[Effect of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine on the clinical outcomes of patients infected with the Omicron variant in Guangdong Province].

Objective: To evaluate the effect of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine on the clinical outcomes of patients infected with the Omicron variant. Methods: A total of 1 403 Omicron-infected patients admitted to 20 designated hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 1 to May 31, 2022, were selected as subjects in this study. A case-control study was conducted to collect the demographic data, underlying disease, vaccination status, last exposure date, gene sequencing of infected strains and clinical outcomes from the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System and Guangdong telemedicine platform. Pneumonia (common, severe and critical) and non-pneumonia (asymptomatic and mild) were selected as the case group and control group. The effect of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine on the clinical outcomes of patients infected with the Omicron variant was analyzed. Results: The median age [M (Q1, Q3)] of the subjects was 36 (27-47) years old, with males accounting for 52.25% (733 cases). The main outcome of the infection was non-pneumonia, accounting for 92.09% (1 292 cases), and the duration [M (Q1, Q3)] of the disease was 18 (14-22) days. There were 134 (9.55%), 39 (2.78%), 403 (28.72%), 437 (31.15%) and 390 (27.80%) cases with no or partial vaccination, within 90 days of primary vaccination, over 90 days of primary vaccination, within 90 days of booster vaccination and over 90 days of booster vaccination, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, age, underlying disease, and location of the report, compared with those with no or partial vaccination, the risk of developing pneumonia was lower in those with over 90 days of primary vaccination, within 90 days of booster vaccination and over 90 days of booster vaccination [OR (95%CI) values were 0.52 (0.28-0.98), 0.39 (0.21-0.73) and 0.40 (0.21-0.77), respectively]. Cox proportional hazard regression model analysis showed that after adjusting for gender, age, underlying disease and location of the report, the duration of the disease was shorter in those who received booster vaccinated for more than 90 days compared with that in those who had no or partial vaccination [HR (95%CI): 1.26 (1.03-1.55)]. Conclusion: The inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine affects the clinical outcomes of patients infected with the Omicron variant.

[Potential application of improved hard tissue section technique in the clinical pathological diagnosis of bone and bone marrow].

Objective: To discuss the application value of hard tissue section in the clinicopathology diagnosis. Methods: From March 2021 to December 2021, bone slices of 19 patients (1 patient with osteochondroma, 2 patients with chondrosarcoma, 4 patients with osteosarcoma, 2 patients with fibrous dysplasia, 2 patients with bone metastasis from thyroid papillary carcinoma, 2 patients with osteomyelitis, 4 patients with giant cell tumor of bone, 2 patients with Ewing sarcoma) and 16 hemopathy patients were collected from the Department of Pathology, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital. Of the osteopathy patients, there were 14 male and 5 female with a median age of 31 (10-66) years. Meanwhile, there were 7 male and 9 female with a median age of 28 (16-65) years among these hemopathy patients. Thirty-five cases were treated with modified hard tissue slicing technique and paraffin embedding technique, respectively. The advantages and disadvantages of the two methods for clinical diagnosis of bone disease were compared by Hematoxylin-Eosin staining (H&E staining), immunohistochemical staining (IHC), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and Sanger sequencing. Results: The improved resin-embedded method showed better histological morphology and cell structure. Besides, the expression of Ki67, SATB2, CD34, SMA, CD68,MPO,CD4 and CD33 in immunohistochemical staining in bone tissues which were embedded in resin were more clear in the accurate positive localization than those using paraffin-embedded. MDM2 of FISH exhibited a higher fluorescence intensity and more accurate location. Meanwhile, both methods treated with Sanger sequencing met the requirements of DNA purity and mutation detection. Conclusion: The improved hard tissue section method is simple and short time-consuming, which is suitable for optimizing the clinical bone and bone marrow pathological diagnosis process.

Diversity of Botryosphaeriaceae Species Associated with Chinese Hickory Tree (Carya cathayensis) Trunk Cankers.

Tree trunk cankers represent serious fungal diseases that pose significant threats to Chinese hickory trees (Carya cathayensis). To characterize the pathogen diversity associated with this disease, tissues were collected between 2016 and 2018 from the primary Chinese hickory plantation regions. A total of 97 cultures were isolated from trees in six towns (Longgang, Qingliangfeng, Changhua, Tuankou, Taiyang Town, and Lin'an urban area) within the Linan district, where 60% of Chinese hickory tree yields originate. The isolated cultures caused cankers on Chinese hickory tree branches, but infections did not occur on fruits or leaves under tested conditions. Combined morphological observations and phylogenetic analysis of multiple genes (ITS, ß-tubulin, and EF) indicated that five Botryosphaeriaceae species were recovered, including 89 isolates of Botryosphaeria dothidea, 4 isolates of Botryosphaeriaceae fabicerciana, 1 isolate of Botryosphaeriaceae qingyuanensis, 1 isolate of Botryosphaeriaceae corticis, and two isolates of Lasiodiplodia theobromae. B. dothidea was the most prevalent, and this is the first report of B. corticis, B. qingyuanensis, and L. theobromae infections in Chinese hickory trees. We investigated the mycelial growth, spore germination, and pathogenicity of these species at different temperatures. L. theobromae grew the fastest and B. cortices grew the slowest on potato dextrose agar. The optimum temperature of spore germination for all species was 30°C. L. theobromae was the most virulent species, followed by B. dothidea and B. qingyuanensis, then B. fabicerciana, and finally B. cortices. These new insights into fungal pathogen diversity provide critical new information to understand and manage tree trunk cankers of Chinese hickory.

NLRP3 inflammasome and endoplasmic reticulum stress in the epileptogenic zone in temporal lobe epilepsy: molecular insights into their interdependence.

AIM: Nod-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome-mediated inflammation has emerged as a contributor to epileptogenesis. Endoplasmic reticulum stress (ERS) plays an important role in epilepsy-induced neurodegeneration. NLRP3 activation and ERS reactions share the same induction factors, suggesting that these processes may be interdependent. However, the correlation between NLRP3 and ERS in TLE has not been confirmed. METHODS: The expression patterns of NLRP3 inflammasome and ERS-related markers in the temporal neocortices of TLE patients were investigated by western blotting, immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescent labelling. Correlations between the protein levels of NLRP3 and the expression of ERS-related markers were assessed using Spearman's rank correlation test. To observe the relationship between the NLRP3 inflammasome and ERS, inhibitors were used in a status epilepticus (SE) model. RESULTS: Our results show that NLRP3 inflammasome components and ERS-related markers were upregulated in the temporal neocortices of TLE patients, and were mainly localized to neurons, astrocytes and microglia. We found a positive correlation between the protein levels of NLRP3 and the expression of ERS-related markers in the temporal neocortices of 20 TLE patients. Furthermore, after blocking the NLRP3 inflammasome with MCC950, the expression of ERS-related markers was markedly decreased in the hippocampi of SE mice. Moreover, TUDCA, a specific ERS inhibitor, also reduced the expression of NLRP3 components in the hippocampus under SE conditions. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our data reveal the interdependence of the NLRP3 inflammasome and ERS in the epileptogenic zone of TLE patients and in the hippocampi of mice in the early post-SE phase.

A New Mutation Genotype of K218T in Myosin-5 Confers Resistance to Phenamacril in Rice Bakanae Disease in the Field.

In 2017 and 2018, a total of 294 Fusarium fujikuroi isolates were collected from bakanae-diseased rice plants in Jinhua, Shaoxing, and Jiaxing in Zhejiang Province, China. Phenamacril sensitivity of these isolates was determined by the 50% effective concentration value or minimum inhibitory concentration methods. Our results indicated that the phenamacril resistance frequency of F. fujikuroi increased from 18% in 2017 to 47% in 2018, and rice plants infected with F. fujikuroi-resistant isolates could not be protected effectively with 50 mg/liter of phenamacril. Phenamacril-resistant F. fujikuroi isolates obtained from rice fields showed stable resistance, because their fitness levels (i.e., mycelial growth, sporulation, and pathogenicity) were similar to the phenamacril-sensitive isolates. In addition to the point mutation at codon 219 in the myosin-5 gene that conferred resistance to phenamacril, our results also showed another point mutation at codon 218 (AAG→ACG) in myosin-5 that also conferred resistance to phenamacril. In this study, we found rapid development and persistence of diversified genotypes of phenamacril resistance, highlighting the importance of proper use of phenamacril in rice fields. Our results may also help researchers develop new fungicides or new control strategies using combinations of different fungicides in the control of phenamacril-resistant F. fujikuroi isolates.

Genetic Diversity of Colletotrichum spp. Causing Strawberry Anthracnose in Zhejiang, China.

Anthracnose is a serious fungal disease that primarily infects strawberry roots and stolons during development. Here, 91 isolates from different areas of Zhejiang province, China, were collected. Morphological characteristics were analyzed, and a phylogenetic analysis based on multiple genes (actin, internal transcribed spacer, calmodulin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and chitin synthase) was performed. We found that all of the Colletotrichum species causing strawberry anthracnose belonged to the Colletotrichum gloeosporioides complex. Among them, we identified 48 isolates of C. fructicola, 21 isolates of C. siamense, 13 isolates of C. gloeosporioides, and 9 isolates of C. aenigma. C. siamense was distributed in the central and eastern regions of Zhejiang province (Hangzhou, Jinhua, Shaoxing, Ningbo, and Taizhou). This is the first report of C. siamense causing strawberry anthracnose in Zhejiang province. C. fructicola was the most dominant species causing strawberry anthracnose in Zhejiang province. We identified the four species causing strawberry anthracnose in Zhejiang province, which will improve our understanding of the strawberry anthracnose epidemic and will benefit the development of future control measures.

q-LAMP Assays for the Detection of Botryosphaeria dothidea Causing Chinese Hickory Canker in Trunk, Water, and Air Samples.

Trunk canker disease caused by Botryosphaeria dothidea with a prolonged latent infection phase poses a serious threat to Chinese hickory production. To further understand the epidemiological characteristics and develop reasonable management techniques, a quantitative loop-mediated isothermal amplification (q-LAMP) assay was developed to quantitatively monitor B. dothidea in hickory plants, water, and air samples. Specific primers were designed based on the different sites of the ß-tubulin sequence between B. dothidea and other fungi commonly found on Chinese hickory. At the optimum reaction temperature of 65.9°C, this loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay can specifically distinguish B. dothidea from other tested fungi. The limit of detection of LAMP assays for B. dothidea was 0.001 ng/µl of pure genomic DNA and 10 spores per 1 ml of water. The q-LAMP assay enables rapid detection of B. dothidea within 60 min in hickory trunk, water in hickory forests, and spores captured on tapes. These results provide a powerful and convenient tool for monitoring B. dothidea, which could be applied widely in epidemiology, forecast, and management of tree canker disease.

Molecular Detection of QoI Resistance in Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Causing Strawberry Anthracnose Based on Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay.

Anthracnose is one of the most common diseases in strawberry plants. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides is the major cause of anthracnose in China, including Zhejiang Province. Early, specific, reliable, and time-saving detection is urgently needed to prevent the further spread of C. gloeosporioides, guiding farmers to utilize chemicals to control anthracnose. In this study, we showed that the high resistance to pyraclostrobin, caused by a point mutation at codon 143 (GGT→GCT) in the cytochrome b gene of C. gloeosporioides was prevalent in the strawberry growing regions, and we developed a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay as a detection method. Primer sets S0 and S4 could be used to specifically detect C. gloeosporioides isolates and the G143A mutations, respectively. A detection limit of 10-2 ng (10 pg), which is at least 10-fold more sensitive than conventional polymerase chain reaction, was achieved by the LAMP assay. Here, we utilized lateral-flow devices (LFDs), nitrocellulose membranes that can absorb nucleic acids, to acquire the total genomic DNA of strawberry plants within 2 min. The LFD membranes were used as DNA templates for the LAMP assays to accurately detect strawberry plants infected with C. gloeosporioides. This diagnostic method for strawberry anthracnose was accomplished within 1 h, including the sample preparation and LAMP assays. Collectively, we developed a sensitive and practical method for monitoring C. gloeosporioides and its quinone outside inhibitor-resistant mutants. The LAMP assay for detection of C. gloeosporioides in strawberry plants has great potential for rapid strawberry anthracnose surveillance and will provide farmers with advice on preventing C gloeosporioides at the early stages of strawberry development.

[Study of local application of CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide combined with 4-1BB monoclonal antibody to treat hepatoma- bearing mice].

Objective: To investigate the curative effect of local application of CpG-oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG-ODN) combined with 4-1BB monoclonal antibody in hepatoma-bearing mice, and to evaluate the effect of 4-1BB monoclonal antibody on CpG-ODN immunotherapy. Methods: H22 single cell suspension was injected subcutaneously into the axilla and four limbs of the BALB/c male mice to establish a tumor-bearing mice model. After 7 days, 30 mice with corresponding tumor-bearing volume were screened and randomly divided into model control group, CpG group and CpG+4-1BB group, and the drug was injected into the tumors of left lower extremity. The same batch of normal mice was selected as normal control group. Survival of mice was recorded. Tumor-bearing volume and organ index were calculated. Serum levels of interleukin (IL) - 12 and interferon (IFN) gamma and spleen CD8(+)T lymphocyte ratio were measured. The measurement data were analyzed by analysis of variance. The survival rate of each group of mice was analyzed by log-rank test. Results: Mice in the model control group with tumor-bearing volume had a sustained growth before the execution. CpG group and the CpG+4-1BB group [(976.08 ± 29.55) mm(3), (47.25 ± 0.93) mm(3))] tumor-bearing volume was decreased than model group [(1 336.52 ± 39.40) mm3] (F = 5 329.273, P < 0.05). CpG+4-1BB group distant tumor-bearing volume [(611.83 ± 113.02) mm3] was decreased than model group and CpG group [(1 406.62 ± 51.09) mm(3), (1 380.01 ± 51.44) mm3] (F = 247.160, P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the CpG group and the model group (P > 0.05). Serum IL-12 concentration (23.90 ± 2.33 pg/ml), IFN-γ concentration (103.02 ± 6.10 pg/ml) and spleen CD8(+)T cell ratio (4.54 ± 0.62%) in the model group were lower than those in the normal group (P < 0.05). Serum IL-12 concentration in CpG group and CpG+4-1BB group (29.21 ± 2.23 pg/ml, 37.04 ± 1.49 pg/ml), IFN-γ concentration (116.12 ± 4.08 pg/ml, 138.65 ± 1.72 pg/ml), CD8(+)T cell ratio (6.65 ± 0.64%, 12.73 ± 0.88%) were higher than the model group, while CpG+4-1BB group was higher than the CpG group (P < 0.05). The survival rate of CpG+4-1BB group was higher than that of model group and CpG group (χ(2) = 25.544, P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between CpG group and model group (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in organ index between the four groups (P > 0.05). Conclusion: 4-1BB monoclonal antibody combined with CpG-ODN therapy can shrink hepatoma-bearing capacity, inhibit the growth of distant tumors and significantly prolong the survival time of mice.

[Analysis of 833 times measured hepatic venous pressure gradient].

Objective: To summarize and analyze the clinical data of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) and to explore the application value of HVPG in the diagnosis, evaluation and clinical treatment of portal hypertension in cirrhosis. Methods: The patient data of HVPG measurement performed in Shandong Provincial Hospital from April 2010 to November 2017 were collected. Results: A total of 633 patients with 833 times of HVPG measurements were included. There was significant difference in HVPG between patients with different etiologies, different Child-pugh grades and different degrees of decompensated cirrhosis. Conclusion: The HVPG test is suitable for the diagnosis and evaluation of portal hypertension. The HVPG of patients with different severity of liver cirrhosis can guide the choice of the treatment plan, and the HVPG measurement should also be strictly standardized and quality control.

Cross-cultural validity and measurement invariance of the Organizational Stressor Indicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP) across three countries.

Organizational stressors are a universal phenomenon which can be particularly prevalent and problematic for sport performers. In view of their global existence, it is surprising that no studies have examined cross-cultural differences in organizational stressors. One explanation for this is that the Organizational Stressor Indicator for Sport Performers (OSI-SP; Arnold, Fletcher, & Daniels, 2013), which can comprehensively measure the organizational pressures that sport performers have encountered, has not yet been translated from English into any other languages nor scrutinized cross-culturally. The first purpose of this study, therefore, was to examine the cross-cultural validity of the OSI-SP. In addition, the study aimed to test the equivalence of the OSI-SP's factor structure across cultures. British (n = 379), Chinese (n = 335), and Malaysian (n = 444) sport performers completed the OSI-SP. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the cross-cultural validity of the factorial model for the British and Malaysian samples; however, the overall model fit for the Chinese data did not meet all guideline values. Support was provided for the equality of factor loadings, variances, and covariances on the OSI-SP across the British and Malaysian cultures. These findings advance knowledge and understanding on the cross-cultural existence, conceptualization, and operationalization of organizational stressors.

[Clinical application value of prognostic nutritional index for predicting survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer].

Objective: To explore the clinical application value of prognostic nutritional index(PNI) for predicting overall survival(OS) in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods: 123 patients with histologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer were enrolled in this study, and their clinical and laboratory data were reviewed. The PNI was calculated as 10×serum albumin value+ 5×total lymphocyte countin peripheral blood.Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to identify the potential prognostic factors for advanced NSCLC. Results: PNI of the 123 NSCLC patients was 46.24±6.56. PNI was significantly associated with age, weight loss and pleural effusion (P<0.05). However, it showed no relationship with sex, smoking, hemoptysis, chest pain, dyspnea, histological type, clinical stage, and administration of chemotherapy (P>0.05). The median OS of the 123 patients was 19.5 months. The median OS in the higher PNI group (PNI≥46.24) and lower PNI group(PNI<46.24) were 25.2 months and 16.4 months, respectively.The 1-year survival rates were 80.6% and 63.9%, and 2-year survival rates were 54.8% and 19.6%, respectively (P<0.01). Univariate analysis showed that PNI, age, dyspnea, and weight loss were related to the OS of the advanced NSCLC patients (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis identified PNI as an independent prognostic factor for OS of advanced NSCLC (P<0.001). Conclusion: PNI can be easily calculated, and may be used as a relatively new prognostic indicator for advanced NSCLC in clinical practice.

Correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor and quantitative dual-energy spectral CT in non-small-cell lung cancer.

AIM: To explore the correlation between the expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tissue and quantitative parameters of spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients with NSCLC underwent a spectral CT imaging protocol before surgical tumour resection. The repetition of iodine concentration, water concentration, and CT values at 40 keV in the region of interest were measured. The slopes of spectral attenuation curves (λHU) in the region were also calculated. The level of VEGF expression in the tumour tissue was measured using an immunohistochemical method (MaxVision method). The quantitative parameters of spectral CT imaging were compared among different levels of VEGF expression using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and least significant difference (SLD) test. The correlation between VEGF expression and spectral CT imaging was estimated through Spearman's rank correlation analysis. RESULTS: There were significant differences in iodine concentrations, λHU, and CT values at 40 KeV in NSCLC between the groups showing negative and moderately positive expression of VEGF (p=0.001, 0.000, and 0.001, respectively) as well as between those showing mildly and moderately positive expression of VEGF (p=0.047, 0.005, and 0.002, respectively). In addition, all of the iodine concentrations, λHU values, and CT values at 40 KeV displayed a significant and positive correlation with the level of VEGF expression (r=0.413, 0.458, and 0.393, respectively, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative parameters of spectral CT imaging may be helpful for evaluating the status of angiogenesis in NSCLC.

[Effects of desmopressin acetate and pituitrin on proliferation, contraction, and secretion of hepatic stellate cells].

Objective: To investigate the effects of desmopressin acetate and pituitrin on the proliferation, contraction, and secretion of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Methods: The human HSC cell line LX-2 was selected as the research model. And three groups were designed: blank control group, desmopressin acetate group (three subgroups: 1×10-10mol/L, 1×10-9mol/L, and 1×10-8mol/L desmopressin acetate), and pituitrin group (three subgroups: 0.1 U/L, 1.0 U/L, and 10.0 U/L pituitrin). Water-soluble tetrazolium salt (WST)-1 assay was used to evaluate cell proliferation; collagen gel contraction assay was used to assess cell contraction; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to identify cell secretion. The data was subjected to one-way analysis of variance. Results: (1) The results of WST-1 assay showed that the values of A450in three desmopressin acetate subgroups (1×10-10mol/L, 1×10-9mol/L, and 1×10-8mol/L) were 0.459±0.017, 0.467±0.024, and 0.436±0.015, respectively. And the values of A450 in three pituitrin subgroups (0.1 U/L, 1.0 U/L, and 10.0 U/L) were 0.495±0.011, 0.507±0.015, and 0.501±0.009, respectively. Compared with the control group, the desmopressin acetate at high concentration significantly inhibited the cell proliferation (P< 0.05), but the pituitrin at three different concentrations significantly promoted the cell proliferation (P< 0.05). (2) The collagen gel area ratios in three desmopressin acetate subgroups (1×10-10mol/L, 1×10-9mol/L, and 1×10-8mol/L) were 77.07±4.42, 75.85±3.70, and 72.74±3.92, respectively. And the collagen gel area ratios in three pituitrin subgroups (0.1 U/L, 1.0 U/L, and 10.0 U/L) were 57.83±3.96, 50.28±6.69, and 43.56±7.68, respectively. Compared with the control group, the pituitrin at three different concentrations significantly reduced the collagen gel area (P< 0.01). (3) The matrix metalloproteinase(MMP)-2 concentrations in three desmopressin acetate subgroups (1×10-10mol/L, 1×10-9mol/L, and 1×10-8mol/L) were 13.321±0.098, 12.230±0.153, and 12.061±0.126, respectively. And the MMP-2 concentrations in three pituitrin subgroups (0.1 U/L, 1.0 U/L, and 10.0 U/L) were 12.899±0.150, 13.662±0.152, and 13.698±0.119, respectively. Compared with the control group, the desmopressin acetate at low concentration significantly increased the secretion of MMP-2 (P< 0.01); the desmopressin acetate at high concentration significantly decreased the MMP-2 concentration (P< 0.05); the pituitrin at three different concentrations significantly increased the MMP-2 concentration (P< 0.01). The transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-ß1) concentrations in three desmopressin acetate subgroups (1×10-10mol/L, 1×10-9mol/L, and 1×10-8mol/L) were 5.233±0.102, 17.749±0.188, and 36.060±0.227, respectively. And the TGF-ß1 concentrations in three pituitrin subgroups (0.1 U/L, 1.0 U/L, and 10.0 U/L) were 15.615±0.099, 38.460±0.209, and 49.053±0.115, respectively. Compared with the control group, desmopressin acetate and pituitrin significantly promoted the secretion of TGF-ß1 in a concentration-dependent manner (P< 0.01) and pituitrin had a stronger effect than desmopressin acetate (P< 0.01). Desmopressin acetate and pituitrin had no effect on the secretion of the collagenase type I and III (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Desmopressin acetate and pituitrin can induce the changes in the function and morphology of HSCs and may increase vascular resistance in the hepatic sinus. However, desmopressin acetate has less influence on HSCs than pituitrin.

[Association between hematocrit and risk of incident hypertension: a cohort study].

Objective: To explore the association between hematocrit level and risk of incident hypertension. Method: Subjects who participated at least two times routine health check-up in Health Management Center of Shandong Province Hospital between January 2005 and January 2010 were eligible for inclusion. After excluding participants with known hypertension and other related diseases, a prospective cohort with 20 606 subjects (female: 8 218, male: 12 388) was established. Cox-proportional hazard model was used to assess the association between hematocrit and the development of hypertension for female and male respectively. Results: During the 51 352 person-years of follow-up, newly developed hypertension was confirmed in 3 695 cases. For female, the age-adjusted hazard ratios (95%CI) for incident hypertension were 1.00 (reference), 1.06(0.86-1.29), 1.37(1.14-1.65), 1.60(1.34-1.92), respectively (P for trend<0.000 1) through the 3 quartiles of hematocrit levels.After adjusting multiple factors (age, smoking, drinking habit, physical activity, body mass index(BMI), systolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, serum creatinine, high-density lipoprotein, gamma-glutamyl transferase, white blood count), the hazard ratios (95%CI) were 1.00(reference), 1.05(0.85-1.29), 1.25(1.03-1.51), and 1.22(1.00-1.48), respectively (P for trend=0.016 9). For male, the hazard ratio (the highest vs. the lowest hematocrit level) after adjusting age or age and life style factors (smoking, drinking habit, physical activity) was 1.23 (1.11-1.37), 1.21(1.09-1.35), respectively. Other analyses of relationship hematocrit with incident hypertension were not statistically significant in male. Conclusions: Higher hematocrit level is associated with higher risk of incident hypertension, especially in female.

Limited open reduction is better for simple- distal tibial shaft fractures than minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis.

The aim of this study was to compare the effects and indications of minimally invasive plate osteosynthesis (MIPO) and limited open reduction (LOR) for managing distal tibial shaft fractures. A total of 79 cases of distal tibial shaft fractures were treated surgically in our trauma center. The 79 fracture cases were classified into type A, B, and C (C1) according to the Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen (AO) classification, with 28, 32, and 19 cases, respectively. Among the 79 fracture cases, 52 were closed fractures and 27 were open fractures (GUSTILO, I-II). After adequate preparation, 48 cases were treated with LOR and 31 cases were treated with MIPO. All cases were followed up for 12 to 18 months, with an average of 16.4 months. During the follow-up period, 76 fracture cases were healed in the first stage, whereas the 3 cases that developed non-union were treated by changing the fixation device and autografting. For types A, B, and some of C simple fractures (C1), LOR accelerated the fracture healing and lowered the non-union rate. One case suffered from regional soft tissue infection, which was controlled by wound dressing and intravenous antibiotics. Another case that developed local skin necrosis underwent local flap transplant. LOR promoted bone healing and lowered the non-union rate of several simple-distal tibial shaft fractures. Thereafter, the incidence of soft tissue complication was not significantly increased. However, for complex and comminuted fractures, MIPO was the preferred method for correcting bone alignment and protecting soft tissue, leading to functional recovery.

First Report of Fusarium Wilt in Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Caused by Fusarium oxysporum in China.

Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) production is developing quickly in China with about 20,000 ha presently cultivated. In 2010 in Lin'an, Zhejiang Province, plants developed an apparently new disease of blueberry (cv. Duke) with symptoms consisting of wilting of foliage, stunting of plants, and reduced fruit yields. Internal vascular and cortical tissues of plant crowns showed a brown to orange discoloration. Approximately 3% of the plants in the commercial plantings were affected and eventually died after 50 to 60 days. Infected plant samples (stems and roots) collected from different fields were surface sterilized with 1.5% sodium hypochlorite for 2 min, rinsed in water, plated on 2% potato dextrose agar (PDA), and incubated at 25°C in the dark for 1 week. Single conidium cultures were consistently isolated and cultured on acidified PDA (APDA) for morphological characterization (1,2). Colonies were light with purple mycelia, and beige or orange reverse colony colors developed after 7 days incubation at 25°C. Colonies producing abundant microconidia and macroconidia. Microconidia were hyaline and oval-ellipsoid to cylindrical (3.9 to 9.6 × 1.1 to 3.4 µm). Macroconidia were 3 to 5 septate and fusoid-subulate with a pedicellate base (28.6 to 37.5 × 3.3 to 4.2 µm). Morphology and development of macroconidia and microconida were consistent with a description of Fusarium oxysporum Schltdl (1,2). The ribosomal internal transcribed spacers ITS1 and ITS2 of eight isolates were amplified using primers ITS1/ITS4 on DNA extracted from mycelium and nucleotide sequences showed 100% similarity to that of F. oxysporum. To confirm pathogenicity, 20 blueberry plants (cv. Duke) were inoculated by dipping the roots into a conidial suspension (107 conidia per ml) for 30 min. The inoculated plants were transplanted into pots containing sterilized peat and maintained at 25°C and 100% relative humidity in a growth chamber with a daily 12-h photoperiod of fluorescent light. The pathogenicity test was conducted twice. Within 40 days, all inoculated plants developed wilt symptoms similar to that observed in the field. No symptoms were observed on plants dipped into distilled water. The fungus was successfully re-isolated from crowns and roots cultured on APDA, exhibiting morphological characteristics identical to F. oxysporum (1,2), confirming Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of blueberry wilt caused by Fusarium. References: (1) P. M. Kirk et al. The Dictionary of the Fungi, 10th edition, page 159. CABI Bioscience, Wallingford, UK, 2008. (2) W. C. Snyder and H. N. Hansen. Am. J. Bot. 27:64, 1940.