ObjectiveIn the realm of forensic science, dust is a valuable type of trace evidence with immense potential for intricate investigations. With the development of DNA sequencing technologies, there is a heightened interest among researchers in unraveling the complex tapestry of microbial communities found within dust samples. Furthermore, striking disparities in the microbial community composition have been noted among dust samples from diverse geographical regions, heralding new possibilities for geographical inference based on microbial DNA analysis. The pivotal role of microbial community data from dust in geographical inference is significant, underscoring its critical importance within the field of forensic science. This study aims to delve deeply into the nuances of fungal community composition across the urban landscapes of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming, and Urumqi in China. It evaluates the accuracy of biogeographic inference facilitated by the internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) fungal sequencing while concurrently laying a robust foundation for the operational integration of environmental DNA into geographical inference mechanisms. MethodsITS2 region of the fungal genomes was amplified using universal primers known as 5.8S-Fun/ITS4-Fun, and the resulting DNA fragments were sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq FGx platform. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) was employed to visually represent the differences between samples, while analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) and permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) were utilized to statistically evaluate the dissimilarities in community composition across samples. Furthermore, using Linear Discriminant Analysis Effect Size (LEfSe) analysis to identify and filter out species that exhibit significant differences between various cities. In addition, we leveraged SourceTracker to predict the geographic origins of the dust samples. ResultsAmong the four cities of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming and Urumqi, Beijing has the highest species richness. The results of species annotation showed that there were significant differences in the species composition and relative abundance of fungal communities in the four cities. NMDS analysis revealed distinct clustering patterns of samples based on their biogeographic origins in multidimensional space. Samples from the same city exhibited clear clustering, while samples from different cities showed separation along the first axis. The results from ANOSIM and PERMANOVA confirmed the significant differences in fungal community composition between the four cities, with the most pronounced distinctions observed between Fuzhou and Urumqi. Notably, the biogeographic origins of all known dust samples were successfully predicted. ConclusionSignificant differences are observed in the fungal species composition and relative abundance among the cities of Beijing, Fuzhou, Kunming, and Urumqi. Employing fungal ITS2 sequencing on dust samples from these urban areas enables accurate inference of biogeographical locations. The high feasibility of utilizing fungal community data in dust for biogeographical inferences holds particular promise in the field of forensic science.

Objective:To study the changes in skeletal muscle and serum nutritional indicators during concurrent chemoradiotherapy in cervical cancer patients,and to evaluate their correlation with short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis. Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 114 patients with cervical cancer who underwent radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy in the Department of Oncology,Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital from February 2019 to February 2023. All patients underwent a treatment regimen comprising external beam radiation (EBRT),internal radiation,and concurrent chemotherapy. Serum nutritional data of the patients were collected before radiotherapy,one week,two weeks and five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy. CT images of the patients at the time of simulation and about five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy were imported into the Pinnacle 39.10 planning system,and the skeletal muscle index (SMI) of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) were calculated for each patients. The changes of the serum nutritional indicators of the patients prior to and post EBRT were analyzed statistically. The patients are categorized into two groups according to the baseline SMI:a sarcopenic group consisting of 35 cases and a non-sarcopenic group comprising 79 cases. The therapeutic outcomes between the two groups were compared,and logistic analysis of the relevant factors affecting the occurrence of sarcopenia during radiotherapy was conducted. The survival curves were drawn using Kaplan-Meier method and disease-free survival (DFS) between the two groups was compared using Log Rank test. We used Cox univariate and multivariate regression analysis to identify prognostic factors related to DFS. Results:The serum nutritional indicators of the patient at one week,two weeks,and five weeks after the beginning of EBRT were significantly lower than those before radiotherapy (P<0.05). The SMI from the CT images of simulation at five weeks after the onset of radiotherapy was significantly lower than that before radiotherapy (P<0.001). There was a significant correlation between hemoglobin levels prior to radiotherapy and incidence of sarcopenia during radiotherapy (P=0.046). There was no significant difference in efficacy between the two groups at the end of EBRT (P>0.05). At the end of radiotherapy,the complete response (CR) rate of the non-sarcopenia group was significantly higher than that of the sarcopenia group (P=0.040). However,the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) of both groups at the end of radiotherapy were 100％. The 2-year DFS of the sarcopenia group and the non-sarcopenia group were 66.7％ and 85.5％,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.016). Only four patients died during the 2-year follow-up,so OS was not reached. Baseline SMI,serum squamous cell antigen levels prior to radiotherapy,and degree of bone marrow suppression were three independent prognostic factors affecting DFS in the patients. Conclusion:Cervical cancer patients experience significant nutritional loss during chemoradiotherapy,and baseline SMI is significantly correlated with short-term efficacy and long-term prognosis and can serve as a predictive marker for patients with cervical cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy.

Based on the principle of'treating disease and seeking the root cause',Professor FU Wen-Bin proposed'treating radiation encephalopathy(REP)from yang',pointing out that the main pathogenesis of REP is yang qi deficiency,brain spirit dystrophy,phlegm and blood stasis blocking orifices.Using'supplementing yang and unblocking yang simultaneously','treating spirit from heart and gallbladder',combined with the method of regulating spirit and unblocking orifices at acupoints of governor vessol and conception vessel,and using the integrated acupuncture mode of'firstly applying needling,secondly using moxibustion,thirdly focusing on consolidation'to play the role of supporting yang and treating spirit can effectively relieve symptoms and delay the development of the disease.

Mitral annular calcification(MAC)is an age-related,chronic,degenerative change in localized fibrous support structures,and current research suggests that it is a process similar to the active onset of atherosclerosis and aortic valve calcification,both of which are accompanied by the deposition of lipoprotein(α)[Lp(α)]and the formation of chronic inflammatory foci.Among them,Lp(α)is the hot spot of research.In recent years,the relationship between Lp(α)and aortic valve calcification has received extensive attention.A large number of studies have demonstrated that elevated Lp(α)and its associated oxidized phospholipids(OxPL)can promote aortic valve calcification and stenosis through multiple calcium-regulated pathways,but the pathophysiological process of MAC is much more complex and unclear,and there has been a preliminary exploration of the relationship between Lp(α)and MAC.To make the current relationship between the two clearer,and thus provide new possibilities for preventing or delaying MAC,the paper will review the three aspects of MAC,Lp(α),and the research progress between the two.

Objective To monitor the antifungal resistance of clinical isolates of Candida spp.in the East China region.Methods MALDI-TOF MS or molecular methods were used to re-identify the strains collected from January 2018 to December 2022.Antifungal susceptibility testing was performed using the broth microdilution method.The susceptibility test results were interpreted according to the breakpoints of 2022 Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute(CLSI)documents M27 M44s-Ed3 and M57s-Ed4.Results A total of 3 026 strains of Candida were collected,65.33％of which were isolated from sterile body sites,mainly from blood(38.86％)and pleural effusion/ascites(10.21％).The predominant species of Candida were Candida albicans(44.51％),followed by Candida parapsilosis complex(19.46％),Candida tropicalis(13.98％),Candida glabrata(10.34％),and other Candida species(0.79％).Candida albicans showed overall high susceptibility rates to the 10 antifungal drugs tested(the lowest rate being 93.62％).Only 2.97％of the strains showed dose-dependent susceptibility(SDD)to fluconazole.Candida parapsilosis complex had a SDD rate of 2.61％and a resistance rate of 9.42％to fluconazole,and susceptibility rates above 90％to other drugs.Candida glabrata had a SDD rate of 92.01％and a resistance rate of 7.99％to fluconazole,resistance rates of 32.27％and 48.24％to posaconazole and voriconazole non-wild-type strains(NWT),respectively,and susceptibility rates above 90％to other drugs.Candida tropicalis had resistance rates of 29.55％and 26.24％to fluconazole and voriconazole,respectively,resistance rates of 76.60％and 21.99％to posaconazole and echinocandins non-wild-type strains(NWT),and a resistance rate of 2.36％to echinocandins.Conclusions The prevalence and species distribution of Candida spp.in the East China region are consistent with previous domestic and international reports.Candida glabrata exhibits certain degree of resistance to fluconazole,while Candida tropicalis demonstrates higher resistance to triazole drugs.Additionally,echinocandins resistance has emerged in Candida albicans,Candida glabrata,Candida tropicalis,and Candida parapsilosis.

Clinicians need to focus on various points in the diagnosis and treatment of insomnia.This article prescribed the treatment protocol based on the unique features,such as insomnia in the elderly,women experiencing specific physiologi-cal periods,children insomnia,insomnia in sleep-breathing disorder patients,insomnia in patients with chronic liver and kidney dysfunction.It pro-vides some reference for clinicians while they make decision on diagnosis,differentiation and treat-ment methods.

In industrial production,the expression level of drug proteins in Chinese hamster ovary cells(CHO)is influenced by many factors:the regulatory elements on transcription and translation,the ge-nomic integration sites,and the expression system.Transcription,as the first step of gene expression,largely affects protein expression,and the promoter plays a crucial role in the initiation of transcription.Most of the promoters were screened through transient transfection or random integration,but the presence of unclear copy number or random integration sites makes it difficult to accurately evaluate the promoter activity.To some extent,site-specific integration can reduce the impact of positional effects on exogenous genes and may potentially increase the expression level of exogenous genes.In the early stage of our re-search,multiple sites that can stably express exogenous proteins were identified and verified in the CHO cell genome.In this study,one of these sites(2c6)was selected for the evaluation of promoter activity.The CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technique was used to site-specifically integrate the reporter gene(EG-FP)regulated by the simian virus early promoter(SV40),mouse elongation factor-1α(mEF-1α),chicken β-actin(cACTB)promoter,and human phosphoglycerate kinase promoter(hPGK)into the 2c6 site,respectively.The mean fluorescence intensity of the cells was analyzed by flow cytometry,and the mRNA level of EGFP was detected by qPCR to comprehensively evaluate the activity of the promoter.The results showed that the activities of the mEF-1α and mACTB promoters were better than those of SV40 and hPGK.The results of the secondary flow cytometry sorting showed that site-specific integration can more accurately evaluate the activity of the promoter in the CHO cell expression system.

Objective To explore the expression and significance of neutrophil extracellular traps(NETs)in peripheral blood of primary Sj?gren's syndrome(pSS)patients across different disease activity levels,and the predictive value of NETs and routine laboratory markers antithrombin Ⅲ(AT Ⅲ),alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and carbohydrate antigen 125(CA125)for pSS disease activity.Methods A total of 94 newly diagnosed pSS patients at the Affiliated Lianyungang Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from October 2021 to December 2023 were categorized into active(n=49)and non-active(n=45)groups based on the European League Against Rheumatism(EULAR)Sj?gren's Syndrome disease activity index(ESSDAI).The levels of NETs biomarkers,namely serum myeloperoxidase(MPO)-DNA,were measured using ELISA.Laboratory routine indicators and MPO-DNA were integrated into multivariate Logistic regression to screen for independent influencing factors of pSS disease activity.Pearson's correlation was used to evaluate the relationship between MPO-DNA levels and ESSDAI scores.The efficacy of MPO-DNA alone or in combination with AT Ⅲ,ALP and CA125,for predictors of disease activity was evaluated using ROC curve.Results Serum MPO-DNA(23.884±3.494 μg/L),ALP(80.159±34.318 U/L)and CA125(20.300±16.560 U/ml)levels of active pSS patients were higher than those in the non-active patients(19.024±3.324 μ g/L,67.500±21.166U/L,13.200±6.340 U/ml),while AT Ⅲ(89.180±15.040 ng/ml)was lower than that in non-active patients(94.650±11.620 ng/ml),with significant differences(t=-7.921,-2.426,-2.925,2.094,all P＜0.05).Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed laboratory indicator MPO-DNA,ALP and CA125 were independent risk factors,while AT Ⅲ was an independent protective factor(all P＜0.05).MPO-DNA was positively correlated with ESSDAI scores(r=0.602,P＜0.01).The AUC(95％CI)of the combination of ALP,CA125 and AT Ⅲ for predicting disease activity in pSS was 0.711(0.612～0.810).The AUC(95％CI)of MPO-DNA alone for predicting disease activity in pSS was 0.837(0.758～0.915),and the AUC(95％CI)of combination of MPO-DNA,ALP,CA125 and AT Ⅲ for predicting disease activity in pSS was 0.866(0.797～0.935),showing an improving in the predictive value.Conclusion The involvement of NETs in the occurrence and expression levels of pSS is related to its disease activity.NETs combined with ALP,CA125 and AT Ⅲ have effective diagnostic performance for the disease activity of pSS.This tool can serve as a biological indicator for predicting the disease activity of pSS.

Patients with severe trauma require an extremely timely treatment and transfusion plays an irreplaceable role in the emergency treatment of such patients. An increasing number of evidence-based medicinal evidences and clinical practices suggest that patients with severe traumatic bleeding benefit from early transfusion of low-titer group O whole blood or hemostatic resuscitation with red blood cells, plasma and platelet of a balanced ratio. However, the current domestic mode of blood supply cannot fully meet the requirements of timely and effective blood transfusion for emergency treatment of patients with severe trauma in clinical practice. In order to solve the key problems in blood supply and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma, Branch of Clinical Transfusion Medicine of Chinese Medical Association, Group for Trauma Emergency Care and Multiple Injuries of Trauma Branch of Chinese Medical Association, Young Scholar Group of Disaster Medicine Branch of Chinese Medical Association organized domestic experts of blood transfusion medicine and trauma treatment to jointly formulate Chinese expert consensus on blood support mode and blood transfusion strategies for emergency treatment of severe trauma patients ( version 2024). Based on the evidence-based medical evidence and Delphi method of expert consultation and voting, 10 recommendations were put forward from two aspects of blood support mode and transfusion strategies, aiming to provide a reference for transfusion resuscitation in the emergency treatment of severe trauma and further improve the success rate of treatment of patients with severe trauma.

Objective:To explore the effects of computer-navigated surgery and traditional surgery on the functional and oncological outcomes of pelvic chondrosarcoma.Methods:Retrospective analysis of 136 cases of pelvic chondrosarcoma surgically treated at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2000 to December 2017. There were 65 males and 71 females with an average age of 46.07±13.37 years (range 13-73 years). There were 120 primary cases and 16 secondary cases, of which 109 cases were ordinary chondrosarcoma (7 cases with pathological differentiation grade I, 83 cases with grade II. There were 109 cases of common type chondrosarcoma (7 cases of pathological differentiation grade I, 83 cases of grade II, 19 cases of grade III), 21 cases of dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma, 3 cases of mesenchymal type, 2 cases of clear cell type, 1 case of mucinous type; 12 cases of malignant degeneration of multilocular chondrosarcoma of bone; 104 cases of Enneking staging stage IB, 32 cases of stage IIB. According to the pelvis zone classification, there were 14 cases of pelvic zone I, 1 case of zone II, 13 cases of zone III, 16 cases of zone I+II, 16 cases of zone I+IV, 47 cases of zone II+III, 25 cases of zone I+II+III, 25 cases of zone I+II+III, 4 cases of zone I + II + III + IV. All cases were classified as intracapsular, marginal, or wide resection according to the resection boundary classification. There were 45 cases in computer-navigated surgery (navigated group) and 91 cases in non-navigated surgery group. The demographic data, preoperative tumor staging, surgical characteristics, surgical boundary classification, oncological indexes, reconstruction methods, postoperative complications, and bone and soft tissue tumor function score (Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score, MSTS) were compared between the two groups.Results:No surgical complications related to the computerized navigation system occurred in the navigation group. The postoperative follow-up time was 68.56±37.82 months (range 6-197 months) and 76.85±52.60 months (range 5-225 months) for the navigation and non-navigation groups, respectively. The MSTS was 25.43±2.85 and 24.56±4.19 points in the navigation and non-navigation groups, respectively, with no significant difference ( t=1.191, P=0.237). There were 10 cases of marginal resection and 35 cases of wide resection in the navigation group, and 12 cases of intracapsular resection, 32 cases of marginal resection and 47 cases of wide resection in the non-navigation group with significant difference (χ 2=10.977, P=0.004). There were 4 cases (8.9%, 4/45) of local recurrence after surgery in the navigation group and 20 cases (21.9%, 20/91) in the non-navigation group, with significant difference (χ 2=4.040, P=0.046). There were 2 cases of final amputation and 2 cases of re-excision with recurrence in the navigation group and 6 cases of final amputation and 14 cases of re-excision in the non-navigation group. Distant metastases occurred in 3 cases (7%, 3/45) in the navigation group and 18 cases (20%, 18/91) in the non-navigation group wtih significant difference (χ 2=4.478, P=0.034). The five-year postoperative survival rates of the navigation and non-navigation groups were 93.3% and 72.6%, and the three- and five-year progression-free survival rates were 91.1% and 84.4% and 74.8% and 62.7%, respectively, with significant differences (χ 2=5.081, P=0.024; χ 2=6.800, P=0.009). The five-year survival rate of stage IB tumors was 96.7% in the navigation group and 84.5% in the non-navigation group with significant difference (χ 2=3.897, P=0.048); the five-year survival rate of stage IIB tumors was 75.0% in the navigation group and 35.0% in the non-navigation group with no significant difference ( P>0.05). Postoperative complications included 15 cases of postoperative infection, 16 cases of deep vein thrombosis, 14 cases of double lower limb inequality, 2 cases of prosthesis dislocation, 2 cases of lymphedema, 1 case of hernia and 1 case of allograft bone resorption. There was no significant difference of complication rates between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Computer navigation-assisted resection of pelvic chondrosarcoma was better in obtaining a safe surgical border of the tumor compared with traditional surgery, reducing the rate of local recurrence of the tumor and thus effectively improved the survival and prognosis of patients.