Constructing Stiff ß-Sheet for Self-Reinforced Alginate Fibers.

The application of alginate fibers is limited by relatively low mechanical properties. Herein, a self-reinforcing strategy inspired by nature is proposed to fabricate alginate fibers with minimal changes in the wet-spinning process. By adapting a coagulation bath composing of CaCl2 and ethanol, the secondary structure of sodium alginate (SA) was regulated during the fibrous formation. Ethanol mainly increased the content of ß-sheet in SA. Rheological analysis revealed a reinforcing mechanism of stiff ß-sheet for enhanced modulus and strength. In combination with Ca2+ crosslinking, the self-reinforced alginate fibers exhibited an increment of 39.0% in tensile strength and 71.9% in toughness. This work provides fundamental understanding for ß-sheet structures in polysaccharides and a subsequent self-reinforcing mechanism. It is significant for synthesizing strong and tough materials. The self-reinforcing strategy involved no extra additives and preserved the degradability of the alginate. The reinforced alginate fibers exhibited promising potentials for biological applications.

Accuracy of the COMPASS-CAT thrombosis risk assessment scale in predicting venous thromboembolism in cancer patients: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to assess the accuracy of the COMPASS-CAT tool in predicting venous thromboembolism (VTE) among cancer patients. METHODS: Relevant studies were searched in PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, OVID, CBM, CNKI, WanFang Data, and VIP database from their inception up to April 19, 2023. The quality of studies was appraised using the diagnostic test accuracy study bias assessment tool (QUADAS-2). Quantitative analysis was performed using Stata MP 17.0. RESULTS: Thirteen studies involving 8,665 patients were included. Meta-analysis indicated that the COMPASS-CAT score had a pooled sensitivity of 0.76 [95%CI (0.61, 0.86)], specificity of 0.67 [95%CI (0.52, 0.79)], positive likelihood ratio of 2.3 [95%CI (1.7, 3.1)], negative likelihood ratio of 0.36 [95%CI (0.23, 0.54)], diagnostic odds ratio of 6 [95%CI (4, 10)], and an area under the Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic (SROC) curve (AUC) of 0.77 [95%CI (0.74, 0.81)]. Funnel plots indicated no publication bias. Meta-regression and subgroup analysis suggested that country and diagnostic setting might be potential sources of heterogeneity. The sensitivity of the COMPASS-CAT assessment tool in international outpatient settings was 0.94 with an AUC of 0.86, while in domestic inpatient settings, the sensitivity was 0.65 with an AUC of 0.78. CONCLUSION: The COMPASS-CAT score had a certain diagnostic value for VTE in cancer patients and can effectively identify patients at risk of VTE. Most studies focus on patients with lung cancer. Future research should investigate more tumor types, and high-quality, large-sample, multi-center prospective studies on larger populations with cancers are warranted.

The effectiveness of e-mental health interventions on stress, anxiety, and depression among healthcare professionals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Many healthcare professionals are experiencing psychological distress. Electronic mental health (e-mental health) interventions are convenient and multifunctional. This review aimed to examine the effectiveness of e-mental health interventions in enhancing the well-being of healthcare professionals and to identify moderating factors. METHODS: A comprehensive and systematic retrieval of randomized controlled trial (RCT) studies was conducted across eight databases. Population, intervention, comparison, and outcome (PICO) were used to define eligibility criteria. Stress, anxiety, and depression were included as the main outcomes. The overall effect was calculated based on the random effect model, and the effect size was presented using the standardized mean difference. The characteristics of the research design, intervention object, and intervention design were further selected as potential moderating factors for subgroup analysis. Meta-regression analyses were finally performed, incorporating intervention duration and sample size as independent variables. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included in the systematic review, and 17 were included in the meta-analysis. A large effect on relieving stress and anxiety and a small-to-medium effect on reducing depression were observed. Subgroup analyses showed that features including mindfulness approaches, online courses, computer use, group interventions, and professional guidance were more favorable in the design of services. Meta-regression revealed that intervention duration only affected anxiety symptoms. Caution should be exercised, as some subgroups had fewer studies and higher heterogeneity. For the secondary outcomes, a large effect on emotional exhaustion and a small-to-medium effect on well-being were observed. CONCLUSION: In general, e-mental health interventions significantly improve the psychological health of healthcare staff. Future high-quality, large-scale studies targeting healthcare professionals and specific intervention scenarios are warranted.

Self-Assembly Reinforced Alginate Fibers for Enhanced Strength, Toughness, and Bone Regeneration.

Material reinforcement commonly exists in a contradiction between strength and toughness enhancement. Herein, a reinforced strategy through self-assembly is proposed for alginate fibers. Sodium alginate (SA) microstructures with regulated secondary structures are assembled in acidic and ethanol as reinforcing units for alginate fibers. Acidity increases the flexibility of the helix and contributes to enhanced extendibility. Ethanol is responsible for formation of a stiff ß-sheet, which enhances the modulus and strength. The structurally engineered SA assembly exhibits robust mechanical compatibility, and thus reinforced alginate fibers possess an improved tensile strength of 2.1 times, a prolonged elongation of 1.5 times, and an enhanced toughness of 3.0 times compared with SA fibers without reinforcement. The reinforcement through self-assembly provides an understanding of strengthening and toughening mechanism based on secondary structures. Due to a similar modulus with bones, reinforced alginate fibers exhibit good efficacy in accelerating bone regeneration in vivo.

Microwave ablation for diffuse adenomyosis leading to multiple complications after hysterectomy: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Hysterectomy after microwave ablation (MWA) is more difficult than conventional surgery which increases the probability of postoperative complications due to MWA's collateral thermal damage to nearby intestines. Here we report a case of multiple postoperative complications after hysterectomy following MWA. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 44-year-old female was admitted due to progressive abdominal pain during menstruation for 30 years and no relief 1 year after MWA. Hysterectomy was performed. Intraoperative findings: pelvic inflammatory exudation; the uterus and the left adnexa were extensively and densely adhered to the intestine, bladder, pelvic wall and surrounding tissues; the local tissue of the uterus was brittle and dark yellow. Intestinal obstruction, abdominal infection and urinary fistula occurred after hysterectomy. DIAGNOSES: 1. Adenomyosis. 2. Endometrial polyps. 3. Left chocolate cyst of ovary. 4. Pelvic adhesions. 5. Pelvic inflammation. INTERVENTIONS: The patient underwent intestinal obstruction catheter implantation, ultrasound-guided pelvic fluid mass puncture drainage, right kidney puncture and fistula drainage, right ureteral bladder replantation, and right ureteral stent implantation. OUTCOMES: After 48 days of comprehensive treatment, the patient was cured and discharged. LESSONS: Microwave ablation has a poor therapeutic effect on diffuse adenomyosis, and should avoid excessive ablation during the ablation process.

Knockdown of PGBD5 inhibits the malignant progression of glioma through upregulation of the PPAR pathway.

Glioma is the most common type of primary intracranial malignant tumor, and because of its high invasiveness and recurrence, its prognosis remains poor. The present study investigated the biological function of piggyBac transportable element derived 5 (PGBD5) in glioma. Glioma and para-cancerous tissues were obtained from five patients. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR and western blotting were used to detect the expression levels of PGBD5. Transwell assay and flow cytometry were used to evaluate cell migration, invasion, apoptosis and cell cycle distribution. In addition, a nude mouse tumor transplantation model was established to study the downstream pathways of PGBD5 and the molecular mechanism was analyzed using transcriptome sequencing. The mRNA and protein expression levels of PGBD5 were increased in glioma tissues and cells. Notably, knockdown of PGBD5 in vitro could inhibit the migration and invasion of glioma cells. In addition, the knockdown of PGBD5 expression promoted apoptosis and caused cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase, thus inhibiting cell proliferation. Furthermore, in vivo experiments revealed that knockdown of PGBD5 expression could inhibit Ki67 expression and slow tumor growth. Changes in PGBD5 expression were also shown to be closely related to the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) signaling pathway. In conclusion, interference with PGBD5 could inhibit the malignant progression of glioma through the PPAR pathway, suggesting that PGBD5 may be a potential molecular target of glioma.

[Clinical characteristics of in-hospital cardiac arrest in emergency patients in Kashgar area and analysis of influencing factors on success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with emergency in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA) in Kashgar, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and the factors affecting the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. METHODS: Retrospectively selected patients who had cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the emergency department of the People's Hospital of 6 counties and cities in Kashgar area from January 2019 to January 2022. The clinical data of all patients were collected, including gender, age, major underlying diseases, the beginning and duration of resuscitation, the number of electric defibrillation acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II). According to whether the resuscitation was successful, all patients were divided into successful resuscitation group and failed resuscitation group. The clinical characteristics of the two groups were compared. Then, the influencing factors of the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in IHCA patients were analyzed by binary Logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 1 376 patients were enrolled, including 1 117 cases of failed resuscitation and 259 cases of successful resuscitation. The success rate of resuscitation was 18.82%. Compared with the resuscitation failure group, the patients in the successful resuscitation group were younger (age: 49.10±20.99 vs. 58.44±18.32), the resuscitation start time was earlier [resuscitation start time ≤ 5 minutes: 76.45% (198/259) vs. 66.61% (744/1 117)], the proportion of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases was lower [cardiovascular disease: 49.42% (128/259) vs. 58.19% (650/1 117), cerebrovascular disease: 17.37% (45/259) vs. 21.58% (241/1 117)], the number of electric defibrillation was lower [times: 0 (0, 2) vs. 1 (0, 1)], the proportion of endotracheal intubation was more [80.31% (208/259) vs. 55.60% (621/1 117)], APACHE II score was lower (13.75±8.03 vs. 17.90±4.63), and the difference was statistically significant (all P < 0.01). Binary Logistic regression analysis showed that age, start time of resuscitation, ventilation mode and APACHE II score were protective factors affecting the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation in patients with emergency IHCA [age: odds ratio (OR) = 0.982, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 0.973-0.991, P < 0.001; resuscitation start time ≤ 5 minutes: OR = 0.629, 95%CI was 0.409-0.966, P = 0.034; tracheal intubation assisted ventilation: OR = 0.243, 95%CI was 0.149-0.397, P < 0.001; low APACHE II score: OR = 0.871, 95%CI was 0.836-0.907, P < 0.001], while underlying diseases (cardiovascular diseases) are a risk factor affecting the success rate of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (OR = 1.190, 95%CI was 1.015-1.395, P = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: Age, resuscitation start time, ventilation mode, APACHE II score and major underlying diseases (cardiovascular diseases) have a greater impact on the success rate of resuscitation in IHCA patients. The above factors are conducive to improving or formulating more effective rescue strategies for IHCA patients, so as to achieve the purpose of improving the success rate of clinical treatment.

Clinical characteristics and antibiotic resistance profile of invasive MRSA infections in newborn inpatients: a retrospective multicenter study from China.

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause invasive infections with significant mortality in neonates. This study aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and antibiotic resistance profiles of invasive MRSA infections and determine risk factors associated with invasive MRSA infections in newborn inpatients. METHODS: This multicenter retrospective study of inpatients from eleven hospitals in the Infectious Diseases Surveillance of Pediatrics (ISPED) group of China was performed over a two-year period (2018-2019). Statistical significance was calculated by applying the χ2 test or by Fisher's exact test in the case of small sample sizes. RESULTS: A total 220 patients were included. Among included cases, 67 (30.45%) were invasive MRSA infections, including two deaths (2.99%), while 153 (69.55%) were noninvasive infections. The invasive infections of MRSA occurred at a median age of 8 days on admission, which was significantly younger compared to 19 days in noninvasive cases. Sepsis (86.6%) was the most common invasive infection, followed by pneumonia (7.4%), bone and joint infections (3.0%), central nervous system infection (1.5%), and peritonitis (1.5%). Congenital heart disease, low birth weight infant (<2500 g), but not preterm neonates, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, were more commonly found in invasive MRSA infections. All these isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid and were resistant to penicillin. Additionally, 69.37% were resistant to erythromycin, 57.66% to clindamycin, 7.04% to levofloxacin, 4.62% to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, 4.29% to minocycline, 1.33% to gentamicin, and 3.13% were intermediate to rifampin. CONCLUSION: Low age at admission (≤8 days), congenital heart disease, and low birth weight were associated with invasive MRSA infections in neonates, and no isolates resistant to vancomycin and linezolid were found. Determining these risks in suspected neonates may help identify patients with imminent invasive infections who may require intensive monitoring and therapy.

Fatigue as a Cause of Professional Dissatisfaction Among Chinese Nurses in Intensive Care Unit During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Aim: To clarify the mediating role of burnout and the moderating role of turnover intention in the association between fatigue and job satisfaction among Chinese nurses in intensive care units (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of fifteen provinces in China was conducted, using an online questionnaire, from December 2020 to January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 374 ICU nurses (effective response rate: 71.37%) provided sufficient responses. Sociodemographic factors, job demographic factors, fatigue, burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover intention were assessed using questionnaires. General linear modeling (GLM), hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis, and generalized additive modeling (GAM) were performed to examine all the considered research hypotheses. Results: Fatigue was found to be negatively and significantly associated with job satisfaction. Moreover, burnout played a partial mediating role and turnover intention played a moderating role in the relationship between fatigue and job satisfaction. Conclusion: Over time, a state of physical and mental exhaustion and work weariness among Chinese ICU nurses potentially results in job burnout and consequently promotes the level of job dissatisfaction. The results also found that turnover intention played a moderating role in the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction. Specific policies could be considered to eliminate nurses' fatigue and negative attitudes during times of public health emergencies.

Antimicrobial resistance profile of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates in children reported from the ISPED surveillance of bacterial resistance, 2016-2021.

Introduction: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) poses a serious threat to public health worldwide. In December 2015, the Infectious Disease Surveillance of Pediatrics (ISPED) program was organized to monitor bacterial epidemiology and resistance trends in children. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted from January 2016-December 2021 on patients at eleven ISPED-group hospitals. Results: From 2016-2021, a total of 13024 MRSA isolates were obtained from children. The most common age group for patients with MRSA infection was less than 3 years old, and newborns were an important group affected by MRSA infection. MRSA was most commonly isolated from the lower respiratory, an abscess, a secretion, or blood in neonates and from the lower respiratory, an abscess, or the upper respiratory in non-neonates. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin and linezolid and resistant to penicillin; additionally, 76.88%, 54.97%, 22.30%, 5.67%, 5.14%, 3.63%, and 1.42% were resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, levofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (TMP-SMX), gentamicin, and rifampin, respectively. Between 2016 and 2021, a significant increase was seen in the levofloxacin- and TMP-SMX-resistance rates (from 5.45% to 7.14% and from 4.67% to 6.50%, respectively) among MRSA isolates, along with a significant decrease in the rates of resistance to erythromycin (from 82.61% to 68.08%), clindamycin (from 60.95% to 46.82%), tetracycline (from 25.37% to 17.13%), gentamicin (from 4.53% to 2.82%), and rifampin (from 1.89% to 0.41%). Discussion: The antibiotic-resistance rates varied among MRSA isolated from different sources. Because of the high antibiotic resistance rate to clindamycin, this antibiotic is not recommended for empirical treatment of MRSA infections, especially in osteomyelitis.

Activities of Daily Living and Depression in Chinese Elderly of Nursing Homes: A Mediation Analysis.

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the role of sleep quality as a mediator in the activities of daily living (ADLs) and depression. Patients and Methods: Participants (N=645; age≥60) were included in six nursing homes in Weifang, Shandong Province, using convenience sampling. Participants completed questionnaires to assess sleep quality, ADLs, and depression. Depression condition was assessed by the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), ADLs was assessed by the Barthel Index (BI), and sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Mediation analysis was carried out by SPSS PROCESS. Results: ADLs (r=0.449, P<0.01) and sleep quality (r=0.450, P<0.01) were found to be positively associated with depression among the elderly. Sleep quality plays a significant mediating role in the influence of ADLs on depression in the elderly in nursing homes (Bootstrap 95% CI [0.076, 0.139]), The pathway from ADLs to sleep quality to depression yielded a medium effect size of 20.23%. Conclusion: ADLs help to explain how sleep quality partly mediates depression among the elderly in nursing homes. It is therefore recommended that timely detection and efficient interventions should focus on promoting physical function and improving sleep quality among the elderly in nursing homes.

The Prevalence of Anxiety among Men Who Have Sex with Men: A Protocol for A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Anxiety is reported to be common and serious among men who have sex with men (MSM). A growing number of researchers focus on MSM's anxiety and reported their severity, while the estimate results vary substantially between studies. The objective of this study is to evaluate the pooled prevalence of anxiety or anxiety disorders among MSM worldwide. This systematic review and meta-analysis protocol will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Studies will be searched from English and Chinese electronic databases. Observational studies, longitudinal studies, and controlled trials reporting the prevalence of anxiety or anxiety disorders among MSM will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen all the studies and extract data. Quality appraisal will be conducted using the Joanna Briggs Institute's (JBI's) critical appraisal checklist for reporting prevalence data. Meta-analysis will be implemented with a random-effect model which will evaluate pooled prevalence of anxiety with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Subgroup analysis will be conducted among different regions, sampling methods, data collection methods, MSM characteristics, measures used to assess anxiety and its cut-off. This review will contribute to a great understanding of anxiety among MSM worldwide. The findings will help relative policymakers and researchers develop effective measures and interventions for reducing the burden of anxiety morbidity among this population.

Depressive symptoms and physical function among the elderly in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: A cross-sectional study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has placed a heavy burden on global healthcare. Depressive symptoms and physical function impairment are 2 common health problems among the elderly, but the association between depressive symptoms and physical function in nursing homes have not been extensively investigated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of depressive symptoms and physical function and analyze the prevalence and related factors of depression among elderly people in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted. 381 elderly people were included in 4 nursing homes who were 60 to 100 years old with more than 3 months' residential in Weifang City, Shandong Province using convenience cluster sampling. The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was performed to evaluate geriatric depression, the Barthel Index (BI) was administered to assess the activities of daily living, and a self-designed demographic data questionnaire was used to collect the demographic data. Multiple logistic regression analysis was conducted. 103 (27.0%) old residents reported depression according to PHQ-9. 279 (73.2%) old residents reported impaired self-care ability according to BI. The mean score of PHQ-9 and BI in the elderly was 3.56 ± 3.76 and 5.76 ± 7.05. The total PHQ-9 score of the elderly in nursing homes was positively correlated with the total activities of daily living score (R = 0.503, P < .01). Regression analysis showed that gender, self-care ability, more chronic diseases and medicines, especially Alzheimer's disease and cataract were risk factors for depression among elderly people in nursing homes (P < .05). Our study showed 27.0% depression rate among old residents in nursing homes in China in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression is relatively prevalent among the elderly in China, and we should pay attention to those with poor self-care ability and more chronic diseases and medicines.

The complete chloroplast genome sequences of three Broussonetia species and comparative analysis within the Moraceae.

Background: Species of Broussonetia (family Moraceae) are commonly used to make textiles and high-grade paper. The distribution of Broussonetia papyrifera L. is considered to be related to the spread and location of humans. The complete chloroplast (cp) genomes of B. papyrifera, Broussonetia kazinoki Sieb., and Broussonetia kaempferi Sieb. were analyzed to better understand the status and evolutionary biology of the genus Broussonetia. Methods: The cp genomes were assembled and characterized using SOAPdenovo2 and DOGMA. Phylogenetic and molecular dating analysis were performed using the concatenated nucleotide sequences of 35 species in the Moraceae family and were based on 66 protein-coding genes (PCGs). An analysis of the sequence divergence (pi) of each PCG among the 35 cp genomes was conducted using DnaSP v6. Codon usage indices were calculated using the CodonW program. Results: All three cp genomes had the typical land plant quadripartite structure, ranging in size from 160,239 bp to 160,841 bp. The ribosomal protein L22 gene (RPL22) was either incomplete or missing in all three Broussonetia species. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two clades. Clade 1 included Morus and Artocarpus, whereas clade 2 included the other seven genera. Malaisia scandens Lour. was clustered within the genus Broussonetia. The differentiation of Broussonetia was estimated to have taken place 26 million years ago. The PCGs' pi values ranged from 0.0005 to 0.0419, indicating small differences within the Moraceae family. The distribution of most of the genes in the effective number of codons plot (ENc-plot) fell on or near the trend line; the slopes of the trend line of neutrality plots were within the range of 0.0363-0.171. These results will facilitate the identification, taxonomy, and utilization of the Broussonetia species and further the evolutionary studies of the Moraceae family.

Factors associated with patient delay for older adults with benign prostatic hyperplasia: A descriptive qualitative study.

Based on the theory of planned behavior, the aim of this study was to describe the influencing factors of patient delay intentions and behaviors in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients and to provide a reference for the development of a patient delay intention scale. This study was carried out over 4 months in 2021 in Daqing, Heilongjiang, China. The participants were 20 patients with BPH who were aged 60 to 82 years and experienced patient delay; participants were selected through a purposive sampling method. The data were collected via face-to-face semistructured interviews. Five main themes emerged from the interviews, including an insufficient understanding of symptoms, experiences of coping instead of seeking health care, negative attitudes toward care-seeking, the influence of others on decision-making for care-seeking, and obstacles to seeking health care. In conclusion, the patient delay intentions and behaviors of BPH patients are the result of a combination of many factors.

Physicochemical Properties and Elimination of the Activity of Anti-Nutritional Serine Protease Inhibitors from Mulberry Leaves.

Mulberry leaf is an excellent protein resource that can be used as feed additive for livestock and poultry. Nevertheless, the use of mulberry leaves in animal diets is limited by its protease inhibitors, tannic acid and other anti-nutritional factors. This study systematically analyzed the type and activity of serine protease inhibitors (SPIs) from the leaves of 34 mulberry varieties, aiming to reveal the physicochemical properties and inactivation mechanism of SPIs. The types and activities of trypsin inhibitors (TIs) and chymotrypsin inhibitors (CIs) exhibited polymorphisms among different mulberry varieties. The highest number of types of inhibitors was detected in Jinshi, with six TIs (TI-1~TI-6) and six CIs (CI-1~CI-6). TIs and CIs exhibited strong thermal and acid-base stability. High-temperature and high-pressure treatment could reduce the activities of TIs and CIs to a certain extent. ß-mercaptoethanol treatment could completely abolish TIs and CIs, suggesting that the disulfide bridges were critical for their inhibitory activities. The Maillard reaction could effectively eliminate the inhibitory activities of TI-1~TI-4 and CI-1~CI-4. This study reveals the physicochemical properties and inactivation mechanisms of the anti-nutritional SPIs from mulberry leaves, which is helpful to exploit mulberry-leaf food with low-activity SPIs, promote the development and utilization of mulberry-leaf resources in animal feed and provide reference for mulberry breeding with different functions.

Equal adhesion to pneumocytes by pneumococci inducing bacteraemia and pneumonia.

Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a leading agent worldwide, which could cause community-acquired pneumonia, bacteraemia, and meningitis. However, the pathogeneses remain unclear. This study was conducted to investigate gene pneumococcal surface antigen A (psaA) expression and the adhesion differences of various S. pneumoniae strains. A total of 24 (N) S. pneumoniae strains were collected: 11 from blood (bd-SP), 12 from sputum (sd-SP) and one was ATCC49619. One millilitre of A549 pneumocytes (3.3×108/L) and 100 µl of each S. pneumoniae strain at 1.0 McFarland were mixed and incubated under 37oC and 5% CO2 for three hours. The cells were centrifuged and extracted for psaA mRNA analysis. The former experiment was redone. After culture, the adherent cells were collected and cultured on blood agar plates. The △CT values of psaA were 18.9, 29.9±2.5, 29.6±2.0 and 16.0, 17.0±3.3, 18.6±3.8 for ATCC49619, bd-SP and sd-SP before and after stimulation respectively, with the colony units of 23, 68.4±6.7 and 59.1±7.7, which showed equal adhesion between bd-SP and sd-SP. Moderate psaA expression and adhesion of S. pneumoniae might facilitate its pathogenesis, excess of which induces faster S. pneumoniae clearance.

Identification and complete genome sequence of mulberry cryptic virus 1.

A cryptic virus, named mulberry cryptic virus 1 (MuCV1), was identified in a mulberry (Morus alba) transcriptome dataset and confirmed using RACE methods. The genome of MuCV1 is composed of two double-stranded RNAs, 1605 bp and 1627 bp in size, encoding an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and a coat protein (CP), respectively. The 5'-AGAAUU-3' sequence in the 5' untranslated region was conserved in the two dsRNAs. Sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis based on RdRp and CP sequences both indicated that MuCV1 is a deltapartitivirus (family Partitiviridae).

Bacterial Epidemiology and Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles in Children Reported by the ISPED Program in China, 2016 to 2020.

The Infectious Disease Surveillance of Pediatrics (ISPED) program was established in 2015 to monitor and analyze the trends of bacterial epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in children. Clinical bacterial isolates were collected from 11 tertiary care children's hospitals in China in 2016 to 2020. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out using the Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems, with interpretation according to the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute 2019 breakpoints. A total of 288,377 isolates were collected, and the top 10 predominant bacteria were Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Haemophilus influenzae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii. In 2020, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic year, we observed a significant reduction in the proportion of respiratory tract samples (from 56.9% to 44.0%). A comparable reduction was also seen in the primary bacteria mainly isolated from respiratory tract samples, including S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and S. pyogenes. Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) in children were commonly observed and presented higher rates of drug resistance than sensitive strains. The proportions of carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (CRKP), carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB), carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa (CRPA), and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains were 19.7%, 46.4%%, 12.8%, and 35.0%, respectively. The proportions of CRKP, CRAB, and CRPA strains all showed decreasing trends between 2015 and 2020. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and CRPA gradually decreased with age, while CRAB showed the opposite trend with age. Both CRE and CRPA pose potential threats to neonates. MDROs show very high levels of AMR and have become an urgent threat to children, suggesting that effective monitoring of AMR and antimicrobial stewardship among children in China are required. IMPORTANCE AMR, especially that involving multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs), is recognized as a global threat to human health; AMR renders infections increasingly difficult to treat, constituting an enormous economic burden and producing tremendous negative impacts on patient morbidity and mortality rates. There are many surveillance programs in the world to address AMR profiles and MDRO prevalence in humans. However, published studies evaluating the overall AMR rates or MDRO distributions in children are very limited or are of mixed quality. In this study, we showed the bacterial epidemiology and resistance profiles of primary pathogens in Chinese children from 2016 to 2020 for the first time, analyzed MDRO distributions with time and with age, and described MDROs' potential threats to children, especially low-immunity neonates. Our study will be very useful to guide antiinfection therapy in Chinese children, as well as worldwide pediatric patients.

Development and clinical evaluation of a rapid antibody lateral flow assay for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

BACKGROUND: The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has quickly spread worldwide since its outbreak in December 2019. One of the primary measures for controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection is an accurate assay for its diagnosis. SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR kits suffer from some limitations, including false-negative results in the clinic. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the development of a rapid antibody test kit for COVID-19 diagnosis. METHODS: The nuclear capsid protein (N) and spike protein 1 (S1) fragments of SARS-CoV-2 were expressed in Escherichia coli, and rapid antibody-based tests for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection were developed. To evaluate their clinical applications, the serum from COVID-19 patients, suspected COVID-19 patients, recovering COVID-19 patients, patients with general fever or pulmonary infection, doctors and nurses who worked at the fever clinic, and health professionals was analyzed by the rapid antibody test kits. The serum from patients infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae and patients with respiratory tract infection was further analyzed to test its cross-reactivity with other respiratory pathogens. RESULTS: A 47 kDa N protein and 67 kDa S1 fragment of SARS-CoV-2 were successfully expressed, purified, and renatured. The rapid antibody test with recombinant N protein showed higher positive rate than the rapid IgM antibody test with recombinant S1 protein. Clinical evaluation showed that the rapid antibody test kit with recombinant N protein had 88.56 % analytical sensitivity and 97.42 % specificity for COVID-19 patients, 53.48 % positive rate for suspected COVID-19 patients, 57.14 % positive rate for recovering COVID-19 patients, and 0.5-0.8 % cross-reactivity with other respiratory pathogens. The analytical sensitivity of the kit did not significantly differ in COVID-19 patients with different disease courses (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The rapid antibody test kit with recombinant N protein has high specificity and analytical sensitivity, and can be used for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection combined with RT-PCR.