OBJECTIVE:Most of the existing studies are based on traditional Meta-analysis to study the efficacy of single stimulation protocols such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation on lower limb motor dysfunction in stroke patients,and it is not possible to clarify which stimulation protocol is the optimal choice.This study used network meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of different regimens of non-invasive brain stimulation in the treatment of lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke.METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,VIP,CBM,PubMed,Medline and Web of Science databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials on different regimens of non-invasive brain stimulation for lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke from inception to October 1,2024.Data extraction was performed on the included studies.RevMan 5.4.1 software was used for traditional meta-analysis and the quality of the included studies was evaluated.Stata 17.0 software was used for network meta-analysis.RESULTS:(1)A total of 39 studies involving 2 920 patients were included,involving 6 treatment methods:conventional rehabilitation training,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,continuous theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation.(2)The results of network meta-analysis showed that high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation were superior to conventional rehabilitation training in the Fugl-Meyer assessment for lower extremity motor function.(3)In terms of improving Berg balance scale score,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,and intermittent theta burst stimulation were significantly different from conventional rehabilitation training(P＜0.05),and there was a significant difference between high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and intermittent theta burst stimulation(P＜0.05).(4)In improving modified Barthel index and Barthel index,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation were superior to conventional rehabilitation training.(5)Under the cumulative ranking chart,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation showed the best efficacy in Fugl-Meyer assessment for lower extremity motor function,Berg balance scale score,modified Barthel index and Barthel index,followed by low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.CONCLUSION:Both high-and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can improve the lower limb motor function and balance function of patients with stroke,and can improve the activities of daily living of patients to varying degrees.Moreover,the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is better than that of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

OBJECTIVE:Most of the existing studies are based on traditional Meta-analysis to study the efficacy of single stimulation protocols such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and transcranial direct current stimulation on lower limb motor dysfunction in stroke patients,and it is not possible to clarify which stimulation protocol is the optimal choice.This study used network meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the clinical efficacy of different regimens of non-invasive brain stimulation in the treatment of lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke.METHODS:CNKI,WanFang,VIP,CBM,PubMed,Medline and Web of Science databases were searched to collect randomized controlled trials on different regimens of non-invasive brain stimulation for lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke from inception to October 1,2024.Data extraction was performed on the included studies.RevMan 5.4.1 software was used for traditional meta-analysis and the quality of the included studies was evaluated.Stata 17.0 software was used for network meta-analysis.RESULTS:(1)A total of 39 studies involving 2 920 patients were included,involving 6 treatment methods:conventional rehabilitation training,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,continuous theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation.(2)The results of network meta-analysis showed that high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation were superior to conventional rehabilitation training in the Fugl-Meyer assessment for lower extremity motor function.(3)In terms of improving Berg balance scale score,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,and intermittent theta burst stimulation were significantly different from conventional rehabilitation training(P＜0.05),and there was a significant difference between high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation and intermittent theta burst stimulation(P＜0.05).(4)In improving modified Barthel index and Barthel index,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation,intermittent theta burst stimulation,and transcranial direct current stimulation were superior to conventional rehabilitation training.(5)Under the cumulative ranking chart,high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation showed the best efficacy in Fugl-Meyer assessment for lower extremity motor function,Berg balance scale score,modified Barthel index and Barthel index,followed by low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.CONCLUSION:Both high-and low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can improve the lower limb motor function and balance function of patients with stroke,and can improve the activities of daily living of patients to varying degrees.Moreover,the effect of high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation is better than that of low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Objective : To analyze the epidemiological characteristics and spatial clustering of brucellosis in Shanxi Province from 2019 to 2023, so as to provide a reference for formulating prevention and control measures of brucellosis. Methods: The case data of brucellosis in Shanxi Province from 2019 to 2023 were collected through the Infectious Disease Surveillance System of the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. The seasonal distribution, population distribution, and region distribution of brucellosis cases were described. Spatial autocorrelation analysis was applied to explore the spatial clustering characteristics of brucellosis. Results: A total of 21 241 human brucellosis cases were reported in Shanxi Province from 2019 to 2023, with an average annual reported incidence of 11.87/100 000, showing an upward trend (P<0.05). The peak incidence period was from March to August, with 14 163 cases reported cumulatively, accounting for 66.68% of the total. There were 16 336 male cases and 4 905 female cases, with a male-to-female ratio of 3.33:1. The high-incidence age group was 40-<70 years, with 15 675 cases accounting for 73.80%. The majority of patients were farmers, with 17 926 cases accounting for 84.39%. Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that there was spatial clustering in the incidence of brucellosis from 2019 to 2023 (all Moran's I>0, P<0.05). The high-high clustering areas were mainly Datong City, and Shuozhou City in northern Shanxi, and Linfen City in the southern Shanxi. The low-low clustering areas were mainly Taiyuan City and Yangquan City in central Shanxi, and Changzhi City and Jincheng City in southeastern Shanxi. Conclusions From 2019 to 2023, the reported incidence of brucellosis in Shanxi Province showed an upward trend. The incidence peaked from March to August, and males, middle-aged and elderly people and farmers were the high-risk groups. There was spatial clustering and the high-high clustering areas gradually expanded from northern Shanxi to southern Shanxi.

AIM:To investigate the mechanism by which exosomes(EXOs)derived from neural stem cells(NSCs)pretreated with astragaloside IV(ASIV)alleviate brain damage in rats after ischemic stroke.METHODS:Rat NSCs were isolated from fetal rats within 24 h of birth,cultured for 3 d,and subsequently treated with ASIV for additional 5 d.The EXOs from untreated NSCs and ASIV-pretreated NSCs(ASIV-EXOs)were isolated via ultracentrifugation of the cell supernatant.These EXOs were characterized using Western blot to detect specific markers such as CD63,tumor sus-ceptibility gene 101(TSG101)and calnexin.Nanoparticle analysis was employed to determine the size,and the morpholo-gy of the EXOs was observed under electron microscope.Six to eight-week-old SD male rats were randomly assigned to 6 groups:sham group,middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion(MCAO/R)model group,edaravone(EDA)treatment(MCAO/R+EDA)group,EXOs treatement(MCAO/R+EXOs)group and ASIV-EXOs treatment(MCAO/R+ASIV-EXOs)group.Tail vein injections were administered within 2 h following the successful establishment of the MCAO/R model.The Zea Longa method was utilized to evaluate neurological deficits,while the TTC method was employed to assess brain infarc-tion.Pathological changes were examined through HE staining,and TUNEL and caspase-1 immunofluorescence double staining were conducted to detect cellular pyroptosis.Serum levels of interleukin-1β(IL-1β)and IL-18 were measured us-ing ELISA,and Western blot was performed to evaluate the expression of caspase-1,nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3(NLRP3),apoptosis-associated speck-like protein containing a caspase recruitment domain(ASC),gasdermin D(GSDMD),and IL-18 proteins in the ischemic area of the rat cerebral cortex across all groups.RE-SULTS:The MCAO/R group exhibited significantly higher neurological deficit scores compared to the sham group(P＜0.01)and lower scores in the administered groups relative to the MCAO/R group(P＜0.05).Cerebral infarction was mark-edly increased in the MCAO/R group compared to the sham group(P＜0.01),whereas the infarction area was reduced in the administered groups compared to the MCAO/R group(P＜0.05).Serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 were significantly el-evated in the MCAO/R group versus the sham group(P＜0.01)and were lower in the administered groups compared to the MCAO/R group(P＜0.01).Moreover,IL-1β and IL-18 levels in the MCAO/R+ASIV-EXOs group were lower than those in the MCAO/R+EXOs group(P＜0.05).HE staining revealed pronounced sieve-like infarction foci in the ischemic area of the rat cerebral cortex in MCAO/R group,characterized by disorganized neuronal arrangements,reduced or absent Nys-trom's vesicles,shrunken or fragmented nuclei,and numerous red neurons.In contrast,drug-treated groups exhibited milder pathological changes with clearer neuronal structures and a significant reduction in red neuron counts.Immunofluo-rescence double staining indicated a significant increase in double-positive cells in the MCAO/R group compared to the sham group(P＜0.01),with a decrease in double-positive cells in the administered groups relative to the MCAO/R group(P＜0.05)and a further reduction in the MCAO/R+ASIV-EXOs group compared to the MCAO/R+EXOs group(P＜0.05).The expression levels of caspase-1,NLRP3,ASC,IL-18 and GSDMD proteins in the ischemic region of the rat cerebral cortex were significantly reduced in the administered groups compared to the MCAO/R group(P＜0.01),with further re-duction observed in the MCAO/R+ASIV-EXOs group compared to the MCAO/R+EXOs group(P＜0.05).CONCLU-SION:Exosomes derived from ASIV-pretreated NSCs attenuate brain damage in ischemic stroke rats,potentially through a mechanism involving the inhibition of pyroptosis mediated by the NLRP3/caspase-1 pathway.

Sleep disorders have a high incidence rate in patients with end-stage renal disease(ESRD)and severely affect their quality of life.As the most effective treatment for ESRD,kidney transplantation can significantly improve renal function and prolong survival of patients.However,clinical observations have found that 19.3%to 78.0%of kidney transplant recipients still experience persistent various sleep disorders,such as insomnia,sleep-related breathing disorders and sleep-related movement disorders after surgery.These sleep disorders not only lead to impaired daytime function but are also closely related to adverse outcomes such as cardiovascular complications and increased infection risks.Currently,research on the pathogenesis of sleep disorders in kidney transplant recipients is still insufficient,and clinical diagnosis and treatment face many challenges.This article systematically reviews the epidemiological characteristics,pathophysiological mechanisms,clinical impacts,and new developments in the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders in kidney transplant recipients.It aims to provide evidence-based support for clinicians and promote the establishment of more comprehensive early screening and individualized treatment plans to improve the long-term prognosis of recipients.

Objective To explore the traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome characteristics of patients with Chikungunya hemorrhagic fever and to provide empirical data to support the application of TCM in diagnosing and treating Chikungunya hemorrhagic fever.Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect clinical data(sex,age,days since onset,and comorbidity underlying disease conditions)and TCM with four-examination information(symptoms,tongue manifestations,and pulse manifestations)from 255 patients with Chikungunya hemorrhagic fever who visited Lecong Hospital of Shunde,Foshan,the Third People's Hospital of Shunde District of Foshan,Shunde Hospital of Southern Medical University Affiliated Chencun Hospital between July 23 and July 29,2025.Factor and cluster analyses were used to summarize TCM syndrome characteristics and analyze core pathogenesis in conjunction with clinical features.Results Among the 255 patients with Chikungunya hemorrhagic fever,131 were male and 124 were female,with a age of(49.05±17.93)years and a disease duration of(3.26±1.78)days.Among the four types of examination information in TCM,35 items exhibited a frequency exceeding 10%.The most prevalent symptoms were arthralgia(180 patients,70.59%),exanthem(153 patients,60.00%),fatigue(99 patients,38.82%),anhidrosis(98 patients,38.43%),pruritus(96 patients,37.65%),and fever(92 patients,36.08%).Tongue and pulse manifestations were primarily white fur(155 patients,60.78%),pink tongue(111 patients,43.53%),slippery pulse(143 patients,56.08%),and greasy fur(134 patients,52.53%).Patients with disease onset≤3 d had a higher incidence of arthralgia,fatigue,fever,aversion to cold,generalized muscle pain,aversion to wind,insomnia,headache,sweating,low-grade fever,poor appetite,loose stool,hyperhidrosis,and red tongue than those with disease onset≥4 d(P<0.05).Patients with disease onset≥4 d had a higher incidence of pink tongue and thick fur than those with disease onset≤3 d(P<0.05).The syndrome elements in patients with Chikungunya hemorrhagic fever predominantly manifested on the defensive exterior,with involvement of the sinew-bone joints,skin-muscle,and spleen.Pathogenic factors were primarily characterized by external winds,dampness,and heat.Factor and cluster analysis result indicated three TCM pathogenesis progression patterns:imbalance of the defensive exterior with wind-dampness conflict and heat transformation;dampness-heat flowing into muscles and meridians causing joint obstruction and qi blood stasis;and dampness-heat congelation resulting in qi mechanism obstruction,consumption of body fluids,and infiltration of the skin.Conclusion Patients with Chikungunya hemorrhagic fever primarily present with fever,joint pain,and rashes.In TCM,this condition falls under the category of"dampness-warmth"syndrome.Its etiology is attributed to pathogens,with transmission occurring through mosquito bites.The core pathogenesis of TCM is the invasion of the defensive exterior and dampness-toxic heat accumulation.The therapeutic principles focus on clearing heat pathogens,resolving dampness pathogens,dispersing wind pathogens,and promoting the resolution of rashes.

Renal cell carcinoma(RCC)is a highly aggressive malignant tumor,for which traditional 18F-FDG positron emission computed tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT)exhibits insufficient sensitivity in diagnosing primary lesions.This article reviews the recent advances in novel PET/CT tracers for the diagnosis and treatment of RCC,focusing on tracers targeting carbonic anhydrase Ⅸ(CAⅨ),prostate-specific membrane antigen(PSMA),fibroblast activation protein(FAP),somatostatin receptor(SSTR),and C-methionine(c-MET).This article aims to provide reference for the early diagnosis and optimization of treatment strategies for RCC,so as to drive innovations in the field of oncologic imaging.These novel tracers demonstrate significant advantages in improving the sensitivity and specificity of detecting primary and metastatic RCC lesions,as well as in assessing treatment response,thereby addressing the limitations of traditional 18F-FDG PET/CT.Although these novel PET/CT tracers show great potential in the diagnosis and treatment of RCC,their efficacy and safety require further validation through large-scale trials.In the future,the development of multi-target tracers combined with artificial intelligence is expected to achieve precise diagnosis and individualized treatment of RCC.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effectiveness of tumor lesion curettage and allogeneic bone grafting via the fovea of femoral head through the surgical hip dislocation approach in children and adolescents with femoral head chondroblastoma (FHCB).Methods:Case series study.The clinical data of 7 FHCB patients [3 males and 4 females with a mean age of 13.7 years (11-19 years)] treated at the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics, Zhengzhou Orthopedic Hospital from January 2016 to March 2023 were retrospectively analyzed.All patients underwent lesion curettage and allogeneic bone grafting via the fovea of femoral head through the surgical hip dislocation approach.The healing, local recurrence and complications were assessed via clinical and radiological tests.Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) scoring system.A paired t-test was used to compare the MSTS scores before the operation and at the final follow-up. Results:All patients were followed up for 30 months on average (18-48 months).The average healing time for bone grafting was 4.9 (3-8) months.Local recurrence and serious postoperative complications such as avascular necrosis of femoral head, secondary osteoarthritis, ectopic ossification and nonunion of greater trochanter osteotomy end were not observed in all patients up to the last follow-up.The average MSTS score at the last follow-up was (29.14±0.45) points.Conclusions:Curettage and bone grafting via the fovea of femoral head through the surgical hip dislocation approach is effective and safe in the treatment of FHCB in children and adolescents.This method can maintain the integrity of the articular surface and growth plate, and also preserve the blood supply of the femoral head and the normal function of the hip joint, with satisfactory short-term effects.

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological and spatio-temporal characteristics of influenza in Jiaxing City, Zhejiang Province, so as to provide insights into perfecting the prevention and control strategies of influenza. Methods: Data of influenza in Jiaxing City from 2019 to 2023 were collected from the Chinese Disease Prevention and Control Information System. Population data of the same period were collected from the Zhejiang Health Information Network Reporting System. The epidemiological characteristics of influenza were analyzed using descriptive analysis. Vector map information was collected from the Open Street Map, and the spatio-temporal clustering characteristics of influenza were analyzed using spatial autocorrelation and spatio-temporal scanning. Results: A total of 181 501 cases of influenza were reported in Jiaxing City from 2019 to 2023, with an average annual reported incidence of 653.93/105. The majority of cases were aged 5 to <15 years (59 785 cases, 32.94%). The majority of the occupations were students (78 239 cases, 43.11%) and pre-school children (33 715 cases, 18.58%). The county (city, district) with the highest reported incidence was Haining City (1 451.70/105), and the town (street) with the highest reported incidence was Chang'an Town (1 932.78/105). Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that the incidence of influenza in Jiaxing City from 2019 to 2023 had positive spatial correlations (all Moran's I>0, all P<0.05), with a high-high clustering in the southern region. Spatio-temporal scanning analysis showed that there was a spatio-temporal clustering of influenza in Jiaxing City from 2019 to 2023, with the southern region being the primary-type clustering area and the period between November and January of the following year being the clustering time. Conclusion There was a significant spatio-temporal clustering of influenza in Jiaxing City from 2019 to 2023, with winter being the peak season and the southern region being the primary area.

ObjectiveTo investigate the change in the activity of hepatitis B virus （HBV）-specific CD8⁺ T cells after pegylated interferon-α-2b （PEG-IFN-α-2b） therapy in HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection. MethodsA total of 53 HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection who attended The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical University and Tangdu Hospital of Air Force Mdical University from April 2020 to June 2022 were enrolled and treated with PEG-IFN-α-2b （180 μg/week， subcutaneous injection） antiviral therapy. The study endpoint was HBsAg clearance （course of treatment<48 weeks） or 48 weeks （course of treatment≥48 weeks）. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated at baseline and study endpoint， and peripheral blood T cell counts were measured. Enzyme-linked immunospot assay was used to measure the frequency of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells secreting perforin， granzyme B， and interferon-γ. A total of 17 HLA-A^*02-restricted patients were selected， and CD8⁺ T cells were purified to establish direct- and indirect-contact co-culture systems for HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells and HepG2.2.15 cells. The level of lactate dehydrogenase in supernatant was measured to calculate the mortality rate of HepG2.2.15 cells， and the levels of HBV DNA， cytotoxic molecules， and cytokines in supernatant were also measured. Flow cytometry was used to measure the expression of apoptosis ligands， and the cytotoxicity of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells was evaluated. The independent samples t-test or the paired t-test was used for comparison of normally distributed continuous data between two groups， and the Mann-Whitney U test or the Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for comparison of non-normally distributed continuous data between two groups. ResultsThe HBsAg clearance rate at study endpoint was 30.19% （16/53）. There were no significant differences in peripheral blood T cell counts （CD3⁺， CD4⁺， and CD8⁺ T cells） between baseline and study endpoint （P>0.05）. At study endpoint， there was a significant increase in the frequency of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells secreting perforin， granzyme B， and interferon-γ （U=177.50， t=11.90， U=186.50， all P<0.001）， and the patients with HBsAg clearance had a significantly higher frequency of such HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells than those without HBsAg clearance （U=120.50， t=2.73， U=121.50， all P<0.01）. In the direct- and indirect-contact co-culture systems at study endpoint， HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells induced a significant reduction in HBV DNA in the supernatant of HepG2.2.15 cells （all P<0.001） and significant increases in the secretion of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α （all P<0.05）； in the direct-contact co-culture system， HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells induced significant increases in the mortality rate of HepG2.2.15 cells （13.62%±3.27% vs 11.39%±2.40%， t=2.27， P=0.030） and the secretion of perforin and granzyme B （t=72.50， U=52.50， both P<0.05）. In the direct- and indirect-contact co-culture systems， compared with HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells from the patients without HBsAg clearance， the HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells from patients with HBsAg clearance had a significantly greater reduction in HBV DNA （P<0.05） and significant increases in the secretion of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α （P<0.05）. ConclusionPEG-IFN-‍α‍-2b therapy can help to achieve a relatively high HBsAg clearance rate in HBeAg-negative patients with chronic HBV infection， and the activity of HBV-specific CD8⁺ T cells is significantly enhanced， which is closely associated with HBsAg clearance.