Objective:To study echinococcosis in the population and canine Echinococcus infection in Yushu City, Qinghai Province, and to explore the current epidemic situation and main transmission species of Echinococcus. Methods:In June 2023, a multi-stage sampling method was used to select 2 villages each in Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Town, Yushu City, Qinghai Province. Each village included at least 100 permanent residents who had lived locally for at least 1 year and were 2 years old or older as the survey subjects. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum antibodies against Echinococcus larvae in the population, and B-mode ultrasound was used for abdominal organ scanning. Meanwhile, on the main roads of Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Town, canine feces were collected in designated areas at intervals. ELISA was used to detect the antigen of canine fecal Echinococcus, and PCR was used to detect the types of parasites ( Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus shiquicus). Results:A total of 511 residents were investigated in Yushu City, and the positive rate of serum Echinococcus larvae antibodies in the population was 26.22% (134/511), and the detection rate of echinococcosis B-mode ultrasound was 1.37% (7/511). Among them, the detection rates of B-mode ultrasound for cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) were 1.17% (6/511) and 0.20% (1/511), respectively. The positive rate of Echinococcus antigen in 543 canine feces detected by ELISA was 12.89% (70/543). PCR was used to test 497 canine feces, and the detection rate of Echinococcus was 3.02% (15/497). Among them, the detection rate of Echinococcus multilocularis was higher than that of Echinococcus granulosus [2.82% (14/497) vs 0.20% (1/497)], and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 11.44, P < 0.001). No Echinococcus shiquicus was detected. Conclusions:The positive rates of Echinococcus larvae antibodies in the population and canine Echinococcus antigen in Yushu City, Qinghai Province are both relatively high. There is a mixed epidemic of CE and AE, with Echinococcus multilocularis being the main species.

Osteosarcoma(OS)is a common primary malignant bone tumor with high mortality,disability,metastasis,and recurrence rates and a complex pathogenesis,Resulting in serious effects on patient quality of life and huge economic burdens on families and society.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has"multi-target,multi-component and multi-pathway"characteristics.Recent studies using animal and cell models demonstrated that the mechanism of OS progression was related to Notch,mitogen-activated protein kinase,Wnt/β-catenin,phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT,Hedgehog and nuclear factor-κB,transforming growth factor-β/Smad and signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways.TCM can exert anti-tumor effects by influencing biological processes such as cell proliferation,migration,invasion,apoptosis,and autophagy via interfering with the above signaling pathways.This review considers the roles of these signaling pathways in OS and summarizes the current research status of TCM interventions in the prevention and treatment of OS,with the aim of providing a reference for future studies of TCM treatments of OS and to provide new ideas for its clinical treatment.

Research indicates that microbe activity within the human body significantly influences health by being closely linked to various diseases. Accurately predicting microbe-disease interactions (MDIs) offers critical insights for disease intervention and pharmaceutical research. Current advanced AI-based technologies automatically generate robust representations of microbes and diseases, enabling effective MDI predictions. However, these models continue to face significant challenges. A major issue is their reliance on complex feature extractors and classifiers, which substantially diminishes the models' generalizability. To address this, we introduce a novel graph autoencoder framework that utilizes decoupled representation learning and multi-scale information fusion strategies to efficiently infer potential MDIs. Initially, we randomly mask portions of the input microbe-disease graph based on Bernoulli distribution to boost self-supervised training and minimize noise-related performance degradation. Secondly, we employ decoupled representation learning technology, compelling the graph neural network (GNN) to independently learn the weights for each feature subspace, thus enhancing its expressive power. Finally, we implement multi-scale information fusion technology to amalgamate the multi-layer outputs of GNN, reducing information loss due to occlusion. Extensive experiments on public datasets demonstrate that our model significantly surpasses existing top MDI prediction models. This indicates that our model can accurately predict unknown MDIs and is likely to aid in disease discovery and precision pharmaceutical research. Code and data are accessible at: https://github.com/shmildsj/MDI-IFDRL.

Objective:To investigate the value of transabdominal bowel ultrasonography (TBUS) in evaluating the active phase of Crohn′s disease (CD) and its complications, and to compare the diagnostic efficacy of the international bowel ultrasound segmental activity score (IBUS-SAS) and the multidetector computed tomography enterography (MDCTE) score in the active phase.Methods:A totle of 103 CD patients who were admitted to the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from March 2021 to May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent TBUS and MDCTE examinations. TBU parameters such as bowel wall thickness (BWT), color Doppler imaging signal (CDS), inflammatory fat (i-fat), and bowel wall stratification (BWS) were recorded. The patients were divided into the remission group and the active group based on the Crohn′s disease activity index. The latter group was further divided into the mild active group and the moderate-to-severe active group.Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were plotted, and the diagnostic efficacy of TBUS parameters and two scoring systems in assessment of the active phase of CD was evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and optimal cut-off values. Endoscopic or histopathological results were served as the gold standard for the diagnosis of intestinal strictures. The diagnostic efficacy of TBUS and MDCTE in CD complicated with intestinal stenosis were evaluated by ROC analysis. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between TBUS parameters, imaging scores, and clinical laboratory indicators such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and faecal calprotectin (FC).Results:In distinguishing the active phase and the remission phase of CD, BWT (a sensitivity of 85.7%, specificity of 90.9%, and cut-off value of 4.4 mm), CDS (a sensitivity of 95.7%, and specificity of 63.6%), IBUS-SAS (a sensitivity of 91.4%, specificity of 84.8%, and cut-off value of 23.8), and MDCTE score (a sensitivity of 77.1%, specificity of 75.8%, and cut-off value of 6.5) had high diagnostic efficacies. In distinguishing mild and moderate-severe active phases of CD, BWT, CDS and i-fat demonstrated high sensitivity (81.4%, 69.8% and 62.8%) and specificity (81.5%, 77.8% and 100.0%); IBUS-SAS (a sensitivity of 83.7%, specificity of 88.9%, and cut-off value of 40.0) and MDCTE score (a sensitivity of 83.7%, specificity of 85.2%, and cut-off value of8.5) had high diagnostic efficacy. In the diagnosis of CD complicated with intestinal stenosis, the AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MDCTE was 0.942, 94.0%, 94.3%, and 94.2%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of TBUS in the diagnosis of CD complicated with intestinal stenosis was 0.952, 96.0%, 94.3%, and 95.1%, respectively. The results of Spearman correlation analysis revealed that BWT, CDS, and i-fat have positively correlated with ESR, CRP, and FC ( r value: 0.252 to 0.451, all P<0.05). Conclusions:TBUS demonstrates good application value in evaluating the activity of CD and intestinal stenosis. IBUS-SAS has the potential application for precise assessment of CD activity.

Pristimerin, which is one of the compounds present in Celastraceae and Hippocrateaceae, has antitumor effects. However, its mechanism of action in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of pristimerin on ESCC in vitro and in vivo. The inhibitory effect of pristimerin on cell growth was assessed using trypan blue exclusion and colony formation assays. Cell apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Gene and protein expressions were analyzed through quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), Western blotting, and immunohistochemistry. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) was employed to identify significantly differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Cell transfection and RNA interference assays were utilized to examine the role of key proteins in pristimerin?s effect. Xenograft models were established to evaluate the antitumor efficiency of pristimerin in vivo. Pristimerin inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis in ESCC cells. Upregulation of Noxa was crucial for pristimerin-induced apoptosis. Pristimerin activated the Forkhead box O3a (FoxO3a) signaling pathway and triggered FoxO3a recruitment to the Noxa promoter, leading to Noxa transcription. Blocking FoxO3a reversed pristimerin-induced Noxa upregulation and cell apoptosis. Pristimerin treatment suppressed xenograft tumors in nude mice, but these effects were largely negated in Noxa-KO tumors. Furthermore, the chemosensitization effects of pristimerin in vitro and in vivo were mediated by Noxa. This study demonstrates that pristimerin exerts an antitumor effect on ESCC by inducing AKT/FoxO3a-mediated Noxa upregulation. These findings suggest that pristimerin may serve as a potent anticancer agent for ESCC treatment.
Forkhead Box Protein O3/genetics* ; Humans ; Apoptosis/drug effects* ; Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma/physiopathology* ; Esophageal Neoplasms/physiopathology* ; Pentacyclic Triterpenes ; Animals ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2/genetics* ; Mice ; Signal Transduction/drug effects* ; Mice, Nude ; Cell Proliferation/drug effects* ; Triterpenes/pharmacology* ; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Male ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic/drug effects*

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety profile of antaitasvir phosphate combined with yiqibuvir in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) of various genotypes, without cirrhosis or with compensated cirrhosis.Methods:394 cases with CHC from 22 centers were collected from October 2021 to April 2023. They were randomly assigned to receive either the experimental drugs (antaitasvir phosphate 100 mg+yiqibuvir 600 mg) or placebo treatment in a 3∶1 ratio. The patients were administered drugs once a day for 12 consecutive weeks, and then followed up for 24 weeks after treatment cessation. All subjects were unblinded at the four-week follow-up following drug discontinuation, with the experimental drug group continuing to complete subsequent post-discontinuation follow-up. The placebo group was switched to receive the experimental drugs for a repeated 12-week treatment period and followed up for another 24 weeks after discontinuation of the drug (placebo delayed treatment phase).The sustained virologic response rate (SVR12) was observed for subjects in the double-blind phase and the placebo delayed-treatment phase at 12 weeks after treatment cessation.Virological resistance analysis was performed on subjects who failed treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was SVR12. The number and percentage of subjects who achieved "HCV RNA

Research indicates that microbe activity within the human body significantly influences health by being closely linked to various diseases.Accurately predicting microbe-disease interactions(MDIs)offers critical insights for disease intervention and pharmaceutical research.Current advanced AI-based technologies automatically generate robust representations of microbes and diseases,enabling effec-tive MDI predictions.However,these models continue to face significant challenges.A major issue is their reliance on complex feature extractors and classifiers,which substantially diminishes the models' generalizability.To address this,we introduce a novel graph autoencoder framework that utilizes decoupled representation learning and multi-scale information fusion strategies to efficiently infer po-tential MDIs.Initially,we randomly mask portions of the input microbe-disease graph based on Bernoulli distribution to boost self-supervised training and minimize noise-related performance degradation.Secondly,we employ decoupled representation learning technology,compelling the graph neural network(GNN)to independently learn the weights for each feature subspace,thus enhancing its expressive power.Finally,we implement multi-scale information fusion technology to amalgamate the multi-layer outputs of GNN,reducing information loss due to occlusion.Extensive experiments on public datasets demonstrate that our model significantly surpasses existing top MDI prediction models.This indicates that our model can accurately predict unknown MDIs and is likely to aid in disease discovery and precision pharmaceutical research.Code and data are accessible at:https://github.com/shmildsj/MDI-IFDRL.

Osteosarcoma(OS)is a common primary malignant bone tumor with high mortality,disability,metastasis,and recurrence rates and a complex pathogenesis,Resulting in serious effects on patient quality of life and huge economic burdens on families and society.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has"multi-target,multi-component and multi-pathway"characteristics.Recent studies using animal and cell models demonstrated that the mechanism of OS progression was related to Notch,mitogen-activated protein kinase,Wnt/β-catenin,phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT,Hedgehog and nuclear factor-κB,transforming growth factor-β/Smad and signal transducer and activator of transcription pathways.TCM can exert anti-tumor effects by influencing biological processes such as cell proliferation,migration,invasion,apoptosis,and autophagy via interfering with the above signaling pathways.This review considers the roles of these signaling pathways in OS and summarizes the current research status of TCM interventions in the prevention and treatment of OS,with the aim of providing a reference for future studies of TCM treatments of OS and to provide new ideas for its clinical treatment.

Objective:To investigate the value of transabdominal bowel ultrasonography (TBUS) in evaluating the active phase of Crohn′s disease (CD) and its complications, and to compare the diagnostic efficacy of the international bowel ultrasound segmental activity score (IBUS-SAS) and the multidetector computed tomography enterography (MDCTE) score in the active phase.Methods:A totle of 103 CD patients who were admitted to the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from March 2021 to May 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent TBUS and MDCTE examinations. TBU parameters such as bowel wall thickness (BWT), color Doppler imaging signal (CDS), inflammatory fat (i-fat), and bowel wall stratification (BWS) were recorded. The patients were divided into the remission group and the active group based on the Crohn′s disease activity index. The latter group was further divided into the mild active group and the moderate-to-severe active group.Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were plotted, and the diagnostic efficacy of TBUS parameters and two scoring systems in assessment of the active phase of CD was evaluated by sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and optimal cut-off values. Endoscopic or histopathological results were served as the gold standard for the diagnosis of intestinal strictures. The diagnostic efficacy of TBUS and MDCTE in CD complicated with intestinal stenosis were evaluated by ROC analysis. Spearman correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlation between TBUS parameters, imaging scores, and clinical laboratory indicators such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and faecal calprotectin (FC).Results:In distinguishing the active phase and the remission phase of CD, BWT (a sensitivity of 85.7%, specificity of 90.9%, and cut-off value of 4.4 mm), CDS (a sensitivity of 95.7%, and specificity of 63.6%), IBUS-SAS (a sensitivity of 91.4%, specificity of 84.8%, and cut-off value of 23.8), and MDCTE score (a sensitivity of 77.1%, specificity of 75.8%, and cut-off value of 6.5) had high diagnostic efficacies. In distinguishing mild and moderate-severe active phases of CD, BWT, CDS and i-fat demonstrated high sensitivity (81.4%, 69.8% and 62.8%) and specificity (81.5%, 77.8% and 100.0%); IBUS-SAS (a sensitivity of 83.7%, specificity of 88.9%, and cut-off value of 40.0) and MDCTE score (a sensitivity of 83.7%, specificity of 85.2%, and cut-off value of8.5) had high diagnostic efficacy. In the diagnosis of CD complicated with intestinal stenosis, the AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MDCTE was 0.942, 94.0%, 94.3%, and 94.2%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of TBUS in the diagnosis of CD complicated with intestinal stenosis was 0.952, 96.0%, 94.3%, and 95.1%, respectively. The results of Spearman correlation analysis revealed that BWT, CDS, and i-fat have positively correlated with ESR, CRP, and FC ( r value: 0.252 to 0.451, all P<0.05). Conclusions:TBUS demonstrates good application value in evaluating the activity of CD and intestinal stenosis. IBUS-SAS has the potential application for precise assessment of CD activity.

Objective:To study echinococcosis in the population and canine Echinococcus infection in Yushu City, Qinghai Province, and to explore the current epidemic situation and main transmission species of Echinococcus. Methods:In June 2023, a multi-stage sampling method was used to select 2 villages each in Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Town, Yushu City, Qinghai Province. Each village included at least 100 permanent residents who had lived locally for at least 1 year and were 2 years old or older as the survey subjects. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect serum antibodies against Echinococcus larvae in the population, and B-mode ultrasound was used for abdominal organ scanning. Meanwhile, on the main roads of Shanglaxiu Township and Longbao Town, canine feces were collected in designated areas at intervals. ELISA was used to detect the antigen of canine fecal Echinococcus, and PCR was used to detect the types of parasites ( Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus shiquicus). Results:A total of 511 residents were investigated in Yushu City, and the positive rate of serum Echinococcus larvae antibodies in the population was 26.22% (134/511), and the detection rate of echinococcosis B-mode ultrasound was 1.37% (7/511). Among them, the detection rates of B-mode ultrasound for cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE) were 1.17% (6/511) and 0.20% (1/511), respectively. The positive rate of Echinococcus antigen in 543 canine feces detected by ELISA was 12.89% (70/543). PCR was used to test 497 canine feces, and the detection rate of Echinococcus was 3.02% (15/497). Among them, the detection rate of Echinococcus multilocularis was higher than that of Echinococcus granulosus [2.82% (14/497) vs 0.20% (1/497)], and the difference was statistically significant (χ 2 = 11.44, P < 0.001). No Echinococcus shiquicus was detected. Conclusions:The positive rates of Echinococcus larvae antibodies in the population and canine Echinococcus antigen in Yushu City, Qinghai Province are both relatively high. There is a mixed epidemic of CE and AE, with Echinococcus multilocularis being the main species.