T2 Relaxation Time in Extraocular Muscles of Patients with Mild Thyroid- Associated Ophthalmopathy: Comparing T2 Mapping With and Without Fat Suppression Using Different Measurement Methods.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to compare the parametric value of T2 with and without fat suppression (FS) on T2 mapping for the evaluation of extraocular muscles (EOMs) in mild thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). METHODS: We prospectively recruited 44 consecutive patients with mild TAO seen between May 2020 and October 2022 and 26 healthy controls with no history of eye- or thyroid-related or other autoimmune diseases. Patients with mild TAO were subdivided into active and inactive groups based on their clinical activity scores. The T2 of each EOM was measured over a large and small area of interest on T2-mapping images with and without FS. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of T2 for detecting TAO activity. RESULTS: The T2 was significantly and heterogeneously higher in the active group than in the inactive and control groups (P < 0.05). FS-T2-mapping images had better signal display within and at the edges of the EOMs than those without FS. It was possible to observe high-signal aggregation visible in the periphery of some EOMs, and the central part showed relatively low signals. The maximum T2 measured in small or large areas with and without FS had good diagnostic efficacy for TAO activity, with that of no-FS being better (the area under the ROC curve of the maximum T2 measured in a small area and a large area without FS was 1.0 and 1.0 and P values of < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Maximal T2 with or without FS can facilitate the early clinical detection of mild TAO activity. The maximum T2 in a small area can facilitate active staging of patients with mild TAO.

A wide survey of heavy metals-induced in-vitro DNA replication stress characterized by rate-limited replication.

Heavy metals (HMs) are environmental pollutants that pose a threat to human health and have been accepted to cause various diseases, including cancer and developmental disorders. DNA replication stress has been identified to be associated with such diseases. However, the effect of HMs exclusively on DNA replication stress is still not well understood. In this study, DNA replication stress induced by thirteen HMs was assessed using a simplified in-vitro DNA replication model. Two parameters, Cte/Ctc reflecting the cycle threshold value alteration and Ke/Kc reflecting the linear phase slope change, were calculated based on the DNA replication amplification curve to evaluate the rate of exponential and linear phases. These parameters were used to detect the replication rate reflecting in-vitro DNA replication stress induced by tested HMs. According to the effective concentrations and rate-limiting degree, HMs were ranked as follows: Hg, Ce > Pb > Zn > Cr > Cd > Co > Fe > Mn, Cu, Bi, Sr, Ni. Additionally, EDTA could relieve the DNA replication stress induced by some HMs. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential danger of HMs themselves on DNA replication and provides new insight into the possible links between HMs and DNA replication-related diseases.

A new strategy to stabilize the heavy metals in carbonized MSWI-fly ash using an acid-resistant oligomeric dithiocarbamate chelator.

Fly ash (FA) derived from municipal solid waste incineration (MSWI) requires safe handling before landfilling due to its extremely high salt content and the risk of leaching heavy metals (HMs) under acidic conditions. Herein, aimed at improving the acid stability of dithiocarbamates, a cost-effective oligomeric dithiocarbamate (ODTC) was developed to stabilize HMs from carbonated MSWI-FA. Spiking of 3.6 wt% ODTC reduced the HM leaching below landfill standards in China, even across the pH range of 2.0-13.0 or 8-week exposure to the natural environment. Stabilization decreased the acid-soluble/exchangeable fractions of Cd, Pb, and Zn from 22.2%, 4.49%, and 21.9% to 0.14%, 0.11%, and 12.2%, respectively, resulting in safe levels for Pb and Cd with risk assessments. Compared to DDTC and SDD, ODTC exhibited higher stability under acidic conditions after chelation with the HMs, minimized the risk of HM leaching, and significantly reduced stabilization costs. In-depth studies proved that the stabilization mechanism involved the ability of ODTC to chelate HMs strongly and form acid-resistant ODTC-HM complexes, agglomeration of the MSWI-FA grains to encapsulate the ODTC-HM complexes, transformations of the HMs from acid-soluble species to stable oxidizable and residual species, and specifically ODTC reducing high-valent Pb to more stable Pb(II) species.

Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy Alleviates Ovalbumin-Induced Chronic Airway Remodeling by Suppressing M2 Macrophage Polarization.

Chronic asthma is characterized by airway hyperresponsiveness, inflammation, and remodeling. Previous studies have shown that mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (MSCs) exert anti-inflammatory effects on asthma via regulation of the immune cells. However, the therapeutic mechanism of MSCs, especially the mechanism of airway remodeling in chronic asthma, remains to be elucidated. Here, we aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of MSCs on airway remodeling in chronic asthma and explored the mechanisms by analyzing the polarization phenotype of macrophages in the lungs. We established a mouse model of chronic asthma induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and evaluated the effect of MSCs on airway remodeling. The data showed that MSCs treatment before the challenge exerted protective effects on OVA-induced chronic asthma, i.e., decreased the inflammatory cell infiltration, Th2 cytokine levels, subepithelial extracellular matrix deposition, and transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß)/Smad signaling. Additionally, we found that MSCs treatment markedly suppressed macrophage M2 polarization in lung tissue. At the same time, MSCs treatment inhibited NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation, ER stress, and oxidative stress in the OVA-induced chronic allergic airway remodeling mice model. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that MSCs treatment prevents OVA-induced chronic airway remodeling by suppressing macrophage M2 polarization, which may be associated with the dual inhibition of ER stress and oxidative stress. This discovery may provide a new theoretical basis for the future clinical application of MSCs.

Comparative efficacy of physical activity types on executive functions in children and adolescents: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the impact of various physical activity (PA) types on executive functions (EFs) in children and adolescents. DESIGN: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. METHODS: We searched databases such as PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science up to April 2023, including randomized controlled trials involving 6 distinct PA types for healthy children and adolescents. The Cochrane risk of bias tool was used to assess the risk of bias, and a random-effects model in STATA 17.0 was used to calculate standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Ball Games emerged as the most effective modality for improving updating accuracy, securing a SUCRA score of 94.4 %, and for reducing inhibition reaction time, with a SUCRA score of 94.8 %. Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity led in improving inhibition accuracy with a SUCRA score of 71.7 %. Dance excelled in improving update accuracy and reducing shifting reaction time, with SUCRA scores of 86.6 % and 99.5 %, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PA has a significant benefit in EFs in children and adolescents, however the size of the effect varies by type of PA. Ball Games emerged as the most efficacious modality for enhancing updating accuracy and for expediting inhibition reaction time. Cognitively Engaging Physical Activity proved to be the preeminent strategy for improving inhibition accuracy. Dance was distinguished as the optimal approach for improving updating accuracy and reducing shifting reaction time.

A Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica with a novel type of blaVEB-1-carrying plasmid isolated from a zebra in China.

Background: Wohlfahrtiimonas chitiniclastica is an emerging fly-borne zoonotic pathogen, which causes infections in immunocompromised patients and some animals. Herein, we reported a W. chitiniclastica BM-Y from a dead zebra in China. Methods: The complete genome sequencing of BM-Y showed that this isolate carried one chromosome and one novel type of blaVEB-1-carrying plasmid. Detailed genetic dissection was applied to this plasmid to display the genetic environment of blaVEB-1. Results: Three novel insertion sequence (IS) elements, namely ISWoch1, ISWoch2, and ISWoch3, were found in this plasmid. aadB, aacA1, and gcuG were located downstream of blaVEB-1, composing a gene cassette array blaVEB-1-aadB-aacA1-gcuG bracketed by an intact ISWoch1 and a truncated one, which was named the blaVEB-1 region. The 5'-RACE experiments revealed that the transcription start site of the blaVEB-1 region was located in the intact ISWoch1 and this IS provided a strong promoter for the blaVEB-1 region. Conclusion: The spread of the blaVEB-1-carrying plasmid might enhance the ability of W. chitiniclastica to survive under drug selection pressure and aggravate the difficulty in treating infections caused by blaVEB-1-carrying W. chitiniclastica. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the genetic characterization of a novel blaVEB-1-carrying plasmid with new ISs from W. chitiniclastica.

Obstructive sleep apnea promotes the progression of lung cancer by modulating cancer cell invasion and cancer-associated fibroblast activation via TGFß signaling.

OBJECTIVE: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with severity of pneumonia; however, the mechanism by which OSA promotes lung cancer progression is unclear. METHODS: Twenty-five lung cancer patients were recruited to investigate the relationship between OSA and cancer-associated fibroblast (CAFs) activation. Lung cancer cells (A549) and WI38 fibroblast cells were used to explore the hypoxia-induced TGFß expression using qPCR, Western blot, and ELISA. Wound healing and transwell assays were performed to evaluate cancer cell migration and invasion. A549 or A549-Luc + WI38 xenograft mouse models were established to detect the intermittent hypoxia (IH) associated with lung tumor growth and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in vivo. RESULTS: OSA promotes CAF activation and enrichment in lung cancer patients. Hypoxia (OSA-like treatment) activated TGFß signaling in both lung cancer cells and fibroblasts, which promoted cancer cell migration and invasion, and enriched CAFs. IH promoted the progression and EMT process of lung cancer xenograft tumor. Co-inoculation of lung cancer cells and fibroblast cells could further promote lung cancer progression. CONCLUSIONS: IH promotes lung cancer progression by upregulating TGFß signaling, promoting lung cancer cell migration, and increasing the CAF activation and proportion of lung tumors.

Enhancing Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients' Outcomes Through Functional Rehabilitation Training in Combination with Orthosis.

Objective: This study aims to provide clinical evidence for the treatment of idiopathic scoliosis (IS) by assessing the therapeutic effectiveness of combining functional rehabilitation training with orthosis. Methods: We enrolled a total of 94 IS patients who were admitted to our hospital from April 2020 to February 2022. These patients were randomly assigned into two groups: a research group (RG; n=47) receiving functional rehabilitation training combined with orthosis and a control group (CG; n=47) receiving orthosis treatment alone. Clinical outcomes were evaluated one year after treatment. We also measured the Cobb angle, apical vertebral rotation (AVR), and the distance between the vertical line of the sacrum and the spinous process of the scoliosis parietal vertebra before and after treatment to determine apical vertebral translation (AVT) from the sacral midline and lumbar range of motion (ROM). Patient quality of life was assessed using the Short-Form 36 Item Health Survey (SF-36). Results: After treatment, the research group exhibited significantly lower Cobb angles, AVR, and AVT, along with a higher overall response rate and greater lumbar ROM compared to the control group (P < .05). Post-treatment SF-36 scores increased in both groups, with notably higher scores in the research group (P < .05). Conclusions: Combining functional rehabilitation training with orthosis is an effective approach for the treatment of IS and holds substantial clinical significance.

High incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections and related antibiotic resistance in two hospitals of different geographic regions of Sierra Leone: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) are common worldwide, but due to limited resources, its actual burden in low-income countries is unknown. Currently, there are gaps in knowledge about CAUTI due to lack of surveillance activities in Sierra Leone. In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to determine the incidence of CAUTI and associated antibiotic resistance in two tertiary hospitals in different regions of Sierra Leone. RESULTS: The mean age of the 459 recruited patients was 48.8 years. The majority were females (236, 51.3%). Amongst the 196 (42.6%) catheterized patients, 29 (14.8%) developed CAUTI. Bacterial growth was reported in 32 (84%) patients. Escherichia coli (14, 23.7%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (10, 17.0%), and Klebsiella oxytoca (8, 13.6%) were the most common isolates. Most isolates were ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae (33, 56%) and WHO Priority 1 (Critical) pathogens (38, 71%). Resistance of K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, E. coli, and Proteus mirabilis was higher with the third-generation cephalosporins and penicillins but lower with carbapenems, piperacillin-tazobactam and amikacin. To reduce the high incidence of CAUTI and multi-drug resistance organisms, urgent action is needed to strengthen the microbiology diagnostic services and develop and implement catheter bundles that provide clear guidance for catheter insertion, care and removal.

The Legend score synthesizes Wells, PERC, Geneva, D-dimer and predicts acute pulmonary embolism prior to imaging tests.

INTRODUCTION: The prediction rules of acute pulmonary embolism(PE) before imaging tests recommended by the commonly used guidelines have low diagnostic efficiency if not combined with D-dimer, therefore it is necessary to seek for a prediction rule with higher diagnostic efficiency. METHODS: We designed a new score named Legend by synthesizing the scores of Wells, PERC, and Geneva, as well as D-dimer with patients in the development group(n = 2112), and then validated it in patients of validation group(n = 388). Diagnostic efficiency was also compared between Legend score and Wells+D-dimer (DD), PERC+DD, Geneva+DD, and YEARS+DD(YEAR algorithm). RESULTS: The Legend score comprised active cancer, D-dimer≥1000 ng/mL, DVT symptoms and/or signs, previous venous thromboembolism (VTE) history, and surgery, trauma, or immobilization in the past month. The sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, and area under the curve(AUC) were 0.985, 0.744, 0.729, and (0.861[0.796-0.925], P<0.001), respectively, for original Legend score, whereas were 0.982, 0.778, 0.760, and (0.871[0.823-0.920], P<0.001), respectively, for simplified Legend score. The Kappa coefficient and P value of McNemar test were 0.988 and 1.000, respectively, between the original and simplified Legend scores. In the validation group, the sensitivity, specificity, Youden index, and C-index were 0.971, 0.749, 0.720, and (0.838[0.781-0.896], P<0.001), respectively, for the original Legend score, whereas were 0.986, 0.715, 0.701, and (0.816[0.750-0.880], P = 0.001) respectively, for the simplified Legend score. The Kappa coefficient and P value of McNemar test between original Legend score and Wells+DD, PERC+DD, Geneva+DD, and YEARS+DD were (0.563, 0.001), (0.139, <0.001), (0.631, 0.006), and (0.732, 0.029), respectively. The Kappa coefficient and P value of McNemar test between simplified Legend score and aforementioned scores were (0.675, 0.009), (0.172, <0.001), (0.747, 0.001), and (0.883, 0.012), respectively. DISCUSSION: In view of the fact the Legend score reserves the efficient predictors and eliminates the inefficient ones in Wells, PERC, and revised Geneva scores, and incorporates D-dimer into it, a more efficient, modified, and user-friendly one has replaced the original ones. CONCLUSIONS: The Legend score yields excellent diagnostic efficiency with good safety in the pretest prediction of acute PE prior to imaging tests. It also avoids more unnecessary imaging tests than Wells+DD, PERC+DD, Geneva+DD, or YEARS+DD.

Exploration of cuprotosis-related genes for predicting prognosis and immunological characteristics in acute myeloid leukaemia based on genome and transcriptome.

BACKGROUND: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a common hematologic malignancy with a generally unfavorable prognosis. Cuprotosis as a new form of programmed cell death has been shown to play an important role in tumorigenesis and progression; However, the relationship between cuprotosis and the prognosis of AML patients remains unclear. METHODS: Transcriptomic and genomics data, along with clinical information, were obtained from the TCGA and GEO databases. Especially, unsupervised clustering and machining learning were used to identify molecular subtypes and cuprotosis-related risk scores respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis, univariate and multivariate Cox regression, and Receiver Operator Characteristic curve (ROC) were performed to assess the prognosis based on cuprotosis-related genes (CRGs). Moreover, multiple algorithms were used to evaluate immunological heterogeneity among patients with different risk scores. For in vitro analysis, the expression of genes involved in CRGs was detected by Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase (qRT-PCR) in AML patients. RESULTS: Transcriptomic and genome data indicated the immense heterogeneity in the CRGs landscape of normal and tumor samples. Cuprotosis subtype A and cuprotosis regulatory subtype B in the genomics map and biological characteristics were significantly different from the other groups. Furthermore, these two subtypes had lower risk scores and longer survival times compared to other groups. Cox analyses indicated that risk score was an independent prognostic factor for AML patients. In addition, our risk score could be an indicator of survival outcomes in immunotherapy datasets. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates the potential of CRGs in guiding the prognosis, treatment, and immunological characteristics of AML patients.

Intermittent hypoxia inhibits anti-tumor immune response via regulating PD-L1 expression in lung cancer cells and tumor-associated macrophages.

Accumulating evidence has shown an increased tumor incidence and reduced survival rate in cancer patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Although intermittent hypoxia is known to play a crucial role, the molecular mechanism by which intermittent hypoxia accelerates lung cancer progression remains to be elucidated.A lung cancer xenograft mouse model was established by subcutaneously injecting LLC cells into C57BL/6 mice. The tumor-bearing mice were exposed to either normoxia or intermittent hypoxia and received either IgG2a, anti-programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1), PX-478, or anti-PD-L1 + PX-478 treatment.A significant upregulation of tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) papulation and PD-L1 levels was observed in lung adenocarcinoma patients with OSA. We further confirmed that hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) regulates PD-L1 at transcriptional levels, mainly through binding to the hypoxia response element 4. Using a lung cancer xenograft mouse model, we observed that intermittent hypoxia exposed tumors grew faster and bigger with upregulated HIF-1α and PD-L1 expression, enhanced TAMs and Treg populations, and reduced cytotoxic T cells and cytokine secretion. Finally, we found a combination of PX-478 and anti-PD-L1 exerted an encouraging tumor inhibition effect compared to single treatment. Combination therapies based on HIF-1α and PD-L1 blockade might serve as a promising strategy to treat lung cancer patients with OSA.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus from Migratory Birds in China Carries an Extra Copy of tRNA-Gly and Plasmid-Mediated Quinolone Resistance Gene qnrD.

Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a marine bacterium coming from estuarine environments, where the migratory birds can easily be colonized by V. parahaemolyticus. Migratory birds may be important reservoirs of V. parahaemolyticus by growth and re-entry into the environment. To further explore the spreading mechanism of V. parahaemolyticus among marine life, human beings, and migratory birds, we aimed to investigate the characteristics of the genetic diversity, antimicrobial resistance, virulence genes, and a potentially informative gene marker of V. parahaemolyticus isolated from migratory birds in China. This study recovered 124 (14.55%) V. parahaemolyticus isolates from 852 fecal and environmental (water) samples. All of the 124 strains were classified into 85 known sequence types (STs), of which ST-2738 was most frequently identified. Analysis of the population structure using whole-genome variation of the 124 isolates illustrated that they grouped into 27 different clonal groups (CGs) belonging to the previously defined geographical populations VppX and VppAsia. Even though these genomes have high diversity, an extra copy of tRNA-Gly was presented in all migratory bird-carried V. parahaemolyticus isolates, which could be used as a potentially informative marker of the V. parahaemolyticus strains derived from birds. Antibiotic sensitivity experiments revealed that 47 (37.10%) isolates were resistant to ampicillin. Five isolates harbored the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene qnrD, which has not previously been identified in this species. The investigation of antibiotic resistance provides the basic knowledge to further evaluate the risk of enrichment and reintroduction of pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus strains in migratory birds. IMPORTANCE The presence of V. parahaemolyticus in migratory birds' fecal samples implies that the human pathogenic V. parahaemolyticus strains may also potentially infect birds and thus pose a risk for zoonotic infection and food safety associated with re-entry into the environment. Our study firstly highlights the extra copy of tRNA as a potentially informative marker for identifying the bird-carried V. parahaemolyticus strains. Also, we firstly identify the plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene qnrD in V. parahaemolyticus. To further evaluate the risk of enrichment and reintroduction of pathogenic strains carried by migratory birds, we suggest conducting estuarine environmental surveillance to monitor the antibiotic resistance and virulence factors of bird-carried V. parahaemolyticus isolates.

Characteristics of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae in sewage from a tertiary hospital in Jilin Province, China.

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) infection is a serious problem in hospitals worldwide. We monitored a tertiary hospital in Changchun, Jilin Province, China, and found that CRKP was the major species among the carbapenem-resistant isolates in sewage. Subsequently, we evaluated the drug susceptibility, resistance genes, virulence genes, outer pore membrane protein-related genes (OmpK35 & OmpK 36), multi-locus sequence typing and replicons, biofilm formation capabilities, and resistance to chlorine-containing disinfectants among KP isolates. Identification of drug sensitivity, multiple resistance profiles were observed including 77 (82.80%) multidrug resistant (MDR), 16 (17.20%) extensive drug resistant (XDR). Some antibiotic resistance genes were detected, the most prevalent carbapenemase gene was blaKPC, and 16 resistance genes were associated with other antibiotics. In addition, 3 (3.23%) CRKP isolates demonstrated loss of OmpK-35 and 2 (2.15%) demonstrated loss of OmpK-36. In the detection of multi-locus sequence typing (MLST), 11 ST11 isolates carried virulence genes. The most common replicon type was IncFII. Biofilm-forming capabilities were demonstrated by 68.8% of the isolates, all of which were resistant to chlorine-containing disinfectants. The results of the study showed that antibiotic-resistant isolates, especially CRKP, could resist disinfectants in hospital wastewater, and improper treatment of hospital wastewater may lead to the spread of drug-resistant bacteria and their genes. Thus, these bacteria must be eliminated before being discharged into the municipal sewage system.

Bioinspired skin towards next-generation rehabilitation medicine.

The rapid progress of interdisciplinary researches from materials science, biotechnologies, biomedical engineering, and medicine, have resulted in the emerging of bioinspired skins for various fantasticating applications. Bioinspired skin is highly promising in the application of rehabilitation medicine owing to their advantages, including personalization, excellent biocompatibility, multi-functionality, easy maintainability and wearability, and mass production. Therefore, this review presents the recent progress of bioinspired skin towards next-generation rehabilitation medicine. The classification is first briefly introduced. Then, various applications of bioinspired skins in the field of rehabilitation medicine at home and abroad are discussed in detail. Last, we provide the challenges we are facing now, and propose the next research directions.

Management of venous thromboembolism in patients with lung cancer: a state-of-the-art review.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is common and life-threatening in patients with lung cancer. Management of VTE is critical for patients with lung cancer. Risk assessment, thromboprophylaxis and treatment of VTE constitute the core issues of VTE management in patients with lung cancer. Although its overall principles should follow recommendations in authoritative guidelines, VTE management in patients with lung cancer may be slightly special in some specific aspects. Despite the extensive validation of Khorana score for patients with all cancer types, its value in VTE risk assessment of patients with lung cancer is controversial. It is important to determine the VTE risk assessment score that can accurately and specifically assess the VTE risk of patients with lung cancer. Clinical practice patterns of thromboprophylaxis may vary by cancer types, since different sites of cancer may have different levels of VTE risk. To understand the thromboprophylaxis specific for lung cancer is of vital importance for patients with lung cancer. Although it is essential to comply with authoritative guidelines, the duration and timing of initiation of thromboprophylaxis in surgical patients with lung cancer may need further study. Taken together, the purpose of this review is to provide an overview of state-of-the-art VTE stewardship specific for patients with lung cancer.

Chemical fingerprints and implicated cancer risks of Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from fine particulate matter deposited in human lungs.

Exposure to fine particles (PM2.5) and associated PAHs are frequently linked with lung cancer, which makes the understanding of their occurrence and health risk in human lungs urgently important. Using the ultrasonic treatment and sequencing centrifugation (USC) extraction method coupled with gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC - MS/MS) analysis, we revealed the molecular fingerprints of PM-accumulated PAHs in human lungs from a cohort of 68 patients with lung cancer in a typical air-polluted region, China. Sixteen priority PAHs can be grouped by concentrations as âˆ¼ 1 × 104 ng/g (ANT/BkF/ACE/DBA/BgP/PHN/PYR), 2-5 × 103 ng/g (BaP/FLE/NaP/BbF), and âˆ¼ 1 × 103 ng/g (IND/Acy/CHR/FLT/BaA). The sum concentration of 16 PAHs was approximately equaled to 13% of those in atmospheric PM2.5, suggesting significant pulmonary leaching of PAHs deposited in lungs. Low- and high-molecular weight PAHs accounted for âˆ¼ 41.8% and âˆ¼ 45.1% of the total PAHs, respectively, which indicated that atmospheric PM2.5, tobacco and cooking smoke were likely to be important sources of pulmonary PAHs. The evident increasing concentrations of NaP and FLE in pulmonary PM were significantly correlated with smoking history among smokers. The implicated carcinogenic potency of PM-accumulated PAHs among the participants aged 70-80 was 17 times that among participants aged 40-50 on the basis of BaP equivalent concentration (BaPeq) evaluation. The particulate enrichment factor (EFP), the PAH content in pulmonary PM relative to the bulk lung tissue, was equaled to 54 âˆ¼ 835 and averaged at 436. The high value of EFP suggested that PAHs were essentially accumulated in pulmonary PM and exhibited a pattern of "hotspot" distribution in the lungs, which would likely increase the risk of monoclonal tumorigenesis. The chemical characteristics of PM-accumulated PAHs in human lungs together with their implicated lung cancer risks could provide significant information for understanding health effects of particulate pollution in the human body.

Virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance in Enterococcus strains isolated from dogs and cats in Northeast China.

This study aimed to characterize the antimicrobial resistance and virulence of Enterococcus from dogs and cats in Northeast China and evaluate its zoonotic risk based on a total of 469 enterococci strains from 610 samples, including 238 strains of E. faecium and 128 strains of E. faecalis. The isolation rate from police dog samples was 93.79%, pet dog samples was 69.90% and pet cat samples was 76.67%. The differences in the prevalence of E. faecalis among different hosts were statistically significant (P<0.05). The assays showed that most of the virulence genes detected were existed in E. faecalis and police dogs carried the least number of virulence genes. The correlation between enterococcal surface protein (esp) and aggregation substance (asa1) was determined. Enterococci are most resistant to tetracycline and erythromycin, 68.92% of the isolates were classified as multiple drug resistant. Significant differences (P<0.01) were found between E. faecium and E. faecalis in the resistance rates of nine antimicrobials. Four positive and four negative correlations were found between virulence genes and antimicrobial resistance. The results show that Enterococcus colonization and excretion in dogs and cats were related to animal species and living environments. Some correlation between virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance was obtained. This study confirmed the presence of strains carrying multiple virulence factors and antimicrobial resistance at the same time, suggesting a public health risk for dogs and cats as reservoirs of enterococci.

Oxygenation index and NT-proBNP as predictors of pulmonary hypertension and ventilation/perfusion mismatch in acute pulmonary embolism.

Introduction: The magnitude of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and the extent of ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) mismatch are essential for assessing the prognosis of acute pulmonary embolism (APE). We aimed to develop a model for predicting the status of the pulmonary circulation and arterial gas exchange functions using serum levels of cardiac biomarkers and arterial oxygenation index (OI) values. Materials and methods: This single-center, retrospective observational cohort study included 224 patients with APE. Multivariate linear regression and Poisson regression were used to test the statistical association between cardiac biomarkers, OI, PAP, and V/Q mismatch. Diagnostic efficiency was calculated from a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results: Serum levels of troponin I (TNI), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and arterial OI magnitude significantly correlated with PAP and V/Q mismatches (P < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression showed that NT-proBNP serum levels (ß = 0.002, P < 0.001) and OI values (ß = -0.022, P = 0.001) significantly influenced PAP. Arterial OI (ß = -0.039, P < 0.001) had a significant influence on the percentage of pulmonary vascular obstruction (PVO) as determined by perfusion scanning. Poisson regression showed that OI (odds ratio: 0.995, p < 0.001) was a predictor of the number of lung segments with V/Q mismatches. ROC area under the curve (AUC) values of NT-proBNP and OI predicting pulmonary hypertension were 0.716 and 0.730, respectively, and for V/Q mismatch scanning, the results were 0.601 and 0.634, respectively. Conclusion: Arterial OI and serum levels of cardiac biomarkers may be used as indicators of pulmonary hypertension and V/Q mismatch.