Objective To investigate the population density and seasonal fluctuations of Aedes albopictus in Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province, from 2021 to 2023, so as to provide insights into A. albopictus control and management of dengue fever. Methods The surveillance of A. albopictus density was performed in all surveillance sites assigned across all streets (townships) in Guangzhou City during the period from January to December from 2021 to 2023. The surveillance frequency was twice every half month from May to September, and once every month for the rest of a year. In each surveillance period, A. albopictus mosquito larvae were captured from indoor and outdoor small water containers in residential areas, parks, medical facilities, schools, other government sectors and social organizations, construction sites, special industries and others for mosquito species identification. Adult mosquitoes were captured using electric mosquito suction apparatus for species identification and gender classification. Adult mosquitoes and mosquito eggs were collected with mosquito and egg traps at the breeding and dwelling places of Aedes mosquitoes for identification. The mosquito oviposition index (MOI), Breteau index (BI), adult mosquito density index (ADI) and standard space index (SSI) were calculated. The A. albopictus density was classified into grades 0, 1, 2 and 3 in each surveillance site, with Grade 0 density defined eligible, and the eligible rate of A. albopictus density was calculated at all surveillance sites each year from 2021 to 2023. In addition, the changing trends in MOI, SSI, BI and ADI of A. albopictus were analyzed in Guangzhou City from 2021 to 2023. Results The eligible rates of A. albopictus density were 61.69%, 68.75% and 55.15% in surveillance sites of Guangzhou City from 2021 to 2023 (χ² = 297.712, P < 0.001), and appeared a tendency towards a reduction followed by a rise each year, which gradually reduced since January, maintained at a low level during the period between May and October, and gradually increased from November to December. The MOI, SSI, BI and ADI of A. albopictus all appeared a tendency towards a rise followed by a reduction in Guangzhou City during the period between January and December from 2021 to 2023. The BI of A. albopictus peaked in the first half of June in 2021 (4.03), the first half of July in 2022 (3.89) and the last half of August in 2023 (5.02), and the SSI of A. albopictus peaked in the last half of June in 2021 (0.93), the last half of May in 2022 (0.59), and the last half of June (0.94) and the first half of September in 2023 (1.12). In addition, the MOI of A. albopictus peaked in the first half of May in 2021 (8.64), the first half of June in 2022 (8.96), and the last half of May (10.21) and the last half of June in 2023 (10.89), and the ADI of A. albopictus peaked in the first half of June in 2021 (3.41), the last half of June in 2022 (4.06), and the first half of July in 2023 (3.61). Conclusions The density of A. albopictus is high in Guangzhou City during the period from May to October, and the risk of local outbreak caused by imported dengue fever is high. Persistent intensified surveillance of the density and seasonal fluctuation of A. albopictus is recommended and timely mosquito prevention and control is required according to the fluctuation in the A. albopictus density.

Gene regulation relies on the precise binding of transcription factors (TFs) at regulatory elements, but simultaneously detecting hundreds of TFs on chromatin is challenging. We developed cFOOT-seq, a cytosine deaminase-based TF footprinting assay, for high-resolution, quantitative genome-wide assessment of TF binding in both open and closed chromatin regions, even with small cell numbers. By utilizing the dsDNA deaminase SsdAtox, cFOOT-seq converts accessible cytosines to uracil while preserving genomic integrity, making it compatible with techniques like ATAC-seq for sensitive and cost-effective detection of TF occupancy at the single-molecule and single-cell level. Our approach enables the delineation of TF footprints, quantification of occupancy, and examination of chromatin influences on TF binding. Notably, cFOOT-seq, combined with FootTrack analysis, enables de novo prediction of TF binding sites and tracking of TF occupancy dynamics. We demonstrate its application in capturing cell type-specific TFs, analyzing TF dynamics during reprogramming, and revealing TF dependencies on chromatin remodelers. Overall, cFOOT-seq represents a robust approach for investigating the genome-wide dynamics of TF occupancy and elucidating the cis-regulatory architecture underlying gene regulation.
Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Humans ; Chromatin/genetics* ; Animals ; Binding Sites ; Mice ; DNA Footprinting/methods*

Objective:To analyze the causal relationship between gut microbiota and gestational diabetes,and to clarify its mechanism.Methods:Two-sample Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis was conducted by using summary data from genome-wide association study(GWAS)for gut microbiota and gestational diabetes.The GWAS data of gut microbiota were obtained from a GWAS study from the MiBioGen consortium;the GWAS data on gestational diabetes were sourced from the FinnGen consortium's publicly available R8 dataset;inverse variance weighted(IVW)method was used as the primary method to detect the causal association between the gut microbiota and the gestational diabetes.Sensitivity analysis was performed by Weighted Median and MR Egger methods;heterogeneity and pleiotropy were detected by Cochran's Q,MR-PRESSO,Egger intercept tests and Leave-One-Out analysis;multivariable MR was used to adjust for the effect of body mass index(BMI);reverse MR was used to explore the presence of reverse causal associations;Gene Ontology(GO)fuctional and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)signaling enrichment analyses were used to explore the potential pathways through which gut microbiota may have impact on gestational diabetes.Results:Four gut microbes were found to be causally associated with gestational diabetes:the genus Methanobrevibacter and the phylum Euryarchaeota displayed negative causal relationships with the risk of gestational diabetes,while the genus Olsenella and genus Lachnoclostridium exhibited positive causal associations.No significant heterogeneity or horizontal pleiotropy was detected in the analysis.The reverse MR analysis did not reveal any causal relationship.After adjusting for BMI,the multivariable MR analysis results showed there were the causal associations between the genus Olsenella and the phylum Euryarchaeota with the risk of gestational diabetes.The GO fuctional and KEGG signaling pathway enrichment analyses results showed that axon development,axon production,insulin secretion and other pathways were significantly enriched.Conclusion:There are causal associations between four gut microbes and gestational diabetes.Among them,the significant correlations with gestational diabetes are still observed in phylum Euryarchaeota and genus Olsenella after adjusting for BMI.

Objective:To analyze the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of a death case of meningococcal meningitis in Hengyang city, Hunan Province in 2024.Methods:Epidemiological investigation of the death case was performed, and samples from the patient and close contacts were collected. Following cultivation and isolation, Neisseria meningitidis ( Nm) strains were analyzed by antimicrobial susceptibility testing, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and whole-genome sequencing for analyzing epidemiological and etiological characteristics. Phylogenetic analysis was carried out using core genomic multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). Results:The case was a 16-year-old high school boarding student with fulminant meningococcal meningitis. He had shock symptoms, and died within 24 h of the onset of symptoms. Six Nm strains were isolated from the patient and his roommates, belonging to two distinct clades. Isolate 144569 from the patient was highly homologous to isolate 144572 from a close contact, both belonging to the highly pathogenic sublineage L44.1 of CC4821. The typical molecular features was C: P1.7-2, 14: F5-101: ST4821 (CC4821). The two strains carried the antimicrobial resistance genes of gyrA-71 and penA-552, indicating reduced susceptibility to quinolone and penicillin, which was with their resistance phenotype. The isolates from four close contacts clustered within the same clade, characterized by the molecular features of B: P1.18-25, 9-18: ST5829 (UA). Conclusions:The death case is caused by Nm serogroup C from highly pathogenic sublineage L44.1 of CC4821. The spread of this isolate has the potential risk of outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease. It is necessary to enhanced the molecular epidemiological surveillance, particularly focusing on the transmission of multiple serogroups of Nm among adolescents and the increasing exposure risk.

Objective:To improve and optimize the modified surgical strategies for patents with Simon Ⅰ and Simon Ⅱ type of gynecomastia, based on their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features.Methods:Clinical data of 190 patients aged 12 to 56 years (mean age 26.7±8.6) with gynecomastia who underwent modified surgeries in the Department of Plastic Surgery of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from January 2017 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. The study measured breast MRI images of 44 male patients to calculate the area ratio of the glands on the transverse plane via nipple. This provided insight into the physiological structure and the tissue distribution of gynecomastia for improving the modified surgical strategies. All 190 patients were treated with enhanced liposuction and " Pull-Through and Bottom-Up" techniques. The duration of operation, amount of liposuction and amount of glandular resection, postoperative complications were recorded, and postoperative satisfaction was investigated by questionnaire surveys.Results:MRI images of the 87-side male breast showed that the average area ratio of the glands on the transverse plane via nipple was (10.9±12.5) %. The most prevalent subtype of gynecomastia was branch pattern, accounting for 46.0%. The median surgical duration of 190 patients was 95 (65-210) minutes, the median liposuction volume was 300 (50-1 400) ml, and the median glandular removal was 19.9 (1.5-157.0) g. Eighty-eight patients (46.3%) went through followed up for more than 6 months post-posterative with an overall satisfaction score of 4.68±0.53. Postoperative complications occurred in 19 sides (5.1%), and the reoperation rate was 1.3%.Conclusions:The MRI imaging of gynecomastia shows that the component of patients′ breasts are mainly fat, with a small amount of glandular tissue and the dominant subtype is branch pattern. Enhanced liposuction combined with " Pull-Through and Bottom-Up" stab incision technique can be an effective treatment for Simon grades Ⅰ and Ⅱ gynecomastia. The method results in high patient satisfaction with fewer postoperative complications.

Objective:To evaluate the differences and aesthetic meaning of stable vitiligo treatment in the face and neck region using suction blister transplantation or noncultured autologous suspension of epidermal cells.Methods:Sixty-four stable vitiligo patients (25 males and 39 females with age ranges from 10 to 46 years, average 25 years) in the face and neck region were randomly divided into two groups (32 patients in each group): one group received suction blister transplantation, while other group received noncultured autologous suspension of epidermal cells. Patients′treatment effectiveness, pigmentation and piecing deformity were evaluated in postoperative 3 months and 6 months.Results:In the postoperative 3 months and 6 months, the effectiveness of suction blister transplantation group was 68.75% (22/32) and 90.63% (29/32), respectively, while the effectiveness of noncultured autologous suspension of epidermal cells group was 59.37% (19/32) and 87.50% (28/32), respectively, in which no significant differences were found between two groups ( P>0.05). No obvious pigmentation and piecing deformity were found in noncultured autologous suspension of epidermal cells group, which were much better than the suction blister transplantation group in postoperative 3 months and 6 months. Conclusions:Both suction blister transplantation and noncultured autologous suspension of epidermal cells could bring good treatment effectiveness for patients of stable vitiligo in the face and neck region. Compared with suction blister transplantation, noncultured autologous suspension of epidermal cells could offer better aesthetic appearance.

Objective:To develop and evaluate a medical experience assessment scale for debridement and dressing change in chronic wound patients in China, and to provide a reference for improving hospital service quality.Methods:Based on the framework of hospital consumer assessment of healthcare providers and systems survey (HCAHPS) in the United States, a preliminary draft of the scale was formed through a literature review and qualitative interviews with 12 chronic wound patients (7 males and 5 females aged 58.1±12.3 years). Five experts were invited for content validity testing, and 191 chronic wound patients (111 males and 80 females aged 53.5±19.1 years) were selected to evaluate the internal consistency reliability, half reliability, retest reliability, and structural validity of the scale.Results:The Chronic Wound Patient Debridement and Dressing Experience Scale covered 5 dimensions with 30 sub-items and 2 comprehensive evaluation items, including demand response, good and friendly communication, professional trust, optimization of the medical treatment process, and encouragement of patient participation. The scale Cronbach′s α coefficient was 0.967 and ranged from 0.890 to 0.962 for each dimension. The overall retest reliability of the scale was 0.940 and ranged from 0.895 to 0.940 for each dimension. The overall half reliability of the scale was 0.923 and ranged from 0.834 to 0.935 for each dimension. 5 factors were extracted, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 82.061%.Conclusions:Based on the HCAHPS framework in the United States, the Chronic Wound Debridement and Dressing Experience Scale developed has high reliability and validity, and can be used to evaluate the dressing change experience of patients with chronic wounds. It has clinical practice significance for dressing change in chronic wounds.

Objective:To investigate the application and clinical effect of autologous ear cartilage combined with retroauricular fascia in primary rhinoplasty.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 31 primary rhinoplasty patients admitted to our hospital from January 2019 to January 2022, including 1 male and 30 females; the age range was 17-43 years, with an average of 24.3 years. The patients were followed up for 6-24 months, with an average of 18 months. The changes of nasal length, nasal tip projection, nasal height and nasal dorsum height were compared before operation, 6 months and 12 months after operation respectively.Results:All the 31 patients underwent rhinoplasty using autologous ear cartilage and retroauricular fascia materials. Six months after surgery, the patient′s nasal length increased by (4.4±0.7) mm ( t=3.17, P=0.025), nasal tip projections increased by (4.6± 0.5) mm ( t=6.45, P=0.001), nasal height increased by (3.1±0.4) mm ( t=8.21, P=0.001), and nasal dorsum height increased by (2.6±0.5) mm ( t=5.79, P=0.015). 12 months after surgery, the patient′s nasal length increased by (4.3±0.6) mm ( t=2.99, P=0.030), nasal tip projections increased by (4.2±0.4) mm ( t=5.12, P=0.005), nasal height increased by (2.9±0.3) mm ( t=6.86, P=0.005), and nasal dorsum height increased by (2.2±0.4) mm ( t=4.14, P=0.020). There was no significant difference in the observation indicators at 6 and 12 months after surgery ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The application of autologous ear cartilage and retroauricular fascia in primary rhinoplasty has prominent cosmetic effect, beautiful and natural nasal shape, stable long-term effect and few complications, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Periodontitis is a critical risk factor for the occurrence and development of diabetes.Porphyromonas gingivalis may participate in insulin resistance(IR)caused by periodontal inflammation,but the functional role and specific mechanisms of P.gingivalis in IR remain unclear.In the present study,clinical samples were analysed to determine the statistical correlation between P.gingivalis and IR occurrence.Through culturing of hepatocytes,myocytes,and adipocytes,and feeding mice P.gingivalis orally,the functional correlation between P.gingivalis and IR occurrence was further studied both in vitro and in vivo.Clinical data suggested that the amount of P.gingivalis isolated was correlated with the Homeostatic Model Assessment for IR score.In vitro studies suggested that coculture with P.gingivalis decreased glucose uptake and insulin receptor(INSR)protein expression in hepatocytes,myocytes,and adipocytes.Mice fed P.gingivalis tended to undergo IR.P.gingivalis was detectable in the liver,skeletal muscle,and adipose tissue of experimental mice.The distribution sites of gingipain coincided with the downregulation of INSR.Gingipain proteolysed the functional insulin-binding region of INSR.Coculture with P.gingivalis significantly decreased the INSR-insulin binding ability.Knocking out gingipain from P.gingivalis alleviated the negative effects of P.gingivalis on IR in vivo.Taken together,these findings indicate that distantly migrated P.gingivalis may directly proteolytically degrade INSR through gingipain,thereby leading to IR.The results provide a new strategy for preventing diabetes by targeting periodontal pathogens and provide new ideas for exploring novel mechanisms by which periodontal inflammation affects the systemic metabolic state.

With the rapid development of the interdisciplinary area of artificial intelligence and medicine, large language model (LLM) has been widely used in the fields such as diagnosis and treatment, medicine, and healthcare. LLM has unique advantages in the field of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), such as high consistency with the "Four Diagnostic Methods", perfect combination of natural language and self-supervised learning in TCM, the ability to adapt to the characteristics TCM formulas, and the assistance in TCM diagnosis and treatment. At present, various LLM models have been developed, including the "Qihuang Ask Big Model" and the Digital Traditional Chinese Medicine Big Model "GLM-130B", but they still face challenges such as value mismatch and medical abuse, increased demand for interpretability, lack of advanced technology, and domestic policy access. This article reviews the evolution of LLM, its unique advantages and applications in the field of TCM, the problems and challenges, and the future development trends, in order to providereference for the further promotion of LLM in traditional medicine.