CT imaging of the COVID-19.

COVID-19 pneumonia presented with certain characteristic chest CT imaging features, which are helpful to the radiologist in the early detection and diagnosis of this emerging global health emergency. In this report, we present chest CT findings from five patients with COVID-19. Except for one case with normal lung appearance, all the other four cases had certain characteristics, including ground-glass opacity (GGO), consolidation and atoll sign. The lesions were mainly distributed in the peripheral portion of lung.

The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of Yimeng black goat (Capra hircus) and its potential application in mutton discrimination.

Yimeng black goat is one of the national breeds of geographical indication in China and is one of the key protected local livestock and poultry breeds of Shandong province. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Yimeng black goat was investigated in this study (GenBank accession no. MT134111). The mitogenome (16,640 bp) consisted of a non-coding control region (D-loop region), two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence and the neighbour-joining tree of the Yimeng black goat would contribute to further study in genetic mechanism and phylogenomic research of goats.

[Clinical Utility of Revised Cardiac Risk Index to Predict Perioperative Cardiac Events in Elderly Patients with Coronary Heart Disease Undergoing Non-cardiac Surgery].

Objective To explore the predictive ability of the revised cardiac risk index(RCRI)in elderly patients with coronary heart disease(CHD)undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Methods We performed a retrospective study including a total of 2100 patients,aged≥65 with a history of CHD who underwent non-cardiac surgery form January 2013 to September 2019.The preoperative,intraoperative and postoperative clinical data were extracted from an electronic database.The RCRI and reconstructed-RCRI(R-RCRI)score of each patient were calculated.The primary end point was defined as an occurrence of perioperative MACE.Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the risk factors of perioperative MACE.The area under the receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was used to compare the predictive value of RCRI,R-RCRI,and the new risk scoring system of the study for perioperative MACE. Results The incidence of perioperative MACE in elderly patients with CHD was 5.4%.Six independent risk factors of perioperative MACE for this population were identified:age≥80 years;female;history of heart failure;insulin-depended diabetes mellitus;preoperative ST segment abnormality;American Society of Anesthesiologists grade≥Ⅲ,and the risk index was 2,2,2,2,2 and 3 respectively.The area under ROC curve of RCRI,R-RCRI and risk scoring system in this study were 0.586,0.552 and 0.741. Conclusion The correlation between RCRI score and perioperative MACE was poor in elderly patients with CHD undergoing non-cardiac surgery,and a better cardiac risk assessment method should be established for this population.

In vitro inhibition of proliferation, migration and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of human lens epithelial cells by fasudil.

AIM: To study the potential role of fasudil as a treatment for posterior capsular opacification (PCO) of the human crystalline lens. METHODS: Human lens epithelial cells (HLECs; line SRA01/04) was exposed to transforming growth factor-ß2 (TGF-ß2) to induce the process of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Fasudil was applied to the cell samples. Its effect on overall HLECs proliferation and migration was studied, as was its influence on EMT induction by TGF-ß2 using cell migration assay, MTT colorimetric assay and Western blot assay. RESULTS: Fasudil inhibited the proliferation of SRA01/04. Its effect was time- and concentration-dependent. The migration of SRA01/04 cells was significantly reduced 24-72h after fasudil treatment, and the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was 22.37 µmol/mL at 72h. Reversal of the elongated, fibroblast-like shape changes induced by TGF-ß2 in SRA01/04 cells was observed. Fasudil up-regulated the expression of Connexin43 protein and down-regulated the expression of α-SMA protein compared with the cells treated with TGF-ß2. Furthermore, when exposed to fasudil, the phosphorylation of Rho-associated protein kinase (Rock) and myosin light chain (MLC) could not be activated in the cell preparations. CONCLUSION: Fasudil suppresses the proliferation and migration of SRA01/04 cells, and inhibits the process of EMT induced by TGF-ß2. These results suggest that fasudil may serve as a therapeutic agent for PCO.

[Nitrogen Removal Effect and Conversion Characteristics of Nitrous Oxide in Single-stage and Multi-stage A/O Processes].

The single-stage A/O and multi-stage A/O processes were simulated by sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) with alternate stirring and aeration. The removal efficiency of nitrogen and the release mechanism of N2O were studied under the identical conditions of influent quality, hydraulic retention time (HRT), sludge retention time(SRT), temperature and anoxic/oxic (A/O) retention time ratio. Experimental results showed that COD or ammonia-nitrogen removal had no significant difference between the single-stage and the multi-stage A/O processes for the influent quality equivalent to municipal wastewater. However, TN removal efficiency of the former was better than the later with 72.1% and 52.2%, respectively. In the conversion of total nitrogen, during the typical cycle in the single-stage A/O and multi-stage A/O processes, the yields of N2O were 16.95 mg and 3.95 mg, respectively. The conversion rate, which is the ratio of N2O yield and TN removal, was respectively 11.47% and 4.11%. N2O production and emission occurred mainly in aerobic (nitrification) phase while there was little N2O emission in anoxic (denitrification) phase. Although the dominant species of AOB was both Nitrosomonas in the single-stage A/O and the multi-stage A/O processes under the same operating conditions, it was more conducive to the growth of nitrifying bacteria (AOB, NOB) in the single-stage A/O process with the greater abundance of Nitrosomonas. Meanwhile, the type and abundance of NOB in the single-stage A/O process were significantly more than in the multi-stage A/O process too. Therefore, it is more competitive to deal with the high-strengthening ammonia-nitrogen wastewater in the single-stage A/O process. In the actual operation of wastewater treatment, using appropriate partitions of A/O or oxygen-supplying modes can not only result in better nitrogen removal but also decrease the secondary pollution caused by N2O to the atmosphere.

Characteristics and visual outcomes of patients hospitalized for ocular trauma in central China: 2006-2011.

AIM: To complete the data of ocular trauma in central China, as a well-known tertiary referral center for ocular trauma, we documented the epidemiological characteristics and visual outcomes of patients hospitalized for ocular trauma in this region. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients hospitalized for ocular trauma in central China from 2006 to 2011 was performed. RESULTS: This study included 5964 eyes of 5799 patients. The average age was 35.5±21.8y with a male-to-female ratio of 2.8:1. The most common age was 45-59y age group. Most patients were farmers and workers (51.9%). The most common injuries were firework related (24.5%), road traffic related (24.2%), and work related (15.0%). Among the most common causative agents were firecrackers (24.5%), followed by metal/knife/scissors (21.4%). Most injuries occurred in January (14.2%), February (27.0%), and August (10.0%). There were 8.5% patients with ocular injuries combined with other injuries. The incidence of open ocular injuries (4585 eyes, 76.9%) was higher than closed ocular injuries (939 eyes, 15.7%). The incidences of chemical and thermal ocular injuries were 1.2% and 0.6%. Ocular trauma score (OTS) predicted final visual acuity at non light perception (NLP), 20/200-20/50 and 20/40 with a sensitivity of 100%, and light perception (LP)/hand motion (HM) and 1/200-19/200 with a specificity of 100%. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides recent epidemiological data of patients hospitalized for ocular trauma in central China. Some factors influencing the visual outcome include time interval between injury and visit to the clinic, wound location, open or closed globe injury, initial visual acuity, and OTS.

[Effect of cytokine and sandostatin on collagen synthesis and expression of procollagen mRNA by lens epithelial cells].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and sandostatin on collagen synthesis and expression of types I and III procollagen mRNA by bovine lens epithelial cells in vitro. METHODS: Cells were plated in 96-well tissue culture plates. After attached, serum-free medium containing EGF 10(-2) - 10(2) ng/ml, IL-1 10 - 10(5) ng/ml, sandostatin 10(-11) - 10(-7) mol/L and IFN-gamma 10 - 10(5) U/ml were added into the plates. Collagen synthesis was measured with (3)H-proline incorperation, and expression of procollagen mRNA was detected with Northern blot. RESULTS: EGF 10(-1) - 10(2) ng/ml and IL-1 10(2) - 10(5) ng/ml obviously promoted collagen synthesis. EGF 1 ng/ml and IL-1 10(3) ng/ml increased the expression of types I and III procollagen mRNA. IFN-gamma 10(3) - 10(5) ng/ml and sandostatin 10(-10) - 10(-7) mol/L decreased collagen synthesis. IFN-gamma 10(3) U/ml and sandostatin 10(-9) mol/L decreased the expression of types I and III procollagen mRNA. CONCLUSIONS: EGF and IL-1 may enhance the occurrence of posterior capsular opacification, they affect types I and III procollagen gene expression at transcription level. IFN-gamma and sandostatin might be used to prevent the occurrence of posterior capsular opacification.