[A survey of cervical and lumbar spine diseases of express delivery employees].

Objective: To understand the current situation and influencing factors of cervical and lumbar spine diseases of the express delivery employees, and provide scientific basis for carrying out their occupational health protection in a targeted manner. Methods: From February 2020 to January 2021, the current situation research method was used to obtain 527 express delivery employees by cluster sampling. Online questionnaires were used to investigate sociodemographic characteristics and emotional characteristics, and clinical data were obtained by digital X-ray (DR) examination of the neck and waist. Pearson χ(2) test and multivariate logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of cervical and lumbar spine diseases in express delivery employees. Results: The prevalence rates of cervical spine and lumbar spine diseases among express delivery employees were 49.15% (259/527) and 67.74% (357/527) , respectively. Univariate analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences in the distribution of cervical and lumbar spine disease among express delivery employees with different ages, length of service, working hours per week, and different degrees of distress due to emotional factors (P<0.05) . Multivariate analysis showed that express delivery employees aged ≥25 years old had a higher risk of cervical spine disease (P<0.05) , the express delivery employees who worked 49-55 hours per week had a lower risk of cervical spine disease (P<0.05) . Express delivery employees aged≥35 years old had a lower risk of lumbar spine disease (P<0.05) , and the risk of lumbar spine disease was higher among express delivery workers who suffered moderate or more distress due to emotional factors (such as anxiety, depression, or irritability) in the past 4 weeks (P<0.05) . Conclusion: The prevalence of cervical and lumbar spine diseases is relatively high among express delivery employees. It is recommended to adjust the weekly working hours of express delivery employees, organize psychological counseling training, and effectively protect the occupational health rights of express delivery employees.

Desflurane pretreatment can reduce sepsis-evoked lung injury in rats via inhibiting STAT3 pathway.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of desflurane (Des) pretreatment on sepsisevoked lung injury in rats and its mechanism. The rat model of sepsis-evoked lung injury was prepared using lipopolysaccharide (LPS), while rat lung mesenchymal cell (MSC) model was cultured in vitro, followed by Des pretreatment or inhibitor S31-201 culture. The degree of lung tissue injury was analyzed by Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining. The expression levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the serum of rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). One-step terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was utilized to determine the apoptosis levels of lung tissues and MSCs cultured in vitro. The expressions of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) pathway in rat lung tissues and MSCs were detected by Western blotting. After modeling, LPS induced the lung injury in rats, the expression levels of IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α were up-regulated (P<0.05), the apoptosis rate was increased (P<0.05), and phosphorylated-Janus kinase 2 (p-JAK2) and phosphorylated-STAT3 (p-STAT3) protein expressions were up-regulated (P<0.05). Des pretreatment can alleviate LPS-induced lung injury, down-regulate IL-6, IL-1ß and TNF-α expression levels (P<0.05), reduce apoptosis (P<0.05), and downregulate p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 protein levels (P<0.05). LPS induced an increase in apoptosis rate of MSCs (P<0.05) and the up-regulation of p-STAT3 protein expression (P<0.05). Both Des pretreatment and S31-201 inhibitor culture could reduce the apoptosis rate (P<0.05) and down-regulate p-STAT3 protein level (P<0.05). Des pretreatment can reduce sepsis-evoked lung injury in rats, which may be related to the inhibition of protein expressions of STAT3 pathway.

A tuberculosis school outbreak in China, 2018: reaching an often overlooked adolescent population.

Adolescents have been largely neglected from tuberculosis control efforts. In low- to medium burden settings much of the tuberculosis burden in this age group occurs from school outbreaks. We report on a large tuberculosis outbreak in adolescents from a boarding high school in Jiangsu Province, China. From March to June 2018, a tuberculosis outbreak occurred in a boarding high school. We conducted an outbreak investigation involving clinical diagnostic tests and molecular analysis to determine the outbreak origin. Cases were detected through symptom screening, tuberculin skin testing (TST), chest radiography, sputum smear, solid sputum culture and GeneXpert MTB/RIF. Mycobacterial interspersed repetitive-unit-variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) genotyping and spoligotyping methods were performed on Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) isolates to identify the outbreak origin. A total of 845 students and 131 teachers/staff attended a TST screening for tuberculosis infection. The prevalence of elevated tuberculin reactions at ≥5, ≥10 and ≥15 mm was 12.19% (119/976), 6.35% (62/976) and 3.28% (32/976), respectively. Radiographic abnormalities were present in 5.73% (56 of 976) individuals, 40 students and 16 teachers/staff. Of these, 12 students were diagnosed with confirmed tuberculosis. In total, 14 students (two index cases and 12 confirmed cases) were diagnosed and reported in the tuberculosis outbreak, an attack rate of 1.7% (14/847) among students (two index cases and 845 screened students). Results from MIRU-VNTR typing and spoligotyping analyses demonstrated that three M. tuberculosis strains belong to the Beijing family with corresponding MIRU-VNTR alleles. This school-based tuberculosis outbreak among adolescents demonstrates that transmission among individuals in this age group is common and must be prioritised. It suggests that identifying and timely diagnosis of smear-positive cases, especially in the early phase of outbreaks, is the key to preventing further spread among close contacts.

Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis for Acute Limb Ischemia in an Asian Population.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of peripheral arterial occlusions in Asian populations is likely to increase exponentially in the present and future decades due to the adapted Western lifestyle in metropolitan Asian life, extended life expectancies, and high rates of smoking. The literature on thrombolytic treatment of peripheral arterial occlusions in Asian populations is limited. Therefore, we evaluated the thrombolysis results in a real-world contemporary Asian cohort of patients with peripheral arterial occlusions. METHODS: Retrospective review of all electronic patient records of patients who underwent thrombolytic therapy for peripheral arterial occlusions between July 2011 and July 2016 was conducted. Outcomes were angiographic patency, clinical success, bleeding complications, amputation rates, and mortality rates. RESULTS: In total, 82 patients (median age 66 years, range 34-95) underwent catheter-directed thrombolysis. Median treatment duration was 26 hr (3-209). Angiographic patency and clinical success rates were 64% and 66%, respectively. Bleeding complications occurred in 12% of patients of which 6% were major. Amputation-free rates were 81%, 67%, and 63% for 30 days, 6 months, and 1 year, respectively. In-hospital mortality was 6%. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that thrombolytic treatment of peripheral arterial occlusions in an Asian patient cohort yields comparable treatment success rates to Western cohorts; however, higher rates of bleeding complications are hazardous and remain a detrimental drawback of this treatment.

The function of microRNA-34a in osteoarthritis.

AIM: To discuss the effects and mechanism of microRNA-34a in cell apoptosis induced by osteoarthritis. METHODS: Collection of the normal and osteoarthritis synovial tissues and measurements of the miRNA-34a and TGIF2 gene expression. In the cell experiment, the cells were divided into Control, Blank and miRNA inhibitor group. The cell proliferation and apoptosis of the different groups were measured by MTT and flow cytometry and the TGIF2 protein expression in the different groups was evaluated by WB assay. The correlation between TGIF2 and miRNA-34a was analyzed by Double luciferase experiment. RESULTS: Compared with normal synovial tissues, the miRNA-34a gene expression was significantly up-regulated and TGIF2 gene expression was significantly suppressed in osteoarthritis synovial tissues (p < 0.001, respectively). The cell proliferation was significantly depressed and the cell apoptosis rate was significantly increased in miRNA inhibitor group compared with the Control group (p < 0.001, respectively). Using the WB assay it was shown that the TGIF2 protein expression of miRNA inhibitor group was significantly suppressed compared with that of Control group (p < 0.01). By Double luciferase assay, TGIF2 gene was one target gene of miRNA-34a. CONCLUSION: miRNA-34a could induce osteoarthritis synovial cell apoptosis via regulation of TGIF2 in vitro (Fig. 6, Ref. 29).

miRNA-31 over-expression improve synovial cells apoptosis induced by RA.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and mechanism of miRNA-31 in synovial cells apoptosis induced by RA. METHODS: The miRNA-31 gene expressions were extracted from synovial tissues of normal and RA patients by RT-PCR and H et E staining. The synovial cells of RA patients were isolated and randomly divided into Control, Blank and miRNA groups. The cell apoptosis of difference groups were measured by flow cytometry; the TNF-α and IL-1ß concentrations of difference groups were measured by Elisa assay; TLR4 and NF-κB proteins expressions were measured by WB assay and the correlation between TLR4 and miRNA-31 were evaluated by double luciferase target experiment. RESULTS: The miRNA-31 gene expression was significantly suppressed in RA tissues (p<0.001); Compared with control group, the cell apoptosis rate of miRNA group was significantly suppressed (p<0.001); TNF-α and IL-1ß concentrations were significantly down-regulation in culture fluid (p<0.001, respectively) and TLR4 and NF-κB proteins expressions were significantly depressed (p<0.001, respectively) in miRNA group. By double luciferase target experiment, the TLR4 was a target gene of miRNA-31. CONCLUSION: miRNA-31 is a key role in synovial cells apoptosis induced by RA (Fig. 7, Ref. 23).

[Drug resistance mutations and its associated factors among 579 HIV/AIDS patients experiencing failure of antiretroviral therapy in Jiangsu Province, China].

Objective: To understand the incidence and related factors of HIV-1 drug resistance among HIV/AIDS patients experiencing treatment failure in Jiangsu province, China. Methods: The HIV/AIDS integrated prevention and control data information management system of China were used to collect the basic data of patients, blood specimens were collected from patients who had antiretroviral therapy (ART) failure with ≥12 months and older than 18 years in 2016 in Jiangsu, excluding cases with missing information, 713 cases were enrolled in this study. HIV-1 RNA was extracted, and then pol gene region was amplified and sequenced. The obtain sequences were submitted to Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database to interpret and analyse HIV-1 drug resistance and sub-types. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to explore the related factors of drug resistance. Results: A total of 579 subjects were amplified successfully, male accounted for 85.66% (496 cases), and the median age was 39 years old. The main route of infection was sexual transmission (553 cases, 95.51%). A total of 331 patients with drug resistance gene mutation were detected, drug resistance mutation rate was 57.18%. Compared with patients with baseline CD4(+)T cell count >500 cells/µl, patients with CD4(+)T cell count in 201-500 cells/mm(3) and ≤200 cells/µl had a higher incidence of genetic drug resistance, the odds ratio was 3.33 and 6.87, respectively. Compared with patients with treatment less than 24 months, patients treated for 25-48 months had a higher incidence of drug resistance, the odds ratio was 1.88. Compared with patients infected by CRF07_BC strains, patients infected by CRF01_AE strains were associated with higher incidence of drug resistance, the odds ratio was 2.22 and 3.32, respectively. Protease inhibitor (PI) resistance mutations, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI) were found in 3.80%, 33.16% and 53.37% of patients, respectively. 31.95% of patients harbored NRTI and NNRTI resistance mutations simultaneously. M184V/I and K103N/Q were the highest frequency of NRTI and NNRTI resistance mutation, the prevalence of M184V/I and K103N/Q were 28.15% and 22.28%, respectively. Conclusion: The status of HIV-1 drug resistance mutations are complex and diverse among patients experiencing failure of ART in Jiangsu. Patients with lower baseline CD4(+)T cell count, longer treatment time and HIV-1 CRF01_AE and B strains infection were associated with higher incidence of drug resistance mutation.

[The advance of detection technology of HIV self-testing].

At present, China's AIDS testing increased rapidly, but there are still many people living with HIV do not recognize their status, thus postponing the antiviral treatment time. HIV self-testing (HST) is an effective method to expand the testing, not only simple operation, easy to get a result, effectively protect the detection privacy, expand the selection of testers, suit to the entire population, but also the premise and basis of other AIDS comprehensive prevention measures, all over the world are promoting it. Because the HST has controversies in the window period, price and before and after controversial, and our country is in the initial stage of HST, so it is not to develop related policies, but more and more countries are in accordance with their own situations are modified or developed to allow to use rapid detection of AIDS policy to regulate the field. This paper analyzed and summarized the advantage and influence factors of HST promotion, HST believes that in the long term, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, we need to formulate relevant policies, and improve the sensitivity of the kit, shorten the window period of time, production and promotion of operation standard of video, specification and testing the operating practices, preventing and reporting the possible social harm, investigation and understanding of the needs of the people of the crowd, to maximize the advantages of HST, find more infection, so as to curb the epidemic of AIDS.

Endovascular Stent Graft Repair is an Effective and Safe Alternative Therapy for Arteriovenous Graft Pseudoaneurysms.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Pseudoaneurysm formation occurs in 2-10% of hemodialysis arteriovenous grafts (AVGs). Surgical repair often requires pseudoaneurysm resection, interposition graft placement, and insertion of a catheter as a bridge. Endovascular stent graft repair is a controversial alternative therapy. This study was performed to examine the effectiveness and mid-term outcomes of stent graft repair for AVG pseudoaneurysms. METHODS: All patients who had undergone stent graft repair for AVG pseudoaneurysms between December 2012 and July 2015 were identified from hospital medical records for retrospective analysis. Outcome measures were technical success, early and late complications, and primary and secondary patency rates. RESULTS: A total of 37 stent graft repairs of AVG pseudoaneurysms were performed in 35 patients (42.9% men; mean age 66.9 years). The mean time from AVG creation to pseudoaneurysm repair was 69 months. The indications of treatment (as per the institutional policy) were large pseudoaneurysm (56.7%), impending rupture (27.1%), and bleeding (16.2%). Mean pseudoaneurysm diameter was 23.0 mm. The most common diameter and length of stent graft used were 7 mm (67.6%) and 50 mm (48.6%), respectively. Technical success was 100%. Only one early complication occurred after stent graft repair, which was due to recurrence of the pseudoaneurysm as a result of a short landing zone. Late complications included infection (17.1%) and thrombosis (37.1%). The 1, 6, and 12 month primary patency rates were 89.2%, 55.5%, and 22.0%, respectively. The 1, 6, and 12 month secondary patency rates were 100%, 88.6%, and 78.6%, respectively. The median follow up was 12.3 months. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrates that endovascular stent graft repair is an effective and safe alternative therapy for AVG pseudoaneurysms. However, the rate of thrombosis and infection was high and needs to be balanced against open surgery in future studies.

Hepatitis C virus infection and risk factors in the general population: a large community-based study in eastern China, 2011-2012.

Limited information is available on the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the general population in China. A community-based epidemiological study was conducted in three counties in eastern China. A total of 149 175 individuals were investigated in 60 communities in three counties in Jiangsu province, eastern China, of whom 1175 subjects [0·79%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0·74-0·83] were HCV antibody positive. The prevalence was low in children (0·09%, 95% CI 0·04-0·17), but increased progressively from adolescents (0·20%, 95% CI 0·15-0·28) to adults aged ⩾21 years (95% CI 0·15-1·64). Women had a higher prevalence of HCV infection than men in most age groups. In a multilevel regression analysis, age, sex, education, occupation, blood transfusion [odds ratio (OR) 2·91, 95% CI 1·09-5·37], invasive testing (OR 1·28, 95% CI 1·14-1·61), and dental therapy (OR 2·27, 95% CI 1·41-3·42) were associated with HCV infection. In conclusion, although the prevalence of HCV in this population was lower than reported from national levels, the total reservoir of infection is significant and warrants public health measures, such as health education to limit the magnitude of the problem.

Association of interleukin gene polymorphisms with the risk of coronary artery disease.

We conducted a case-control study to investigate the genetic variants Interleukin-1ß(IL-1ß) +3953 C/T (rs1143634), IL-6 -174G/C (rs1800795), IL-8 -251T/A (rs4073), and IL-10 -1082A/G (rs1800896) and -819C/T (rs1800871) in the development of coronary artery disease (CAD). A total of 410 individuals with CAD were enrolled between January 2012 and December 2014. Genotyping of the five gene polymorphisms was performed using the polymerase chain reaction combined with restriction fragment length polymorphism methodology. By multivariate logistic regression analysis, we found that the frequencies of the CC genotype and the C allele of IL-6 -174G/C were significantly correlated with a higher risk of CAD; the adjusted ORs (95%CIs) were 2.37 (1.37-4.14) and 1.49 (1.19-1.86), respectively. In addition, the AG and GG genotypes and the G allele of IL-10 -1082A/G were also significantly associated with a higher risk of CAD, and the ORs (95%CIs) were 1.42 (1.04-1.95), 2.16 (1.42-3.30), and 1.56 (1.27-1.93), respectively. However, IL-1ß+3953 C/T, IL-8 -251T/A, and IL-10 -819C/T did not significantly correlate with CAD risk. Our study suggests that the IL-6 -174G/C (rs1800795) and IL-10 -1082A/G (rs1800896) polymorphisms might be involved in the pathogenesis of CAD, and likely contribute to the genetic susceptibility for CAD.

Effect of atorvastatin on plasma NT-proBNP and inflammatory cytokine expression in patients with heart failure.

The aim of this study was to explore the effect of atorvastatin intervention on plasma N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and inflammatory cytokine levels in patients with heart failure (HF). One hundred and twenty-three HF patients were selected from our hospital and randomly divided into control (N = 61) and observation (N = 62) groups; the former received conventional treatment, while the latter were given conventional treatment combined with atorvastatin. Plasma NT-proBNP, inflammatory cytokines [high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10] and cardiac function [left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVEDD), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-diastolic maximum flow rate ratio (E/A)] were compared among groups. The effective rate of treating HF significantly increased after atorvastatin treatment. The plasma NT-proBNP, IL-6, IL-10, hs-CRP, and LVEDD levels significantly decreased (P < 0.05), while the LVEF and E/A levels significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the observation group compared to the control group and before intervention. The NT-proBNP and cytokine levels significantly differed among patients with different classes of heart function (P < 0.05); the NT-proBNP and cytokine levels increased with the severity of heart function. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between the NT-proBNP and inflammatory cytokine levels and LVEF and E/A values, and a positive correlation between these factors and LVEDD (P < 0.05). In conclusion, atorvastatin significantly improves cardiac function; the mechanism atorvastatin action was related to the decrease in plasma NT-proBNP and inflammatory cytokine levels.

The effect of purinergic P2 receptor blockade on skeletal muscle exercise hyperemia in miniature swine.

PURPOSE: ATP could play an important role in skeletal muscle blood flow regulation by inducing vasodilation via purinergic P2 receptors. This study investigated the role of P2 receptors in exercise hyperemia in miniature swine. METHODS: We measured regional blood flow with radiolabeled-microsphere technique and systemic hemodynamics before and after arterial infusion of the P2 receptor antagonist reactive blue 2 during treadmill exercise (5.2 km/h, ~60 % VO2max) and arterial ATP infusion in female Yucatan miniature swine (~29 kg). RESULTS: Mean blood flow during exercise from the 16 sampled skeletal muscle tissues was 138 ± 18 mL/min/100 g (mean ± SEM), and it was reduced in 11 (~25 %) of the 16 sampled skeletal muscles after RB2 was infused. RB2 also lowered diaphragm blood flow and kidney blood flow, whereas lung tissue blood flow was increased (all P < 0.05). Infusion of RB2 increased arterial lactate concentration during exercise from 1.6 ± 0.5 to 3.4 ± 0.6 mmol/L and heart rate from 216 ± 12 to 230 ± 9 beats/min, whereas blood pressure was unaltered. Arterial ATP infusion caused a ~twofold increase in blood flow in 15 of the 16 sampled muscle tissues and this effect was abolished after RB2 infusion. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that P2 receptors play a role in regulating skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise in miniature swine.

Identification of murine loci associated with susceptibility to chronic experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

B10.RIII mice develop chronic and relapsing experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) after immunization with the myelin basic protein (MBP) peptide 89-101. The disease is associated with the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) (eae1). We have now investigated the importance of non-MHC regions for the EAE susceptibility in a cross between RIIIS/J and B10.RIII mice which share the MHC region but differ in disease susceptibility. Linkage analysis using microsatellite markers spanning the genome identified a region (eae2) on chromosome 15 which showed linkage to disease (P = 0.0002). Our data also suggest linkage to a second region (eae3) on chromosome 3 (P = 0.0024), and provide evidence for locus interactions between eae2 and eae3. These results provide clues to the genetic basis of multiple sclerosis.

Use of parenteral colistin for the treatment of multiresistant Gram-negative organisms in major burn patients in South Korea.

PURPOSE: To assess the therapeutic effect and toxicity of intravenous colistin in the treatment of multidrug-resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacteria in patients with severe burns. METHODS: The medical records of 930 patients admitted to the Burn Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Hallym University Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Seoul, South Korea between April 2007 and December 2009 were retrospectively reviewed. Of these, the 104 patients who had received intravenous colistin treatments (104 courses) during this period were enrolled in the study. Changes in creatinine level were analyzed in three groups: all patients receiving colistin (n = 104), patients with undergoing continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT group; n = 38), and patients not undergoing CRRT (non-CRRT group; n = 66). RESULTS: Among these patients, the burnt body surface area ranged from 5 to 96% (mean 49.7%). Thirty-five patients (33.7%) suffered inhalation injury, and CRRT was administered to 38 patients. The mean duration of colistin treatment was 14.7 (range 4-71) days. The total dose of colistin was 3,045.7 mg (range 100-13,800). The length of ICU stay was 48.9 (range 7-154) days. Forty patients (38.5%) died. The mean pre-colistin creatinine level of all patients was 1.04 mg/dL, and the mean post-colistin level was 1.34 mg/dL. The mean pre-colistin creatinine level of the CRRT group and non-CRRT group was 1.68 and 0.66 mg/dL, and the mean post-colistin level was 1.68 and 1.14 mg/dL, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Colistin appears to be a relatively safe and effective treatment for major burn patients with infections caused by MDR Gram-negative bacteria when no other drug is available. Additionally, we found no statistically significant impairment of creatinine levels.

Screening of freeze-dried protective agents for the formulation of biocontrol strains, Bacillus cereus AR156, Burkholderia vietnamiensis B418 and Pantoea agglomerans 2Re40.

AIMS: The effects of different freeze-drying protective agents on the viabilities of biocontrol strains Bacillus cereus AR156, Burkholderia vietnamiensis B418 and Pantoea agglomerans 2Re40 were investigated. METHOD AND RESULTS: Several concentrations of protective and rehydration media were tested to improve the survival of biocontrol agents after freeze-drying. The subsequent survival rates during storage and rehydration media of freeze-dried biocontrol strains were also examined. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicated that cellobiose (5%) and d-galactose (5%) gave maximum viability of strains Bu. vietnamiensis B418 and P. agglomerans 2Re40 (98 and 54·3% respectively) while the perfect one (100%) of strain B. cereus AR156 was obtained with sucrose (5%) during freeze-drying, and the highest survival of the three strains was reached when they were rehydrated with 10% nonfat skim milk. In the following storage, the survival rates showed that B. cereus AR156 could still reach 50% after 12 months. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study showed that freeze-drying could be used to stabilize cells of these three biocontrol strains. Further studies should focus on the scale-up possibilities and formulation development.

Biochemical identification and characterisation of changes associated with capacitation of mannosylated glycoproteins in murine sperm.

The development of a sperm normally ends in the female reproductive track through an extra-testicular maturation process termed capacitation. Previous studies in several mammalian species have revealed the presence of glycoconjugates and their capacitation-correlated changes in localisation. In this study, we used Lens culinaris agglutinin (LCA) to characterise mannosylated glycoconjugates in mouse sperm and their changes in distribution associated with capacitation. In freshly isolated sperm, three biochemically distinct sperm populations (type I, II and III) with specific LCA labelling were noted. Prior to capacitation, glycosylated materials were detected in the head region and approximately 26%, 65% and 9% of sperm displayed each distribution pattern. Following capacitation, the distribution pattern of these mannosylated constituents was not altered; however, re-localisation of these components was observed because the percentage of sperm exhibiting type I and III pattern was significantly changed. Finally, thirteen mannosylated glycoproteins were detected in murine sperm and our lectin blot data confirm that their redistribution instead of proteolytic degradation is mainly responsible for cellular dynamics we observed in murine sperm head associated with capacitation. In conclusion, this study is the first to describe the biochemical identification of LCA-binding glycoproteins present in mammalian sperm, which undergo redistribution as they mature to acquire their full fertilising ability.

[Establishment of a deep learning-based visual model for intelligent recognition of Oncomelania hupensis].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a deep learning-based visual model for intelligent recognition of Oncomelania hupensis, the intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum, and evaluate the effects of different training strategies for O. hupensis image recognition. METHODS: A total of 2 614 datasets of O. hupensis snails and 4 similar snails were generated through field sampling and internet capture, and were divided into training sets and test sets. An intelligent recognition model was created based on deep learning, and was trained and tested. The precision, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, F1 score and Youden index were calculated. In addition, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the model for snail recognition was plotted to evaluate the effects of "new learning", "transfer learning" and "transfer learning + data enhancement" training strategies on the accuracy of the model for snail recognition. RESULTS: Under the "transfer learning + data enhancement" strategy, the precision, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Youden index and F1 score of the model were 90.10%, 91.00%, 97.50%, 96.20%, 88.50% and 90.51% for snail recognition, which were all higher than those under both "new learning" and "transfer learning" strategies. There were significant differences in the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the model for snail recognition under "new learning", "transfer learning" and "transfer learning + data enhancement" training strategies (all P values < 0.001). In addition, the area under the ROC curve of the model was highest (0.94) under the "transfer learning + dataenhancement" training strategy. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first visual model for intelligent recognition of O. hupensis based on deep learning, which shows a high accuracy for snail image recognition. The "transfer learning + data enhancement" training strategy is helpful to improve the accuracy of the model for snail recognition.