[Effect of peer education on knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis among primary school students in endemic foci of Wuhan City].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of peer education on knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis control among primary school students in endemic foci of Wuhan City. METHODS: Yucai Hankou Primary School in Jiang' an District, Wuhan City was selected in 2021, and all students at grades 4 and 5 were sampled using a cluster sampling method to receive peer education about schistosomiasis. The changes of knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis control were compared before and after peer education to evaluate the effect of peer education on knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis control. RESULTS: The overall awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and the overall proportion of correct attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors increased from 51.50%, 93.70% and 92.99% before peer education to 86.50%, 98.98% and 98.72% after peer education among primary school students, respectively (χ2=149.457, 21.692 and 20.691, all P values < 0.05). The overall awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and the overall proportion of correct attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors were 49.19%, 92.20% and 92.72% among Grade 4 primary school students and 53.83%, 95.21% and 93.28% among Grade 5 primary school students prior to peer education (χ2 = 1.214, 2.034 and 0.096, all P values > 0.05), and increased to 75.93%, 98.09% and 97.59% among Grade 4 primary school students and 97.16%, 99.87% and 99.87% among Grade 5 primary school students after peer education, respectively (χ2 = 40.798, 9.572, 7.207, 133.194, 9.678 and 14.926, all P values < 0.05). The overall awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and the overall proportion of correct attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors were 51.25%, 76.92% and 77.97% among male primary school students and 51.80%, 94.42% and 95.70% among female primary school students prior to peer education, the differences in the overall proportion of correct attitudes towards schistosomiasis control and correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors between male primary school students and female primary school students were significant (χ2 = 30.462 and 33.416, both P values < 0.05), and increased to 86.23%, 98.25% and 97.79% among male primary school students and 86.83%, 99.85% and 99.85% among female primary school students after peer education (χ2 = 0.081, 3.529 and 3.335, all P values > 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Peer education is effective to improve the knowledge, attitude and practices towards schistosomiasis control among primary school students in endemic foci of Wuhan City, which may be more effective to improve the awareness of schistosomiasis control knowledge and proportion of correct schistosomiasis-related behaviors among primary school students at high grades.

[Effects of urban construction on Oncomelania snails control in Wuhan City].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of urban construction projects on Oncomelania snails control in Wuhan City, so as to provide insights into the development of an integrated control strategy for urban schistosomiasis. METHODS: The data pertaining to the endemic situation of schistosomiasis, schistosomiasis control data, the construction of the Yangtze River Bridge, marshland management and park constructions were collected from Wuhan City from 1990 to 2020. The changes of areas of snail habitats and high-risk settings were compared before and after implementation of these urban construction projects to evaluate the effectiveness of urban construction projects on Oncomelania snails control. RESULTS: The number of schistosomiasis cases decreased by 97.35%, and the number of cattle with schistosomiasis decreased by 100% in Wuhan City from 1990 to 2020, with a 41.99% reduction in areas of snail habitats, including 94.97% and 34.40% reductions in snail habitats inside and outside the embankment decreased. During the period from 1990 through 2020, a total of 10 Yangtze River bridges were built in Wuhan City, and areas of snail habitats around the bridges reduced from 11 699.05 hm2 before the bridge building to 8 726.14 hm2 after the building (a 25.41% reduction), while the areas of high-risk settings reduced from 411.69 hm2 before the bridge building to 276.78 hm2 after the building (a 32.77% reduction). Following treatment of three marshlands in Hankou, Hanyang and Wuchang, the areas of snail habitats reduced from 225.80 hm2 before the management to 199.47 hm2 after the management (a 11.66% reduction), and the areas of high-risk settings reduced from 23.14 hm2 before the treatment to 17.73 hm2 after the building (a 23.38% reduction). Following the building of 5 parks in snail-infested settings, the areas of snail habitats reduced from 319.61 hm2 before the construction to 280.80 hm2 after the construction (a 12.14% reduction), and the areas of high-risk settings reduced from 35.00 hm2 before the construction to 27.73 hm2 after the construction (a 20.77% reduction). CONCLUSIONS: Simultaneous implementation of urban construction projects and schistosomiasis control measures is effective to shrink snail-infested setting and high-risk settings and control the endemic situation of schistosomiasis in endemic foci in Wuhan City.

Degradable RGD-Functionalized 3D-Printed Scaffold Promotes Osteogenesis.

To establish an ideal microenvironment for regenerating maxillofacial defects, recent research interests have concentrated on developing scaffolds with intricate configurations and manipulating the stiffness of extracellular matrix toward osteogenesis. Herein, we propose to infuse a degradable RGD-functionalized alginate matrix (RAM) with osteoid-like stiffness, as an artificial extracellular matrix, to a rigid 3D-printed hydroxyapatite scaffold for maxillofacial regeneration. The 3D-printed hydroxyapatite scaffold was produced by microextrusion technology and showed good dimensional stability with consistent microporous detail. RAM was crosslinked by calcium sulfate to manipulate the stiffness, and its degradation was accelerated by partial oxidation using sodium periodate. The results revealed that viability of bone marrow stem cells was significantly improved on the RAM and was promoted on the oxidized RAM. In addition, the migration and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stem cells were promoted on the RAM with osteoid-like stiffness, specifically on the oxidized RAM. The in vivo evidence revealed that nonoxidized RAM with osteoid-like stiffness upregulated osteogenic genes but prevented ingrowth of newly formed bone, leading to limited regeneration. Oxidized RAM with osteoid-like stiffness facilitated collagen synthesis, angiogenesis, and osteogenesis and induced robust bone formation, thereby significantly promoting maxillofacial regeneration. Overall, this study supported that in the stabilized microenvironment, oxidized RAM with osteoid-like stiffness offered requisite mechanical cues for osteogenesis and an appropriate degradation profile to facilitate bone formation. Combining the 3D-printed hydroxyapatite scaffold and oxidized RAM with osteoid-like stiffness may be an advantageous approach for maxillofacial regeneration.

[An acute schistosomiasis case in Wuhan City imported from another province of China in 2020].

An imported case of acute schistosomiasis was reported in Wuhan City in 2020. The case was infected with Schistosoma by contact with the infested water due to playing water in the Yangtze River when working out of Hubei Province. The patient visited four medical institutions and the duration from onset to definitive diagnosis was 20 days. The patient's low awareness of schistosomiasis prevention and control knowledge and lack of diagnosis and treatment awareness for schistosomiasis among medical institutions were considered as main causes of the development of acute schistosomiasis and progression to severe case. Intensifying schistosomiasis health education among mobile populations and improving the awareness and capability of early diagnosis of schistosomiasis among clinicians are recommended.

[The 480th case:membranous nephropathy combined with diabetic nephropathy, nephrotic syndrome, and recurrent fever].

A 66-year-old male presented with edema for 10 months and high fever for half a month. The patient was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes for 10 years. Renal biopsy revealed membrane nephropathy combined with diabetic nephropathy. A combination regimen with rituximab (1 g, day 1 and day 20), cyclophosphamide (100 mg/d) and prednisone (60 mg/d) was initiated. The dose of prednisone was gradually reduced to 17.5 mg/d within 1.5 months after partial remission of nephrotic syndrome. However, the patient was re-admitted due to high fever, productive cough and mild hand tremor. The lung imaging suggested the diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia. Ertapenem (1 g/d) was empirically administrated and adjusted to moxifloxacin (0.4 g/d) plus ceftazidime (2 g, 2 times/d) for two weeks. The patient responded and temperature came back to normal. But the fever relapsed after the withdrawal of antibiotics. Mixed infections were suspected, but blood and sputum samples were negative for pathogens. Antibiotics were not effective. The patient recalled a history of pigeon exposure. Positive cryptococcus antigen in blood culture and cerebrospinal fluid unmasked the diagnosis of pulmonary cryptococcosis and cryptococcal meningitis. Fluconazole (200 mg, 2 times/d) and oral flucytosine (1 g, 3 times/d) were given and effective.

High birefringence of the yttrium vanadate crystal in the middle wavelength infrared.

A high birefringence of over 0.21 for the yttrium vanadate (YVO4) crystal in the middle wavelength infrared (i.e., 3-5 microm) was measured. A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was employed in the channel spectra technique to obtain the measurements.