Objective: o analyze the epidemic characteristics of five sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including syphilis, gonorrhea, condyloma acuminatum, genital herpes and genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province from 2019 to 2023, so as to provide the reference for the prevention and control strategies of STDs. Methods: Data of the onset time and diagnostic types of STDs cases in Yangzhou City from 2019 to 2023 were collected from the Infectious Disease Surveillance System of Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The temporal, regional and population characteristics of five types of STDs was analyzed using the descriptive epidemiological method. Results: A total of 10 895 cases of STDs were reported in Yangzhou City from 2019 to 2023, with an average annual reported incidence rate of 47.83/105. The average annual reported incidence rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, condyloma acuminatum, genital herpes and genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections were 41.11/105, 2.83/105, 2.59/105, 0.43/105 and 0.85/105, respectively. The reported incidence rate of STDs showed a decreasing trend from 2019 to 2023 (P<0.05), with an average annual growth rate of -3.44%. The reported incidence rates of syphilis and gonorrhea showed a decreasing trend (both P<0.05), with average annual growth rates of -4.26% and -6.47%, respectively. The reported incidence rate of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection showed an increasing trend (P<0.05), with an average annual growth rate of 22.32%. Baoying County, Guangling District and Hanjiang District had the top three reported incidence rates of STDs, at 56.61/105, 55.61/105 and 46.50/105, respectively. The average annual reported incidence rate of STDs among males was higher than that among females (53.19/105 vs. 42.54/105, P<0.05). The STD cases were primarily people aged 50 years and above, with 6 641 cases accounting for 60.95%. The occupations of STD cases were mainly farmers, housekeepers and unemployed, with 4 670 and 3 273 cases accounting for 42.86% and 30.04%, respectively. Conclusions The overall reported incidence of STDs in Yangzhou City from 2019 to 2023 showed a downward trend, while the reported incidence of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infection showed an upward trend. The individuals aged 50 years and above, farmers, housekeepers and the unemployed were identified as high-risk groups for STDs.

In view of the few studies on the influence of Armillaria spp. infection on the content of the chemical components in different parts of Polyporus umbellatus sclerotia, this study determined the biomass of P. umbellatus sclerotia and the contents of ergosterol, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B and polysaccharide in the separated cavity wall of the sclerotia and the uninfected part of the sclerotia in different harvesting years under the conditions of A. gallica and A. mellea infection respectively. According to the difference of content and dynamic changes of the polysaccharide and the steroid substances, the superior Armillaria sp. was screened to obtain the best harvest years of P. umbellatus. Using HPLC and UV-VIS spectrophotometry methods, the contents of ergosterol, polyporusterone A, polyporusterone B and polysaccharide in P. umbellatus sclerotia infected by the two Armillaria spp. in different years were determined. In addition, the differentially expressed genes related to P. umbellatus polysaccharide synthesis were screened according to the transcriptomic data of different parts of P. umbellatus after A. mellea infection. With the increase of years, the biomass of sclerotia infected by different Armillaria spp. had significant differences, and there were significant differences in the four components of sclerotia. The four components of the separated cavity wall of the sclerotia were significantly higher than those of the uninfected part. The best harvest time was the third year after cultivation. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the infection of Armillaria spp. could significantly promote polysaccharide synthesis, which provided a basis for polysaccharide content determination at the molecular level. The study clarified the influence of different Armillaria spp. infection on the accumulation of chemical components of P. umbellatus sclerotia, laying a foundation for exploring the symbiosis mechanism and provided a scientific clue for screening superior Armillaria sp. and guiding the artificial cultivation of P. umbellatus sclerotia.

Nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-κB） is an important intracellular transcription factor widely involved in the processes such as immune response， inflammatory response， cell proliferation， and apoptosis. The abnormal activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway plays a pivotal role in various liver diseases including chronic hepatitis， liver fibrosis， liver cirrhosis， and hepatocellular carcinoma. Extensive studies have shown that inhibiting NF-κB activity may effectively reduce inflammation and fibrosis and improve metabolic disorders. Several natural compounds， such as matrine and salvianolic acid B， have shown the potential in suppressing NF-κB activity， thereby exerting anti-inflammatory， anti-fibrotic， and anti-tumor effects. This article systematically reviews the critical role of the NF-κB signaling pathway in liver diseases and its potential as a therapeutic target， in order to highlight its potential as a therapeutic target for liver diseases and provide new directions for the treatment of liver diseases.

Objective: To investigate the awareness rate of non-occupational post-exposure prophylaxis (nPEP) for AIDS and its influencing factors among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Methods: From January to June 2024, MSM aged ≥16 years in Yangzhou City were recruited using the snowball sampling method. Basic information, sexual behavior characteristics, awareness and usage of nPEP, and awareness of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for AIDS were collected through questionnaire surveys. Factors affecting awareness of nPEP among MSM were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression model. Results: A total of 740 participants were enrolled, with a median age of 29 (interquartile range, 14) years. There were 497 participants with a college degree and above educational level, accounting for 67.16%. A total of 541 participants resided in urban areas, accounting for 73.11%. The awareness rate of nPEP was 57.30%. The primary channels for awareness were the internet and healthcare institution promotions, with 159 and 119 participants, accounting for 37.50% and 28.07%, respectively. A total of 57 participants had utilized nPEP, with a usage rate of 7.70%. The main reason for using nPEP was having unprotected sex, with 21 participants, accounting for 36.84%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that unmarried MSM (OR=2.369, 95%CI: 1.236-4.540) and those who were aware of PrEP (OR=28.067, 95%CI: 17.664-44.597) had a significantly higher likelihood of being aware of nPEP. Conclusions The awareness rate and usage rate of nPEP among MSM in Yangzhou City are both relatively low. Awareness of nPEP is mainly influenced by marital status and whether participants are aware of PrEP.

Background::Although overnight fasting is recommended prior to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), the benefits and safety of high-carbohydrate fluid diet (CFD) intake 2 h before ERCP remain unclear. This study aimed to analyze whether high-CFD intake 2 h before ERCP can be safe and accelerate patients’ recovery.Methods::This prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial involved 15 tertiary ERCP centers. A total of 1330 patients were randomized into CFD group ( n = 665) and fasting group ( n = 665). The CFD group received 400 mL of maltodextrin orally 2 h before ERCP, while the control group abstained from food/water overnight (>6 h) before ERCP. All ERCP procedures were performed using deep sedation with intravenous propofol. The investigators were blinded but not the patients. The primary outcomes included postoperative fatigue and abdominal pain score, and the secondary outcomes included complications and changes in metabolic indicators. The outcomes were analyzed according to a modified intention-to-treat principle. Results::The post-ERCP fatigue scores were significantly lower at 4 h (4.1 ± 2.6 vs. 4.8 ± 2.8, t = 4.23, P <0.001) and 20 h (2.4 ± 2.1 vs. 3.4 ± 2.4, t= 7.94, P <0.001) in the CFD group, with least-squares mean differences of 0.48 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.26–0.71, P <0.001) and 0.76 (95% CI: 0.57–0.95, P <0.001), respectively. The 4-h pain scores (2.1 ± 1.7 vs. 2.2 ± 1.7, t = 2.60, P = 0.009, with a least-squares mean difference of 0.21 [95% CI: 0.05–0.37]) and positive urine ketone levels (7.7% [39/509] vs. 15.4% [82/533], χ2 = 15.13, P <0.001) were lower in the CFD group. The CFD group had significantly less cholangitis (2.1% [13/634] vs. 4.0% [26/658], χ2 = 3.99, P = 0.046) but not pancreatitis (5.5% [35/634] vs. 6.5% [43/658], χ2 = 0.59, P = 0.444). Subgroup analysis revealed that CFD reduced the incidence of complications in patients with native papilla (odds ratio [OR]: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.39–0.95, P = 0.028) in the multivariable models. Conclusion::Ingesting 400 mL of CFD 2 h before ERCP is safe, with a reduction in post-ERCP fatigue, abdominal pain, and cholangitis during recovery.Trail Registration::ClinicalTrials.gov, No. NCT03075280.

Aim To investigate the expression level of CBX4 in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)and the effect of CBX4 on ESCC proliferation and un-derlying molecular mechanisms.Methods The ex-pression of CBX4 in different cancers was analyzed in Pan-cancers.The expression level of CBX4 in ESCC was analyzed by t-test based on Gene Expression Omni-bus(GEO)data.The viability of CBX4-overex-pressed/knockdown ESCC cells was detected by MTT assay,colony formation assay and flow cytometry assay.Furthermore,the tumor volumn,tumor weight and Ki67 expression were measured by mouse xenograft assay and immunohistochemistry.The mRNA and protein ex-pression levels of apoptosis-related genes PARP、Bcl-2、Bax were determined by qRT-PCR and Western blot,respectively.In addition,the underlying molecular mechanism of CBX4 in ESCC was revealed by qRT-PCR and Western blot.Results CBX4 was upregulat-ed in various cancers.The expression level of CBX4 in ESCC was higher than that in normal tissues(P＜0.05)based on Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)da-ta.Compared with the normal group,the proliferation of CBX4 knockdown ESCC cells was significantly in-hibited and the apoptosis was promoted(P＜0.05).Meanwhile,the mRNA and protein expression levels of cleaved PARP and Bax were upregulated while that of Bcl-2 was downregulated.In CBX4 overexpression group,tumor volume in vivo increased(P＜0.05).Immunohistochemical results also showed an increase in Ki67 expression.Furthermore,the results of RNA-seq,bioinformatics analysis and qRT-PCR experiments indicated that CBX4 probably regulated the prolifera-tion and apoptosis of ESCC through p38 MAPK signa-ling pathway.Conclusion CBX4 is highly expressed in ESCC and plays as an oncogene role,which might regulate cell proliferation through the p38 MAPK signa-ling pathway.

Aim To investigate the role and mecha-nism of CXC chemokine receptor 3(CXCR3)in hepa-toblastoma(HB).Methods The expression of CX-CR3 was detected by immunohistochemical and West-ern blot in 16 cases of HB tissue and adjacent normal liver tissue.The HB cells(Huh-6 and HepT1)were transfected with Con-shRNA,CXCR3-shRNA1,and CXCR3-shRNA2,respectively,and then divided into the Con-shRNA group,CXCR3-shRNA1 group,and CXCR3-shRNA2 group.Cell proliferation was detected by CCK-8 assay and EdU staining.Cell migration and invasion were detected by scratch and Transwell as-says.The expressions of β-catenin,c-Myc,cyclin D1,MMP-7 and MMP-9 were detected by Western blot.The tumor formation and tumor volume in each group were assessed using nude mouse xenograft tumor model,while the expressions of MMP-9 and Ki67 in tumor tissue were examined by immunohistochemistry.Results The expression of CXCR3 was up-regulated in HB tissue(P＜0.01).Compared to the Con-shR-NA group,the viability,proliferation,migration and invasion of Huh-6 and HepT1 cells in the CXCR3-shR-NA1 and CXCR3-shRNA2 groups were reduced(P＜0.01),the expressions of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway related proteins were attenuated(P＜0.01),the tumor grew slowly and the volume was significantly reduced(P＜0.01),and the expressions of MMP-9 and Ki67 in tumor tissue decreased(P＜0.01).Con-clusions Downregulation of CXCR3 hinders the pro-liferation and migration of HB cells,potentially as-cribed to the attenuation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling regulation.

Objective To investigate the effect of artemisinin(ART)on the malignant biological behavior of colorectal cancer(CRC)cells stimulated by glucose and its mechanism.Methods The concentration gradients of 0,5,10,20,40 and 60 μmol/L of ART were used to treat the human colorectal cancer cell line SW480,and then the cell viability was detected by CCK-8.Cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry.Transwell was used to detect the cell migration and invasion.Western blot was used to detect the apoptosis,epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT)and Janus kinase 2(JAK2)/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3(STAT3)related proteins expression.Results Compared with the 0 μmol/L of ART,the viability of SW480 cells decreased under 5,10,20,40,60 μmol/L of ART treatment(P<0.05),and IC50 was 36.91 μmol/L.Therefore,the cells treated with 10,20 and 40 μmol/L of ART were as the low-dose,medium-dose and high-dose ART groups,the cells treated with 0 μmol/L of ART were as the control group,and the cells treated with 40 μmol/L of ART and 10 μmol/L of Coumermycin A1 were as the Coumermycin A1 group.Compared with the control group,the cell scratch wound healing rate,invasion ability,and expression levels of Bcl-2,N-cadherin,Vimentin,p-JAK2,and p-STAT3 in the low-dose ART group,the medium-dose ART group,and the high-dose ART group decreased obviously(P<0.05),while the apoptosis rate,and expression levels of Bax,Caspase-3 and E-cadherin increased(P<0.05).Compared with the high-dose ART group,the cell scratch wound healing rate,invasion ability,and expression levels of Bcl-2,N-cadherin,Vimentin,p-JAK2,and p-STAT3 in the Coumermycin A1 group increased obviously(P<0.05),while the apoptosis rate,and expression levels of Bax,Caspase-3 and E-cadherin decreased(P<0.05).Conclusion ART may inhibit the viability,migration,invasion and EMT of glucose-stimulated CRC cells and promote apoptosis by inhibiting the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Objective To investigate the distribution and antimicrobial resistance profiles of the common pathogens isolated from urine from 2015 to 2021 in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program.Methods The bacterial strains were isolated from urine and identified routinely in 51 hospitals across China in the CHINET Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance Program from 2015 to 2021.Antimicrobial susceptibility was determined by Kirby-Bauer method,automatic microbiological analysis system and E-test according to the unified protocol.Results A total of 261 893 nonduplicate strains were isolated from urine specimen from 2015 to 2021,of which gram-positive bacteria accounted for 23.8％(62 219/261 893),and gram-negative bacteria 76.2％(199 674/261 893).The most common species were E.coli(46.7％),E.faecium(10.4％),K.pneumoniae(9.8％),E.faecalis(8.7％),P.mirabilis(3.5％),P.aeruginosa(3.4％),SS.agalactiae(2.6％),and E.cloacae(2.1％).The strains were more frequently isolated from inpatients versus outpatients and emergency patients,from females versus males,and from adults versus children.The prevalence of ESBLs-producing strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae and P.mirabilis was 53.2％,52.8％and 37.0％,respectively.The prevalence of carbapenem-resistant strains in E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii was 1.7％,18.5％,16.4％,and 40.3％,respectively.Lower than 10％of the E.faecalis isolates were resistant to ampicillin,nitrofurantoin,linezolid,vancomycin,teicoplanin and fosfomycin.More than 90％of the E.faecium isolates were ressitant to ampicillin,levofloxacin and erythromycin.The percentage of strains resistant to vancomycin,linezolid or teicoplanin was＜2％.The E.coli,K.pneumoniae,P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii strains isolated from ICU inpatients showed significantly higher resistance rates than the corresponding strains isolated from outpatients and non-ICU inpatients.Conclusions E.coli,Enterococcus and K.pneumoniae are the most common pathogens in urinary tract infection.The bacterial species and antimicrobial resistance of urinary isolates vary with different populations.More attention should be paid to antimicrobial resistance surveillance and reduce the irrational use of antimicrobial agents.

Objective To understand the distribution and changing resistance profiles of clinical isolates of Enterococcus in hospitals across China from 2015 to 2021.Methods Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted for the clinical isolates of Enterococcus according to the unified protocol of CHINET program by automated systems,Kirby-Bauer method,or E-test strip.The results were interpreted according to the Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)breakpoints in 2021.WHONET 5.6 software was used for statistical analysis.Results A total of 124 565 strains of Enterococcus were isolated during the 7-year period,mainly including Enterococcus faecalis(50.7％)and Enterococcus faecalis(41.5％).The strains were mainly isolated from urinary tract specimens(46.9％±2.6％),and primarily from the patients in the department of internal medicine,surgery and ICU.E.faecium and E.faecalis strains showed low level resistance rate to vancomycin,teicoplanin and linezolid(≤3.6％).The prevalence of vancomycin-resistant E.faecalis and E.faecium was 0.1％and 1.3％,respectively.The prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis increased from 0.7％in 2015 to 3.4％in 2021,while the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecium was 0.3％.Conclusions The clinical isolates of Enterococcus were still highly susceptible to vancomycin,teicoplanin,and linezolid,evidenced by a low resistance rate.However,the prevalence of linezolid-resistant E.faecalis was increasing during the 7-year period.It is necessary to strengthen antimicrobial resistance surveillance to effectively identify the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and curb the spread of resistant pathogens.