[Clinical observation on the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis].

To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in China. A small sample self-controlled study before and after treatment was conducted to retrospective analysis patients with moderate to severe AD treated with dupilumab in the department of dermatology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University from July 2020 to March 2022. Dupilumab 600 mg was injected subcutaneously at week 0, and then 300 mg was injected subcutaneously every 2 weeks. The condition was evaluated by SCORAD(severity scoring of atopic dermatitis), NRS(numerical rating scale), DLQI(dermatology life quality index) and POEM(patient-oriented eczema measure). The improvement of SCORAD, NRS, DLQI and POEM was analyzed by paired t test and non-parametric paired Wilcoxon. The results showed that a total of 67 patients with moderate to severe AD received dupilumab treatment, of which 41 patients (the course of treatment was more than 6 weeks) had reduced the severity of skin lesions, improved quality of life and reduced pruritus. A total of 23 patients completed 16 weeks of treatment. At 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks, SCORAD, NRS, DLQI and POEM decreased compared with the baseline, and the differences were statistically significant. SCORAD (50.13±15.19) at baseline, SCORAD (36.08±11.96)(t=6.049,P<0.001) at week 4,SCORAD (28.04±11.10)(t=10.471,P<0.001) at week 8, SCORAD (22.93±9.72)(t=12.428,P<0.001) at week 12, SCORAD (16.84±7.82)(t=14.609,P<0.001) at week 16, NRS 7(6,8) at baseline, NRS 4(3,5)(Z=-3.861,P<0.001) at week 4, NRS 2(1,4)(Z=-4.088,P<0.001) at week 8, NRS 1(0,2)(Z=-4.206,P<0.001) at week 12, NRS 2(0,2)(Z=-4.222,P<0.001) at week 16, DLQI (13.83±5.71) at baseline, DLQI (8.00±4.02)(t=6.325,P<0.001) at week 4, DLQI (5.61±3.50)(t=8.060,P<0.001) at week 8, DLQI (3.96±1.99)(t=8.717,P<0.001) at week 12, DLQI (2.70±1.89)(t=10.355,P<0.001) at week 16, POEM (18.04±6.41) at baseline, POEM (9.70±4.70)(t=7.031,P<0.001) at week 4, POEM (7.74±3.48)(t=8.806,P<0.001) at week 8, POEM (6.35±3.33)(t=10.474,P<0.001) at week 12, POEM (4.26±2.51)(t=11.996,P<0.001) at week 16. In the 16th week, 100%(23 patients), 91.3%(21 patients), 34.8%(8 patients) and 8.7%(2 patients) of 23 patients reached SCORAD30, SCORAD50, SCORAD70, and SCORAD90 statuses, respectively. There were 82.6%(19 patients), 95.7%(22 patients) and 95.7%(22 patients) of 23 patients with NRS, DLQI and POEM improved by≥4 points compared with baseline. Twelve patients with AD who continued to receive dupilumab after 16 weeks showed further improvement in skin lesions. The adverse events were conjunctivitis and injection site reaction. In conclusion, dupilumab is an effective and safe treatment for moderate and severe AD. However, the longer-term efficacy and safety require further studies involving larger sample sizes and a longer follow-up time.

[Effects of the composite of buckwheat-oat-pea on blood glucose in diabetic rats].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of buckwheat-oat-pea (BOP) composite flour [buckwheat ∶ oats ∶ peas=6 ∶ 1 ∶ 1 (quality ratio)] on blood glucose in diabetic rats. METHODS: In this study, 64 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 8 groups by fasting blood glucose (FBG) and body weight: normal control group, model control group, metformin group, buckwheat group, oats group, BOP low-dose group (BOP-L), medium-dose group (BOP-M), and high-dose group (BOP-H). The rats in the normal control group were fed with normal diet, the rats in the model control group and metformin group were fed with a high-fat diet (HFD), and the rats in the buckwheat group, oats group, and BOP-L, BOP-M, BOP-H groups were fed with HFD containing 10% buckwheat flour, 10% oat flour, 3.3% BOP, 10% BOP, 30% BOP, respectively. The HFD in all the groups had the same percentage of energy from fat (45%). After 30 days, the rats fed with HFD received intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (30 mg/kg, once a week for two weeks) to establish diabetes mellitus. After the model was successful established, the rats were fed for another 28 days. During the study, the body weight, food intake/body weight (FI/BW) and water intake/body weight (WI/BW), food utilization rate, 24 h urine volume, FBG, glucose area under curve (GAUC) of oral glucose tolerance test were measured regularly. At the end of the study, the fasting serum glucose and insulin were measured, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was calculated. RESULTS: With the inducing of HFD and streptozotocin, compared with the normal control group, the rats in the model control group had higher FI/BW, WI/BW, 24 h urine volume, FBG, GAUC, HOMA-IR (P < 0.05), and lower body weight, food utilization rate (P < 0.05). Compared with the model control group, the rats in the three BOP groups all had higher body weight, food utilization rate (P < 0.05), and lower WI/BW, HOMA-IR (P < 0.05); the rats in the BOP-L and BOP-M groups had lower FI/BW, 24 h urine volume, FBG (P < 0.05), and the rats in the BOP-M group also had lower GAUC (P < 0.05). After the establishment of diabetes, there was no significant difference in blood glucose and the other indicators between the rats in the three BOP groups and the buckwheat group or the oats group (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The BOP had the effects of reducing blood glucose, insulin resistance and diabetic symptoms on diabetic rats, and had the value for further development and utilization.

[Effect of levothyroxine treatment on pregnancy outcomes in euthyroid women with thyroid autoantibody positive: a Meta-analysis].

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of the association of levothyroxine treatment with pregnancy outcomes in euthyroid women who are thyroid autoantibody positive. Methods: Medline, Excerpta Medica (EMBASE), Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), China Biology Medicine (CBM), Wanfang data and VIP database were searched from inception until Jan. 28, 2020. All published randomized controlled trials assessing the association of levothyroxine treatment with pregnancy outcomes in euthyroid women with thyroid autoantibody-positive were included. STATA 11.0 and RevMan 5.3 softwares were used to perform this Meta-analysis. Results: A total of 6 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 2 188 women randomized. Meta-analysis showed that there was no significantly association between miscarriage (OR=0.85, 95%CI: 0.65-1.11, P=0.234) and preterm birth (OR=0.79, 95%CI: 0.54-1.16, P=0.224) with levothyroxine treatment. Conclusions: Levothyroxine therapy could not reduce the risk of miscarriage and preterm birth in euthyroid women with thyroid autoantibody-positive. Therefore, levothyroxine should be used with caution for these pregnant women.

[Hemolytic uremic syndrome complicated with IgA nephropathy: a clinicopathological study].

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathologic characteristics, treatments, outcomes and mechanisms of hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) complicated with IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Methods: The clinical manifestations, treatments, prognosis and histopathological features of renal biopsy tissues were analyzed in two cases of HUS complicated with IgAN from Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University using light microscopy, immunofluorescence detection and electron microscopy. The related literatures were also reviewed. Results: The clinical manifestations were microvascular hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, acute renal impairment with hematuria, proteinuria, and positive anti-H factor antibody. Histological findings confirmed presence of both HUS and IgAN. Histological features included glomerular mesangial and stromal hyperplasia with endothelial cell proliferation, capillary stenosis, arteriolar thickening, and glomerular ischemia and capillary dilatation. Immunofluorescence detection showed diffuse IgA deposition in the glomerular mesangial matrix. Electron microscopy showed proliferation of mesangial and endothelial cells, thickening of the inner layer of the glomerular basement membrane, deposition of massive electronic densification in the mesangial region, and shrinkage of the segmental basement membrane. The two children were very responsive to plasma exchange and steroid treatments. However, their urine protein and occult blood tests remained continuously positive during the follow-up of 5 years 7 months and 8 months respectively. Conclusions: HUS complicated with IgAN is rare. The diagnosis relies on various pathological examinations, which require the combination of light microscopy, immunofluorescence detection and electron microscopy. Plasma exchange and steroid treatments are effective. However, the long-term prognosis is concerning and may relate to pathological grade and secondary factors. The mechanism of connecting HUS and IgAN is unknown, but may be caused by prodromal or secondary factors.

KLHL22 promotes malignant melanoma growth in vitro and in vivo by activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

The kelch like family member 22 (KLHL22) is a member of the KLHL (Kelch-like) gene family, which was involved in the progression of breast cancer. However, its role remains unclear in malignant melanoma (MM). Our study found that KLHL22 expression was upregulated in human MM tissues. Regarding the functional analysis for KLHL22 in the progression of MM cells, we demonstrated that overexpression of KLHL22 could promote MM cell growth in vitro. Vice versa, knockdown of KLHL22 could suppress the proliferation of MM cells. Furthermore, KLHL22 also promoted tumorigenesis of MM cells in vivo. In experiments investigating the underlying mechanism, expressions of p-Akt and p-mTOR were significantly increased by overexpression of KLHL22. Meanwhile, knockdown of KLHL22 could decrease the expression levels of p-Akt and p-mTOR. Our studies thus suggest that KLHL22 can promote the growth of MM cells via activating the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway, which can serve as a potential target in the diagnosis and/or treatment of MM.

[Analysis of mortality and leading causes of death in Chinese children under 5-year-old between 2010 and 2016].

We collected death data of children under 5-year-old in China from the national child mortality surveillance system from 2010 to 2016. The change of mortality rate and causes of death were described. The mortality rate of Chinese children under 5-year-old decreased from 16.4‰ to 10.2‰ in all areas between 2010 and 2016, from 20.1‰ to 12.4 ‰ in rural areas and from 7.3‰ to 5.2‰ in urban areas, respectively, with a greater average annual decreasing rate in rural areas than urban area. During these years, in addition to traffic accidents and sepsis, other 8 cause-specific mortality rates showed a downward trend. There were substantial decreases of mortality rates of premature birth or low birth weight, birth asphyxia and neural tube defects. In urban areas, the mortality rate of premature birth or low birth weight, birth asphyxia decreased, and the mortality rate of congenital heart disease and diarrhea substantially decreased. However, there was a substantial increase of mortality rate of septicemia in urban areas. In rural areas, the change of major cause-specific mortality rates were consistent with the national trend.

[The role of prophylactic use of pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(PEG-rhG-CSF) in breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy].

Objectives: To investigate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic use of pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor(PEG-rhG-CSF) in breast cancer receiving docetaxel as adjuvant chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 58 patients with breast cancer receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel were included between January 2014 to October 2017. Prophylactic use of PEG-rhG-CSF was administered.Patients were further divided into two groups according to the frequency of PEG-rhG-CSF use: frequent use group (≥3 cycles) and non-frequent use group (<3 cycles). Results: There were significant differences in the incidence rates of grade 3/4 neutropenia between the prophylactic group and non-prophylactic group in cycle 1-3(P<0.05). Less febrile neutropenia (FN) was also noted in the prophylactic group compared with the non-prophylactic group in cycle 1 and cycle 3 (P<0.05). Grade 3/4 neutropenia and FN were less in the frequent use of group compared with the non-frequent use group(P<0.001). The most common side effects of PEG-rhG-CSF included fatigue (10.2%), bone joint pain(50.8%), and 2 patients (3.4%) refused further treatment because of bone joint pain. Conclusions: PEG-rhG-CSF should be prophylactically used for preventing neutropenia and febrile neutropenia in breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy with docetaxel regimen.

Search for Neutrinoless Quadruple-ß Decay of

We report the results of a first experimental search for lepton number violation by four units in the neutrinoless quadruple-ß decay of ^{150}Nd using a total exposure of 0.19 kg yr recorded with the NEMO-3 detector at the Modane Underground Laboratory. We find no evidence of this decay and set lower limits on the half-life in the range T_{1/2}>(1.1-3.2)×10^{21} yr at the 90% C.L., depending on the model used for the kinematic distributions of the emitted electrons.

Nasal immunization with inhibin DNA vaccine delivered by attenuated Salmonella choleraesuis for improving ovarian responses and fertility in cross-bred buffaloes.

This study was conducted to determine the effect of immunization with inhibin DNA vaccine delivered by attenuated Salmonella choleraesuis on ovarian responses and fertility in cross-bred buffaloes. A total of 134 cross-bred buffaloes were divided into four groups: groups T1 (n = 34), T2 (n = 35) and T3 (n = 31) were nasal immunized twice a day with 10 ml of 1 × 1010  CFU/ml of the C501 (pVAX-asd-IS) vaccine for 5, 3 and 1 day, respectively. Group C (n = 34) was nasal immunized with 10 ml PBS for 5 days. All animals were immunized twice with an interval of 14 days and administered with 200 µg of a GnRH analogue on day 28, 0.5 mg PGF2α on day 35 and 200 µg of the same GnRH analogue on day 37. TAI was performed at 18 and 24 hr after the second GnRH treatment. Fourteen days after primary immunization, C501 (pVAX-asd-IS) elicited significant immune responses, and anti-inhibin IgG antibody titres in group T1 were significantly higher (p < .01) than groups T3 and C. After the second GnRH treatment, the growth speed of the dominant follicles in group T1 was significantly faster (p < .05) than groups T3 and C. The number and diameter of large follicles (≥10 mm) as well as ovulatory follicles in group T1 were the greatest in all groups, resulting in a greater conception rate in buffaloes with positive anti-inhibin antibodies. These results demonstrate that immunization with the C501 (pVAX-asd-IS) vaccine, coupled with the Ovsynch protocol, could be used as an alternative approach to improve reproductive performance in cross-bred buffaloes.

miR-182 selectively targets HOXA10 in goat endometrial epithelium cells in vitro.

Proper HOXA10 expression was essential for endometrial receptivity what was crucial for successful embryo implantation in mammalian. This study confirmed that miR-182 regulated the expression levels of HOXA10 by binding to its 3' UTR, selectively downregulated HOXA10 in goat endometrial epithelium cells (gEECs) but not stromal cell (gESCs) in vitro. However, HOXA10 and miR-182 both up-expressed in the goat endometrium at gestational day 15 (D15) compared with gestational day 5 (D5), suggesting that there were some other factors regulated the expression of HOXA10 during the development of goat endometrium in vivo. What's more, HOXA10 gene silencing (HOXA10-siRNA) resulted in gEECs apoptosis in vitro, and it regulated the protein levels of oestrogen receptor a (ERa), progesterone receptor B (PRb), insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), BCL-2, pleiotrophin (PTN), AKT and p-JNK in gEECs. Furthermore, HOXA10 might regulate the protein levels of endometrial receptivity biomarker genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), osteopontin (OPN), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and prolactin receptor (PRLR) in gEECs. In conclusion, miR-182 targeted HOXA10 selectively in EECs in vitro, and HOXA10 played an important role in maintaining the function of EECs in dairy goats.

Soluble and membrane-bound interleukin (IL)-15 Rα/IL-15 complexes mediate proliferation of high-avidity central memory CD8+ T cells for adoptive immunotherapy of cancer and infections.

The lack of persistence of infused T cells is a principal limitation of adoptive immunotherapy in man. Interleukin (IL)-15 can sustain memory T cell expansion when presented in complex with IL-15Rα (15Rα/15). We developed a novel in-vitro system for generation of stable 15Rα/15 complexes. Immunologically quantifiable amounts of IL-15 were obtained when both IL-15Rα and IL-15 genes were co-transduced in NIH 3T3 fibroblast-based artificial antigen-presenting cells expressing human leucocyte antigen (HLA) A:0201, ß2 microglobulin, CD80, CD58 and CD54 [A2-artificial antigen presenting cell (AAPC)] and a murine pro-B cell line (Baf-3) (A2-AAPC15Rα/15 and Baf-315Rα/15 ). Transduction of cells with IL-15 alone resulted in only transient expression of IL-15, with minimal amounts of immunologically detectable IL-15. In comparison, cells transduced with IL-15Rα alone (A2-AAPCRα ) demonstrated stable expression of IL-15Rα; however, when loaded with soluble IL-15 (sIL-15), these cells sequestered 15Rα/15 intracellularly and also demonstrated minimal amounts of IL-15. Human T cells stimulated in vitro against a viral antigen (CMVpp65) in the presence of 15Rα/15 generated superior yields of high-avidity CMVpp65 epitope-specific T cells [cytomegalovirus-cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CMV-CTLs)] responding to ≤ 10- 13 M peptide concentrations, and lysing targets cells at lower effector : target ratios (1 : 10 and 1 : 100), where sIL-15, sIL-2 or sIL-7 CMV-CTLs demonstrated minimal or no activity. Both soluble and surface presented 15Rα/15, but not sIL-15, sustained in-vitro expansion of CD62L+ and CCR7+ central memory phenotype CMV-CTLs (TCM ). 15Rα/15 complexes represent a potent adjuvant for augmenting the efficacy of adoptive immunotherapy. Such cell-bound or soluble 15Rα/15 complexes could be developed for use in combination immunotherapy approaches.

Labour patterns in Chinese women in Chongqing.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain data on the characteristics of labour from a regional sample of Chinese parturients and to assess the pattern of progress of labour among nulliparous women. DESIGN: A prospective observational study. SETTING: The study was conducted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. POPULATION: The final sample involved 1200 Chinese parturients with singleton, vertex and term gestation; spontaneous onset of labour; vaginal delivery; and without adverse perinatal outcomes. METHODS: A repeated-measures analysis was used to depict labour curves while an interval-censored regression was used to estimate the duration of labour centimetre by centimetre. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Labour curves and the duration of labour at the 50th and 95th percentiles. RESULTS: Among 1091 nulliparous women, 57.7% had cervical dilation of 3 cm or less at the time of admission, and the mean duration of the first stage of labour was 9.1 ± 3.3 hours. From 5 to 9 cm of cervical dilation it sometimes took more than 2 hours for dilation to advance 1 cm. No obvious inflection points appeared in the labour curve of Chinese nulliparae, and no deceleration was observed. CONCLUSION: Progress of labour in Chinese parturients was more gradual than in their Western counterparts. Obstetric practice standards based on data generated from Western countries may not be appropriate for Chinese women. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: A prospective study has evaluated labour patterns in Chinese women using regional data from nulliparae.

[Efficacy and safety analysis of surgical bypass and endovascular management in the treatment of 116 Takayasu arteritis].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the efficacy and safety of surgery and endovascular management in treating Takayasu arteritis. METHODS: The data of 116 patients (24 males and 92 females; mean age (32±12) years) with Takayasu arteritis and underwent surgery or endovascular therapy was retrospective analyzed. According to the two different surgical procedures, the patients were divided into two groups: open repair group and endovascular repair group. One hundred and fifty-four surgical procedures were done including 69 cases of open repair and 85 cases of endovascular repair. A total of 211 arterial lesions were revascularized (open repair 114; endovascular repair 97). RESULTS: Among the 154 surgical procedures, 11(7.1%) presented a complication during perioperative period including 6(8.7%) of open repair and 5(5.9%) of endovascular repair. After a median follow-up of 38.5(0.5-142.0) months, three(4.3%) cases of stroke and death were observed in open repair group, two(2.3%) cases of stroke and 4(4.7%) cases of death were observed in endovascular repair group. At 1, 3, 5 and 10 years of follow-up, primary patency rate of open repair and endovascular repair were 95.0% and 89.3%, 84.3% and 69.8%, 73.3% and 56.3%, 53.4% and 48.1%, respectively; Primary assisted patency rate were 100% and 97.5%, 90.4% and 78.2%, 79.1% and 72.8%, 60.7% and 54.0%, respectively; Secondary patency rate were 100% and 98.8%, 95.6% and 92.7%, 85.8% and 78.1%, 74.8% and 58.0%, respectively. Cumulative survival rate were 97.0% and 100%, 97.0% and 97.6%, 97.0% and 90.6%, 91.3% and 84.5%, respectively (χ(2)=0.182, P=0.669). CONCLUSIONS: Both of the surgical revascularization and endovascular management are safe and effective in the treatment of Takayasu arteritis. Although long-term patency of endovascular therapy is low, it can be performed repeatedly and can be used as a preferred approach in treating a short stenosis. Surgical repair shows excellent long-term durability, it seems to be more suitable for complex lesions and failure cases of endovascular management.

Investigations into the association between polymorphisms in the interleukin-10 gene and risk of early-onset preeclampsia.

In this case-control study, we assessed the influence of IL-10 -1082A/G and -819T/C on the development of preeclampsia. The IL-10 -1082A/G and -819T/C polymorphisms were assessed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The genotype distributions of the IL-10 -1082A/G and -819T/C polymorphisms in the control subjects were in conformance with Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE; P = 0.46 and 0.17). Unconditional logistic regression analyses revealed that individuals carrying the CC genotype of IL-10 -819T/C were associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia compared to the TT genotype. The odds ratio (95% confidence interval) for the CC genotype of IL-10 -819T/C was 1.71 (1.07-3.27) compared to the TT genotype. In conclusion, the results of our study indicated that the IL-10 -819T/C polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of preeclampsia in a Chinese population.

Differential expression of luteinizing hormone receptor, androgen receptor and heat-shock protein 70 in the testis of long-distance transported mice.

Spermatogenesis, is a complex process of precisely regulated intracellular events, where it is affected by many factors. Long-distance transport of animals is one of the stressors that may influence spermatogenesis and sperm quality. The present study chose luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), androgen receptor (AR), and heat-shock protein 70 (HSP70) as our target genes to investigate their mRNA and protein expression in the testes of long-distance transported (about 1000 km) mice. Histological analysis showed that there was a reduction in the thickness of the seminiferous epithelium in the transported mice, and a significant decrease in body weight and sperm count in the epididymis was also observed. mRNA expression was determined by QPCR in the testis of transported and control mice. The levels for AR decreased significantly in transported mice. LHR and HSP70 expression in the testes of the transported mice was slightly higher than that of control mice but did not reach a significant level. A similar tendency of protein expression was also observed by Western blot analysis. The levels of LHR and HSP70 increased slightly after transportation. However, none of the changes were statistically significant compared with the control mice. In conclusion, long-distance transport has an adverse effect on reproductive organs and spermatozoa in adult mice.

De novo assembly and characterization of the root transcriptome and development of simple sequence repeat markers in Paphiopedilum concolor.

Paphiopedilum orchids (Orchidaceae) have attracted much attention from botanists and horticulturists because of their peculiar leaves and beautiful flowers. Furthermore, the dry roots of Paphiopedilum plants have well-known medicinal uses. However, it is unknown how sensitive and plastic the root genes are to environmental changes or how these environmental changes regulate the biosynthesis of active ingredients. In this study, we chose Paphiopedilum concolor for root sequencing, as it is widely used as a parent in breeding experiments. A total of 3.77 Gb of sequence data were generated by Illumina paired-end sequencing. De novo assemblies yielded 72,952 contigs, 67,434 scaffolds, 64,304 unigenes with average lengths of 937, 1022, and 1047 bp, respectively. Based on Basic Local Alignment Search Tool with known protein sequences, 40,815 (63.5%) unigenes were annotated with an E-value cutoff of 1.0E-5. Among the unigenes, 24,605 were classified in the Gene Ontology database, 17,361 were assigned to Cluster of Orthologous Groups, and 14,170 were annotated in Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. Among these annotations, over 1195 unigenes related to secondary metabolic pathways, as well as 609 unigenes involved in plant hormone synthesis and signal transduction, were identified. In addition, 5322 potential simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were identified, and 4989 primer pairs for 3975 sequences containing SSRs were obtained. This study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of genes that regulate root growth and development and provides a comprehensive resource for genes related to secondary metabolism in roots and for marker-assisted studies in Paphiopedilum.

[Prevalence of tobacco smoking and related factors in people aged 15 years and above in Beijing, 2014-2021].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the implementation of Beijing Smoking Control Regulation in 2015 on the smoking prevalence in people aged ≥15 years in Beijing during 2014-2021, and explore factors associated with tobacco use behavior in local population. Methods Using a pooled cross-sectional design, data from Beijing Adult Tobacco Survey in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2021 (4 surveys) were combined into one dataset. The 4 surveys used same multistage cluster sampling procedure. After complex survey weighting, multiple logistic regression models were constructed to analyze factors influencing smoking status. Results: A total of 8 484, 9 372, 8 534 and 10 551 respondents were included in the surveys in 2014, 2016, 2019 and 2021, respectively. The smoking prevalence rate was 23.4%, 22.3%, 20.3% and 19.9%, respectively, in Beijing residents aged ≥15 years, exhibiting a linear declining trend (P=0.010). Factors associated with current smoking in men were age 25-44 years (OR=2.22, 95%CI: 1.68-2.95) and 45-64 years, (OR=2.64, 95%CI: 2.06-3.39), educational level of high school (OR=0.69, 95%CI: 0.49-0.95) and undergraduate and above (OR=0.46, 95%CI: 0.33-0.63), and awareness of smoking causing stroke (OR=0.71, 95%CI: 0.61-0.81), and awareness of smoking causing lung cancer (OR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.42-0.66), the differences were significant (all P<0.05). After controlling interfering factors, the current smoking prevalence in men in 2019 (OR=0.73, 95%CI: 0.63-0.87, P<0.001) and 2021 (OR=0.72, 95%CI: 0.61-0.88, P<0.001) were significantly lower than that in 2014. Factors associated with current smoking in women were living alone (OR=1.80, 95%CI: 1.33-2.44), educational level of undergraduate and above (OR=0.43, 95%CI: 0.27-0.69), other occupations except doctor and teacher (OR=8.54, 95%CI: 2.80-26.02) or being retired/unemployed (OR=9.39, 95%CI: 3.19-27.65), and awareness of smoking causing cardiovascular events (OR=0.58, 95%CI: 0.39-0.84), and awareness of smoking causing lung cancer (OR=0.54, 95%CI: 0.35-0.83), the differences were significant (all P<0.05). No significant change in smoking status in women was found in 4 surveys. Conclusions: The smoking prevalence rate in men in Beijing has declined since the implementation of Beijing Smoking Control Regulation 5 years, indicating the effectiveness of legislative approach in tobacco control. Socio-demographic factors and the awareness level of tobacco harm could influence smoking status. Future tobacco control programs should target the people with lower education level, young men, women living alone, and those with occupations other than teachers/doctors or the unemployed/retired and include more comprehensive health education.

[Analysis on personal protection in occupational population at high risk for brucellosis and influencing factor in China].

Objective: To understand the current status of personal protection in occupational population at high risk for brucellosis in China and provide evidence for the evaluation of implementation of National Brucellosis Prevention and Control Plan (2016-2020). Methods: Four counties in Shanxi Province and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region were selected to conduct a questionnaire survey in occupational population at high risk for brucellosis from December 2019 to July 2020 by using cross-sectional survey methods. Results: A total of 2 384 persons at high risk for brucellosis were surveyed, and the standardized utilization rate of personal protective equipment (PPE) was 20.13% (480/2 384). The utilization rate of glove, mask, rubber shoe, and work cloth were 38.26% (912/2 384), 31.80% (758/2 384), 32.01% (763/2 384) and 30.87% (736/2 384),respectively. There were significant differences in the utilization rate and standardized utilization rate of the four types of PPE among populations in different age, occupation, educational level and area groups (all P<0.001). The utilization rate and standardized utilization rate of PPE were lower in people over 60 years old, women, farmers, and those with lower educational level. The results of multivariate analysis showed that occupation and area were the influencing factors for the standardized utilization of PPE, the standardized utilization rates of PPE were higher in herdsmen and veterinarians. The standardized utilization rate of PPE in Yanggao County and Huocheng County was significantly higher than that in Zuoyun County and Hunyuan County. Conclusions: The utilization rate of the four types of PPE in occupational population at high risk for brucellosis was not high in China, and the standardized utilization rate was low, lower than the requirement in National Brucellosis Prevention and Control Plan, and there were significant differences among different areas. It is urgent to distribute PPE to occupational population at high risk for brucellosis and carry out health education about PPE utilization. Meanwhile, it is necessary to strengthen information exchange or sharing among different areas.

Cortisol secretion autonomy associated with weight loss outcome after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: a prospective cohort study in Asian patients.

OBJECTIVE: Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) is a widely recognized effective bariatric surgery. However, variable weight loss outcomes post-surgery remained a clinical challenge. Currently, there is no established consensus on the factors influencing weight loss failure following LSG. This study aimed to explore the association between preoperative cortisol secretion autonomy and postoperative weight loss in obese patients undergoing LSG. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cohort of 181 patients with simple obesity (BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2) who underwent LSG and were followed up for one year was analyzed. Weight loss was measured by the percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL), and cortisol secretion autonomy was evaluated using a 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (DST). Regression models were used to analyze the correlation between preoperative 1 mg DST results and %EWL one year after laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). RESULTS: Cortisol secretion autonomy was significantly lower in the %EWL ≥ 75% group and higher in the %EWL < 75% group, showing a negative correlation with %EWL (R = -0.336, p = 0.001). Logistic regression analysis indicated that high cortisol secretion autonomy was significantly correlated with %EWL < 75% after LSG. The likelihood of %EWL being < 75% was 10.47 times greater in patients with high cortisol secretion autonomy compared to those with low cortisol secretion autonomy (odds ratio 10.472, confidence interval: 1.660-66.048, p = 0.012). CONCLUSIONS: Cortisol secretion autonomy emerges as an independent predictor of weight loss outcomes in Asian patients undergoing LSG. This finding suggests the potential for cortisol secretion autonomy to inform preoperative assessments and personalized treatment strategies in bariatric surgery.