Schwann cell-derived amphiregulin enhances nerve regeneration via supporting the proliferation and migration of Schwann cells and the elongation of axons.

Peripheral nerves have limited regeneration ability following nerve injury. Applying growth factors with neurotrophic roles is beneficial for accelerating peripheral nerve regeneration. Here we show that after rat sciatic nerve injury, growth factor amphiregulin (AREG) is upregulated in Schwann cells of sciatic nerves. Elevated AREG stimulates the proliferation and migration of Schwann cells by activating ERK1/2 cascade. Schwann cell-secreted AREG further facilitates the outgrowth of neurites and the elongation of injured axons. Administration of AREG to injured sciatic nerves stimulates the proliferation of Schwann cells to replace lost cell population, encourages the migration of Schwann cells to form cell cords, and facilitates the regrowth of axons. Overall, our results identify AREG as an important neurotrophic factor and thus provide a promising therapeutic avenue towards peripheral nerve injury.

Trichothecin Inhibits Cancer-Related Features in Colorectal Cancer Development by Targeting STAT3.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a transcription factor that contributes to cancer progression through multiple processes of cancer development, which makes it an attractive target for cancer therapy. The IL-6/STAT3 pathway is associated with an advanced stage in colorectal cancer patients. In this study, we identified trichothecin (TCN) as a novel STAT3 inhibitor. TCN was found to bind to the SH2 domain of STAT3 and inhibit STAT3 activation and dimerization, thereby blocking STAT3 nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity. TCN did not affect phosphorylation levels of STAT1. TCN significantly inhibited cell growth, arrested cell cycle at the G0/G1 phase, and induced apoptosis in HCT 116 cells. In addition, the capacities of colony formation, migration, and invasion of HCT 116 cells were impaired upon exposure to TCN with or without IL-6 stimulation. In addition, TCN treatment abolished the tube formation of HUVEC cells in vitro. Taken together, these results highlight that TCN inhibits various cancer-related features in colorectal cancer development in vitro by targeting STAT3, indicating that TCN is a promising STAT3 inhibitor that deserves further exploration in the future.

Susceptibility of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to azithromycin and ceftriaxone in China: A retrospective study of national surveillance data from 2013 to 2016.

BACKGROUND: Gonorrhea remains one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Successful treatment has been hampered by emerging resistance to each of the antibiotics recommended as first-line therapies. We retrospectively analyzed the susceptibility of gonorrhea to azithromycin and ceftriaxone using data from the China Gonococcal Resistance Surveillance Programme (China-GRSP) in order to provide evidence for updating the treatment recommendations in China. METHODS AND FINDINGS: In this study, we included 3,849 isolates collected from patients with a confirmed positive Neisseria gonorrhoeae (N. gonorrhoeae) culture at clinic visits during the period of 1 January 2013 through 31 December 2016 in 7 provinces. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of gonorrhea isolates using agar dilution was conducted to determine minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). Resistance to azithromycin (RTA) was defined as MIC ≥ 1.0 mg/l, and decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone (DSC) was defined as MIC ≥ 0.125 mg/l. The prevalence of isolates with RTA was 18.6% (710/3,827; 95% CI 17.4%-19.8%). The percentage of patients with DSC fluctuated between 9.7% and 12.2% over this period. The overall prevalence of isolates with both RTA and DSC was 2.3% (87/3,827; 95% CI 1.9%-2.8%) and it increased from 1.9% in 2013 to 3.3% in 2016 (chi-squared test for trend, P = 0.03). Study limitations include the retrospective study design and potential biases in the sample, which may overrepresent men with symptomatic infection, coastal residents, and people reporting as heterosexual. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first national study on susceptibility of N. gonorrhoeae to azithromycin and ceftriaxone in China. Our findings indicate high rates of RTA and DSC from 2013 to 2016. Although dual therapy with azithromycin and ceftriaxone has been recommended by WHO and many countries to treat gonorrhea, reevaluation of this therapy is needed prior to its introduction in China.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Evaluation and Multiple-Locus Variable Number Tandem Repeat Analysis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Isolates in China in 2012.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to gain information on the antimicrobial susceptibility and molecular epidemiological typing of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) isolates in China in 2012. METHODS: A total of 244 NG isolates were consecutively recovered from patients with uncomplicated gonorrhea attending sexually transmitted disease clinics in 3 Chinese cities-Guangzhou, Nanjing, and Tianjin-in 2012. Neisseria gonorrhoeae susceptibilities to penicillin and tetracycline were examined by detecting penicillinase-producing NG (PPNG) and high-level tetracycline-resistant NG, and NG susceptibilities to ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, ceftriaxone, and cefixime were determined using an agar dilution method. Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates were typed by multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis. We conducted a χ analysis to compare clusters with Bonferroni correction and Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates gathered from the 3 cities differed significantly in the prevalence of tetracycline-resistant NG (P < 0.001) and NG treated with ceftriaxone with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.125 mg/L or higher (P < 0.001). The analysis of the combination of the 7 variable number of tandem repeats loci for all of the 244 isolates yielded 110 multiple-locus variable number tandem repeat analysis types falling into 5 clusters. Cluster III was associated with PPNG, whereas cluster II was associated with non-PPNG (P < 0.05) and NG treated with ceftriaxone with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.125 mg/L or higher (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Antimicrobials that can be used with confidence to treat NG infection currently in China include ceftriaxone and spectinomycin, but not penicillin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, and cefixime. Moreover, some of the resulting clusters were associated with PPNG and NG with decreased ceftriaxone susceptibility.

First nationwide study regarding ceftriaxone resistance and molecular epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in China.

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major public health concern worldwide. This is the first nationwide study, performed within the China Gonococcal Antimicrobial Susceptibility Programme (China-GASP), regarding AMR, including ceftriaxone genetic resistance determinants, and molecular epidemiology of gonococci in China. METHODS: Gonococcal isolates (n = 1257) from consecutive patients were collected at 11 sentinel sites distributed across China during 2012-13. Susceptibility to ceftriaxone, spectinomycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was determined using the agar dilution method. Ceftriaxone resistance determinants penA and penB were examined using sequencing. N. gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) was performed for molecular epidemiology. RESULTS: Among isolates, 0.2% were resistant to spectinomycin, 4.4% to ceftriaxone, 42.9% to tetracyclines (high-level resistance) and 99.8% to ciprofloxacin. Among 890 sequenced isolates, 16 (1.8%) possessed a penA mosaic allele; 4 of these isolates belonged to the MDR internationally spread NG-MAST genogroup G1407 (first description in China). Non-mosaic penA alleles with an A501T mutation and an A102D alteration in porB1b were statistically associated with decreased susceptibility/resistance to ceftriaxone. NG-MAST G10339, G1424 and G1053 were associated with decreased susceptibility/resistance to ceftriaxone. CONCLUSIONS: In China, ceftriaxone and spectinomycin can continue to be recommended for gonorrhoea treatment, with the possible exception of Hainan and Sichuan provinces where ceftriaxone resistance exceeded 5% and AMR surveillance needs to be strengthened. Molecular approaches including genotyping and AMR determinant analysis can be valuable to supplement and enhance conventional surveillance of gonococcal AMR in China.

Antimicrobial resistance, genetic resistance determinants for ceftriaxone and molecular epidemiology of Neisseria gonorrhoeae isolates in Nanjing, China.

OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Neisseria gonorrhoeae is a major problem worldwide. This study investigated the AMR, genetic ceftriaxone resistance determinants and molecular epidemiology of N. gonorrhoeae in Nanjing, China. METHODS: N. gonorrhoeae isolates were collected in 2007 (n = 198) and 2012 (n = 80). The susceptibility to ceftriaxone, spectinomycin, ciprofloxacin and tetracycline was determined using an agar-dilution method. The ceftriaxone resistance determinants penA, mtrR and penB were examined using sequencing. N. gonorrhoeae multi-antigen sequence typing (NG-MAST) was performed for molecular epidemiology. RESULTS: All isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, 42.4% produced ß-lactamase and 34.9% showed high-level resistance to tetracycline (MIC ≥16 mg/L). In total, 5.4% of isolates were resistant to ceftriaxone; however, all of these isolates were obtained in 2007 and the susceptibility to ceftriaxone appeared to have increased. All isolates were susceptible to spectinomycin. No penA mosaic alleles were found. Non-mosaic penA alleles with A501T and G542S alterations, an H105Y alteration in mtrR and an A102D/N alteration in porB1b were statistically associated with decreased susceptibility or resistance to ceftriaxone. The most prevalent NG-MAST sequence types (STs) were ST568 (n = 13), ST270 (n = 9) and ST421 (n = 7). ST270 was the most common ST in isolates with decreased susceptibility or resistance to ceftriaxone. CONCLUSIONS: Ceftriaxone, ideally 500 mg and together with azithromycin (1-2 g), should be recommended for treatment of gonorrhoea in Nanjing, China. However, N. gonorrhoeae strains with resistance to ceftriaxone have been found in Nanjing. NG-MAST and ceftriaxone resistance determinant analysis can be valuable to supplement the antimicrobial resistance surveillance in China, which needs to be further strengthened.

Surveillance of antimicrobial susceptibilities of Neisseria gonorrhoeae in Nanning, China, 2000 to 2012.

OBJECTIVES: To monitor the frequency of antibiotic resistance of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) in Nanning, China, between 2000 and 2012. METHODS: The production of ß-lactamase by NG isolates was determined using the paper acidometric testing method. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed for tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, spectinomycin, and ceftriaxone using the agar dilution method. The χ(2) test, t test, and univariate and multivariate analyses were used to analyze the statistical difference of the results. RESULTS: A total of 923 NG isolates were collected in Nanning between 2000 and 2012. Among these, 131 (14.2%) were penicillinase-producing NG, 520 (56.3%) isolates were tetracycline-resistant NG, and 857 (92.9%) isolates were ciprofloxacin-resistant strains. One spectinomycin-resistant strain was identified in 2000. There were 304 (32.9%) isolates with decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone; the proportion of such isolates increased from 22.8% in 2000 to 2002 to 48.9% in 2006 to 2008 (P < 0.001), followed by a fall to 32.2% in 2009 to 2012 (P = 0.001). Patients' age of 16 to 25 years and isolate collection period of 2008 to 2012 (except 2011) were demonstrated to be risk factors for infection with isolates with decreased susceptibility to ceftriaxone. CONCLUSIONS: Antimicrobial susceptibility of NG isolates obtained from patients in Nanning from 2000 to 2012 was characterized by high occurrence of penicillinase-producing NG, tetracycline-resistant NG, and ciprofloxacin-resistant strains. Spectinomycin and ceftriaxone can be considered drugs of choice for empirical treatment of NG infection in Nanning. Moreover, we recommend a combination of 500 mg or higher dose of intramuscular ceftriaxone and 1 g oral azithromycin be used for the treatment of NG infection in Nanning and possibly in China.

Distribution of the type I interferon in different organs of chicken digestive system.

OBJECTIVE: Distribution of the type I interferon in different organs of the chicken digestive system. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In order to obtain a certain length (274 bp) of a fragment, a pair of primers was designed according to the conserved nucleotide sequence of gallus IFNAR-1 (EU477527.1) fragment that was published by the GenBank. The fragment was cloned by pEASY-T1 and amplified by relative fluorescence quantitative PCR with SYBR Green I; according to the results, we made a standard curve. The experimental group took interferon orally, while the control group took equivalent physiological saline orally, then we used relative fluorescence quantitative PCR to detect the copies of the IFNAR-1 gene of the palate, tongue, esophagus, craw, glandular stomach, duodenum and rectum of the experimental group and control group. Copies of the IFNAR-1 gene of those organs were calculated by Ct value. Finally, all the chickens were infected with the Newcastle Disease Virus after 48 hours. RESULTS: The results showed that the IFNAR-1 gene had the most expression in the esophagus. In the experiment of interferon antiviral activity detection, the chickens which took interferon orally were healthier than the other group. CONCLUSIONS: It is confirmed that the interferon receptor did exist in the digestive organs. However, according to the physical and chemical properties of interferon, interferon is easily inactivated in the acid and alkali environment, by pepsin and trypsin, so the absorption site for interferon exists in organs above the craw, especially in the esophagus and tongue.

Unleashing Axonal Regeneration Capacities: Neuronal and Non-neuronal Changes After Injuries to Dorsal Root Ganglion Neuron Central and Peripheral Axonal Branches.

Peripheral nerves obtain remarkable regenerative capacity while central nerves can hardly regenerate following nerve injury. Sensory neurons in the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) are widely used to decipher the dissimilarity between central and peripheral axonal regeneration as axons of DRG neurons bifurcate into the regeneration-incompetent central projections and the regeneration-competent peripheral projections. A conditioning peripheral branch injury facilitates central axonal regeneration and enables the growth and elongation of central axons. Peripheral axonal injury stimulates neuronal calcium influx, alters the start-point chromatin states, increases chromatin accessibility, upregulates the expressions of regeneration-promoting genes and the synthesis of proteins, and supports axonal regeneration. Following central axonal injury, the responses of DRG neurons are modest, resulting in poor intrinsic growth ability. Some non-neuronal cells in DRGs, for instance satellite glial cells, also exhibit diminished injury responses to central axon injury as compared with peripheral axon injury. Moreover, DRG central and peripheral axonal branches are respectively surrounded by inhibitory glial scars generated by central glial cells and a permissive microenvironment generated by Schwann cells and macrophages. The aim of this review is to look at changes of DRG neurons and non-neuronal cells after peripheral and central axon injuries and summarize the contributing roles of both neuronal intrinsic regenerative capacities and surrounding microenvironments in axonal regeneration.

Influencing factors and early predictive model of acute stress disorder in traumatic patients: A clinical comparative cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the main influencing factors of ASD (Acute Stress Disorder) in inpatients, and provide some evidence for early clinical identification and intervention of ASD. METHODS: In this study, 489 inpatients were selected from 3 general hospitals in Zunyi City from September 2020 to August 2021. The patients were followed up with questionnaires. Mann Whitney U test, Logistic Regression analysis and Generalized Estimation Equation were used for difference comparison and influencing factor analyses. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression showed that trauma exposure, psychological burden, fear and pain degree were risk factors of ASD in all inpatients. The sensitivity and specificity of combined using of "trauma, psychological burden, fear and pain" in predicting ASD reached 89.40 % and 79.20 %, respectively; and the area under ROC could reach 0.897. CONCLUSION: Based on the different risk factors, an early effective model could be built for ASD prediction in both traumatic and nontraumatic patients.

Application of metal-organic frameworks-based functional composite scaffolds in tissue engineering.

With the rapid development of materials science and tissue engineering, a variety of biomaterials have been used to construct tissue engineering scaffolds. Due to the performance limitations of single materials, functional composite biomaterials have attracted great attention as tools to improve the effectiveness of biological scaffolds for tissue repair. In recent years, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have shown great promise for application in tissue engineering because of their high specific surface area, high porosity, high biocompatibility, appropriate environmental sensitivities and other advantages. This review introduces methods for the construction of MOFs-based functional composite scaffolds and describes the specific functions and mechanisms of MOFs in repairing damaged tissue. The latest MOFs-based functional composites and their applications in different tissues are discussed. Finally, the challenges and future prospects of using MOFs-based composites in tissue engineering are summarized. The aim of this review is to show the great potential of MOFs-based functional composite materials in the field of tissue engineering and to stimulate further innovation in this promising area.

Nutrient Uptake Potential of Nonleguminous Species and Its Interaction with Soil Characteristics and Enzyme Activities in the Agro-ecosystem.

The potential nutrient uptake abilities of a plant are essential for improving the yield and quality. Green manures can take up a huge amount of macronutrients from the soil. The mechanisms underlying the differences in nutrient uptake capacity among different nonlegume species remain unclear. The plot experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of nonlegume species including forage radish (Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus), oil radish (Raphanus sativus var. Longipinnatus), February orchid (Orychophragmus violaceus L), and rapeseed (Baricca napus), while a ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) species was used as a control. The study results showed that forage radish had the highest nutrient uptake (N and P), i.e., 322 and 101% in Hunan and 277 and 469% in the Sichuan site, respectively, compared with the control. While the greatest K uptake was found in forage radish, i.e., 123%, and February orchid, 243%, in the Hunan and Sichuan sites. Forage radish also presented higher phosphorus use efficiency in both experimental areas: Hunan by 301% and Sichuan by 633% compared to the control. Significant modifications were found in nutrient availability and enzyme activities after the cultivation of various species. The oil radish enhanced the ß-glucosidase (BG) and leucine-aminopeptidase enzyme activities by 324 and 367%, respectively, while forage radish developed the highest phosphatase (Phase) and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) activities compared to the ryegrass in Hunan. In the Sichuan site, the oil radish promotes enzyme activities such as Phase (126%), BG (19%), and NAG (17%), compared to the control. It is concluded that forage radish, oil radish, and February orchid can easily improve soil nutrient quality in green manuring practices and provide valuable nutrient management systems.

Systematic analysis of the occurrence characteristics and impact on hospitalization costs of trauma complications.

BACKGROUND: Trauma complications increase the burden of disease and hospitalization costs for patients. More research evidence is needed on how to more effectively prevent these complications and reduce hospitalization costs based on the characteristics of trauma patients. Therefore, this study will systematically analyze the characteristics of trauma complications and their specific impact on hospitalization costs. METHODS: This is a multi-center retrospective study of trauma hospitalizations from 2018 to 2023. Associations between population characteristics, trauma features, and each complication occurrence were investigated using multiple correspondence analysis. Logistic regression analysis assessed factors influencing trauma complications. Additionally, a generalized linear model analyzed the relative increase in hospital costs for each complication. RESULTS: A total of 48,032 trauma patients were included, with 22.0% experiencing at least one complication. Thrombosis is more prevalent among elderly women (aged ≥65) with pelvic and extremity trauma. In men aged 18-44 years, respiratory insufficiency and post-traumatic anemia primarily occurred in cases of head injuries and multiple injuries. Chest and multiple injuries predispose people aged 45-64 to pneumonia and electrolyte disorders. Body surface injuries are prone to surgical site infections. Complications resulted in an average relative increase in overall hospitalization costs of 1.32-fold, with thrombosis (1.58-fold), respiratory insufficiency (1.11-fold), post-traumatic anemia (0.58-fold), surgical site infection (0.48-fold), pneumonia (0.53-fold), electrolyte disorders (0.47-fold). CONCLUSIONS: This study systematically analyzed the occurrence characteristics of trauma complications and the burden trends of hospitalization costs due to complications, providing a reference for the formulation of trauma classification and management strategies.

[Analysis of the therapeutic effect of trochanteric flip osteotomy combined with Kocher-Langenbeck approach for high acetabular posterior wall fracture].

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the clinical efficacy of f trochanteric flip osteotomy combined with Kocher-Langenbeck approach for high acetabular posterior wall fracture. METHODS: Between January 2020 and December 2022, 20 patients with high acetabular posterior wall fractures were retrospectively analyzed, including 12 males and 8 females, aged 18 to 75 years old. They were divided into two groups according to the different surgical methods. Ten patients were treated with greater trochanteric osteotomy combined with Kocher-Langenbeck approach as the observation group, including 5 males and 5 females, aged from 18 to 75 years old. Ten patients were treated with Kocher-Langenbeck approach alone as the control group, including 7 males and 3 females, aged from 18 to 71 years old. Matta reduction criteria were used to evaluate the reduction quality of the two groups, and Harris score was used to compare the hip function of the two groups at the latest follow-up. The operation time, blood loss and postoperative complications of the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 10 to 24 months. According to the Matta fracture reduction quality evaluation criteria, the observation group achieved anatomical reduction in 6 cases, satisfactory reduction in 3 cases, and unsatisfactory reduction in 1 case, while the control group only achieved anatomical reduction in 3 cases, satisfactory reduction in 3 cases, and unsatisfactory reduction in 4 cases. At the final follow-up, the Harris hip score ranged from 71.4 to 96.6 in the observation group and 65.3 to 94.5 in the control group. According to the results of Harris score. The hip joint function of the observation group was excellent in 6 cases, good in 3 cases, and fair in 1 case. The hip joint function of the control group was excellent in 2 cases, good in 3 cases, fair in 3 cases, and poor in 2 cases. In the observation group, the intraoperative blood loss ranged from 300 to 700 ml, and the operation duration ranged from 120 to 180 min;in the control group, the intraoperative blood loss ranged from 300 to 650 ml, and the operation duration ranged from 100 to 180 min. Complications in the observation group included 1 case of traumatic arthritis and 1 case of heterotopic ossification, while complications in the control group included 3 cases of traumatic arthritis, 3 cases of heterotopic ossification and 1 case of hip abduction weakness. CONCLUSION: Trochanteric flip osteotomy combined with the Kocher-Langenbeck approach significantly improved anatomical fracture reduction rates, enhanced excellent and good hip joint function outcomes, and reduced surgical complication incidence compared to the Kocher-Langenbeck approach alone. Clinical application of this combined approach is promising, although larger studies are needed for further validation.

Experimental study on the effects of pressure loss on uniformity, application rate and velocity on different working conditions using the dynamic fluidic sprinkler.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effects of pressure loss, combined spacing, and. coefficients of uniformity on the dynamic fluidic sprinkler. Spline interpolation was used to convert the radial water volume into grid-type data and various pressure conditions were used to simulate the three-dimensional water distribution under square and triangular combinations of sprinklers. For each of the combinations of the sprinklers, experiments were performed at operating pressures of 0.15, 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3 MPa, respectively. To find the optimum spatial distribution of sprinklers, three different sprinkler intervals, 1R, 1.2R, and 1.4R, were performed for the square and triangular combinations. The droplet size distributions were also measured along a radial transect from the sprinkler for each operational pressure using the Thies Clima Laser Precipitation Monitor. The results demonstrated that the average values of the inclination angles of the water droplet trajectory curves were 60.78° and 68.85° as the pressure rose from 0.15 MPa to 0.3 MPa. When the pressure exceeds 0.2 MPa, the square combination's distribution uniformity coefficients of 25% low and high values were higher than those of the triangle combination. Triangular combination coefficients of uniformity (CU) values initially decreased and then increased as sprinkler spacing increased, with the CU value under 1.4R spacing reaching 73.85%. At a 1.2R interval, the CU value of a triangular combination was 8.49% lower than that of a square combination, which is a significant difference. Peak irrigation values for the square combination, when the pressure was changed from 0.1 to 0.3 MPa, were 29.97, 22.9, 19.8, 19.91, and 19.21 mm h-1, respectively. The CU values at 0.2, 0.25, and 0.3 MPa decreased at rates of 0.07%, 1.36%, and 0.8%, respectively, when the pressure was reduced by 10%.

Prevalence and molecular epidemiological typing of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae and their bla(TEM-135) gene variants in Nanjing, China.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG) and their blaTEM-135 gene variant in 2007 and 2012 in Nanjing, China. In addition, molecular epidemiological typing of all isolates was performed to elucidate the genetic relationships of the PPNG strains. METHODS: A total of 199 and 77 N. gonorrhoeae isolates were collected at the National Center for STD Control in 2007 and 2012, respectively. Nitrocefin tests were performed to identify PPNG. Mismatch amplification mutation assay was used to identify blaTEM-135. All isolates were genotyped using N. gonorrhoeae multiantigen sequence typing (NG-MAST), and additionally, porB-based phylogenetic analysis was performed for the PPNG isolates. RESULTS: The total prevalence of PPNG isolates was 41% (114/276) and 58% (66/114) of these PPNG isolates possessed bla(TEM-135). In 2007, 45% (90/199) produced ß-lactamase, and of those PPNG, 58% (52/90) possessed bla(TEM-135). In 2012, 31% (24/77) were PPNG, and 58% (14/24) of those isolates contained bla(TEM-135). There were 162 NG-MAST STs among the 276 isolates, and 89 of those were novel STs. A strong association between specific NG-MAST STs and bla(TEM-135) was found, and the porB-based phylogenetic analysis showed a distant evolutionary relationship between isolates in 2007 and isolates in 2012. CONCLUSIONS: A high prevalence of PPNG and blaTEM-135 was found in Nanjing, China. bla(TEM-135) might be a precursor in the evolution into an extended-spectrum ß-lactamase that can degrade ceftriaxone, which stresses the need to continuously monitor PPNG, blaTEM-135, and additional evolving blaTEM gene variants.

Bionic peptide scaffold in situ polarization and recruitment of M2 macrophages to promote peripheral nerve regeneration.

Tissue regeneration requires exogenous and endogenous signals, and there is increasing evidence that the exogenous microenvironment may play an even more dominant role in the complex process of coordinated multiple cells. The short-distance peripheral nerve showed a spontaneous regenerative phenomenon, which was initiated by the guiding role of macrophages. However, it cannot sufficiently restore long-distance nerve injury by itself. Based on this principle, we firstly constructed a proinflammatory model to prove that abnormal M2 expression reduce the guidance and repair effect of long-distance nerves. Furthermore, a bionic peptide hydrogel scaffold based on self-assembly was developed to envelop M2-derived regenerative cytokines and extracellular vesicles (EVs). The cytokines and EVs were quantified to mimic the guidance and regenerative microenvironment in a direct and mild manner. The bionic scaffold promoted M2 transformation in situ and led to proliferation and migration of Schwann cells, neuron growth and motor function recovery. Meanwhile, the peptide scaffold combined with CX3CL1 recruited more blood-derived M2 macrophages to promote long-distance nerve reconstruction. Overall, we systematically confirmed the important role of M2 in regulating and restoring the injury peripheral nerve. This bionic peptide hydrogel scaffold mimicked and remodeled the local environment for M2 transformation and recruitment, favoring long-distance peripheral nerve regeneration. It can help to explicate regulative effect of M2 may be a cause not just a consequence in nerve repair and tissue integration, which facilitating the development of pro-regenerative biomaterials.

Worldwide Perinatal Intimate Partner Violence Prevalence and Risk Factors for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women who have experienced perinatal intimate partner violence (P-IPV) has gradually attracted the attention of psychologists, mental health, and health care professionals. However, a comprehensive understanding of its prevalence and associated risk factors is still lacking. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the prevalence and explore influencing factors for PTSD in women who have suffered P-IPV. Our study inclusion criteria were: women who experienced IPV in the year before conception, throughout pregnancy, during delivery, and up to 1 year after giving birth for which a quantitative assessment of PTSD was done using validated diagnostic or screening tools. This study searched nine English databases and four Chinese databases. The final analysis included 16 studies, involving 9,098 female subjects. Meta-analysis was performed on the extracted data using the Stata 16.0 software (Stata Corp. LP, College Station, TX, USA).Fixed or random effect models were selected to pool odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of PTSD after heterogeneity test. Meta-analysis showed that the pooled prevalence of PTSD in women who suffered P-IPV was 30.0% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = [22.0%, 37.0%]). Only nine studies described influencing factors for PTSD based on multivariate logistic regression analysis. The five identified influencing factors were: non-immigrants (OR = 2.56; 95% CI [1.29, 5.08]), non-cohabitation (OR = 2.45; [1.35, 4.42]), trauma history (OR = 1.80; [1.18, 2.76]), education below senior high school (OR = 1.32; [0.64, 2.75]), and age 18 to 29 years (OR = 1.06; [0.94, 1.19]). These findings provided a reference value of PTSD prevalence, risk factors, and potential association with P-IPV among women worldwide. However, the geographical coverage of the reviewed studies is limited and epidemiological investigations from more diverse areas are required in the future.

Biodegradable silk fibroin scaffold doped with mineralized collagen induces bone regeneration in rat cranial defects.

Compared with most nondegradable or slowly degradable bone repair materials, bioactive biodegradable porous scaffolds with certain mechanical strengths can promote the regeneration of both new bone and vasculature while the cavity created by their degradation can be replaced by the infiltration of new bone tissue. Mineralized collagen (MC) is the basic structural unit of bone tissue, and silk fibroin (SF) is a natural polymer with adjustable degradation rates and superior mechanical properties. In this study, a three-dimensional porous biomimetic composite scaffold with a two-component SF-MC system was constructed based on the advantages of both materials. The spherical mineral agglomerates of the MC were uniformly distributed on the surface and inside the SF skeleton, which ensured good mechanical properties while regulating the degradation rate of the scaffold. Second, the SF-MC scaffold had good osteogenic induction of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and preosteoblasts (MC3T3-E1) and also promoted the proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cells. Finally, in vivo 5 mm cranial defect repair experiments confirmed that the SF-MC scaffold stimulated vascular regeneration and promoted new bone regeneration in vivo by means of in situ regeneration. Overall, we believe that this low-cost biomimetic biodegradable SF-MC scaffold with many advantages has some clinical translation prospects.

Analysis of the split insemination (IVF+ICSI) treatment in patients with borderline semen in first cycle.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of the split insemination (IVF+ICSI) in patients with borderline semen for the first cycle, we furthermore compared the treatment outcome of the conventional IVF and ICSI on sibling oocytes with the rate of blastocyst formation in different days (day 5 or day 6) as primary outcome and pregnancy as secondary outcome to provide theoretical support for embryo selection. METHODS: Between January 2017 and November 2021,190 couples undergoing the split insemination (IVF+ICSI) cycle were enrolled in the study with at least eight oocytes and the borderline semen in first cycle to analyze the basic characteristics and clinical outcome. The remaining 157 patients were analyzed in this study to compare the IVF and ICSI after excluding those who were completely unfertilized by IVF (n=33) including a patient who was completely unfertilized by IVF and ICSI. RESULTS: Present study showed that about 32(32/190,16.8%) patients with borderline semen in first cycle were completely unfertilized performing the conventional IVF and only 1(1/190,0.53%) patient was completely unfertilized using the IVF and ICSI in the split insemination (IVF+ICSI), the rate of total fertilization failure (TFF) was significantly decrease by the ICSI treatment (16.8%&0.53%,P<0.0001). By the split oocytes, the fertilization rate was significantly superior in ICSI(729/982,74.2%) compared to IVF (486/940, 51.7%, P<0.0001), the usable blastocyst and high-quality blastocyst rate on the fifth day were statistically superior in IVF compared to ICSI(31.3% &22.8%,P=0.009) (27.3%&20.6%,P=0.03), The pregnancy rate, implantation rate and live birth rate in the IVF first cycle were higher than the ICSI(75.9%&64%, respectively) (52.3%&41.8%, respectively)(64.8%&54.7%, respectively),although there was no statistical difference,it is also about ten percentage points difference. CONCLUSIONS: The treatment of sibling oocyte with both IVF and ICSI could be an appropriate choice to prevent TFF and preserve the embryo development potential for the patients with the borderline semen in present study. Furthermore, the embryo development potential from conventional IVF was better than the embryo from the ICSI technology, the ICSI technology may have a negative effect on the embryo development.