ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xiaoji Hufei Formula in protecting children with close contact exposure to influenza， and to provide reference and evidence-based support for better clinical prevention and treatment of influenza in children. MethodsA multicenter， prospective， non-randomized， parallel， controlled trial was conducted from October 2021 to May 2022 in five hospitals， including Dongfang Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Confirmed influenza cases and influenza-like illness （ILI） cases were collected， and eligible children with close contact exposure to these cases were recruited in the outpatient clinics. According to whether the enrolled close contacts were willing to take Xiaoji Hufei formula for influenza prevention， they were assigned to the observation group （108 cases） or the control group （108 cases）. Follow-up visits were conducted on days 7 and 14 after enrollment. The primary outcomes were the incidence of ILI and the rate of laboratory-confirmed influenza. Secondary outcomes included traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） symptom score scale for influenza， influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate， influenza hospitalization rate， and time to onset after exposure to influenza cases. ResultsA total of 216 participants were enrolled， with 108 in the observation group and 108 in the control group. Primary outcomes： （1） Incidence of ILI： The incidence was 12.0% （13/108） in the observation group and 23.1% （25/108） in the control group， with the observation group showing a significantly lower incidence （χ²=4.6， P<0.05）. （2） Influenza confirmation rate： 3.7% （4/108） in the observation group and 4.6% （5/108） in the control group， with no statistically significant difference. Secondary outcomes： （1） TCM symptom score scale： after onset， nasal congestion and runny nose scores differed significantly between the two groups （P<0.05）， while other symptoms such as fever， sore throat， and cough showed no significant differences. （2） Influenza-related emergency （outpatient） visit rate： 84.6% （11 cases） in the observation group and 96.0% （24 cases） in the control group， with no significant difference. （3） Time to onset after exposure： The median onset time after exposure to index patients was 7 days in the observation group and 4 days in the control group， with a statistically significant difference （P<0.05）. ConclusionIn previously healthy children exposed to infectious influenza cases under unprotected conditions， Xiaoji Hufei formula prophylaxis significantly reduced the incidence of ILI. Xiaoji Hufei Formula can be recommended as a specific preventive prescription for influenza in children.

Objective To study the expression,immunological effect and prognosis analysis of G2 and S phase-expressed protein 1(GTSE1)in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and its potential action mechanism.Methods Using the data provided by the public da-tabases The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA),the Kaplan-Meier,Tumor Immune Estimation Resource(TIMER)and Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis(GEPIA)databases were used to analyze the gene expression,immunological effect and prognosis of GTSE1,and the expression of GTSE1 in clinical samples was verified by immunohistochemical experiments.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Ency-clopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analysis of GTSE1-related differential genes was performed by R software.Results GTSE1 was significantly overexpressed in human cancer tissues,and was significantly associated with poor prognosis of liver cancer(P＜0.05).GTSE1 gene expression was significantly correlated with the abundance of infiltrating immune cells in HCC(P＜0.001).GTSE1-related differentially expressed genes were mainly enriched in gene modules such as nuclear division,organelle fission and ion channel activity.The signaling pathways involved mainly include neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction and cell cycle.Conclusion GTSE1 expression is significantly up-regulated in HCC and is significantly associated with poor prognosis,and plays an important role in immune cell infiltration,which can be used as a prognostic marker and immunotherapeutic target for HCC.

Background Salidroside (SAL) has a protective effect on multiple organ systems. Exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in the atmosphere may lead to disruptions in gut microbiota and impact intestinal health. The regulatory effect of SAL on the gut microbiota of mice exposed to PM_2.5 requires further investigation. Objective To evaluate gut microbiota disruption in mice after being exposed to PM_2.5 and the potential effect of SAL. Methods Forty male C57BL/6 mice, aged 6 to 8 weeks, were randomly divided into four groups: a control group, an SAL group, a PM_2.5 group, and an SAL+PM_2.5 group, each containing 10 mice. In the SAL group and the SAL+PM_2.5 group, the mice were administered SAL (60 mg·kg⁻¹) by gavage, while in the control group and the PM_2.5 group, sterile saline (10 mL·kg⁻¹) was administered by gavage. In the PM_2.5 group and the SAL+PM_2.5 group, PM_2.5 suspension (8 mg·kg⁻¹) was intratracheally instilled, and in the control group and SAL group, sterile saline (1.5 mL·kg⁻¹) was intratracheally administered. Each experiment cycle spanned 2 d, with a total of 10 cycles conducted over 20 d. Histopathological changes in the ileum tissue of the mice were observed after HE staining. Colon contents were collected for gut microbiota sequencing and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) measurements. Results The PM_2.5 group showed infiltration of inflammatory cells in the ileum tissue, while the SAL+PM_2.5 group exhibited only a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration. Compared to the control group, the PM_2.5 group showed decreased Shannon index (P<0.05) and increased Simpson index (P<0.05), indicating that the diversity of gut microbiota in this group was decreased; the SAL+PM_2.5 group showed increased Shannon index compared to the PM_2.5 group (P<0.05) and decreased Simpson index (P<0.05), indicating that the diversity of gut microbiota in mice intervened with SAL was increased. The principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed a significant separation between the PM_2.5 group and the control group, while the separation trend was less evident among the control group, the SAL group, and the SAL+PM_2.5 group. The unweighted pair-group method with arithmetic means (UPGMA) clustering tree results showed that the control group and the SAL group clustered together first, followed by clustering with the SAL+PM_2.5 group, and finally, the three groups clustered with the PM_2.5 group. The PCoA and UPGMA clustering results indicated that the uniformity and similarity of the microbiota in the PM_2.5 group were significantly decreased. Compared to the control group, the PM_2.5 group showed decreased abundance of phylum Bacteroidetes and Candidatus_Saccharimonas (P<0.05) and increased abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, genus Escherichia, genus Bacteroides, genus Prevotella, genus Enterococcus, and genus Proteus (P<0.05). Compared to the PM_2.5 group, the SAL+PM_2.5 group showed decreased abundance of phylum Proteobacteria, phylum Actinobacteria, genus Prevotella, and genus Proteus (P<0.05), and increased abundance of Candidatus_Saccharimonas (P<0.05). The PM_2.5 group showed reduced levels of propionic acid, valeric acid, and hexanoic acid compared to the control group (P<0.05), while the SAL+PM_2.5 group showed increased levels of propionic acid, isobutyric acid, butyric acid, valeric acid, and hexanoic acid compared to the PM_2.5 group (P<0.05). Conclusion Exposure to PM_2.5 can cause pathological alterations, microbial dysbiosis, and disturbing production of SCFAs in intestinal tissue in mice. However, SAL can provide a certain degree of protective effect against these changes.

Objective To examines the correlation between lifestyle factors and semen quality among sperm donors at Anhui human sperm bank.Methods Demographic and lifestyle data were collected from 1,222 volunteers who donated sperm between January 2021 and December 2023,and their association with semen quality was analyzed.Results Univariate chi-square analysis revealed significant associations between several lifestyle factors and abnor-mal semen parameters(P＜0.05),including non-student status,frequent masturbation,short-term abstinence,low exercise frequency,frequent staying up late,smoking,drinking,and short sleep duration.Moreover,multiva-riate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that non-student status,longer abstinence time,and insufficient sleep were linked to abnormal semen volume.Additionally,abstinence time,exercise frequency,staying up late,smok-ing,and sleep duration were significantly correlated with abnormal semen concentration and sperm motility(P＜0.05).Conclusion Analysis reveals a close relationship between semen quality and volunteers'lifestyles,inclu-ding factors such as abstinence time,staying up late,sleep duration,smoking,drinking,and exercise frequency.

Objective To analyze the characteristics of males with autologous sperm preservation(ASP)in Anhui human sperm bank,and to explore the future direction of ASP in human sperm bank.Methods The basic infor-mation of males applied for ASP in Anhui human sperm bank from January 2019 to December 2023 was retrospec-tively analyzed.Results During this period,there were 424 males applied for ASP.93.40％(396/424)came from Anhui Province,of which 46.46％(197/424)came from Hefei.The age range of them was 15 to 59 years old.66.04％(280/424)had a college degree or above.23.11％(98/424)were employees of public institutions or enterprises.26.89％(114/424)were unmarried and 89.39％(379/424)were childless.67.45％(286/424)patients applied for ASP because of assisted reproductive technology treatment.15.33％(65/424)patients did it due to tumors,among which testicular cancer,lymphoma,leukemia and seminoma were the main reasons.A total of 1 163 semen samples were saved,and 53 males had used their sperm.Conclusion Only a few people applied for ASP,and the characteristics of males with ASP can be used to further strengthen publicity for key groups,espe-cially cancer patients,so as to benefit more people with autologous sperm preservation.

Objective To investigate the distribution of B cells in both tumor and non-tumor tissues of gastric cancer patients,analyze their phenotypic characteristics and explore the impact on T cell proliferation.Methods Immunohistochemical staining was utilized to detect the expression of B cell surface marker CD 19 in tumor and non-tumor tissues from 33 gastric cancer patients.The expression levels of chemokine receptors and immunoglobulin molecules on B cells in both tumor and non-tumor tissues were measured using flow cytometry.Chemotaxis experiments were conducted to examine the role of the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis in B cell chemotaxis.B cells isolated and purified from both tissue types were co-cultured with autologous peripheral T cells to assess their effect on T cell proliferation.Results There were significantly more B cells infiltrated in tumor tissues than those infitrated in the non-tumor tissues of gastric cancer patients(P＜0.01),and CXCR4 was highly expressed on tumor-infiltrating B cells compared with B cells derived from non-tumor tissues(P＜0.05).The Cancer Genome Atlas(TCGA)analysis indicated that the expression level of CXCL12 in tumor tissues was positively correlated with the expression level of CD19 in gastric cancer patients(r=0.15,P＜0.01).And the expression level of CXCL12 in tumor tissues of the gastric cancer patients was also positively correlated with the number of B cells infiltrated in tumor tissues.Chemotaxis experiments confirmed that the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis was involved in promoting B cell chemotaxis(P＜0.05).Although B cells in tumor and non-tumor tissues had similar levels of IgM,IgG,and IgA expression,tumor-infiltrating B cells significantly inhibited the proliferation of T cells when compared with B cells derived from non-tumor tissues(P＜0.01).Conclusion There are more B cells infiltrated in gastric cancer tissues,which may be recruited to tumor tissues through the CXCL12-CXCR4 axis,and then inhibit T cell proliferation to promote the progression of gastric cancer.

Objective To evaluate the precision and effectiveness of ultrasound-guided visualization for nasojejunal tube placement with the"R(right reclining)-S(shoulder)-A(abdominal)"3-point positioning for critically ill patients.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on all critically ill patients who underwent nasojejunal tube placement in Department of Critical Medicine of a tertiary hospital in Chongqing from April 2022 to August 2023.According to the position of the catheter,they were divided into a control group and an observation group.The control group received ultrasound-guided nasojejunal tube insertion,while the observation group used the"R-S-A"3-point positioning (the patient were placed in a right lateral position,the nurse stood at the right shoulder of the patient,and the ultrasound operator stood on the right side of the abdomen in the operating direction)for ultrasound-guided nasojejunal tube insertion.And,the control group had no specific requirements for positioning during the procedure.After propensity matching,the time and success rate of catheter insertion and incidence of complications were compared between the 2 groups.Results The time of catheter insertion was significantly shorter (36.2±10.3 vs 42.3±8.3 min),and the success rate of insertion was obviously higher (95.2％ vs 66.7％)in the observation group when compared with the control group (P<0.05).The incidence of complication was 9.5％ in the observation group,and 28.6％ in the control group,but there was no statistical difference between the 2 groups.Conclusion Ultrasound-guided nasojejunal tube placement based on "R-S-A"3-point positioning has high precision and strong effectiveness in critically ill patients,which can shorten the time and improve the success rate of catheter insertion.

With the recent ongoing autumn/winter 2022 COVID-19 wave and the adjustment of public health control measures, there have been widespread SARS-CoV-2 infections in Chinese mainland. Here we have analyzed 369 viral genomes from recently diagnosed COVID-19 patients in Shanghai, identifying a large number of sublineages of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron family. Phylogenetic analysis, coupled with contact history tracing, revealed simultaneous community transmission of two Omicron sublineages dominating the infections in some areas of China (BA.5.2 mainly in Guangzhou and Shanghai, and BF.7 mainly in Beijing) and two highly infectious sublineages recently imported from abroad (XBB and BQ.1). Publicly available data from August 31 to November 29, 2022 indicated an overall severe/critical case rate of 0.035% nationwide, while analysis of 5706 symptomatic patients treated at the Shanghai Public Health Center between September 1 and December 26, 2022 showed that 20 cases (0.35%) without comorbidities progressed into severe/critical conditions and 153 cases (2.68%) with COVID-19-exacerbated comorbidities progressed into severe/critical conditions. These observations shall alert healthcare providers to place more resources for the treatment of severe/critical cases. Furthermore, mathematical modeling predicts this autumn/winter wave might pass through major cities in China by the end of the year, whereas some middle and western provinces and rural areas would be hit by the upcoming infection wave in mid-to-late January 2023, and the duration and magnitude of upcoming outbreak could be dramatically enhanced by the extensive travels during the Spring Festival (January 21, 2023). Altogether, these preliminary data highlight the needs to allocate resources to early diagnosis and effective treatment of severe cases and the protection of vulnerable population, especially in the rural areas, to ensure the country's smooth exit from the ongoing pandemic and accelerate socio-economic recovery.

Objective:To study the time consumption of clinical trial projects in each link of contract signing in medical institutions and its influencing factors, to provide a reference for further optimizing the clinical trial management process and improving the efficiency of contract signing.Methods:All of the review records of projects that signed clinical trial contracts at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 1st, 2018 to December 31st, 2021 were retrospectively analyzed by comparing the time consumption in each link before signing the contracts and the frequency of contract reviews. Multiple linear regressions were applied to multivariate analyze the influence of different factors on contract signing.Results:A total of 761 clinical trial contracts signed at Peking Union Medical College Hospital from 2018 to 2021 were included in this study, and the average time consumption of contract signing was 127.0 days, among which the consumption of contract review by the hospital was 10.5 days and by sponsors was 99.0 days. The time consumption of contract signing has been decreasing in recent 4 years, from 154.0 days in 2018 to 104.0 days in 2021. The phase of clinical trials, category of sponsors, frequency of contract reviews, and different policies of the institutions were the main influencing factors for contract signing time ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Clinical trial institutions should optimize the contract approval progress, provide agreement templates and targeted service, and strengthen propaganda and information system construction, to improve the efficiency of reviewing and signing clinical trial contracts.