Objective To investigate the geographical distribution and seasonal fluctuations of visceral leishmaniasis vectors sandflies in Henan Province in 2023, so as to provide insights into the prevention and control of visceral leishmaniasis vectors. Methods A total of 23 counties (districts) were sampled from 18 cities of Henan Province from May to September, 2023 as sandfly surveillance sites, and sandflies were captured using human capture and light trapping methods. Following morphological identification, the changes in the sandfly density were calculated at different months and in different breeding habitats. Results A total of 406 light traps were set at sandfly surveillance sites in Henan Province from May to September, 2023, and a total of 3 137 female sandlies were captured, with an average density of 7.73 sandlies/(light·night). A total of 1 494 Phlebotomus chinensis sandflies were captured, including 1 222 female sandflies, with an average density of 3.01 sandflies/(light·night), and the highest density of P. chinensis was found in Gongyi City [17.00 sandflies/(light·night)]. A total of 5 544 sandflies were captured using the human capture method, including 230 P. chinensis, and the density of P. chinensis appeared a unimodal distribution, with a peak in early July [5.81 sandflies/(light·night)]. Among different breeding habitats, the highest P. chinensis density was detected in pigpens [4.50 sandflies/(light·night)]. Conclusions P. chinensis was predominantly distributed in hilly areas of northern and central-western Henan Province in 2023, and the sandfly density appeared a unimodal distribution. Intensified monitoring of visceral leishmaniasis vectors is recommended.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of visceral leishmaniasis cases in Henan Province, so as to provide insights into formulation of the visceral leishmaniasis control srtrategy. Methods All epidemiological data of reported visceral leishmaniasis cases in Henan Province from 2021 to 2023 were retrieved from the National Notifiable Disease Report Information Management System of Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and the epidemiological features and diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis cases were descriptively analyzed. Results A total of 93 visceral leishmaniasis cases were reported in Henan Province from 2021 to 2023, with a male to female ratio of 2.58∶1, and including 2 imported cases from other provinces and 91 local cases. The number of visceral leishmaniasis cases peaked during the period between March and May, and between July and October. The reported visceral leishmaniasis cases had ages of 7 months to 74 years, with the largest number of cases found at ages of 0 to 9 years (26 cases, 27.96%), followed by at ages of 60 to 70 years (24 cases, 25.81%). Farmer (47 cases, 50.54%) and diaspora children (19 cases, 20.43%) were predominant occupations, and 91 local visceral leishmaniasis cases were found in 6 cities of Zhengzhou, Luoyang, Anyang, Hebi, Sanmenxia and Xuchang. The median duration from onset of visceral leishmaniasis to diagnosis was 20 days, and there were 25.81% (24/93) cases with 10 days and less duration from onset to diagnosis, 38.71% (36/93) cases receiving diagnosis at 11 to 30 days following onset, and 35.48% (33/93) cases receiving diagnosis for more than 30 days following onset. All cases were predominantly diagnosed in province- (60.00%) and city-level (28.89%) medical institutions. Conclusions The number of visceral leishmaniasis is on the rise in Henan Province, with a gradually expanding coverage. Intensified monitoring of visceral leishmaniasis cases, dogs, and vectors, dog management, sandflies control and improved individual protection are recommended to prevent the spread of visceral leishmaniasis.

Objective:To evaluate the effect of goal-directed fluid therapy (GDFT) on postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in elderly patients undergoing long-time abdominal surgery.Methods:The medical records from elderly patients of both sexes, aged ≥ 65 yr, with a duration of operation ≥ 8 h and American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status classification Ⅱ or Ⅲ, undergoing elective first abdominal surgery for gastrointestinal tumors at the Shanxi Provincial People′s Hospital from October 1, 2016 to June 30, 2022, were collected from the electronic medical record database. Patients were divided into conventional fluid therapy group (group C) and GDFT group (group G) according to whether GDFT was employed during operation. In group C, blood pressure was maintained ≥90/60 mmHg or mean arterial pressure≥65 mmHg, and urine output more than 30 ml/h. In group G, the stroke volume variation was maintained ≤13%, and cardiac index ≥2.5 L·min -1·m -2. The patient general characteristics, requirement for fluid, urine output, blood loss, requirement for vasoactive agents and abdominal hyperthermic perfusion, and operation time were recorded during operation. The development of AKI within 72 h after operation and development of other complications (pneumonia, anastomotic leakage, surgical site infection, septic shock, arrhythmia) after operation were recorded. The length of hospital stay and 30-day mortality after operation were recorded. Results:A total of 125 patients were included in this study, with 41 patients in group C and 84 patients in group G. Postoperative AKI occurred in 19 patients, with an incidence of 15.2%. Compared with group C, the requirement for colloid, total volume of fluid infused and urine volume were significantly decreased during operation, the requirement for vasoactive agents was increased during operation ( P<0.05), the risk of postoperative AKI was reduced ( OR=0.23, P<0.05), and no significant change was found in the incidence of other postoperative complications, 30-day mortality, and length of hospital stay in group G ( P>0.05). Conclusions:GDFT can reduce the risk of AKI in the elderly patients undergoing long-time abdominal surgery.

Ghrelin is a hormone produced by the stomach that regulates energy metabolism after acting on the central nervous system.Cocaine amphetamine-regulated transcriptional peptide(CART)neurons participate in the regulation of feeding behavior and energy balance.It is known that CART neurons are influenced by hormones to regulate energy homeostasis,but whether ghre-lin exerts its pro-appetite function by influencing CART neurons is unknown.Therefore,this study focuses on the role of VMHCART neurons in the regulation of feeding and relative body weight by ghrelin.Firstly,the whole brain expression of CART was determined by immunofluorescence.Then the effect of intraperitoneal injection of ghrelin on the expression of DMHCART neurons was evalua-ted.Finally,the ghrelin was delivered to DMH and the changes of food intake and relative body weight of mice were measured.CART immunoreactive neurons were detected in medial preoptic nucleus(MPA),arcuate nucleus(ARC),dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus(DMH),thalamic pa-raventricular nucleus(PVT)and raphe nucleus(ROb).Compared with the control group,periph-eral injection of ghrelin significantly increased the expression of DMHC ART immunoreactive neurons(P=0.037 3).DMH long-term injection of ghrelin resulted in an increase in body weight(P=0.004 0)and feed intake(P=0.023 1).The results provide anatomical evidence for the whole brain distribution of CART,which proves that ghrelin affects feed intake and body weight of mice through CART neurons in DMH,suggesting that specific neuron types and regional specificity are involved in ghrelin regulation of feed intake and energy homeostasis.

Vesicular glutamate transporter 2(VGlut2)is expressed in the PVN of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus(PVNVG1ut2)as an excitatory neurotransmitter,which regulates food intake and energy metabolism and plays an important role in maintaining homeostasis.However,it is not clear that the upstream and downstream projection network of PVNVGut2 neurons hinders the anal-ysis of glutamatergic neuron circuit function.Anterograde and retrograde tracer viruses were injec-ted into the PVN of VGlut2 mice by stereotactic brain injection technique to find the input and output nuclei of PVNVGlut2 neurons.Anterograde tracing results showed that PVNVGlut2 neurons pro-jected to the downstream medial amygdala(MeAD)and arcuate nucleus(ARC).Retrograde trac-ing results showed that PVNVGlut2 received input from the prefrontal nucleus(Pr),the reticular tegmental nucleus(RtTg),and the hypoglossal nucleus(12N).In addition,VGlut2 was found to be co-expressed with neuronal nitric oxide synthase(nNOS)neurons in the PVN.The anatomical net-work of PVNVG1ut2 neurons was analyzed by virus tracking tool,which laid the anatomical founda-tion for further study on the functional regulation of PVNVGlut2.

Objective:To explore the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) related to SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data of 11 children with MIS-C, who were admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of Peking University First Hospital from December 2022 to January 2023. Clinical characteristics, treatment, and follow-up of MIS-C were summarized in this study.Results:The 11 cases contained 7 boys and 4 girls, with an age of 4.4 (2.0, 5.5) years on admission. All the patients had fever, with a duration of 7(5, 9) days. Other clinical manifestations included rash in 7 cases, conjunctival hyperemia in 5 cases, red lips and raspberry tongue in 3 cases, lymphadenopathy in 3 cases, and swollen fingers and toes in 2 cases. There were 8 cases of digestive symptoms, 8 cases of respiratory symptoms, and 3 cases of nervous system symptoms. Eight patients had multi-system injuries, and one of them had shock presentation. All 11 patients were infected with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BF.7 variant. The laboratory examination results showed that all cases had elevated inflammatory indicators, abnormal coagulation function and myocardial damage. Six patients had elevated white blood cell counts, 5 cases had liver function abnormalities, 3 cases had kidney function abnormalities, and 8 cases had coronary artery involvement. All 11 patients received anti-infection treatment, of which 3 cases received only 2 g/kg intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), while the remaining 8 cases received a combination of IVIG and 2 mg/(kg·d) methylprednisolone. Among the 8 cases with coronary artery disease, 6 cases received low molecular weight heparin anticoagulation therapy. All patients were followed up in 2 weeks after being discharged, and their inflammatory markers had returned to normal by that time. The 8 cases with coronary artery disease and 3 cases with pneumonia showed significant improvement or back to normal at the 4-week follow-up. All patients had no new complications or comorbidities during follow-up of more than 3 months.Conclusions:MIS-C may present with Kawasaki disease-like symptoms, with or without gastrointestinal, neurological, or respiratory symptoms. Elevated inflammatory markers, abnormal coagulation function, and cardiac injury contribute to the diagnosis of MIS-C. IVIG and methylprednisolone were the primary treatments for MIS-C, and a favorable short-term prognosis was observed during a follow-up period of more than 3 months.

BACKGROUND: The switch/sucrose nonfermentable chromatin-remodeling (SWI/SNF) complex is a pivotal chromatin remodeling complex, and the genomic alterations (GAs) of the SWI/SNF complex are observed in several cancer types, correlating with multiple biological features of tumor cells. However, their role in liver metastasis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unclear. Our study aims to investigate the role and potential mechanisms underlying NSCLC liver metastasis induced by the GAs of SWI/SNF complex. METHODS: The GAs of SWI/SNF complex in NSCLC cell lines (H1299, H23 and H460) were identified by whole-exome sequencing (WES). ARID1A knockout H1299 cell was constructed with the CRISPR/Cas9 technology. The mouse model of liver metastasis from NSCLC was established to simulate lung cancer liver metastasis and observe the metastasis rate under different gene mutation conditions. RNA sequencing and Western blot were conducted for differential gene expression analysis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was used to assess protein expression levels of SWI/SNF-regulated target molecules in mouse liver metastases. RESULTS: WES analysis revealed intracellular gene mutations. The animal experiments demonstrated a correlation between the GAs of SWI/SNF complex and a higher liver metastasis rate in immunodeficient mice. Transcriptome sequencing and Western blot analysis showed upregulated expression of ALDH1A1 and APOBEC3B in SWI/SNF-mut cells, particularly in ARID1A-deficient H460 and H1299 sgARID1A cells. IHC staining of mouse liver metastases further demonstrated elevated expression of ALDH1A1 in the H460 and H1299 sgARID1A group. CONCLUSIONS This study underscores the critical role of the GAs of SWI/SNF complex, such as ARID1A and SMARCA4, in promoting liver metastasis of lung cancer cells. The GAs of SWI/SNF complex may promote liver-specific metastasis by upregulating ALDH1A1 and APOBEC3B expression, providing novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying lung cancer liver metastasis.
Animals ; Mice ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics* ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics* ; Mutation ; Liver Neoplasms/genetics*

【Objective】 To analyze the composition of urinary calculi in Longnan, Gansu province, and the relationship between the composition and clinical characteristics of patients, so as to provide reference for the prevention and treatment of this disease. 【Methods】 The composition of 500 cases of urinary calculi hospitalized in our department during Apr. 2021 and Feb.2023 were analyzed using the infrared spectrum stone composition analyzer. The clinical characteristics of the patients were evaluated and analyzed. 【Results】 The male-to-female ration of patients was 2.70∶1. Most patients aged 21 to 60 years (437, 87.4%). Most cases were ureteral calculi (72.8%), followed by renal calculi (22.2%), and bladder calculi (5.0%). There were 166 cases of calcium oxalate calculi, 293 cases of calcium oxalate + carbonated apatite calculi, 24 cases of calcium oxalate + carbonated apatite + hydroxyl apatite calculi, 4 cases of calcium oxalate + calcium bicarbonate calculi, 7 cases of urate calculi, 6 cases of carbonated apatite + struvite calculi. Oxalate calculi were the most common in all age groups, and urate calculi were the most common in the 21 to 40 age group. Calcium oxalate calculi were most common in the ureter (127, 76.5%), significantly higher than in other sites (χ²=3.222, P=0.020). Calcium oxalate + calcium hydrogen phosphate calculi was the least common in the bladder, significantly different from the other parts (χ²=2.092, P=0.037). Magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate and/or calcium carbonate or calcium oxalate calculi were the most common in the kidney (50.0%), significantly different from the other parts (χ²=9.448, P=0.007). 【Conclusion】 In Longnan area, the incidence of urinary calculi is significantly higher in male than in female. Ureteral calculi are mainly composed of calcium oxalate + carbonated apatite and calcium oxalate. According to different risk factors, individual prevention programs should be developed.

Due to the insufficient long-term protection and significant efficacy reduction to new variants of current COVID-19 vaccines, the epidemic prevention and control are still challenging. Here, we employ a capsid and antigen structure engineering (CASE) strategy to manufacture an adeno-associated viral serotype 6-based vaccine (S663V-RBD), which expresses trimeric receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike protein fused with a biological adjuvant RS09. Impressively, the engineered S663V-RBD could rapidly induce a satisfactory RBD-specific IgG titer within 2 weeks and maintain the titer for more than 4 months. Compared to the licensed BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm, China), a single-dose S663V-RBD induced more endurable and robust immune responses in mice and elicited superior neutralizing antibodies against three typical SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses including wild type, C.37 (Lambda) and B.1.617.2 (Delta). More interestingly, the intramuscular injection of S663V-RBD could overcome pre-existing immunity against the capsid. Given its effectiveness, the CASE-based S663V-RBD may provide a new solution for the current and next pandemic.

Humans ; Asthma/drug therapy* ; Biological Therapy