[Opportunities and challenges in accurate early diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer/pulmonary nodules].

Lung cancer remains the most prevalent and lethal malignancy in our country. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial for improving patient prognosis in lung cancer/pulmonary nodules. Recent advancements in non-invasive/minimally invasive liquid biopsy, multi-omics, and artificial intelligence technologies have significantly enhanced the accuracy of early lung cancer/pulmonary nodule diagnosis. However, an early diagnostic method with both high sensitivity and specificity is yet to be established. Furthermore, addressing the methods and extent of early precision surgery, local precision therapy, perioperative combined treatment, and postoperative recurrence and metastasis monitoring are urgent challenges in the early management of lung cancer/pulmonary nodules. Integrating the advantages of various treatment strategies and formulating personalized and precise treatment plans is key to further improving patient survival. In the future, while exploring new therapeutic strategies, it is necessary to continuously search for biomarkers to identify the population that will benefit from the treatment effectively. Additionally, large-sample randomized controlled clinical studies should be conducted to investigate the benefits of long-term patient survival under a diverse range of treatment strategies.

[Furry animal allergen components diagnosis: identification of main components and clinical management strategies].

Furry animal allergens, particularly cat and dog hair and dander, are common allergens in indoor environments, affecting the health of people world widely. Key sensitizing components such as Fel d 1 from cats and Can f 1 from dogs have been extensively studied and identified by the scientific community. Component resolved diagnosis (CRD) technology in modern diagnostic methods provides an accurate way to identify and distinguish these components, which is extremely important for the prevention of furry animal allergies and the formulation of personalized treatment strategies. To enhance the understanding of furry animal component diagnosis and promote the alignment of the Chinese discipline of allergology with international standards, this article interprets and explains the content of the "Molecular Allergology User's Guide 2.0" recently released by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. It focuses on the epidemiological characteristics of furry animal components, the diversity of allergen protein families, and their clinical diagnosis and management.

[Clinical characteristics and surgical outcomes in pediatric progressive restrictive strabismus].

Objective: To investigate the clinical features, imaging manifestations, histopathological characteristics, and surgical outcomes in pediatric progressive restrictive strabismus. Methods: A retrospective case series study was conducted, including data from 9 cases (9 eyes) of pediatric progressive restrictive strabismus treated at Tianjin Eye Hospital from June 2017 to October 2022. The study compared the degree of globe protrusion in both eyes, changes in eyelid fissure height during internal and external rotation in the primary gaze, summarized clinical characteristics, and analyzed intraoperative conditions, surgical outcomes and postoperative histopathological results of strabismus correction surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Friedman two-way analysis of variance. Results: All 9 cases involved unilateral onset, with 4 males and 5 females. Three cases affected the right eye, and six affected the left eye. Onset age ranged from 2 to 40 months. The degree of globe protrusion in the affected eyes was 13.00 (12.00, 13.00) mm for the right eye and 12.00 (12.00, 13.50) mm for the left eye, with no statistically significant difference (Z=-1.00, P=0.317). There were no significant changes in eyelid fissure height during internal rotation [8.00 (7.25, 8.00) mm], primary gaze [7.50 (7.00, 8.00) mm], and external rotation [8.00 (7.75, 8.00) mm] in the affected eyes (χ²=1.00, P=0.607). No apparent abnormalities were observed in head CT or MRI scans, serum, or immunological tests. However, orbital CT or MRI scans indicated thickening of different extraocular muscle bellies. Six out of nine cases underwent strabismus correction surgery, and postoperative examination revealed restriction in eye movement despite achieving orthophoria in the primary gaze. Tissue pathology of three cases showed increased collagen fiber proliferation in one, scattered bundles of smooth muscle fibers amid diffuse collagen fiber proliferation in another, and abnormal proliferation of striated muscle fibers with varying diameters, increased paired box (PAX)7-positive satellite cells expressing slow muscle myosin in the third case. Conclusions: Pediatric progressive restrictive strabismus presents with restrictive changes, without significant alterations in globe protrusion and eyelid fissure height. Imaging examinations reveal thickening of the extraocular muscle bellies in the affected eye. Although strabismus correction surgery improves eye position, postoperative eye movement remains restricted. Histopathological findings in some cases show abnormal proliferation of skeletal muscle fibers or collagen fibers.

RNA sequencing analysis of the longissimus dorsi to identify candidate genes underlying the intramuscular fat content in Anqing Six-end-white pigs.

Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a significant marker for pork quality. The Anqing Six-end-white pig has the characteristics of high meat quality and IMF content. Owing to the influence of European commercial pigs and a late start in resource conservation, the IMF content within local populations varies between individuals. This study analyzed the longissimus dorsi transcriptome of purebred Anqing Six-end-white pigs with varying IMF content to recognize differentially expressed genes. We identified 1528 differentially expressed genes between the pigs with high (H) and low (L) IMF content. Based on these data, 1775 Gene Ontology terms were significantly enriched, including lipid metabolism, modification and storage, and regulation of lipid biosynthesis. Pathway analysis revealed 79 significantly enriched pathways, including the Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways. Moreover, gene set enrichment analysis indicated that the L group had increased the expression of genes related to ribosome function. Additionally, the protein-protein interaction network analyses revealed that VEGFA, KDR, LEP, IRS1, IGF1R, FLT1 and FLT4 were promising candidate genes associated with the IMF content. Our study identified the candidate genes and pathways involved in IMF deposition and lipid metabolism and provides data for developing local pig germplasm resources.

[Treatment and prognosis analysis of 488 patients with FIGO 2018 stage â ¢c squamous cervical cancer].

Objective: To analyze the treatment and prognosis of patients with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 2018 stage Ⅲc cervical squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: A total of 488 patients at Zhejiang Cancer Hospital between May, 2013 to May, 2015 were enrolled. The clinical characteristics and prognosis were compared according to the treatment mode (surgery combined with postoperative chemoradiotherapy vs radical concurrent chemoradiotherapy). The median follow-up time was (96±12) months ( range time from 84 to 108 months). Results: (1) The data were divided into surgery combined with chemoradiotherapy group (surgery group) and concurrent chemoradiotherapy group (radiotherapy group), including 324 cases in the surgery group and 164 cases in the radiotherapy group. There were significant differences in Eastern Cooperation Oncology Group (ECOG) score, FIGO 2018 stage, large tumors (≥4 cm), total treatment time and total treatment cost between the two groups (all P<0.01). (2) Prognosis: ① for stage Ⅲc1 patients, there were 299 patients in the surgery group with 250 patients survived (83.6%). In the radiotherapy group, 74 patients survived (52.9%). The difference of survival rates between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). For stage Ⅲc2 patients, there were 25 patients in surgery group with 12 patients survived (48.0%). In the radiotherapy group, there were 24 cases, 8 cases survived, the survival rate was 33.3%. There was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.296). ② For patients with large tumors (≥4 cm) in the surgery group, there were 138 patients in the Ⅲc1 group with 112 patients survived (81.2%); in the radiotherapy group, there were 108 cases with 56 cases survived (51.9%). The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). Large tumors accounted for 46.2% (138/299) vs 77.1% (108/140) in the surgery group and radiotherapy group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.001). Further stratified analysis, a total of 46 patients with large tumors of FIGO 2009 stage Ⅱb in the radiotherapy group were extracted, and the survival rate was 67.4%, there was no significant difference compared with the surgery group (81.2%; P=0.052). ③ Of 126 patients with common iliac lymph node, 83 patients survived, with a survival rate of 65.9% (83/126). In the surgery group, 48 patients survived and 17 died, with a survival rate of 73.8%. In the radiotherapy group, 35 patients survived and 26 died, with a survival rate of 57.4%. There were no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.051). (3) Side effects: the incidence of lymphocysts and intestinal obstruction in the surgery group were higher than those in the radiotherapy group, and the incidence of ureteral obstruction and acute and chronic radiation enteritis were lower than those in the radiotherapy group, and there were statistically significant differences (all P<0.01). Conclusions: For stage Ⅲc1 patients who meet the conditions for surgery, surgery combined with postoperative adjuvant chemoradiotherapy and radical chemoradiotherapy are acceptable treatment methods regardless of pelvic lymph node metastasis (excluding common iliac lymph node metastasis), even if the maximum diameter of the tumor is ≥4 cm. For patients with common iliac lymph node metastasis and stage Ⅲc2, there is no significant difference in the survival rate between the two treatment methods. Based on the duration of treatment and economic considerations, concurrent chemoradiotherapy is recommended for the patients.

[Research and application of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine based on adenovirus vector technology platform].

During the global efforts to prevent and control the COVID-19 pandemic, extensive research and development of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines using various technical approaches have taken place. Among these, vaccines based on adenovirus vector have gained substantial knowledge and experience in effectively combating potential emerging infectious diseases, while also providing novel ideas and methodologies for vaccine research and development (R&D). This comprehensive review focuses on the adenovirus vector technology platform in vaccine R&D, emphasizing the importance of mucosal immunity induced by adenoviral vector-based vaccine for COVID-19 prevention. Furthermore, it analyzes the key technical challenges and obstacles encountered in the development of vaccines based on the adenovirus vector technology platform, with the aim of providing valuable insights and references for researchers and professionals in related fields.

[The sleep condition and its association with cognitive function of the elderly in six provinces of China].

Objective: To analyze the association between sleep duration and cognitive function of the elderly in six provinces of China. Methods: Based on the cross-sectional survey data of the elderly from the Healthy Ageing Assessment Cohort Study in 2019, 4 644 participants' sociodemographic and economic indicators, lifestyle, prevalence of major chronic diseases, and sleep status, including night-time sleep duration, daytime sleep duration and insomnia, were collected by questionnaires. Cognitive function was evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the association between night-time sleep duration, daytime sleep duration and cognitive function. Results: The mean age of 4 644 respondents was (72.3±5.7) years, and 2 111 of them were males (45.5%). The mean total daily sleep time of the elderly was (7.9±1.9) hours, and the proportion of those who slept less than 7.0, 7.0-8.9 and≥9.0 hours was 24.1% (1 119), 42.1% (1 954) and 33.8% (1 571), respectively. The mean sleep time at night was (6.9±1.7) hours. About 23.7% (1 102) of the elderly did not sleep during the day, and the mean duration of the elderly who slept during the day was (78±51) minutes. Among the elderly with insomnia, 47.9% were still satisfied with their sleep quality. The mean value of MMSE score of 4 644 respondents was (24.5±5.3), and the cognitive impairment rate was 28.3% (1 316). The results of multivariate logistic regression model analysis showed that the OR (95%CI) value of the risk of cognitive impairment in older people who did not sleep, slept for 31 to 60 minutes and slept more than one hour was 1.473 (1.139 to 1.904), 1.277 (1.001 to 1.629) and 1.496 (1.160 to 1.928), respectively, compared with those who slept for 1 to 30 minutes during the daytime. Compared with those who slept for 7.0‒8.9 hours at night, the OR (95%CI) value of the risk of cognitive impairment in older people who slept more than 9.0 hours was 1.239 (1.011 to 1.519). Conclusion: The cognitive function is related to sleep duration in the Chinese elderly.

[Emerging and comparative genomic analysis of a novel plasmid carrying blaKPC-2 in Citrobacter freundii].

Objective: To explore the drug resistance mechanism and gene structure characteristics of a carbapenemase-producing novel incompatibility group plasmid pNY2385-KPC from Citrobacter freundii. Methods: A multi-drug resistant strain was obtained from urine samples of patients with fever in the emergency ward of Li Huili Hospital, Ningbo Medical Center. Bacterial species was preliminary identified and finally confirmed by 16S rRNA gene amplification and the average nucleotide identity alignment, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the antimicrobial agents were determined by VITEK 2 Compact System. The complete genome sequence was obtained by "third-generation" sequencing methods, and then detailed annotation of gene function and comparative genomic analysis of plasmid structure were carried out by BLASTP/BLASTN, RefSeq, ConservedDomains, ResFinder, Isfinder, etc. Results: The pNY2385-KPC carried by citrobacter freundii NY2385 belonged a novel incompatibility group, and contained blaKPC-2 and conjugative transfer (type Ⅳ secretory system, T4SS) genes, which could induce conjugative transfer. A total of 15 plasmids of the same type as pNY2385-KPC were retrieved by NCBI, which were from Citrobacter freundii, and the rest were from Serratia marcescens, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter cloacae, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Raoultella planticola and other bacteria, and were broad-host-range plasmids. The sequence comparative analysis of all 6 of the novel plasmid from Citrobacter freundii showed that the structure of the novel plasmid had certain conserved property, with Tn6296 variant structure carrying blaKPC-2, and plasmid pCF1807-3 had both repApNY2385-KPC and repAIncX8. Conclusion: The pNY2385-KPC type plasmids in Citrobacter freundii carried blaKPC-2 resistance gene, which were divided into two subtypes: repApNY2385-KPC single replicator and repApNY2385-KPC/repAIncX8 complex replicator, belonging to broad-host-range plasmids. And as a mobile genetic element, the plasmids promote the spread of blaKPC-2.

[Considerations for the development of adult vaccination in China].

Adult vaccination is an important component of the life-course immunization for all. Strengthening adult vaccination in China contributes to shrinking immunization gaps between regions and groups, enhancing the overall immunity of our population, and promoting health equity and social prosperity. Chinese adults bear the heavy burden of vaccine preventable diseases such as influenza, pneumococcal diseases and shingles, and have low coverage of vaccines against those diseases, so it is necessary to make efforts to improve adult vaccination development. This article focuses on elaborating the values of adult vaccination, introducing the current status of adult vaccination abroad, and analyzing the challenges and existing foundations for China to provide adult vaccination, and makes suggestions for the building and development of adult vaccination.

[Feasibility analysis of CT angiography derived computational fluid dynamics in evaluating intracranial artery stenosis].

A retrospective study was performed on 8 patients, including 7 males and 1 female, aged 47 to 77 (59±3) years, with intracranial artery stenosis in General Hospital of Eastern Theater Command from November 2018 to May 2019, who underwent CT angiography (CTA), digital subtraction angiography (DSA) and invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR) assessment. Three-dimensional (3D) prototyping models of intracranial artery based on image data of CTA was constructed and the hemodynamic parameters were obtained using computational fluid dynamics methods. The results showed that CT-FFR value was 0.59±0.18, and invasive FFR value was 0.60±0.22, from which we propased that noninvasive hemodynamic analyses can be used to evaluate the physiological significance of intracranial arterial stenosis.

[Quality of life and risk factors in patients with herpes zoster].

Objective: To evaluate the quality of life and influencing factors of patients with herpes zoster (HZ) seen in hospitals. Methods: Based on Zoster Brief Pain Inventory (ZBPI) and Five-level EuroQol Five-dimensional Questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), a cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the pain severity and quality of life of 332 HZ cases seen in 22 hospitals of Lu'an City (Anhui Province), Zibo City (Shandong Province) and Tongchuan City (Shaanxi Province) from October to December 2021. The censored least absolute deviations (CLAD) model was used to analyze the related factors affecting the changes of patients' health utility values. Results: The 45.5% of 332 HZ cases were male. The median (Q1,Q3) age was 59 (50, 68) years. 59.64% of them assessed by ZBPI had moderate to severe pain in the past 24 hours (worst pain score≥5), and that of PHN cases was 84.8%(39/46). 77.7% (258/332), 77.4% (257/332) and 74.1% (246/332) of all patients reported that pain interfered with sleep, mood and general activities, respectively. Aging [ß40-49y (95%CI)=-0.11 (-0.15, -0.08); ß50-59y (95%CI)=-0.03 (-0.05, 0.00); ß60-69y (95%CI)=-0.09 (-0.12, -0.06); ß70-90y(95%CI)=-0.16 (-0.19, -0.12)], working status (unemployed) [ßfarmer (95%CI)=0.15 (0.13, 0.18); ßretirees(95%CI)=0.21 (0.18, 0.24); ßemployee (95%CI)=0.13 (0.10, 0.16) ], complications[ßPHN (95%CI)=-0.08 (-0.13, -0.04); ßother complications (95%CI)=-0.12 (-0.15, -0.08)], within 30 days after onset [ß(95%CI)=-0.01 (-0.03, 0.01)] and treatment [ßother complications (95%CI)=-0.09 (-0.11, -0.06)] were related factors for the decline of health utility value (all P values <0.05). Conclusions: More than half of the patients with HZ had moderate to severe pain in the past 24 hours, which had a serious negative impact on the physical and mental health of the patients. Elderly patients, acute patients and patients with complications had lower health utility values and worse health status. We suggest that eligible people be vaccinated with HZ vaccine as soon as possible.

[Analysis for dropout of DTaP routine immunization in China in 2019].

Objective: To analyze the dropout of adsorbed diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis combined vaccine (DTaP) routine immunization in China in 2019. Methods: DTaP vaccination data in all counties in China were collected through National Immunization Program Information Management System in 2019. Cumulative dropout rate and vaccination rate of DTaP in different provinces were calculated. According to the P25, P50 and P75 values of DTaP dropout rate for all counties by province, counties in each province were divided into four groups (Q1-Q4). The DTaP average dropout rate of four groups and absolute difference (difference in DTaP average dropout rate between Q4 and Q1) were calculated. Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship between absolute difference and provincial DTaP dropout rate, DTaP1 and DTaP3 vaccination rate. Results: DTaP1 vaccination rate ranged from 92.98% to 99.94% by province, with a median of 99.55%. Provincial DTaP dropout rate ranged from 0.36% to 28.66%, with a median of 3.54%. The provincial DTaP dropout rate was more than 10% in Gansu and Guizhou, about 28.66% and 17.19%. Absolute difference ranged from 4.02% to 39.22%, with a median of 10.16%. Provinces with the largest absolute difference were Gansu, Qinghai, Liaoning and Guizhou, about 39.22%, 34.48%, 23.31% and 21.33%, respectively. Correlation analysis indicated that the absolute difference was positively correlated with provincial DTaP dropout rate, with a correlation coefficient of 0.492 (P=0.004). It was negatively correlated with DTaP1 and DTaP3 vaccination rate. Correlation coefficients were -0.542 (P=0.001) and -0.562 (P=0.001), respectively. Conclusions: There are significant county-level differences in DTap dropout rate in most provinces, with relatively high difference in western provinces.

[Self-awareness rate and its influencing factors of their infection status among hepatitis B surface antigen-positive persons aged 15-69 years in China].

Objectives: To understand the awareness rate and its influencing factors of their HBV infection status among HBsAg-positive persons aged 15-69 years in China. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to conduct a questionnaire survey on the awareness of their infection status among HBsAg-positive persons aged 15-69 years who were identified in the 2020 national hepatitis B seroepidemiology survey. The awareness rate of the whole respondent and respondents with different characteristics were described, and the differences were compared with the χ2 test. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the factors influencing the awareness rate. Results: The overall awareness rate among the respondents was 43.10% (1 828/4 241). The awareness rate was lower in males than in females (41.30% vs. 44.65%). The awareness rate was lower in the 60-69-years-old age group than in other age groups (30.38% vs. 36.77%-57.58%). The awareness rate was lower in rural areas than in urban areas (39.43% vs. 47.32%). The awareness rate was lower in regions with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) below RMB 54 000 than in regions with a per capita GDP of RMB 54 000 and above (36.81% vs. 41.61%-50.30%). The awareness rate was lower in respondents without other liver diseases than with other liver diseases (41.52% vs. 60.68%). The awareness rate was lower in respondents without a family history of hepatitis B-related disease or unknown family history than with a family history (43.58% vs. 68.26%; 24.71% vs. 68.26%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that male [odds ratio (OR)=0.841, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.734-0.964], high school and below [primary school and below, junior middle school, high school/technical secondary school, OR (95%CI): 0.247 (0.190-0.321), 0.451 (0.352-0.577), 0.634 (0.486-0.827)], rural areas (OR=0.822, 95%CI: 0.715-0.945) and regions with a per capita GDP below RMB 80 000 [54 000-80 000, OR (95%CI): 0.810 (0.688-0.954), below RMB 54 000, OR (95%CI): 0.793 (0.669-0.941)] were the negative factors influencing the awareness rate. While 30-39-years-old (OR=2.089, 95%CI: 1.626-2.683) and 40-49-years-old (OR=1.590, 95%CI: 1.250-2.023) age groups, with other liver diseases (OR=2.244, 95%CI: 1.754-2.871) and family history related to hepatitis B (OR=2.688, 95%CI: 2.242-3.223) were the positive factors influencing the awareness rate. Conclusion: The overall awareness rate of their infection status among HBsAg-positive persons aged 15-69 years is 43.10% in China. Health promotion and coverage expansion on HBV screening should be further strengthened to achieve the proposed World Health Organization's target of 90% HBV infection diagnosis rate by 2030.

[Application of acellular bovine pericardium patch in implant based immediate breast reconstruction].

Objective: To examine the clinical effect of acellular bovine pericardium patch in implant based immediate breast reconstruction. Methods: The clinicopathological information of 141 breast cancer patients, who admitted to Department of Breast Reconstruction and Oncoplastic Surgery, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Hospital, underwent immediate mammoplasty with implants combined with acellular bovine pericardium patches were analyzed from June 2016 to October 2019. All patients were female, with the age of (38.8±8.5) years (range: 13 to 60 years). The body mass index was (21.9±2.5) kg/m2 (range: 16.0 to 32.3 kg/m2). There were 39 cases of duct carcinoma in situ, 46 cases of stage Ⅰ, 40 cases of stage Ⅱ and 16 cases of stage Ⅲ. All patients received nipple-areola-sparing mastectomy or skin-sparing mastectomy with sentinel lymph node biopsy or axillary lymph node dissection, and prosthesis implantation with sub-pectoralis combined with breast patch. The correlation of clinicopathological characters and complications was assessed by t test, χ2 test, Fisher's exact probability method and Logistic regression. Pre-and post-operative aesthetic, quality of life scores were recorded. Results: The operation time (M(IQR)) was 3.6(1.5) hours (range: 3.0 to 6.5 hours). The early postoperative complication rate was 22.0% (31/141), prosthesis removal was the main postoperative complication, accounting for 64.5% (20/31) of the total complications, of which 15 cases occurred in the first 30 patients. The follow-up time was 28(8) months (range: 20 to 53 months), The most frequent long-term complications were capsular contracture and implant displacement, with the incidence of 11.2% (14/125) and 10.4% (13/125), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that prosthesis volume ≥300 ml (OR=8.173, 95%CI: 1.302 to 51.315, P=0.021) and peri-areolar incision (OR=7.809, 95%CI: 2.162 to 28.211, P<0.01) were independent relative factors for the occurrence of short-term postoperative local complications. After 2 years of operation, the score of breast appearance satisfaction was 71.7±15.5, postoperative effect satisfaction was 90.4±9.5, psychological satisfaction was 90.7±17.1, sexual satisfaction was 70.1±25.1. The immediate postoperative satisfaction rate at discharge was 95.4% (134/141), and 17.6% (22/125) of patients had the intention to received revision surgery. Conclusions: Prosthesis volume ≥300 ml and peri-areolar incision were independent realtive factors for short-term local complications after bovine pericardium patch combined with prosthesis implantation in the immediate breast reconstruction. After completing the learning curve, the postoperative complications of the procedure could be decreased.

Trends and predictors of linkage to HIV outpatient care following diagnosis in the era of expanded testing in England, Wales and Northern Ireland: Results of a national cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: We explore trends in linkage to HIV care following diagnosis and investigate the impact of diagnosis setting on linkage in the era of expanded testing. METHODS: All adults (aged ≥ 15 years) diagnosed with HIV between 2005 and 2014 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (EW&NI) were followed up until the end of 2017. People who died within 1 month of diagnosis were excluded (n = 1009). Trends in linkage to outpatient care (time to first CD4 count) were examined by sub-population and diagnosis setting. Logistic regression identified predictors of delayed linkage of > 1 month, > 3 months and > 1 year post-diagnosis (2012-2014). RESULTS: Overall, 97% (60 250/62 079) of people linked to care; linkage ≤ 1 month was 75% (44 291/59 312), ≤ 3 months was 88% (52 460) and ≤ 1 year was 95% (56 319). Median time to link declined from 15 days [interquartile range (IQR): 4-43] in 2005 to 6 (IQR: 0-20) days in 2014 (similar across sub-populations/diagnosis settings). In multivariable analysis, delayed linkage to care was associated with acquiring HIV through injecting drug use, heterosexual contact or other routes compared with sex between men (> 1 month/3 months/1 year), being diagnosed in earlier years (> 1 month/3 months/1 year) and having a first CD4 ≥ 200 cells/µL (> 3 months/1 year). Diagnosis outside of sexual health clinics, antenatal services and infectious disease units predicted delays of > 1 month. By 3 months, only diagnosis in 'other' settings (prisons, drug services, community and other medical settings) was significant. CONCLUSIONS: Linkage to care following HIV diagnosis is relatively timely in EW&NI. However, non-traditional testing venues should have well-defined referral pathways established to facilitate access to care and treatment.

Phageome-based vaccination and human innate immune modulation could be a useful strategy to control human Coronavirus infections.

Human Coronavirus (CoV) infections, including SARS-COV, MERS-COV, and SARS-CoV-2, usually cause fatal lower and upper respiratory tract infections due to exacerbated expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. We aim to summarize different aspects, such as CoV immune evasion mechanisms and host innate immune response to these infections, and their role in pathogenesis. We have also elaborated the up-to-date findings on different vaccine development strategies and progress against CoVs in both humans and non-human models. Most importantly, we have described the Phageome-human immune interaction, its therapeutic usage as anti-viral, anti-inflammatory agent, and implications for multiple vaccine development systems. The data suggest that endogenous phages might play a vital role in eliminating the infection and regulating the body's immune system. Considering the innate-immune-induced pathogenesis against CoVs and the therapeutic aptitude of phageome, we propose that the prophylactic administration of phages and phage-based vaccines could be a useful strategy to control the emerging CoV infections.

Value of intravoxel incoherent motion and diffusion kurtosis imaging in predicting peritumoural infiltration of soft-tissue sarcoma: a prospective study based on MRI-histopathology comparisons.

AIM: To investigate the performance of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) in the identification of peritumoural infiltration of soft-tissue sarcoma (STS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From July 2018 to January 2020, 34 STS patients who underwent 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including IVIM and DKI, were reviewed. The standard apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), true diffusion (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D∗), perfusion fraction (f), mean kurtosis (MK), and mean diffusion (MD) of each lesion were analysed independently by two observers. An MRI-histopathology control method was used to ensure the correspondence of MRI sections with histopathological sections. Differences in STS with and without infiltration were evaluated. The area under the curve (AUC) was used to determine the best cut-off point for different parameters. Interobserver agreement was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. RESULTS: Standard ADC, D, MK, and MD values reliably distinguished STS that had positive and negative infiltration. The MD value had the best diagnostic performance. Use of an MD cut-off value of 2.35 × 10-3 mm2/s to distinguish positive and negative infiltration had an AUC of 0.85, accuracy of 88.2%, sensitivity of 94.4%, and specificity of 81.3%. The two independent observers had nearly perfect agreement for all parameters. CONCLUSION: The standard ADC and D value of IVIM, and the MK and MD values of DKI reliably identify the presence of peritumoural infiltration of STS.

H-FABP gene expression and genetic association with meat quality traits in domestic pigeons (Columba livia).

1. H-FABP (heart-type fatty acid-binding protein) is an important fatty acid-binding protein that participates in the metabolism and intracellular transportation of lipids. This study was designed to study the H-FABP gene expression and genetic association with meat quality traits in domestic pigeons.2. The spatio-temporal expression patterns showed that H-FABP was widely expressed in all eleven tissues in birds from hatching to 4 weeks of age, and the expression level in the liver was the highest, and spleen and subcutaneous fat showed relatively high levels at all time points, and increased markedly as squabs became older.3. Nine novel SNPs were found; three of them (g.42 C > T and g.123 C > T in exon 1 and g.3128 C > T in exon 2) were synonymous mutations, and six of them (g.3304 T > C, g.3305 G > A, g.3313A>G, g.3343 C > T, g.3372A>C, g.3410 T > C in exon 3) were located in the 3' untranslated region (UTR). In addition, four haplotypes and six diplotypes were formed and showed weak linkage disequilibrium. Association analysis showed that in the SNP of g.3305 G > A, the AB genotype showed higher (P < 0.05) inosinic acid concentrations in breast muscle than the BB genotype. In the SNP of g.3313A>G, the AA and AB genotypes showed significantly higher (P < 0.01) inosinic acid concentrations than the BB genotype, AA showed the highest intramuscular fat content, and the relative mRNA expression level of the AA genotype was the highest (P < 0.05).4. Association analysis of diplotypes showed no correlation with meat quality traits. Moreover, correlation analysis indicated that the H-FABP mRNA expression level was tightly related to intramuscular fat content (P < 0.01).5. This study suggested that the H-FABP gene may be a candidate gene in marker-assisted selection of pigeons for high-quality meat.

[The composition of ascites lymphocytes in high-grade serous ovarian cancer and its correlation with clinical features].

Objective: To explore the composition of ascites lymphocytes in high-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HGSOC) and its correlation with clinical features. Methods: A total of 59 newly-diagnosed HGSOC patients, aged (58±11) years old, who were treated at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Peking University Third Hospital from July 2019 to December 2020 were included, collecting ascites and peritoneal irrigation fluid respectively. Detect the proportion of T, B, NK cell and its subpopulations by flow cytometry, and analyze its correlation with the clinical characteristics of patients. Results: Among 59 patients, 48 patients (81.4%) had ascites, and 11 patients (18.6%) had no ascites. Compared with the peritoneal irrigation fluid, the CD3+T (70.2%±15.6% vs 78.1%±6.7%, P=0.014), CD8+T (38.3%±11.2% vs 47.7%±10.1%, P=0.014) and CD16-CD56bright NK [2.0% (0.8%, 3.6%) vs 4.2% (1.5%, 7.1%), P=0.026] cells were significantly decreased in the ascites, while the CD16+CD56dim NK cells was significantly increased [6.8% (2.8%, 15.7%) vs 2.6% (1.6%, 4.3%), P=0.008]. In patients with ascites volume ≥1 000 ml, CD16-CD56bright NK cells were significantly increased than those ascites volume<1 000 ml [3.1% (1.2%, 3.9%) vs 0.8% (0.4%, 2.3%), P=0.002]. Age was significantly positively correlated with the level of CD4+T cells (r=0.332, P=0.021) and the ratio of CD4+T/CD8+T (r=0.379, P=0.008) in ascites. In ascites from patients with poor response to treatment, the proportion of CD4+T cells was increased significantly than those with better response (64.7%±4.2% vs 48.3%±11.7%, P=0.002). Conclusion: The formation of ascites in newly diagnosed high-grade serous epithelial ovarian cancer patients would affect the lymphocyte composition in the abdominal cavity microenvironment, which is related to the patient's age, cancer progression and treatment response.

[Considerations on vaccines and immunization against COVID-19 for epidemic control in China].

The Delta variant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a new global wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. COVID-19 vaccines currently available in China show high effectiveness against severe illness and death. However, transmission of the virus is not fully stopped by vaccination alone, therefore, integrated vaccination and non-pharmacological interventions is necessary to prevent and control the epidemic in the near future. Further expanded vaccine coverage of primary doses as well as booster shots in China's domestic population are needed to reduce severe illness and death. In order to provide evidence necessary for adjusting and optimizing immunization strategies and pandemic control measures, it is essential to conduct research on vaccine effectiveness against emerging variants, persistence of vaccine-induced protection, surveillance of adverse event following immunization with large-scale vaccine use, and modelling studies on strategic combinations of vaccination and non-pharmacological interventions.