Objective To evaluate the molluscicidal effect of spraying different formulations of niclosamide ethanolamine salt with drones against Oncomelania hupensis in ditches. Methods A semi-dry and semi-wet ditch with O. hupensis snails was selected in the second branch field of Jiangbei Farm, Jiangling County, Hubei Province in May 2023, and divided into 4 experimental areas, named groups A1, A2, B1 and B2. Environmental cleaning was performed in groups A1 and B2, and was not conducted in groups A2 or B2. Then, 50% wettable powder of niclosamide ethanolamine salt was sprayed with drones at an effective dose of 2 g/m² in groups A1 and A2, and 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granule was sprayed with drones at an effective dose of 2 g/m² in groups B1 and B2. O. hupensis snails were surveyed using the systematic sampling method 1, 3, 5, 7, 14 days after spraying, and the natural mortality and corrected mortality of O. hupensis snails were calculated. Results The occurrence of frames with living snails, mean density of living snails and natural mortality of snails were 97.50% (117/120), 6.30 snails/0.1 m² and 1.18% (9/765) in the test ditch before spraying, respectively. There were significant differences in the mortality of snails among four groups 1, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after spraying niclosamide formulations with drones (χ² = 17.230, 51.707, 65.184, 204.050 and 34.435, all P values < 0.01). The overall mortality rates of snails were 94.51% (1 051/1 112), 79.44% (908/1 143), 96.54% (977/1 012) and 88.55% (1 021/1 153) in groups A1, A2, B1 and B2 (χ² = 207.773, P < 0.05), respectively. In addition, there was no significant difference in the overall snail mortality between groups A1 and B1 (P > 0.05), and the snail mortality in groups A1 and B1 were both statistically different from that in groups A2 and B2 (all P values < 0.05). Conclusion Both 50% wettlable powder of niclosamide ethanolamine salt and 5% niclosamide ethanolamine salt granule sprayed with drones are active against O. hupensis snails in ditches, and environmental cleaning may improve the molluscicidal effect.

Objective:To explore the efficacy and adverse reactions of nimotuzumab combined with induction chemotherapy (IC) based on albumin-bound paclitaxel plus cisplatin (TP regimen) for patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LA-HNSCC).Methods:Clinical data were collected from 65 patients with LA-HNSCC (stages Ⅲ/Ⅳ A/Ⅳ B; excluding nasopharyngeal carcinoma) who received 2-3 cycles of IC followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in the Second Hospital of Dalian Medical University from January 2018 to June 2022. Based on the IC regimen, these patients were categorized into a nimotuzumab combined with TP (Nimo-TP) group ( n = 34) and a TP group ( n = 31), and their short-term efficacy [i.e., the objective response rate (ORR)], survival outcomes [e.g., overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), local recurrence-free survival (LRFS), and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS)], and adverse reactions were compared. Additionally, factors affecting their survival outcomes were analyzed. Results:There were statistically significant differences in 1- and 2-year DMFS between both groups (90.4% vs. 69.5%, 90.4% vs. 66.0%, χ2=1.81, P < 0.05), so did the ORRs after IC and CRT of both groups (after IC: 67.6% vs. 41.9%, χ2=4.34, P = 0.037; after CRT: 88.2% vs. 67.7%, χ2=4.03, P = 0.045). However, there was no statistically significant difference in the 2-year OS, PFS, and LRFS between both groups ( P > 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that nimotuzumab combined with TP-based IC served as an independent prognostic factor for DMFS ( HR = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.07-0.97, P = 0.045), while complete/partial response after IC acted as an independent prognostic factor for both PFS and local relapse-free survival ( HR = 0.36, 95% CI: 0.17-0.76, P = 0.008; HR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.11-0.69, P = 0.006). Notably, adding nimotuzumab did not aggravate the adverse reactions in the patients during IC and CRT( P > 0.05). Conclusions:Nimotuzumab combined with TP-based induction chemotherapy followed by CRT significantly improved the DMFS of LA-HNSCC patients, exhibiting high safety. However, such therapy failed to significantly improve their OS, PFS, and LRRFS, and, thus, further research is required.

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli（ETEC）infection can induce watery diarrhea，leading to dehydration，electrolyte disturbance，and even death in severe cases. Recombinant B subunit/inactivated whole-cell cholera（rBS/WC）vaccine is effective in preventing ETEC infectious diarrhea. On the basis of the latest evidence on etiology and epidemiology of ETEC，as well as the effectiveness，safety，and health economics of rBS/WC vaccine，National Clinical Research Center for Child Health（The Children’s Hospital，Zhejiang University School of Medicine）and Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention invited experts to develop expert consensus on rBS/WC vaccine in prevention of ETEC infectious diarrhea. It aims to provide the clinicians and vaccination professionals with guidelines on using rBS/WC vaccine to reduce the incidence of ETEC infectious diarrhea.

Angiogenesis is an essential process in tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR2) inhibitors targeting tumor angiogenic pathway have been widely used in the clinical cancer treatment. However, most of currently used VEGFR2 kinase inhibitors are multi-target inhibitors which might result in target-associated side effects and therefore limited clinical toleration. Highly selective VEGFR inhibitors are still highly demanded from both basic research and clinical application point of view. Here we report the discovery and characterization of a novel VEGFR2 inhibitor (CHMFL-VEGFR2-002), which exhibited high selectivity among structurally closed kinases including PDGFRs, FGFRs, CSF1R, etc. CHMFL-VEGFR2-002 displayed potent inhibitory activity against VEGFR2 kinase in the biochemical assay (IC = 66 nmol/L) and VEGFR2 autophosphorylation in cells (ECs ∼100 nmol/L) as well as potent anti-proliferation effect against VEGFR2 transformed BaF3 cells (GI = 150 nmol/L). In addition, CHMFL-VEGFR2-002 also displayed good anti-angiogenesis efficacy and exhibited good PK (pharmacokinetics) profile with bioavailability over 49% and anti-angiogenesis efficacy in both zebrafish and mouse models without apparent toxicity. These results suggest that CHMFL-VEGFR2-002 might be a useful research tool for dissecting new functions of VEGFR2 kinase as well as a potential anti-angiogenetic agent for the cancer therapy.

Objective:To understand the pathogens and molecular-epidemiologic characteristics of viral meningo-encephalitis in Zhejiang province during 2002 to 2018.Methods:All the samples were collected from suspected patients admitted to the hospitals under the monitoring program. Of the total samples, 2 173 were cerebrospinal fluids while the other 455 were stool specimens. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples were subject to real-time qPCR for the detection of Human enterovirus (HEV), Mumps virus (MuV), Herpes simplex virus (HSV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV). Stool sample were subject to real-time qPCR for HEV. ELISA was used to detect the IgM antibodies in CSF, in the 5 kinds of virus mentioned above. VP1 genes from all RNA-positive specimen were amplified, sequenced, for typing and for evolution analysis.Results:871 (40.1 %) of the 2 173 samples were detected as HEV nucleic acid positive during 2002 to 2018. 654 (38.1 %) of the 1 718 CSF sample were HEV nucleic acid positive while 217 (47.7 %) of the 455 stool sample were HEV nucleic acid positive. Among the total positive nucleic acid sample, 670 of them were VP1 sequence positive, including 5 HEV-A and 665 HEV-B. There were 23 HEV serotypes, including Coxsackievirus (CV) CVA4, CVA6, CVA9, CVA10, CVB1-5, Echovirus (EchoV; E) E3, E4, E6,E7, E9, E11, E14, E16, E18, E21, E25, E30, E33 and EV-71. The top three serotypes went to E30, E6 and CVB5. These three serotypes presented enhanced viral activity in every several years. 795 CSF samples were detected as virus nucleic acid positive, including 374 HEV, 6 MuV, 5 HSV and 5 CMV, from 2012 to 2015 and in 2018. 5 kinds of IgM antibodies were detected simultaneously in 368 CSF samples, including 2 HEV positive, 6 JEV positive and 1 MuV positive for 5 viruses, respectively. Except for EV-71, there were 517 EchoV and 152 CV viruses presented, with the ratio of 3.4∶1. These two kinds of viruses alternately changed for each predominant epidemic strains in every 3-5 years. Based on VP1, results from the phylogenetic tree showed that HEV from Zhejiang province clustered into HEV-A and HEV-B clades respectively. E30 developed both h and i sub-genotypes. Conclusions:HEV-B seemed the main pathogen for viral meningo-encephalitis in Zhejiang province. Ratio of positive detection on EchoV was significantly higher than that on CV. These two kinds of virus alternately presented changing tendency in every several years. Predominant epidemic strains E30, CVB5 and E6 were presenting enhanced viral activity, also in every several years. High correlation was found in both HEV viral activity from the surveillance sites and in time line of the viral meningo-encephalitis outbreaks.

Objective:To establish a new model for the prediction of severe outcomes of COVID-19 patients and provide more comprehensive, accurate and timely indicators for the early identification of severe COVID-19 patients.Methods:Based on the patients’ admission detection indicators, mild or severe status of COVID-19, and dynamic changes in admission indicators (the differences between indicators of two measurements) and other input variables, XGBoost method was applied to establish a prediction model to evaluate the risk of severe outcomes of the COVID-19 patients after admission. Follow up was done for the selected patients from admission to discharge, and their outcomes were observed to evaluate the predicted results of this model.Results:In the training set of 100 COVID-19 patients, six predictors with higher scores were screened and a prediction model was established. The high-risk range of the predictor variables was calculated as: blood oxygen saturation <94 %, peripheral white blood cells count >8.0×10 9, change in systolic blood pressure <-2.5 mmHg, heart rate >90 beats/min, multiple small patchy shadows, age >30 years, and change in heart rate <12.5 beats/min. The prediction sensitivity of the model based on the training set was 61.7 %, and the missed diagnosis rate was 38.3 %. The prediction sensitivity of the model based on the test set was 75.0 %, and the missed diagnosis rate was 25.0 %. Conclusions:Compared with the traditional prediction (i.e. using indicators from the first test at admission and the critical admission conditions to assess whether patients are in mild or severe status), the new model’s prediction additionally takes into account of the baseline physiological indicators and dynamic changes of COVID-19 patients, so it can predict the risk of severe outcomes in COVID-19 patients more comprehensively and accurately to reduce the missed diagnosis of severe COVID-19.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics for family clusters of COVID-19 in Zhejiang Province.Methods:The data including cases information of asymptomatic infected cases of family clusters of COVID-19 in Zhejiang Province were collected from Public Health Emergencies Reporting System of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Calculate the case number of subsequent cases, index cases, asymptomatic infected cases, exposure cases, and then, compute family secondary attack rate (SIR) and serial interval.Results:A total of 389 cases comprised 149 family index cases and 240 subsequent cases. The clinical symptoms between family index cases and subsequent cases (exclude asymptomatic infected cases ) were similar, fever was the most common symptoms in the two groups 115 (77.18%) and 110（48.67%）respectively, the cases with diarrhea symptoms accounted for the least proportion, which were 7 (4.70%) and 6 (2.65%) respectively. The serial interval between the family index cases and the subsequent cases [ M ( P25, P75)] was 4.00 (2.00, 6.00) days. Family secondary attack rate for subsequent cases was 34.43%, subsequent cases aged between 14 and 60 have the highest SIR (43.42%) compared with other two age groups, the difference was statistically ( P<0.001); the family SIR of the spouses of the family index cases is 68.57%, and are higher than that of parents (29.03%), children (25.00%) and other family members (24.21%), the difference was also statistically ( P<0.001). Conclusion:2019 novel coronavirus has shorter serial interval and higher family SIR, the SIR of spouses is higher than other family members.

Objective:Recently, increasing number of lung cancer patients benefit from immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, the data of Chinese small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients is limited. This study aims to analyze the response and survival data of ICIs treatment in SCLC and to explore the predictive biomarkers.Methods:Forty-seven SCLC patients who received ICIs treatment from Peking University Cancer Hospital from May 2017 to September 2019 was recruited. Clinical characteristics including sex, age, smoking status, ICIs strategy, PD-L1 expression and therapeutic efficacy were collected to explore the clinical predictive biomarkers for SCLC ICIs treatment.Results:Among the 47 patients, 18 (38.3%) cases were partial repose (PR), 11 (23.4%) were stable disease (SD), 18 (38.3%) were progressive disease (PD), and the objective response rate (ORR) was 38.3%, disease control rate (DCR) was 61.7%, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.3 months. ICIs monotherapy accounts for 27.7%, the ORR was 15.4%, DCR was 53.8%, median PFS was 2.7 months. Combined therapy accounts for 72.3%, the ORR was 47.1%, DCR was 64.7%, median PFS was 5.4 months. Fourteen (29.8%) patients received ICIs as the first line treatment, their ORR was 85.7%, DCR was 100%, median PFS was 9.1 month. The ORR was not related to the age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking status and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression ( P>0.05). The ORRs were higher in patients underwent PD-L1 monotherapy ( P=0.001), combined therapy ( P=0.002) and received ICIs as the first line treatment ( P<0.001). Log-rank analysis indicated that the PFS of female patients were 12.0 months, significantly longer than 4.4 months of male patients in ICIs treatment ( P=0.038). Patients who received PD-L1 monotherapy, combined treatment, or ICIs as the first line treatment had longer PFS than their counterparts, though no statistical significant was observed ( P>0.05). Cox multivariate analysis showed that, the gender was not an independent predictor for PFS in ICIs treatment ( HR=3.777, 95% CI=0.974~30.891, P=0.054). Conclusions:Immunotherapy is an effective treatment strategy for SCLC. Patients who receive combined ICIs treatment, first line ICIs treatment and PD-L1 treatment may get greater benefits. PD-L1 expression cannot predict the response and PFS in SCLC ICIs treatment.

Objective:Recently, increasing number of lung cancer patients benefit from immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). However, the data of Chinese small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients is limited. This study aims to analyze the response and survival data of ICIs treatment in SCLC and to explore the predictive biomarkers.Methods:Forty-seven SCLC patients who received ICIs treatment from Peking University Cancer Hospital from May 2017 to September 2019 was recruited. Clinical characteristics including sex, age, smoking status, ICIs strategy, PD-L1 expression and therapeutic efficacy were collected to explore the clinical predictive biomarkers for SCLC ICIs treatment.Results:Among the 47 patients, 18 (38.3%) cases were partial repose (PR), 11 (23.4%) were stable disease (SD), 18 (38.3%) were progressive disease (PD), and the objective response rate (ORR) was 38.3%, disease control rate (DCR) was 61.7%, the median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5.3 months. ICIs monotherapy accounts for 27.7%, the ORR was 15.4%, DCR was 53.8%, median PFS was 2.7 months. Combined therapy accounts for 72.3%, the ORR was 47.1%, DCR was 64.7%, median PFS was 5.4 months. Fourteen (29.8%) patients received ICIs as the first line treatment, their ORR was 85.7%, DCR was 100%, median PFS was 9.1 month. The ORR was not related to the age, sex, body mass index (BMI), smoking status and programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression ( P>0.05). The ORRs were higher in patients underwent PD-L1 monotherapy ( P=0.001), combined therapy ( P=0.002) and received ICIs as the first line treatment ( P<0.001). Log-rank analysis indicated that the PFS of female patients were 12.0 months, significantly longer than 4.4 months of male patients in ICIs treatment ( P=0.038). Patients who received PD-L1 monotherapy, combined treatment, or ICIs as the first line treatment had longer PFS than their counterparts, though no statistical significant was observed ( P>0.05). Cox multivariate analysis showed that, the gender was not an independent predictor for PFS in ICIs treatment ( HR=3.777, 95% CI=0.974~30.891, P=0.054). Conclusions:Immunotherapy is an effective treatment strategy for SCLC. Patients who receive combined ICIs treatment, first line ICIs treatment and PD-L1 treatment may get greater benefits. PD-L1 expression cannot predict the response and PFS in SCLC ICIs treatment.

Objective:To investigate the epidemiological characteristics for family clusters of COVID-19 in Zhejiang Province.Methods:The data including cases information of asymptomatic infected cases of family clusters of COVID-19 in Zhejiang Province were collected from Public Health Emergencies Reporting System of China Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Calculate the case number of subsequent cases, index cases, asymptomatic infected cases, exposure cases, and then, compute family secondary attack rate (SIR) and serial interval.Results:A total of 389 cases comprised 149 family index cases and 240 subsequent cases. The clinical symptoms between family index cases and subsequent cases (exclude asymptomatic infected cases ) were similar, fever was the most common symptoms in the two groups 115 (77.18%) and 110（48.67%）respectively, the cases with diarrhea symptoms accounted for the least proportion, which were 7 (4.70%) and 6 (2.65%) respectively. The serial interval between the family index cases and the subsequent cases [ M ( P25, P75)] was 4.00 (2.00, 6.00) days. Family secondary attack rate for subsequent cases was 34.43%, subsequent cases aged between 14 and 60 have the highest SIR (43.42%) compared with other two age groups, the difference was statistically ( P<0.001); the family SIR of the spouses of the family index cases is 68.57%, and are higher than that of parents (29.03%), children (25.00%) and other family members (24.21%), the difference was also statistically ( P<0.001). Conclusion:2019 novel coronavirus has shorter serial interval and higher family SIR, the SIR of spouses is higher than other family members.