Objective To investigate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection and the distribution of parasite species and genotypes among HIV-positive individuals in Jiangxi Province. Methods HIV-positive individuals' sociodemographic and clinical data were collected from three AIDS designated hospitals in Jiangxi Province from January 2022 to March 2023. Subjects' stool samples were collected, and genomic DNA was extracted from stool samples. Nested PCR assay was performed based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium, and Cryptosporidium gp60 gene was amplified in stool samples positive for the SSU rRNA gene. The second-round PCR amplification product was checked with 1.5% agarose gel electrophoresis, and the products of suspected positive amplifications were sequenced, followed by sequence alignment. The phylogenetic tree was created using the Neighbor-Joining method with the software MEGA 11.0, to characterize the species, genotypes and sub-genotypes of Cryptosporidium. Results A total of 382 HIV-positive individuals were enrolled, with two cases identified with Cryptosporidium infection (0.52% prevalence), and both cases had no abdominal pain or diarrhea. Following sequencing and sequence alignment, the gene sequences of these two Cryptosporidium isolates shared 99.76% and 99.88% similarity with the gene sequence of C. meleagridis isolates. Phylogenetic analysis based on the Cryptosporidium SSU rRNA gene sequence identified the species of these two Cryptosporidium-positive stool samples as C. meleagridis. Following nested PCR amplification of the Cryptosporidium gp60 gene, sequencing and sequence alignment, the two C. meleagridis isolates were characterized as III eA17G2R1 and III bA25G1R1a sub-genotypes, and the sub-genotype III bA25G1R1a was firstly described in humans. Conclusion The prevalence of Cryptosporidium is low among HIV-positive individuals in Jiangxi Province. The likelihood of Cryptosporidium infection cannot be neglected among HIV-positive individuals without diarrhea.

Objective To investigate the effects of total flavonoids from Vine tea on the intestinal flora of high-fat diet(HFD)induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)mice.Methods Twenty-eight mice were randomly divided into four groups:blank control group,model control group(HFD group),low-dose TF group(TF-L group),and high-dose TF group(TF-H group),with 7 mice in each group.Mice in the HFD group,TF-L group,and TF-H group were fed with high-fat diet(HFD)for 12 weeks,while those in the blank control group were fed a normal diet.After 12 weeks of high-fat diet feeding,mice in the TF-L group and TF-H group were orally administered TF solution at doses of 125 and 250 mg·kg-1·d-1 by gavage administration for 6 weeks of intervention.Pathological changes in the liver and intestine of mice were observed using hematoxylin-eosin(H&E)staining,and the expression levels of tight junction proteins between the epithelial cells of the colonic mucosa was analyzed by immunohistochemistry.ELISA kit was used to detect the level of serum inflammatory factors in mice.Changes of intestinal flora in mice were analyzed by 16S rRNA sequencing technology.Results Total flavonoids from Vine tea could effectively improve the pathological changes of liver and intestinal tract in mice,reduce the levels of serum inflammatory factors IL-6 and TNF-α,and promote the expression of tight junction proteins Occludin,ZO-1 and Claudin 1 in the colon.There were significant differences in the intestinal flora of the three groups of mice.Total flavonoids from Vine tea significantly decreased the ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidota(P＜0.05),increased the abundance of Faecalibaculum,Ligilactobacillus and Lactobacillus,which resulted in the improvement of intestinal flora disorders.Conclusion Total flavonoids from Vine tea have certain ameliorative effects on high-fat diet-induced NAFLD,and the mechanism may be related to the promotion of intestinal barrier repair and the improvement of intestinal flora disorders.

Objective:To investigate the iodine nutrition status of children aged 8 to 10 years old in Nanchang City.Methods:From March 2020 to September 2022, 9 counties (districts, administration bureau) in Nanchang City were selected as monitoring points. Each monitoring point was divided into 5 sampling areas according to the east, west, south, north, and middle directions. One township was selected from each area, and 40 non-boarding children aged 8 to 10 years old (age balanced, half male and half female) from one primary school were selected as survey subjects. Edible salt samples from children's homes, as well as a random urine sample were collected to detect salt iodine and urinary iodine level. The thyroid volume of children was also measured.Results:From 2020 to 2022, a total of 5 400 edible salt samples from children's homes were tested, with a median salt iodine level of 24.13 mg/kg. Among them, there were 5 172 qualified iodized salt samples, 168 unqualified iodized salt samples, and 60 non-iodized salt samples. The coverage rate of iodized salt was 98.89% (5 340/5 400), the qualified rate of iodized salt was 96.85% (5 172/5 340), and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt was 95.78% (5 172/5 400). A total of 5 400 children's urine samples were tested, with a median urinary iodine level of 210.90 μg/L. A total of 2 662 children were examined for thyroid, of which 4 had thyroid enlargement, with an enlargement rate of 0.15% (4/2 662).Conclusion:The overall iodine nutrition of children aged 8 to 10 years old in Nanchang City is at a super appropriate level, and the thyroid enlargement rate meets the national standard (< 5%).

Objective:To investigate the differences in clinical and electrocardiographic characteristics between carriers of SCN5A mutations and non-SCN5A mutations in fever-induced Brugada syndrome.Methods:This study is a retrospective cohort study. A total of 263 patients with fever-induced Brugada syndrome who were admitted to Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2000 to December 2023 were selected. Their clinical manifestations, electrocardiographic characteristics, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) at the time of diagnosis and during the follow-up period were collected. Among them, 200 patients underwent next-generation sequencing. Based on the genetic variation results, after excluding other mutations, they were divided into SCN5A mutation group, non-SCN5A sodium-related mutation group, potassium/calcium mutation group, and no mutation group. Comparisons were made among these groups in terms of their clinical and electrocardiographic characteristics.Results:Among the 263 patients with fever-induced Brugada syndrome, the mean age was (41.9±17.6) years, with 80.6% (212/263) being male. The median follow-up duration was 53.0 months, and 13.7% (36/263) of the patients experienced MACE. The rate of SCN5A mutation was 34.5% (69/200), while the rates of non-SCN5A sodium-related mutations and potassium/calcium-related mutations were 4.5% (9/200) and 3.5% (7/200), respectively. The SCN5A mutation group was younger than the non-SCN5A sodium-related mutation group and the no mutation group (ages were (33.8±14.7), (49.8±11.6), (44.6±15.7) years, respectively, P<0.001). The SCN5A mutation group also had a longer PR interval than the no mutation group ((176.8±32.3) ms vs. (163.9±28.6) ms, P=0.034). The incidence of MACE was higher in the non-SCN5A sodium-related mutation group than that in the no mutation group (55.6% (5/9) vs. 9.1% (9/99), P=0.002). Conclusions:Fever-induced Brugada syndrome patients carrying non-SCN5A mutations exhibit distinct clinical and electrocardiographic characteristics compared to those with SCN5A mutations. These differences warrant attention in clinical practice.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical significance of neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy in the treatment of larynx preservation in locally advanced hypopharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma. Methods:Patients with locally advanced HPSCC（cT3-T4aN0-N3M0） were eligible. All received 2 cycles of pembrolizumab combined with docetaxel and platinum neoadjuvant induction therapy. After two cycles, the efficacy was evaluated, followed by radical chemoradiotherapy or surgery and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy according to the efficacy. The primary endpoints were objective response rate（ORR） ，larynx-preservation（LP） rate at 3 months post-treatment and the adverse reactions during neoadjuvant therapy. Results:From December 2021 to December 2022, 10 patients with locally advanced HPSCC（cT3-T4aN0-N3M0） were enrolled. After 2 cycles of the neoadjuvant therapy, 2 patients achieved complete response（CR）, 7 patients achieved partial response（PR）, 1 patient was stable disease（SD）, objective response rate（ORR） was 90%, and disease control rate（DCR） was 100%. 5 patients received radical chemoradiotherapy, 5 patients received surgery and adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, four of them received partial laryngectomy and partial hypopharyngeal resection surgery, and one of them received total laryngectomy and partial hypopharyngeal resection surgery. All patients were able to withstand adverse reactions of neoadjuvant therapy and successfully completed the whole treatment of HPSCC without grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse reactions. There was no recurrence or metastasis during 3-18 months of follow-up. 1 patient died of severe pneumonia 3 months after the completion of radical chemoradiotherapy. At 3 months after treatment, the larynx-preservation rate was 80%. Conclusion:Neoadjuvant immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy has good short-term efficacy and the adverse reactions were tolerable. It can improve the larynx-preservation rate of patients with locally advanced HPSCC, thus improving the prognosis and quality of life of patients.
Humans ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/etiology* ; Neoadjuvant Therapy ; Quality of Life ; Cisplatin ; Treatment Outcome ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use* ; Larynx ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Immunotherapy

Objective:To investigate the prognostic impact of different tumor invasion patterns in the surgical treatment of T3 glottic laryngeal cancer. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 91 patients with T3 glottic laryngeal cancer. Results:Among the 91 patients, 58 cases （63.7%） had anterior invasion and 33 cases （36.3%） had posterior invasion. The posterior invasion was significantly correlated with invasions of the dorsal plate of cricoid cartilage （P<0.001）, arytenoid cartilage （P= 0.001）, and subglottic region（P = 0.001）. There was no statistical difference in survival outcomes between the total laryngectomy group and the partial laryngectomy group. But in the partial laryngectomy group, the 5-year disease-free survival（DFS） of patients with anterior invasive tumors was better than that of patients with posterior invasion tumors （HR: 4.681, 95%CI 1.337-16.393, P=0.016）, and subglottic invasion was associated with worse loco-regional recurrence-free survival（LRRFS）（HR: 3.931, 95%CI 1.054-14.658, P=0.041）. At the same time, we found that involvement of the dorsal plate of cricoid cartilage was an independent risk factor for postoperative laryngeal stenosis in partial laryngectomy patients （HR:11.67, 95%CI 1.89-71.98,P=0.008）. Conclusion:Compared with total laryngectomy, selected partial laryngectomy can also achieve favorable oncological outcomes. Posterior invasion and subglottic extension are independent prognostic factors for recurrence of partial laryngectomy in T3 glottic laryngeal cancer, and the involvement of the dorsal plate of cricoid cartilage is associated with postoperative laryngeal stenosis. The tumor invasion pattern of laryngeal cancer should be further subdivided in order to select a more individualized treatment plan.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Laryngeal Neoplasms/pathology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Laryngostenosis/surgery* ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology* ; Postoperative Complications/surgery* ; Laryngectomy

Objective:To investigate the diversity and clinical effect of supraclavicular island flap in repairing the defect after head and neck tumor surgery. Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 30 patients who received the repair of head and neck defects with supraclavicular island flaps at Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from January 2017 to March 2023. The sites and types of defects, intraoperative blood loss, time of flaps preparation, areas of flaps, survival of the flaps and other complications were recorded. Results:A total of 30 patients were enrolled, including 26 males and 4 females, aged 36-82 years. Among them, 22 patients with hypopharyngeal partial defect were repaired （19 patients with ipsilateral defect and 3 patients with contralateral defect）. In addition, 2 patients were repaired with contralateral pectoralis major musculocutaneous flap around the hypopharynx, the neck skin defect was repaired in 2 patients, the parotid skin defect was repaired in 2 patients, the temporal bone skin defect was repaired in 1 patient, and the cervical esophageal defect was repaired in 1 patient. The average blood loss during the operation was 8 ml, and the average time was 32 min. The flap areas ranged from 5.0 cm×4.0 cm to 20.0 cm×8.0 cm. 27 of 30 flaps survived（90.0%）, and pharyngeal fistula occurred in 6 patients after operation（4 flaps survived after local dressing）. One patient was complicated with venous thrombosis（the flap necrosis after local dressing）. Shoulder and neck functions（lift, internal rotation and abduction） were not significantly affected in 29 patients, and the function of 1 patient with shoulder infection was not affected after treatment. Conclusion:Supraclavicular island flap is a highly vascularized axial fascial flap. It is easy to make, thin, and soft in texture, and can be used to repair different sites and types of postoperative head and neck tumor defects with a low donor site complication rate. Good results in post-operative repair of head and neck tumors are worth promoting.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Plastic Surgery Procedures ; Retrospective Studies ; Skin Transplantation ; Soft Tissue Injuries/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Surgical Flaps ; Head and Neck Neoplasms/surgery*

Artemsia argyi Levl.et Vant is a commonly used Chinese herbal medicine and moxibustion raw material plant,so far has more than two thousand years of medicinal history,as one of the most commonly used Chinese medicinal materials.The incopat patent database was used to search the worldwide patent data of the last 20 years,and a total of 25279 argyi related patents were retrieved.The pattern of argyi patents was analyzed from the perspectives of global application trend,main technical fields,national economy composition,applicant ranking,patent value and other aspects by means of graph combination.The analysis shows that the innovation and development of argyi is in the stage of rapid development;The medical,Chinese patent medicine,cosmetics and physiotherapy of argyi are the hot research and development of current technology;There are a large number of patents related to argyi in the world,but they are mainly distributed in China and South Korea.Among them,the number of patents related to argyi in China reaches 20381,far higher than that in other countries,but the number of high-value patents is not very large,and the value and quality of patents are still insufficient compared with other countries.From the perspective of the current development trend of argyi,with the deepening of clinical application recognition and scientific research of argyi,there is a large patent space in the field of argyi.Patent applicants can formulate corresponding patent application strategies according to the global development opportunities,technological development status and existing weaknesses.

Objective To construct oligomeric hyaluronic acid(5 KDa)-modified ellagic acid-loaded liposomes(EA-HA-L)to improve the aqueous solubility,in vitro transdermal effect and whitening activity of ellagic acid.Methods Oligomeric hyaluronic acid-modified cholesterol(HA-Chol)was prepared by esterification reaction and structurally characterized by FTIR and 1H NMR;Oligomeric hyaluronic acid-modified ellagic acid-loaded liposomes were prepared by film dispersion-ultrasound method,and the prescribing process was optimized by Box-Behnken design-response surface method,and the particle sizes,the polydispersity index(PDI),zeta potential and encapsulation rate of liposomes under the optimal prescribing process were determined;the difference in solubility between EA-HA-L and free EA was evaluated;in vitro transdermal effect of liposomes were investigated using rat abdominal skin;inhibitory effect on tyrosinase and intracellular tyrosinase in mouse melanoma cells(B16-F10)was surveyed via dopa oxidation method.Results HA-Chol was synthesized and characterized;the optimized prescription process was mass ratio of 10:1 for soy phospholipids to HA-Chol,lipid-drug ratio of 40:1,hydration temperature of 30℃,hydration time of 60 min,ultrasound intensity of 35％,ultrasound time of 21 min,and the particle size of EA-HA-L produced under the optimized prescription process was(140.30±1.30)nm,PDI was(0.29±0.01),the encapsulation rate of ellagic acid was 91.16％±3.06％,and the zeta potential was(-5.67±0.09)mV;after EA was encapsulated by liposomes,the solubility of EA in water increased by about 40-fold;the cumulative transdermal amount of EA-HA-L was 46.98±2.17 μg·cm-2 in 24 h,and the intradermal retention was 66.15±0.61 μg·cm-2,which was 1.72 times higher than that of free EA(P<0.0001)and 1.23 times higher than plain liposome(EA-L)(P<0.01);and the tyrosinase inhibitory activity of EA-HA-L was higher than that of both free EA and EA-L in the EA concentration range of 50-400 μg·mL-1.Conclusion Oligomeric hyaluronic acid-modified ellagic acid-loaded liposomes with small particle size and high encapsulation rate were successfully prepared.EA-HA-L significantly improved the water solubility of EA and possessed better transdermal effect and stronger whitening activity than free EA and EA-L.

Bioluminescence is a widespread phenomenon in nature, and luminescent organisms can be found both on land and in the ocean. Among them, luciferase based bioluminescence systems have been widely studied, inspiring the exploration of genetic and epigenetic aspects and the development of a series of related assays for in vivo and in vitro studies. This paper summarizes the recent developments of luciferase based bioluminescence assays in terms of bioluminescence systems, types of luciferases, and the development and application of luciferase bioluminescence assays.