ObjectiveThe malaria parasites remodel the host erythrocyte structure by exporting parasite proteins that interact with the membrane skeleton proteins of red blood cells (RBCs), facilitating their intracellular survival and pathogenicity. Skeleton-binding protein 1 (SBP1) is a conserved exported protein across Plasmodium species. In Plasmodium falciparum, SBP1 has been reported to interact with erythrocyte membrane skeleton proteins 4.1R and spectrin, while its contribution to erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence in Plasmodium berghei (Pb) remains unclear. This study aims to determine whether PbSBP1 associates with the host cytoskeletal protein 4.1R and to investigate its role in the remodeling of host RBCs and the pathogenicity of Plasmodium berghei. MethodsIn Plasmodium berghei, the relationship between PbSBP1 and the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R was examined using co-immunoprecipitation. A Pbsbp1 gene knockout mutant of Plasmodium berghei (Pbsbp1∆) was generated based on the principle of double crossover homologous recombination. The deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was assessed using microfluidic methods. Microchannels with an array of cylindrical pillars were used to detect modifications in infected RBC deformability. The infected RBCs were squashed between the rows and recovered between the columns and the transit velocity (μm/s) of infected RBCs travelling through the microchannel was recorded. The component of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton junctional complex, tropomodulin (TMOD), was fluorescently labeled, and the cytoskeletal network of infected erythrocytes was imaged using super-resolution stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) to analyze ultrastructural changes in the cytoskeleton of wild-type (WT) and Pbsbp1∆-infected erythrocytes. Actin-based junctional complexes were displayed as individual clusters by the labeled TMOD in the STORM images, and the cluster densities and distances between adjacent clusters of infected RBCs were calculated. Additionally, rodent malaria models (BALB/c mice) and experimental cerebral malaria models (C57BL/6 mice) were employed to monitor the growth of Pbsbp1∆ and WT parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage and their capacity to induce cerebral malaria in mice. ResultsPbSBP1 may participate in the remodeling of infected erythrocytes through direct or indirect interaction with the erythrocyte cytoskeletal protein 4.1R. Microfluidic assays revealed that the deformability of erythrocytes infected with Pbsbp1∆ parasites was significantly enhanced compared to those infected with WT parasites. STORM imaging further demonstrated that the ultrastructure of the erythrocyte cytoskeleton in Pbsbp1∆-infected cells was altered relative to that in WT-infected erythrocytes. The distances between nearest neighbors of clusters had a tendency to increase while the cluster densities were decreased in Pbsbp1∆-infected RBCs compared to WT-infected RBCs. Subsequent phenotypic analysis indicated that the growth rate of Pbsbp1∆ parasites during the intraerythrocytic stage was significantly slower than that of WT parasites, and their ability to induce cerebral malaria in mice was also attenuated. These findings suggest that PbSBP1 is involved in the remodeling of the erythrocyte membrane skeleton, likely through its direct or indirect interaction with protein 4.1R, thereby regulating the deformability of infected erythrocytes and influencing the pathogenicity of the blood-stage parasites. ConclusionThis study establishes a role for PbSBP1 in host erythrocyte remodeling and parasite virulence, providing new research strategies for the prevention and treatment of malaria.

Objective This study reports on the obligatory parasitism of water mites Arrenurus sp. on Anopheles messeae at the Manzhouli Port, Inner Mongolia, China. Methods Duing July 2024, a survey on the mosquito diversity was conducted at the Manzhouli Port. Captured mosquitoes and their ectoparasites were identified to species level. Results A total of 1840 adult mosquitoes were collected, representing species from three genera: Culex(Cx. modestus, Cx. pipiens pallens), Aedes(Ae. dorsalis, Ae. flavidorsalis, Ae. flavescens), and Anopheles (An. messeae). Among all the mosqutioes specimens,3 out of 150 captured An. messeae were found to carry ectoparasitic mites, with number of 2,4,27 mites separately. Morphological and molecular identification reached the same result as water mites(Hydrachnidiae, Hydracrina). COI gene sequence showed 94% similarity with the closest species Arrenurus truncatellus. Conlusions Literature review suggests water mites are host-specific parasitism of mosquito species and herein with the first record of Arrenurus sp. parasiting on An. Messeae in the most high-latitude region globally.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a non-invasive, high temporal-resolution technique for monitoring brain activity. However, affected by the volume conduction effect, EEG has a low spatial resolution and is difficult to locate brain neuronal activity precisely. The surface Laplacian (SL) technique obtains the Laplacian EEG (LEEG) by estimating the second-order spatial derivative of the scalp potential. LEEG can reflect the radial current activity under the scalp, with positive values indicating current flow from the brain to the scalp (“source”) and negative values indicating current flow from the scalp to the brain (“sink”). It attenuates signals from volume conduction, effectively improving the spatial resolution of EEG, and is expected to contribute to breakthroughs in neural engineering. This paper provides a systematic overview of the principles and development of SL technology. Currently, there are two implementation paths for SL technology: current source density algorithms (CSD) and concentric ring electrodes (CRE). CSD performs the Laplace transform of the EEG signals acquired by conventional disc electrodes to indirectly estimate the LEEG. It can be mainly classified into local methods, global methods, and realistic Laplacian methods. The global method is the most commonly used approach in CSD, which can achieve more accurate estimation compared with the local method, and it does not require additional imaging equipment compared with the realistic Laplacian method. CRE employs new concentric ring electrodes instead of the traditional disc electrodes, and measures the LEEG directly by differential acquisition of the multi-ring signals. Depending on the structure, it can be divided into bipolar CRE, quasi-bipolar CRE, tripolar CRE, and multi-pole CRE. The tripolar CRE is widely used due to its optimal detection performance. While ensuring the quality of signal acquisition, the complexity of its preamplifier is relatively acceptable. Here, this paper introduces the study of the SL technique in resting rhythms, visual-related potentials, movement-related potentials, and sensorimotor rhythms. These studies demonstrate that SL technology can improve signal quality and enhance signal characteristics, confirming its potential applications in neuroscientific research, disease diagnosis, visual pathway detection, and brain-computer interfaces. CSD is frequently utilized in applications such as neuroscientific research and disease detection, where high-precision estimation of LEEG is required. And CRE tends to be used in brain-computer interfaces, that have stringent requirements for real-time data processing. Finally, this paper summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of SL technology and envisages its future development. SL technology boasts advantages such as reference independence, high spatial resolution, high temporal resolution, enhanced source connectivity analysis, and noise suppression. However, it also has shortcomings that can be further improved. Theoretically, simulation experiments should be conducted to investigate the theoretical characteristics of SL technology. For CSD methods, the algorithm needs to be optimized to improve the precision of LEEG estimation, reduce dependence on the number of channels, and decrease computational complexity and time consumption. For CRE methods, the electrodes need to be designed with appropriate structures and sizes, and the low-noise, high common-mode rejection ratio preamplifier should be developed. We hope that this paper can promote the in-depth research and wide application of SL technology.

A 71-year-old male presented with esophageal cancer and severe aortic valve regurgitation. Treatment strategies for such patients are controversial. Considering the risks of cardiopulmonary bypass and potential esophageal cancer metastasis, we successfully performed transcatheter aortic valve implantation and minimally invasive three-incision thoracolaparoscopy combined with radical resection of esophageal cancer (McKeown) simultaneously in the elderly patient who did not require neoadjuvant treatment. This dual minimally invasive procedure took 6 hours and the patient recovered smoothly without any surgical complications.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of cases involving monkey injuries at medical institutions surrounding Qianlingshan Park in Guiyang City, and to provide a reference basis for preventive measures to reduce monkey injuries and standardized post-exposure treatment.Methods:A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted, collecting 1 900 cases of monkey-induced injuries in Qianlingshan Park treated at the outpatient clinic of Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Surgery at Qianling Hospital, Guiyang City, from 2021 to 2024. Statistical analysis was performed using Pearson′s chi-square test.Results:Total of 1 900 cases of monkey-related injuries in Qianlingshan Park were collected from 2021 to 2024. The exposure time distribution exhibited significant seasonality, with 48.58% of cases occurring during July and August, totaling 923 cases, indicating a peak in the summer. There were 774 male patients and 1 126 female patients, with a ratio of 1∶1.45.and significant differences were observed between different age groups and genders (χ2=195.00, P<0.001), with the highest number of cases occurring in the 0-9 and 20-29 age groups, accounting for 22.05%(419 cases) and 21.79%(414 cases), respectively. The upper limbs were the most common injury site, accounting for 50.84% of the total cases(966 cases in total), with significant differences between gender and injury location (χ2=22.00, P<0.001), Among females, the proportion of injuries to the upper and lower limbs (30.11% and 16.47%, respectively) was higher than that among males (20.74% and 8.63%, respectively). The majority of injuries were classified as Grade Ⅲ, making up 57.38% of cases(1 069 cases in total). Self-treatment after exposure was the most common approach(60.44%), with significant differences observed between wound severity and treatment method (χ2=6.90, P=0.032), Patients with Grade Ⅱ and Grade Ⅲ wounds were more likely to choose self-management (26.84% and 33.23%, respectively) than outpatient management (15.14% and 24.15%). Approximately 98.05% (1 863 cases) of monkey-injured patients had received rabies vaccinations. Conclusions:This study analyzes monkey-related injuries in Qianlingshan Park from 2021 to 2024, clarifying the temporal distribution of injuries, demographic characteristics, injury sites, and treatment methods. The findings provide references for optimizing human-monkey conflict management and the prevention and control of zoonotic diseases in urban ecological parks.

Objective To compare the accuracy and clinical application value of contrast-induced fractional flow reserve(cFFR),resting full-cycle ratio(RFR),and quantitative flow ratio(QFR)in evaluating coronary artery borderline lesions,using fractional flow reserve(FFR)as the gold standard.Methods A retrospective study was conducted including 143 patients with 143 lesions who underwent coronary angiography(CAG)and were tested for cFFR,RFR,QFR,and FFR at Peking University Third Hospital from September 2020 to January 2022.Clinical data,CAG lesion anatomical data,and target vessel cFFR,RFR,QFR,and FFR measurements were collected.The correlation and diagnostic concordance of cFFR,RFR,QFR,and FFR were analyzed.Results The mean age of the 143 patients was 66(58,71)years,with 90(62.9％)being male.Among them,60(42.0％)patients were diagnosed with unstable angina,and 115(80.4％)target lesions were located in the left anterior descending artery.Correlation analysis showed that RFR,QFR,and cFFR were all significantly correlated with FFR(r=0.956,r=0.861,r=0.751,P＜0.001).Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated high agreement between cFFR,RFR,QFR,and FFR.Receiver operating characteristics(ROC)curve analysis showed that the area under the curve(AUC)for RFR corresponding to FFR ≤0.80 was 0.92(95％CI 0.87-0.96),for QFR was 0.89(95％CI 0.83-0.95),and for cFFR was 0.96(95％CI 0.94-0.99).Conclusions cFFR,RFR,and QFR show high concordance with FFR,with similar diagnostic consistency between the three methods and FFR.

Patient-Reported Outcomes(PRO)is a subjective outcome indicator based on the concept of"patient-centered",in which patients report their own information such as health status,functional status,and treatment feelings,which is an ef-fective supplement to traditional objective outcome indicators.Based on the development status of the Patient Reported Outcome Measure(PROM),it systematically analyzed the concepts related to PRO with the goal of clarifying the Patient Experience Data(PED)with research value,and proposed six core types of PROs in the medical field,including health-related quality of life,health preference,health behavior,symptom burden,functional status and patient-reported experience.For each type of PRO,the key characteristics of the study were analyzed,the evidence and application directions of related PED and the production based on PED were described,and the existing international mainstream PROMs were reviewed.It is hoped that the connotation of PRO-related concepts can be comprehensively expounded,and PEDs with research significance and value can be explored,so as to provide guidance for the focus of PRO-related research in China,so as to promote the application and development of PRO in China.

Patient-Reported Outcomes(PRO)refers to a subjective outcome measure based on the concept of"patient-cen-tered",in which patients report their own health status,functional status,treatment feelings and other information,which is an ef-fective supplement to traditional objective outcome indicators.With the continuous promotion of PRO research,its application in the world is also constantly enriched.It takes the different application scenarios of PRO as the starting point and the evidence-based evidence that PRO can generate as the evaluation object,reviews the application status of PRO in the US,the European Union,the UK,Canada and other countries,regions or organizations,and summarizes the main application methods of PRO in different medical decision-making scenarios,in order to provide international experiences for the application research of PRO in China.

Objective This study established a qualitative and quantitative detection method for 9 new synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarette oil using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry.Methods E-cigarette oil was extracted with methanol,concentrated by nitrogen blowing under a water bath at 60℃,and separated using an Acquity UPLC? HSS T3(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.8 μm)column.Gradient elution was performed with ammonium acetate buffer solution(20 mmol/L)containing 0.1%formic acid and acetonitrile as the mobile phase.Detection was carried out in the positive ion mode of the HESI ion source using DDA(FullScan+dd-MS2)mode.Quantification was performed using the external standard method based on precise precursor ion peak areas,while qualitative analysis relied on retention times and characteristic fragment ions.Results The results showed that the standard curves of all 9 synthetic cannabinoids in blank e-cigarette oil matrix exhibited good linearity with R2 values>0.999.The limits of detection ranged from 0.0001 to 0.01 μg/g,and the limits of quantification ranged from 0.0003 to 0.03 μg/g.Recovery rates at low,medium,and high spiking levels in blank e-cigarette oil matrix ranged from 75.7%to 115%,with relative deviations<8.5%.Conclusion This method features a short instrument detection time of only 10 min,relatively simple operation,low detection limits,high accuracy,and good precision,making it applicable for rapid screening and quantitative analysis of synthetic cannabinoids in e-cigarette oil.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a novel intravascular lithotripsy(IVL)balloon—Vesscrack shockwave balloon—for vascular preparation before stent implantation in patients with severe coronary artery calcification(CAC).Methods This was a prospective,single-arm,multicenter study conducted in China from June 2022 to October 2022.Patients with severe CAC were treated with the Vesscrack shockwave balloon for lesion preparation,followed by drug-eluting stent(DES)implantation.Of these,33 patients underwent optical coherence tomography(OCT).The primary endpoint was procedural success,defined as successful stent implantation with residual stenosis≤30％and the absence of in-hospital major adverse events,including cardiac death,target vessel-related myocardial infarction,or target lesion revascularization.Results A total of 170 patients[mean age:(65.9±7.9)years,116 males]were enrolled.After treatment with IVL and DES,the minimum lumen diameter increased significantly compared to baseline[(2.34±0.40)mm vs.(0.95±0.33)mm,P＜0.001],the degree of stenosis was significantly reduced[(13.24±6.60)％vs.(65.18±10.59)％,P＜0.001].Procedural success was achieved in 100％of cases,and device success was 98.8％.The 30-day patient-related cardiovascular clinical composite endpoint(POCE)rate was 0.0,with no target lesion failure,no confirmed or potential thrombotic events were observed.The shockwave energy generator demonstrated excellent stability and ease of use.Among the 33 patients assessed with OCT,after IVL intervention,the maximum calcified area of the lumen[(3.51±1.51)mm2 vs.(2.85±1.80)mm2,P＜0.001],and the minimum lumen area within the target lesion[(3.08±1.04)mm2 vs.(2.02±0.75)mm2,P＜0.001],and after DES intervention,the luminal area of the largest calcified site[(6.59±1.64)mm2 vs.(2.85±1.80)mm2,P＜0.001]and the minimum luminal area within the target lesion[(6.19±1.45)mm2 vs.(2.02±0.75)mm2,P＜0.001]were significantly increased,and the differences were statistically significant.Conclusions The Vesscrack shockwave balloon is effective and safe for vascular preparation in patients with severe CAC prior to stent implantation.It achieves significant calcified plaque modification,high procedural success rates,and minimal complications.