence method, and the level of F4/80 in liver tissue was detected by immunohistochemical method. The levels of thioredoxin interacting protein (TXNIP), NOD-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) and cysteinyl aspartate specific proteinase-1 (CASPASE-1) in liver tissue were measured by Western blot. All animal welfare and experimental procedures follow the rules of the Animal Ethics Committee of Southwest Minzu University. In vitro, human hepatoma cell line HepG2 was used to establish the model of oxidative damage induced by H₂O₂. The cell viability was detected by CCK-8 method. The level of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the supernatant was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the activity of lactatede hydrogenase (LDH) was detected by LDH kit, and the level of ROS was detected by fluorescence probe DCFH-DA labeling. The mRNA expression of Txnip, Nlrp3, Caspase 1, Il1β was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR (qPCR), and the protein levels of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (NRF2), TXNIP, NLRP3 and CASPASE-1 were measured by Western blot. The results showed that compared with the model group, the degree of liver swelling, tissue injury, liver function index in RA group were significantly lower than those in model group. And RA significantly attenuated the increases of ROS in liver tissue. The expression levels of TXNIP, NLRP3 and CASPASE-1 in liver tissue were significantly lower than those in model group. Additionally, RA inhibited the expressions of F4/80 and IL-1β. In vitro experiment, compared with model group, RA effectively inhibited the secretion of IL-1β and LDH. The level of ROS also decreased significantly. RA inhibited the mRNA expressions of Txnip, Caspase 1, Il1β. Furthermore, RA significantly increased the expression level of NRF2 protein in nucleus, and decreased the expression level of TXNIP and NLRP3 protein. Specifically, with the addition of ML385, the effect of RA on NRF2, TXNIP, NLRP3, CASPASE-1 protein expression was reversed. Collectively, these findings suggested that RA may inhibit the production of ROS by promoting NRF2 nuclear transfer, and then reduce the activation of NLRP3 inflammatory bodies by TXNIP, reduce cell death and inflammatory response to prevent the liver injury.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between diabetic nephropathy(DN)and diabetic retinopathy(DR)in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)based on imaging and clinical testing data.Methods Totally 600 T2DM patients who visited the First People's Hospital of Ziyang from March 2021 to December 2022 were included.The fundus photography and fundus fluorescein angiography were performed on all these patients and their age,gender,T2DM duration,cardiovascular diseases,cerebrovascular disease,hypertension,smoking history,drinking history,body mass in-dex,systolic blood pressure,diastolic blood pressure and other clinical data were collected.The levels of fasting blood glu-cose(FPG),triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol(HDL-C),low-density lipo-protein cholesterol(LDL-C),glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),24 h urinary albumin(UAlb),urinary albumin to creati-nine ratio(ACR),serum creatinine(Scr)and blood urea nitrogen(BUN)were measured.Logistic regression was used to analyze the risk factors associated with DR.DR staging was performed according to fundus images,and the convolutional neural network(CNN)algorithm was used as an image analysis method to explore the correlation between DR and DN based on emission computed tomography(ECT)and clinical testing data.Results The average lesion area rates of DR and DN detected by the CNN in the non-DR,mild-non-proliferative DR(NPDR),moderate-NPDR,severe-NPDR and pro-liferative DR(PDR)groups were higher than those obtained by the traditional algorithm(TCM).As DR worsened,the Scr,BUN,24 h UAlb and ACR gradually increased.Besides,the incidence of DN in the non-DR,mild-NPDR,moderate-NPDR,severe-NPDR and PDR groups was 1.67％,8.83％,16.16％,22.16％and 30.83％,respectively.Logistic regression analysis showed that the duration of T2DM,smoking history,HbA1c,TC,TG,HDL-C,LDL-C,24 h UAlb,Scr,BUN,ACR and glomerular filtration rate(GFR)were independent risk factors for DR.Renal dynamic ECT analysis demonstrated that with the aggravation of DR,renal blood flow perfusion gradually decreased,resulting in diminished renal filtration.Conclusion The application of CCN in the early stage DR and DN image analysis of T2DM patients will improve the diag-nosis accuracy of DR and DN lesion area.The DN is worsening as the aggravation of DR.

Objectives: To investigate whether the protective actions of ginsenoside Rb1 (Rb1) on astrocytes are mediated through the Gs-type G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR-Gs). Methods: Primary astrocyte cultures derived from neonatal mouse brain were used. Astrocyte injury was induced via oxygen-glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R). Cell morphology, viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) leakage, apoptosis, glutamate uptake, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) secretion were assessed to gauge cell survival and functionality. Western blot was used to investigate the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and protein kinase B (Akt) signaling pathways. GPCR-Gs-specific inhibitors and molecular docking were used to identify target receptors. Results: Rb1 at concentrations ranging from 0.8 to 5 μM did not significantly affect the viability, glutamate uptake, or BDNF secretion in normal astrocytes. OGD/R reduced astrocyte viability, increasing their LDH leakage and apoptosis rate. It also decreased glutamate uptake and BDNF secretion by these cells. Rb1 had protective effects of astrocytes challenged by OGD/R, by improving viability, reducing apoptosis, and enhancing glutamate uptake and BDNF secretion. Additionally, Rb1 activated the cAMP and Akt pathways in these cells. When the GPCR-Gs inhibitor NF449 was introduced, the protective effects of Rb1 completely disappeared, and its activation of cAMP and Akt signaling pathways was significantly inhibited. Conclusion Rb1 protects against astrocytes from OGD/R-induced injury through GPCR-Gs mediation.

Background::With an increasing proportion of multiparas, proper interpregnancy intervals (IPIs) are urgently needed. However, the association between IPIs and adverse perinatal outcomes has always been debated. This study aimed to explore the association between IPIs and adverse outcomes in different fertility policy periods and for different previous gestational ages.Methods::We used individual data from China’s National Maternal Near Miss Surveillance System between 2014 and 2019. Multivariable Poisson models with restricted cubic splines were used. Each adverse outcome was analyzed separately in the overall model and stratified models. The stratified models included different categories of fertility policy periods (2014–2015, 2016–2017, and 2018–2019) and infant gestational age in previous pregnancy (<28 weeks, 28–36 weeks, and ≥37 weeks).Results::There were 781,731 pregnancies enrolled in this study. A short IPI (≤6 months) was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (OR [95% CI]: 1.63 [1.55, 1.71] for vaginal delivery [VD] and 1.10 [1.03, 1.19] for cesarean section [CS]), low Apgar scores and small for gestational age (SGA), and a decreased risk of diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, preeclampsia or eclampsia, and gestational hypertension. A long IPI (≥60 months) was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth (OR [95% CI]: 1.18 [1.11, 1.26] for VD and 1.39 [1.32, 1.47] for CS), placenta previa, postpartum hemorrhage, diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, preeclampsia or eclampsia, and gestational hypertension. Fertility policy changes had little effect on the association of IPIs and adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. The estimated risk of preterm birth, low Apgar scores, SGA, diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, and gestational hypertension was more profound among women with previous term births than among those with preterm births or pregnancy loss.Conclusion::For pregnant women with shorter or longer IPIs, more targeted health care measures during pregnancy should be formulated according to infant gestational age in previous pregnancy.