[A multi-center epidemiological study on pneumococcal meningitis in children from 2019 to 2020]. / 2019­2020å¹´160ä¾‹å„¿ç«¥è‚ºç‚Žé“¾çƒèŒè„‘è†œç‚Žä¸´åºŠæµè¡Œç— å­¦å¤šä¸­å¿ƒç ”ç©¶.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis (PM), and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) isolates in Chinese children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information, laboratory data, and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country. RESULTS: Among the 160 children with PM, there were 103 males and 57 females. The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years, with 109 cases (68.1%) aged 3 months to under 3 years. SP strains were isolated from 95 cases (59.4%) in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases (35.6%) in blood cultures. The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87) and 27% (21/78), respectively. Fifty-five cases (34.4%) had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis, 113 cases (70.6%) had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci, and 18 cases (11.3%) had underlying diseases. The most common clinical symptoms were fever (147 cases, 91.9%), followed by lethargy (98 cases, 61.3%) and vomiting (61 cases, 38.1%). Sixty-nine cases (43.1%) experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization, with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication [43 cases (26.9%)], followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases (15.0%), brain abscess in 23 cases (14.4%), and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases (5.0%). Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old, with rates of 91% (39/43) and 83% (20/24), respectively. SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin (100%, 75/75), linezolid (100%, 56/56), and meropenem (100%, 6/6). High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin (81%, 22/27), moxifloxacin (82%, 14/17), rifampicin (96%, 25/26), and chloramphenicol (91%, 21/23). However, low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin (16%, 11/68) and clindamycin (6%, 1/17), and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin (100%, 31/31). The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160) and 66.2% (106/160), respectively, while 18 cases (11.3%) had adverse outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years. Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old. Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM, and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications. Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates. Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases. SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin, linezolid, meropenem, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, rifampicin, and chloramphenicol.

[Clinical features of 19 children infected with the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in Hangzhou, China]. / 杭州市19ä¾‹æ–°åž‹å† çŠ¶ç— æ¯’Omicronå˜å¼‚æ ªæ„ŸæŸ“å„¿ç«¥çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical features of children infected with the Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: The medical data of 19 children who were diagnosed with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infection from January 28 to March 3, 2022 in Hangzhou were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Among the 19 children, there were 7 boys (37%) and 12 girls (63%), and their age ranged from 6 months to 16 years, with a median age of 2 years and 1 month. Most of these children were infants and young children (aged ≤3 years, accounting for 53%). Among these children, 11 (58%) were unvaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and 8 (42%) were vaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, and 3 children (16%) had a history of underlying diseases. All 19 children had a clear history of close contact with persons infected with SARS-CoV-2, and 10 children (53%) were involved in the cluster outbreak in a maternal and infant care center. In terms of clinical classification, 13 children (68%) had mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and 6 (32%) had common COVID-19, with no severe cases of COVID-19. The most common clinical symptoms were cough (100%) and fever (63%). The children with a normal peripheral white blood cell count accounted for 84%, and those with a normal lymphocyte count accounted for 68%. There were no significant abnormalities in platelet count, procalcitonin, liver function parameters (alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase), and renal function parameters (creatinine and urea). Six children (32%) had obvious signs of pneumonia on chest CT. All 19 children were given symptomatic treatment, and 12 children (63%) were given aerosol inhalation of interferon α. All children were cured and discharged. CONCLUSIONS: Children infected with Omicron variant strains are more common in infants and young children, with mild symptoms and good prognosis. Most of the children have a history of close contact with persons infected with SARS-CoV-2, and epidemic prevention and control should be strengthened in places with many infants and children, such as maternal and infant care centers.

Syndrome of Inappropriate Secretion of Antidiuretic Hormone Associated With Varicella Infection in Children.

A 9-year-old girl with remarkable hyponatremia was diagnosed with SIADH that was likely secondary to varicella. Under appropriate treatment, her serum sodium returned to the normal level. There was no evidence of hyponatremia at a 3-month follow-up. We propose that medical professionals need to consider the existence of that SIADH when treating patients with varicella who present with severe hyponatremia.

Antibiotics prescription for targeted therapy of pediatric invasive pneumococcal diseases in China: a multicenter retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Streptococcus pneumoniae (S. pneumoniae) is a major cause of bacterial meningitis, septicemia and pneumonia in children. Inappropriate choice of antibiotic can have important adverse consequences for both the individual and the community. Here, we focused on penicillin/cefotaxime non-susceptibility of S. pneumoniae and evaluated appropriateness of targeted antibiotic therapy for children with IPD (invasive pneumococcal diseases) in China. METHODS: A multicenter retrospective study was conducted in 14 hospitals from 13 provinces in China. Antibiotics prescription, clinical features and resistance patterns of IPD cases from January 2012 to December 2017 were collected. Appropriateness of targeted antibiotics therapy was assessed. RESULTS: 806 IPD cases were collected. The non-susceptibility rates of S. pneumoniae to penicillin and cefotaxime were 40.9% and 20.7% respectively in 492 non-meningitis cases, whereas those were 73.2% and 43.0% respectively in 314 meningitis cases. Carbapenems were used in 21.3% of non-meningitis cases and 42.0% of meningitis cases for targeted therapy. For 390 non-meningitis cases with isolates susceptible to cefotaxime, vancomycin and linezolid were used in 17.9% and 8.7% of cases respectively for targeted therapy. For 179 meningitis cases with isolates susceptible to cefotaxime, vancomycin and linezolid were prescribed in 55.3% and 15.6% of cases respectively. Overall, inappropriate targeted therapies were identified in 361 (44.8%) of 806 IPD cases, including 232 (28.8%) cases with inappropriate use of carbapenems, 169 (21.0%) cases with inappropriate use of vancomycin and 62 (7.7%) cases with inappropriate use of linezolid. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic regimens for IPD definite therapy were often excessive with extensive prescription of carbapenems, vancomycin or linezolid in China. Antimicrobial stewardship programs should be implemented to improve antimicrobial use.

Identifying survival-associated ceRNA clusters in cholangiocarcinoma.

Competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) represent a novel layer regulations of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and genes that play important roles in cancer pathogenesis by binding microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the competition mechanism of ceRNAs in cholangiocarcinoma (CHOL) is not fully understood. In this study, we constructed a dysregulated ceRNA competitive network (CCEN) to globally characterize the competing difference between CHOL and normal tissues. Then, we integrated affinity propagation and Kaplan­Meier (K-M) methods to identify functional clusters associated with survival. A total of 7 key ceRNA clusters were identified. Further functional annotation analyses found that Cluster23 and Cluster32 involved cell based functions, and the loss of ceRNA competitive relations in clusters may contribute to CHOL, by disturbing important biological processes, such as 'Pathway in cancer', MAPK and Neurotrophin signaling pathway. This study provides further insights into understanding the competitive mechanism of ceRNAs in CHOL.

A nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon containing an embedded network of carbon nanotubes as a highly efficient catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction.

A nitrogen-doped mesoporous carbon containing a network of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was produced for use as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). SiO2 nanoparticles were decorated with clusters of Fe atoms to act as catalyst seeds for CNT growth, after which the material was impregnated with aniline. After polymerization of the aniline, the material was pyrolysed and the SiO2 was removed by acid treatment. The resulting carbon-based hybrid also contained some Fe from the CNT growth catalyst and was doped with N from the aniline. The Fe-N species act as active catalytic sites and the CNT network enables efficient electron transport in the material. Mesopores left by the removal of the SiO2 template provide short transport pathways and easy access to ions. As a result, the catalyst showed not only excellent ORR activity, with 59 mV more positive onset potential and 30 mV more positive half-wave potential than a Pt/C catalyst, but also much longer durability and stronger tolerance to methanol crossover than a Pt/C catalyst.

Intestinal detoxification time of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in children with EV71 infection and the related factors.

BACKGROUND: Hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) is a common pediatric infectious disease caused by a variety of intestinal viruses. Enterovirus 71 (EV71) is the primary pathogen that might cause severe symptoms and even death in children with HFMD. This study aimed to investigate the intestinal detoxification time of HFMD children with EV71 infection and its related factors. METHODS: Sixty-five HFMD children with EV71 infection were followed up. Their stool samples were collected once every 4 to 7 days. Viral nucleic acids were detected by fluorescent polymerase chain reaction until the results became negative. The positive rates of viral nucleic acids were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. The Log-rank test and Cox-Mantel test were used to analyze factors affecting the HFMD children with EV71 infection. RESULTS: On the 2nd, 4th, 6th and 10th week, the positive rates of viral nucleic acids in stool samples of the 65 children were 94.6%, 48.1%, 17.2% and 0, respectively. Univariate analysis showed that the intestinal detoxification time of the children were related to gender, pre-admission disease course, severity of disease, and use of steroids or gamma globulin (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that the severity of disease was an independent factor affecting the intestinal detoxification time (P<0.05), with a relative risk of 2.418. CONCLUSIONS: The longest intestinal detoxification time of HFMD children with EV71 infection was 10 weeks. The severity of disease was an important factor affecting the intestinal detoxification time of HFMD children with EV71 infection. Severe HFMD children with EV71 infection had a longer intestinal detoxification time.

Preparation of metallic single-wall carbon nanotubes by selective etching.

We report the bulk synthesis of a sample with a high concentration of metallic single-wall carbon nanotubes (m-SWCNTs) using a modified floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition method with methane as the carbon precursor. By tuning experimental parameters, such as species and flux of carrier gases, catalyst concentration, growth temperature, etc., small-diameter semiconducting SWCNTs (s-SWCNTs) and large-diameter m-SWCNTs were obtained. Using identical growth conditions, at a temperature of 1000 °C, it was found that the addition of hydrogen as an etchant gas resulted in the preferential removal of the smaller diameter s-SWCNTs. As a result, a sample enriched with large-diameter metallic SWCNTs was obtained. The self-assembled fishnet-like m-SWCNT network showed excellent optical transparency and electrical conductivity.

High-quality, highly concentrated semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes for use in field effect transistors and biosensors.

We developed a simple and scalable selective synthesis method of high-quality, highly concentrated semiconducting single-wall carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNTs) by in situ hydrogen etching. Samples containing ~93% s-SWCNTs were obtained in bulk. These s-SWCNTs with good structural integrity showed a high oxidation resistance temperature of ~800 °C. Thin-film transistors based on the s-SWCNTs demonstrated a high carrier mobility of 21.1 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) at an on/off ratio of 1.1 × 10(4) and a high on/off ratio of 4.0 × 10(5) with a carrier mobility of 7.0 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). A biosensor fabricated using the s-SWCNTs had a very low dopamine detection limit of 10(-18) mol/L at room temperature.

[Observation on virus shedding periods of enterovirus-71 and coxsackievirus A 16 monitored by nucleic acids determination in stool samples of children with hand, foot and mouth disease].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the duration of enterovirus-71 (EV71) and coxsackievirus A 16 (CoxA16) viral shedding in stool samples of children with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) infected with EV71 and CoxA16 and to explore the relationship between the duration of intestinal virus shedding and the severity of illness of children with HFMD. METHOD: Totally 113 laboratory-confirmed cases of children with HFMD infected with EV71 and CoxA16 were followed up. The stool samples were collected with the interval of 4 to7 days and the viral nucleic acids were detected by fluorescent PCR until the stool viral nucleic acids of infected children turned to be negative. The cases in EV71 group were further divided into "ordinary EV71 group" and "severe EV71 group" according to the severity of the illness. The positive rates of viral nucleic acid and the differences of distribution among different groups were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis during the follow-up period. RESULT: The 113 cases of infected children were grouped as follows: 65 cases of EV71 positive children, 44 cases of CoxA16 positive children, 4 cases of EV71/CoxA16 mixed infection. The median duration of the stool viral nucleic acids turning to negative was 26 (18.25-32.50) days in EV71 group and 27 (14.50-33.75) days in CoxA16 group (Z = 1.51, P > 0.05). At 1, 4, 6 and 10 weeks, the positive rates of stool viral nucleic acid of children with HFMD in EV71 group were 100%, 48.1%, 17.2% and 0 respectively. At 1, 4 and 6 weeks, the positive rates of stool viral nucleic acid of children with HFMD in CoxA16 group were 95.5%, 53.8% and 0 respectively (χ(2) = 0.18, P > 0.05). At 1, 4 and 6 weeks, the positive rates of stool viral nucleic acid of children with HFMD in ordinary EV71 group were 100%, 23.5% and 0 respectively, while at 1, 4, 6 and 10 weeks, the positive rates of stool viral nucleic acid of children with HFMD in severe EV71 group were 100%, 62.4%, 26.0% and 0 respectively (χ(2) = 5.689, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The duration of enterovirus shedding in stool samples of children with HFMD lasted for a long period. The maximum duration of EV71 and CoxA16 in stool of children with HFMD was 10 weeks and 6 weeks, respectively. The duration of intestinal virus shedding of children with HFMD infected with EV71 was related with the severity of the illness.

[Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of lactate dehydrogenase gene from Plasmodium vivax Hainan isolate].

Full length sequence of lactate dehydrogenase gene was amplified by PCR from the genomic DNA of Plasmodium vivax Hainan isolate, and named as PvLDH/HN (GenBank No. FJ527750). Sequence analysis showed that the gene had 951 bp, coding 316 aa. Compared with PvLDH/Salvador and PvLDH/Belem, the nucleotide sequence homology of PvLDH/HN was both 99.89%, while the homology of amino acid sequence was 100%. Topology analysis showed that the protein had two transmembrane alpha-helices, which suggested that the protein might be a membrane protein. The major antigen epitope regions (82-95aa) was presented on the protein surface, and formed the specific substrate binding loop, which revealed that it might be an ideal target site for drug action and immunodiagnosis.

[Effect of topiramate and carbamazepine on bone metabolism in children with epilepsy].

OBJECTIVE: To assess bone health in epileptic children who have been treated with topiramate (TPM) or carbamazepine (CBZ). METHODS: Sixty-three epileptic children who received TPM or CBZ treatment and 36 eileptic children who did not receive any drug treatment (control group) were enrolled. Bone mineral density (BMD) at lumbar vertebrae (L1-L4) and radius-ulna was evaluated by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry method. Biochemical indices of bone metabolism, including serum calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase contents were measured. RESULTS: The serum calcium content was higher in the TPM group (2.41+/-0.17 mmol/L), but it was lower in the CBZ group (2.15+/-0.26 mmol/L) than that (2.26+/-0.11 mmol/L) in the control group (p<0.05). The serum phosphorus content in both the TPM (1.55+/-0.17 mmol/L) and the CBZ groups (1.52+/-0.26 mmol/L) was significantly lower than that in the control group (1.70+/-0.30 mmol/L) (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in the serum content of alkaline phosphatase between three groups. BMD was significantly reduced in both the TPM and the CBZ groups when compared to the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: TPM and CBZ may result in alterations in serum contents of calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase as well as BMD reduction.

IL-6/STAT3/TFF3 signaling regulates human biliary epithelial cell migration and wound healing in vitro.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6), through activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and trefoil factor family 3 (TFF3), has been implicated in the promotion of mouse biliary epithelial cell (BEC) proliferation and migration. However, it is still unclear whether the IL-6/STAT3/TFF3 signaling had similar effects on human BECs. Here, we showed that exposure of human BECs to recombinant IL-6 resulted in STAT3 phosphorylation and increased the expression of TFF3 at both mRNA and protein levels. Moreover, inhibition of STAT3 using RNA interference significantly abrogated IL-6-induced TFF3 expression. In an in-vitro wound healing model, IL-6 facilitated human BEC migration. This promotion of cell migration by IL-6 was blocked when STAT3 was knocked down. Interestingly, the addition of exogenous TFF3 could rescue the cell migration defects caused by STAT3 silencing. In conclusion, our data indicate that STAT3 plays a critical role in IL-6-induced TFF3 expression in human BECs and the IL-6/STAT3/TFF3 signaling is involved in human BEC migration and wound healing.

[Imaging port wine stain by optical coherence tomography].

Optical coherence tomography is an appropriate imaging method for biomedical science, due to its advantages of noninvasive nature, high resolution and fast imaging speed. Because most biological tissues have the characteristic of high scattering coefficient, OCT system can just obtain the structural images several millimeters below the surface of the tissues. The superficial depth of OCT's penetration limits application in dermatology field. As a common disease, the port wine stain (PWS) is a indication of OCT, because of its superficial lesion and significant expansion of blood vessels. To get deeper penetration in the skin, the authors employed 1 310 nm superluminescent diode as light source, optimized the light intensity ratio of reference delay arm and sample arm and control polarization, and the research of PWS imaging in vivo was accomplished. Besides, OCT is able to gather clear image and key characteristic parameters, such as the depth of epidermis layer, the diameter of blood vessel, etc. OCT will play an important role in the diagnosis and therapy of PWS.

Reconstitution of secreted frizzled-related protein 1 suppresses tumor growth and lung metastasis in an orthotopic model of hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Secreted Frizzled-related protein 1 (sFRP1) is frequently silenced in many types of cancer, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), leading to aberrant activation of Wnt signaling and thereby facilitating tumor development. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether restoration of sFRP1 affected HCC growth and metastasis. METHODS: We generated stable cell lines overexpressing sFRP1 in MHCC97-H cells, which naturally do not express detectable sFRP1 messenger RNA (mRNA) and have high metastatic properties. The effects of sFRP1 reexpression on tumor growth and metastasis were assessed in vitro and in vivo. It was also tested whether ß-catenin signaling mediated the function of sFRP1 in tumor progression. RESULTS: Overexpression of sFRP1 substantially diminished the proliferation and invasion potentials of MHCC97-H cells. Furthermore, sFRP1 expression significantly inhibited MHCC97-H xenograft growth and metastasis in vivo, which was accompanied by decreased angiogenesis and increased tumor cell apoptosis. Moreover, sFRP1 overexpression caused less expression of ß-catenin and its downstream effector genes cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2. CONCLUSION: Together these findings demonstrate that sFRP1 reconstitution suppresses tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in MHCC97-H xenografts, which may be associated with inactivation of ß-catenin signaling, thus providing a possible therapeutic strategy against HCC.

[Prevalence of mite hypersensitivity in children with asthma].

By skin prick test, three kinds of mite allergens (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, Blomia tropicalis) were tested in a group of asthma children in Jinhua area from Oct 2005 to Sep 2006. The positive rate to allergen from D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae was 80.6% and 77.8% respectively, higher than that of Blomia tropicalis (61.1%) (chi2 = 21.39, P < 0.05). Cases positive to Blomia tropicalis allergen showed 100% and 95.9% positive reaction to D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae respectively. The results demonstrated that the important allergens for children's asthma are from D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae, while the with the former two mite allergens. Blomia tropicalis allergen is supposed to have cross-reactivity