Screening of pathogenic molecular markers of Staphylococcus aureus in children based on whole genome sequencing technology / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To explore the molecular characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in children, and to compare the molecular characteristics of different types of strains (infection and colonization strains) so as to reveal pathogenic molecular markers of S. aureus.@*METHODS@#A cross-sectional study design was used to conduct nasopharyngeal swab sampling from healthy children in the community and clinical samples from infected children in the hospital. Whole genome sequencing was used to detect antibiotic resistance genes and virulence genes. A random forest method to used to screen pathogenic markers.@*RESULTS@#A total of 512 S. aureus strains were detected, including 272 infection strains and 240 colonization strains. For virulence genes, the carrying rates of enterotoxin genes (seb and sep), extracellular enzyme coding genes (splA, splB, splE and edinC), leukocytotoxin genes (lukD, lukE, lukF-PV and lukS-PV) and epidermal exfoliating genes (eta and etb) in infection strains were higher than those in colonization strains. But the carrying rates of enterotoxin genes (sec, sec3, seg, seh, sei, sel, sem, sen, seo and seu) were lower in infection strains than in colonization strains (P<0.05). For antibiotic resistance genes, the carrying rates of lnuA, lnuG, aadD, tetK and dfrG were significantly higher in infection strains than in colonization strains (P<0.05). The accuracy of cross-validation of the random forest model for screening pathogenic markers of S. aureus before and after screening was 69% and 68%, respectively, and the area under the curve was 0.75 and 0.70, respectively. The random forest model finally screened out 16 pathogenic markers (sem, etb, splE, sep, ser, mecA, lnuA, sea, blaZ, cat(pC233), blaTEm-1A, aph(3')-III, ermB, ermA, ant(9)-Ia and ant(6)-Ia). The top five variables in the variable importance ranking were sem (OR=0.40), etb (OR=3.95), splE (OR=1.68), sep (OR=3.97), and ser (OR=1.68).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The random forest model can screen out pathogenic markers of S. aureus and exhibits a superior predictive performance, providing genetic evidence for tracing highly pathogenic S. aureus and conducting precise targeted interventions.

Dose-response relationship between age and Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccination coverage in kindergarten children / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the potential relationship between age and Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccination coverage in kindergarten children, and to provide a basis for guiding vaccination and developing new protein vaccines.@*METHODS@#The stratified cluster random sampling method was used to select 1 830 healthy children from six kindergartens in Shunde District, Foshan City, China, and nasopharyngeal swabs were collected for the isolation and identification of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The logistic regression model based on restricted cubic spline was used to analyze the dose-response relationship between age and Streptococcus pneumoniae vaccination coverage.@*RESULTS@#The rate of nasal Streptococcus pneumoniae carriage was 22.46% (411/1 830) among the kindergarten children, with the predominant serotypes of 6B, 19F, 15A, 23A, 34, and 23F. The coverage rates of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) were 53.0% and 57.9%, respectively, and there was a significant non-linear dose-response relationship between age and the coverage rates of PCV10 and PCV13 (P<0.05), with a higher coverage rate of PCV10 (88.0%) and PCV13 (91.1%) in the children aged 2 years. There was a significant non-linear dose-response relationship between age and the coverage rates of pilus islet 1 (PI-1) and pilus islet 2 (PI-2) (P<0.05), with a lower vaccination coverage rate for PI-1 (37.7%) and PI-2 (16.1%). The coverage rates of PI-1 (13.0%-58.5%) and PI-2 (6.0%-29.4%) were lower in all age groups. The virulence genes lytA (99.5%) and ply (99.0%) associated with candidate protein vaccines showed higher vaccination coverage rates.@*CONCLUSIONS@#There is a significant non-linear dose-response relationship between the age of kindergarten children and the coverage rates of PCV10 and PCV13 serotypes, and kindergarten children aged 2 years have a relatively high coverage rate of PCV. The high prevalence of the virulence genes lytA and ply shows that they are expected to become candidate virulence factors for the development of a new generation of recombinant protein vaccines.

Screening and expression analysis of transcription factors involved in genuineness of Codonopsis pilosula in Shanxi / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to mine the transcription factors that affect the genuineness of Codonopsis pilosula in Shanxi based on the transcriptome data of C. pilosula samples collected from Shanxi and Gansu, and then analyze the gene expression patterns, which will provide a theoretical basis for the molecular assisted breeding of C. pilosula. Gene ontology(GO) functional annotation, conserved motif prediction, and gene expression pattern analysis were performed for the differential transcription factors predicted based on the transcriptome data of C. pilosula from different habitats. A total of 61 differentially expressed genes(DEGs) were screened out from the transcriptome data. Most of the DEGs belonged to AP2/ERF-ERF family, with the conserved motif of [2X]-[LG]-[3X]-T-[3X]-[AARAYDRAA]-[3X]-[RG]-[2X]-A-[2X]-[NFP]. Forty-three of the DEGs showed significantly higher gene expression in C. pilosula samples from Shanxi than in the samples from Gansu, including 11 genes in the AP2/ERF-ERF family, 5 genes in the NAC fa-mily, 1 gene in the bHLH family, and 2 genes in the RWP-RK family, while 18 transcription factors showed higher expression levels in the samples from Gansu. GO annotation predicted that most of the DEGs were enriched in GO terms related to transcriptional binding activity(103), metabolic process(26), and stress response(23). The expression of transcription factor genes, CpNAC92, CpNAC100, CpbHLH128, and CpRAP2-7 was higher in the samples from Shanxi and in the roots of C. pilosula. CpNAC92, CpbHLH128, and CpRAP2-7 responded to the low temperature, temperature difference, and iron stresses, while CpNAC100 only responded to low temperature and iron stresses. The screening and expression analysis of the specific transcription factors CpNAC92, CpNAC100, CpbHLH128, and CpRAP2-7 in C. pilosula in Shanxi laid a theoretical foundation for further research on the mechanism of genuineness formation of C. pilosula.

Research progress of celastrol on the prevention and treatment of metabolic associated fatty liver disease / 生理学报

Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is a liver disease with hepatocyte steatosis caused by metabolic disorders, which is closely related to obesity, diabetes, metabolic dysfunction, and other factors. Its pathological process changes from simple steatosis, liver inflammation to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), and then leads to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. At present, no specific therapeutics are available for treatment of MAFLD targeting its etiology. Celastrol is the main active component of the traditional Chinese medicine Celastrus orbiculatus Thunb. In recent years, it has been found that celastrol shows important medicinal value in regulating lipid metabolism, reducing fat and weight, and protecting liver, and then ameliorates MAFLD. This article reviews the related research progress of celastrol in the prevention and treatment of MAFLD, so as to provide a reference for the comprehensive development and utilization of celastrol.

Contamination of common food-borne pathogens in foods sold in Changzhou / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To understand the contamination status of common food-borne pathogens in foods sold in Changzhou, and to provide evidence for food safety risk assessment and prevention of food-borne diseases. Methods From 2010 to 2020 , 2 513 samples of 17 types of foods were collected in Changzhou area. The detection of pathogenic bacteria was carried out in accordance with the standard operation procedure specified in the “Workbook for Surveillance on Food Microorganisms and Pathogenic Factors in Jiangsu Province”. Results A total of 260 positive samples of common food-borne pathogens were detected in all 2 513 samples with an overall detection rate of 10.30%. Single factor analysis showed that the detection rate of pathogenic bacteria in non-ready-to-eat samples was higher than that in ready-to-eat samples (χ2=148.875，P =0.000). The detection rate of pathogenic bacteria in bulk samples was higher than that in prepackaged ones (χ2=70.956，P=0.000). There is a difference in the detection rate of food-borne pathogens from different types of sampling sites (χ2=65.017，P=0.000). Logistic regression analysis showed that ready-to-eat food, packaging type, and sampling season were significantly correlated with the detection rate of food-borne pathogens. The detection rate of pathogenic bacteria in samples collected in the third or fourth quarters was higher than that in the first quarter. Conclusion The commercial foods sold in Changzhou have a relatively high level of contamination of food-borne pathogenic bacteria, and they should be fully heated and sterilized before consumption. The relevant departments should strengthen supervision and health education in summer and autumn.

Structural and Functional Neural Alterations in Internet Addiction: A Study Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

A growing number of neuroimaging studies have revealed abnormal brain structural and functional alterations in subjects with internet addiction (IA), however, with conflicting conclusions. We plan to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on the studies of voxelbased morphometry (VBM) and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC), to reach a consolidated conclusion and point out the future direction in this field. A comprehensive search of rsFC and VBM studies of IA will be conducted in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases to retrieve studies published from the inception dates to August 2021. If the extracted data are feasible, activation likelihood estimation and seed-based d mapping methods will be used to meta-analyze the brain structural and functional changes in IA patients. This study will hopefully reach a consolidated conclusion on the impact of IA on human brain or point out the future direction in this field.

Factors Influencing and Adverse Reactions of Voriconazole Clearance in Patients with Hematological Diseases / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To monitor the changes of voriconazole minimum concentration(Cmin) in patients with hematological diseases, and evaluate the factors influencing and adverse reactions of voriconazole clearance in patients with hematological diseases, so as to provide a theoretical basis for reasonable clinical use of voriconazole.@*METHODS@#136 patients with hematological diseases who used voriconazole in Wuhan NO.1 Hospital from May 2018 to December 2019 were selected. The correlation between C-reactive protein, albumin, creatinine and voriconazole Cmin were analyzed, and the changes of voriconazole Cmin after glucocorticoid treatment was also detected. In addition, stratified analysis was used to explore the adverse events of voriconazole.@*RESULTS@#Among 136 patients, 77 were male (56.62%) and 59 were female (43.38%). There were positive correlations between voriconazole Cmin and C-reactive protein and creatinine levels (r=0.277, r=0.208), while voriconazole Cmin was negatively correlated with albumin level (r=-2.673). Voriconazole Cmin in patients treated with glucocorticoid was decreased significantly (P<0.05). In addition, sratified analysis of voriconazole Cmin showed that compared with voriconazole Cmin 1.0-5.0 mg/L group, the incidence of adverse reactions of visual impairment in voriconazole Cmin> 5.0 mg/L group was increased (χ2=4.318, P=0.038).@*CONCLUSION@#The levels of C-reactive protein, albumin and creatinine are closely related to the voriconazole Cmin, which indicate that inflammation and hyponutrition may prevent the clearance of voriconazole in patients with hematological diseases. It is necessary to monitor the voriconazole Cmin of patients with hematological diseases, and adjust the dosage in time to reduce adverse reactions.

Research advance on structure and function of amides in Zanthoxylum plants / 中国中药杂志

Zanthoxylum belongs to the Rutaceae family, and there are 81 Zanthoxylum species and 36 varieties in China. Most of the Zanthoxylum plants are used as culinary spice. In recent years, scholars in China and abroad have carried out in-depth research on Zanthoxylum plants, and found that the peculiar numbing sensation of Zanthoxylum plants originates from amides. It is also determined that amides are an important material basis for exerting pharmacological effects, especially in anti-inflammatory analgesia, anesthesia and other aspects. In this paper, 123 amides in 26 Zanthoxylum plants and their pharmacological activity that have been reported were summarized, which provided scientific reference for the clinical application of Zanthoxylum plants and the research and development of new drugs, and also facilitated the sustainable development and utilization of Zanthoxylum plant resources.

Clinical study on early predictors of concurrent bile duct injury following TACE in patients with liver cancer / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To explore the predictive factors of concurrent bile duct injury following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 483 HCC patients in relation to TACE postoperative complications. A total of 21 cases of bile duct injury were observed following the TACE procedure. Laboratory data, imaging data, and clinically relevant medical histories were recorded before and after one week following the TACE procedure and follow-up. The χ (2) test, or Fisher's exact probability method, was used for categorical variables. The mean of the two samples was compared using a paired t-test or Wilcoxon rank sum test. The comparison of multiple mean values was conducted using an analysis of variance. Results: Twenty-one cases with bile duct injury had intrahepatic bile duct dilatation, bile tumors, hilar biliary duct stenoses, and other manifestations. 14.3% (3/21) of patients showed linear high-density shadows along the bile duct on a plain CT scan, while 76.2% (16/21) of patients had ALP > 200 U/L one week following TACE procedure, and bile duct injury occurred in later follow-up. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and γ-glutamyl transferase (GGT) were significantly increased in all patients following TACE procedure (t = -2.721, P = 0.014; t = -2.674, P = 0.015; t = -3.079, P = 0.006; t = -3.377, P = 0.003, respectively). Conclusion: The deposition of iodized oil around the bile duct on plain CT scan presentation or the continuous increase of ALP (> 200 U/L) one week following TACE procedure has a certain predictive value for the later bile duct injury.

Efficacy of high-dose dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection eradication in servicemen: a randomized controlled trial / 中华内科杂志

Objective: To assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of high-dose dual therapy compared with bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for treating Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection in servicemen patients. Methods: A total of 160 H. pylori-infected, treatment-naive servicemen, including 74 men and 86 women, aged from 20 years to 74 years, with a mean (SD) age of 43 (13) years, tested in the First Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March 2022 to May 2022 were enrolled in this open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups: the 14-day high-dose dual therapy group and the bismuth-containing quadruple therapy group. Eradication rates, adverse events, patient compliance, and drug costs were compared between the two groups. The t-test was used for continuous variables, and the Chi-square test for categorical variables. Results: No significant difference in H. pylori eradication rates were found between high-dose dual therapy and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy by ITT, mITT and PP analysis[ITT:90.0% (95%CI 81.2%-95.6%) vs. 87.5% (95%CI 78.2%-93.8%), χ2=0.25, P=0.617;mITT:93.5% (95%CI 85.5%-97.9%) vs. 93.3% (95%CI 85.1%-97.8%), χ2<0.01, P=1.000; PP: 93.5% (95%CI 85.5%-97.9%) vs. 94.5% (95%CI 86.6%-98.5%), χ2<0.01, P=1.000 ]. The dual therapy group exhibited significantly less overall side effects compared with the quadruple therapy group [21.8% (17/78) vs. 38.5% (30/78), χ2=5.15,P=0.023]. There were no significant differences in the compliance rates between the two groups [98.7%(77/78) vs. 94.9%(74/78), χ2=0.83,P=0.363]. The cost of medications in the dual therapy was 32.0% lower compared with that in the quadruple therapy (472.10 RMB vs. 693.94 RMB). Conclusions: The dual regimen has a favorable effect on the eradication of H. pylori infection in servicemen patients. Based on the ITT analysis, the eradication rate of the dual regimen is grade B (90%, good). Additionally, it exhibited a lower incidence of adverse events, better compliance and significantly reduced cost. The dual regimen is expected to be a new choice for the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection in servicemen but needs further evaluation.

Analysis of tuberculosis epidemiological characteristics and drug resistance among the floating population in Beijing in 2019 / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To analyze the epidemic characteristics and drug resistance of pulmonary tuberculosis among the floating population in Beijing and to provide a scientific basis for formulating strategies for the prevention and control of tuberculosis among the floating population. Methods: Data of tuberculosis patients who were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis culture was collected from 16 districts and one municipal institution of tuberculosis control and prevention in Beijing in 2019. The strain samples were tested for drug sensitivity by the proportional method. According to household registration location, patients were divided into the floating population and Beijing registration. SPSS 19.0 software analyzed tuberculosis patients' epidemic characteristics and drug resistance in the floating population. Results: In 2019, there were 1 171 culture-positive tuberculosis patients in Beijing, among the floating population, 593 (50.64%) patients were identified, with a male-to-female sex ratio of 2.2∶1 (409∶184). Compared to patients under household registration as Beijing residents, a higher proportion of young adults aged 20-39 years (65.09%,386/593) were noticed, with 55.65% (330/593) reported from the urban areas and 96.80% (574/593) were reported the first time. The differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). After completing the drug sensitivity test, 37 cases were with multiple drug-resistant tuberculosis, accounting for 6.24% (37/593). The rates of isoniazid resistance (42.11%,8/19) and multidrug resistance (21.05%,4/19) in floating population patients after retreatment were significantly higher than those in newly treated patients (11.67%, 67/574 and 5.75%, 33/574), and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions: Most patients with tuberculosis in the floating population in Beijing in 2019 were young males aged 20-39 years. The reporting areas were urban areas and the newly treated patients mainly. The patients with tuberculosis in the re-treated floating population were more likely to suffer from multidrug and drug resistance, which should be taken as the key population for prevention and control.

Effect of Tongdu Tiaoshen electroacupuncture pretreatment on PPARγ-mediated pyroptosis of cerebral cortex in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of Tongdu Tiaoshen (promoting the circulation of the governor vessel and regulating the spirit) electroacupuncture (EA) pretreatment on pyroptosis mediated by peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) of the cerebral cortex in rats with cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury (CIRI) and explore the potential mechanism of EA for the prevention and treatment of CIRI.@*METHODS@#A total of 110 clean-grade male SD rats were randomly divided into a sham-operation group, a model group, an EA group, an EA + inhibitor group and an agonist group, 22 rats in each group. In the EA group, before modeling, EA was applied to "Baihui" (GV 20), "Fengfu" (GV 16) and "Dazhui" (GV 14), with disperse-dense wave, 2 Hz/5 Hz in frequency, 1 to 2 mA in intensity, lasting 20 min; once a day, consecutively for 7 days. On the base of the intervention as the EA group, on the day 7, the intraperitoneal injection with the PPARγ inhibitor, GW9662 (10 mg/kg) was delivered in the EA + inhibitor group. In the agonist group, on the day 7, the PPARγ agonist, pioglitazone hydrochloride (10 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally. At the end of intervention, except the sham-operation group, the modified thread embolization method was adopted to establish the right CIRI model in the rats of the other groups. Using the score of the modified neurological severity score (mNSS), the neurological defect condition of rats was evaluated. TTC staining was adopted to detect the relative cerebral infarction volume of rat, TUNEL staining was used to detect apoptosis of cerebral cortical nerve cells and the transmission electron microscope was used to observe pyroptosis of cerebral cortical neural cells. The positive expression of PPARγ and nucleotide-binding to oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in the cerebral cortex was detected with the immunofluorescence staining. The protein expression of PPARγ, NLRP3, cysteinyl aspartate specific protease-1 (caspase-1), gasdermin D (GSDMD) and GSDMD-N terminal (GSDMD-N) in the cerebral cortex was detected with Western blot. Using the quantitative real-time fluorescence-PCR, the mRNA expression of PPARγ, NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD of the cerebral cortex was detected. The contents of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 in the cerebral cortex of rats were determined by ELISA.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the sham-operation group, the mNSS, the relative cerebral infarction volume and the TUNEL positive cells rate were increased (P<0.01), pyroptosis was severe, the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARγ, NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD were elevated (P<0.01); and the protein expression of GSDMD-N and contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were increased (P<0.01) in the model group. When compared with the model group, the mNSS, the relative cerebral infarction volume and the TUNEL positive cells rate were decreased (P<0.01), pyroptosis was alleviated, the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARγ were increased (P<0.01), the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD were decreased (P<0.01), the protein expression of GSDMD-N was reduced (P<0.01); and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were lower (P<0.01) in the EA group and the agonist group; while, in the EA + inhibitor group, the protein expression of PPARγ was increased (P<0.01), the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3 and GSDMD were decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05), the mRNA expression of caspase-1 was reduced (P<0.01); and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were lower (P<0.01). When compared with the EA + inhibitor group, the mNSS, the relative cerebral infarction volume and the TUNEL positive cells rate were decreased (P<0.05, P<0.01), pyroptosis was alleviated, the protein and mRNA expression levels of PPARγ were increased (P<0.01), the protein and mRNA expression levels of NLRP3, caspase-1 and GSDMD were decreased (P<0.01), the protein expression of GSDMD-N was reduced (P<0.01); and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were declined (P<0.01) in the EA group. Compared with the agonist group, in the EA group, the relative cerebral infarction volume and the TUNEL positive cells rate were increased (P<0.05, P<0.01), the mRNA expression of PPARγ was decreased (P<0.01) and the protein expression of GSDMD-N was elevated (P<0.05); and the contents of IL-1β and IL-18 were higher (P<0.01).@*CONCLUSION@#Tongdu Tiaoshen EA pretreatment can attenuate the neurological impairment in the rats with CIRI, and the underlying mechanism is related to the up-regulation of PPARγ inducing the inhibition of NLRP3 in the cerebral cortex of rats so that pyroptosis is affected.

Professor HAN Wei's clinical experience of acupuncture and moxibustion with Tongyang Xingshen for adolescent depressive disorder / 中国针灸

Professor HAN Wei 's clinical experience of acupuncture and moxibustion with Tongyang Xingshen (promoting yang and regaining consciousness) for adolescent depressive disorder is introduced. It is believed that the internal causes of adolescent depressive disorder are mostly emotional and physical factors, while the external causes are mainly social factors, and yang-qi stagnation and emotional disorder are the key pathogenesis. The key of acupuncture and moxibustion with Tongyang Xingshen is warming and regulating the governor vessel. The governor vessel acupoints at head, neck and back are selected. At head, Baihui (GV 20) and Yintang (GV 24+) are selected; at neck, Fengfu (GV 16) and Dazhui (GV 14) are selected; at back, Taodao (GV 13), Shenzhu (GV 12), Shendao (GV 11), Zhiyang (GV 9) and Jinsuo (GV 8) are selected. The combination of disease differentiation and syndrome differentiation should be highly valued, and the moxibustion with Tongyang and acupuncture with Xingshen should be used simultaneously, and the strong stimulation is suggested.

Early diagnosis value of peripheral blood PPARγ combined with IFN-γ detection for tuberculosis infection in patients with end-stage renal disease / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To explore the early diagnostic value of peripheral blood peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) combined with γ-interferon (IFN-γ) release assay (IGRA) in the diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and to provide reference for clinical diagnosis and treatment. Methods　From January 2019 to December 2021, 70 ESRD patients with suspicious symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis were treated at Hebei Chest Hospital were selected as the research objects. According to the examination results, they were divided into ESRD group (40 cases) and ESRD complicated by pulmonary tuberculosis (40 cases, comorbidity group). In addition, 40 cases with pulmonary tuberculosis were used as the PTB group. All three groups of patients underwent IGRA test, and the peripheral blood PPARγ level was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the diagnostic value of PPARγ combined with IGRA test for ESRD patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was explored. Results The expression level of PPARγ and IFN-γ content in the PTB group and the comorbidity group were obviously higher than those in the ESRD group (P<0.05), while the differences in PPARγ expression level and IFN-γ content between the PTB and comorbidity groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The ROC curve showed that the areas under the curve (AUC) of PPARγ and IGRA in the diagnosis of end-stage renal disease combined with tuberculosis were 0.823 (95%CI: 0.722-0.925) and 0.773 (95%CI: 0.662-0.883), respectively, and the AUC of combined detection was 0.928 (95%CI: 0.871-0.984), which was better than that of PPARγ and IGRA alone (Z/P=2.057/0.039, 2.843/0.005). The Kappa values of serum PPARγ and IGRA test compared with the clinical gold standard results in the diagnosis of ESRD complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis were 0.557 and 0.444 (P<0.05). The combined screening of ESRD with pulmonary tuberculosis was consistent with the clinical gold standard (Kappa=0.661, P<0.05). Among the 30 ESRD patients complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis, the sensitivity of PPARγ combined with IGRA test in diagnosis of ESRD complicated with pulmonary tuberculosis was 93.33% (28/30), which was higher than 70.00% (21/30) of PPARγ and 66.67% (20/30) of IGRA test alone (P<0.05). Conclusions Peripheral blood PPARγ and IGRA tests have certain diagnostic value for ESRD complicated with tuberculosis, and the combined detection of the two can improve the sensitivity and reduce the rate of missed diagnosis, which is worthy of clinical promotion.

Meta-analysis of the effects of xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix dressings in the treatment of wounds in burn patients / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix (ADM) dressings for the treatment of wounds in burn patients. Methods: The meta-analysis method was adopted. Databases including Chinese Journal Full-text Database, Wanfang Database, VIP Database, and Chinese Biomedical Database were retrieved with the search terms in Chinese version of ", , , " and PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were retrieved with the search terms in English version of "xenogeneic acellular dermal matrix, dressing, burn wound, burn" to obtain the publicly published randomized controlled trials on the efficacy of xenogeneic ADM dressings for the treatment of wounds in burn patients from the establishment of each database to December 2021. The outcome indexes included wound healing time, ratio of scar hyperplasia, Vancouver scar scale (VSS) score, ratio of complications, ratio of skin grafting, and ratio of bacteria detection. Rev Man 5.3 and Stata 14.0 statistical softwares were used to conduct a meta-analysis of eligible studies. Results: A total of 1 596 burn patients from 16 studies were included, including 835 patients in experimental group who received xenogeneic ADM dressings therapy and 761 patients in control group who received other methods therapy. The bias risk of all the 16 included studies was uncertain. Compared with those in control group, patients in experimental group had significantly shorter wound healing time, lower VSS scores (with standardized mean differences of -2.50 and -3.10, 95% confidence intervals of -3.02--1.98 and -4.87--1.34, respectively, P values both <0.05), and lower ratios of scar hyperplasia, complications, skin grafting, and bacteria detection (with relative risks of 0.58, 0.23, 0.32, and 0.27, 95% confidence intervals of 0.43-0.80, 0.14-0.37, 0.15-0.67, and 0.11-0.69, respectively, P<0.05). Subgroup analysis showed that the difference of intervention measures in control group might be the source of heterogeneity in wound healing time. There was no publication bias in ratio of scar hyperplasia (P≥0.05), while there was publication bias in wound healing time, VSS score, and ratio of complications (P<0.05). Conclusions: Xenogeneic ADM dressings can shorten the wound healing time of burn patients, reduce the VSS score and the ratios of scar hyperplasia, complications, skin grafting, and bacteria detection.

Research progress of the mechanism of Flash effect / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

The ultra-high dose rate (UHDR) radiation has less side effect while keep comparable tumor control effect with conventional dose rate (CONV) radiation, which was named Flash effect. Recently, the Flash effect has been reported in many animal experiments with various types of radiations, animal species and body parts. However, the underlying mechanism of Flash has still been unraveled, making difficulties for the clinical application. This review pointed out the differences between the Flash effect and the UHDR effect in vitro and proposed three key scientific questions of Flash effect based on three well-known hypotheses, i. e., oxygen depletion, peroxyl radical recombination and immune cell protection. Finally, the research progresses and challenges of Flash mechanism study are concluded in order to give a clue for further deep investigation.

Brucella meningoencephalitis in children with status epilepticus A case report and literature review / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective　To investigate the clinical characteristics and incidence of Brucella encephalitis and meningitis in children. Methods We report the clinical data of a child with Brucella melitensis meningitis in children, and summarize the incidence, diagnosis methods and treatment of Brucella encephalitis or meningitis in children, taking into account the relevant domestic and foreign literature from January 2014 to December 2020. Results　A 4-year-old girl was admitted to the hospital with status epilepticus on March 15, 2021 because of interrupted right limb numbness for 16 hours and convulsions for 2 hours. She had 2 non-febrile convulsions three months before admission and was diagnosed with epilepsy. This incident was acute, accompanied by low fever, with epilepsy as the main manifestation. Cerebrospinal fluid test suggested central nervous system infection, but the nature of infection could not be determined by routine and biochemistry of cerebrospinal fluid.The cerebrospinal fluid next generation sequencing confirmed that the pathogen of the infection was B. melitensis, which was further verified by the peripheral blood antibody test. After effective antibiotics combined with a full course of treatment, the patient recovered after six months of treatment. A total of 60 articles were retrieved in the database, including 29 in Chinese. During this period, a total of 7 cases of brucellosis in children with nervous system involvement were reported, one of which was a case report, and the other 6 cases were mentioned in the comprehensive analysis of children with brucellosis. Conclusions　Brucella encephalitis or meningitis in children has a low incidence and various clinical features, which are easy to be misdiagnosed or missed.

Molecular mechanism of Leucopaxillus giganteus against breast cancer based on network pharmacology and in vitro experiments / 中国药理学通报

Aim To study the mechanism of the ethanol extract from Leucopaxillus giganteus (LGEE) in treating breast cancer based on network pharmacology and molecular experimental validation. Methods Some chromatographic methods were used to isolate the chemical constituents of LGEE, and their structures were elucidated based on spectral data. The antitumor activities of LGEE were determined by MTT assay. The predicted targets of LGEE were selected by TCMSP and Pharmmaper, and Genecards database was used to screen the targets. GO and KEGG analysis of target genes were performed. Molecular docking was used to test the binding of active components to core targets. Western blotting was used to validate the regulating function of chlorogenic acid on CHEK2 and CASP3 targets of MDA-MB-231 cells. Results Thirteen compounds were identified including clitocine, chlorogenic acid and so on. LGEE displayed anticancer activities against MDA-MB-231 with the inhibition percent (87. 35 ± 1. 55)%, at the concentration of 200 mg· L

Preliminary imaging study on the distribution of female Volumetric Breast Density / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To describe the distribution of volumetric breast density(VBD) in different ages of Chinese women based on X-ray mammograms.Methods:Based on mammographic images of 1 140 patients from January 2010 to December 2016 in a hospital in Beijing, the VBD of women was assessed by Volpara 1.5.1 and graded according to breast imaging reporting and data system published by American College of Radiology. The patients were divided into two groups according to the median age, and the two independent samples t-test was used to compare them. The patients were also divided into four groups according to age ( <40 years, 40-49 years, 50-59 years, ≥ 60 years), and the breast thickness, breast volume, glandular volume, and VBD were compared using a One-way ANOVA analysis. Results:The median age was 50 years. The compressed breast thickness and breast volume in patients over 50 years were significantly higher than those in patients below 50 years ( t= -8.99, -7.92, P<0.001), while glandular volume and VBD were significantly lower than those below 50 years ( t= 8.11, 18.49, P<0.001). The compressed breast thickness, breast volume, glandular volume, and VBD were statistically significant different among four groups ( F=27.10, 22.34, 25.70, 122.03, P<0.001). Patients over 60 years had the lowest VBD ( t=-12.56, -15.27, -4.57, P<0.001). VBD was negatively correlated with ages ( r=0.47, P<0.001). Conclusions:The compressed breast thickness and breast volume increased with ages, while the glandular volume and VBD decreased with ages.

A sourceless efficiency calibration method based on the coupling of Monte Carlo simulation and analytical calculation / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To establish a sourceless efficiency calibration method by coupling Monte Carlo simulation with analytical calculation. Methods Monte Carlo simulation was used to calculate the point-to-point detection efficiency of specific detectors to establish a detection efficiency grid. The detection efficiency of point source, disc, cylindrical, beaker, spherical, U-tube and Marlin cup samples was analyzed using numerical integration method after detection efficiency grid interpolation. Results The above coupling method was used for sourceless efficiency calibration. Within the energy range of 0.2–3 MeV, the relative deviation of calibration between coupling method and Monte Carlo simulation was mostly less than 10%, the maximum relative deviation was 18.06%, and the computation time was reduced by at least 86%. The above coupling method was used for sourceless efficiency calibration of an HPGe detector manufactured by ORTEC for point source detection, which was in good agreement with the experimental calibration, and the relative deviations were less than 10%. Conclusion This method can be generalized and used in the sourceless efficiency calibration of HPGe, LaBr3, and NaI detectors.