Effect of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio on survival in septic patients: an observational cohort study.

Introduction: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the potential relationship of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) with outcomes of septic patients at intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Material and methods: 3087 septic patients were included in the final cohort by using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC) database. We evaluated the association of different groups of LMRmax with 28-day survival and 1-year survival via Kaplan-Meier (K-M) analysis and Cox regression analysis. Subgroups analysis of LMRmax was performed to further explore the effect of LMRmax on survival. Results: According to the optimal cut-off value, the cohort was divided into low-LMRmax and high-LMRmax groups. The 28-day and 1-year survival rates were 47.9% and 19.9%, respectively, in the low-LMRmax group, and 60.4% and 25.9%, respectively, in the high-LMRmax group. Univariate logistic regression and K-M analyses revealed that the 28-day and 1-year survival rates of the high-LMRmax group were higher than those of the low-LMRmax group (both p < 0.001). A subgroup analysis of LMRmax identified a significant stepwise decrease in the risk of death at 28 days and 1 year from group 1 to group 4 (LMRmax increased gradually) after adjustment for multiple variables. Conclusions: We report for the first time that a lower LMRmax value is independently predictive of a poor prognosis in septic patients. Therefore, as an inexpensive and readily available indicator, LMRmax may facilitate stratification of prognosis in septic patients.

Transcriptomic analysis uncovers a biphasic response to precocious Eimeria acervulina infection in chicken duodenal tissue.

Live anticoccidial vaccines, either formulated with unattenuated or attenuated Eimeria parasites, are powerful stimulators of chicken intestinal immunity. Little is known about the dynamics of gene expression and the corresponding biological processes of chicken responses against infection with precocious line (PL) of Eimeria parasites. In the present study, we performed a time-series transcriptomic analysis of chicken duodenum across 15 time points from 6 to 156 hours post-infection (p.i.) with PL of E. acervulina. A high-quality profile showing two distinct changes in chicken duodenum mRNA expression was generated during the infection of Eimeria. Early response revealed that activation of the chicken immune response was detectable from 6 h.p.i., prominent genes triggered during the initiation of asexual and sexual parasite growth encompass immune regulatory effects, such as interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interferon regulatory factor 1 (IRF1), and interleukin-10 (IL10). The late response was identified significantly associating with maintaining cellular structure and activating lipid metabolic pathways. These analyses provide a detailed depiction of the biological response landscape in chickens infected by the PL of E. acervulina, contributing significant insights for the investigation of the host-parasite interactions and the management of parasitic diseases.

Salidroside Inhibits α-Amanitin-Induced AML-12 Cell Apoptosis via the Regulation of PINK1/Parkin-Mediated Mitophagy and Mitochondrial Function.

Poisoning caused by the mushroom Amanita phalloides, due to the toxin α-amanitin, accounts for approximately 90% of food poisoning deaths in China with no specific antidotes. To investigate the role of salidroside (Sal) in α-amanitin (α-AMA)-induced mitophagy, mouse liver cells AML-12 were exposed to α-AMA in the presence of Sal or not. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were measured using a ROS detection kit, mitochondrial activity was evaluated using a mitochondrial red fluorescent probe kit or JC-1 dye, and protein expression levels of PINK1, Parkin, LC3 II, P62, Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase 3, Cleaved-Caspase 3, PARP I, and Cleaved-PARP I were detected through Western blot. Results demonstrated that α-AMA led to increased intracellular ROS levels, cell apoptosis, and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential. Notably, expression levels of mitophagy-related proteins PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 increased significantly while the P62 protein expression decreased remarkably. Furthermore, Sal reversed the α-AMA-induced decrease in cell viability and mitochondrial membrane potential and increase in intracellular ROS level. In addition, Sal promoted expression levels of PINK1, Parkin, and LC3 II while suppressing the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio, Cleaved-Caspase 3, and Cleaved-PARP I as well as P62. The results above proved that salidroside alleviates α-AMA-induced mouse liver cells damage via promoting PINK1/Parkin-mediated mitophagy and reducing cell apoptosis.

The Complete Mitochondrial Genome Sequence of Eimeria kongi (Apicomplexa: Coccidia).

Rabbit coccidiosis is caused by infection with one or, more commonly, several Eimeria species that parasitize the hepatobiliary ducts or intestinal epithelium of rabbits. Currently, there are eleven internationally recognized species of rabbit coccidia, with the complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of six species commonly infecting rabbits having been sequenced and annotated. Eimeria kongi was initially discovered in 2011 and prompted a preliminary study on this species. Through traditional morphological analysis, E. kongi was identified as a novel species of rabbit coccidia. To further validate this classification, we sequenced and annotated its mitochondrial genome. The complete mt genome of E. kongi spans 6258 bp and comprises three cytochrome genes (cytb, cox1, cox3), fourteen gene fragments for the large subunit (LSU) rRNA, and nine gene fragments for the small subunit (SSU) rRNA, lacking transfer RNA (tRNA) genes. Moreover, phylogenetic analysis of the mitochondrial genome sequence of E. kongi revealed its clustering with six other species of rabbit coccidia into a monophyletic group. Additionally, E. irresidua and E. flavescens were grouped within the lineage lacking oocyst residuum, consistent with their morphological characteristics. Consistent with multiple molecular phylogenies, in this investigation, E. kongi was further confirmed as a new species of rabbit coccidia. Our research findings are of great significance for the classification of coccidia and for coccidiosis prevention and control in rabbits.

CircDiaph3 aggravates H/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammation through miR-338-3p/SRSF1 axis.

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the most prevalent cardiovascular diseases, accounting for a high incidence rate and high mortality worldwide. Hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced myocardial cell injury is the main cause of AMI. Several studies have shown that circular RNA contributes significantly to the pathogenesis of AMI. Here, we established an AMI mouse model to investigate the effect of circDiaph3 in cardiac function and explore the functional role of circDiaph3 in H/R-induced cardiomyocyte injury and its molecular mechanism. Bioinformatics tool and RT-qPCR techniques were applied to detect circDiaph3 expression in human patient samples, heart tissues of AMI mice, and H/R-induced H9C2 cells. CCK-8 was used to examine cell viability, while annexin-V/PI staining was used to assess cell apoptosis. Myocardial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels were detected by immunofluorescence. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 while pro-apoptotic Bax and cleaved-Caspase-3. Furthermore, ELISA was used to detect inflammatory cytokines production. While bioinformatics tool and RNA pull-down assay were used to verify the interaction between circDiaph3 and miR-338-3p. We found that circDiaph3 expression was high in AMI patients and mice, as well as in H/R-treated H9C2 cells. CircDiaph3 silencing ameliorated apoptosis and inflammatory response of cardiomyocytes in vivo. Moreover, the knockdown of cirDiaph3 mitigated H/R-induced apoptosis and the release of inflammatory mediators like IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α in H9C2 cells. Mechanistically, circDiaph3 induced cell apoptosis and inflammatory responses in H/R-treated H9C2 cells by sponging miR-338-3p. Overexpressing miR-338-3p in H/R-treated cells prominently reversed circDiaph3-induced effects. Notably, miR-338-3p inhibited SRSF1 expression in H/R-treated H9C2 cells. While overexpressing SRSF1 abrogated miR-338-3p-mediated alleviation of apoptosis and inflammation after H/R treatment. To summarize, circDiaph3 aggravates H/R-induced cardiomyocyte apoptosis and inflammation through the miR-338-3p/SRSF1 axis. These findings suggest that the circDiaph3/miR-338-3pp/SRSF1 axis could be a potential therapeutic target for treating H/R-induced myocardial injury.

Computed tomography radiomics identification of T1-2 and T3-4 stages of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: two-dimensional or three-dimensional?

BACKGROUND: To evaluate two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) radiomics analysis for the T stage of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). METHODS: 398 patients with pathologically confirmed ESCC were divided into training and testing sets. All patients underwent chest CT scans preoperatively. For each tumor, based on CT images, a 2D region of interest (ROI) was outlined on the largest cross-sectional area, and a 3D ROI was outlined layer by layer on each section of the tumor. The radiomics platform was used for feature extraction. For feature selection, stepwise logistic regression was used. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic performance of the 2D radiomics model versus the 3D radiomics model. The differences were compared using the DeLong test. The value of the clinical utility of the two radiomics models was evaluated. RESULTS: 1595 radiomics features were extracted. After screening, two radiomics models were constructed. In the training set, the difference between the area under the curve (AUC) of the 2D radiomics model (AUC = 0.831) and the 3D radiomics model (AUC = 0.830) was not statistically significant (p = 0.973). In the testing set, the difference between the AUC of the 2D radiomics model (AUC = 0.807) and the 3D radiomics model (AUC = 0.797) was also not statistically significant (p = 0.748). A 2D model was equally useful as a 3D model in clinical situations. CONCLUSION: The performance of 2D radiomics model is comparable to that of 3D radiomics model in distinguishing between the T1-2 and T3-4 stages of ESCC. In addition, 2D radiomics model may be a more feasible option due to the shorter time required for segmenting the ROI.

Simulating ozone degradation of deoxynivalenol and its bio-safety assessment by mouse model.

Deoxynivalenol (DON), a trichothecene mycotoxin, is one of the most prevalent mycotoxins globally, primarily produced by Fusarium species. DON exposure could cause a range of symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, gastroenteritis, growth retardation, immunosuppression, and intestinal flora disorders in both humans and animals. Recently, ozone degradation technology has been applied for DON control. However, the safety of the contaminated grain after degradation was often ignored. Therefore, the implementation technology for assessing the safety of DON-contaminated grain degradation is of great significance for food safety. In this study, based on previous degradation result of DON, we further studied and assessed the toxicity of corn contaminated with ozone-degrading DON by animal experiments in mice. We simulated feed made from corn contaminated with DON produced by inoculated Fusarium graminearum, which was treated with an ozone aqueous solution. DON treated by ozone could effectively increase the expression of total protein in mice and improve the immune system efficacy. Meanwhile, compared with DON directly-exposed mice, the corn with degrading DON could effectively maintain the level of liver and kidney immune function, and improved growth performance, enterohepatic circulation, and energy metabolism. Our study indicated that the toxicity of fed corn contaminated with degrading-DON decreased significantly after ozone degradation, resulting in a much lower toxicity compared to the DON group, or nontoxicity to some extent. Therefore, we hope that this mouse model could be used as a promising approach for assessing the risk of fungal toxins on metabolism, immunity, and intestinal health.

Quercetin protects cadmium-induced renal injuries in mice by inhibiting cell pyroptosis.

The toxic heavy metal cadmium (Cd) has a significant impact on kidney health. Documents manifested that non-toxic flavonoid quercetin can reduce Cd-induced kidney damage by reducing oxidative stress and inhibiting apoptosis, while the effect of quercetin on Cd-induced renal cell pyroptosis has not been elucidated. In this study, we established a model of Cd poisoning treated with quercetin both in vitro and in vivo. Results revealed that quercetin effectively reversed the decrease in Cd-induced cell viability. Furthermore, Cd increased blood urea nitrogen while reducing GPX and SOD levels, caused histopathological injuries in kidney with a significantly elevated cell pyroptosis characterized by enhanced levels of proteins representing assembly (NLRP3) and activation (pro IL-1ß, cleaved IL-1ß, and IL-18) of NLRP3 inflammasome as well as pyroptosis executor (pro caspase-1, cleaved caspase-1). However, quercetin administration alleviated kidney injuries above by decreasing cell pyroptosis. Overall, it suggests that kidney cells are susceptible to pyroptotic cell death due to Cd exposure; while quercetin exhibits protective effects through cell pyroptosis inhibition.

Magnetic resonance imaging findings of pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma: a case report and literature review.

Background: Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma (PSP) is a rare lung tumor that is mostly isolated and commonly reported among middle-aged East Asian women. Recently, Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis has suggested that PSP is of primitive epithelial origin, most likely derived from type II alveolar air cells. Patients with PSP are generally asymptomatic and usually detected for other unrelated reasons during routine imaging. Several studies have already investigated the computed tomography (CT) features of PSP and their correlation with pathology. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a radiation-free imaging technique with important diagnostic value for specific pulmonary nodules. However, very few case reports or studies focus on the MRI findings of PSP. Case report: We reported a case of an asymptomatic 56-year-old female with a solitary, well-defined soft-tissue mass in the lower lobe of the left lung. The mass showed iso-to-high signal intensity (SI) than muscle on T1-weighted image (T1WI) and T2-weighted image (T2WI) and a much higher SI on fat-suppressed T2WI, diffusion-weighted image, and apparent diffusion coefficient image. Contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1WI revealed noticeable inhomogeneous progressive enhancement throughout the mass. The mass revealed early enhancement without a significant peak, followed by a plateau pattern on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI images. The patient underwent left basal segmentectomy via thoracoscopic surgery. Histopathology and IHC results of the surgical specimen confirmed that it was a PSP. We concluded that the MRI findings of PSP might adequately reflect the different components within the tumor and aid clinicians in preoperative diagnosis and assessment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most comprehensive case report on the MRI findings of PSP. Conclusion: The MRI findings of PSP correspond to its histopathological features. Here, we present a case of PSP with the most comprehensive MRI findings, emphasizing the importance of multiple-sequence MRI in diagnosing PSP.

The prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococcus associated with bovine mastitis in China and its antimicrobial resistance rate: a meta-analysis.

To contribute to the treatment decision and optimize coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) control programs, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance rates of coagulase-negative staphylococcus associated with bovine mastitis in China. Three databases (PubMed, Google scholar and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database) were utilized to obtain relevant publications. A total of 18 publications were included in our research, and 3 of them included antimicrobial resistant (AMR) test. The pooled prevalence of coagulase-negative staphylococcus was 17.28%. Subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence was higher in South China than in North China, was higher in 2011-2020 than in 2000-2010 and was higher in clinical bovine mastitis cases than in subclinical cases. The pooled AMR were most resistant to ß-lactams, followed by tetracyclines, quinolones, nitrofurans, lincosamides, sulfonamides, amphenicol and aminoglycosides. The pooled AMR rate of coagulase-negative staphylococcus was lower in 2011-2020 than in 2000-2010. Although the prevalence of CNS showed an increasing trend over 20 years, the AMR rate showed a decreasing trend, and the clinical type of mastitis was the most frequent and the prevalence was highest in South China. Finally, CNS was most resistant to ß-lactams amongst the eight groups of antimicrobial agents.

Identification of gastric schwannoma and non-metastatic gastric stromal tumor by CT: a single-institution retrospective diagnostic test.

Background: Gastric schwannoma (GS) was a rare mesenchymal tumor that was difficult to distinguish from a non-metastatic gastric stromal tumor (GST). The nomogram constructed by CT features had an advantage in the differential diagnosis of gastric malignant tumors. Therefore, we conducted a retrospective analysis of their respective computed tomography (CT) features. Methods: We conducted a retrospective single-institution review of resected GS and non-metastatic GST between January 2017 and December 2020. Patients who were pathologically confirmed after surgery and underwent CT within two weeks before surgery were selected. The exclusion criteria were as follows: incomplete clinical data; CT images that were incomplete or of poor quality. A binary logistic regression model was built for analysis. Through univariate and multivariate analysis, CT image features were evaluated to determine the significant differences between GS and GST. Results: The study population comprised 203 consecutive patients (29 with GS and 174 with GST). There were significant differences in gender distribution (P=0.042) and symptoms (P=0.002). Besides, GST tended to involve the presence of necrosis (P=0.003) and lymph nodes (P=0.003). The area under the curve (AUC) value of unenhanced CT (CTU) was 0.708 [95% confidence interval (CI): 62.10-79.56%], the AUC value of venous phase CT (CTP) was 0.774 (95% CI: 69.45-85.34%), and the AUC value of venous phase enhancement (CTPU) was 0.745 (95% CI: 65.87-83.06%). CTP was the most specific feature, with a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 66%. The ratio of long diameter to short diameter (LD/SD) was significantly different (P=0.003). The AUC of the binary logistic regression model was 0.904. Multivariate analysis showed that necrosis and LD/SD were independent factors affecting the identification of GS and GST. Conclusions: LD/SD was a novel distinguishing feature between GS and non-metastatic GST. In conjunction with CTP, LD/SD, location, growth pattern, necrosis, and lymph node, a nomogram was constructed to predict.

Study on the pathogenicity, immunogenicity, endogenous development and drug sensitivity of Eimeria kongi.

Following the discovery of Eimeria kongi, we investigated the pathogenicity, immunogenicity, endogenous development and drug sensitivity of this coccidian. Coccidia-free rabbits were inoculated with 1 × 102 to 5 × 104 sporulated oocysts of E. kongi before challenge 14 days post inoculation. E. kongi was moderately pathogenic and induced good immunity against re-infection. All inoculated doses results in reduced food intake and body weight gain, and an inoculation oocyst dose of 1 × 103 or higher caused various degrees of diarrhea. Except for one death of the highest dose group, all rabbits recovered 12 days post inoculation. An inoculation dose of 1 × 103 or 1 × 104 oocysts conferred the most effective protection from re-infection, which reduced oocyst output by approximately 99% and maintained body weight gain. Four generations of schizogony were observed, and the endogenous development mainly occurred in the jejunum and ileum of rabbits. E. kongi was most sensitive to sulfachloropyrazine sodium, followed by decoquinate; it is resistant to diclazuril. Both decoquinate and sulfachloropyrazine sodium may be effective in the control of E. kongi infection.

Construction of a nomogram model for predicting peritoneal metastasis in gastric cancer: focused on cardiophrenic angle lymph node features.

BACKGROUND: A different treatment was used when peritoneal metastases (PM) occurred in patients with gastric cancer (GC). Certain cancers' peritoneal metastasis could be predicted by the cardiophrenic angle lymph node (CALN). This study aimed to establish a predictive model for PM of gastric cancer based on the CALN. METHODS: Our center retrospectively analyzed all GC patients between January 2017 and October 2019. Pre-surgery computed tomography (CT) scans were performed on all patients. The clinicopathological and CALN features were recorded. PM risk factors were identified via univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were generated using these CALN values. Using the calibration plot, the model fit was assessed. A decision curve analysis (DCA) was conducted to assess the clinical utility. RESULTS: 126 of 483 (26.1%) patients were confirmed as having peritoneal metastasis. These relevant factors were associated with PM: age, sex, T stage, N stage, enlarged retroperitoneal lymph nodes (ERLN), CALN, the long diameter of the largest CALN (LD of LCALN), the short diameter of the largest CALN (SD of LCALN), and the number of CALNs (N of CALNs). The multivariate analysis illustrated that the LD of LCALN (OR = 2.752, p < 0.001) was PM's independent risk factor in GC patients. The area under the curve (AUC) of the model was 0.907 (95% CI 0.872-0.941), demonstrating good performance in the predictive value of PM. There is excellent calibration evident from the calibration plot, which is close to the diagonal. The DCA was presented for the nomogram. CONCLUSION: CALN could predict gastric cancer peritoneal metastasis. The model in this study provided a powerful predictive tool for determining PM in GC patients and helping clinicians allocate treatment.

Can PD-L1 expression be predicted by contrast-enhanced CT in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma? a preliminary retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to construct a computed tomography (CT) radiomics model to predict programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in gastric adenocarcinoma patients using radiomics features. METHODS: A total of 169 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma were studied retrospectively and randomly divided into training and testing datasets. The clinical data of the patients were recorded. Radiomics features were extracted to construct a radiomics model. The random forest-based Boruta algorithm was used to screen the features of the training dataset. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance of the model. RESULTS: Four radiomics features were selected to construct a radiomics model. The radiomics signature showed good efficacy in predicting PD-L1 expression, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.786 (p < 0.001), a sensitivity of 0.681, and a specificity of 0.826. The radiomics model achieved the greatest areas under the curve (AUCs) in the training dataset (AUC = 0.786) and testing dataset (AUC = 0.774). The calibration curves of the radiomics model showed great calibration performances outcomes in the training dataset and testing dataset. The net clinical benefit for the radiomics model was high. CONCLUSION: CT radiomics has important value in predicting the expression of PD-L1 in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

The prevalence of bovine mastitis-associated Staphylococcus aureus in China and its antimicrobial resistance rate: A meta-analysis.

In this study, to optimize the Staphylococcus aureus control program, a meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of S. aureus-associated bovine mastitis in China from 2000 to 2020. A total of 33 publications from PubMed, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database were included in our research, among which nine publications included the AMR test. The pooled prevalence of S. aureus was 36.23%, and subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence dropped from 2000-2010 to 2011-2020, which shows that China is on the right track. The pooled AMR rate indicate isolates were most resistant to ß-lactams (50.68%), followed by quinolones (36.23%), macrolides (34.08%), sulfonamides (32.25%), tetracyclines (27.83%), aminoglycosides (26.44%), lincosamides (23.39%), and amphenicol (10.33%). Both the pooled prevalence and AMR of S. aureus in China are higher than those in Western countries, such as Germany, Belgium, Ireland, and the United States-countries with a long animal husbandry history and good management. Thus, there is still room to improve the treatment of S. aureus-associated bovine mastitis in China.

The Prevalence of Klebsiella spp. Associated With Bovine Mastitis in China and Its Antimicrobial Resistance Rate: A Meta-Analysis.

Understanding distribution of bovine mastitis pathogen Klebsiella spp. can contribute to the treatment decision and the control within programs of bovine mastitis, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance rates of Klebsiella spp. associated with bovine mastitis in China. Three databases, namely, PubMed, Google scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, were utilized to obtain relevant publications. According to PRISMA reporting standards, a total of 38 publications were included in the research, among them, 7 papers included an AMR test. The pooled prevalence of Klebsiella spp. was 5.41% (95% CI: 3.87-7.50%). Subgroup analysis revealed that the prevalence was higher in South China (8.55%, 95% CI: 3.57-19.09%) than in North China (4.22%, 95% CI: 2.46-7.14%), in 2010-2020 (7.45%, 95% CI: 5.29-110.40%) than in 2000-2010 (3.14%, 95% CI: 1.90-15.14%), and in the clinical bovine mastitis cases (7.49%, 95% CI: 3.71-14.54%) than in the subclinical cases (4.03%, 95% CI: 1.55-10.08%). The pooled AMR rate revealed that Klebsiella spp. were most resistant to sulfonamides (45.07%, 95% CI: 27.72-63.71%), followed by tetracyclines (36.18%, 95% CI: 23.36-51.34%), aminoglycosides (27.47%, 95% CI: 17.16-40.92%), ß-lactams (27.35%, 95% CI: 16.90-41.05%), amphenicol (26.82%, 95% CI: 14.17-44.87%), lincosamides (21.24%, 95% CI: 7.65-46.75%), macrolides (20.98%, 95% CI: 7.20-47.58%), polypeptides (15.51%, 95% CI: 6.46-32.78%), and quinolones (7.8%, 95% CI: 3.25-17.56%). The climate difference between South and North China and the natural pathogenicity of Klebsiella spp. may be the primary reasons for its distribution, and the prevalence of Klebsiella spp. indicated that the genus is an increasing hazard to the dairy industry. The prevalence of AMR in China is commonly higher than in the European countries and Canada, this is a very important concern for strategy programs to control bovine mastitis caused by Klebsiella spp. in China.

Can lymphovascular invasion be predicted by contrast-enhanced CT imaging features in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma? A preliminary retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced CT (CECT)-derived imaging features in predicting lymphovascular invasion (LVI) status in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-seven patients with postoperative pathologically confirmed esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated in our hospital between January 2017 and January 2019 were enrolled in our study, including fifty-nine patients with LVI and one hundred and thirty-eight patients without LVI. The CECT-derived imaging features of all patients were analyzed. The CECT-derived imaging features were divided into quantitative features and qualitative features. The quantitative features consisted of the CT attenuation value of the tumor (CTVTumor), the CT attenuation value of the normal esophageal wall (CTVNormal), the CT attenuation value ratio of the tumor-to-normal esophageal wall (TNR), the CT attenuation value difference between the tumor and normal esophageal wall (ΔTN), the maximum thickness of the tumor measured by CECT (Thickness), the maximum length of the tumor measured by CECT (Length), and the gross tumor volume measured by CECT (GTV). The qualitative features consisted of an enhancement pattern, tumor margin, enlarged blood supply or drainage vessels to the tumor (EVFDT), and tumor necrosis. For the clinicopathological characteristics and CECT-derived imaging feature analysis, the chi-squared test was used for categorical variables, the Mann-Whitney U test was used for continuous variables with a nonnormal distribution, and the independent sample t-test was used for the continuous variables with a normal distribution. The trend test was used for ordinal variables. The association between LVI status and CECT-derived imaging features was analyzed by univariable logistic analysis, followed by multivariable logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: The CTVTumor, TNR, ΔTN, Thickness, Length, and GTV in the group with LVI were higher than those in the group without LVI (P < 0.05). A higher proportion of patients with heterogeneous enhancement pattern, irregular tumor margin, EVFDT, and tumor necrosis were present in the group with LVI (P < 0.05). As revealed by the univariable logistic analysis, the CECT-derived imaging features, including CTVTumor, TNR, ΔTN and enhancement pattern, Thickness, Length, GTV, tumor margin, EVFDT, and tumor necrosis were associated with LVI status (P < 0.05). Only the TNR (OR 8.655; 95% CI 2.125-37.776), Thickness (OR 6.531; 95% CI 2.410-20.608), and tumor margin (OR 4.384; 95% CI 2.004-9.717) were independent risk factors for LVI in the multivariable logistic regression analysis. The ROC curve analysis incorporating the above three CECT-derived imaging features showed that the area under the curve obtained by the multivariable logistic regression model was 0.820 (95% CI 0.754-0.885). CONCLUSION: The CECT-derived imaging features, including TNR, Thickness, tumor margin, and their combination, can be used as predictors of LVI status for patients with ESCC.

Autophagy Promotes α-Amanitin-Induced Apoptosis of Hepa1-6 Liver Cells.

It is estimated that 90% of deaths from food poisoning in China can be attributed to Amanita poisoning, whose main toxin is α-amanitin. Studies showed that apoptosis plays a critical role in liver injuries induced by α-amanitin. Although the relationship between autophagy and apoptosis in different liver models has been addressed many times, whether autophagy plays a pro or con effect on α-amanitin-induced apoptosis has not been clarified. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the effect of autophagy in α-amanitin-induced apoptosis in Hepa1-6 liver cells. A 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was applied to determine cell viability, a 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate probe was used to monitor reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, a flow cytometer and dansylcadaverine (MDC) staining were used to observe α-amanitin-induced apoptosis and autophagy, respectively, and apoptosis and autophagy proteins were assessed by western blotting. The results showed that α-amanitin suppressed cell viability in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, the release of ROS was increased with increasing α-amanitin amount. Cell apoptosis and autophagy were noticed and characterized by the increased apoptosis rate and autophagic vesicles under a fluorescence microscope as well as upregulation of Bax/Bcl-2, cleaved caspase-3, and LC3-II/I and downregulation of p62. Further, the autophagy activator rapamycin (Rap) and the inhibitor 3-methylademine (3-MA) were introduced, which showed that the apoptosis rate and the ratio of Bax/Bcl-2 as well as the protein expression level of cleaved caspase-3 increased significantly with the pretreatment of Rap and decreased remarkably with the pretreatment of 3-MA. Moreover, cell viability was found to decrease further with the promotion of autophagy. Notably, the ROS level was attenuated after autophagy was elevated. In conclusion, autophagy could promote α-amanitin-induced Hepa1-6 cell apoptosis, and the process is unassociated with ROS levels. This research provides a theoretical basis for the study of the toxicological mechanism of α-amanitin-induced liver injuries.

Discrepant effects of monovalent cations on membrane fouling induced by colloidal polymer: Evaluation and mechanism investigation.

Understanding how ionic conditions affect membrane fouling induced by anionic polyacrylamide (APAM) is important for achieving long-term and stable operation of a polymer flooding produced wastewater (PFPW) membrane separation process. However, there is lack of studies on the effects of monovalent cations (Na+ and K+) on APAM-based membrane fouling. In this work, the effects of Na+ and K+ on filtration efficiency, flux decline behavior, fouling resistance, and cleaning efficiency were studied through a series of microfiltration tests. Moreover, the influencing mechanism of membrane fouling was further comprehensively revealed from the aspects of the extended Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek (XDLVO) theory, the hydration force, and the microstructure characterizations. The XDLVO theory agreed well with membrane fouling behavior at various ionic strengths. The increase in ionic strength (0-10,000 mg/L) of Na+ and K+ exacerbated the reduction of relative flux (J/J0) and the accumulation of fouling resistance, as well as made the porous APAM-induced fouling layer denser and more compact, boosting removal efficiency. Furthermore, K+ had a stronger aggravating effect on membrane fouling than Na+. Specifically, the final value of J/J0 for APAM+K+ (0.08) was lower than that for APAM + Na+ (0.12), and the fouling resistance for APAM+K+ (12.25 × 1011 m-1) was higher than that for APAM + Na+ (12.01 × 1011 m-1) at an ionic strength of 10,000 mg/L, which was owing to the larger hydration force caused by Na+ with a smaller ionic radius. This research offers practical guidance for the PFPW membrane filtering process.

The prevalence, molecular characterization and antimicrobial resistance profiling of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from clinical mastitis cases on large dairy farms in China.

This research communication aims to characterize the prevalence, molecular characterization and antimicrobial resistance profiling of Streptococcus agalactiae isolated from clinical mastitis in China. A total of 140 Strep. agalactiae isolates were identified from 12 out of 201 farms in 6 provinces, overall herd prevalence was 18.6% and the MLST analysis showed clonal complexes (CC) 103 and CC 67 were present in these herds with CC 103 predominant, accounting for 97.9%. Isolates were mostly sensitive to the tested antimicrobials: penicillin, ceftiofur, amoxi/clav, cefquinome, and vancomycin (100%), followed by cefalexin (97.9%), oxacillin (96.4%), enrofloxacin (95.7%), erythromycin (89.3%), and clindamycin (88.6%). Only 19.3 and 0.7% of isolates were sensitive to tetracycline and daptomycin, respectively, and sequence type (ST) 103 was most resistant to antimicrobials. In conclusion, CC 103 was the predominant subgroup of bovine mastitis Strep. agalactiae in China, and most antimicrobials apart from tetracycline and daptomycin were effective.