Recommendations for prediction models in clinical practice guidelines for cardiovascular diseases are over-optimistic: a global survey utilizing a systematic literature search.

Background: This study aimed to synthesize the recommendations for prediction models in cardiovascular clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and assess the methodological quality of the relevant primary modeling studies. Methods: We performed a systematic literature search of all available cardiovascular CPGs published between 2018 and 2023 that presented specific recommendations (whether in support or non-support) for at least one multivariable clinical prediction model. For the guideline-recommended models, the assessment of the methodological quality of their primary modeling studies was conducted using the Prediction model Risk Of Bias ASsessment Tool (PROBAST). Results: In total, 46 qualified cardiovascular CPGs were included, with 69 prediction models and 80 specific recommendations. Of the 80 specific recommendations, 74 supported 57 models (53 were fully recommended and 4 were conditionally recommended) in cardiovascular practice with moderate to strong strength. Most of the guideline-recommended models were focused on predicting prognosis outcomes (53/57, 93%) in primary and tertiary prevention, focusing primarily on long-term risk stratification and prognosis management. A total of 10 conditions and 7 types of target population were involved in the 57 models, while heart failure (14/57, 25%) and a general population with or without cardiovascular risk factor(s) (12/57, 21%) received the most attention from the guidelines. The assessment of the methodological quality of 57 primary studies on the development of the guideline-recommended models revealed that only 40% of the modeling studies had a low risk of bias (ROB). The causes of high ROB were mainly in the analysis and participant domains. Conclusions: Global cardiovascular CPGs presented an unduly positive appraisal of the existing prediction models in terms of ROB, leading to stronger recommendations than were warranted. Future cardiovascular practice may benefit from well-established clinical prediction models with better methodological quality and extensive external validation.

Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding Rigidifying Flexible Bridge for Solution- and Vacuum-Processed TSCT-TADF Emitters.

To realize strong donor-acceptor face-to-face stacking for efficient through-space charge transfer-type thermally activated delayed fluorescence, a conceptually new design strategy is proposed to couple flexible bridges with adequate rigidity via built-in intramolecular hydrogen bonds (IHBs). The resulting emitter ACE-CN has a planarized benzyl methyl ether bridge self-anchored by the C-H···O IHB and shows a high photoluminescence quantum efficiency of 93%. The solution- and vacuum-processed devices exhibited high external quantum efficiencies of 11.8% and 24.7%, respectively.

[Effect of Polyethylene Microplastics on the Microbial Community of Saline Soils].

Mulching to conserve moisture has become an important agronomic practice in saline soil cultivation, and the effects of the dual stress of salinity and microplastics on soil microbes are receiving increasing attention. In order to investigate the effect of polyethylene microplastics on the microbial community of salinized soils, this study investigated the effects of different types (chloride and sulphate) and concentrations (weak, medium, and strong) of polyethylene (PE) microplastics (1% and 4% of the dry weight mass of the soil sample) on the soil microbial community by simulating microplastic contamination in salinized soil environments indoors. The results showed that:PE microplastics reduced the diversity and abundance of microbial communities in salinized soils and were more strongly affected by sulphate saline soil treatments. The relative abundance of each group of bacteria was more strongly changed in the sulphate saline soil treatment than in the chloride saline soil treatment. At the phylum level, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria was positively correlated with the abundance of fugitive PE microplastics, whereas the relative abundances of Bacteroidota, Actinobacteriota, and Acidobacteria were negatively correlated with the abundance of fugitive PE microplastics. At the family level, the relative abundances of Flavobacteriaceae, Alcanivoracaceae, Halomonadaceae, and Sphingomonasceae increased with increasing abundance of PE microplastics. The KEGG metabolic pathway prediction showed that the relative abundance of microbial metabolism and genetic information functions were reduced by the presence of PE microplastics, and the inhibition of metabolic functions was stronger in sulphate saline soils than in chloride saline soils, whereas the inhibition of genetic information functions was weaker than that in chloride saline soils. The secondary metabolic pathways of amino acid metabolism, carbohydrate metabolism, and energy metabolism were inhibited. It was hypothesized that the reduction in metabolic functions may have been caused by the reduced relative abundance of the above-mentioned secondary metabolic pathways. This study may provide a theoretical basis for the study of the effects of microplastics and salinization on the soil environment under the dual pollution conditions.

[Significance of anti-Jo-1 antibody's clinical stratification in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy and disease spectrum].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the significance of anti-histidyl tRNA synthetase (Jo-1) antibody in idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIM) and its diseases spectrum. METHODS: We enrolled all the patients who were tested positive for anti-Jo-1 antibody by immunoblotting in Peking University People's Hospital between 2016 and 2022. And the patients diagnosed with anti-synthetase antibody syndrome (ASS) with negative serum anti-Jo-1 antibody were enrolled as controls. We analyzed the basic information, clinical characteristics, and various inflammatory and immunological indicators of the patients at the onset of illness. RESULTS: A total of 165 patients with positive anti-Jo-1 antibody were enrolled in this study. Among them, 80.5% were diagnosed with connective tissue disease. And 57.6% (95/165) were diagnosed with IIM, including ASS (84/165, 50.9%), immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (7/165, 4.2%) and dermatomyositis (4/165, 2.4%). There were 23.0% (38/165) diagnosed with other connective tissue disease, mainly including rheumatoid arthritis (11/165, 6.7%), undifferentiated connective tissue disease (5/165, 3.0%), interstitial pneumonia with autoimmune features (5/165, 3.0%), undifferentiated arthritis (4/165, 2.4%), Sjögren's syndrome (3/165, 1.8%), systemic lupus erythematosus (3/165, 1.8%), systemic vasculitis (3/165, 1.8%), and so on. Other cases included 3 (1.8%) malignant tumor patients, 4 (2.4%) infectious cases and so on. The diagnoses were not clear in 9.1% (15 /165) of the cohort. In the analysis of ASS subgroups, the group with positive serum anti-Jo-1 antibody had a younger age of onset than those with negative serum anti-Jo-1 antibody (49.9 years vs. 55.0 years, P=0.026). Clinical manifestations of arthritis (60.7% vs. 33.3%, P=0.002) and myalgia (47.1% vs. 22.2%, P=0.004) were more common in the ASS patients with positive anti-Jo-1 antibody. With the increase of anti-Jo-1 antibody titer, the incidence of the manifestations of arthritis, mechanic hands, Gottron sign and Raynaud phenomenon increased, and the proportion of abnormal creatine kinase and α-hydroxybutyric dehydrogenase index increased in the ASS patients. The incidence of myalgia and myasthenia were significantly more common in this cohort when anti-Jo-1 antibody-positive ASS patients were positive for one and more myositis specific antibodies/myositis associated autoantibodies (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The disease spectrum in patients with positive serum anti-Jo-1 antibody includes a variety of diseases, mainly ASS. And anti-Jo-1 antibody can also be found in many connective tissue diseases, malignant tumor, infection and so on.

BaLa5V2O3N7: a novel anti-perovskite oxynitride for electrode applications.

The exploration of transition metal oxynitrides has garnered significant interest due to their intriguing property diversity. Herein, we present a promising new transition metal oxynitride BaLa5V2O3N7, which features an anti-perovskite structure type. This unique structural configuration endows the material with remarkable conductivity, particularly at low temperatures, paving the way for the material to be used in a wide range of technological applications.

Dynamics of neutralizing antibodies against severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus.

OBJECTIVES: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus with a high pathogenicity. Little is known about the longitudinal dynamics of the SFTSV-specific neutralizing antibody (NAb) and the related factors in patients with SFTS. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of patients with laboratory-confirmed SFTS were conducted. Antiglomerulonephritis-immunoglobulin G (anti-Gn-IgG) and NAb titers were examined in serially collected serum samples, and their dynamic features were analyzed. RESULTS: NAb was initially detected at 15 days after symptom onset in surviving patients with SFTS, with positive rates of 37.21% (16/43), whereas neither anti-Gn-IgG antibody nor NAb was detected in patients with fatal SFTS during their hospitalization. The NAb levels reached the peak at 2 months after symptom onset, and then gradually declined, with a rapid downward trend from 6 months to 4 years and a relatively slow downward trend from 5 to 10 years. There was a positive correlation between NAb and anti-Gn-IgG titers in surviving patients with SFTS (r = 0.699, P <0.001). Patients with a mild illness or low viral load experienced early NAb seroconversion. Six different dynamic patterns of NAb were noted in surviving patients. CONCLUSION: These data provide useful information regarding the dynamic changes in NAb in patients with SFTS during the acute and convalescent phases and the follow-up period.

3-Bromopyruvate Inhibits the Growth and Glucose Metabolism of TNBC Xenografts in Nude Mice by Targeting c-Myc.

BACKGROUND: Due to the lack of effective drug treatment, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is prone to recurrence and metastasis after an operation. As a glycolytic inhibitor, 3-bromopyruvic acid (3-BrPA) can inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of TNBC cells. However, whether it has similar effects in animal models remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of 3-BrPA on the growth and glucose metabolism of human TNBC transplanted tumors in nude mice and to investigate the mechanism. METHODS: We constructed subcutaneous xenografts of human TNBC in nude mice and treated them with low, medium and high concentrations of 3-BrPA. After 15 days, nude mice were sacrificed to detect hexokinase (HK) activity and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content in tumor tissues. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to detect the damage of transplanted tumors and liver and kidney in nude mice, which 3-BrPA caused. The expression of c-Myc in tumor tissues was detected by Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to detect the apoptosis of tumor tissues. Besides, the expressions of Cytc, Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspase-9 were detected by Western blotting. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, intraperitoneal injection of 3-BrPA inhibited the growth of human TNBC transplant tumors, decreased HK activity and ATP production in tumor tissues, disrupted the tissue structure of transplant tumors, and did not significantly damage liver and kidney tissues. IHC staining and Western blotting showed that 3-BrPA could decrease the expression of c-Myc and Bcl-2, increase the expression of Cyt -c, Bax and Caspase-9 expression and promote apoptosis in tumor tissues. CONCLUSION: The above data indicate that 3-BrPA inhibits the growth of human TNBC transplanted tumors and promotes their apoptosis. Its anti-cancer mechanism might reduce HK activity by down-regulating c-Myc expression, eventually leading to decreased glycolytic pathway energy production and promoting apoptosis of transplanted tumors.

Epidemiololgical and etiological analysis of two clusters of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease, caused by severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), which is primarily transmitted via tick bites. Clusters of SFTS caused by human-to-human transmission have been reported both at home and abroad, mainly focused on the transmission or exposure modes. However, the correlation between SFTS clusters and viral genotypes has not been investigated. This study mainly reported two clusters of SFTS in Xinyang City, Henan Province, from 2022 to 2023, discussed the possible route of person-to-person transmission of SFTSV infection and analyzed the association between SFTS clusters and virus genotypes. We found that two groups of SFTSV in two clusters were clustered separately into different genotypes through viral sequence analysis of 4 confirmed patients. We also performed phylogenetic analysis, after including SFTSV sequences obtained from SFTS clusters deposited in the GenBank. Three SFTSV genotypes have been reported among cases of human-to-human transmission, suggesting that the occurrence of SFTS clusters may not be related to SFTSV genotypes. This study provided genetic evidence for revealing the chain of human-to-human transmission of SFTS clusters, indicating that contact with patients' blood is an important transmission route of SFTSV. The findings laid the foundation for preventing and controlling human-to-human transmission of SFTS.

Morphological Characteristics and Comparative Chloroplast Genome Analyses between Red and White Flower Phenotypes of Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li (Rosaceae), with Implications for Taxonomy and Phylogeny.

Pyracantha fortuneana (Maxim.) Li (Rosaceae), commonly known as Chinese firethorn, is an evergreen shrub with high nutritional, medicinal, and horticultural importance. This species typically has white flowers, but a rare red flower phenotype has been found in very few wild populations in western Hubei, China, showing great ornamental potential. In this study, the complete chloroplast genome of the red flower phenotype of P. fortuneana was reported for the first time, using high-throughput sequencing technology. The complete chloroplast genome was 160,361 bp in length and showed a typical quadripartite structure with a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions (26,350 bp) separated by a large single-copy (LSC) region (88,316 bp) and a small single-copy (SSC) region (19,345 bp). A total of 131 functional genes were annotated in this chloroplast genome, including 86 protein-coding genes (PCGs), eight rRNA genes, and 37 tRNA genes. Comparative chloroplast genome analyses revealed that high genome similarity existed not only between red and white flower phenotypes of P. fortuneana, but also among Pyracantha species. No evidence for positive selection was found in any PCG, suggesting the evolutionary conservation of Pyracantha chloroplast genomes. Furthermore, four mutational hotspots (trnG-trnR-atpA, psbZ-trnG-trnfM-rps14, ycf3-trnS-rps4, and ndhF-rpl32) with π > 0.004 were identified as potential molecular markers for Pyracantha species. Phylogenomic analysis strongly supported that the red flower phenotype of P. fortuneana was nested within the common white flower phenotype. Based on both morphological and molecular evidence, we suggest that the red flower phenotype of P. fortuneana could be considered as a new forma. Overall, the availability of these genetic resources will not only offer valuable information for further studies on molecular taxonomy, phylogeny, and population genetics of Pyracantha species but also could be used as potential genetic resources for Chinese firethorn breeding.

Human-to-human transmission of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus through potential ocular exposure to infectious blood.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), an emerging infectious disease with high mortality, was first reported in 2009 in China and subsequently endemic to South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Myanmar. This disease is transmitted predominantly by tick bites and potentially human-to-human. Personal protective equipments (PPEs) have been recommended to prevent SFTS human-to-human transmission, whereas the specific use of PPEs and the effect on viral transmission have rarely been reported. This report identified a family cluster of six patients with SFTS virus (SFTSV) infection. All five secondary patients had been wearing gloves and masks when exposed to the blood of the index patient, but none of them wore goggles or face shields for eye protection. Ocular route was suggested as a highly possible mode for SFTSV transmission through epidemiological, serological, and phylogenetic analysis. Eye protection should be stressed for clinicians when exposed to blood or bloody secretions.

Effect of genomic variations in severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus on the disease lethality.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV), an emerging tick-borne bunyavirus, causes mild-to-moderate infection to critical illness or even death in human patients. The effect of virus variations on virulence and related clinical significance is unclear. We prospectively recruited SFTSV-infected patients in a hotspot region of SFTS endemic in China from 2011 to 2020, sequenced whole genome of SFTSV, and assessed the association of virus genomic variants with clinical data, viremia, and inflammatory response. We identified seven viral clades (I-VII) based on phylogenetic characterization of 805 SFTSV genome sequences. A significantly increased case fatality rate (32.9%) was revealed in one unique clade (IV) that possesses a specific co-mutation pattern, compared to other three common clades (I, 16.7%; II, 13.8%; and III, 11.8%). The phenotype-genotype association (hazard ratios ranged 1.327-2.916) was confirmed by multivariate regression adjusting age, sex, and hospitalization delay. We revealed a pronounced inflammation response featured by more production of CXCL9, IL-10, IL-6, IP-10, M-CSF, and IL-1ß, in clade IV, which was also related to severe complications. We observed enhanced cytokine expression from clade IV inoculated PBMCs and infected mice. Moreover, the neutralization activity of convalescent serum from patients infected with one specified clade was remarkably reduced to other viral clades. Together, our findings revealed a significant association between one specific viral clade and SFTS fatality, highlighting the need for molecular surveillance for highly lethal strains in endemic regions and unravelled the importance of evaluating cross-clade effect in development of vaccines and therapeutics.

Epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and treatment of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne infectious disease caused by a novel phlebovirus (SFTS virus, SFTSV) in the family Phenuiviridae of the order Bunyavirales. The disease causes a wide spectrum of clinical signs and symptoms, ranging from mild febrile disease accompanied by thrombocytopenia and/or leukocytopenia to hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, multiple organ failure, and death. SFTS was first identified in China and was subsequently reported in South Korea and Japan. The case-fatality rate ranges from 2.7% to 45.7%. Older age has been consistently shown to be the most important predictor of adverse disease outcomes. Older age exacerbates disease mainly through dysregulation of host immune cells and uncontrolled inflammatory responses. Tick-to-human transmission is the primary route of human infection with SFTSV, and Haemaphysalis longicornis is the primary tick vector of SFTSV. Despite its high case-fatality rate, vaccines and antiviral therapies for SFTS are not currently available. The therapeutic efficacies of several antiviral agents against SFTSV are currently being evaluated. Ribavirin was initially identified as a potential antiviral therapy for SFTS but was subsequently found to inefficiently improve disease outcomes, especially among patients with high viral loads. Favipiravir (T705) decreased both time to clinical improvement and mortality when administered early in patients with low viral loads. Anti-inflammatory agents including corticosteroids have been proposed to play therapeutic roles. However, the efficacy of other therapeutic modalities, such as convalescent plasma, is not yet clear.

Neurological manifestations in COVID-19 patients and their application in predicting fatal disease: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: To explore the development of central nervous system (CNS) symptoms and clinical application in predicting the clinical outcomes of SARS-COV-2 patients. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed on the hospitalized patients with SARS-COV-2 recruited from four hospitals in Hubei Province, China from 18 January to 10 March 2020. The patients with CNS symptoms were determined. Data regarding clinical symptoms and laboratory tests were collected from medical records. RESULTS: Of 1268 patients studied, 162 (12.8%) had CNS symptoms, manifested as unconsciousness (71, 5.6%), coma (69, 5.4%), dysphoria (50, 3.9%), somnolence (34, 2.7%) and convulsion (3, 0.2%), which were observed at median of 14 (interquartile range 9-18) days after symptom onset and significantly associated with older age (OR = 5.71, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.78-11.73), male (OR = 1.73, 95% CI 1.22-2.47) and preexisting hypertension (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.23-2.57). The presence of CNS symptoms could be predicted by abnormal laboratory tests across various clinical stages, including by lymphocyte counts of <0.93 × 109/L, LDH≥435 U/L and IL-6≥28.83 pg/L at 0-10 days post disease; by lymphocyte count<0.86 × 109/L, IL-2R ≥ 949 U/L, LDH≥382 U/L and WBC≥8.06 × 109/L at 11-20 days post disease. More patients with CNS symptoms developed fatal outcome compared with patients without CNS symptoms (HR = 33.96, 95% CI 20.87-55.16). CONCLUSION: Neurological symptoms of COVID-19 were related to increased odds of developing poor prognosis and even fatal infection.

Infection with severe fever with thrombocytopenia virus in healthy population: a cohort study in a high endemic region, China.

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia (SFTS) caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV) was a tick-borne hemorrhagic fever that posed significant threat to human health in Eastern Asia. The study was designed to measure the seroprevalence of SFTSV antibody in healthy population residing in a high endemic region. METHODS: A cohort study was performed on healthy residents in Shangcheng County in Xinyang City from April to December in 2018, where the highest SFTS incidence in China was reported. Anti-SFTSV IgG was measured by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and neutralizing antibody (NAb) was detected by using PRNT50. The logistic regression models were performed to analyze the variables that were associated with seropositive rates. RESULTS: Totally 886 individuals were recruited. The baseline seroprevalence that was tested before the epidemic season was 11.9% (70/587) for IgG and 6.8% (40/587) for NAb, which was increased to 13.4% (47/350) and 7.7% (27/350) during the epidemic season, and further to 15.8% (80/508) and 9.8% (50/508) post epidemic. The IgG antibody-based seropositivity was significantly related to the patients aged ≥ 70 years old [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.440, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.334-4.461 compared to the group of < 50 years old, P = 0.004], recent contact with cats (adjusted OR = 2.195, 95% CI: 1.261-3.818, P = 0.005), and working in tea garden (adjusted OR = 1.698, 95% CI: 1.002-2.880, P = 0.049) by applying multivariate logistic regression model. The NAb based seropositivity was similarly related to the patients aged ≥ 70 years old (adjusted OR = 2.691, 95% CI: 1.271-5.695 compared to the group of < 50 years old, P = 0.010), and recent contact with cats (OR = 2.648, 95% CI: 1.419-4.941, P = 0.002). For a cohort of individuals continually sampled with 1-year apart, the anti-SFTSV IgG were maintained at a stable level, while the NAb level reduced. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical infection might not provide adequate immunity to protect reinfection of SFTSV, thus highlighting the ongoing threats of SFTS in endemic regions, which called for an imperative need for vaccine development. Identification of risk factors might help to target high-risk population for public health education and vaccination in the future.

Clinical efficacy and safety evaluation of favipiravir in treating patients with severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging infectious disease with high mortality, however with no effective therapy available. METHODS: The effect of favipiravir (FPV) in treating SFTS was evaluated by an integrated analysis on data collected from a single-arm study (n=428), a surveillance study (n=2350) and published data from a randomized controlled trial study (n=145). A 1:1 propensity score matching was performed to include 780 patients: 390 received FPV and 390 received supportive therapy only. Case fatality rates (CFRs), clinical progress, and adverse effects were compared. FINDINGS: FPV treatment had significantly reduced CFR from 20.0% to 9.0% (odds ratio 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.23-0.65), however showing heterogeneity when patients were grouped by age, onset-to-admission interval, initial viral load and therapy duration. The effect of FPV was significant only among patients aged ≤70 years, with onset-to-admission interval ≤5 days, therapy duration ≥5 days or baseline viral load ≤1 × 106 copies/mL. Age-stratified analysis revealed no benefit in the aging group >70 years, regardless of their sex, onset-to-admission interval, therapy duration or baseline viral load. However, for both ≤60 and 60-70 years groups, therapy duration and baseline viral load differentially affected FPV therapy efficiency. Hyperuricemia and thrombocytopenia, as the major adverse response of FPV usage, were observed in >70 years patients. INTERPRETATION: FPV was safe in treating SFTS patients but showed no benefit for those aged >70 years. Instant FPV therapy could highly benefit SFTS patients aged 60-70 years. FUNDING: China Natural Science Foundation (No. 81825019, 82073617 and 81722041) and China Mega-project for Infectious Diseases (2018ZX10713002 and 2015ZX09102022).

[Correlation Between Microplastics Pollution and Eutrophication in the Near Shore Waters of Dianchi Lake].

Microplastics have been found in many environmental media such as sea water, coastal tidal flats, terrestrial water, sediments, and organisms. Microplastics pollution in inland freshwater lakes have received extensive attention; however, the correlation between eutrophication and microplastics pollution in freshwater lakes remains unclear. In this study, 24 sampling sites were set up in the near shore surface waters of Dianchi Lake, and the pollution characteristics of microplastics such as abundance, composition, particle size, color, and form were evaluated. Water quality parameters related to eutrophication state were analyzed, and the eutrophication indices were further calculated. Specifically, sample pre-treatment was conducted according to the method issued by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States. The color and morphological characteristics of microplastic samples were observed using a stereoscopic microscope, and counts and particle size measurements were performed using Nano Measure 1.2 software. Parts of the samples were selected, and the polymer composition analysis was performed using micro-Fourier Transform infrared (µ-FTIR) spectroscopy. The indices related to eutrophication level evaluation were tested according to the experimental standard methods issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China. The results showed that the abundance of microplastics in the near shore waters of Dianchi Lake was between 800 and 6000 n·m-3, with an average value of 2867 n·m-3. The types of polymers detected were polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyetherurethane (PEU), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc), respectively. The diameter proportion of microplastics in the range of 0.2-0.5 mm was the highest. Fiber microplastics accounted for the most observed type, followed by fragments and films. Among the 24 monitoring sites, it was found that proportions of severe, moderate, and mild eutrophication and mesotrophication sites accounted for 8.33%, 58.33%, 29.17%, and 4.17% of the total sampling sites, respectively, and the main pollutant was total nitrogen (TN). Microplastics abundances in the near shore waters of Dianchi Lake were significantly positively correlated with TN concentrations (P<0.01), whereas they were negatively correlated with chlorophyll a(Chl-a)concentrations, not reaching a significant level (P>0.05). The microplastics abundance and TN concentrations in the north bank water near the main urban area of Kunming were significantly higher than those in the other three banks. Microplastics and TN were considered to potentially have the same origin and be attributed to the tail water discharge from WWTPs.

A systematic meta-analysis of immune signatures in patients with COVID-19.

Currently severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission has been on the rise worldwide. Predicting outcome in COVID-19 remains challenging, and the search for more robust predictors continues. We made a systematic meta-analysis on the current literature from 1 January 2020 to 15 August 2020 that independently evaluated 32 circulatory immunological signatures that were compared between patients with different disease severity was made. Their roles as predictors of disease severity were determined as well. A total of 149 distinct studies that evaluated ten cytokines, four antibodies, four T cells, B cells, NK cells, neutrophils, monocytes, eosinophils and basophils were included. Compared with the non-severe patients of COVID-19, serum levels of Interleukins (IL)-2, IL-2R, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and tumor necrosis factor α were significantly up-regulated in severe patients, with the largest inter-group differences observed for IL-6 and IL-10. In contrast, IL-5, IL-1ß and Interferon (IFN)-γ did not show significant inter-group difference. Four mediators of T cells count, including CD3+ T, CD4+ T, CD8+ T, CD4+ CD25+ CD127- Treg, together with CD19+ B cells count and CD16+ CD56+ NK cells were all consistently and significantly depressed in severe group than in non-severe group. SARS-CoV-2 specific IgA and IgG antibodies were significantly higher in severe group than in non-severe group, while IgM antibody in the severe patients was slightly lower than those in the non-severe patients, and IgE antibody showed no significant inter-group differences. The combination of cytokines, especially IL-6 and IL-10, and T cell related immune signatures can be used as robust biomarkers to predict disease severity following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The dorsal and the ventral side of hypoglossal motor nucleus showed different response to chronic intermittent hypoxia in rats.

PURPOSE: To study neurochemical reactions to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) in the hypoglossal nucleus (HN) of rats. METHODS: Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 12) were randomly divided into two groups (the CIH and the control group). The CIH rats were housed in a hypoxic chamber with the fraction of oxygen volume alternating between 21% and 5% by providing air for 60 s and then providing nitrogen for 60 s from 8:30 am to 16:30 pm each day for 35 days. The control group was housed in a cabin with normal oxygen levels. We studied the expression of c-fos protein, 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) positive terminals, and its 2A receptors in hypoglossal nuclei by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: The expression of c-fos, 5-HT positive terminals, and accordingly 5-HT 2A receptors in the CIH group were significantly higher than that in the controls (p < 0.05). The ventral side of the HN showed a clearly higher expression of 5-HT and its 2A receptors than the dorsal side (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: There were 2 responses of the HN to CIH. First, CIH induced a higher expression of 5-HT positive terminals and its 2A receptors, and second, this reaction was much more evident in ventral side than in the dorsal side. We postulate that these responses may serve to be a protective and compensatory mechanism for CIH.

Epidemiological parameters of COVID-19 and its implication for infectivity among patients in China, 1 January to 11 February 2020.

BackgroundThe natural history of disease in patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remained obscure during the early pandemic.AimOur objective was to estimate epidemiological parameters of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and assess the relative infectivity of the incubation period.MethodsWe estimated the distributions of four epidemiological parameters of SARS-CoV-2 transmission using a large database of COVID-19 cases and potential transmission pairs of cases, and assessed their heterogeneity by demographics, epidemic phase and geographical region. We further calculated the time of peak infectivity and quantified the proportion of secondary infections during the incubation period.ResultsThe median incubation period was 7.2 (95% confidence interval (CI): 6.9‒7.5) days. The median serial and generation intervals were similar, 4.7 (95% CI: 4.2‒5.3) and 4.6 (95% CI: 4.2‒5.1) days, respectively. Paediatric cases < 18 years had a longer incubation period than adult age groups (p = 0.007). The median incubation period increased from 4.4 days before 25 January to 11.5 days after 31 January (p < 0.001), whereas the median serial (generation) interval contracted from 5.9 (4.8) days before 25 January to 3.4 (3.7) days after. The median time from symptom onset to discharge was also shortened from 18.3 before 22 January to 14.1 days after. Peak infectivity occurred 1 day before symptom onset on average, and the incubation period accounted for 70% of transmission.ConclusionThe high infectivity during the incubation period led to short generation and serial intervals, necessitating aggressive control measures such as early case finding and quarantine of close contacts.