Ambient air pollution exposure and telomere length: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to provide evidence of the associations between pre- and post-birth and adulthood air pollution exposure with telomere length. STUDY DESIGN: The databases of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched up to June 1st, 2022 in order to include relevant observational studies and perform a systematic review and meta-analysis. METHODS: The random-effects meta-analysis was grouped by air pollutant and exposure window (pre- and post-birth and adulthood) to evaluate the summary effect estimate. Cochran's Q and I2 statistics were used to evaluate the heterogeneity among the included studies. The quality of individual studies was evaluated using the national toxicology program/office of health assessment and translation risk of bias rating tool. RESULTS: We identified 18 studies, covering 8506 children and 2263 adults from multiple countries. We found moderate evidence that particulate matter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) exposure during the entire pregnancy (-0.043, 95% CI: -0.067, -0.018), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) exposure during the first trimester (-0.016, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -0.027, -0.005), long-term adulthood PM2.5 exposure were associated with shortening telomere length. Mild to high between-study heterogeneity was observed for the most tested air pollutant-telomere length combinations in different exposure windows. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review and meta-analysis provides the evidence which strongly supports that prenatal PM2.5 and NO2 exposures were related to reduced telomere length, while prenatal sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) exposures, childhood PM2.5, particulate matter less than 10 µm (PM10), NO2 exposures and short-term adulthood PM2.5 and PM10 exposures were not associated with telomere length. Further high-quality studies are needed to elaborate our suggestive associations.

Spinal anaesthesia for patients with coronavirus disease 2019 and possible transmission rates in anaesthetists: retrospective, single-centre, observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The safety of performing spinal anaesthesia for both patients and anaesthetists alike in the presence of active infection with the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is unclear. Here, we report the clinical characteristics and outcomes for both patients with COVID-19 and the anaesthetists who provided their spinal anaesthesia. METHODS: Forty-nine patients with radiologically confirmed COVID-19 for Caesarean section or lower-limb surgery undergoing spinal anaesthesia in Zhongnan Hospital, Wuhan, China participated in this retrospective study. Clinical characteristics and perioperative outcomes were recorded. For anaesthesiologists exposed to patients with COVID-19 by providing spinal anaesthesia, the level of personal protective equipment (PPE) used, clinical outcomes (pulmonary CT scans), and confirmed COVID-19 transmission rates (polymerase chain reaction [PCR]) were reviewed. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients with COVID-19 requiring supplementary oxygen before surgery had spinal anaesthesia (ropivacaine 0.75%), chiefly for Caesarean section (45/49 [91%]). Spinal anaesthesia was not associated with cardiorespiratory compromise intraoperatively. No patients subsequently developed severe pneumonia. Of 44 anaesthetists, 37 (84.1%) provided spinal anaesthesia using Level 3 PPE. Coronavirus disease 2019 infection was subsequently confirmed by PCR in 5/44 (11.4%) anaesthetists. One (2.7%) of 37 anaesthetists who wore Level 3 PPE developed PCR-confirmed COVID-19 compared with 4/7 (57.1%) anaesthetists who had Level 1 protection in the operating theatre (relative risk reduction: 95.3% [95% confidence intervals: 63.7-99.4]; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Spinal anaesthesia was delivered safely in patients with active COVID-19 infection, the majority of whom had Caesarean sections. Level 3 PPE appears to reduce the risk of transmission to anaesthetists who are exposed to mildly symptomatic surgical patients.

MiR-129-5p is down-regulated and involved in migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells by targeting interleukin-8.

Expression of microRNA-129-5p (miR-129-5p) has been reported to decrease in gastric cancer (GC). However, little information is available about how miR-129-5p affects cell migration and invasion of GC. Cancer samples and matched non-tumor adjacent tissues were obtained from patients with GC. Besides, peripheral blood samples were collected from both the patients and healthy volunteers. Expression of miR-129-5p was analyzed by real-time PCR (RT-PCR). After transfection with miR-129-5p mimics, miR-129-5p inhibitor, or negative controls in human GC cell line SGC-7901, cell viability, colony-formation ability, migration, and invasion assay were evaluated. Luciferase reporter assay, RT-PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) were performed to explore whether interleukin-8 was a target of miR-129-5p. Further, small interfering RNA (siRNA) against IL-8 was transfected into cells, and then the effects of miR-129-5p inhibitor on migration and invasion were assessed. MiR-129-5p was down-regulated in both GC samples and blood samples compared to their matched non-tumor adjacent tissues and healthy volunteers (both P < 0.05). Compared to the control group, transfection with miR-129-5p inhibitor markedly increased the cell viability, colony-forming ability, and numbers of migrated and invaded cells. Luciferase reporter assay confirmed that IL-8 was a direct target of miR-129-5p, and IL-8 was negatively regulated by miR-129-5p. Co-transfection of miR-129-5p inhibitor with si-IL-8 reversed the effect of miR-129-5p inhibitor on the migration and invasion of the cells. MiR-129-5p and regulates migration and invasion of GC cells by targeting IL-8.

IncA/C Plasmid Carrying bla(NDM-1), bla(CMY-16), and fosA3 in a Salmonella enterica Serovar Corvallis Strain Isolated from a Migratory Wild Bird in Germany.

A Salmonella enterica serovar Corvallis strain was isolated from a wild bird in Germany. This strain carried the IncA/C2 pRH-1238 plasmid. Complete sequencing of the plasmid was performed, identifying the blaNDM-1, blaCMY-16, fosA3, sul1, sul2, strA, strB, aac(6')-Ib, aadA5, aphA6, tetA(A), mphA, floR, dfrA7, and merA genes, which confer clinically relevant resistance to most of the antimicrobial classes, including ß-lactams with carbapenems, fosfomycin, aminoglycosides, co-trimoxazole, tetracyclines, and macrolides. The strain likely originated from the Asiatic region and was transferred to Germany through the Milvus migrans migratory route.

The incidence of surgical site infections in China.

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a common type of healthcare-associated infection. We performed a literature review to demonstrate the incidence of SSIs in mainland China based on studies since 2010. We included 231 eligible studies with ≥30 postoperative patients, comprising 14 providing overall SSI data regardless of surgical sites and 217 reporting SSIs for a specific site. We found that the overall SSI incidence was 2.91% (median; interquartile range: 1.05%, 4.57%) or 3.18% (pooled; 95% confidence interval: 1.85%, 4.51%) and the SSI incidence varied remarkably according to the surgical site between the lowest (median, 1.00%; pooled, 1.69%) in thyroid surgeries and the highest (median, 14.89%; pooled, 12.54%) in colorectal procedures. We uncovered that Enterobacterales and staphylococci were the most common types of micro-organisms associated with SSIs after various abdominal surgeries and cardiac or neurological procedures, respectively. We identified two, nine, and five studies addressing the impact of SSIs on mortality, the length of stay (LOS) in hospital, and additional healthcare-related economic burden, respectively, all of which demonstrated increased mortality, prolonged LOS, and elevated medical costs associated with SSIs among affected patients. Our findings illustrate that SSIs remain a relatively common, serious threat to patient safety in China, requiring more action. To tackle SSIs, we propose to establish a nationwide network for SSI surveillance using unified criteria with the aid of informatic techniques and to tailor and implement countermeasures based on local data and observation. We highlight that the impact of SSIs in China warrants further study.

Radioiodine therapy for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer after thyroidectomy: direct comparison and network meta-analyses.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The effective dose of radioiodine 131 (I-131) ablation for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) after thyroidectomy was unclear, so we tried to find out which activity is the best using the methods of direct comparison and network meta-analyses. METHODS: Direct comparison and network meta-analyses were conducted with ADDIS software. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) which compared different activities of I-131 after thyroidectomy for adult patients with DTC were included. The outcomes we evaluated were successful remnant ablation rate, duration of stay in an isolation unit, the number of subsequent I-131 treatments required, recurrence rate, and adverse effects. RESULTS: Thirteen RCT (3352 patients) were included. Our network meta-analysis demonstrated that there were not any statistical differences in successful ablation rates among all comparisons except 100 mCi vs 15 mCi. However, rank probability plot suggested 60 mCi might be the best in successful ablation rate. For recurrence rate, both direct comparison and network meta-analyses showed no statistical differences among 100 mCi, 60 mCi, and 30 mCi; 100 mCi was associated with a smaller number of patients who required subsequent I-131 treatments and longer stay in an isolation unit than 30 mCi without any more adverse events. CONCLUSION: Because of conflicting results between direct comparison and network meta-analyses, we failed to conclude which activity of I-131 is the best in successful ablation rates.

[Interpretation of group standard for Clostridioides difficile infection diagnosis].

Clostridioides difficile is a key pathogen of antibiotic related diarrhea and hospital associated infection, causing several outbreaks in Europe and North Americans and resulting in severe disease burden. However, the standardized diagnostic principle and detection specifications in C. difficile infection (CDI) survey are limited in China, and the infection rate and disease burden of CDI in China are unclear. Therefore, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention,National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, together with another 11 institutions, draft the group standard entitled "Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (T/CPMA 008-2020)" of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association. Based on the principle of "legality, scientificity, advancement, and feasibility", this standard clarifies risk factors, diagnosis principles, diagnoses and differential diagnoses in order to improve the accuracy of CDI diagnosis in clinical practice, guide the surveillance for CDI, and understand the infection rate and disease burden of CDI in China.

Handwashing sinks as the source of transmission of ST16 carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, an international high-risk clone, in an intensive care unit.

Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) isolates (carrying the carbapenemase gene blaNDM-5) of sequence type 16 caused hospital-acquired bloodstream infection or gut colonization in two patients in an intensive care unit (ICU). It was hypothesized that handwashing sinks were the source, and all handwashing sinks in the ICU were sampled. Whole-genome sequencing and analysis revealed that one sink was the source of CRKP colonization/infection in both patients, instead of direct transmission of a common clone between the patients. This study highlights handwashing sinks as an important source of multi-drug-resistant organisms. Sink management, including prohibition of disposal of body fluids and daily disinfection with chlorine, curbed the transmission.

Assessment of continuum mechanics models in predicting buckling strains of single-walled carbon nanotubes.

This paper presents an assessment of continuum mechanics (beam and cylindrical shell) models in the prediction of critical buckling strains of axially loaded single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation results for SWCNTs with various aspect (length-to-diameter) ratios and diameters will be used as the reference solutions for this assessment exercise. From MD simulations, two distinct buckling modes are observed, i.e. the shell-type buckling mode, when the aspect ratios are small, and the beam-type mode, when the aspect ratios are large. For moderate aspect ratios, the SWCNTs buckle in a mixed beam-shell mode. Therefore one chooses either the beam or the shell model depending on the aspect ratio of the carbon nanotubes (CNTs). It will be shown herein that for SWCNTs with long aspect ratios, the local Euler beam results are comparable to MD simulation results carried out at room temperature. However, when the SWCNTs have moderate aspect ratios, it is necessary to use the more refined nonlocal beam theory or the Timoshenko beam model for a better prediction of the critical strain. For short SWCNTs with large diameters, the nonlocal shell model with the appropriate small length scale parameter can provide critical strains that are in good agreement with MD results. However, for short SWCNTs with small diameters, more work has to be done to refine the nonlocal cylindrical shell model for better prediction of critical strains.

Inhibitory effects of c-erbB-2 antisense oligonucleotide transfection on uterine endometrial cancer Ishikawa cell lines.

BACKGROUND: C-erbB-2 is a chief proto-oncogene of endometrial cancer, which plays an important role in the biological behavior of endometrial cancer. Its overespression is an important factor of poor progrosis. The objective of this study was to investigate the treatment effects of transfecting c-erbB-2 antisense oligonucleotide (ASODN) on the uterine endometrial cancer Ishikawa cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The c-erbB-2 expression on Ishikawa cell membranes was determined by immunohistochemistry and then the aim was to transfect ASODN into Ishikawa cells and assay the cellular growth inhibition by MTT, to observe the cellular ultrastructure changes under transmission electron microscope (TEM), and to assay the cellular apoptotic rate, c-erbB-2 mRNA and protein expression by flow cytometry, RT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. RESULTS: C-erbB-2 protein was positively expressed on Ishikawa cell membranes. MTT showed that when the concentration of transfecting ASODNs was 0.3 uM and 0.6 uM, cell growth inhibition rates were 55.43% and 76.12%, respectively. After transfecting 0.3 uM ASODN, the Ishikawa cell ultrastructure was obviously damaged, the cellular apoptotic rate was 72.21%, and the c-erbB-2 mRNA and protein expression were 45.71% and 34.52%, respectively, compared with those of the normal control cells. CONCLUSIONS: Transfecting c-erbB-2 ASODN can obviously suppress its mRNA and protein expression in Ishikawa cells, cause cellular apoptosis and inhibit cell growth. It may have an important role in the gene therapy of endometrial cancer.

Musclin inhibits insulin activation of Akt/protein kinase B in rat skeletal muscle.

Musclin is a muscle-derived secretory peptide that induces insulin resistance in vitro. We studied the effect of musclin (0.5 microg/ml) on insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in rat skeletal muscles and also the effect of rosiglitazone (0.4 microg/ml). Preincubation of muscles with musclin resulted in decreased insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. Musclin also reduced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) and liver X receptor alpha (LXRalpha) mRNAs, although expression of glucose transporter 4 mRNA was unaltered. Rosiglitazone attenuated the effects of musclin on glucose uptake and PPARgamma and LXRalpha mRNA expression. Western blotting demonstrated that activation of protein kinase B (Akt/PKB) in the insulin-signalling cascade was decreased by musclin but corrected by rosiglitazone. These findings suggest that musclin-induced impairment of insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in skeletal muscle is related to Akt/PKB inhibition and might be modulated by PPARgamma/LXRalpha.

Analysis on clinical characteristics and drug resistance of Candida parapsilosis bloodstream infections in West China Hospital, China, from 2012 to 2015.

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY: Candida parapsilosis has emerged as an important cause of bloodstream infections (BSI) in the health care setting. We aimed to describe the clinical characteristics and drug resistance of C. parapsilosis BSI in West China Hospital of Sichuan University in China and provide the basis for prevention and treatment of this disease. PATIENTS: We retrospectively collected and analyzed patients presented in our hospital reported with C. parapsilosis BSI from January 2012 to January 2015. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data regarding age, gender, the department distribution, the potential clinical risk factors and the result of clinical treatment and prognosis were retrospectively evaluated. As to the antifungal drugs susceptibility testing, we used Etest method for determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of amphotericin B, fluconazole, voriconazole, caspofungin and flucytosine for all the clinical isolates of C. parapsilosis. Standard quality strains were used as the controls. RESULTS: Most of the patients with C. parapsilosis BSI were over 60-year-old (37.5%) or within 10years old (28.13%). Among patients, 78.13% came from an intensive care unit or had undergone surgery in the past several months. The major risk factors associated with an increased risk of infection included the use of broad-spectrum antibacterial drugs and deep vein indwelling. The overall mortality of patients with C. parapsilosis BSI was 31.25%. The drug sensitivity tests revealed that all isolates were sensitive to amphotericin B and flucytosine. Two and 1 isolates were found susceptible to fluconazole and voriconazole in a dose-dependent manner, respectively. Only 1 isolate was resistant to fluconazole. 4 isolates (12.5%) were medium sensitive to caspofungin, but no one showed drug resistance. CONCLUSION: In summary, elders and newborns were more vulnerable to C. parapsilosis infections. C. parapsilosis was found frequently as pathogens leading to BSI in patients admitted to ICU and departments of surgery and often causing a high mortality rate. C. parapsilosis rarely showed drug resistance at present, so common antifungal drugs could be used for treatment. Recommendations for using of antifungal drugs focused on paying close attention to possible drug resistance trend.

A three-dimensional human head finite element model and power flow in a human head subject to impact loading.

A three-dimensional finite element model of the human head is presented. The model has been validated against two sets of experimental results. To assess injury likelihood of the head subjected to impact loading, the structural intensity (SI) methodology is introduced in accordance with the prevailing practice in experimental biomechanics. SI is a vector quantity indicating the direction and magnitude of power flow inside a dynamically loaded structure. In this paper, the SI field inside the head model is computed for three cases, namely frontal, rear and side impacts. The results for the three cases have revealed that there exist power flow paths. The skull is, in general, a good energy flow channel. The study has also revealed the high possibility of spinal cord injury due to wave motion inside the head.

Plant-glycoside modulation of cell surface related to control of differentiation in cultured B16 melanoma cells.

We have shown that the ginsenosides Rh1 and Rh2, which are plant glycosides with a dammarane skeleton resembling a steroid skeleton as an aglycone, control the phenotypic expression of mouse B16 melanoma cells in different ways. The effects of Rh1 and Rh2 on the cell surface were studied to clarify the relationship between the control of phenotypic expression and modification of the cell surface in B16 melanoma cells. Rh2, which has the capacity to inhibit the growth of and to stimulate melanogenesis in B16 melanoma cells, causes flattening of the cells cultured in a collagen gel, leading to organized, nonoverlapping monolayers. Cell-to-cell adhesiveness and cell-to-substrate adhesiveness were markedly increased in the B16 melanoma cells treated with Rh2. In Rh2-treated cells, the binding of peanut agglutinin on the cell surface was also increased, whereas no marked changes were observed in the binding of concanavalin A or wheat germ agglutinin. In contrast, Rh1, which showed no effect on cell growth, but did stimulate melanogenesis, did not cause morphological changes of the cells and exerted no effect on cell adhesiveness or cell surface lectin binding. 1,6-Diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene polarization values markedly decreased in cells treated with either Rh1 or Rh2. Rh2 was found to be incorporated in the lipid fraction of the B16 melanoma cell membrane. In contrast, Rh1 was not detected in the lipid fraction of B16 melanoma cells. However, novel lipid components were found.

Correlation of cadherin-17 protein expression with clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with sporadic gastric cancer.

This study aimed to explore the correlations between cadherin-17 (CDH17) protein expression and the clinicopathological features and prognosis of patients with sporadic gastric cancer (GC). Nine relevant studies of 1,960 patients were identified using electronic database searches supplemented with a manual search in strict accordance with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA 12.0 statistical software. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals were determined, and Z test was used to measure the significance of the overall effect size. A total of nine eligible cohort studies were included in this meta-analysis. The expression of CDH17 in patients with diffuse GC was significantly higher than in those with intestinal-type GC. Moreover, the tumor depth of invasion differed significantly between patients with positive CDH17 (CDH17+) and negative CDH17 (CDH17-) GC. However, there were no significant differences between CDH17+ and CDH17- GC patients with respect to tumor node metastasis clinical stages, histological grades, or lymph node metastasis. Despite the differences in invasive depth, there was no significant difference in 5-year survival rates between CDH17+ and CDH17- GC patients. Our meta-analysis provides evidence that CDH17 protein expression may be associated with the development of GC, suggesting that CDH17 is an important biomarker that could be useful for the early diagnosis of GC. However, CDH17 levels do not appear to impact overall survival.

Lack of synchrony among multiple nuclei induces partial DNA fragmentation in V79 cells polyploidized by demecolcine.

The nuclear morphology of polyploidized cells was examined in V79 Chinese hamster cells polyploidized by demecolcine or K-252a, inhibitors of spindle fibre formation and protein kinases, respectively. A variety of nuclear morphologies, including multinuclei, were observed in V79 cells polyploidized by demecolcine but not by K-252a, which produced mononuclear cells. A lack of synchrony in the nuclear cycle was observed among nuclei in multinuclear polyploidized cells. Partial DNA fragmentation, defined as DNA fragmentation of a nucleus in a multinuclear cell, was detected using the TUNEL method in V79 cells polyploidized by demecolcine but not by K-252a. Apoptosis occurred earlier in cell populations treated with demecolcine than in these treated with K-252a once the drugs were removed from the medium, suggesting that polyploidized cells with separate nuclei tend to apoptose earlier than those with mononuclei.