Uropathogens and clinical manifestations of pyuria-negative urinary tract infections in young infants: A single center cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Urine leukocyte count under microscopy is one of the most frequently used routine screening tests for urinary tract infection (UTI). Nevertheless, it is observed that pyuria is lacking in 10-25% of children with UTI. This study aims to determine the factors related to pyuria-negative UTI in young infants aged under four months old. METHOD: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 157 patients aged under 4 months old with UTI. All subjects had paired urinalysis and urine culture, which were collected via transurethral catheterization. According to the results of their urinalysis, the patients were then classified as UTI cases with pyuria and UTI cases without pyuria. The clinical characteristics and outcomes of both groups were analyzed. RESULT: Among the 157 UTI patients, the prevalence of pyuria-negative UTI was 44%. Significant risk factors associated with pyuria-negative UTI included non-E.coli pathogens, younger age, shorter duration of fever prior to hospital visit, lower white blood cell (WBC) count upon hospital visit, and absence of microscopic hematuria. CONCLUSIONS: We found that non-E.coli uropathogens were the strongest factor related to pyuria-negative UTI. The absence of pyuria cannot exclude the diagnosis of UTI in young infants, and it's reasonable to perform both urinalysis and urine culture as a part of the assessment of febrile or ill-looking young infants.

Neonatal outcomes in infants conceived using assisted reproductive technologies: A single medical center cohort study.

BACKGROUND: A significant rise in the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) has been observed, but concerns about its impact on neonatal outcomes have been considered. The aim of this retrospective cohort study is to determine the association between ART and the risk of neonatal complications and congenital anomalies within a recent time period. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled infants born after 20 weeks of gestation at a tertiary hospital in Taiwan between January 2019 and December 2021. The study population was divided into two groups: (1) ART pregnancy group and (2) natural pregnancy group. Maternal and neonatal characteristics, pregnancy complications, and neonatal outcomes were compared between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression was used to adjust for maternal characteristics, preexisting maternal conditions, pregnancy complications, delivery methods, and infant characteristics. RESULTS: This study enrolled 1770 infants comprising 289 in the ART pregnancy group and 1481 in the natural pregnancy group. The ART pregnancy group showed higher rates of multiple births, preterm births, low birth weights, and longer hospitalization periods. In the stratified analyses that were conducted on singleton births, no significant difference was observed. In the case of multiple births, lower rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and respiratory support were observed in the ART pregnancy group. After adjusting for maternal and infant characteristics, ART was not considered a significant risk factor for adverse neonatal outcomes, including mortality, complications, and congenital anomalies. CONCLUSION: Although ART pregnancies were more likely to result in multiple births and furthermore adverse outcomes, ART itself was not associated with an increased risk of poor neonatal outcomes. By implementing measures to control the number of implanted embryos, ensuring appropriate prenatal screening, and providing comprehensive postnatal care, the risks associated with increased multiple pregnancies caused by ART may be reduced.

Risk factors for urinary tract infection in infants with unexplained hyperbilirubinemia: a single center case-control study.

Background: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a potential cause of neonatal jaundice. Nevertheless, there remains a lack of consensus regarding appropriate screening practices for UTI in infants with hyperbilirubinemia. This study aimed to analyze a group of jaundiced infants to assess the prevalence of UTI, explore potential risk factors, and examine the impact of UTI on the course and severity of neonatal jaundice. Methods: This retrospective case-control study was conducted on 150 jaundiced infants (aged < 8 weeks) without a known etiology in the hyperbilirubinemia work-up. All subjects underwent phototherapy treatment and UTI screening by catheterization. They were then classified into UTI and non-UTI groups based on urine culture results, with a positive urine culture indicating the growth of ≥10,000 colony-forming units. The clinical characteristics and jaundice-related parameters of both groups were analyzed. Results: Among the 150 jaundiced patients, the prevalence of UTI was 29%. There was a significantly higher male predominance in the UTI group, and patients with UTI also had a significantly longer duration of hospitalization compared to those without UTI. Significant risk factors associated with UTI in jaundiced infants included male gender and a peak total bilirubin level higher than 18 mg/dl during hospitalization. The most common pathogens identified in urine culture were Escherichia coli (41.9%) and Enterococcus faecalis (30.2%). Conclusion: In cases of neonatal jaundice where the underlying cause is not evident, screening for UTI should be performed, particularly when associated risk factors or inadequate response to phototherapy is present.

Harmonizing international quality standards for Andrographis paniculata: A comparative analysis of content determination methods across pharmacopeias.

The quality standards for Andrographis paniculata, a widely used medicinal herb, exhibited significant variations across different pharmacopeias. In this study, we compared the HPLC content determination methods and total lactone content of A. paniculata samples from different regions, as specified in the Chinese (CP), United States (USP), European (EP), Thai (TP), and Indian pharmacopeias (IP), as well as the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards (HK). We aimed to assess the differences and similarities among these pharmacopeias and harmonized international quality standards for A. paniculata. The analysis revealed variations in sample preparation, liquid chromatographic conditions, fingerprint profiles, and total lactone content among the different pharmacopeias. Specifically, the CP and HK methods exhibited superior sample preparation and chromatographic separation. Further comparing the content of 20 A. paniculata samples with the CP, USP, EP and HK methods showed consistent determinations for the same components, indicating similar detection capabilities. The discrepancies in total lactone content primarily stemmed from differences in the number and types of detected compounds. Moreover, the acceptance criteria exhibited a stringency in the order CP > HK > EP > USP. In conclusion, this comparison analysis of content determination in CP, USP, HK, EP, TP and IP provided a scientific foundation for the international standardization and trade regulations of A. paniculata. It also served as a valuable reference for the development of international quality standards for other medicinal herbs, facilitating the harmonization of global pharmaceutical standards.

Dynamic photoelectrical regulation of ECM protein and cellular behaviors.

Dynamic regulation of cell-extracellular matrix (ECM)-material interactions is crucial for various biomedical applications. In this study, a light-activated molecular switch for the modulation of cell attachment/detachment behaviors was established on monolayer graphene (Gr)/n-type Silicon substrates (Gr/Si). Initiated by light illumination at the Gr/Si interface, pre-adsorbed proteins (bovine serum albumin, ECM proteins collagen-1, and fibronectin) underwent protonation to achieve negative charge transfer to Gr films (n-doping) through π-π interactions. This n-doping process stimulated the conformational switches of ECM proteins. The structural alterations in these ECM interactors significantly reduced the specificity of the cell surface receptor-ligand interaction (e.g., integrin recognition), leading to dynamic regulation of cell adhesion and eventual cell detachment. RNA-sequencing results revealed that the detached bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell sheets from the Gr/Si system manifested regulated immunoregulatory properties and enhanced osteogenic differentiation, implying their potential application in bone tissue regeneration. This work not only provides a fast and feasible method for controllable cells/cell sheets harvesting but also gives new insights into the understanding of cell-ECM-material communications.

Clinical effect of laparoscopy for the treatment of biliary stricture after biliary dilatation operation / 中华外科杂志

Objective: To investigate the safety and effect of laparoscopy for the treatment of biliary stricture after the biliary dilatation operation. Methods: The clinical data of 78 patients,including 27 males and 51 females aged (48.6±14.2)years(range:17 to 76 years),who presented biliary stricture after biliary dilatation operation from January 2017 to June 2021 in the Department of Minimally Invasive Hepatobiliary Surgery,Hunan Provincial People's Hospital,were retrospectively collected,with 38 cases in the laparoscopy group and 40 cases in the laparotomy group. Of the 78 patients,there were 67 cases of cholangiojejunostomy stricture and 11 cases of stricture of the high intrahepatic bile duct. Statistical methods such as t-test and χ2 test were carried out to compare perioperative clinical data and follow-up information between the two groups. Results: Less intraoperative blood loss((102.6±76.4)ml vs. (162.5±105.9) ml, t=-2.874,P=0.005),shorter postoperative stay length of stay((10.5±3.7)days vs. (14.5±6.4)days, t=-3.379,P=0.001) and shorter waiting time for postoperative anal exhaust((2.0±0.6)days vs. (2.5±0.9)days, t=-2.827,P=0.006) were found in the laparoscopy group than that in the laparotomy group,with statistically significant differences. While there was no statistically difference in the operative time((252.8±54.7)minutes vs. (257.4±68.6)minutes,t=-0.331,P=0.742). Postoperative review and follow-up did not show statistically significant differences between the two groups in the residual stone rate(5.3%(2/38) vs. 5.0%(2/40)) and the incidence of recurrent biliary stricture(5.3%(2/38) vs. 7.5%(3/40))(both P>0.05). Conclusion: Laparoscopy may be safe and effective in the treatment of biliary stricture after the biliary dilatation operation,with less trauma,faster recovery compared to laparotomy.

Platelet RNA enables accurate detection of ovarian cancer: an intercontinental, biomarker identification study

Platelets are reprogrammed by cancer via a process called education, which favors cancer development. The transcriptional profile of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) is skewed and therefore practicable for cancer detection. This intercontinental, hospital-based, diagnostic study included 761 treatment-naïve inpatients with histologically confirmed adnexal masses and 167 healthy controls from nine medical centers (China, n = 3; Netherlands, n = 5; Poland, n = 1) between September 2016 and May 2019. The main outcomes were the performance of TEPs and their combination with CA125 in two Chinese (VC1 and VC2) and the European (VC3) validation cohorts collectively and independently. Exploratory outcome was the value of TEPs in public pan-cancer platelet transcriptome datasets. The AUCs for TEPs in the combined validation cohort, VC1, VC2, and VC3 were 0.918 (95% CI 0.889-0.948), 0.923 (0.855-0.990), 0.918 (0.872-0.963), and 0.887 (0.813-0.960), respectively. Combination of TEPs and CA125 demonstrated an AUC of 0.922 (0.889-0.955) in the combined validation cohort; 0.955 (0.912-0.997) in VC1; 0.939 (0.901-0.977) in VC2; 0.917 (0.824-1.000) in VC3. For subgroup analysis, TEPs exhibited an AUC of 0.858, 0.859, and 0.920 to detect early-stage, borderline, non-epithelial diseases and 0.899 to discriminate ovarian cancer from endometriosis. TEPs had robustness, compatibility, and universality for preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer since it withstood validations in populations of different ethnicities, heterogeneous histological subtypes, and early-stage ovarian cancer. However, these observations warrant prospective validations in a larger population before clinical utilities.

Blood metabolites in preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity based on tandem mass spectrometry: a preliminary study / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study new biomarkers for the early diagnosis of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by analyzing the differences in blood metabolites based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and metabolomics.@*METHODS@#Dried blood spots were collected from 21 infants with ROP (ROP group) and 21 infants without ROP (non-ROP group) who were hospitalized in the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2013 to December 2016. LC-MS/MS was used to measure the metabolites, and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis was used to search for differentially expressed metabolites and biomarkers.@*RESULTS@#There was a significant difference in blood metabolic profiles between the ROP and non-ROP groups. The pattern recognition analysis, Score-plot, and weight analysis obtained 10 amino acids with a relatively large difference. Further statistical analysis showed that the ROP group had significant increases in blood levels of glutamic acid, leucine, aspartic acid, ornithine, and glycine compared with the non-ROP group (P<0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that glutamic acid and ornithine had the highest value in diagnosing ROP.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Blood metabolites in preterm infants with ROP are different from those without ROP. Glutamic acid and ornithine are the metabolic markers for diagnosing ROP. LC-MS/MS combined with metabolomics analysis has a potential application value in the early identification and diagnosis of ROP.

Molecular docking assisted exploration on solubilization of poorly soluble drug remdesivir in sulfobutyl ether-tycyclodextrin.

Objective: To study structure-specific solubilization effect of Sulfobutyl ether-ß-cyclodextrin (SBE-ß-CD) on Remdesivir (RDV) and to understand the experimental clathration with the aid of quantum mechanics (QM), molecular docking and molecular dynamics (MD) calculations. Methods: The experiment was carried out by phase solubility method at various pH and temperatures, while the concentration of Remdesivir in the solution was determined by HPLC. The complexation mechanism and the pH dependence of drug loading were investigated following a novel procedure combining QM, MD and molecular docking, based on accurate pKa predictions. Results: The phase solubility and solubilization effect of RDV in SBE-ß-CD were explored kinetically and thermodynamically for each assessed condition. An optimal drug / SBE-ß-CD feeding molar ratio was determined stoichiometrically for RDV solubility in pH1.7 solution. The supersaturated solubility was examined over time after pH of the solution was adjusted from 1.7 to 3.5. A possible hypothesis was raised to elucidate the experimentally observed stabilization of supersaturation based on the proposed RDV Cation A /SBE-ß-CD pocket conformations. Conclusion: The computational explorations conformed to the experimentally determined phase solubilization and well elucidated the mechanism of macroscopic clathration between RDV and SBE-ß-CD from the perspective of microscopic molecular calculations.

Effect of socioeconomic status on survival in patients on the Diabetes Shared Care Program: Finding from a Taiwan nationwide cohort.

BACKGROUND: The Diabetes Shared Care Program (DSCP) is an integrated care model in Taiwan to improve the care quality of patients with diabetes. Socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the important factors affecting health, and it is confirmed as a predictor of various diseases and deaths.This study aimed to determine the relationship between survival rate and SES among patients who participated in the DSCP. METHODS: A cohort population-based study was conducted using the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan from 2008 to 2013. The study subjects were type 2 diabetes. We defined individual SES and neighborhood SES by each patient's job category and household income, which were characterized as advantaged or disadvantaged. Then we compared the survival rates of SES groups by Cox proportional hazards model to adjust risk factors. RESULTS: This study included 16 614 patients with type 2 diabetes who participated in the DSCP program. The DSCP cohort showed a high hospitalization rate in low individual SES. In terms of 10-year overall survival, DSCP participants with high individual SES living in advantaged and disadvantaged neighborhoods had lower risk of mortality than those with low SES living in advantaged and disadvantaged neighborhoods, after adjustment for age and comorbidity. DSCP participants with low individual SES living in disadvantaged neighborhoods had no significant difference of mortality as those with low individual SES living in advantaged neighborhoods. CONCLUSION: In this study, we found that low individual SES, but not neighborhood SES, was associated with an increased mortality rate among DSCP participants.

Rapid biosynthesis of fluorescent CdSe QDs in Bacillus licheniformis and correlative bacterial antibiotic change assess during the process.

Cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) were biosynthesized rapidly in 18 h in Bacillus licheniformis ATCC 11946 (B. licheniformis); this process benefited from the cellular machinery of bacteria metal metabolism, in which inorganic Na2 SeO3 and CdCl2 were chosen as raw materials to produce high quality CdSe QDs by a designed two-step protocol. Research outcomes demonstrated that the purified CdSe QDs possessed maximum fluorescence intensities at weak alkalinity solutions and had good fluorescence stabilities at 4°C as well as at room temperature after standing for 1 week. Glutathione (GSH) concentration and superoxide dismutase (SOD) content, both of which were reported to be greatly related to biosynthetic activities in some bacterial matrices, were monitored during the biosynthetic process in B. licheniformis. Bacterial resistance research further showed that the change in rates in bacterial inhibition zone diameter to seven different antibiotics was less than 9% after B. licheniformis was used to manufacture CdSe QDs, showing a relative lower environmental risk in short-term heavy metal exposure.

Relationship between Reference Interval Establishment and Clinical Evaluation in Quantitative / 中国医疗器械杂志

Reference interval study and clinical evaluation are crucial supportive researches to demonstrate the intended use of quantitative

Thoughts and Suggestions on Review of Autoimmune Test Reagents / 中国医疗器械杂志

In this paper, some significant problems, which were found frequently in the products of autoimmune

Research Progress of Biodegradable Vascular Stent / 中国医疗器械杂志

Biodegradable vascular stents have better biocompatibility than drug-eluting stents. The blood vessels are rebuilt and degraded after normal physiological functions are restored. Due to it will not stay in the body for a long time and the patients don't need taking anti-rejection drugs all the time, it becomes the focus of attention in the treatment of coronary heart disease. This article introduced the development history of biodegradable stents and reviewed the research status of several different materials of vascular stents (animals or humans)

The mediating role of life satisfaction in relationship between mental resilience and depression in medical staffs / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the mediating effect of life satisfaction between psychological resilience and depression among medical staffs.METHODS: A total of 472 medical staffs in Shaoguan City were selected as the study subjects by convenience sampling method. The mental health, life satisfaction and depression were investigated and analyzed using the Psychological Resilience Questionnaire, Life Satisfaction Questionnaire and Self-Rating Depression Scale. RESULTS: The scores of mental resilience, life satisfaction and depression were 79.3±17.1, 16.1±6.1 and 53.5±11.8, respectively. There was a negative correlation between mental resilience score and depression score in medical staffs [correlation coefficient(r)=-0.638,P<0.01]. The score of life satisfaction was positively correlated with the scores of mental resilience and its three dimensions of toughness, strength and optimism(r were 0.341, 0.313, 0.306 and 0.336 respectively, all P<0.01). The score of life satisfaction was negatively correlated with the score of depression(r=-0.474,P<0.01). The life satisfaction had mediating role between mental resilience and depression, with the mediating effect value of-0.059, accounting for 13.50% of the total effect. CONCLUSION: Life satisfaction plays a partial intermediary role between mental resilience and depression in medical staffs.

Draft Genome Sequence of Serratia marcescens Strain ZZCCN01, Isolated from the Cardiac Blood of a Beef Cow.

Serratia marcescens strain ZZCCN01 was isolated from the cardiac blood of a dead beef cow with a lung infection and a foam-like secretion from the nostril. Here, we introduce the 5.1-Mb draft genome sequence, which comprises 105 scaffolds, and the corresponding annotation.

Seladelicatulasine A-G, C27 steroidal glycosides with cholinesterase inhibitory activities from Selaginella delicatula.

Seven undescribed C27 steroidal glycosides, Seladelicatulasine A-G, including six cholestanol glycosides and one spirostanol glycoside, were isolated from Selaginella delicatula. Their structures were elucidated by 1D/2D NMR spectra and HRESIMS analyses. The absolute configurations of the sugars were determined by enzymatic hydrolysis and GC/MS analyses. These cholestanol glycosides were isolated from the family Selaginellaceae for the first time. Seladelicatulasine F is characterized as a rare B-5,6-secosteroid. In addition, all the compounds were evaluated for their inhibitory activities against cholinesterase (AChE/BChE) and monoamine oxidase (MAO-A/MAO-B). These steroidal glycosides displayed selective inhibition activities on cholinesterase. Seladelicatulasine A, B and E inhibited the AChE activity with IC50 values of 0.31, 0.09, and 0.04 µM, respectively. Seladelicatulasine A and F showed the strongest inhibition activity on BChE with IC50 values of 0.37 and 0.65 µM, respectively.

Asymptomatic long-segmental type A aortic dissection diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography: A case report and literature review.

Aortic dissection (AD) is a life-threatening disease. Patients usually experience severe pain in the chest, back, or abdomen, but some patients report a variety of other symptoms without pain. Completely asymptomatic AD is sporadic and probably under-recognized. The present study aimed to (a) report an extremely rare case of asymptomatic long-segmental type A AD, wherein exaggeratedly low diastolic blood pressure and broad pulse pressure were the primary signs, and (b) summarize the clinical characteristics of asymptomatic AD through the literature review.

[Current quality standards of Andrographis Herba of different countries and regions].

Andrographis Herba is a commonly used plant medicine, and has been recorded in pharmacopeias of different countries. However, there are some differences in the quality standards. Based on this, this paper compare the quality standards of Andrographis Herba between Chinese Pharmacopoeia, Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards, United States Pharmacopoeia, European Pharmacopoeia and Indian Pharmacopoeia, including origin, botanical characteristics, identification(microscopic identification and chromatographic identification), content determination, specific test(such as impurities, loss on drying, extractives, pesticides, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and other items) and storage requirements, so as to provide a reference for studying international quality standards of Andrographis.

Binding, selectivity and sequence recognition of matrix metalloproteinase-2 to oligopeptides.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.