Once ischemic stroke occurs,severely insufficient blood supply causes massive neuronal apoptosis and necrosis,leading to the release of damage-associated molecular patterns(DAMPs)that exacerbate neuroinflammation and worsen brain damage.As the resident efferocytes in central nervous system,microglia possess the capability to phagocytose and eliminate ap-optotic cells by efferocytosis before necrosis occurs,thereby mit-igating the release of DAMPs and the accumulation of cellular debris.This process is crucial for neuroinflammation reduction and neurorestoration.Hence,a comprehensive understanding of the regulatory mechanism of microglial efferocytosis post-ische-mia,as well as its impact on neuroinflammation and cerebral damage,has the potential to advance diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for ischemic stroke.Here,we outline the molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways involved in microglial effero-cytosis following ischemic stroke,and summarize the research progress on drugs targeting microglial efferocytosis to enhance stroke prognosis.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.

To understand the distribution of ticks in the Wuwei Region,enrich tick species data,and provide a basis for the prevention of tick-borne diseases,tick were collected using flagging and tick-picking methods during the highest activity period from April to September in 2021 and 2022 in the mountainous areas of Wuwei City.The ticks were identified based on morpho-logical and molecular biological characteristics,and characteristic sequences were obtained.A systematic evolutionary tree was constructed using the neighbor-joining method in MEGA 11.0 software.In total,7 342 ticks collected in Wuwei,which be-longed to 5 species from 4 genera with in the Ixodidae family,which included Dermacentor nuttalli,Hyalomma asiaticum,Ixodes canisuga,Haemaphysalis longicornis and Haema-physalis danieli.Ticks of the same species clustered together into the same branch of an evolutionary tree.In the Wuwei Re-gion,five common tick species are found across various habi-tats,with each habitat featuring different distributions of tick species and populations.The Dermacentor nuttalli is the dom-inant tick species in this area.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of agaric polysaccharides on an-tioxidant capacity,immune function,and intestinal flora of calves.Twenty-four healthy Holstein calves of(30±3)days of age and with the similar body weight at(55.33±1.86)kg were selected and randomly divided into two groups:the control group(group C)and test group(group T)with 12 replicates in each group and one calves in each replicate.Group C was fed starter and milk repla-cer,and group T was fed starter and milk replacer with 10 g of agaric polysaccharides to each calve for 10 d.Serum antioxidant,immune indexes and intestinal flora were tested.The results showed as follows:compared with group C,the enzyme activities of SOD and GSH-Px in serum of calves in group T were significantly increased(P＜0.05),and were increased by 29.09％and 15.35％,re-spectively;compared with group C,IgA,IL-2 and TNF-α were significantly increased in T group(P＜0.05).Adding agaric polysaccharides significantly increased the relative abundance of Firmi-cutes(P＜0.05)and decreased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria in feces of calf(P＞0.05);the relative abundance of Lactobalillus and Faecalibacterium were increased(P＜0.05);the relative abundance of Butyricoccus-pullicaecorum was increased(P＜0.05).LEfSe analysis results showed that there were 11 marker species in group T,such as Firmicutes and Lactobacillus,and 9 marker species in group C,such as Proteobacteria.The results showed that agaric polysaccharides could improve the antioxidant capacity and immune function of calves,and also could improve the structure of intestinal flora.

Objective:To explore the strategy of prostate biopsy in patients with prostate specific antigen(PSA)gray zone based on prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS).Methods:The clinical data of 427 patients who underwent transperineal prostate biopsy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The median age was 66 (61, 72) years old. The median PSA was 6.62 (5.46, 8.19) ng/ml. The median PSA density (PSAD) was 0.15 (0.11, 0.21) ng/ml 2. The median prostate volume (PV) was 43.68 (31.12, 56.82) ml. PSA velocity (PSAV) data were available in 65 patients with negative MRI examination(PI-RADS <3), and the median PSAV was 1.40 (0.69, 2.89) ng/(ml· year). Among the patients with positive MRI(PI-RADS≥3), there were 174 patients with only 1 lesion and 83 patients with ≥2 lesions. A total of 170 patients with negative MRI underwent systematic biopsy, and 257 patients with positive MRI underwent systematic combined targeted biopsy. The PI-RADS score, regions of interest(ROI), PSAD, f/tPSA and PSAV were analyzed to explore the biopsy strategy for patients with PSA gray area based on bpMRI imaging. Results:Of the 427 patients included in the study, 194 were positive and 233 were negative. Among the patients with positive biopsy pathology, 140 cases were clinically significant prostate cancer (CsPCa). Among the MRI-negative patients, there were 33 cases with PSAV ≥1.4 ng/(ml·year), and 10 cases of prostate cancer and 6 cases of CsPCa were detected by systematic biopsy.In 32 cases with PSAV <1.4 ng/(ml·year), 3 cases of prostate cancer and 0 case of CsPCa were detected by systematic biopsy. The sensitivity of systematic biopsy for the diagnosis of prostate cancer and CsPCa in patients with PSAV≥1.4 ng/(ml·year) were 76.9% (10/13) and 100.0% (6/6) respectively, the specificity were 55.8% (29/52) and 54.2% (32/59) respectively, the negative predictive value were 90.6% (29/32) and 100.0% (32/32) respectively, and the positive predictive value were 30.3% (10/33) and 18.2% (6/33) respectively. In MRI-positive patients with PI-RADS 3, the prostate cancer detection rates of targeted biopsy combined with systematic biopsy, systematic biopsy and targeted biopsy were 41.7% (45/108), 32.4% (35/108) and 35.2% (38/108), respectively ( P=0.349). The detection rates of CsPCa were 27.8% (30/108), 21.3% (23/108) and 25.0% (27/108), respectively ( P=0.541). In patients with PI-RADS 4-5 and PSAD > 0.15 ng/ml 2, the detection rates of CsPCa in targeted biopsy combined with systematic biopsy, systematic biopsy and targeted biopsy were 67.8% (61/90), 58.9% (53/90) and 67.8% (61/90), respectively ( P=0.354). Conclusions:For MRI-negative patients, all CsPCa could be detected by perineal systematic biopsy when PSAV ≥1.4 ng/(ml·year), and active observation could be performed when PSAV <1.4 ng/(ml·year). For MRI-positive patients, targeted combined systemic biopsy was required when PI-RADS score was 3, and targeted biopsy only could be performed when PI-RADS score ≥4 and PSAD >0.15 ng/ml 2, otherwise targeted combined systemic biopsy was required.

AIM To investigate the consistency of chemical constituents between formula granules and standard decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma.METHODS Eighteen batches of standard decoctions were prepared,after which the extraction rate and contents,transfer rates of magnolflorine,jatrorrhizine,columbamine,epiberberine,coptisine,palmatine,berberin were determined,HPLC characteristic chromatograms were established.RESULTS There were 11 common peaks in the characteristic chromatograms of 18 batches of standard decoctions and 24 batches of formula granules with the similarities of 0.861-1.000,which were clusterd into two categories.The formula granules and standard decoction demonstrated approximated extraction rate and contents,transfer rates of index constituents.CONCLUSION The chemical constituents between formula granules and standard decoction of Coptidis Rhizoma display good consistency,which can provide references for the quality control,process research and clinical application of the former.

A retrospective analysis was conducted on a MonoMAC syndrome case admitted in October 2022 to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The patient, a 16-year-old female with a history of persistent monocytopenia and mild anemia for several years, experienced recurrent symptoms of cough, expectoration, and fever, leading to multiple visits to the hospital. The diagnosis of MonoMAC syndrome was confirmed through comprehensive assessments including routine blood tests, pathogen metagenomic sequencing, lung and bone marrow biopsies, and next-generation sequencing of peripheral blood. The patient underwent haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, with a smooth course of transplantation, achieving neutrophil engraftment on + 16 d and platelet engraftment on + 17 d, eventually restoring normal monocyte and NK cell counts. MonoMAC syndrome patients often initially present with infectious symptoms, and the diagnosis can be established based on significant monocytopenia in routine blood tests, history of non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections, and GATA2 germline mutations. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be required for some patients to improve their prognosis.

Activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2(Nrf2)by Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1(Keap1)alkylation plays a central role in anti-inflammatory therapy.However,activators of Nrf2 through alkylation of Keap1-Kelch domain have not been identified.Deoxynyboquinone(DNQ)is a natural small molecule discovered from marine actinomycetes.The current study was designed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effects and molecular mechanisms of DNQ via alkylation of Keap1.DNQ exhibited signif-icant anti-inflammatory properties both in vitro and in vivo.The pharmacophore responsible for the anti-inflammatory properties of DNQ was determined to be the α,β-unsaturated amides moieties by a chemical reaction between DNQ and N-acetylcysteine.DNQ exerted anti-inflammatory effects through activation of Nrf2/ARE pathway.Keap1 was demonstrated to be the direct target of DNQ and bound with DNQ through conjugate addition reaction involving alkylation.The specific alkylation site of DNQ on Keap1 for Nrf2 activation was elucidated with a synthesized probe in conjunction with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.DNQ triggered the ubiquitination and subsequent degra-dation of Keap1 by alkylation of the cysteine residue 489(Cys489)on Keap1-Kelch domain,ultimately enabling the activation of Nrf2.Our findings revealed that DNQ exhibited potent anti-inflammatory capacity through α,β-unsaturated amides moieties active group which specifically activated Nrf2 signal pathway via alkylation/ubiquitination of Keap1-Kelch domain,suggesting the potential values of targeting Cys489 on Keap1-Kelch domain by DNQ-like small molecules in inflammatory therapies.

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

The early response of plant auxin gene family Aux/IAA (auxin/indole-3-acetic acid) and its interaction with auxin response factor (ARF) are important pattern to regulate plant growth and development. This work identified 28 StoIAA and 24 StoARF members based on the whole genome data of the medicinal plant Senna tora L., which were classified into 10 and 8 subfamilies, respectively. Phylogenetic tree and collinearity analysis showed that S. tora has close evolutionary relationship with the IAA and ARF homologous genes of Glycine max, Medicago truncatula, and the segment duplication events dominate the expansion of StoIAA and StoARF. Gene structure analysis showed that the vast majority of StoIAA and StoARF contain characteristic conserved domain. Transcriptome data showed that StoIAAs and StoARFs were expressed in leaves, roots and seeds, some members had tissue specific expression. The StoIAA and StoARF promoter region most contain functional elements related to stress response, growth and development, hormone induction and secondary metabolism. In addition, gene expression analysis showed that many StoIAAs and StoARFs can quickly respond to drought and salt stress and exhibited same expression patterns under both stress condition. The yeast two-hybrid experiment confirmed that StoARF8 and StoARF10 exhibit varying degrees of interaction with multiple StoIAA proteins, respectively. The above results provide a basis for further biological functional analysis of the Aux/IAA and ARF gene family of S. tora.