The combined application of pulsed electromagnetic fields and platelet-rich plasma in the treatment of early-stage knee osteoarthritis: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of combined treatment with pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection in improving pain and functional mobility among patients with early-stage knee osteoarthritis (KOA). We hypothesize that this combined therapy can yield superior treatment outcomes. METHODS: Based on the different treatment regimens, we divided 48 patients diagnosed with Kellgren-Lawrence grades I-III KOA into 3 groups: the PRP group, the PEMFs group, and the PRP + PEMFs group. Each subtype of KOA patients was randomly assigned to different treatment groups. In the PRP group, patients received intra-articular injections of leukocyte-rich platelet-rich plasma once a month for 3 consecutive months. In the PEMFs group, patients receive low-frequency PEMFs irradiation therapy with a frequency of 30 Hz and intensity of 1.5 mT, once daily, 5 times a week, for a consecutive treatment period of 12 weeks. In the PRP + PEMFs group, patients receive both of the aforementioned treatment protocol. The treatment effects on patients are evaluated at baseline and at weeks 4, 8, and 12 post-treatment. Assessment parameters include visual analog scale for pain, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, Lequesne Index score, and knee joint range of motion. RESULTS: From the 4th to the 12th week of treatment, the visual analog scale scores, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scores, and Lequesne index scores of patients in all 3 groups gradually decreased, while knee joint mobility gradually increased (P < .05). At weeks 4, 8, and 12 after treatment, the PRP combined with PEMFs group showed significantly better scores compared to the PRP group and the PEMFs group, with statistically significant differences (P < .05). A total of 7 patients experienced adverse reactions such as knee joint swelling, low-grade fever, and worsening knee joint pain after treatment, all of which disappeared within 1 week after treatment. The incidence of complications did not differ significantly among the 3 groups (P = .67). CONCLUSION: PRP, PEMFs, and the combination of PRP and PEMFs therapy all effectively alleviate knee joint pain and improve joint function. However, compared to single treatment modalities, the combined therapy of PRP and PEMFs demonstrates more pronounced efficacy.

A ResNet mini architecture for brain age prediction.

The brain presents age-related structural and functional changes in the human life, with different extends between subjects and groups. Brain age prediction can be used to evaluate the development and aging of human brain, as well as providing valuable information for neurodevelopment and disease diagnosis. Many contributions have been made for this purpose, resorting to different machine learning methods. To solve this task and reduce memory resource consumption, we develop a mini architecture of only 10 layers by modifying the deep residual neural network (ResNet), named ResNet mini architecture. To support the ResNet mini architecture in brain age prediction, the brain age dataset (OpenNeuro #ds000228) that consists of 155 study participants (three classes) and the Alzheimer MRI preprocessed dataset that consists of 6400 images (four classes) are employed. We compared the performance of the ResNet mini architecture with other popular networks using the two considered datasets. Experimental results show that the proposed architecture exhibits generality and robustness with high accuracy and less parameter number.

Surgical treatment outcomes of acetabular posterior wall and posterior column fractures using 3D printing technology and individualized custom-made metal plates: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Fractures involving the posterior acetabulum with its rich vascular and neural supply present challenges in trauma orthopedics. This study evaluates the effectiveness of 3D printing technology with the use of custom-made metal plates in the treatment of posterior wall and column acetabular fractures. METHODS: A retrospective analysis included 31 patients undergoing surgical fixation for posterior wall and column fractures of the acetabulum (16 in the 3D printing group, utilizing 3D printing for a 1:1 pelvic model and custom-made plates based on preoperative simulation; 15 in the traditional group, using conventional methods). Surgical and instrument operation times, intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency, intraoperative blood loss, fracture reduction quality, fracture healing time, preoperative and 12-month postoperative pain scores (Numeric Rating Scale, NRS), hip joint function at 6 and 12 months (Harris scores), and complications were compared. RESULTS: The surgical and instrument operation times were significantly shorter in the 3D printing group (p < 0.001). The 3D printing group exhibited significantly lower intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency and blood loss (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of fracture reduction quality, fracture healing time, preoperative pain scores (NRS scores), and 6-month hip joint function (Harris scores) (p > 0.05). However, at 12 months, hip joint function and pain scores were significantly better in the 3D printing group (p < 0.05). Although the incidence of complications was lower in the 3D printing group (18.8% vs. 33.3%), the difference did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.433). CONCLUSION: Combining 3D printing with individualized custom-made metal plates for acetabular posterior wall and column fractures reduces surgery and instrument time, minimizes intraoperative procedures and blood loss, enhancing long-term hip joint function recovery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: 12/04/2023;Trial Registration No. ChiCTR2300070438; http://www.chictr.org.cn .

Local temperature responses to actual land cover changes present significant latitudinal variability and asymmetry.

Land cover changes (LCCs) affect surface temperatures at local scale through biophysical processes. However, previous observation-based studies mainly focused on the potential effects of virtual afforestation/deforestation using the space-for-time assumption, while the actual effects of all types of realistic LCCs are underexplored. Here, we adopted the space-and-time scheme and utilized extensive high-resolution (1-km) satellite observations to perform the first such assessment. We showed that, from 2006 to 2015, the average temperature in the areas with LCCs increased by 0.08 K globally, but varied significantly across latitudes, ranging from -0.05 to 0.18 K. Cropland expansions dominated summertime cooling effects in the northern mid-latitudes, whereas forest-related LCCs caused warming effects elsewhere. These effects accounted for up to 44.6% of overall concurrent warming, suggesting that LCC influences cannot be ignored. In addition, we revealed obvious asymmetries in the actual effects, i.e., LCCs with warming effects occurred more frequently, with stronger intensities, than LCCs with cooling effects. Even for the mutual changes between two covers in the same region, warming LCCs generally had larger magnitudes than their cooling counterparts due to asymmetric changes in transition fractions and driving variables. These novel findings, derived from the assessment of actual LCCs, provide more realistic implications for land management and climate adaptation policies.

Surgical options for distal radius fractures of type C in elderly patients over 65 years old: a comparison of external fixation with Kirschner wires and volar locking plate.

BACKGROUND: ue to the lack of consensus on the optimal surgical treatment for distal radius fractures (DRF) in elderly patients over 65 years old, the purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of external fixation (EF) with Kirschner wires and volar locking plate (VLP) in the treatment of DRF through a retrospective cohort study. We hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in overall complications and functional recovery between the two methods. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 62 patients over 65 years old who underwent surgical treatment for C-type DRF between 2019 and 2022. Based on the different treatment methods, they were divided into the EF group and the VLP group. General data, inpatient data, and postoperative complications during follow-up were recorded. The X-ray images before surgery, after surgery, and at the last follow-up were analyzed, and the results of wrist motion range, Gartland-Werley wrist joint score, and DASH score were evaluated 6 months after surgery for both groups. RESULT: Thirty patients underwent closed reduction and external fixation combined with Kirschner wire fixation, while 32 underwent open reduction and VLP fixation. The EF group had significantly shorter operation time, intraoperative blood loss, injury-to-surgery time, and hospital stay compared to the VLP group (all p < 0.001). At the last follow-up, the radiographic parameters (ulnar variance and radial inclination) and wrist joint function (wrist dorsiflexion and forearm supination) were better in the VLP group than in the EF group (p = 0.04, p = 0.01, p = 0.001, p = 0.02, respectively). However, there was no significant difference in overall Gartland-Werley wrist joint score, DASH score, and incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (p = 0.31, p = 0.25, p = 0.47, respectively). CONCLUSION: For patients aged 65 and above with distal radius fractures (DRF) of type C, VLP and external fixation with Kirschner wires yield comparable functional outcome and complications rate at the short term. However, VLP allowed restoration of better radiological parameters.

Association between urinary neonicotinoid insecticide levels and dyslipidemia risk: A cross-sectional study in Chinese community-dwelling elderly.

Experimental evidence has demonstrated that neonicotinoids (NEOs) exposure can cause lipid accumulation and increased leptin levels. However, the relationship between NEOs exposure and dyslipidemia in humans remains unclear, and the interactive effects of NEOs and their characteristic metabolites on dyslipidemia remain unknown. We detected 14 NEOs and their metabolites in urine samples of 500 individuals (236 and 264 with and without dyslipidemia, respectively) randomly selected from the baseline of the Yinchuan community-dwelling elderly cohort (Ningxia, China). The NEOs and their metabolites were widely detected in urine (87.2-99.6 %) samples, and the median levels ranged within 0.06-0.55 µg/g creatinine. The positive associations and dose-dependent relationships of thiacloprid, imidacloprid-olefin, and imidacloprid-equivalent total with dyslipidemia were validated using restricted cubic spline analysis. Mixture models revealed a positive association between the NEOs mixture and dyslipidemia risk, with urine desnitro-imidacloprid ranked as the top contributor. The Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression models showed that the NEOs mixtures were associated with increased dyslipidemia when the chemical mixtures were ≥ 25th percentile compared to their medians, and desnitro-imidacloprid and imidacloprid-olefin were the major contributors to the combined effect. Given the widespread use of NEOs and the dyslipidemia pandemic, further investigations are urgently needed to confirm our findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms.

Baseline Pydiflumetofen Sensitivity of Fusarium pseudograminearum Isolates Collected from Henan, China, and Potential Resistance Mechanisms.

Fusarium crown rot (FCR), caused by Fusarium pseudograminearum, is one of the most important diseases impacting wheat production in the Huanghuai region, the most important wheat-growing region of China. The current study found that the SDHI fungicide pydiflumetofen, which was recently developed by Syngenta Crop Protection, provided effective control of 67 wild-type F. pseudograminearum isolates in potato dextrose agar, with an average EC50 value of 0.060 ± 0.0098 µg/ml (SE). Further investigation revealed that the risk of fungicide resistance in pydiflumetofen was medium to high. Four F. pseudograminearum mutants generated by repeated exposure to pydiflumetofen under laboratory conditions indicated that pydiflumetofen resistance was associated with fitness penalties. Mutants exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) reduced sporulation in mung bean broth and significantly (P < 0.05) reduced pathogenicity in wheat seedlings. Sequence analysis indicated that the observed pydiflumetofen resistance of the mutants was likely associated with amino acid changes in the different subunits of the succinate dehydrogenase target protein, including R18L and V160M substitutions in the FpSdhA sequence; D69V, D147G, and C257R in FpSdhB; and W78R in FpSdhC. This study found no evidence of cross-resistance between pydiflumetofen and the alternative fungicides tebuconazole, fludioxonil, carbendazim, or fluazinam, which all have distinct modes of action and could therefore be used in combination or rotation with pydiflumetofen to reduce the risk of resistance emerging in the field. Taken together, these results indicate that pydiflumetofen has potential as a novel fungicide for the control of FCR caused by F. pseudograminearum and could therefore be of great significance in ensuring high and stable wheat yields in China.

[Application of Demirjian and Chaillet method in age estimation of Uyghur and Han children and adolescents in Urumqi].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the applicability and accuracy of Demirjian and Chaillet method in estimating the actual age of Uygur and Han children and adolescents in Urumqi. METHODS: A total of 1144 orthopantomograms were included in the study, and the seven permanent teeth in the left jaw were divided into different stages according to two dental age estimation methods, and the dental age was converted to tooth age after checking the table and assigning points, and the dental age and its chronological age were compared with t test or rank sum test using SPSS 21.0 software package, and the accuracy of the two methods was evaluated by comparing the mean absolute error of the two methods. RESULTS: Demirjian method was overestimated by an average of 0.46 years (0.47 years for males and 0.43 years for women) in the Han population, 0.36 years for men and 0.26 years for women in Uyghur population, the difference was significant between Uyghur and Han boys (P＜0.05). Chaillet method yielded an average underestimate of 0.01 years (0.04 years for men and -0.08 years for women) in the Han population, and 0.08 years(0.02 years for men and -0.21 years for women) in the Uyghur population, there was no significant difference between Uyghur and Han boys and girls(P＞0.05). CONCLUSIONS: When assessing the age of Uyghurhan children and adolescents in Urumqi, Chaillet method is more accurate than the Demirjian method. When applying dental age estimation method in different regions, it is necessary to evaluate the accuracy of the estimation method and revise it if necessary to improve the accuracy.

Antifungal susceptibility profiles and drug resistance mechanisms of clinical Candida duobushaemulonii isolates from China.

Candida duobushaemulonii, type II Candida haemulonii complex, is closely related to Candida auris and capable of causing invasive and non-invasive infections in humans. Eleven strains of C. duobushaemulonii were collected from China Hospital Invasive Fungal Surveillance Net (CHIF-NET) and identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF), VITEK 2 Yeast Identification Card (YST), and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing. Whole genome sequencing of C. duobushaemulonii was done to determine their genotypes. Furthermore, C. duobushaemulonii strains were tested by Sensititre YeastOne™ and Clinical and Laboratory Institute (CLSI) broth microdilution panel for antifungal susceptibility. Three C. duobushaemulonii could not be identified by VITEK 2. All 11 isolates had high minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to amphotericin B more than 2 µg/ml. One isolate showed a high MIC value of ≥64 µg/ml to 5-flucytosine. All isolates were wild type (WT) for triazoles and echinocandins. FUR1 variation may result in C. duobushaemulonii with high MIC to 5-flucytosine. Candida duobushaemulonii mainly infects patients with weakened immunity, and the amphotericin B resistance of these isolates might represent a challenge to clinical treatment.

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OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether evidence-based standardized nutrition protocol can facilitate the establishment of full enteral nutrition and its effect on short-term clinical outcomes in very preterm/very low birth weight infants. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 312 preterm infants with a gestational age of ≤32 weeks or a birth weight of <1 500 g. The standardized nutrition protocol for preterm infants was implemented in May 2020; 160 infants who were treated from May 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020 were enrolled as the control group, and 152 infants who were treated from June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021 were enrolled as the test group. The two groups were compared in terms of the time to full enteral feeding, the time to the start of enteral feeding, duration of parenteral nutrition, the time to recovery to birth weight, the duration of central venous catheterization, and the incidence rates of common complications in preterm infants. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the test group had significantly shorter time to full enteral feeding, time to the start of enteral feeding, duration of parenteral nutrition, and duration of central venous catheterization and a significantly lower incidence rate of catheter-related bloodstream infection (P<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in the mortality rate and the incidence rate of common complications in preterm infants including grade II-III necrotizing enterocolitis (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the standardized nutrition protocol can facilitate the establishment of full enteral feeding, shorten the duration of parenteral nutrition, and reduce catheter-related bloodstream infection in very preterm/very low birth weight infants, without increasing the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis.

Placenta Accreta Spectrum Outcomes Using Tourniquet and Forceps for Vascular Control.

Objective: To evaluate the use of tourniquet and forceps to reduce bleeding during surgical treatment of severe placenta accreta spectrum (placenta increta and placenta percreta). Methods: A tourniquet was used in the lower part of the uterus during surgical treatment of severe placenta accreta spectrum. Severe placenta accreta spectrum was classified into two types according to the relative position of the placenta and tourniquet during surgery: upper-tourniquet type, in which the entire placenta was above the tourniquet, and lower-tourniquet type, in which part or all of the placenta was below the tourniquet. The surgical effects of the two types were retrospectively compared. We then added forceps to the lower-tourniquet group to achieve further bleeding reduction. Finally, the surgical effects of the two types were prospectively compared. Results: During the retrospective phase, patients in the lower-tourniquet group experienced more severe symptoms than did patients in the upper-tourniquet group, based on mean intraoperative blood loss (upper-tourniquet group 787.5 ml, lower-tourniquet group 1434.4 ml) intensive care unit admission rate (upper-tourniquet group 1.0%, lower-tourniquet group 33.3%), and length of hospital stay (upper-tourniquet group 10.2d, lower-tourniquet group 12.1d). During the prospective phase, after introduction of the revised surgical method involving forceps (in the lower-tourniquet group), the lower-tourniquet group exhibited improvements in the above indicators (intraoperative average blood loss 722.9 ml, intensive care unit admission rate 4.3%, hospital stays 9.0d). No increase in the rate of complications was observed. Conclusion: The relative positions of the placenta and tourniquet may influence the perioperative risk of severe placenta accreta spectrum. The method using a tourniquet (and forceps if necessary) can improve the surgical effect in cases of severe placenta accreta spectrum.

Developing Two Rapid Protein Extraction Methods Using Focused-Ultrasonication and Zirconia-Silica Beads for Filamentous Fungi Identification by MALDI-TOF MS.

Filamentous fungi identification by Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been challenging due to the lack of simple and rapid protein extraction methods and insufficient species coverage in the database. In this study, we created two rapid protein extraction methods for filamentous fungi: a one-step zirconia-silica beads method (ZSB) and a focused-ultrasonication method (FUS). The identification accuracy of two methods were evaluated with the VITEK MS, as well as number of spectra peaks and signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) with M-Discover 100 MALDI-TOF MS compared to the routine method. The better method was applied to build a filamentous fungi in-house spectra library for the M-Discover 100 MS, and then another one and routine method were performed in parallel to verify the accuracy and commonality of the in-house library. Using the two optimized methods, the dedicated operating time before MALDI-TOF MS analysis was reduced from 30 min to 7 (ZSB) or 5 (FUS) min per sample, with only a few seconds added for each additional strain. And both two methods identified isolates from most mold types equal to or better than the routine method, and the total correct identification rate using VITEK MS was 79.67, 76.42, and 76.42%, respectively. On the other hand, the two rapid methods generally achieved higher maximum and minimum S/N ratios with these isolates tested as compared to the routine method. Besides, the ZSB method produced overall mean of maximum and minimum S/N ratio higher than that by FUS. An in-house library of M-Discover MS was successfully built from 135 isolates from 42 species belonging to 18 genera using the ZSB method. Analysis of 467 isolates resulted in 97.22% correctly identified isolates to the species level by the ZSB method versus 95.50% by the routine method. The two novel methods are time- and cost-effective and allow efficient identification of filamentous fungi while providing a simplified procedure to build an in-house library. Thus, more clinical laboratories may consider adopting MALDI-TOF MS for filamentous fungi identification in the future.

Enhanced formation of dichloroacetamide and dichloroacetonitrile during chloramination of drinking water and model organic matters in the presence of copper corrosion products.

The formation of nitrogenous disinfection byproducts (N-DBPs) occurs in chloraminated water in drinking water distribution systems and may be affected by metal pipe materials and their corrosion products. The effect of copper corrosion products, including Cu2+, CuO, and Cu2O, on the formation of dichloroacetonitrile (DCAN) and dichloroacetamide (DCAcAm) was investigated during chloramination of natural organic matter (NOM), model precursors (carboxylic acids and amino acids), and real water samples. Copper corrosion products enhanced DCAN and DCAcAm formation during chloramination of NOM by 33%-72% and 11%-80%, respectively. Addition of 15N-labeled monochloramine showed that the copper corrosion products primarily enhanced the formation of DCAN using organic nitrogen and monochloramine as nitrogen sources, and the formation of DCAcAm using monochloramine as the nitrogen source, but had a limited impact on the formation of DCAcAm using organic nitrogen as the nitrogen source. A distinct N-DBP formation pathway in the presence of Cu2+ and CuO was observed using tyrosine as a model compound, which included the formation of 1,4-benzoquinone as a dominant intermediate. On reaction with monochloramine, the 1,4-benzoquinone greatly contributed to enhancement of DCAN and DCAcAm formation using monochloramine as the nitrogen source. During chloramination of real water samples, Cu2+ and CuO enhanced DCAN formation by 9-40% and DCAcAm formation by 16-33%. This study increases our knowledge of copper catalyzed DCAN and DCAcAm formation in copper pipes, which will be meaningful for water safety in distribution systems using chloramine disinfection.

Protective effects of recombinant 53-kDa protein of Trichinella spiralis on acute lung injury in mice via alleviating lung pyroptosis by promoting M2 macrophage polarization.

Trichinella spiralis represents an effective treatment for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. The effects of recombinant T. spiralis (TS) 53-kDa protein (rTsP53) on acute lung injury (ALI) remain unclear. Here, mice were divided randomly into a control group, LPS group, and rTsP53 + LPS group. ALI was induced in BALB/c mice by LPS (10 mg/kg) injected via the tail vein. rTsP53 (200 µl; 0.4 µg/µl) was injected subcutaneously three times at an interval of 5 d before inducing ALI in the rTsP53+LPS group. Lung pathological score, the ratio and markers of classic activated macrophages (M1) and alternatively activated macrophages (M2), cytokine profiles in alveolar lavage fluid, and pyroptosis protein expression in lung tissue were investigated. RTsP53 decreased lung pathological score. Furthermore, rTsP53 suppressed inflammation by increasing IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13. There was an increase in alveolar M2 macrophage numbers, with an increase in CD206 and arginase-1-positive cells and a decrease in alveolar M1 markers such as CD197 and iNOS. In addition, the polarization of M2 macrophages induced by rTsP53 treatment could alleviate ALI by suppressing lung pyroptosis. RTsP53 was identified as a potential agent for treating LPS-induced ALI via alleviating lung pyroptosis by promoting M2 macrophage polarization.

Species distribution and antifungal susceptibilities of clinical isolates of Penicillium and Talaromyces species in China.

Morphologically identified Penicillium (n = 103) and Talaromyces marneffei (n = 8) isolates were collected from various clinical sources between 2016 and 2017 at a medical centre in Beijing, China. Identification to species level was confirmed by sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, ß-tubulin gene (benA) and RNA polymerase II second largest subunit (RPB2) gene. Of the 111 isolates, 56 (50.5%) were identified as Penicillium spp. and 55 (49.5%) as Talaromyces spp. Eleven species of Penicillium were detected, of which Penicillium oxalicum was the commonest, accounting for 51.8% (29/56), followed by Penicillium rubens (10.7%; 6/56) and Penicillium citrinum (10.7%; 6/56). Among the 55 Talaromyces isolates, nine species were identified, with Talaromyces funiculosus (36.4%; 20/55), Talaromyces stollii (27.3%; 15/55) and Talaromyces marneffei (14.5%; 8/55) being the most common. Of note, 89.3% (50/56) of the Penicillium isolates and 98.2% (54/55) of the Talaromyces isolates exhibited growth at 37°C. The isolates were mainly recovered from patients with pulmonary disorders (56.8%; 63/111), autoimmune disease (12.6%; 14/111) and AIDS (5.4%; 6/111). The azoles and amphotericin B exhibited potent activity against T. marneffei, while various levels of activity were observed against Penicillium and other Talaromyces species The echinocandins had the lowest MECs (MEC90, ≤0.12 mg/L) against most Penicillium and Talaromyces species, with the exception of T. marneffei whose MEC90 (4 mg/L) was five or more dilutions higher than that of the other species tested. These data on the species distribution and antifungal susceptibility expand the current clinical knowledge of Penicillium and Talaromyces species.

Evaluation of Autof MS 1000 and Vitek MS MALDI-TOF MS System in Identification of Closely-Related Yeasts Causing Invasive Fungal Diseases.

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) has been accepted as a rapid, accurate, and less labor-intensive method in the identification of microorganisms in clinical laboratories. However, there is limited data on systematic evaluation of its effectiveness in the identification of phylogenetically closely-related yeast species. In this study, we evaluated two commercially available MALDI-TOF systems, Autof MS 1000 and Vitek MS, for the identification of yeasts within closely-related species complexes. A total of 1,228 yeast isolates, representing 14 different species of five species complexes, including 479 of Candida parapsilosis complex, 323 of Candida albicans complex, 95 of Candida glabrata complex, 16 of Candida haemulonii complex (including two Candida auris), and 315 of Cryptococcus neoformans complex, collected under the National China Hospital Invasive Fungal Surveillance Net (CHIF-NET) program, were studied. Autof MS 1000 and Vitek MS systems correctly identified 99.2% and 89.2% of the isolates, with major error rate of 0.4% versus 1.6%, and minor error rate of 0.1% versus 3.5%, respectively. The proportion of isolates accurately identified by Autof MS 1000 and Vitek MS per each yeast complex, respectively, was as follows; C. albicans complex, 99.4% vs 96.3%; C. parapsilosis complex, 99.0% vs 79.1%; C glabrata complex, 98.9% vs 94.7%; C. haemulonii complex, 100% vs 93.8%; and C. neoformans, 99.4% vs 95.2%. Overall, Autof MS 1000 exhibited good capacity in yeast identification while Vitek MS had lower identification accuracy, especially in the identification of less common species within phylogenetically closely-related species complexes.

Escin ameliorates the impairments of neurological function and blood brain barrier by inhibiting systemic inflammation in intracerebral hemorrhagic mice.

This study aims to investigate whether escin ameliorates the impairments of neurological function by ameliorating systemic inflammation instead of targeting the brain directly in intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) mice. It showed that escin did not cross the blood brain barrier (BBB). Compared with the ICH group, the Garcia test scores in the escin groups were significantly increased. Brain water contents and Evans blue extravasation of the right basal ganglia in the ICH group were augmented, and significantly reduced by escin. Escin abated the increases of monocyte counts and serum IL-1ß levels induced by ICH. IL-1ß administration reversed the effect of escin on Garcia test scores, the brain water contents, and the Evans blue extravasation. Escin ameliorated the increasing levels of RhoA, ROCK1, nuclear NF-κB and the decreasing expression of IκBα, cytosolic NF-κB, occludin, claudin-5 in the ICH group. IL-1ß administration blocked not only escin-mediated increases of IκBα, cytosolic NF-κB, occludin, and claudin-5, but also escin-caused decreases of RhoA, ROCK1, and nuclear NF-κB. The results indicate that escin improves neurological outcomes and the BBB function in ICH mice, which is associated with attenuating ICH-induced peripheral system inflammation, and therefore, inhibiting IL-1ß/RhoA/NF-κB signaling pathway in BBB, at least in part. These findings suggest that it may be useful to ameliorate brain injury by inhibiting systemic inflammation instead of aiming to target the brain directly after ICH.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes: a retrospective cohort study of 2368 patients.

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) comprise a group of hypertension-related diseases and represent the most common medical disorders in pregnancy. The aim of this study was to investigate the risks of adverse pregnancy outcomes in patients with different types of HDP, including gestational hypertension, chronic hypertension, preeclampsia (PE, early or late onset), PE superimposed on chronic hypertension (superimposed PE), eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome. Data from a multicenter retrospective patient cohort in China were analyzed. Seventeen adverse maternal or perinatal outcomes were evaluated. Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of adverse outcomes for each HDP subgroups, using the gestational hypertension group as the reference. The final analysis included 2368 patients with HDP. Of these, 39.9% of patients reported at least one adverse pregnancy outcome. Patients with early onset PE had the highest risk for having both adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes (OR = 7.28, 95% CI: 2.68, 19.79). The risk of perinatal death significantly increased in HELLP syndrome, superimposed PE, and early onset PE, (OR = 13.81, 6.32, and 4.84, respectively, p < 0.05) groups. This study highlights that among patients with HDP, those with early onset PE had the highest risk for having both adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes, and patients with HELLP syndrome had the highest risk for perinatal death.

Molecular Characterization of Candida parapsilosis by Microsatellite Typing and Emergence of Clonal Antifungal Drug Resistant Strains in a Multicenter Surveillance in China.

Candida parapsilosis is an important species causing invasive candidiasis (IC) in China. The present survey was a national multicenter study of the molecular epidemiology and antifungal susceptibility profiles of C. parapsilosis. Non-duplicate C. parapsilosis isolates were collected from 10 hospitals across China in the CHIF-NET program 2016-2017. Isolates were genotyped using four highly polymorphic microsatellite markers, and susceptibility profiles determined using Sensititre YeastOneTM YO10. A total of 319 C. parapsilosis from separate patients with IC were studied; 49.2, 17.9, and 10.3% isolates were from patients in surgical departments, general intensive care units (ICUs) and neonatal ICUs (NICU), respectively. C. parapsilosis showed good susceptibility to nine antifungal drugs. Microsatellite analysis identified 122 microsatellite (MT) types. Most MT types had sporadic distribution. However, we identified 32 clusters across 10 hospitals; seven clusters were caused by seven endemic genotypes involving five or more isolates in hospitals designated as H01, H02, H06, and H10. These clusters mainly affected surgical departments and ICUs, except for genotype MT42 which was seen in 22 patients from NICU (hospital H06). Of 16 fluconazole-resistant isolates, seven from hospital H02 shared the same genotype MT70, and three from hospital H04 were of genotype MT47. For 37 isolates with non-wild type MICs to 5-flucytosine, 29 were from hospital H01 (genotype MT48). Here we present the first nationwide molecular epidemiology study of C. parapsilosis in China, identified several previously unrecognized clusters, which included antifungal drug resistant isolates. These findings provide important data for control of IC in China.

Quercetin Prevents Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Experimental Preterm Labor in Mice and Increases Offspring Survival Rate.

Premature labor is still a worldwide problem, causing serious social economic burden and family burden. Currently, there is no effective way to prevent preterm labor. Since inflammation increases the risk of preterm birth and quercetin is reported to have anti-inflammation, immune-enhancement, and antioxidative effects, this study aims to explore whether quercetin exerts inhibitory effect on preterm labor in mice and increases offspring survival. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is one of the commonly used drugs in the inflammatory animal model of preterm birth. On day 15 of pregnancy, mice received a dose of vehicle phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) or a dose of quercetin (low concentration, 30 mg/kg; medium concentration, 90 mg/kg; high concentrations, 150 mg/kg) via oral gavage. After 2 h, mice received a dose of LPS (50 µg/kg) or vehicle intraperitoneally (i.p.). In the absence of quercetin, a 100% incidence of preterm labor was observed in LPS-treated mice, and the fetuses were all died. Medium concentration of quercetin significantly prevented 63.5% of LPS-induced inflammatory preterm labor, and the survival rate of pups on day 22 was 83.76%. Specifically, quercetin significantly inhibited LPS-induced upregulation of NF-kappa-B/P65(RELA), AP-1/C-JUN(JUN), cyclooxygenase-2(PTGS2), and interleukin 6(IL6) in mice myometrium on mRNA level and inhibited the upregulation of P65 and C-JUN on protein level. Based on these observations, we concluded that quercetin exerts inhibitory effect on LPS-induced experimental mice preterm labor and increases offspring survival through a mechanism involving NF-κB/AP-1 pathway.