[Clinical analysis of fifteen transplant ureteral stricture cases].

This research aims to explore the clinical characteristics and treatment of transplant ureteral strictures. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data from fifteen patients diagnosed with transplant ureteral stricture. Of the fifteen patients, five underwent regular ureteral stent or nephrostomy tube exchanges, while ten underwent open surgery. There were no significant differences in basic clinical characteristics between the two groups. The median follow-up time for regular ureteral stent or nephrostomy tube exchanges and open surgery group was 36.8 (11.8-56.0) months and 25.0 (4.5-31.2) months, respectively. Among patients who underwent regular exchanges, one required regular dialysis. Nine patients in the open surgery group had successful removal of the ureteral stent. Our findings suggest that regular ureteral stent or nephrostomy tube exchanges, as well as open surgery, are effective treatment options for transplant ureteral strictures.

Use of CT-based renal volumetry for the measurement of split renal function: a split glomerular filtration rate prediction model based on unilateral renal volume parameters.

AIM: To develop a split glomerular filtration rate (sGFR) prediction model based on unilateral renal volume parameters using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) volumetry. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical data (age, sex, height, weight, serum creatinine level [sCr], and sGFR measured by 99mTc-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid nuclear renal scintigraphy with the double plasma sample method) of 67 healthy renal donors and 111 patients with hydronephrosis admitted from April 2016 to September 2021 were analysed. The split renal parenchymal volume (sRPV) and split renal calyces and pelvis volume (sRCPV) of 67 unilateral donor left kidneys and 111 hydronephrotic kidneys were measured. Statistical analysis of these parameters was performed to develop and validate the sGFR prediction model. RESULTS: sRPV (p<0.001), sRCPV (p=0.012), age (p=0.015), serum creatinine level (p=0.004), and weight (p=0.006) were significantly associated with the measured sGFR and were included in the sGFR prediction formula, which was constructed as: 68.710 + 0.093 × sRPV-0.041 × sRCPV-0.228 × W-0.219 × A-14.432 × sCr (r2 = 0.416; where A is age, W is weight). The paired difference of internal validation between the measured sGFR (42.34 ± 13.71 ml/min/1.73 m2) and the sGFR estimated by the prediction model (41.46 ± 8.99 ml/min/1.73 m2) was 0.879 ± 11.475 ml/min/1.73 m2 (p=0.492) with a 95% confidence interval of the mean difference of ±2.54 ml/min/1.73 m2. CONCLUSION: The proposed model based on sRPV and sRCPV parameters could be used for estimating split renal function of healthy renal donors and patients with hydronephrosis to some extent. Further studies are required to evaluate and rectify the model.

[The analysis of related factors on the unilateral aldosterone secretion in the functional diagnosis of primary aldosteronism and establishment of a predictive model].

Objective: To explore related factors associated with unilateral aldosterone secretion of patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) and construct a predictive model. Methods: The clinical data of patients who were diagnosed as PA in West China Hospital from April 2016 to September 2020 was analyzed retrospectively. According to the results of the adrenal enhancement CT, patients were divided into 3 groups, namely non-nodular group with no bilateral adrenal glands lesions, only with unilateral adrenal hyperplasia or bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, unilateral nodule group with unilateral adrenal nodules and the contralateral adrenal glands with hyperplasia or not, and bilateral nodules group with nodules in both adrenal glands. Regarding the related factors of dominant side of aldosterone secretion, univariate analysis and binary logistic regression were used. Receiver operating characteristic curve and nomogram were used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of regression models. Results: A total of 237 patients with PA were included, of which, 118 males and 119 females, the median age was 39 years, and the body mass index (BMI) was (25.2±3.5) kg/m2. There were 157 (66.2%) of 237 patients with typical imaging findings. There were 32 cases in no-nodular group, 183 cases in unilateral nodule group, and 22 cases in bilateral nodules group. Multivariate analysis showed that age (OR=0.876, P<0.001), blood potassium concentration (OR=0.430, P=0.004), and typical imaging findings (OR=2.202, P=0.035) were associated with unilateral aldosterone secretion. As for unilateral nodule group, multivariate analysis showed that age (OR=0.900, P<0.001), plasma aldosteronism concentration (PAC) (OR=1.050, P=0.018), and typical imaging findings (OR=2.637, P=0.025) were associated with unilateral aldosterone secretion. The agreement rate between the dominant side of the adrenal CT and AVS was only 50.2%. Multivariate analysis showed that age (OR=0.954, P=0.001), BMI (OR=0.893, P=0.024) and PAC (OR=1.043, P=0.011) were independently associated with concordance between AVS and CT. The cut-off value of the ROC curve was 0.43; the model sensitivity was 56.3%; the specificity was 86.7% and the area under the ROC curve was 0.742. Conclusions: Age is an important predictor in the diagnosis of PA subtypes. It is recommended to refer to subgroup based on imaging results for clinical decision. For patients with no obvious lesions or bilateral lesions on CT, AVS should be performed as far as possible to confirm the subtypes in diagnosis of PA.

[Clinical outcomes and influence factors of 435 singleton pregnancies with short cervix].

Objective: To investigate the clinical outcomes of different treatment options on singleton short cervix and its influence factors. Methods: Totally 435 cases of singleton pregnancies who were diagnosed with short cervix (≤25 mm) between 12 to 33+6 gestational weeks in Peking University First Hospital from January 2018 to December 2018 were enrolled, including 21 cases with cervical length <10 mm, 414 cases with cervical length between 10 to 25 mm. The onset time was <24 gestational weeks in 106 cases, while 104 cases were at 24-29+6 gestational weeks and 225 cases of ≥30 gestational weeks. Gestational outcomes including delivery before 37 weeks, delivery before 34 weeks, neonatal birth weight (NBW) and adverse neonatal outcome (ANO) were compared among three treatment groups: rest group, progesterone group and cerclage group. Influence factors were also investigated. Results: (1) The incidence of short cervix in pregnancy was 7.07% (435/6 155), while 106 cases were at <24 gestational weeks (1.72%, 106/6 155), 104 cases (1.69%, 104/6 155) at 24-29+6 gestational weeks and 225 cases (3.66%, 225/6 155) at ≥30 gestational weeks. (2) In the group of cervical length <10 mm, rate of delivery before 37 and 34 weeks were 62% (13/21) and 57% (12/21) respectively. One case of progesterone treatment underwent miscarriage. Compared with rest group (n=8), delivery weeks [28.5 (25.0-40.0) vs 37.0 (28.0-40.0), P=0.020] and NBW [1 245 g (630-3 830 g) vs 2 648 g (1 560-3 830 g), P=0.028] were higher in cerclage group (n=9), while ANO was not statistically different (P>0.05). (3) In the group of cervical length ≥10 mm before 24 gestational weeks, the delivery weeks, incidence of delivery before 34 weeks, adjusted incidence of delivery before 37 weeks, NBW and ANO were not statistically different (P>0.05) among rest group (n=36), progesterone group (n=26) and cerclage group (n=34). In vitro fertilization (OR=11.97, 95%CI: 1.88-76.44, P=0.009), infection (OR=46.03, 95%CI: 5.12-413.58, P=0.001), sludge on sonography (OR=9.87, 95%CI: 1.69-57.60, P=0.011) and history of short cervix (OR=7.24, 95%CI: 1.04-50.24, P=0.045) were independent risk factors of preterm birth. (4) In the group of cervical length ≥10 mm and gestational weeks between 24-29+6, the delivery weeks, incidence of delivery before 37 weeks, incidence of delivery before 34 weeks, NBW and ANO were not statistically different (P>0.05) among rest group (n=52), progesterone group (n=34) and cerclage group (n=9). Infection was an independent risk factor of preterm birth (OR=56.40, 95%CI: 4.67-680.61, P=0.002). (5) Outcomes of 223 cases were relatively good in the group of cervical length ≥10 mm beyond 30 gestational weeks. The incidence of delivery before 34 weeks was 6.3% (14/223). The delivery weeks, incidence of delivery before 37 and 34 weeks, NBW and ANO were not statistically different (P>0.05) among 3 groups. Infection (OR=10.91, 95%CI: 2.21-53.96, P=0.003) and history of preterm birth (OR=8.63, 95%CI: 1.25-59.65, P=0.029) were independent risk factors of preterm birth. Conclusions: Short cervix is a common complication of pregnancy. Cervical cerclage is related with better outcome for patients with cervical length <10 mm. Neither progesterone nor cervical cerclage improves pregnancy outcome for >10 mm cervical length patients comparing with rest. Infection, sludge, in vitro fertilization, history of short cervix and history of preterm birth are independent risk factors of preterm birth in short cervix pregnancies.

Epidemiological characteristics and spatial-temporal analysis of COVID-19 in Shandong Province, China.

The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has posed serious challenges. It is vitally important to further clarify the epidemiological characteristics of the COVID-19 outbreak for future study and prevention and control measures. Epidemiological characteristics and spatial-temporal analysis were performed based on COVID-19 cases from 21 January 2020 to 1 March 2020 in Shandong Province, and close contacts were traced to construct transmission chains. A total of 758 laboratory-confirmed cases were reported in Shandong. The sex ratio was 1.27: 1 (M: F) and the median age was 42 (interquartile range: 32-55). The high-risk clusters were identified in the central, eastern and southern regions of Shandong from 25 January 2020 to 10 February 2020. We rebuilt 54 transmission chains involving 209 cases, of which 52.2% were family clusters, and three widespread infection chains were elaborated, occurring in Jining, Zaozhuang and Liaocheng, respectively. The geographical and temporal disparity may alert public health agencies to implement specific measures in regions with different risk, and should attach importance on how to avoid household and community transmission.

[The 479th case: cognitive impairment, respiratory failure, colon mass].

A 78-year-old man was admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital with fever, weakness of lower extremities, less speech, loss of memory. Fever was relieved after antibiotic treatment, while cognitive impairment and disorder of consciousness progressed rapidly, followed by critical pulmonary infections, respiratory failure, and septic shock. Lab tests showed negative occult blood, normal serum CEA level and positive Anti-nuclear-antibody. PET-CT suggested that strong FDG uptake signals were seen at sigmoid, while bilateral frontal lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, posterior cingulate gyrus showed lower metabolic activity. Colonoscopy biopsy revealed differentiated adenocarcinoma of sigmoid colon. Therefore, paraneoplastic syndrome of nervous system secondary to colon cancer was considered. Rapid and proper diagnosis and treatment were completed by multidisciplinary team including departments of neurology, gastroenterology, general surgery, ICU, rheumatology, clinical nutrition. The laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was performed under general anesthesia. The patient finally presented with significant improvement of cognition and consciousness. Respiratory function was totally recovered.

[The effect of blocking penile blood drainage on stem cells therapy for rats with erectile dysfunction].

Objective: To investigate the effect of blocking penile blood drainage at the root of the rat penis on cell retention, penile erectile function, and histopathological changes when erectile dysfunction (ED) is treated by intracavernous injection (ICI) of stem cells. Methods: Thirty male SD rats were randomly divided into sham operation group (n=6), ED model group (n=6), treatment group A (blockade group, n=9) and treatment group B (non-blockade group, n=9). Twenty-four hours after the model was established, group A and group B were treated by ICI of 1 × 10(6) adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs). Before ICI, the penile blood drainage in group A was temporarily blocked with a rubber tourniquet at the root of the penis which was removed 5 minutes after the injection. The dynamic changes of the local fluorescent signal of the penis and the expression of the fluorescent signal in the lung were detected after ICI. The maximum intracavernous pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICPmax/MAP) was measured to evaluatethe erectile function, and histopathological changes of the penis were observed after 28 days. Results: At different time points (0, 10 and 60 min), the intensity of the bioluminescent signal (×10(6)·p·s(-1)·sr·cm(-2)) in group A had a similar trend when compared with that in group B, and the differences were not statistically significant (8.76±1.17 vs 8.16±1.12, 6.45±1.47 vs 6.72±0.69, 3.77±0.30 vs 3.36±1.06, all P>0.05). A large number of ADSCs could be found in the lungs in both treatment groups after 60 min of ICI. There was no statistically significant difference in erectile function (0.44±0.11 vs 0.43±0.07) and histopathological change (0.08±0.02 vs 0.08±0.03) regardless of the occlusion of blood drainage at the root of the penis (all P>0.05). Conclusion: Temporarily blocking of penile blood drainage has no obvious advantage in improving cell retention and efficacy when ADSCs are used to treat ED of rat models.

[Prevalence and risk factors of perivascular space in the population of Shunyi Study].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence on imaging, topographic distribution and risk factors of perivascular space (PVS) in community population. Methods: This study was based on the population of Shunyi Study in China from June 2013 to September 2016. One thousand two hundred and thirty-two stroke free participants older than 35 years, who completed cerebral MRI, were included. Cardiovascular risk factors were assessed by interview, physical examination and blood sample tests. PVS were evaluated on high-resolution 3-dimensional-T1WI, T2WI and FLAIR sequences. On T1WI, PVS were detected according to 3D imaging criteria. The number and anatomic location of large PVS (≥3 mm) were recorded. And severity of PVS was then semiquantitatively graded in both white matter (WM) and basal ganglia (BG). Associations between risk factors and PVS were analyzed by multinominal Logistic regression models and adjusted for age, gender and relevant confounders. Results: Perivascular spaces were observed in the BG or WM in every subject, aged (55±10) years and 37.3% male. Large PVS were detected in 19.0% (460/1 232) of participants. Severity of PVS was found to be strongly associated with age in both basal ganglia (severe versus mild: OR=1.81; 95%CI 1.45-2.27, P<0.01) and white matter (OR=1.39; 95%CI 1.13-1.71, P<0.01), and the proportion of subjects with hypercholesterolemia decreased with the severity of PVS in BG (OR=0.58, P=0.01) . The present of large PVS was found to be associated with age(present versus absent: OR=1.03, 95%CI 1.02-1.05, P<0.01) and ApoE ε4 carrier genotype(OR=1.53, 95%CI 1.01-2.23, P=0.04). Conclusions: Perivascular spaces are always detected in the BG or WM in elderly people, and large PVS are also prevalent in community-based population. The risk factors are different due to distribution and size, and may depend on anatomic or pathologic characteristics.

[Morphological classification of acute isolated pontine infarction and it's clinical relevance].

Objective: To investigate a diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)-based morphological classification for acute isolated pontine infarcts (AIPI) and to assess differences in clinical characteristics, risk factors and functional outcomes among the different morphologies. Methods: All participants from SMART cohort with DWI-proven AIPI were included and categorized into 3 groups: basilar artery branch disease (BABD) group, small artery disease (SAD) group and large-artery-occlusive disease (LAOD) group, according to lesion extent of the transverse axial plane and basilar artery atherosclerosis severity. The clinical characteristics, vascular risk factors and 6-month's functional outcome was analyzed among 3 groups. Results: Of the 1 129 patients enrolled, 175 had AIPI. BABD was the most frequent subtype of AIPI (46.3%), followed by SAD (36.0%) and LAOD (17.7%). Neurological impairment on admission was more severe in the LAOD and BABD group than SAD group (P<0.001). In terms of risk factors, the percentage of hypertension was significant different among three groups (P<0.05). The average National Institute of Health stroke scale was 3.49 for SAD group, 5.93 for LAOD group, 5.97 for BABD group, and the differences were significant (P<0.001). The Poor outcome (mRS>2) was found in only 13.7% of patients at 6-month post-stroke and there was no difference among 3 groups. Conclusions: According to the morphological classification, BABD is the most frequent subtype of AIPI. The differences of the clinical characteristics and risk factors among three groups indicate that differences observed in morphology might have distinct pathophysiologic mechanisms. AIPI can be reliably classified based on morphology using clinical magnetic resonance images.

[Clinical experience and next-generation sequencing analysis of encephalitis caused by pseudorabies virus].

Objective: To detect potential pathogens including pseudorabies virus in patients with encephalitis of unknown etiology in China and describe novel encephalitic entities. Methods: Patients with clinically suspected infectious encephalitis were enrolled in a multicenter study to identify the pathogens in PUMCH Encephalitis Program.Next-generation sequencing(NGS) of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was used in patients with encephalitis of unknown etiology enrolled from 2016 to 2017.The patients diagnosed as PRV encephalitis were studied to describe this novel entity. Results: The four patients(3 male, 1 male, 38-54 years old) had occupational exposure to raw park when working in the production or marketing of pork and at least one got injured during pork-cutting.Two of them were confirmed with NGS of CSF, and anti-PRV antibodies were positive in 3 patients whose serum was available for serological analysis.They all presented with an acute onset of fever, convulsion, loss of consciousness and respiratory failure within 1 to 4 days and rapidly deteriorated even on extensive treatment.All the patients needed ICU admission and 3 needed mechanical ventilation.Two patients also had bilateral retinitis.Neuroimaging revealed symmetric gray matter lesions including limbic system, basal ganglia and midbrain without obvious hemorrhage.Lumbar puncture revealed elevated intracranial pressure and lymphocytic pleocytosis [(6-64)×10(6)/L] of CSF.The patients failed to response to the treatment of acyclovir combined with intravenous immunoglobulin and steroids.Modified Rankin Score was 3, 5, 5 and 6 (died) for the 4 patients respectively on last follow-up. Conclusions: PRV could be a cause of severe encephalitis.The patients with suspected pseudorabies encephalitis (PRE) need to be tested for PRV DNA timely.Severe encephalitis with bilateral involvement of limbic system, basal ganglion, thalamus and midbrain in patient with occupational exposure indicate this emerging infectious encephalitis.

Association between single nucleotide polymorphisms in AKT1 and the risk of prostate cancer in the Chinese Han population.

AKT1, also known as v-akt murine thymoma viral oncogene homolog 1, is involved in the regulation of cell-survival and anti-apoptotic activities, which may affect the pathogenesis of various cancers. However, the association between genetic variants of AKT1 and the risk of developing prostate cancer has not been investigated before. This study investigated the associations between three polymorphisms (rs1130214, rs3730358, and rs2494732) in AKT1 and the risk of development of prostate cancer in the Chinese Han population. Sequenom MassARRAY & iPLEX technology were used to genotype these polymorphisms in 493 Chinese Han patients with prostate cancer and 309 age-matched healthy individuals. Compared to the CC genotype of the rs3730358 polymorphism, the CT genotype of the same polymorphism was strongly associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer (OR = 0.617, 95%CI = 0.390-0.976, P = 0.037). However, there was no significant difference between the allele frequency of the rs3730358 polymorphism and those of the other two polymorphisms (P > 0.05). Moreover, no significant difference was found in the haplotype analysis (P > 0.05). Our study found that the variant genotype CT of rs3730358 of AKT1 was associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer, which suggested that this polymorphism could play an important role in the development of the disease.

[Analysis of prodromal phase and prodromal events in anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis].

Objective: To analyze prodromal phase and prodromal events of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis. Methods: Clinical data of 179 patients hospitalized and diagnosed during 2010-2016 including adults and children in Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Beijing Children's Hospital were collected.Patients with prodromal phase or prodromal events were selected.A retrospective analysis of clinical characteristics including prodromal phase or prodromal events, course of disease, brain imaging, laboratory results and therapeutic effect was performed. Results: Prodromal phase was presented in 31.8% (57/179) of patients.Most common symptoms included fever (73.7%) and headache (68.4%). Prodromal phase was prolonged in 6 patients, the longest being 64 days.Among those 6 patients (10.5%), headache and fever were the only symptoms throughout disease courses in 3 cases.Prodromal events were reported in 6.1% (11/179) of patients, including 5 patients after HSV1 encephalitis, 1 after Japanese encephalitis, and 2 after resection of melanocytic nevi. Conclusions: Anti-NMDAR encephalitis can be preceded with prolonged prodromal phase.In some patients prodromal symptoms are the only clinical presentation.Clinical features of those atypical cases suggest that infection may be the precipitating factor.Viral encephalitis including HSV1 encephalitis and Japanese encephalitis may be prodromal events in some cases.

[Immunotherapy strategy for 35 cases of severe anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis].

OBJECTIVE: To provide evidence for establishing standardized treatment strategy of severe anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis in China, by demonstrating the clinical characteristics and comparing the treatment strategy with that adopted in foreign countries. METHODS: A total of 35 hospitalized cases who met the diagnostic criteria for severe anti-NMDAR encephalitis were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic data, clinical history, past medical history, laboratory tests, imaging studies, treatment and the follow-up information were recorded using unified forms. RESULTS: Mental and behavioral abnormalities, seizures and consciousness disturbance occurred in all cases; involuntary movements, speech disorders, memory loss, central hypoventilation and autonomic dysfunction happened in 45%-65% of cases. Sixteen patients (45.71%) required mechanical ventilation. Modified Rankin score (mRS ) arranged 4-5 (mean mRS 4.86). The percentage of patients with elevated intracranial pressure, white blood cell and protein in cerebrospinal fluid were 42.86%, 60.00%, and 14.29%, respectively. Abnormal findings in brain magnetic resonance imaging scan happened in 31.43% cases, located in frontal lobe, temporal lobe, insular lobe, hippocampus, cingulate gyrus, corpus callosum, brain stem, and cerebellum. All cases received intravenous immunoglobulin, for one to maximum seven cycles, with an average of three cycles. 91.43% of cases received glucocorticoid therapy, including 54.29% of cases received high-dose methylprednisolone. Two patients (5.71%) received plasma exchange. Five patients(14.29%) received second-line therapy including rituximab for 4 patients and intravenous cyclophosphamide (CTX) for one. Fifteen patients(42.86%) received long-term immunosuppression therapy. All cases acquired improvement after immunotherapy and were transferred out from ICU, the median ICU time was 46 days and median hospitalized duration was 72 days. The mRS were 5 for 2 cases, 1-4 for the rest patients, and no patient died during hospitalization. During a median follow-up period of 17.6 months, 30 of 35 patients (85.71%) achieved complete recovery or a good outcome (mRS 0-2). Eleven patients (31.43%) relapsed. One patient(2.90%) died 2 years after discharge. CONCLUSION: Intravenous immunoglobulin combined with high-dose methylprednisolone therapy is effective for severe anti-NMDAR encephalitis. Retrial of the first-line immunotherapy is an option for initially unresponsive cases.

Purification of the insecticidal Cry2Ad protein from a Bt-isolated BRC-HZP10 strain and toxin assay to the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.).

The present study aims to characterize the Cry2Ad toxin protein isolated from a Bacillus thuringiensis strain, BRC-HZP10, which have a potential insecticidal activity against larvae of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). The crude Bt toxin proteins were isolated and purified by cation exchange chromatography, then equilibrated with 0.2 M NaOH buffer, pH 4.0, followed by ultraviolet detection at 280 nm and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A refined Cry2Ad toxin protein with 88.34% purity was eventually obtained and used for a bioassay by feeding it to P. xylostella. The results showed conspicuous insecticidal activity towards P. xylostella with 50% lethal concentration of 6.84 µg/mL and 95% confidence interval of 5.77-7.91 mg/mL. At a concentration of 16.38 µg/mL, the intake of Cry2Ad protein significantly shortened the oviposition period and larval developmental duration, but significantly reduced the fecundity and egg hatchability of the population compared to those of control (without treatment with Cry2Ad protein) (P < 0.05). These results indicate that the Cry2Ad protein plays an effective role in controlling the population of P. xylostella.

Protein-protein interaction network analysis of osteoarthritis-related differentially expressed genes.

The purpose of this study was to identify genes and pathways for osteoarthritis (OA) diagnosis and therapy. We downloaded the gene expression profile of OA from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database including 10 early OA, 9 late OA, and 5 normal control samples. Next, we screened differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between early- and late-stage OA samples comparing with healthy control samples. Then, the Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING) software was used to construct protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, which was to predict the proteins that may interact with DEGs. The Gene Ontology (GO)-enrichment method was used to analyze the function of genes in the PPI networks. Meanwhile network module analysis was performed using Cytoscape. A total of 24 and 29 DEGs were identified for the early and late OA, respectively. TAC1 showed the highest degree in the PPI network. Functional annotation of the TAC1 network module indicated that this gene is associated with the G protein-coupled signal transduction pathway. In summary, TAC1, together with G protein-coupled receptors, appear to play a role in the biogenesis and progress of OA. Further analysis of this gene and pathway could therefore provide a potential target for the diagnosis and treatment of OA.

[Association between physical activity and risk of stroke among adults aged 40 years and above: a prospective cohort study].

Objective: To examine the effect of physical activity (PA) on the incident risk of stroke among adults aged 40 years and above. Methods: The baseline data including PA and demographic characteristics were obtained from the Adult Chronic Disease Surveillance with population representativeness in Ningbo in 2015. The follow-up data of interested health outcomes from 2015 to 2019 were retrieved from a population-based Integrated Noncommunicable Disease Collaborative Management System in Ningbo. The two databases were matched to form a queue. PA was divided into three levels of low-intensity, moderate-intensity, and vigorous-intensity according to the metabolic equivalents (METs) spent per week. Cox regression model was used to calculate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval. Results: A total of 3 353 subjects were included at baseline survey in 2015. Until Dec 31, 2019, there had been 31 stroke events had occurred since then, with accumulative incidence rate of 242/100 000, and an average follow-up time of (50.28±2.54) months. When adjusted for gender, age, education level, smoking status, alcohol consumption, BMI and hypertension, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that greater PA was associated with a 37.9% reduction of incidence of stroke (HR=0.621,95%CI:0.393-0.983). Compared with those who had low-intensity PA, those who were with vigorous-intensity. PA appeared associated with a 63.1% decrease in the incidence of stroke (HR=0.369, 95%CI: 0.139-0.976). However, there was no statistical significance with moderate-intensity PA (HR=0.712,95%CI:0.323-1.569), noticed. Conclusions: Greater PA is likely to reduce the incidence of stroke. Our findings indicated that people should be encouraged to increase the PA level and developing a healthy supportive environment in the community.

Susceptibility to praziquantel of male and female cercariae of praziquantel-resistant and susceptible isolates of Schistosoma mansoni.

Praziquantel (PZQ) is now widely used for the treatment of human schistosomiasis. However, in recent years, there has been a growing concern about the resistance of Schistosoma to PZQ. The mechanisms of PZQ action against Schistosoma and resistance of Schistosoma to PZQ are poorly understood. Here, we report differential susceptibilities to PZQ between male and female cercariae in the PZQ-susceptible and PZQ-resistant isolates of Schistosoma mansoni, using tail loss as a measurement of PZQ action. The miracidia were collected by hatching eggs collected from faeces of infected mice. Single-sex cercaria lines were made by infecting a single Biomphalaria glabrata snail with a single miracidium. The sex of each single-sex cercaria line was identified by a direct W1-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. Single-sex cercariae of two isolates were exposed to four different concentrations of PZQ, respectively. The tail shedding of cercariae was observed under a dissecting microscope for five time points up to 100 min after adding PZQ. The results showed that male cercariae have higher tail-shedding rates than that of female cercariae when PZQ-susceptible isolates of S. mansoni are exposed to the same concentration of PZQ. But this phenomenon was not observed in the PZQ-resistant isolates. This sexual differential resistance phenomenon of S. mansoni suggests that resistance to PZQ is induced by decreasing the PZQ susceptibility of male worms. The experiment described here may also be useful for developing tests to detect PZQ resistance in the field.