Objective To investigate the prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infections in wild rodents in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of China, so as to provide insights into formulation of technical guidelines for monitoring of and the precise control strategy for S. japonicum infections in wild rodents during the elimination phase. Methods Two administrative villages where schistosomiasis was historically highly prevalent were selected each from Dongzhi County, Anhui Province, and Duchang County, Jiangxi Province as study villages. Wild rodents were captured from study villages with baited traps or cages at night in June and September, 2021. The number of rodents captured was recorded, and the rodent species was characterized based on morphologi-cal characteristics. Liver tissues were sampled from captured rodents for macroscopical observation of the presence of egg granu- lomas, and S. japonicum infection was detected simultaneously using liver tissue homogenate microscopy, examinations of mesenteric tissues for parasites, and modified Kato-Katz thick smear technique (Kato-Katz technique). A positive S. japonicum infection was defined as detection of S. japonicum eggs or adult worms by any of these methods. The rate of wild rodent capture and prevalence of S. japonicum infections in wild rodents were compared in different study villages and at different time periods, and the detection of S. japonicum infections in wild rodents was compared by different assays. Results The overall rate of wild ro- dent capture was 8.28% (237/2 861) in Dongzhi County, and the wild rodent capture rates were 9.24% (133/1 439) and 7.31% (104/1 422) in two study villages (χ² = 3.503, P = 0.061), and were 8.59% (121/1 409) and 7.99% (116/1 452) in June and September, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.337, P = 0.561). The overall rate of wild rodent capture was 3.72% (77/2 072) in Duchang County, and the wild rodent capture rates were 6.91% (67/970) and 0.91% (10/1 102) in two study villages (χ² = 51.901, P < 0.001), and were 4.13% (39/945) and 3.37% (38/1 127) in June and September, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.815, P = 0.365). Rattus norvegicus was the predominant rodent species captured in both counties, accounting for 70.04% (166/237) of all captured wild rodents in Dongzhi County and 88.31% (68/77) in Duchang County. No S. japonicum infection was detected in wild rodents captured in Duchang County. Nevertheless, the overall prevalence of S. japonicum infections was 51.05% (121/237) in wild rodents captured in Dongzhi County, with prevalence rates of 50.38% (67/133) and 51.92% (54/104) in two study villages (χ² = 0.098, P = 0.755), and 54.31% (63/116) and 47.93% (58/121) in September and June, 2021, respectively (χ² = 0.964, P = 0.326). Of 237 wild rodents captured in Dongzhi County, there were 140 (59.07%) rodents with visible hepatic egg granulomas, 117 (49.47%) tested positive for S. japonicum eggs by liver tissue homogenate microscopy, 34 (14.35%) tested positive for S. japonicum eggs with Kato-Katz technique; however, no adult S. japonicum worms were detected in mesenteric tissues. In addition, hepatic egg granulomas were found in all wild rodents tested positive for S. japonicum eggs with liver tissue homogenate microscopy. Conclusions The rate of wild rodent capture and prevalence of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents vary greatly in schistosomiasis-endemic areas of China, and the prevalence of S. japonicum infection is slightly higher in wild rodents captured in autumn than in summer. Liver tissue is recommended as the preferred sample for surveillance of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents, and a combination of macroscopical observation of hepatic egg granulomas and liver tissue homogenate microscopy may be a standard method for surveillance of S. japonicum infection in wild rodents.

Objective To investigate the spatiotemporal expression pattern of metabotropic glutamate receptor 4(mGluR4)in the mouse cochlear basilar membrane and its dynamic changes during postnatal development until hair cell synaptic maturation.Methods Ten healthy 3-month-old C57BL/6L wild-type mice(5 males,5 females,25～35 g)were bred to obtain offspring.Cochlear samples from postnatal days 1～30(P1～P30)were analyzed.Frequency-specific auditory brainstem response(ABR)thresholds were measured at 45.2,32.0,22.6,16.0,11.3,8.0,5.6,and 4.0 kHz in P12,P14,P16,P21,and P30 mice.Immunofluorescence assay combined with confocal laser scanning microscopy was used to scan cochlear whole-mount preparations.Spatiotemporal co-localization profiling of mGluR4 and synaptic markers Ctbp2 and Snap25 was observed,and quantitative comparisons of fluorescent puncta density were performed.Results ABR testing revealed undifferentiated waveforms in all P12 mice,while 70%of P14 mice exhibited well-defined Wave I.In P14,P16,P21 and P30,mice undergoing ABR testing,50%failed to exhibit ABR waveforms when stimulated by 45.2 kHz tones,and 87.5%showed no response to 32.0 kHz stimuli.Auditory response thresholds for other frequencies progressively decreased with increasing postnatal age.Immunolocalization demonstrated stronger mGluR4 expression in inner hair cells(IHCs)versus outer hair cells(OHCs).Distinct mGluR4 puncta were observed at IHC presynaptic active zones(co-localized with Snap25)as early as P11,but showed minimal overlap with CtBP2-labeled ribbons.Quantitative analysis revealed significantly higher mGluR4 puncta density at P30 compared to P14 synapses(P<0.05).Conclusion Postnatal upregulation of mGluR4 at IHC synaptic regions correlates with functional maturation.These findings suggest mGluR4 may modulate vesicular exocytosis regulation and exert pharmacological inhibition on glutamate release,potentially influencing synaptic plasticity during auditory pathway refinement.

Objective To investigate the distribution and seasonal fluctuations of visceral leishmaniasis vectors sandflies in Lüliang City, Shanxi Province, so as to provide insights into assessment of the visceral leishmaniasis transmission risk and formulation of visceral leishmaniasis control measures. Methods A total of 12 natural villages were sampled from Shilou County, Lishi District, Lanxian County, Linxian County and Wenshui County in Lüliang City, Shanxi Province from June to September, 2023, and sandflies were captured using light traps from 7 breeding habitats, including farmers’ houses, sheep pens, cattle pens, chicken coops, pig pens, mule and horse pens, and loess-cave dwellings. Following morphological identification of the sandfly species, the distribution of sandflies and the seasonal fluctuations of the sandfly density were analyzed. In addition, the Leishmania was detected in sandflies using a real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR assay. Results A total of 2 831 sandflies were captured with 156 light traps in Lüliang City from June to September, 2023, including 2 638 female sandflies (93.18%) and 193 male sandflies (6.82%), and the average density was 16.91 sandflies/(light-night). The seasonal fluctuations of the sandfly density all appeared a unimodal distribution in all survey sites, and the sandfly density peaked in July and then declined rapidly. Among all types of breeding habitats, the greatest sandfly density was found in sheep pens [39.04 sandflies/(light-night)]. In addition, 4.08% (2/49) of the sandfly samples were tested positive for Leishmania nucleic acid as revealed by the real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR assay. Conclusions Sandflies were widely distributed in Lüliang City, Shanxi Province in 2023, and the peak of the sandfly density was observed in July, which had a visceral leishmaniasis transmission risk. Intensified surveillance of visceral leishmaniasis and sandfly vectors is required and targeted vector control is recommended.

Objective: To investigate the effects and mechanisms of Xuebijing injection (XBJ) on Chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell function and its therapeutic potential against CAR-T therapy-associated cytokine storms (CRS). Methods: Anti-CD19 CAR-T cells were established based on FMC63 antibodies. Different doses of XBJ (1 and 10 mg/mL) were added to the culture system. Untreated anti-CD19 CAR-T cells served as negative controls. After 48-h co-culture, the effects of XBJ on CAR-T cell function were assessed. Carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester staining was used to assess the effect of XBJ on CAR-T cell proliferation. Flow cytometry, luciferase reporter gene assays, and real time cellular analysis were employed to evaluate the effects of XBJ on CAR-T cell cytotoxicity in vitro. RNA-sequencing was performed to analyze the effects of XBJ on CAR-T cell gene expression. Network pharmacology predicted potential XBJ therapeutic targets for CRS, which were verified in a THP-1 macrophage inflammation model. Results: XBJ enhanced both the proliferation and tumor killing capacities of CAR-T cells. Transcriptome analysis showed that XBJ treatment affects multiple genes and pathways in CAR-T cells, with differential gene enrichment in multiple cell proliferation and growth factor pathways. Potential targets for CRS control by XBJ were predicted using network pharmacology, and the inhibitory effect of XBJ on the expression of relevant genes was verified using a macrophage model. Conclusion The results of this study indicate that XBJ can enhance the killing effect of CAR-T cells on tumor cells and that the mechanism is related to the regulation of T cell proliferation and activation. Moreover, XBJ inhibited excessive inflammation associated with CAR-T therapy. However, the current findings remain to be further validated through in vivo experiments.

Objective:To learn about physicians’ concepts and commonly employed method in hyaluronic acid injection and provide reference data for the standardization of pain management.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Convenient sampling method was used to distribute questionnaires to cosmetic injectors and patients experienced with hyaluronic acid injections to collect data on their views of pain associated with hyaluronic acid injections. The physician portion was collected offline from June 15 to July 20, 2022, and the patient portion was collected from November 14, 2022, to December 6, 2022, via the Questionnaire Star platform. The physician questionnaire consisted of 17 questions, question types included single choice, multiple choice and essay questions. The patient questionnaire consisted of 6 questions, question types included single choice and multiple choice. Relevant data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software for descriptive statistics, and data were presented in the form of cases and percentages (%).Results:Sixty-two physician questionnaires and 123 patient questionnaires were collected. 42 (67.74%) physicians observed from their daily practice that more than 50% of their patients were very concerned about pain during injection; 101 (82.11%) patients scored ≥5 out of 10 for concern about impending pain prior to hyaluronic acid filler injection. At the time of treatment, 48 (77.42%) physicians advised patients to choose a lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid filler for reasons including a significant reduction in injection pain (53 cases, 85.48%) and patient comfort with the treatment experience (59 cases, 95.16%). 60 (48.78%) patients were willing to choose an anesthesia-containing product at the time of injection, but the price of the anesthesia-containing product influenced the patient’ s choice (55 cases 44.72%) .Conclusions:Pain from cosmetic injectable treatments is an important issue to both physicians and patients. Lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid is recognized by physicians and patients for its analgesic effect and high safety profile. There is no perfect solution for pain in cosmetic injection treatment, and multidisciplinary collaboration may be needed to solve the problem.

Objective:To learn about physicians’ concepts and commonly employed method in hyaluronic acid injection and provide reference data for the standardization of pain management.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Convenient sampling method was used to distribute questionnaires to cosmetic injectors from plastic surgery department of public hospitals or medical beauty institutions and patients experienced with hyaluronic acid injections to collect data on their views of pain associated with hyaluronic acid injections. The physician portion was collected offline from June 15 to July 20, 2022, and the patient portion was collected from November 14 to December 6, 2022, via the Questionnaire Star platform. The physician questionnaire consisted of 17 questions, question types included single choice, multiple choice and essay questions. The patient questionnaire consisted of 6 questions, question types included single choice and multiple choice. Relevant data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software for descriptive statistics, and data were presented in the form of cases(%).Results:Sixty-two physician questionnaires and 123 patient questionnaires were collected. 42 (67.74%) physicians observed from their daily practice that more than 50% of their patients were very concerned about pain during injection; 101 (82.11%) patients scored ≥5 out of 10 for concern about impending pain prior to hyaluronic acid filler injection. At the time of treatment, 48 (77.42%) physicians advised patients to choose a lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid filler for reasons including a significant reduction in injection pain (53 cases, 85.48%) and patient comfort with the treatment experience (59 cases, 95.16%). 60 (48.78%) patients were willing to choose an anesthesia-containing product at the time of injection, but the price of the anesthesia-containing product influenced the patient’s choice (55 cases, 44.72%).Conclusion:Pain from cosmetic injectable treatments is an important issue to both physicians and patients. Lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid is recognized by physicians and patients for its analgesic effect and high safety profile. There is no perfect solution for pain in cosmetic injection treatment, and multidisciplinary collaboration may be needed to solve the problem.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) among acute respiratory infection (ARI) cases in 16 provinces of China from 2009 to 2023.Methods:The data of this study were collected from the ARI surveillance data from 16 provinces in China from 2009 to 2023, with a total of 28 278 ARI cases included in the study. The clinical specimens from ARI cases were screened for HRSV nucleic acid from 2009 to 2023, and differences in virus detection rates among cases of different age groups, regions, and months were analyzed.Results:A total of 28 278 ARI cases were enrolled from January 2009 to September 2023. The age of the cases ranged from<1 month to 112 years, and the age M ( Q1, Q3) was 3 years (1 year, 9 years). Among them, 3 062 cases were positive for HRSV nucleic acid, with a total detection rate of 10.83%. From 2009 to 2019, the detection rate of HRSV was 9.33%, and the virus was mainly prevalent in winter and spring. During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the detection rate of HRSV fluctuated between 6.32% and 18.67%. There was no traditional winter epidemic peak of HRSV from the end of 2022 to the beginning of 2023, and an anti-seasonal epidemic of HRSV occurred from April to May 2023. About 87.95% (2 693/3 062) of positive cases were children under 5 years old, and the difference in the detection rate of HRSV among different age groups was statistically significant ( P<0.001), showing a decreasing trend of HRSV detection rate with the increase of age ( P<0.001). Among them, the HRSV detection rate (25.69%) was highest in children under 6 months. Compared with 2009-2019, the ranking of HRSV detection rates in different age groups changed from high to low between 2020 and 2023, with the age M (Q1, Q3) of HRSV positive cases increasing from 1 year (6 months, 3 years) to 2 years (11 months, 3 years). Conclusion:Through 15 years of continuous HRSV surveillance analysis, children under 5 years old, especially infants under 6 months old, are the main high-risk population for HRSV infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the prevalence and patterns of HRSV in China have changed.

Objective:To learn about physicians’ concepts and commonly employed method in hyaluronic acid injection and provide reference data for the standardization of pain management.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Convenient sampling method was used to distribute questionnaires to cosmetic injectors and patients experienced with hyaluronic acid injections to collect data on their views of pain associated with hyaluronic acid injections. The physician portion was collected offline from June 15 to July 20, 2022, and the patient portion was collected from November 14, 2022, to December 6, 2022, via the Questionnaire Star platform. The physician questionnaire consisted of 17 questions, question types included single choice, multiple choice and essay questions. The patient questionnaire consisted of 6 questions, question types included single choice and multiple choice. Relevant data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software for descriptive statistics, and data were presented in the form of cases and percentages (%).Results:Sixty-two physician questionnaires and 123 patient questionnaires were collected. 42 (67.74%) physicians observed from their daily practice that more than 50% of their patients were very concerned about pain during injection; 101 (82.11%) patients scored ≥5 out of 10 for concern about impending pain prior to hyaluronic acid filler injection. At the time of treatment, 48 (77.42%) physicians advised patients to choose a lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid filler for reasons including a significant reduction in injection pain (53 cases, 85.48%) and patient comfort with the treatment experience (59 cases, 95.16%). 60 (48.78%) patients were willing to choose an anesthesia-containing product at the time of injection, but the price of the anesthesia-containing product influenced the patient’ s choice (55 cases 44.72%) .Conclusions:Pain from cosmetic injectable treatments is an important issue to both physicians and patients. Lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid is recognized by physicians and patients for its analgesic effect and high safety profile. There is no perfect solution for pain in cosmetic injection treatment, and multidisciplinary collaboration may be needed to solve the problem.

Objective:To learn about physicians’ concepts and commonly employed method in hyaluronic acid injection and provide reference data for the standardization of pain management.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional study. Convenient sampling method was used to distribute questionnaires to cosmetic injectors from plastic surgery department of public hospitals or medical beauty institutions and patients experienced with hyaluronic acid injections to collect data on their views of pain associated with hyaluronic acid injections. The physician portion was collected offline from June 15 to July 20, 2022, and the patient portion was collected from November 14 to December 6, 2022, via the Questionnaire Star platform. The physician questionnaire consisted of 17 questions, question types included single choice, multiple choice and essay questions. The patient questionnaire consisted of 6 questions, question types included single choice and multiple choice. Relevant data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 software for descriptive statistics, and data were presented in the form of cases(%).Results:Sixty-two physician questionnaires and 123 patient questionnaires were collected. 42 (67.74%) physicians observed from their daily practice that more than 50% of their patients were very concerned about pain during injection; 101 (82.11%) patients scored ≥5 out of 10 for concern about impending pain prior to hyaluronic acid filler injection. At the time of treatment, 48 (77.42%) physicians advised patients to choose a lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid filler for reasons including a significant reduction in injection pain (53 cases, 85.48%) and patient comfort with the treatment experience (59 cases, 95.16%). 60 (48.78%) patients were willing to choose an anesthesia-containing product at the time of injection, but the price of the anesthesia-containing product influenced the patient’s choice (55 cases, 44.72%).Conclusion:Pain from cosmetic injectable treatments is an important issue to both physicians and patients. Lidocaine-containing hyaluronic acid is recognized by physicians and patients for its analgesic effect and high safety profile. There is no perfect solution for pain in cosmetic injection treatment, and multidisciplinary collaboration may be needed to solve the problem.

Objective To explore the preventive and therapeutic effects of Caryopteris incana decoction in a rat model of primary dysmenorrhea with cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome.Methods Sixty healthy specific pathogen-free SD female rats were randomly divided into six groups of ten rats each:normal group,model group,ibuprofen group,C.incana high-dose group,C.incana medium-dose group,and C.incana low-dose group.All groups except the normal group were treated with cold stimulation combined with estradiol benzoate and oxytocin to establish a rat model of primary dysmenorrhea with cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome.On the fifth day of modeling,the rats were intragastrically administered the study drugs for 10 days.Their symptoms were observed and recorded.The writhing response and hemorheological indices were measured.The serum levels of TXB2,6-keto-prostaglandin F1α(6-Keto-PGF1α),estradiol(E2),and progesterone(PROG)were measured.Additionally,the levels of prostaglandin F2α(PGF2α),prostaglandin E2(PGE2),nitric oxide(NO),and calcium(Ca2+)in the uterine tissues were measured.The organ indices of the uterus and ovary were calculated,and histopathological changes were observed.Results Compared with the normal group,the rats in the model group showed obvious symptoms of cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome and writhing reaction.The morphology of uterus and ovary showed obvious hyperplasia,inflammation,edema and other lesions.The plasma viscosity,packed cell volume and whole blood viscosity were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The serum levels of thromboxane B2 and E2 and the E2/PROG ratio were significantly increased(P＜0.01),the levels of 6-Keto-PGF1α and PROG were significantly decreased(P＜0.01).The uterine index and ovarian index were significantly increased(P＜0.01).The levels of PGF2α and Ca2+and the PGF2α/PGE2 ratio in uterine tissue were significantly increased(P＜0.01),while the levels of PGE2 and NO were significantly decreased(P＜0.01).Compared with the model group,Caryopteris incana significantly improved the symptoms of model rats,improved the morphological lesions of the uterus and ovary,prolonged the latency time of the writhing reaction,and reduced the number of writhing episodes(P＜0.01);significantly reduced the plasma viscosity,packed cell volume,and whole blood viscosity(P＜0.01);significantly reduced the serum levels of TXB2 and E2 and the E2/PROG ratio,increased the serum levels of 6-Keto-PGF1αand PROG,and reduced the uterine and ovarian indices(P＜0.01,P＜0.05);significantly reduced the levels of PGF2αand Ca2+and the PGF2α/PGE2 ratio in uterine tissue(P＜0.01,P＜0.05);and significantly increased the levels of PGE2 and NO in the uterine tissue(P＜0.01).Conclusions Caryopteris incana decoction can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea in rats with cold coagulation and blood stasis syndrome,and it has a good control effect.Its mechanism may be correlated with the levels of TXB2,6-Keto-PGF1α,E2,and PROG in serum and PGF2α,PGE2,NO,and Ca2+in uterine tissue.