Background: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) in humans and livestock is caused byEchinococcus granulosus(sensu lato). In China where CE is endemic, a number of studies have shown thatEchinococcus granulosus(sensu stricto) is majorly responsible for CE. However,E. canadensis(G6) which is the second leading cause of CE is now being detected in most parts of the country. In this study, the species diversity and genetic variation ofEchinococcus granulosus(s.l.) in four counties in Tibet Autonomous Region of China were investigated.Methods: Infection withEchinococcus granulosus(s.s.) in yaks and sheep was identified using NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 and 5 (nad1 andnad5) mitochondrial genes while the genotype G6 ofE. canadensisinitially diagnosed with NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) was further confirmed by analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome and a phylogenetic network constructed based on thenad2 andnad5 genes.Results: Out of 85 hydatid cyst samples collected from slaughtered sheep (n = 54) and yaks (n = 31), 83 were identified asE. granulosus(s.s.) G1 (n = 77), G3 (n = 6) and 2 were identified asE. canadensisG6. Analysis of thenad1/nad5 genes revealed 16/17 mutations with 9/14 parsimony informative sites resulting in 15/14 haplotypes, respectively. Haplotype diversity (Hd) and nucleotide diversity (π) ofE. granulosus(s.s.) population were 0.650 and 0.00127 fornad1 and 0.782 and 0.00306 fornad5, respectively, with an overall negative Tajima’sDand Fu’s Fs. A low F_STindicated no genetic difference between isolates from sheep and yaks.Conclusion: Pockets of infection withE. canadensis(G6, G7, G8 and G10) have been previously reported in sheep, goats, yaks and/or humans in different parts of China. While the G6 genotype has been previously reported in sheep in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the detection in a yak in the present study represents the first to the best of our knowledge. Therefore, we recommend future surveys and control efforts to comprehensively investigate other potential intermediate hosts for the prevalence and genetic diversity of theE. canadensisgroup (G6, G7, G8 and G10) across the country and their inclusion into the existing CE control programme.

Background: Drug-resistant microbes pose a global health concern, requiring the urgent development of effective antibacterial agents and strategies in clinical practice. Therefore, there is an urgent need to explore novel antibacterial materials to effectively eliminate bacteria. The synthesis of quaternary phosphonium salt in haloargentate systems, wherein the phosphorus atom is represented in a cationic form, is a possible strategy for the development of antibacterial materials. Methods: Using (triphenyl)phosphonium-based quaternary phosphorus salts with different spacer lengths (n=2, 4, 6) as a template, we designed three kinds of quaternary phosphorus salts as effective antibacterial agents against drug-resistant bacteria. Results: The synthesized quaternary phosphorus salt of (1,4-DBTPP)Br₂ effectively prevented the formation of the bacterial biofilms, and degraded bacterial membranes and cell walls by promoting the production of reactive oxygen species, which exhibited effective therapeutic effects in a rat model of a superficial wound infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Conclusion: The quaternary phosphorus salt (1,4-DBTPP)Br₂ demonstrated hemocompatibility and low toxicity, revealing its potential in the treatment of clinical infections. Graphical Abstract:

Natural product ellagic acid was used to construct a stable 3D BioMOF with twofold interpenetrated (6,3) bi-layers, which was fabricated as a biomemorizer with an ON/OFF ratio of 5.40 × 10³ bearing a high working temperature of 300 °C.

Background: Laryngeal cancer, predominantly linked to smoking, persists as a formidable global health challenge. Acquiring a deeper understanding of laryngeal cancer attributable to smoking (LCAS) burden and trends is essential for crafting nuanced and impactful prevention and intervention strategies.Methods: The Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), mortality, and corresponding Age-Standardized DALY rate (ASDR) and Age-Standardized Mortality Rate (ASMR) were systematically evaluated using the GBD 2021 data. Temporal trends were characterized through Joinpoint regression analysis, while the influence of socioeconomic factors on disease distribution and the associated disparities was probed through correlation analysis. Decomposition analysis was employed to identify the key factors driving changes in DALY and mortality burdens, and the Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort (BAPC) model was used to project future trends.Results: Over the past 30 years, the global burden of LCAS, as measured by DALYs and the number of deaths, has remained relatively stable with a modest increase of approximately 20.8 and 11.53%, respectively. However, both ASDR and ASMR have shown a decline, from 44.42 to 23.38 and from 1.61 to 0.89, respectively. Regionally, the burden is predominantly concentrated in Asia, Europe, as well as North Africa and the Middle East. In all regions, both ASDRs and ASMRs are on a downward trajectory, with the rate of decline being more pronounced as socio-economic indices (SDI) rise. Notably, Australasia, High-income Asia Pacific, and Western Europe exhibit the largest annual reductions in ASDRs and ASMRs. Population aging has been identified as the primary driver of DALYs and mortality burden in High-income Asia Pacific, while population growth plays a more significant role in other regions. In the next 15 years, both ASDR and ASMR are expected to continue their decline.Conclusion: Despite progress in reducing LCAS rates over 30 years, regional disparities persist, strengthened tobacco control measures are essential to further alleviate the LCAS burden and reduce smoking-related mortality.

Labyrinthine fistula is the most common complication of middle ear cholesteatoma. To explore the postoperative hearing changes and surgical results of repairing middle ear cholesteatoma with labyrinthine fistula using the ‘sandwich technique’. We retrospectively studied the clinical data of 36 patients (36 ears) who underwent surgical treatment for cholesteatoma with labyrinthine fistula. All patients were treated by completely removing the cholesteatoma matrix and repairing the fistula using the ‘sandwich technique’. The hearing, clinical features, radiological data, intraoperative findings, and surgical results were respectively analyzed. Most labyrinthine fistulas were located in the lateral semicircular canal (94%). Fifty percent of fistulas were of medium size. Based on Dornhoffer classification, 17 cases of labyrinthine fistulas were classified as I. In 34 patients, the average bone conduction threshold improved or did not change after surgery. Two patients had preoperative facial paralysis. During follow-up (3–60 months), all patients had no postoperative vertigo symptoms and disease recurrence. Following the removal of the cholesteatoma matrix, the fistula is repaired using the "sandwich technique", which preserves or increases hearing and achieves an anti-vertiginous effect. This finding suggests that, ‘sandwich technique’ is a feasible procedure to treat cholesteatoma with labyrinthine fistula.