[Medical costs of brucellosis patients in Datong of Shanxi province, 2017-2019].

Objective: To explore the medical costs and influencing factors of patients diagnosed with Brucellosis in Datong of Shanxi province. Methods: Information on demographics, medical visits, and costs of patients diagnosed with Brucellosis between January 1, 2017, and December 31, 2019, were collected. Health care utilization and medical costs were analyzed from different genders, age groups, underlying diseases, clinical stages, and comorbidities. Results: A total of 2 289 patients (1 715 outpatient and 574 inpatient cases) were included in the analysis. 72.0% (1 649/2 289) were male, with an average age of (49.6±15.5) years; age between 45-59 years was the dominant group (36.2%,829/2 289). The mean age of inpatients (51.4±16.0) was higher than that of outpatients (49.0±15.2)(Z=-4.01, P<0.001). The average number of outpatient visits per outpatient was (1.6±1.5) times. The duration of hospitalization was (14.6±9.9) and (20.8±11.4) days for patients with central nervous system complications and (16.6±9.5) days for vascular system complications. Of the inpatients, 51.0% (293/574) had underlying diseases, and 30.3% (174/574) had endocrine and metabolic diseases. 54.0% (310/574) of inpatients were diagnosed with acute Brucellosis, and 46.0% (264/574) were diagnosed with chronic Brucellosis. A total of 64.3% (369/574) of inpatients had complications, 30.3% (174/574) of digestive system complications, followed by skeletal system complications (29.1%, 167/574). Among outpatients, age significantly affected medical costs (P<0.001). For inpatients, age and complications and treatment effect were influential factors (P<0.05). Patients with the combined skeletal system and central nervous system complications had significantly higher medical costs (P<0.001). Conclusions: The medical costs for outpatient cases of Brucellosis were moderate. However, the economic burden was higher for inpatients, especially those with skeletal and neurological complications. Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of cases were essential to avoid chronic Brucellosis and its complications and reduce medical costs.

Visceral granulomas in farmed large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea (Richardson), caused by a bacterial pathogen, Pseudomonas plecoglossicida.

An enzootic disease characterized by granulomas in internal organs occurred in cage-farmed large yellow croaker, Larimichthys crocea (Richardson), in April and November 2010, in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province. One bacterial strain, named XSDHY-P, was isolated from the diseased fish and identified by biochemical characterization, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) analysis and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA). According to the results obtained from the biochemical tests, FAME analysis and phylogenetic analysis derived from 16S ribosomal RNA, gyrB, oprF, oprI, oprL and rpoD gene sequencing, the bacterial isolate, XSDHY-P, was identified as Pseudomonas plecoglossicida. Moreover, lethal dose, 50% trials were carried out to demonstrate the virulence of XSDHY-P in large yellow croaker when administered at 2.13 9 105 colony-forming units per fish. Visceral granulomas were found in the experimentally infected fish as well as in the naturally infected fish, indicating that P. plecoglossicida is another bacterial pathogen that causes granulomatosis in L. crocea.

Different role of functional domains of hTR in DNA binding to telomere and telomerase reconstruction.

Even if template sequence of hTR played an essential role in telomere binding, a 326 nucleotide fragment of hTR containing template, pseudoknot, and CR4-5 domains is critical for both binding with telomeric DNA and reconstitution of telomerase activity. A functional study with antisense oligonucleotides suggested that targeted disruption of the template region efficiently abrogated both telomeric DNA binding and telomerase activity, whereas disruption of the CR4-5 region induced only loss of telomerase activity. hTR interacts with telomeric DNA via structural region composed of the template, pseudoknot, and CR4-5 domains, however, each structural domain plays a distinct role in telomere binding and telomerase activity reconstitution.