Objective To compare the efficacy of ultrasound-guided microwave ablation(MWA)and thyroid lobectomy in the treatment of benign thyroid nodules,and to analyze the factors influencing prognosis.Methods A total of 146 patients with benign thyroid nodules,who received treatment at the Xuzhou Municipal Cancer Hospital of China from February 2021 to February 2022,were collected for this study.According to different treatment schemes,the patients were divided into MWA group(n=75)and surgical group(n=71).The patients of MWA group received ultrasound-guided MW A,while the patients of surgical group received thyroid lobectomy.The relevant perioperative indicators,the preoperative and postoperative thyroid functions,and the incidence of complications were compared between the two groups,and the factors influencing prognosis were analyzed.Results No statistically significant differences in the postoperative 6-month and 12-month recurrence rates existed between the two groups(both P＞0.05).The operation time,incidence of surgical scar,length of hospitalization stay,and amount of intraoperative blood loss in the MWA group were less than those in the surgical group(all P＜0.05).There were no statistically significant differences in the preoperative levels of TSH,FT3 and FT4 between the two groups(all P＞0.05).After treatment,in both groups the level of TSH was increased and the levels of FT3 and FT4 became decreased when compared with their preoperative values(all P＜0.05).However,the TSH level in the MW A group was obviously lower than that in the surgical group(P＜0.05),and FT3 and FT4 levels in the MWA group were remarkably higher than those in the surgical group(both P＜0.05).The incidence of complications in the MWA group was 2.67％,which was prominently lower than 15.49％in the surgical group(P＜0.05).Univariate analysis showed that the number of nodules,the type of nodules,the location of nodules,and the treatment scheme were the factors influencing the poor prognosis of patients with benign thyroid nodules.Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the mixed type of nodule lesion and the lesion being located at risk area were the risk factors for poor prognosis of patients with benign thyroid nodules.Conclusion For the treatment of benign thyroid nodules,ultrasound-guided MWA can reduce surgical scars,shorten hospitalization stay and decrease incidence of postoperative complications with less damage on thyroid functions when compared with thyroid lobectomy.

ObjectiveTo analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of pertussis in Baoshan District, Shanghai from 2017 to 2024, so as to provide an evidence-based reference for optimizing prevention and control strategies. MethodsData on pertussis cases were collected from the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System, Shanghai Integrated Management and Immunization Service Information System, and follow-up epidemiological investigations. Descriptive epidemiological analyses were performed to analyze the epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, and vaccine effectiveness. Joinpoint regression analyses were used to examine the temporal trends in incidence rates, and a Poisson model was constructed for spatiotemporal scan analyses. ResultsA total of 1 634 pertussis cases were reported in Baoshan District from 2017 to 2024, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.08∶1. More cases were observed in males than in females, with the age ranged from 20 days to 81 years. Among them, 59.92% were in the 6‒<11 years age group, and 63.34% were students. Low-level sporadic incidence persisted during 2017‒2023, followed by a sharp increase in 2024 (71.37/100 000). Starting in January 2024, the incidence rate showed an upward trend, peaking in May before declining. The majority of cases occurred between April and June. The trend in reported pertussis incidence rates in Baoshan District from 2017 to 2023 showed no statistically significant change (APC=10.039%, t=2.586, P=0.150). Incidence rate rose from January 2024, peaked in May (APC=133.641%, t=3.841, P=0.006), then declined significantly (APC=-47.816%, t=2.586, P<0.001). The 12 subdistricts of Baoshan District were divided into low, medium, and high population density areas, with an average annual reported incidence rate of 6.09/100 000, 8.19/100 000 and 11.96/100 000, respectively. The reported incidence rate increased with an increase in population density. Spatiotemporal scan analyses showed that cases clustered in the southwest and northeast of Baoshan District. Epidemiological follow-up investigations of 1 520 cases revealed that the main clinical symptoms were cough (97.63%) and sputum production (41.58%), and 98.13% of the cases were confirmed by positive nucleic-acid test results. Among the 1 475 cases with immunization records, 83.53% had completed the four-dose pertussis vaccine before onset. The complication incidence rates, from high to low, were in the 0-dose vaccination group, 1‒3-dose vaccination group and 4-dose vaccination group. The duration of cough, from long to short, was observed in the the 0-dose vaccination group, 1‒3-dose vaccination group and 4-dose vaccination group, correspondingly. ConclusionIt is recommended to improve the pertussis surveillance system in medical institutions and establish an active monitoring network, prioritizing deployment in school settings and areas with high population density. Enhancing diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTP) vaccination coverage among 6-year-old children and further optimizing the pertussis immunization strategies are essential to prevent and reduce the risk of pertussis among school-aged children.

Host cell proteins(HCPs) of biological products are endogenous host proteins expressed by host cells or produced when they die during the production of biological products. Incomplete elimination of HCPs is the main factor causing allergy or other adverse reactions. The analytical methods for HCPs mainly include SDS-PAGE, Western blot(WB), two-dimensional gel electrophoresis(2DE), ELISA, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and so on. Electrophoresis can provide qualitative and semi-quantitative determination for proteins, but the resolution and accuracy are low. ELISA has good reproducibility and high sensitivity, and is most widely used at present. Chromatography and mass spectrometry have high separation and resolution as well as accurate quantification, but high application cost. ELISA was used to determine HCPs in recombinant biological products in the general rules <3412>, <3413> and <3414> of Chinese Pharmacopoeia(Volume Ⅲ, 2020 edition)and United States Pharmacopoeia(USP) <1132>. Analysis of HCPs components is helpful to improve the coverage of antiHCPs antibody and the sensitivity and specificity of detection methods. Traditional analytical methods can only qualitatively analyze HCPs, but cannot perform quantitative determination and characterization. Based on electrophoresis technology and mass spectrometry technology, combined with the development trend of HCPs component analysis at home and abroad, this paper summarizes the relevant HCPs analysis method to provide a reference for the verification of HCPs in the research and production process of biological products.

Objective:To preliminarily investigate the safety and efficacy of programmed death-1(PD-1)inhibitor combined with cord blood-derived natural killer cells(NK cells)in the treatment of advanced malignant solid tumors in an exploratory clinical trial.Methods:Three patients with advanced solid tumors treated at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University from December 2019 to December 2021 were enrolled.According to tumor type and CSCO guidelines,patients received multiple treatment cycles(21 days per cycle)consisting of standard chemotherapy,targeted therapy,or bevacizumab combined with PD-1 inhibitor.Umbilical cord blood-derived NK cells(8×107 cells per infusion)were infused at appropriate intervals during the treatment course.Target lesion size,tumor markers,levels of 12 peripheral blood cytokines,and lymphocyte subsets were assessed in each treatment cycle.Adverse events were also monitored throughout the treatment.Results:Following the treatment with PD-1 inhibitor combined with cord blood NK cells,2 patients achieved stable disease(SD,per RECIST 1.1 criteria),with durations of 118 days and 92 days,respectively.After NK cell infusion,patient#1 exhibited a marked decrease in the tumor marker CA199 to normal range and sustained for three follow-up periods;patient#2 showed significant reductions in tumor markers CA199,CA242,and CA724.Conclusion:The combination of NK cells with chemotherapy and PD-1 inhibitor demonstrates potential therapeutic efficacy for solid tumors.No severe immune-related adverse reactions were observed in the three patients enrolled in this study.

Objective To evaluate the corneal biomechanical changes after femtosecond laser-assisted in situ kerato-mileusis(FS-LASIK)combined with accelerated corneal cross-linking(FS-LASIK Xtra)for the correction of high myopia u-sing Corvis ST.Methods In this prospective case-control study,185 patients(185 eyes)who underwent surgical correc-tion of high myopia in the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Shandong University of Chinese Medicine from July 2020 to July 2022 were selected,including 93 patients receiving FS-LASIK Xtra in the FS-LASIK Xtra group and 92 patients receiving FS-LASIK in the FS-LASIK group.All patients had their right eyes included in the study.During the 6-month follow-up,the uncorrect-ed visual acuity,spherical equivalent(SE),mean corneal curvature,thinnest corneal thickness,corneal biomechanical pa-rameters[deformation amplitude ratio at 2 mm(DAR 2 mm),integrated radius(IR),stiffness parameter at the first appla-nation(SP-A1),stress-strain index(SSI)],and changes in corneal biomechanical parameters before and after surgery(difference between 6 months after surgery and before surgery,namely ΔDAR 2 mm,ΔIR,ΔSP-A1,and ΔSSI)were recor-ded.Independent sample t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the data between groups.Results Three months after surgery,the SE in the FS-LASIK group and the FS-LASIK Xtra group was(-0.21±0.31)D and(-0.04±0.36)D,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(t=3.49,P=0.001).Six months after surgery,the SE in the FS-LASIK group and the FS-LASIK Xtra group was(-0.33±0.31)D and(-0.14±0.37)D,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant(t=4.00,P＜0.001).There was no significant difference in efficacy index and safety index between the FS-LASIK group and the FS-LASIK Xtra group at 6 months after operation(both P＞0.05).There were no significant differences in DAR 2 mm,IR,SP-A1,SSI and other biomechanical parameters between the two groups before surgery(all P＞0.05).At 6 months postoperatively,ΔIR in the FS-LASIK group and the FS-LASIK Xtra group was 3.03±0.78 and 2.67±0.80,respectively;ΔSP-A1 was-35.93±12.04 and-30.43±12.44,respectively;and ΔSSI was-0.09±0.10 and-0.03±0.06,respectively.The differences between the two groups were all statistically significant(all P＜0.05).Conclusion FS-LASIK Xtra for correction of high myopia improves the stability of postoperative visual acuity and SE with good safety and efficacy,but reduces the stability of comeal biomechanical parameters compared with before surgery;still,it is better than conventional FS-LASIK,and the long-term effect needs to be further assessed.

Objective:To construct a surface display system containing various lengths of the Ag43 passenger domain for an optimal bacterial surface display of foreign protein HPV16L1.Methods:(1) Ag43 gene sequences of different lengths were inserted into pET22b vector to construct four Ag43 surface display vectors (Ag43/138, Ag43/551, Ag43/552 and Ag43/700) using PCR and subcloning strategy. (2) The generation of four HPV16L1-Ag43 fusion constructs was completed by PCR and subcloning methods. (3) HPV16L1-Ag43 fusion proteins were expressed and analyzed by SDS-PAGE. (4) The surface exposure of HPV-16L1 was verified using trypsin digestion.Results:PCR analysis and sequencing results showed that Ag43 surface display vectors and HPV16L1-Ag43 fusions were constructed successfully. SDS-PAGE showed that the expression of HPV16L1-Ag43 fusion proteins could be induced with 0.2 mmol/L IPTG and the protein content was reduced after the cells were treated with trypsin, especially the content of Ag43/700-HPV16L1 that showed a drastic reduction.Conclusions:The Ag43 surface display system was successfully constructed and could be used for a successful display of HPV16L1. This study also showed that Ag43/700 comprising only the α-helix and the β-barrel of Ag43 provided an optimal surface display for HPV16L1.

Multiple plant lineages have independently evolved sex chromosomes and variable kary-otypes to maintain their sessile lifestyles through constant biological innovation.Morus notabilis,a dioecious mulberry species,has the fewest chromosomes among Morus spp.,but the genetic basis of sex determination and karyotype evolution in this species has not been identified.In this study,three high-quality genome assemblies were generated for Morus spp.[including dioecious M.notabilis(male and female)and Morus yunnanensis(female)]with genome sizes of 301-329 Mb and were grouped into six pseudochromosomes.Using a combination of genomic approaches,we found that the putative ancestral karyotype of Morus species was close to 14 protochromosomes,and that sev-eral chromosome fusion events resulted in descending dysploidy(2n=2x=12).We also charac-terized a～6.2-Mb sex-determining region on chromosome 3.Four potential male-specific genes,a partially duplicated DNA helicase gene(named MSDH)and three Ty3_Gypsy long terminal repeat retrotransposons(named MSTG1/2/3),were identified in the Y-linked area and considered to be strong candidate genes for sex determination or differentiation.Population genomic analysis showed that Guangdong accessions in China were genetically similar to Japanese accessions of mul-berry.In addition,genomic areas containing selective sweeps that distinguish domesticated mul-berry from wild populations in terms of flowering and disease resistance were identified.Our study provides an important genetic resource for sex identification research and molecular breeding in mulberry.

Objective:To investigate the value of texture analysis based on T 2WI and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps in discriminating low grade from high grade prostate cancer (PCa). Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on patients who were confirmed to be PCa by pathology after surgery and underwent MRI examination in the department of radiology,Tongji Hospital,Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology before radical surgery, including routine T 1WI, T 2WI and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) sequences. 3D data analysis module of the MaZda software was used to manually draw region of interest (ROIs) slice by slice on T 2WI and ADC images, and generate volume of interest (VOI) of the entire tumor. MaZda software was also used to extract texture features. The independent sample t test or Mann-Whitney U test were used to identify the texture features with statistically significant differences between low and high grade PCa groups. Lasso regression model was used to select the best combination of texture features for identifying low and high grade PCa, and then the model was built. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the model in both training cohort and test cohort. Results:The best texture feature combination selected by Lasso regression model were the S (1, 0, 0) correlation of T 2WI and the S (1, 0, 0) correlation, S (1, -1, 0) sum entropy and vertical-run length nonuniformity of ADC maps. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the model in training cohort was 0.823, and the sensitivity and specificity were 70.4% and 80.8%, respectively, which were better than the single texture feature. The AUC of the model in test cohort was 0.714, which was worse than training cohort. Conclusion:The texture analysis of T 2WI and ADC maps is valuable for the identification of low and high grade PCa.

Objective : To evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a split-virion quadrivalent influenza vaccine. Methods : The healthy people aged three years or over in Wuyang County and Xiping County of Henan Province were divided into the experimental group, control group 1 and control group 2, and were vaccinated with split-virion quadrivalent influenza vaccines, split-virion trivalent influenza vaccines (without B/Victoria) and a split-virion trivalent influenza vaccines (without B/Yamagata) , respectively. The hemagglutination inhibition (HI) antibodies were detected before and after immunization. The incidence rate of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) , HI antibody positive conversion rate, the protection rate of HI antibodies and the growth of geometric mean titer (GMT) were calculated and compared with the standard of Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Results: Totally 2 924 people were recruited, with 975 in the experimental group, 974 in the control group 1 and 975 in control group 2. The incidence rate of AEFI in the experimental group was 11.7%, higher than 7.9% in control group 1 and 8.8% in control group 2 (P < 0.05) during 30 minutes and 8 days after inoculation. The positive conversion rates of HI antibodies of H1N1, H3N2, By and Bv in the experimental group were 78.5%, 53.3%, 78.3% and 62.9%, respectively. The rate differences of the positive conversion rates of HI antibodies of By between the experimental group and control group 2, and of Bv between the experimental group and control group 1 were 42.1% (95%CI: 38.0%-46.2%) and 33.2% (95%CI: 28.9%-37.5%) , with both lower limits of 95%CI more than -0.10. The GMT increase of HI antibodies was more than 2.5 times in the three groups. The protective rates of HI antibodies of H1N1, H3N2, By and Bv in the experimental group were 87.7%, 98.7%, 93.6% and 77.2%, respectively. The protective rates of HI antibodies of By in control group 2 and Bv in control group 1 were 71.1% and 51.0%, both lower than those in the experimental group (P < 0.05). Conclusions After the inoculation of the quadrivalent influenza vaccine, the positive conversion rates (>40%) , protection rates (>70%) and GMT increase (>2.5 times) of HI antibodies of H1N1, H3N2, By and Bv all meet the quality standards of FDA. The safety and immunogenicity of the quadrivalent influenza vaccine are not inferior to those of the trivalent influenza vaccine.

Objective To investigate the value of texture analysis based on MR ADC map of prostate in differentiating between low?grade and high?grade prostate cancer (PCa). Methods PCa confirmed by pathology after radical prostatectomy were analyzed retrospectively, all patients underwent multiparametric MRI before radical prostatectomy, including T1WI,T2WI and DWI. On the ADC map, ROI was drawn manually to encompass the whole tumor by ITK?SNAP software. The python?based pyradiomics package was used to extract 105 texture features. The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the repeatability of the texture features. The independent sample t test or Mann?Whitney U test was used to exclude features that had no significant difference between low grade and high grade PCa. Lasso regression model and 5 fold cross validation method were used to obtain texture feature combination of the highest performance and develop a classification modelfor discriminating low from high grade PCa. ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of the model. Result Ninety patients with PCa confirmed by pathology after radical prostatectomywere analyzed retrospectively,including 36 patients with low?level PCa (GS≤3+4) and 54 patients with high?level PCa (GS≥4+3). The area under curve of the model was 0.841, with sensitivity 69.6% and specificity 91.2%, which was significantly higher than single texture feature or traditional mean ADC value. Conclusion Texture analysis based on MRI?ADC map of prostate could be used to discriminate low grade PCa from high grade PCa.