Objective To analyze the infection status and epidemic trends of soil-borne nematode infections in Yubei, Chongqing City, in 2010,2021, and 2022. Methods The local populations from four survey sites of four towns in 2010 and five sites of five towns in 2021 and 2022 were surveyed regarding their basic information using a unified form. Fecal samples of the participants were collected and tested for soil-borne nematode infections using the modified Kato-Katz thick smear method. Results In 2010, 2 049 participants were surveyed, followed by 1 000 participants in 2021 and 2022. The overall prevalence of parasitic infections declined significantly from 3.86% to 0.20%. In 2010, soil-transmitted nematode included hookworms(3.81%) and roundworms(0.29%). In 2021, the infection rates of roundworms and hookworms were 1.70% and 0.10% respectively. Notably, only Ascaris was identified in 2022(0.20%). The≥60 age group consistently exhibited the highest infection rates across all surveys, followed by the 40-59 age group. The infection rates of males in the three surveys were 3.31%,1.92%, and 0.20% respectively, and those of females were 4.37%, 1.46%, and 0.20% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the infection rates between males and females. Educational attainment was inversely associated with infection; in 2010, the highest prevalence was observed among those with primary education or below, whereas in 2021, illiterate or semi-literate individuals showed the highest susceptibility. The occupational distribution of infections in 2010 indicated that retirees (8.33%), farmers(4.86%), and homemakers or unemployed individuals(3.45%)were the most affected. However, in 2021 and 2022, farmers emerged as the predominant occupational group with soil-transmitted nematode infections. Conclusions The infection rate of soil-borne nematodes showed a decreasing trend in Yubei, and the infection species changed from hookworms in 2010 to Ascaris in 2022. Farmers, the elderly, and people with low education levels should continue to be the focus of preventive and control efforts.

Objective To evaluate the reliability and validity and perform cost-consequence analysis of the brief version of the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)for identifying cognitive impairment in a community-based population ≥50 years of age.Methods The internal consistency and retest reliability of the brief version of the MoCA were analyzed,and the area under the curve(AUC),sensitivity,and specificity were determined to discriminate mild cognitive impairment(MCI)and dementia with the clinical dementia rating(CDR)as the diagnostic criterion.The consistency between the brief version and the full version was analyzed by the Kappa test and the Bland-Altman method,and the number of individuals entering the diagnostic assessment and the overall assessment time were estimated and compared between the two versions.Results A total of 303 individuals were included in this study,of whom 192,94,and 17 had normal cognitive function,MCI,and dementia,respectively.The Cronbach's α and re-test coefficients of the brief version of MoCA were 0.754 and 0.711(P<0.001),respectively.The brief version showed the AUC,sensitivity,and specificity of 0.889,74.5%,and 93.8% for identifying MCI,and 0.994,100%,and 93.8% for identifying dementia,respectively.When the brief version of MoCA was used to identify 94 patients with MCI in 303 individuals,107 individuals required additional diagnostic assessment,with an overall assessment time of 142.4 h,which represented decreases of 21.3% and 32.7%,respectively,compared with those of the full version.When the brief version of MoCA was used to identify 17 patients with dementia in 303 individuals,35 individuals required additional diagnostic assessment,with an overall assessment time of 70.4 h,a decrease of 29.5% in the time cost compared with the full version.Conclusions The brief version of MoCA can identify cognitively impaired individuals in a community-based middle-aged and elderly population,with diagnostic validity comparable to that of the full version but less time cost and fewer individuals needing additional diagnostic assessment to detect true-positive cases.It could be expanded for use in the community-based primary screening setting.
Humans ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Cognitive Dysfunction/diagnosis* ; Male ; Female ; Mental Status and Dementia Tests ; Reproducibility of Results ; Dementia/diagnosis* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Aged, 80 and over ; Cost-Benefit Analysis

Nodal marginal zone B-cell lymphoma(NMZL),the least common subtype of marginal zone lymphoma,represents a low-grade malignancy arising from the marginal zone of lymph node follicles,composed of small B-cells with an inert non-Hodgkin lymphoma nature.It accounts for 1.5% to 1.8% of all non-Hodgkin lymphomas and 10% of all marginal zone lymphomas.The low incidence and lack of typical clinical and pathological features pose a challenge to the diagnosis and clinical management of NMZL.In this article,we reported the diagnosis and treatment of a case of NMZL located in the parapharyngeal space of the left neck and reviewed the relevant literature from both domestic and international sources.We summarized the clinical manifestations,histopathological features,immunohistochemical characteristics,imaging features,diagnosis and treatment modalities,and prognosis of NMZL.
Humans ; Lymphoma, B-Cell, Marginal Zone/pathology* ; Lymph Nodes/pathology* ; Neck/pathology* ; Male

Objective To verify the efficacy of a domestic human DNA quantification kit based on real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR in detecting the total human DNA concentration,male DNA concen-tration in mixed male/female DNA samples,the degree of DNA degradation and inhibitor tolerance.Methods Samples with different concentrations,different male/female ratios,different concentrations of inhibitors,and different degradation degrees were tested using the domestic human DNA quantification kit based on real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR.This kit was compared with a similar product on the market and was applied to the detection of DNA from real cases.Results This human DNA quan-tification kit can effectively detect human DNA as low as 0.001 65 ng/μL,and 6.25 pg/μL of male DNA in mixed samples with a male-to-female ratio of 1∶15 000.Even when the sample contains as high as 400 ng/μL of humic acid or 1 000 μmol/L of hemin alone,the DNA concentration can still be accurately detected.The degradation index can effectively characterize the degradation degree of the sample.This kit has been successfully applied in forensic practice.Conclusion This human DNA quan-tification kit is accurate and reliable in detection.It can accurately reflect the degradation of DNA and inhibitor tolerance.It has good performance in quantitative accuracy,determination of the male/female ratio in mixed samples,and inhibitor tolerance.It has application potential in forensic case examination.

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: To identify the key features of facial and tongue images associated with anemia in female populations, establish anemia risk-screening models, and evaluate their performance. METHODS: A total of 533 female participants (anemic and healthy) were recruited from Shuguang Hospital. Facial and tongue images were collected using the TFDA-1 tongue and face diagnosis instrument. Color and texture features from various parts of facial and tongue images were extracted using Face Diagnosis Analysis System (FDAS) and Tongue Diagnosis Analysis System version 2.0 (TDAS v2.0). Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was used for feature selection. Ten machine learning models and one deep learning model (ResNet50V2 + Conv1D) were developed and evaluated. RESULTS: Anemic women showed lower a-values, higher L- and b-values across all age groups. Texture features analysis showed that women aged 30-39 with anemia had higher angular second moment (ASM)and lower entropy (ENT) values in facial images, while those aged 40-49 had lower contrast (CON), ENT, and MEAN values in tongue images but higher ASM. Anemic women exhibited age-related trends similar to healthy women, with decreasing L-values and increasing a-, b-, and ASM-values. LASSO identified 19 key features from 62. Among classifiers, the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model achieved the best performance [area under the curve (AUC): 0.849, accuracy: 0.781]. The ResNet50V2 model achieved comparable results [AUC: 0.846, accuracy: 0.818]. CONCLUSION Differences in facial and tongue images suggest that color and texture features can serve as potential TCM phenotype and auxiliary diagnostic indicators for female anemia.
Humans ; Female ; Tongue/diagnostic imaging* ; Adult ; Anemia/diagnosis* ; Middle Aged ; Face/diagnostic imaging* ; Young Adult ; Machine Learning

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can result in fatigue and post-exertional malaise; however, whether severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection exacerbates lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) is unclear. This study investigated the association between prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection and postpartum LUTS. METHODS: A multicenter, retrospective cohort study was conducted at two tertiary hospitals in China from November 1, 2022, to November 1, 2023. Participants were classified into infected and uninfected groups based on SARS-CoV-2 antigen results. LUTS prevalence and severity were assessed using self-reported symptoms and the Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-Short Form (IIQ-7). Pelvic floor muscle activity was measured using electromyography following the Glazer protocol. Group comparisons were performed to evaluate the association of SARS-CoV-2 infection with LUTS and electromyography parameters, with stratified analyses conducted using SPSS version 26.0. RESULTS: Among 3,652 participants (681 infected, 2,971 uninfected), no significant differences in LUTS prevalence or IIQ-7 scores were observed. However, SARS-CoV-2 infection was an independent factor influencing the electromyographic activity of the pelvic floor muscles (mean tonic contraction amplitudes), regardless of delivery mode ( P = 0.001). CONCLUSION Prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection was not significantly associated with an increased risk of postpartum LUTS but independently altered pelvic floor muscle electromyographic activity, suggesting potential neuromuscular effects.
Humans ; Female ; COVID-19/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Adult ; Pregnancy ; Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms/virology* ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy Complications, Infectious/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Electromyography ; SARS-CoV-2/physiology* ; Pelvic Floor/physiopathology* ; Prevalence

Objective:To explore the correlation between palm temperature,disease activity,and traditional chinese medicine syndrome types in patients with rheumatoid arthritis(RA).Methods:80 RA patients(RA group)who were admitted to our hospital from April 2022 to June 2024 were selected,they were divided into high group(DAS28 score＞5.1 score)and low to moderate group(2.6 score ≤ DAS28 score≤5.1 score)according to the 28 joint disease activity scores(DAS28).70 healthy volunteers who underwent physical examinations during the same period(control group)were selected.The palm temperature,erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR),C-reactive protein(CRP),and DAS28 scores between the control group and RA group were compared.The palm temperature,ESR,and CRP levels between low to moderate group and high group were compared.The correlation between palm temperature and disease activity,ESR,and CRP levels in RA patients was analyzed by Pearson correlation.The distribution of traditional chinese medicine syndrome types in RA patients was observed,the palm temperature,ESR,and CRP levels of RA patients with different traditional chinese medicine syndrome types were compared.Results:The palm temperature,ESR,CRP levels,and DAS28 score in the RA group were higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05).The palm temperature,ESR,and CRP levels in the high group were higher than those in the low to moderate group(P＜0.05).Pearson correlation analysis results showed that,the palm temperature of RA patients was positively correlated with DAS28 score,ESR,and CRP levels(P＜0.05).Among 80 RA patients,there were 17 cases(21.25％)of liver and kidney deficiency syndrome,23 cases(29.02％)of cold and dampness obstruction syndrome,14 cases(17.86％)of qi and blood deficiency syndrome,17 cases(21.47％)of damp heat obstruction syndrome,and 9 cases(11.52％)of phlegm and blood stasis obstruction syndrome.The palm temperature,ESR,and CRP levels of patients with Qi and blood deficiency syndrome,liver and kidney deficiency syndrome,and phlegm and blood stasis obstruction syndrome increased in sequence and were higher than those of patients with damp heat obstruction syndrome and cold and dampness obstruction syndrome(P＜0.05).There was no statistical difference in palm temperature,ESR,and CRP levels between the groups of damp heat obstruction syndrome and cold and dampness obstruction syndrome(P＞0.05).Conclusion:There is a certain correlation between the palm temperature and disease activity and traditional chinese medicine syndrome types of RA patients.Regular observation of palm temperature,ESR,CRP levels,and DAS28 score is helpful for assessing the condition of RA patients.

Objective:To investigate the effects of Japan tallow(JT)on liver injury and gut microbiota regulation in type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)mice,thereby providing a theoretical basis for developing therapeutic edible oils for diabetes treatment.Methods:T2DM animal model was established through a combined approach of nutritional intervention and chemical induction.Experimental animals were first fed a high-fat diet(HFD)for 6 weeks,followed by intraperitoneal injection of freshly prepared streptozotocin(STZ).After successful model establishment,the mice were divided into five groups(n=6 per group):control group without any intervention;T2DM group;HFD reversion to standard chow group;metformin group;and JT intervention group,which received respective treatments for 4 weeks.At the endpoint,fresh fecal samples were collected from all groups,and the gut microbiota composition was analyzed using 16s rDNA high-throughput sequencing.Liver histopathological changes were examined using histological methods.Results:Compared with the normal control(ND),T2DM mice showed significantly increased fasting blood glucose(FBG)levels,with evident hepatocyte lipid accumulation,steatosis,inflammatory cell infiltration,and widespread vacuolar and fatty degeneration.After Japan tallow(JT)intervention,FBG levels decreased significantly,liver color approximated normal appearance,and pathological morphology improved noticeably.16s rDNA sequencing analysis demonstrated that JT treatment could effectively regulate the intestinal microbiota structure in T2DM mice.Increased microbial α-diversity indices(Chao1,observed_species,Faith_pd,Simpson);At the phylum level,increased Verrucomicrobia abundance while decreased Proteobacteria were detected;At the family level,elevated Bifidobacteriaceae and reduced Porphyromonadaceae were seen;At the genus level,Bifidobacterium was promoted and Akkermansia proliferat while Escherichia and Klebsiella were downregulated.Conclusions:Japan tallow exhibits significant effects in alleviating liver tissue damage and regulating intestinal microbiota disorders in T2DM mice,our study indicated new theoretical basis for the research and development of potential strategy for diabetes.

Objective:To observe the application effect of hyperbaric oxygen combined with task oriented training in hemiplegic patients after cerebral infarction.Methods:106 hemiplegic patients after cerebral infarction admitted to Xinglin Hospital of Xiamen from March 2022 to June 2024 were prospectively selected and randomly divided into control group(received task oriented training,n=53)and observation group(received hyperbaric oxygen combined with task oriented training,n=53).Berg balance scale(BBS),clinical spasticity index(CSI),national institute of health stroke Scale(NIHSS),motor function[fugl-meyer motor function assessment scale(FMA),motor assessment scale(MAS)],walking ability[functional ambulation category(FAC),6-minute walking distance(6MWD)],quality of life and self-care ability[quality of life scale for stroke(SS-QOL),activity of daily living(ADL)]before intervention and 8 weeks after intervention were compared between the two groups.Result:Compared with control group 8 weeks after intervention,the observation group had higher BBS,FMA,MAS,FAC,SS-QOL,ADL scores,and 6MWD,while had lower NIHSS and CSI scores(P＜0.05).Conclusion:Hyperbaric oxygen combined with task oriented training in hemiplegic patients after cerebral infarction,can effectively improve patients' motor function,balance ability,and self-care ability,enhance their quality of life,and reduce neurological damage.