BACKGROUND: Congenital heart disease (CHD) is a leading cause of birth defect-related mortality. However, more recent CHD mortality data for China are lacking. Additionally, limited studies have evaluated sex, rural-urban, and region-specific disparities of CHD mortality in China. METHODS: We designed a population-based study using data from the Dataset of National Mortality Surveillance in China between 2008 and 2021. We calculated age-adjusted CHD mortality using the sixth census data of China in 2010 as the standard population. We assessed the temporal trends in CHD mortality by age, sex, area, and region from 2008 to 2021 using the joinpoint regression model. RESULTS: From 2008 to 2021, 33,534 deaths were attributed to CHD. The period witnessed a two-fold decrease in the age-adjusted CHD mortality from 1.61 to 0.76 per 100,000 persons (average annual percent change [AAPC] = -5.90%). Females tended to have lower age-adjusted CHD mortality than males, but with a similar decline rate from 2008 to 2021 (females: AAPC = -6.15%; males: AAPC = -5.84%). Similar AAPC values were observed among people living in urban (AAPC = -6.64%) and rural (AAPC = -6.12%) areas. Eastern regions experienced a more pronounced decrease in the age-adjusted CHD mortality (AAPC = -7.86%) than central (AAPC = -5.83%) and western regions (AAPC = -3.71%) between 2008 and 2021. Approximately half of the deaths (46.19%) due to CHD occurred during infancy. The CHD mortality rates in 2021 were lower than those in 2008 for people aged 0-39 years, with the largest decrease observed among children aged 1-4 years (AAPC = -8.26%), followed by infants (AAPC = -7.01%). CONCLUSIONS CHD mortality in China has dramatically decreased from 2008 to 2021. The slower decrease in CHD mortality in the central and western regions than in the eastern regions suggested that public health policymakers should pay more attention to health resources and health education for central and western regions.
Humans ; Heart Defects, Congenital/mortality* ; Male ; Female ; China/epidemiology* ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Adult ; Child ; Adolescent ; Infant, Newborn ; Middle Aged ; Young Adult ; Aged ; Rural Population

Background: and Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between residual inflammatory risk (RIR) and vulnerable plaques using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Methods: This retrospective study included 70%–99% symptomatic ICAS patients hospitalized from January 2016 to December 2022. Patients were classified into four groups based on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C): residual cholesterol inflammatory risk (RCIR, hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), RIR (hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L), residual cholesterol risk (RCR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), and no residual risk (NRR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L). Vulnerable plaque features on HRMRI included positive remodeling, diffuse distribution, intraplaque hemorrhage, and strong enhancement. Results: Among 336 included patients, 21, 60, 58, and 197 were assigned to the RCIR, RIR, RCR, and NRR groups, respectively. Patients with RCIR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.606; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.346–9.662; P=0.011) and RIR (aOR, 3.361; 95% CI, 1.774–6.368, P<0.001) had higher risks of strong enhancement than those with NRR. Additionally, patients with RCIR (aOR, 2.965; 95% CI, 1.060–8.297; P=0.038) were more likely to have intraplaque hemorrhage compared with those with NRR. In the sensitivity analysis, RCR (aOR, 2.595; 95% CI, 1.201–5.608; P=0.015) exhibited an additional correlation with an increased risk of intraplaque hemorrhage. Conclusion In patients with symptomatic ICAS, RIR is associated with a higher risk of intraplaque hemorrhage and strong enhancement, indicating an increased vulnerability to atherosclerotic plaques.

Background: and Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between residual inflammatory risk (RIR) and vulnerable plaques using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Methods: This retrospective study included 70%–99% symptomatic ICAS patients hospitalized from January 2016 to December 2022. Patients were classified into four groups based on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C): residual cholesterol inflammatory risk (RCIR, hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), RIR (hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L), residual cholesterol risk (RCR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), and no residual risk (NRR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L). Vulnerable plaque features on HRMRI included positive remodeling, diffuse distribution, intraplaque hemorrhage, and strong enhancement. Results: Among 336 included patients, 21, 60, 58, and 197 were assigned to the RCIR, RIR, RCR, and NRR groups, respectively. Patients with RCIR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.606; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.346–9.662; P=0.011) and RIR (aOR, 3.361; 95% CI, 1.774–6.368, P<0.001) had higher risks of strong enhancement than those with NRR. Additionally, patients with RCIR (aOR, 2.965; 95% CI, 1.060–8.297; P=0.038) were more likely to have intraplaque hemorrhage compared with those with NRR. In the sensitivity analysis, RCR (aOR, 2.595; 95% CI, 1.201–5.608; P=0.015) exhibited an additional correlation with an increased risk of intraplaque hemorrhage. Conclusion In patients with symptomatic ICAS, RIR is associated with a higher risk of intraplaque hemorrhage and strong enhancement, indicating an increased vulnerability to atherosclerotic plaques.

Background: and Purpose This study aimed to investigate the association between residual inflammatory risk (RIR) and vulnerable plaques using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI) in symptomatic intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). Methods: This retrospective study included 70%–99% symptomatic ICAS patients hospitalized from January 2016 to December 2022. Patients were classified into four groups based on high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C): residual cholesterol inflammatory risk (RCIR, hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), RIR (hs-CRP ≥3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L), residual cholesterol risk (RCR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C ≥2.6 mmol/L), and no residual risk (NRR, hs-CRP <3 mg/L and LDL-C <2.6 mmol/L). Vulnerable plaque features on HRMRI included positive remodeling, diffuse distribution, intraplaque hemorrhage, and strong enhancement. Results: Among 336 included patients, 21, 60, 58, and 197 were assigned to the RCIR, RIR, RCR, and NRR groups, respectively. Patients with RCIR (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.606; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.346–9.662; P=0.011) and RIR (aOR, 3.361; 95% CI, 1.774–6.368, P<0.001) had higher risks of strong enhancement than those with NRR. Additionally, patients with RCIR (aOR, 2.965; 95% CI, 1.060–8.297; P=0.038) were more likely to have intraplaque hemorrhage compared with those with NRR. In the sensitivity analysis, RCR (aOR, 2.595; 95% CI, 1.201–5.608; P=0.015) exhibited an additional correlation with an increased risk of intraplaque hemorrhage. Conclusion In patients with symptomatic ICAS, RIR is associated with a higher risk of intraplaque hemorrhage and strong enhancement, indicating an increased vulnerability to atherosclerotic plaques.

This study investigates the genetic diversity and evolutionary relationships of different Artemisia argyi germplasm resources to provide a basis for germplasm identification, variety selection, and resource protection. A total of 192 germplasm resources of A. argyi were studied, and EST-based simple sequence repeat(EST-SSR) primers were designed based on transcriptomic data of A. argyi. Polymerase chain reaction(PCR) amplification was performed on these resources, followed by fluorescence capillary electrophoresis to detect genetic diversity and construct DNA fingerprints. From 197 pairs of primers designed, 28 pairs with polymorphic and clear bands were selected. A total of 278 alleles were detected, with an average of 9.900 0 alleles per primer pair and an average effective number of alleles of 1.407 2. The Shannon's diversity index(I) for the A. argyi germplasm resources ranged from 0.148 1 to 0.418 0, with an average of 0.255 7. The polymorphism information content(PIC) ranged from 0.454 5 to 0.878 0, with an average of 0.766 9, showing high polymorphism. Cluster analysis divided the A. argyi germplasm resources into three major groups: Group Ⅰ contained 136 germplasm samples, Group Ⅱ contained 45, and Group Ⅲ contained 11. Principal component analysis also divided the resources into three groups, which was generally consistent with the clustering results. Mantel test results showed that the genetic variation in A. argyi populations was to some extent influenced by geographic distance, but the effect was minimal. Structure analysis showed that 190 germplasm materials had Q≥ 0.6, indicating that these germplasm materials had a relatively homogeneous genetic origin. Furthermore, 8 core primer pairs were selected from the 28 designed primers, which could distinguish various germplasm types. Using these 8 core primers, DNA fingerprints for the 192 A. argyi germplasm resources were successfully constructed. EST-SSR molecular markers can be used to study the genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships of A. argyi, providing theoretical support for the identification and molecular-assisted breeding of A. argyi germplasm resources.
Artemisia/classification* ; Microsatellite Repeats ; Genetic Variation ; Expressed Sequence Tags ; DNA Fingerprinting ; Phylogeny ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; DNA, Plant/genetics* ; Genetic Markers

Objective To investigate the influencing factors for chronic pancreatitis(CP)complicated by pancreatogenic portal hypertension(PPH),and to establish a predictive model.Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of 99 patients with CP complicated by PPH who were hospitalized in The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University,Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture People's Hospital,Wenshan People's Hospital,and Puer People's Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022,and these patients were enrolled as PPH group.The incidence density sampling method was used to select 198 CP patients from databases as control group.The independent-samples t test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups,and the Mann-Whitney U test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups;the chi-square test or the Fisher's exact test was used for comparison of categorical data between two groups.The Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator(LASSO)regression model was used to identify the potential predictive factors for CP complicated by PPH,and the predictive factors obtained were included in the multivariate Logistic regression analysis to obtain independent risk factors,which were used to establish a nomogram prediction model.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve,the calibration curve,and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test were used to perform internal validation of the model,and the clinical decision curve was used to assess the clinical practicability of the model.Results There were significant differences between the two groups in sex,history of recurrent acute pancreatitis attacks,acute exacerbation of CP,bile duct stones,peripancreatic fluid accumulation,pseudocysts,pulmonary infection,elevated C-reactive protein(CRP),elevated procalcitonin,fibrinogen(FIB),neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase,total bilirubin,direct bilirubin,low-density lipoprotein(LDL),serum amylase,D-dimer,and serum albumin(all P<0.05).The predictive variables obtained by the LASSO regression analysis included sex,recurrent acute pancreatitis attacks,bile duct stones,peripancreatic fluid accumulation,pulmonary infection,pseudocysts,CRP,NLR,FIB,and LDL.The multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that sex(odds ratio[OR]=2.716,P<0.05),recurrent acute pancreatitis attacks(OR=2.138,P<0.05),peripancreatic fluid accumulation(OR=2.297,P<0.05),pseudocysts(OR=2.805,P<0.05),and FIB(OR=1.313,P<0.05)were independent risk factors for CP complicated by PPH.The above factors were fitted into the model,and the Bootstrap internal validation showed that the nomogram model had an area under the ROC curve of 0.787(95%confidence interval:0.730—0.844),and the calibration curve was close to the reference curve.The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed that the model had a good degree of fitting(χ2=7.469,P=0.487).The clinical decision curve analysis showed that the prediction model had good clinical practicability.Conclusion Male sex,recurrent acute pancreatitis attacks,peripancreatic fluid accumulation,pseudocysts,and FIB are independent risk factors for CP complicated by PPH,and the nomogram model established has good discriminatory ability,calibration,and clinical practicability.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of establishing an animal model of rectovaginal fistula in rabbits by magnetic compression technique.Methods A magnetic device suitable for preparing rabbit rectovaginal fistula model was self-designed.Eight New Zealand female rabbits were used as experimental subjects.They were placed in a supine position after auricular intravenous anesthesia,and the magnets were placed on both sides of the rectovaginal septum through the vagina and anus,respectively,and the magnets were made to attract together.The operation time was recorded,the general state of the experimental rabbits was observed after operation,and the time of magnet discharge was recorded.The experimental rabbits were killed 1 week after operation to obtain rectovaginal fistula specimens,and the formation of rectovaginal fistula was observed by naked eye.Results The animal model of rectovaginal fistula was successfully established in 8 experimental rabbits.The operation process was smooth,with an average time of(1.63±0.70)minutes.The rabbits were generally in good condition after operation.The magnet was discharged from the body at(4.63±0.99)day after operation,and the rectovaginal fistula specimens were obtained 1 week after operation,and the rectovaginal fistula was well formed by naked eye observation.Conclusion The establishment of rabbit rectovaginal fistula model by magnetic compression technique has the advantages of simple operation and high success rate of model preparation.

Objective To monitor the susceptibility of clinical isolates to antimicrobial agents in tertiary hospitals in major regions of China in 2022.Methods Clinical isolates from 58 hospitals in China were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a unified protocol based on disc diffusion method or automated testing systems.Results were interpreted using the 2022 Clinical &Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints.Results A total of 318 013 clinical isolates were collected from January 1,2022 to December 31,2022,of which 29.5％were gram-positive and 70.5％were gram-negative.The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains in Staphylococcus aureus,Staphylococcus epidermidis and other coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species(excluding Staphylococcus pseudintermedius and Staphylococcus schleiferi)was 28.3％,76.7％and 77.9％,respectively.Overall,94.0％of MRSA strains were susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and 90.8％of MRSE strains were susceptible to rifampicin.No vancomycin-resistant strains were found.Enterococcus faecalis showed significantly lower resistance rates to most antimicrobial agents tested than Enterococcus faecium.A few vancomycin-resistant strains were identified in both E.faecalis and E.faecium.The prevalence of penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae was 94.2％in the isolates from children and 95.7％in the isolates from adults.The resistance rate to carbapenems was lower than 13.1％in most Enterobacterales species except for Klebsiella,21.7％-23.1％of which were resistant to carbapenems.Most Enterobacterales isolates were highly susceptible to tigecycline,colistin and polymyxin B,with resistance rates ranging from 0.1％to 13.3％.The prevalence of meropenem-resistant strains decreased from 23.5％in 2019 to 18.0％in 2022 in Pseudomonas aeruginosa,and decreased from 79.0％in 2019 to 72.5％in 2022 in Acinetobacter baumannii.Conclusions The resistance of clinical isolates to the commonly used antimicrobial agents is still increasing in tertiary hospitals.However,the prevalence of important carbapenem-resistant organisms such as carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa,and A.baumannii showed a downward trend in recent years.This finding suggests that the strategy of combining antimicrobial resistance surveillance with multidisciplinary concerted action works well in curbing the spread of resistant bacteria.

Although the understanding of sepsis has evolved from "sepsis 1.0" to "sepsis 3.0", and the consensus on clinical management of sepsis has been continuously updated, the incidence rate and mortality of sepsis remain high. Therefore, in-depth investigation of the pathogenesis and related influencing factors of sepsis is of great significance for revealing the nature of sepsis and improving the clinical outcome of sepsis patients. This review will focus on the key issues in the basic research of sepsis, and summarize the recent advances and challenges in this field, mainly including genetic polymorphism, microorganisms, high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), endothelial dysfunction, immunotherapy, and biomarkers, aiming to provide new insights for the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis.

Sepsis-related organ dysfunction is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Previous studies have found that the endothelium plays crucial roles in maintaining the vascular permeability during sepsis, as well as in regulating inflammation and thrombosis. During sepsis, endothelial cells may release cytokines, chemokines, and pro-coagulant factors, as well as express adhesion molecules. In general, endothelial responses during sepsis typically inhibit bacterial transmission and coordinate leukocyte recruitment to promote bacterial clearance. However, excessive or prolonged endothelial activation can lead to impaired microcirculation, tissue hypoperfusion, and organ dysfunction. Given the structural and functional heterogeneity of endothelial cells in different organs, there are potential differences in endothelial responses by organ type, and the risk of organ damage may vary accordingly. This article reviews the endothelial response observed in sepsis and its effects on organ function, summarizes current progress in the development of therapeutic interventions targeting the endothelial response, and discusses future research directions to serve as a reference for researchers in the field.
Sepsis/complications* ; Humans ; Multiple Organ Failure/etiology* ; Endothelium, Vascular/physiopathology* ; Endothelial Cells/metabolism* ; Cytokines/metabolism* ; Animals