Objective To describe and analyze the epidemiological characteristics of scrub typhus in Huai'an, Jiangsu Province from 2006 to 2024 and explore the long-term incidence trend and distribution of high-risk areas, and to formulate targeted prevention and control strategies. Methods The scrub typhus case report data of Huai'an from 2006 to 2024 in the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System were extracted for descriptive analysis. Results A total of 898 cases of scrub typhus were reported in Huai'an, with an average annual incidence rate of 0.96 per 100 000 from 2006 to 2024. There was a turning point in the incidence trend of scrub typhus in 2011. From 2006 to 2011, the annual percentage change (APC) was 47.09% (95% CI: 7.53 - 859.39), and the upward trend was statistically significant (P < 0.05). From 2012 to 2024, the APC was -2.12% (95% CI: -29.09 - 3.75), and the downward trend was not statistically significant. October and November were the high-incidence months, and the total concentration from 2006 to 2024 was 0.93, indicating that scrub typhus had strict seasonality. The circular distribution method estimated that the peak period of the epidemic was from October 11th to November 25th, and the peak day of incidence was November 3rd. Jinhu County was a high-incidence area. The ratio of male to female cases was 1.03. The age group with the highest reported incidence was 40 to < 80 years old. The occupation with the highest proportion was farmers, accounting for 78.03%. Conclusion From 2006 to 2024, scrub typhus in Huai'an shows a peak every 3 - 4 years. Middle-aged and elderly farmers are the key population at risk, and Jinhu County is a key area. In the future, targeted health education should be carried out to effectively control the prevalence of scrub typhus.

CRISPR/Cas9-based therapeutics face significant challenges in penetrating the dense microenvironment of solid tumors, resulting in insufficient gene editing and compromised treatment efficacy. Current nanostrategies, which mainly focus on the paracellular pathway attempted to improve gene editing performance, whereas their efficiency remains uneven in the heterogenous extracellular matrix. Here, the nanoCRISPR system is prepared with self-cascading mechanisms for gene editing-mediated robust apoptosis and transcellular penetration. NanoCRISPR unlocks its self-cascade capability within the matrix metallopeptidase 2-enriched tumor microenvironment, initiating the transcellular penetration. By facilitating cellular uptake, nanoCRISPR triggers robust apoptosis in edited malignancies, promoting further transcellular penetration and amplifying gene editing in neighboring tumor cells. Benefiting from self-cascade between robust apoptosis and transcellular penetration, nanoCRISPR demonstrates continuous gene transfection/tumor killing performance (transfection/apoptosis efficiency: 1st round: 85%/84.2%; 2nd round: 48%/27%) and homogeneous penetration. In xenograft tumor-bearing mice, nanoCRISPR treatment achieves remarkable anti-tumor efficacy (∼83%) and significant survival benefits with minimal toxicity. This strategy presents a promising paradigm emphasizing transcellular penetration to enhance the effectiveness of CRISPR-based antitumor therapeutics.

Improving the nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) of Brassica napus is of significant importance for achieving the national goal of zero growth in chemical fertilizer application and ensuring the green development of the rapeseed industry. This study aims to explore the effects of the nitrate transporter gene BnaNRT1.5s on the nitrogen transport and NUE of B. napus, providing excellent genetic resources for the development of nitrogen-efficient B. napus varieties. The spatiotemporal expression of BnaA05.NRT1.5 as a key nitrogen responsive gene was profiled by qRT-PCR at different growth stages and for different tissue samples of B. napus 'Westar'. Subcellular localization was employed to examine its expression pattern in the cells. Additionally, CRISPR/Cas9 was used to create BnaNRT1.5s knockout lines, which were subjected to hydroponic experiments under high nitrogen (12.0 mmol/L) and low nitrogen (0.3 mmol/L) conditions. After the seedlings were cultivated for 21 days, root and shoot samples were collected for weighing, nitrogen content determination, xylem sap nitrate content assessment, and calculation of total nitrogen and NUE. The B. napus nitrate transporter BnaA05.NRT1.5 was localized to the cell membrane. During the seedling and early bolting stages, BnaA05.NRT1.5 was predominantly expressed in roots, while it was highly expressed in old leaves and mature silique skin during the reproductive stage. Compared with the wild type, the mutant BnaNRT1.5s showed significant increases in the dry weight and total nitrogen of seedlings under both high and low nitrogen conditions. Under low nitrogen conditions, NUE in the roots of BnaNRT1.5s significantly improved. Notably, under both high and low nitrogen conditions, the nitrate content in the shoots of BnaNRT1.5s decreased significantly, while that in the roots increased significantly, resulting in a significantly decreased shoot-to-root nitrate content ratio. BnaNRT1.5s is involved in regulating the transport of nitrate from the roots to the shoots, and its mutation enhances nitrogen absorption and utilization in B. napus seedlings, promoting seedling growth. This study not only provides references for understanding the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which BnaNRT1.5s regulates NUE but also offers valuable genetic resources for improving NUE in B. napus.
Brassica napus/genetics* ; Anion Transport Proteins/metabolism* ; Nitrogen/metabolism* ; Nitrate Transporters ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Nitrates/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Biological Transport

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion under unilateral biportal endoscopy(UBE-TLIF)and traditional posterior lumbar interbody fusion(PLIF)in treating single-segment degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis with lumbar spinal stenosis(DLS-LSS).Methods The clinical data of 85 patients diagnosed with DLS-LSS who underwent surgery between Jan.2020 and Jan.2022 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.Patients were assigned to UBE-TLIF group(46 cases)and PLIF group(39 cases)based on the surgical procedure.The general characteristics,perioperative data,radiological parameters,and clinical efficacy indicators were analyzed.Results There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics,preoperative radiological parameters,pain visual analogue scale(VAS)score,or Oswestry disability index(ODI)score between the 2 groups(all P＞0.05).Compared with the PLIF group,the UBE-TLIF group had significantly longer operation time([156.42+26.65]min vs[141.36+21.46]min,P=0.006),significantly less operation blood loss([170.15+10.87]mL vs[203.15+15.67]mL,P＜0.001),and significantly shorter hospital stay([6.73+2.42]d vs[9.61+2.56]d,P＜0.001).The UBE-TLIF group had significantly smaller lumbar lordosis and segmental angle 3 months postoperatively([42.52±8.57]° vs[46.61+7.31]°,[10.93+2.59]° vs[12.16+3.05]°)and at final follow-up([41.35+7.46]° vs[44.62+6.42]°,[10.65+2.43]° vs[11.87+2.53]°)compared with the PLIF group(all P＜0.05).The fusion rate was significantly lower in the UBE-TLIF group compared with the PLIF group 3 months after operation(34.78％[16/46]vs 58.97％[23/39],P＜0.05),with no significant difference at final follow-up(93.48％[43/46]vs 94.87％[37/39],P＞0.05).The VAS score and ODI score 3 months after operation were significantly lower in the UBE-TLIF group compared with the PLIF group(2.43+0.92 vs 3.12±1.03,26.81+9.14 vs 33.35+8.76,both P＜0.01),with no significant differences at final follow-up(both P＞0.05).Conclusion As a minimally invasive surgical technique,UBE-TLIF has the advantages of minimal trauma,fast recovery,mild postoperative pain,and a reliable fusion rate.It is an effective treatment for DLS-LSS and deserves to be promoted.

A case of Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome(Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome,SIHIWES)is presented.The patient was a 35-year-old male with cryptorchidism,growth retardation,skeletal malformations,muscular atrophy,a wide forehead,special facial features like square face,small low-set and cup-shaped ears since birth.Whole-exon sequencing identified a heterozygous mutation(NM_001273:c.3047A>G(chr12-6701125)(p.K1016R))in CHD4 gene.The clinical significance of this mutation is currently unknown,and has not been previously reported.In light of the patient's symptoms,the case was diagnosed as Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome.This case represents the first instance of Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome in an adult patient in China.

By collecting inspection results from medical device clinical trials from 2016 to 2023,to analyze and discuss common problems of clinical trials from both in vitro diagnostic reagents and medical devices,and propose the suggested mea-sures taken by participants in the clinical trial,so as to avoid similar problems occur and ensure the quality of clinical trials.

A case of Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome(Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome,SIHIWES)is presented.The patient was a 35-year-old male with cryptorchidism,growth retardation,skeletal malformations,muscular atrophy,a wide forehead,special facial features like square face,small low-set and cup-shaped ears since birth.Whole-exon sequencing identified a heterozygous mutation(NM_001273:c.3047A>G(chr12-6701125)(p.K1016R))in CHD4 gene.The clinical significance of this mutation is currently unknown,and has not been previously reported.In light of the patient's symptoms,the case was diagnosed as Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome.This case represents the first instance of Sifrim-Hitz-Weiss syndrome in an adult patient in China.

By collecting inspection results from medical device clinical trials from 2016 to 2023,to analyze and discuss common problems of clinical trials from both in vitro diagnostic reagents and medical devices,and propose the suggested mea-sures taken by participants in the clinical trial,so as to avoid similar problems occur and ensure the quality of clinical trials.

Objective To investigate the research status and the research hotspots on male nurses at home and abroad in last decade,so as to provide references for further research in male nurses.Methods Literature between 2013 and 2024 on male nurses were retrieved from the Web of Science(WOS)and CNKI.CiteSpace 6.2.6 R7 software was used to analyse the volume of publication,keyword co-occurrence,keyword clustering and emergence.Results A total of 736 articles were included in the study.From 2013 to 2023,the number of published papers of male nurses in CNKI and WOS showed an increasing trend.The research was primarily affiliated with 263 institutions across 62 countries.The country with the highest volume of publication is China,followed by the United States,although there was a need to enhance collaboration with other nations.The institution with the most publications is the Hong Kong Polytechnic University.A comprehensive analysis of keyword co-occurrence,clustering,and emerging trends revealed that the research hotspots in the field of male nursing in CNKI mainly includes the advantages of male nurses,psychological capital,humanistic care,development,needs,professional identification.Whereas WOS focuses on the topics such as gender bias against male nurses,mental health,workplace violence,ambivalent sexism,motivational barriers,individual differences,societal prejudice and knowledge and attitucle.Both domestic and international research on male nurses primarily consist of cross-sectional surveys and qualitative studies,with fewer intervention studies.Currently,the researches regarding male nursing focus on the qualitative study of mental health of male nurses.Conclusion Focusing on the mental health and professional status of male nurses,domestic scholars need to increase the formulation and implementation of interventions in this field in order to address the practical issues faced by male nurses,therefore to promote the comprehensive development of the nursing profession,enhance the overall quality and service quality of the nursing team,and provide patients with higher quality in nursing services.

Objective:To investigate the status of hepatitis E virus infection in unpaid blood donors in Wenzhou.Methods:A total of 5 241 blood samples were selected from donors who successfully donated blood between October 2022 and March 2023. These samples were tested for hepatitis E virus (HEV) through HEV-IgG antibodies, HEV-IgM antibodies, and nucleic acid tests (HEV RNA). Samples that tested positive for HEV RNA underwent quantitative detection and sequencing. Data regarding the blood donors were collected, the positive rates of each test result were recorded, and the HEV infection status among different populations was analyzed.Results:The positive rate of the HEV-IgG antibody test was 23.60% (1 237/5 241), while the positive rate of the HEV-IgM antibody test was 0.29% (15/5 241). The positive rate of the HEV RNA test was 0.08% (4/5 241). The positive rate of the HEV-IgG test increased with age ( χ2 = 379.493, P < 0.05), and males had a higher positive rate than females ( χ2 = 5.12, P < 0.05). Both the positive rates of HEV-IgG and HEV-IgM tests increased as the number of blood donations increased ( χ2 = 40.87, 8.30, both P < 0.05). Furthermore, the positive rates were significantly higher in 2023 than in 2022 ( χ2 = 51.03, 13.35, both P < 0.05), and they were also significantly higher in spring than in winter ( χ2 = 51.03, 13.35, both P < 0.05). Only one HEV RNA-positive blood donor tested positive for both HEV-IgG and HEV-IgM antibodies, while the remaining three donors tested negative. Only one case was genotyped, and it belonged to genotype Ⅳ. Conclusion:The incidence of HEV infection among unpaid blood donors in Wenzhou of Zhejiang Province is relatively high, with the prevalent HEV genotype being type Ⅳ. Characteristics such as sex, age, and the number of blood donations can be utilized as auxiliary screening reference indicators.