ObjectiveThe malaria parasites remodel the host erythrocyte structure by exporting parasite proteins that interact with the membrane skeleton proteins of red blood cells (RBCs), facilitating their intracellular survival and pathogenicity. Skeleton-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is a conserved exported protein across Plasmodium species. In Plasmodium falciparum, SBP1 has been reported to interact with erythrocyte membrane skeleton proteins 4.1R and spectrin, while its contribution to erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether PbSBP1 associates with the host cytoskeletal protein 4.1R and to investigate its role in the remodeling of host RBCs and the pathogenicity of Plasmodium berghei. MethodsIn Plasmodium berghei, the relationship between PbSBP1 and the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. A Pbsbp1 gene knockout mutant of Plasmodium berghei (Pbsbp1∆) was generated based on the principle of double crossover homologous recombination. The deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was assessed using microfluidic methods. Microchannels with an array of cylindrical pillars were used to detect modifications in infected RBC deformability. The infected RBCs were squashed between the rows and recovered between the columns and the transit velocity (μm/s) of infected RBCs travelling through the microchannel was recorded. The component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton junctional complex, tropomodulin (TMOD), was fluorescently labeled, and the cytoskeletal network of infected erythrocytes was imaged using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to analyze ultrastructural changes in the cytoskeleton of wild-type (WT) and Pbsbp1∆-infected erythrocytes. Actin-based junctional complexes were displayed as individual clusters by the labeled TMOD in the STORM images, and the cluster densities and distances between adjacent clusters of infected RBCs were calculated. Additionally, rodent malaria models (BALB/c mice) and experimental cerebral malaria models (C57BL/6 mice) were employed to monitor the growth of Pbsbp1∆ and WT parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage and their capacity to induce cerebral malaria in mice. ResultsPbSBP1 may participate in the remodeling of infected erythrocytes through direct or indirect interaction with the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R. Microfluidic assays revealed that the deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was significantly enhanced compared to those infected with WT parasites. STORM imaging further demonstrated that the ultrastructure of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton in Pbsbp1∆-infected cells was altered relative to that in WT-infected erythrocytes. The distances between nearest neighbors of clusters had a tendency to increase while the cluster densities were decreased in Pbsbp1∆-infected RBCs compared to WT-infected RBCs. Subsequent phenotypic analysis indicated that the growth rate of Pbsbp1∆ parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage was significantly slower than that of WT parasites, and their ability to induce cerebral malaria in mice was also attenuated. These findings suggest that PbSBP1 is involved in the remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton, likely through its direct or indirect interaction with protein 4.1R, thereby regulating the deformability of infected erythrocytes and influencing the pathogenicity of the blood-stage parasites. ConclusionThis study establishes a role for PbSBP1 in host erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence, providing new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical benefits of the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system in assisting transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent TELD for LDH at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from November 2022 to December 2023. Patients treated with the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system were defined as the navigation-guided TELD (Ng-TELD) group (30 cases), while those treated with the conventional x-ray fluoroscopy method were defined as the control group (31 cases). Record and compare baseline characteristics, surgical parameters, efficacy indicators, and adverse events between the 2 patient groups. Results: The average follow-up duration for the 61 patients was 11.8 months. Postoperatively, both groups exhibited significant relief from back and leg pain, which continued to improve over time. At the final follow-up, patients’ lumbar function and quality of life had significantly improved compared to preoperative levels (p < 0.05). The Ng-TELD group had significantly shorter total operation time (58.43 ± 12.37 minutes vs. 83.23 ± 25.90 minutes), catheter placement time (5.83 ± 1.09 minutes vs. 15.94 ± 3.00 minutes), decompression time (47.17 ± 11.98 minutes vs. 67.29 ± 24.23 minutes), and fewer intraoperative fluoroscopies (3.20 ± 1.45 vs. 16.58 ± 4.25) compared to the control group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of efficacy evaluation indicators and hospital stay. At the final follow-up, the excellent and good rate of surgical outcomes assessed by the MacNab criteria was 98.4%, and the overall adverse event rate was 8.2%, with no statistically significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion This study demonstrates that the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system can reduce the complexity of TELD, shorten operation time, and minimize radiation exposure for the surgeon, highlighting its promising clinical potential.

Critical care medicine(CCM)is a multifaceted discipline challenged by the inherent heterogeneity and complexity of critical illnesses.Establishing precise,standardized diagnostic and therapeutic systems has emerged as a crucial challenge requiring urgent resolution in this field.Surgical critical care,a pivotal branch of CCM,plays an indispensable role in managing patients with severe trauma,postoperative intra-abdominal infections,solid organ transplantation,and other life-threatening conditions.Evidence-based,etiology-guided therapy serves as the cornerstone of surgical critical care,where accurate identification and timely interventions constitute vital determinants for enhancing patient survival rates and improving prognoses.This article proposes an innovative diagnostic and therapeutic paradigm termed the urgency/physics-biology-chemistry(U/P-B-C)model.Built upon the established principle of urgent(urgency,U)life support in surgical critical care,this model emphasizes a novel conceptual framework centered on etiology-based(physics-biology-chemistry,P-B-C)diagnosis and treatment.Implementing the U/P-B-C innovative diagnostic and therapeutic model in surgical critical care facilitates precise identification of the fundamental pathological mechanisms underlying critical clinical conditions with complex and dynamic clinical environments,enables systematic clarification of clinical reasoning,and ultimately supports evidence-informed decision-making.Its core objectives encompass enhancing surgical intensivists' diagnostic-therapeutic capabilities and ensuring rigorous adherence to the principle of etiology-guided therapy,thereby providing both theoretical foundation and practical guidance for improving the success rate of patient resuscitation and optimizing prognosis in surgical critical care settings.

This study was aimed at identifying the pathogenic bacteria responsible for the death of a young tiger at the Fujian Meihua Mountain South China Tiger Breeding Research Institute.Tissue samples from the lungs,liver,and intestines of the deceased tiger were collected,and the bacteria were cultured inasterile environment.The bacterial strains were characterized according to their morphological and molecular biological properties,including assessment of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes,mouse lethality tests,and antibiotic susceptibility evaluations.A predominant bacterial strain isolated from the liver of the deceased tiger was identified as enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC)strain Tiger22513F.Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the Tiger22513F strain exhibited close genetic similarity to the reference strain ETEC(MF919609.1),with 99.9%nucleotide similarity,and resided on the same evolutionary branch.The Tiger22513F strain contained 11 antibiotic resistance genes(tetA,sul1,sul3,cmlA,floR,blaTEM,blaSHV,blaCMY-2,qnrA,qnrS,and qnrD)along with five virulence genes(VT1,fyuA,tsh,iucD,and ST).Mouse lethality tests indicated significant pathogenicity toward mice,affecting primarily the lungs,liver,and intestines.Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated that this strain exhibited resistance to various classes of beta-lactam antibiotics,as well as quinolones and aminoglycosides.This investigation successfully isolated a multi-drug resistant enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain with pronounced pathogenicity from the liver of a deceased tiger;thus providing valuable scientific insights for clinical diagnosis,as well as prevention and control measures,against ETEC infections in South China tigers.

This study was aimed at identifying the pathogenic bacteria responsible for the death of a young tiger at the Fujian Meihua Mountain South China Tiger Breeding Research Institute.Tissue samples from the lungs,liver,and intestines of the deceased tiger were collected,and the bacteria were cultured inasterile environment.The bacterial strains were characterized according to their morphological and molecular biological properties,including assessment of virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes,mouse lethality tests,and antibiotic susceptibility evaluations.A predominant bacterial strain isolated from the liver of the deceased tiger was identified as enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli(ETEC)strain Tiger22513F.Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed that the Tiger22513F strain exhibited close genetic similarity to the reference strain ETEC(MF919609.1),with 99.9%nucleotide similarity,and resided on the same evolutionary branch.The Tiger22513F strain contained 11 antibiotic resistance genes(tetA,sul1,sul3,cmlA,floR,blaTEM,blaSHV,blaCMY-2,qnrA,qnrS,and qnrD)along with five virulence genes(VT1,fyuA,tsh,iucD,and ST).Mouse lethality tests indicated significant pathogenicity toward mice,affecting primarily the lungs,liver,and intestines.Antibiotic susceptibility testing demonstrated that this strain exhibited resistance to various classes of beta-lactam antibiotics,as well as quinolones and aminoglycosides.This investigation successfully isolated a multi-drug resistant enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli strain with pronounced pathogenicity from the liver of a deceased tiger;thus providing valuable scientific insights for clinical diagnosis,as well as prevention and control measures,against ETEC infections in South China tigers.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical benefits of the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system in assisting transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent TELD for LDH at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from November 2022 to December 2023. Patients treated with the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system were defined as the navigation-guided TELD (Ng-TELD) group (30 cases), while those treated with the conventional x-ray fluoroscopy method were defined as the control group (31 cases). Record and compare baseline characteristics, surgical parameters, efficacy indicators, and adverse events between the 2 patient groups. Results: The average follow-up duration for the 61 patients was 11.8 months. Postoperatively, both groups exhibited significant relief from back and leg pain, which continued to improve over time. At the final follow-up, patients’ lumbar function and quality of life had significantly improved compared to preoperative levels (p < 0.05). The Ng-TELD group had significantly shorter total operation time (58.43 ± 12.37 minutes vs. 83.23 ± 25.90 minutes), catheter placement time (5.83 ± 1.09 minutes vs. 15.94 ± 3.00 minutes), decompression time (47.17 ± 11.98 minutes vs. 67.29 ± 24.23 minutes), and fewer intraoperative fluoroscopies (3.20 ± 1.45 vs. 16.58 ± 4.25) compared to the control group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of efficacy evaluation indicators and hospital stay. At the final follow-up, the excellent and good rate of surgical outcomes assessed by the MacNab criteria was 98.4%, and the overall adverse event rate was 8.2%, with no statistically significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion This study demonstrates that the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system can reduce the complexity of TELD, shorten operation time, and minimize radiation exposure for the surgeon, highlighting its promising clinical potential.

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

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical benefits of the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system in assisting transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent TELD for LDH at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from November 2022 to December 2023. Patients treated with the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system were defined as the navigation-guided TELD (Ng-TELD) group (30 cases), while those treated with the conventional x-ray fluoroscopy method were defined as the control group (31 cases). Record and compare baseline characteristics, surgical parameters, efficacy indicators, and adverse events between the 2 patient groups. Results: The average follow-up duration for the 61 patients was 11.8 months. Postoperatively, both groups exhibited significant relief from back and leg pain, which continued to improve over time. At the final follow-up, patients’ lumbar function and quality of life had significantly improved compared to preoperative levels (p < 0.05). The Ng-TELD group had significantly shorter total operation time (58.43 ± 12.37 minutes vs. 83.23 ± 25.90 minutes), catheter placement time (5.83 ± 1.09 minutes vs. 15.94 ± 3.00 minutes), decompression time (47.17 ± 11.98 minutes vs. 67.29 ± 24.23 minutes), and fewer intraoperative fluoroscopies (3.20 ± 1.45 vs. 16.58 ± 4.25) compared to the control group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of efficacy evaluation indicators and hospital stay. At the final follow-up, the excellent and good rate of surgical outcomes assessed by the MacNab criteria was 98.4%, and the overall adverse event rate was 8.2%, with no statistically significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion This study demonstrates that the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system can reduce the complexity of TELD, shorten operation time, and minimize radiation exposure for the surgeon, highlighting its promising clinical potential.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the clinical benefits of the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system in assisting transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD) for the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent TELD for LDH at Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University from November 2022 to December 2023. Patients treated with the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system were defined as the navigation-guided TELD (Ng-TELD) group (30 cases), while those treated with the conventional x-ray fluoroscopy method were defined as the control group (31 cases). Record and compare baseline characteristics, surgical parameters, efficacy indicators, and adverse events between the 2 patient groups. Results: The average follow-up duration for the 61 patients was 11.8 months. Postoperatively, both groups exhibited significant relief from back and leg pain, which continued to improve over time. At the final follow-up, patients’ lumbar function and quality of life had significantly improved compared to preoperative levels (p < 0.05). The Ng-TELD group had significantly shorter total operation time (58.43 ± 12.37 minutes vs. 83.23 ± 25.90 minutes), catheter placement time (5.83 ± 1.09 minutes vs. 15.94 ± 3.00 minutes), decompression time (47.17 ± 11.98 minutes vs. 67.29 ± 24.23 minutes), and fewer intraoperative fluoroscopies (3.20 ± 1.45 vs. 16.58 ± 4.25) compared to the control group (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of efficacy evaluation indicators and hospital stay. At the final follow-up, the excellent and good rate of surgical outcomes assessed by the MacNab criteria was 98.4%, and the overall adverse event rate was 8.2%, with no statistically significant differences between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion This study demonstrates that the integrated optical and magnetic surgical navigation system can reduce the complexity of TELD, shorten operation time, and minimize radiation exposure for the surgeon, highlighting its promising clinical potential.

In recent decades, the prevalence of hyperuricemia and gout has increased dramatically due to lifestyle changes. The drugs currently recommended for hyperuricemia are associated with adverse reactions that limit their clinical use. In this study, we report that berberine (BBR) is an effective drug candidate for the treatment of hyperuricemia, with its mechanism potentially involving the modulation of gut microbiota and its metabolite, succinic acid. BBR has demonstrated good therapeutic effects in both acute and chronic animal models of hyperuricemia. In a clinical trial, oral administration of BBR for 6 months reduced blood uric acid levels in 22 participants by modulating the gut microbiota, which led to an increase in the abundance of Bacteroides and a decrease in Clostridium sensu stricto_1. Furthermore, Bacteroides fragilis was transplanted into ICR mice, and the results showed that Bacteroides fragilis exerted a therapeutic effect on uric acid similar to that of BBR. Notably, succinic acid, a metabolite of Bacteroides, significantly reduced uric acid levels. Subsequent cell and animal experiments revealed that the intestinal metabolite, succinic acid, regulated the upstream uric acid synthesis pathway in the liver by inhibiting adenosine monophosphate deaminase 2 (AMPD2), an enzyme responsible for converting adenosine monophosphate (AMP) to inosine monophosphate (IMP). This inhibition resulted in a decrease in IMP levels and an increase in phosphate levels. The reduction in IMP led to a decreased downstream production of hypoxanthine, xanthine, and uric acid. BBR also demonstrated excellent renoprotective effects, improving nephropathy associated with hyperuricemia. In summary, BBR has the potential to be an effective treatment for hyperuricemia through the gut-liver axis.