Cloning and functional analysis of the molting gene CYP302A1 of Daphnia sinensis.

BACKGROUND: Molting is an important physiological process in the growth and development of arthropoda, which is mainly regulated by juvenile hormone and ecdysone. CYP302A1 is a key enzyme which plays a critical role in the synthesis of ecdysone in insects, but it has not been identified in cladocera. RESULTS: The CYP302Al gene of Daphnia sinensis was cloned and its function was analyzed in this paper. The CYP302Al gene of D. sinensis was 5926 bp in full-length, with an open reading frame (ORF) of 1596 bp that encoded 531 amino acids (aa), a molecular weight of 60.82 kDa and an isoelectric point of 9.29. The amino acid sequence analysis revealed that there were five characteristic conserved regions of cytochrome P450 family (namely helix-C, helix-K, helix-I, PERF and heme-binding). In dsRNA mediated experiment, the expression level of CYP302A1 gene decreased significantly (knock-down of 56.22%) in the 5% Escherichia coli concentration treatment. In addition, the expression levels of EcR and USP and HR3 genes in the downstream were also significantly decreased, whereas that of FTZ-f1 gene increased significantly. In the 5% E. coli treatment, the molting time at maturity of D. sinensis prolonged, and the development of embryos in the incubation capsule appeared abnormal or disintegrated. The whole-mount in situ hybridization showed that the CYP302A1 gene of D. sinensis had six expression sites before RNA interference (RNAi), which located in the first antennal ganglion, ovary, cecae, olfactory hair, thoracic limb and tail spine. However, the expression signal of the CYP302A1 gene of D. sinensis disappeared in the first antennal ganglion and obviously attenuated in the ovary after RNAi. CONCLUSION: The CYP302A1 gene played an important role in the ecdysone synthesis pathway of D. sinensis, and the knock-down of the gene affected the molting and reproduction of D. sinensis.

Transcriptome analysis of different life-history stages and screening of male-biased genes in Daphnia sinensis.

BACKGROUND: In the life history of Daphnia, the reproductive mode of parthenogenesis and sexual reproduction alternate in aquatic ecosystem, which are often affected by environmental and genetic factors. Recently, the sex-biased genes are of great significance for clarifying the origin and evolution of reproductive transformation and the molecular regulation mechanism of sex determination in Daphnia. Although some genes on reproductive transition of Daphnia had been researched, molecular mechanism on the maintenance of sexually dimorphic phenotypes of Daphnia are still not well known, including differentially expressed genes in different life-history stages. RESULTS: In this study, four life-history stages of Daphnia sinensis, juvenile female (JF), parthenogenetic female (PF), sexual female (SF) and male (M), were performed for transcriptome, and male-biased genes were screened. A total of 110437 transcripts were obtained and assembled into 22996 unigenes. In the four life-history stages (JF, PF, SF and M), the number of unique unigenes is respectively 2863, 445, 437 and 586, and the number of common unigenes is 9708. The differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between male and other three female stages (M vs JF, M vs PF and M vs SF) were 4570, 4358 and 2855, respectively. GO gene enrichment analysis showed that the up-regulated genes in male were mainly enriched in hydrolase activity and peptidase activity. Thirty-six genes in male were significantly higher expression than in the three female stages, including one Doublesex (Dsx) gene, one laminin gene, five trypsin genes and one serine protease genes, and one chitin synthase gene and two chitinase genes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that thirty-six candidate genes may be as the male-biased genes involving in the maintenance of sexually dimorphic phenotypes. This work will provide a reference for further exploring the functional genes related to sex differentiation in Daphnia species. Moreover, according to previous investigations, we thought that the expression level of functional genes may be related to the life-history stages of organisms, and may be also affected by different Daphnia species.

Decorin promotes apoptosis and autophagy via suppressing c-Met in HTR-8 trophoblasts.

Decorin (DCN) regulates a vast array of cellular processes including proliferation, migration, apoptosis, and autophagy, and its aberrant expression has been associated with poor extravillous trophoblasts (EVT) invasion of the uterus, which underlies the occurrence of preeclampsia (PE) and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In this study, we aim to elucidate the molecular mechanism of how the DCN regulates the cell functions through the use of trophoblast cell line, HTR-8. Using a series of cell function assays, including CCK8, RTCA, transwell, scratch-wound assay, and Annexin V staining, we found that DCN suppressed proliferation and invasion, while promoted autophagy and apoptosis of HTR-8 in a dose-dependent manner. Transient stimulation of DCN have increased the activity of c-Met and its downstream effectors - Akt, FAK and m-TOR. However, a prolonged exposure to DCN have significantly downregulated the expression of c-Met, leading to suppression of its downstream effectors. Lentivirus that overexpressed c-Met targeting shRNA was used to knockdown c-Met expression and crizotinib was used to selectively inhibit the kinase activity of c-Met in HTR-8 cells. A combination of DCN and c-Met knockdown/inhibition have reduced the proliferation and invasion in HTR-8 cells; however, DCN-induced autophagy and apoptosis were not synergistically enhanced by c-Met inhibition. In conclusion, DCN promotes autophagy and apoptosis predominantly through downregulating c-Met/Akt/mTOR activity in human trophoblasts.

Perinatal depressive and anxiety symptoms of pregnant women during the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in China.

BACKGROUND: On January 20, 2020, a new coronavirus epidemic with human-to-human transmission was officially declared by the Chinese government, which caused significant public panic in China. In light of the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, pregnant women may be particularly vulnerable and in special need for preventive mental health strategies. Thus far, no reports exist to investigate the mental health response of pregnant women to the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak on the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms and the corresponding risk factors among pregnant women across China. STUDY DESIGN: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was initiated in early December 2019 to identify mental health concerns in pregnancy using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. This study provided a unique opportunity to compare the mental status of pregnant women before and after the declaration of the coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic. A total of 4124 pregnant women during their third trimester from 25 hospitals in 10 provinces across China were examined in this cross-sectional study from January 1, 2020, to February 9, 2020. Of these women, 1285 were assessed after January 20, 2020, when the coronavirus epidemic was publicly declared and 2839 were assessed before this pivotal time point. The internationally recommended Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to assess maternal depression and anxiety symptoms. Prevalence rates and risk factors were compared between the pre- and poststudy groups. RESULTS: Pregnant women assessed after the declaration of coronavirus disease 2019 epidemic had significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms (26.0% vs 29.6%, P=.02) than women assessed before the epidemic declaration. These women were also more likely to have thoughts of self-harm (P=.005). The depressive rates were positively associated with the number of newly confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (P=.003), suspected infections (P=.004), and deaths per day (P=.001). Pregnant women who were underweight before pregnancy, primiparous, younger than 35 years, employed full time, in middle income category, and had appropriate living space were at increased risk for developing depressive and anxiety symptoms during the outbreak. CONCLUSION: Major life-threatening public health events such as the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak may increase the risk for mental illness among pregnant women, including thoughts of self-harm. Strategies targeting maternal stress and isolation such as effective risk communication and the provision of psychological first aid may be particularly useful to prevent negative outcomes for women and their fetuses.

Identification of diagnostic biomarker in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus based on transcriptome-wide gene expression and pattern recognition.

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is becoming a growing threat for all pregnancies. In this study, we set up an automatic screening method combining both transcriptomic databases and support vector machine (SVM)-based pattern recognition to select biomarkers that can be used in predicting and preventing GDM for gravidas. We screened 63 samples (32 GDM samples and 31 normal controls) in GEO database for the GDM-specific biomarkers. Differentially expressed genes between patients with GDM and normal controls were picked out using edgeR package. Enrichment analysis was performed using database for annotation, visualization, and integrated discovery. The regulatory gene network was constructed based on the KEGG pathway database. Genes in the hub of the network were selected as specific biomarkers of GDM and further validated through document investigation. Finally, the GDM prediction model was verified using the SVMs. In total, 189 probes corresponding to 69 genes that differentially expressed between GDM and controls were screened out by edgeR package. Nineteen pathways were clustered by KEGG enrichment analysis and were integrated into a regulatory network containing 572 nodes and 1874 edges. The intersection of 50 hub genes extracted from the network and 69 differential genes picked out by edgeR was a collection of six genes, including members of HLA superfamily. In the SVM model, the six genes had a good capacity of predicting GDM in both the training data set (area under curve [AUC] is 0.781) and the testing data set (AUC is 0.710) and had been reported to be associated with GDM. We found that the collection of six genes can be potentially applied as a biomarker for GDM diagnosis.

Dysbiosis of maternal and neonatal microbiota associated with gestational diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: The initial colonisation of the human microbiota and the impact of maternal health on neonatal microbiota at birth remain largely unknown. The aim of our study is to investigate the possible dysbiosis of maternal and neonatal microbiota associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and to estimate the potential risks of the microbial shift to neonates. DESIGN: Pregnant women and neonates suffering from GDM were enrolled and 581 maternal (oral, intestinal and vaginal) and 248 neonatal (oral, pharyngeal, meconium and amniotic fluid) samples were collected. To avoid vaginal bacteria contaminations, the included neonates were predominantly delivered by C-section, with their samples collected within seconds of delivery. RESULTS: Numerous and diverse bacterial taxa were identified from the neonatal samples, and the samples from different neonatal body sites were grouped into distinct clusters. The microbiota of pregnant women and neonates was remarkably altered in GDM, with a strong correlation between certain discriminatory bacteria and the oral glucose tolerance test. Microbes varying by the same trend across the maternal and neonatal microbiota were observed, revealing the intergenerational concordance of microbial variation associated with GDM. Furthermore, lower evenness but more depletion of KEGG orthologues and higher abundance of some viruses (eg, herpesvirus and mastadenovirus) were observed in the meconium microbiota of neonates associated with GDM. CONCLUSION: GDM can alter the microbiota of both pregnant women and neonates at birth, which sheds light on another form of inheritance and highlights the importance of understanding the formation of early-life microbiome.

Mapping risk of leptospirosis in China using environmental and socioeconomic data.

BACKGROUND: Leptospirosis is a water-borne and widespread spirochetal zoonosis caused by pathogenic bacteria called leptospires. Human leptospirosis is an important zoonotic infectious disease with frequent outbreaks in recent years in China. Leptospirosis's emergence has been linked to many environmental and ecological drivers of disease transmission. In this paper, we identified the environmental and socioeconomic factors associated with leptospirosis in China, and predict potential risk area of leptospirosis using predictive models. METHODS: Leptospirosis incidence data were derived from the database of China's web-based infectious disease reporting system, a national surveillance network maintained by Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We built statistical relationship between occurrence of leptospirosis and nine environmental and socioeconomic risk factors using logistic regression model and Maxent model. RESULTS: Both logistic regression model and Maxent model have high performance in predicting the occurrence of leptospirosis, with AUC value of 0.95 and 0.96, respectively. Annual mean temperature (Bio1) and annual total precipitation (Bio12) are two most important variables governing the geographic distribution of leptospirosis in China. The geographic distributions of areas at risk of leptospirosis predicted from both models show high agreement. The risk areas are located mainly in seven provinces of China: Sichuan Province, Chongqing Municipality, Hunan Province, Jiangxi Province, Guangdong Province, Guangxi Province, and Hainan Province, where surveillance and control programs are urgently needed. Logistic regression model and Maxent model predicted that 403 and 464 counties are at very high risk of leptospirosis, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the importance of socioeconomic and environmental variables and predictive models in identifying risk areas for leptospirosis in China. The values of Geographic Information System and predictive models were demonstrated for investigating the geographic distribution, estimating socioeconomic and environmental risk factors, and enhancing our understanding of leptospirosis in China.

Morphological and life-history trait plasticity of two Daphnia species induced by fish kairomones.

Daphnia can avoid predation by sensing fish kairomones and producing inducible defenses by altering the phenotype. In this study, the results showed that the morphological and life-history strategies of two Daphnia species (Daphnia pulex and Daphnia sinensis) exposed to Aristichthys nobilis kairomones. In the presence of fish kairomones, the two Daphnia species exhibited significantly smaller body length at maturity, smaller body length of offspring at the 10th instar, and longer relative tail spine of offspring. Nevertheless, other morphological and life-history traits of the two Daphnia species differed. D. pulex showed a significantly longer relative tail spine length and earlier age at maturity after exposure to fish kairomones. The total offspring number of D. sinensis exposed to fish kairomones was significantly higher than that of the control group, whereas that of D. pulex was significantly lower. These results suggest that the two Daphnia species have different inducible defense strategies (e.g., morphological and life-history traits) during prolonged exposure to A. nobilis kairomones, and their offspring also develop morphological defenses to avoid predation. It will provide reference for further exploring the adaptive evolution of Daphnia morphology and life-history traits in the presence of planktivorous fish.

OLFML3 suppresses trophoblast apoptosis via the PI3K/AKT pathway: A possible therapeutic target in preeclampsia.

INTRODUCTION: Preeclampsia (PE) is a pregnancy complication that encompasses various pathogenic mechanisms. Shallow implantation of the placenta due to abnormal trophoblast behavior is considered an important mechanism underlying PE; however, its exact etiology remains unclear. METHODS: The expression of OLFML3 in the placenta and important clinical indicators were performed, followed by a correlation analysis. The effect of OLFML3 on the behavior of HTR-8/SVneo cells was examined, and the downstream molecular mechanisms of OLFML3 were investigated in HTR-8/SVneo cells. Additionally, a rat model of PE was generated by adenovirus injection via the tail vein to verify the role of OLFML3. RESULTS: OLFML3 is highly expressed in both syncytiotrophoblasts and cytotrophoblasts and deregulated in preeclamptic placentas. OLFML3 overexpression in HTR-8/SVneo cells promoted cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and impeded apoptosis, and triggered phosphorylation on ser473 of AKT. Conversely, OLFML3 knockdown exerted opposite effects. Furthermore, OLFML3 overexpression ameliorates CoCl2-induced apoptosis of HTR-8/SVneo cells. In a rat model, OLFML3 overexpression alleviates PE-associated maternal symptoms, leading to lower blood pressure, less severe proteinuria, improved fetal growth restriction, as well as upregulation of P-AKT and downregulation of Cleaved caspase3 and Bax. DISCUSSION: OLFML3 may alleviate PE development by inhibiting extravillous trophoblast cell apoptosis through the PI3K/AKT pathway. Our findings indicated that OLFML3 may provide a possible therapeutic target for PE.

The impact of work environment on caring behavior among Chinese hospice nurses: the chain mediating effect of psychological capital and empathy.

Introduction: The caring behavior of hospice nurses toward patients positively impacts their professional careers and significantly improves the quality of hospice services. A positive and supportive work environment may protect nurses against negative emotions that may affect the humanistic care they provide, and their job satisfaction. This study aimed to explore the impact of the nursing work environment on caring behavior. We also investigated the chain mediating effect of psychological capital and empathy on this relationship among Chinese hospice nurses. Methods: The Practice Environment Scale (PES), the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), the Empathy Ability Scale for Hospice Nurses, and the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI) were used to survey 393 Chinese hospice nurses. SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.0 were used for statistical processing to analyze the mediating effects. Results: The nursing work environment positively predicted caring behavior. Furthermore, it was found that psychological capital and empathy jointly mediate the relationship between the nursing work environment and caring behavior. Conclusion: This study reveals how the nursing work environment affects the caring behavior of hospice nurses. Hospital managers need to provide hospice nurses with a favorable working environment from the perspective of positive psychology, continuously monitor their psychological state, improve their caring behavior, and provide references for developing intervention plans to promote the caring behavior of hospice nurses in the future.

CEP55-associated lethal fetal syndrome: a case report of a Chinese family.

Background: Research on fetal loss related to germline mutations in single genes remains limited. Disruption of CEP55 has recently been established in association with perinatal deaths characterized by hydranencephaly, renal dysplasia, oligohydramnios, and characteristic dysmorphisms. We herein present a Chinese family with recurrent fetal losses due to compound heterozygous nonsense CEP55 variants. Case presentations: The Chinese couple had a history of five pregnancies, with four of them proceeding abnormally. Two stillbirths (II:3 and II:4) sequentially occurred in the third and fourth pregnancy. Prenatal ultrasound scans revealed phenotypic similarities between fetuses II:3 and II:4, including oligohydramnios, bilateral renal dysplasia and hydrocephalus/hydranencephaly. Clubfoot and syndactyly were also present in both stillborn babies. Fetus II:3 presented with endocardial cushion defects while fetus II:4 did not. With the product of conception in the fourth pregnancy, whole exome sequencing (WES) on fetus II:4 identified compound heterozygous nonsense CEP55 variants comprised of c.190C>T(p.Arg64*) and c.208A>T(p.Lys70*). Both variants were expected to result in lack of the TSG101 and ALIX binding domain. Sanger sequencing confirmed the presence and cosegregation of both variants. Conclusion: This is the fifth reported family wherein biallelic CEP55 variants lead to multiple perinatal deaths. Our findings, taken together with previously described phenotypically similar cases and even those with a milder and viable phenotype, broaden the genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of CEP55-associated lethal fetal syndrome, highlighting the vital biomolecular function of CEP55.

Environmental heterogeneity affecting spatial distribution of phytoplankton community structure and functional groups in a large eutrophic lake, Lake Chaohu, China.

The growth and development of phytoplankton are influenced by physico-chemical parameters, which can also affect the spatial distribution of phytoplankton community structure. However, it is unclear whether environmental heterogeneity caused by multiple physico-chemical factors can affect the spatial distribution of phytoplankton and its functional groups. In this study, we investigated the seasonal variation and spatial distribution of phytoplankton community structure and its relationships with environmental factors in Lake Chaohu from August 2020 to July 2021. We recorded a total of 190 species from 8 phyla, which were divided into 30 functional groups, including 13 dominating functional groups. The average annual phytoplankton density and biomass were (5.46 ± 7.17) × 107 cells/L and 4.80 ± 4.61 mg/L, respectively. The density and biomass of phytoplankton were higher in summer ((14.64 ± 20.34) × 107 cells/L, 10.61 ± 13.16 mg/L) and autumn ((6.79 ± 3.97) × 107 cells/L, 5.57 ± 2.40 mg/L), with the M and H2 of dominant functional groups. The dominant functional groups were N, C, D, J, MP, H2, and M in spring, whereas functional groups C, N, T, and Y dominated in winter. The distribution of phytoplankton community structure and dominant functional groups exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity in the lake, which was consistent with the environmental heterogeneity of the lake and could be classified into four locations. Location I had higher phytoplankton density and biomass than the other three locations. Additionally, dominant functional groups M, C, and H2 were present throughout the lake, and all 13 dominant functional groups were observed in Location II. Our findings suggest that environmental heterogeneity is a key factor influencing the spatial distribution of phytoplankton functional groups in Lake Chaohu.

Case report: Pediatric anti-gamma aminobutyric acid-B receptor encephalitis with benign prognosis.

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics of pediatric anti-gamma-aminobutyric acid-B receptor (GABABR) encephalitis to enhance the understanding and improve the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for this disease. Methods: We report a rare case of a female pediatric patient with anti-GABABR encephalitis who was treated at the Children's Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. Literature search was performed to explore the clinical characteristics of pediatric anti-GABABR encephalitis. Results: The patient exhibited recurrent epileptic seizure, status epilepticus, and psychiatric symptoms at the age of 11 years and 10 months. Anti-GABABR antibodies were positive in cerebrospinal fluid and serum. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exhibited abnormal signals in the left hippocampus. Symptoms and abnormality of brain MRI were improved after administration of immunosuppressants, anti-seizure and antipsychotic drugs. Two of pediatric anti-GABABR encephalitis with clinical data were identified through literature search. Analysis of these three cases suggested that the pediatric patients primarily experienced limbic encephalitis, with no tumor incidence. A favorable immunotherapy response was demonstrated with a superior prognosis in all the cases. Conclusions: We reported a pediatric anti-GABABR encephalitis case with early age of onset. Promt autoimmune antibody testing and tumor screening, as well as immunomodulatory treatment immediately after a definitive diagnosis are warranted to improve prognosis.

Circulating MicroRNAs From Plasma Small Extracellular Vesicles as Potential Diagnostic Biomarkers in Pediatric Epilepsy and Drug-Resistant Epilepsy.

Pediatric epilepsy is a neurological condition that causes repeated and unprovoked seizures and is more common in 1-5-year-old children. Drug resistance has been indicated as a key challenge in improving the clinical outcomes of patients with pediatric epilepsy. In the present study, we aimed to identify plasma small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) derived microRNAs (miRNAs) from the plasma samples of children for predicting the prognosis in patients with epilepsy and drug-resistant epilepsy. A total of 90 children clinically diagnosed with epilepsy [46 antiepileptic drug (AED)-responsive epilepsy and 44 drug-resistant epilepsy] and 37 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. RNA sequencing was performed to identify plasma sEVs derived miRNAs isolated from the children's plasma samples. Differentially expressed plasma sEVs derived miRNAs were identified using bioinformatics tools and were further validated by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. In the present study, 6 miRNAs (hsa-miR-125b-5p, hsa-miR-150-3p, hsa-miR-199a-3p, hsa-miR-584-5p hsa-miR-199a-5p, and hsa-miR-342-5p) were selected for further validation. hsa-miR-584-5p, hsa-miR-342-5p, and hsa-miR-150-5p with area under curve (AUC) values of 0.846, 0.835, and 0.826, respectively, were identified as promising biomarkers of epilepsy. A logistic model combining three miRNAs (hsa-miR-584-5p, hsa-miR-342-5p, and hsa-miR-199a-3p) could achieve an AUC of 0.883 and a six miRNAs model (hsa-miR-342-5p, hsa-miR-584-5p, hsa-miR-150-5p, hsa-miR-125b-5p, hsa-miR-199a-3p, and hsa-miR-199a-5p) could attain an AUC of 0.888. The predicted probability of multiple miRNA panels was evaluated for differentiating between drug-resistant children and drug-responsive children. The AUC of a six-miRNA panel (hsa-miR-342-5p, hsa-miR-584-5p, hsa-miR-150-5p, hsa-miR-125b-5p, hsa-miR-199a-3p, and hsa-miR-199a-5p) reached 0.823. We identified and confirmed plasma sEVs derived miRNA biomarkers that could be considered as potential therapeutic targets for pediatric epilepsy and drug-resistant epilepsy.

Association Between Enterovirus Infection and Type 1 Diabetes Risk: A Meta-Analysis of 38 Case-Control Studies.

Objective: The association between enterovirus infection and type 1 diabetes (T1D) is controversial, and this meta-analysis aimed to explore the correlation. Methods: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database were searched from inception to April 2020. Studies were included if they could provide sufficient information to calculate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. All analyses were performed using STATA 15.1. Results: Thirty-eight studies, encompassing 5921 subjects (2841 T1D patients and 3080 controls), were included. The pooled analysis showed that enterovirus infection was associated with T1D (P < 0.001). Enterovirus infection was correlated with T1D in the European (P < 0.001), African (P = 0.002), Asian (P = 0.001), Australian (P = 0.011), and Latin American (P = 0.002) populations, but no conclusion could be reached for North America. The association between enterovirus infection and T1D was detected in blood and tissue samples (both P < 0.001); no association was found in stool samples. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that enterovirus infection is associated with T1D.

The oral microbiome of pregnant women facilitates gestational diabetes discrimination.

The oral microbiota plays an important role in the development of various diseases, whereas its association with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains largely unclear. The aim of this study is to identify biomarkers from the oral microbiota of GDM patients by analyzing the microbiome of the saliva and dental plaque samples of 111 pregnant women. We find that the microbiota of both types of oral samples in GDM patients exhibits differences and significantly varies from that of patients with periodontitis or dental caries. Using bacterial biomarkers from the oral microbiota, GDM classification models based on support vector machine and random forest algorithms are constructed. The area under curve (AUC) value of the classification model constructed by combination of Lautropia and Neisseria in dental plaque and Streptococcus in saliva reaches 0.83, and the value achieves a maximum value of 0.89 by adding clinical features. These findings suggest that certain bacteria in either saliva or dental plaque can effectively distinguish women with GDM from healthy pregnant women, which provides evidence of oral microbiome as an informative source for developing noninvasive biomarkers of GDM.

Evaluating the importation of yellow fever cases into China in 2016 and strategies used to prevent and control the spread of the disease.

During the yellow fever epidemic in Angola in 2016, cases of yellow fever were reported in China for the first time. The 11 cases, all Chinese nationals returning from Angola, were identified in March and April 2016, one to two weeks after the peak of the Angolan epidemic. One patient died; the other 10 cases recovered after treatment. This paper reviews the epidemiological characteristics of the 11 yellow fever cases imported into China. It examines case detection and disease control and surveillance, and presents recommendations for further action to prevent additional importation of yellow fever into China.

A Rapid Public Health Needs Assessment Framework for after Major Earthquakes Using High-Resolution Satellite Imagery.

Background: Earthquakes causing significant damage have occurred frequently in China, producing enormous health losses, damage to the environment and public health issues. Timely public health response is crucial to reduce mortality and morbidity and promote overall effectiveness of rescue efforts after a major earthquake. Methods: A rapid assessment framework was established based on GIS technology and high-resolution remote sensing images. A two-step casualties and injures estimation method was developed to evaluate health loss with great rapidity. Historical data and health resources information was reviewed to evaluate the damage condition of medical resources and public health issues. Results: The casualties and injures are estimated within a few hours after an earthquake. For the Wenchuan earthquake, which killed about 96,000 people and injured about 288,000, the estimation accuracy is about 77%. 242/294 (82.3%) of the medical existing institutions were severely damaged. About 40,000 tons of safe drinking water was needed every day to ensure basic living needs. The risk of water-borne and foodborne disease, respiratory and close contact transmission disease is high. For natural foci diseases, the high-risk area of schistosomiasis was mapped in Lushan County as an example. Finally, temporary settlements for victims of earthquake were mapped. Conclusions: High resolution Earth observation technology can provide a scientific basis for public health emergency management in the major disasters field, which will be of great significance in helping policy makers effectively improve health service ability and public health emergency management in prevention and control of infectious diseases and risk assessment.

Preparation of immunochromatographic strips for rapid detection of early secreted protein ESAT-6 and culture filtrate protein CFP-10 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The early secreted protein early secretory antigenic target 6(ESAT-6) and the culture filtrate protein 10 (CFP-10) are 2 antigens that are specific to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These 2 antigens are good targets for tuberculosis (TB) detection.To rapidly diagnose TB across a variety of samples, we developed colloidal gold immunochromatographic strips (ICSs) based on ESAT-6 and CFP-10.The strips were evaluated using 233 samples, including sputum, plasma, and pleural effusion samples.The positive detection rates for ICSs for ESAT-6 and CFP-10 in sputum (culture-positive for M tuberculosis) were 100% and 91.2%, respectively. The positive detection rates for ICSs for ESAT-6 and CFP-10 in plasma were 34.1% and 29.4%, respectively. The positive detection rates for ICSs for ESAT-6 and CFP-10 in pleural effusion were 64.7% and 55.9%, respectively. Experimental analysis of culture supernatant showing that the ICS developed for ESAT-6 had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 91.2%. While the ICS developed for CFP-10 had a sensitivity of 91.2% and a specificity of 88.2%.The validity of the test is limited by source of sample. The technique is sensitive and specific for samples in sputum and culture media but not for plasma or pleural effusion samples. Detection of M tuberculosis using ICSs is rapid, simple, and relatively effective; thus, ICSs are a potential screening tool for TB.

[Mechanics analysis of fracture of orthodontic wires].

Fracture problem of orthodontic wires was discussed in this paper. The calculation formulae of bending stress and tensile stress were obtained. All main factors that affect bending stress and tensile stress of orthodontic wires were analyzed and discussed. It was concluded that the main causes of fracture of orthodontic wires were fatigue and static disruption. Some improving proposals for preventing fracture of orthodontic wires were put forward.