Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of rabies in China during 2024 to understand the patterns of disease transmission and provide a scientific basis for optimizing prevention strategies and advancing the rabies elimination process.Methods:Data on the national rabies epidemic in 2024 and case-specific information from national surveillance sites were collected from China's National Notifiable Disease Reporting System（NNDRS）. Descriptive epidemiological methods were used to analyze the disease trends and epidemic characteristics.Results:In 2024，China reported 167 human rabies cases across 20 provincial-level administrative divisions（PLADs），resulting in 148 fatalities. This represents a 39.17% increase from 2023（120 cases）and the highest annual incidence recorded since 2019. The epidemic exhibited a distinct geographic clustering in central and southern China，with four provinces（Henan，Guangxi，Hunan，and Hubei）accounting for 62.87%（105/167）of nationally reported cases. October（20 cases）and November（20 cases）recorded the highest monthly incidence，while February had the lowest（2 cases）. Farmers constituted the primary affected demographic（80.84%），with a marked male predominance（male-to-female ratio：2.15∶1）-higher than the 2023 ratio（1.86∶1）. Cases spanned all age groups，predominantly affecting middle-aged and older adults. Analysis of 54 cases revealed dogs as the primary exposure source（93.88%），with domestic dogs constituting 75.00% of these.The laboratory diagnosis rate of rabies cases in 2024 was 43.71%（73/167）.Conclusion:After 16 consecutive years of decline，China's rabies epidemic rebounded in 2024，primarily driven by deficiencies in domestic dog management and weaknesses in post-exposure prophylaxis. Key recommendations include enhancing canine vaccination coverage in high-risk areas，implementing targeted health education for farmers and middle-aged and older adults，improving standardized post-exposure treatment protocols，and optimizing integrated surveillance-alert-response systems，ultimately advancing the achievement of rabies elimination goals.

Objective:To analyze the relationship between 24-hour urinary calcium (24 h UCa) level and the risk of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD), cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality.Methods:In the Chinese Cohort Study of Chronic Kidney Disease, we examined 3 375 patients aged 18-74 years with CKD stages 1-4. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to test a time-to-event association between levels of 24 h UCa and incidence of ESKD, CVD, and all-cause mortality.Results:During a follow-up of 4.17 (3.37, 5.20) years, 179, 145, 104 and 38 ESKD events occurred in <0.60, 0.60-, 1.20-, ≥2.32 mmol 24 h UCa groups. Higher levels of 24 h UCa (1.20-,≥2.32 mmol) were independently associated with a lower incidence of ESKD events in patients with CKD, with HR (95% CI) of 0.71 (0.54-0.93) and 0.43 (0.29-0.64), respectively. No significant associations with CVD and all-cause mortality endpoints were detected. Conclusion:Among patients with CKD, levels of 24 h UCa displayed an association with the risk of ESKD among patients with CKD stages 1-4.

Allergen-specific Immunotherapy (AIT) is currently the only allopathic treatment capable of modifying the natural course of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic diseases. Currently, there is a lack of recognized clinical markers for evaluating and predicting the efficacy of AIT, and some biological markers may have some potential for application. This article will summarize the currently known indicators for evaluating and predicting the therapeutic effects of AIT, with the aim of providing assistance in evaluating and monitoring the efficacy of AIT.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a relatively common but complex mental illness with a range of diverse risk factors. Typical symptoms include the re-experience or avoidance of traumatic events, cognitive impairment, and hypervigilance. While the exact pathogenesis of PTSD is unclear, many studies indicate that epigenetic regulation plays a key role in its development. Specifically, numerous studies have indicated that the levels of histone acetylation and methylation, DNA methylation, and noncoding RNA are altered in PTSD patients. Further to this, natural products have been found to achieve epigenetic regulation of PTSD by regulating the expression of epigenetic enzymes, long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), and miRNA, thereby playing a role in improving PTSD symptoms. To date, however, no epigenetic regulation related drugs have been used in the treatment of PTSD. Furthermore, while natural products that can epigenetically regulate PTSD have received increasing levels of attention, there have not yet been any systematic reports on the topic. Here, we summarized the roles and mechanisms of natural products in the epigenetic regulation of PTSD, providing a novel and unique perspective that will help to guide the development and application of new PTSD treatments.

Objective:To summarize the clinical and genetic characteristics of late-onset facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy type 1 (FSHD1) patients, and to compare the differences between late-onset and classic-onset FSHD1 patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and genetic data of genetically confirmed late-onset FSHD1 patients (age at onset30 years) between January 2007 and June 2024 from the Department of Neurology of Peking University First Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University. Classic-onset FSHD1 patients (10 yearsage at onset≤30 years) were matched 1∶1 according to sex and disease duration for comparison. The demographic information, the number of D4Z4 repeat units, the distal D4Z4 methylation levels, FSHD Clinical Score (CS), Clinical Severity Score (CSS), and Age-Corrected Clinical Severity Score (ACSS) of these patients were collected. Survival analysis was performed to compare the outcome of lower extremity involvement between late-onset and classic-onset FSHD1 patients. The correlation of the number of D4Z4 repeat units and D4Z4 methylation level with CS and ACSS was analyzed in late-onset FSHD1 patients.Results:A total of 61 patients with late-onset FSHD1 were enrolled, 33 (54.1%) of whom are female, with an age of 54.0 (46.0, 62.0) years and a disease duration of 14.0 (5.5, 22.5) years. Compared to classic-onset FSHD1 patients, late-onset patients exhibited significantly lower CS [7.0 (5.6, 8.4) vs 6.0 (4.4, 7.7), U=1 416.000, P=0.013], CSS [3.0 (2.8, 3.3) vs 3.0 (2.0, 4.0), U=2 352.000, P=0.010], and ACSS [189.2 (137.1, 241.3) vs 96.8 (61.3, 132.2), U=3 225.500, P0.001], and higher proportion of patients with limb girdle involvement but no facial muscle involvement [18.0% (11/61) vs 6.6% (4/61), χ2=3.725, P=0.054]. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that the onset age of lower extremity involvement in late-onset patients (45 years, 95% CI 42-48 years) was significantly higher than that in classic-onset patients (24 years, 95% CI 21-27 years, χ2=61.012, P0.001). The duration from symptom onset to lower extremity involvement in late-onset patients (15 years, 95% CI 10-20 years) was significantly longer than that in classic-onset patients (8 years, 95% CI 3-13 years, χ2=9.105, P=0.003). Late-onset FSHD1 patients carried higher average distal D4Z4 methylation levels compared to those with classic-onset FSHD1 [46.68% (40.79%,52.57%) vs 41.02% (34.03%,48.00%), U=1 378.500, P=0.014]. Among late-onset FSHD1 patients, cytosine-phosphate-guanine 6 (CpG6) methylation levels were significantly negatively correlated with ACSS ( r=-0.278, P=0.025); the number of D4Z4 repeat units were significantly negatively correlated with ACSS ( r=-0.272, P=0.034);CpG6 methylation levels were significantly negatively correlated with CS ( r=-0.441, P=0.003), while no correlation was found between number of D4Z4 repeat units and CS ( r=-0.161, P=0.310). Conclusions:Compared with classic-onset FSHD1 patients, late-onset FSHD1 patients are associated with a higher degree of distal D4Z4 methylation, along with a milder muscle weakness phenotype, slower disease progression and a higher proportion of cases without facial muscle involvement. The age at onset can be used as a marker of the severity and prognosis in FSHD1.

Objective:To investigate how age and nail-tract volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) are associated with postoperative mechanical performance of proximal femoral nail anti-rotation (PFNA-Ⅱ) fixation for geriatric intertrochanteric fractures using a finite-element analysis.Methods:Fifteen elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture of the femur were selected for this study. They were 11 females and 4 males and divided into 5 groups based on their ages ( n=3): 55-year-old, 65-year-old, 75-year-old, 85-year-old, and 95-year-old groups. After three-dimensional models of the proximal femur were constructed using the preoperative CT data of their healthy contralateral hip, 31-A1.2 fractures of the AO/OTA type were created and PFNA-Ⅱ fixations simulated. Two loading schemes were created: graded quasi-static axial loads (700 N, 1,400 N, 2,100 N, and 2,800 N) were applied to compute equivalent plastic strain volumes in the femoral head region; displacement-controlled loading was applied to failure to derive load-displacement curves for stiffness and the maximum failure load. Nail-tract vBMD and regional hip vBMDs were measured by quantitative CT. Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the associations of age and nail-tract vBMD with the aforementioned mechanical indicators. Results:Under the same load, compared with the 55-year-old, 65-year-old, and 75-year-old groups, the plastic strain unit volumes of the fracture models in the 85-year-old and 95-year-old groups increased significantly. Under a load of 700 N, no plastic strain was observed in the fracture models in the 55-year-old, 65-year-old, and 75-year-old groups, while an average plastic strain of approximately 50 mm 3 was observed in the fracture models in the 85-year-old group. Under a load of 2,800 N, the high strain areas in the fracture models in the 85-year-old and 95-year-old groups were mainly concentrated at the tip of the head nail and the junction between the head nail and the main nail. Load-displacement curves showed a marked reduction in the failure load in patients aged ≥85 years. Under loads of 1,400 N, 2,100 N, and 2,800 N, there was a strong association between the nail-tract vBMD and the volume of the plastic strain unit ( r=-0.82, -0.88, -0.89, respectively), which was stronger than those for total-hip vBMD. Conclusions:Finite-element analysis indicates that age and nail-tract vBMD are closely related to local plastic strain and overall stiffness of the proximal femur after PFNA-Ⅱ fixation for the geriatric intertrochanteric fractures. Patients aged ≥85 years old are more prone to plastic yielding, which compromises fixation stability.

BACKGROUND:Cervical instability is a common orthopedic disease in young and middle-aged people,and is the early manifestation of cervical spondylosis,which has a great impact on the quality of life of patients.Therefore,early diagnosis of cervical instability to implement early intervention has positive clinical and social significance.OBJECTIVE:The clinical prediction model of cervical instability in young and middle-aged people was constructed based on machine learning to realize early screening of cervical instability in young and middle-aged people before X-ray examination.METHODS:From September 2022 to October 2023,155 young and middle-aged adults with cervical instability and 88 with non-cervical instability recruited through recruitment advertisements and spinal department outpatient of Wangjing Hospital,China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences were selected as research subjects.The research subjects'general information,living and working habits,discomfort symptoms,visual analog scale score,Neck Disability Index,and 36-ltem Short Form Health Survey were collected on site based on questionnaires.The above information was used as predictive factors.After screening,six machine learning algorithms of Support Vector Machine,LightGBM,RandomForest,Logistic,AdaBoost,and XGBClassifier were used to train the model by ten-fold cross-validation method,and the clinical prediction model of cervical instability was constructed.Area under the curve was used as the main evaluation index.Univariate analysis was performed on the predictors,and SHAP method was used to rank the importance of the predictors.Correlation heat maps were used to show the degree of linear correlation between the predictors and the cervical instability.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1)Among the six machine learning models,RandomForest model was chosen as the final prediction model,including nine predictors,such as age,body mass index,neck circumference/neck length,visual analog scale score,Neck Disability Index,bodily pain,general health,vitality,and mental health,area under the curve=0.725 4,and the calibration degree was good.It could be used as a reference tool for early screening of cervical instability in young and middle-aged people.(2)There were significant differences in age,visual analog scale score,Neck Disability Index,bodily pain,general health,and vitality between the two groups(P＜0.05).(3)The order of importance of predictors was age,Neck Disability Index,visual analog scale score,general health,body mass index,vitality,bodily pain,neck circumference/neck length,mental health,among which age,visual analog scale score,Neck Disability Index were positively correlated with cervical instability,while general health,body mass index,vitality,bodily pain,neck circumference/neck length,and mental health were negatively correlated with cervical instability.

Objective To compare the changes in biological indicators of human corneal epithe-lial(HCET)cells and rabbit corneas after exposure to different doses of ultraviolet B(UVB)radia-tion,so as to evaluate the impact of UVB radiation on corneal injury effects.Methods In cell exper-iment,HCET cells were divided into groups with radiation doses of 0,6,12,18,and 24 mJ/cm2.The effect of UVB radiation on HCET cell viability was detected using the CCK-8 assay,and the level of intracellular DNA damage was assessed by immunofluorescence.In the animal experiment,15 healthy New Zealand white rabbits(30 eyes)were randomly divided into groups with radiation doses of 0,1.35,2.16,4.32,and 6.48 J/cm2.The UVB exposure time for the radiation groups was 30 minutes per day for 3 consecutive days.Corneal injury was evaluated using methods such as slit-lamp microscopy,sodium fluorescein staining,central corneal thickness measurement,optical coherence tomography(OCT)imaging,and hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining.Results Compared with the control group,cell viability in the radiation groups gradually decreased,and the level of DNA damage gradually increased with increasing radiation dose.As the radiation dose increased in the radiation groups,the degree of corneal opacity in rabbits gradually worsened,the central corneal area gradu-ally thickened,and OCT revealed high-intensity scattered light signals with the formation of shadow areas.Results from HE staining,immunohistochemistry,Western blot(WB),and sodium fluores-cein staining showed that the 1.35 J/cm2 group caused mild corneal injury,with damage reaching the corneal epithelial layer.In the 2.16 J/cm2 group,the corneal injury presented as dense punctate distribution,with damage extending from the epithelial layer to the superficial stroma.The number of ephrin type-A receptor 2(EphA2)protein-stained cells was relatively small,and the staining was light,showing a weak positive result.In the 4.32 J/cm2 and 6.48 J/cm2 groups,the corneal injury was irreversible,with damage gradually progressing from the corneal epithelial layer and superficial stroma to the endothelial layer.The number of EphA2 protein-stained cells was relatively large,and the staining was dark,showing a strong positive result.Conclusion This study comprehensively e-valuates the dose-dependent injury effects of UVB on HCET cells and New Zealand white rabbit cor-neas through cell and animal experiments.It elucidates that UVB radiation could induce corneal cell DNA damage,promote inflammatory responses,and trigger apoptosis by upregulating γ-phosphoryla-ted histone H2AX(γH2AX)and EphA2.The self-repair ability and process of corneal injury are preliminarily explored,providing a basis for further research on mechanisms of corneal injury caused by ultraviolet radiation and the development of protective drugs.

High intensity ultraviolet radiation exists in special military operation environments such as oceans,plateaus,polar regions and deserts,which is a leading contributor to eye damage and can lead to luminous keratitis,dry eyes,pterygium,cataract and macular degeneration.Ultraviolet radiation can cause acute and chronic injury to eyes by inducing DNA damage,oxidative stress and inflammatory reaction.The commonly used clinical drugs have played a role in relieving symptoms and promoting the repair of ocular tissues,but there are still limitations.The research on targeted therapeutic drugs,proteins and their derived peptides,vitamins and their coenzymes,as well as natural active ingredients of animals and plants has provided new ideas for the development of more effective drugs that can protect eyes from ultraviolet and for medical support to China's army in special environments.Based on the literature currently available,this paper reviews the eye injury caused by ultraviolet radiation and therapeutic drugs in terms of types of eye diseases,injury mechanisms,treatment strategies and drug development.