Age-related changes in behavior profile in male offspring of rats treated with poly I:C-induced maternal immune activation in early gestation.

BACKGROUND: Autism and schizophrenia are environmental risk factors associated with prenatal viral infection during pregnancy. It is still unclear whether behavior phenotypes change at different developmental stages in offspring following the activation of the maternal immune system. METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats received a single caudal vein injection of 10 mg/kg polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) on gestational day 9 and the offspring were comprehensively tested for behaviors in adolescence and adulthood. RESULTS: Maternal serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1ß and tumor necrosis factor-α were elevated in poly I:C-treated dams. The offspring of maternal poly I:C-induced rats showed increased anxiety, impaired social approach, and progressive impaired cognitive and sensorimotor gating function. CONCLUSION: Maternal immune activation led to developmental specificity behavioral impairment in offspring.

Anaplasma, Bartonella, and Rickettsia infections in Daurian ground squirrels (Spermophilus dauricus), Hebei, China.

Rodents have been confirmed as hosts of various vector-borne zoonotic pathogens and are important for the maintenance of these microbes in nature. However, surveillance for zoonotic pathogens is limited for many wild rodent species in China, so our knowledge of pathogen ecology, genetic diversity, and the risk of cross-species transmission to humans is limited. In this study, 165 spleen samples of Daurian ground squirrels (Spermophilus dauricus) were collected from Weichang Manchu and the Mongolian Autonomous County of Hebei Province, China, and Rickettsia, Bartonella, and Anaplasma were identified by DNA detection using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence analysis identified eight bacterial pathogens: R. raoultii, R. sibirica, Candidatus R. longicornii, B. washoensis, B. grahamii, B. jaculi, A. capra, and Candidatus Anaplasma cinensis. Co-infection of B. grahamii and R. raoultii in one sample was observed. Our results demonstrated the genetic diversity of bacteria in Daurian ground squirrels and contributed to the distribution of these pathogens. Six species, A. capra, R. raoultii, R. sibirica, Candidatus R. longicornii, B. washoensis, and B. grahamii, are known to be pathogenic to humans, indicating a potential public health risk to the local human population, especially to herders who frequently have close contact with Daurian ground squirrels and are thus exposed to their ectoparasites.

Genetic diversity of vector-borne zoonotic pathogens in companion dogs and cats, Tianjin, China.

Background: Dogs and cats are the hosts of many vector-borne human pathogens that can be transmitted to humans. Given their direct and intimate contact with humans, companion dogs and cats are considered direct sentinels of vector-borne human pathogens. However, limited information is currently available regarding canine and feline zoonotic pathogens in China. This study detected canine and feline vector-borne human pathogens to better understand the potential risk to humans. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 275 domestic companion animals (117 dogs and 158 cats) living in Tianjin city, China, and the presence of DNA from Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, and Rickettsia was detected by semi-nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products of the expected size were sequenced, and these newly generated sequences were subjected to BLASTN, nucleotide identity, and phylogenetic analyses. Results: A total of 24 blood samples tested positive for vector-borne pathogens in companion dogs and cats in Tianjin city, China, with a relatively low positive rate of 8.7%. Specifically, seven human pathogens, including Rickettsia raoultii, Candidatus Rickettsia jingxinensis, Rickettsia sibirica, Rickettsia felis, Babesia venatorum, Bartonella tribocorum, and Bartonella Henselae, were identified. In addition, Anaplasma ovis with zoonotic potential and Candidatus A. cinensis were detected. Conclusion: Our results indicate substantial genetic diversity in the vector-borne human pathogens circulating in companion dogs and cats. Interventions based on "One Health" should be taken to reduce the potential risks of contracting infection from companion dogs and cats in Tianjin, China.

Prevalence and Profiles of Late-Onset Hearing Loss in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Who Passed Newborn Hearing Screening in a South East Asian Population.

Prevalence of hearing loss in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is uncertain, as it is more challenging to assess hearing function in children with developmental difficulties (DD). We aimed to determine the prevalence and profiles of hearing loss in preschool children with ASD in a Southeast-Asian population who passed newborn hearing screening. A retrospective study of preschool children with DD (ASD, Global Developmental Delay (GDD), and Speech and Language Delay (SLD)) attending the Child Development Unit (CDU) at our hospital was performed. Three hundred and thirty-three children (ASD: n = 129; GDD: n = 110; and SLD: n = 94) underwent hearing assessments. Of these, 10.8% of children (n = 36, comprising 15 with ASD, 12 with GDD and 9 with SLD) had confirmed hearing loss. Hearing loss was predominantly bilateral in children with ASD and GDD; in those with SLD, unilateral and bilateral hearing loss were equally common. Conductive hearing loss occurred as frequently as sensorineural hearing loss in children with ASD and SLD, but was the dominant subtype in those with GDD. Moderate to severe hearing loss (n = 2) was noted only in children with ASD. Children with ASD and GDD required significantly more audiology visits and procedures to obtain conclusive hearing test results, compared to those with SLD. The need to identify hearing loss and monitor for resolution is particularly important in vulnerable populations with communication deficits, such as in those with ASD.

The high performance parameterization for deep learning in pulse shaping.

In high energy physics, front-end data acquisition systems based on analog-to-digital converters (ADC) can provide multiple aspects (time, energy, position) of information when an incident particle is detected. To process the shaped semi-Gaussian pulses from ADCs, multi-layer neural networks (aka. deep learning recently) show excellent accuracy and promising real-time capability. However, several factors, such as sampling rate and precision, neural network quantization bits, and intrinsic noise, complicate the problem and make it hard to find a cost-effective solution with high performance. In this article, we analyze above factors in a systematic way to study the effect of each one on the performance of the network individually when other factors are controlled. Moreover, the proposed network architecture can provide both the time and energy information from a single pulse. When the sampling rate is 2.5 MHz, sampling precision is 5-bit, the network tested in this work with an 8-bit encoder and a 16-bit decoder (designated as N2) achieved the best comprehensive performance in all conditions.

Magnetic Response Combined with Bioactive Ion Therapy: A RONS-Scavenging Theranostic Nanoplatform for Thrombolysis and Renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury.

Currently, the limited efficacy of antithrombotic treatments is attributed to the inadequacy of pure drugs and the low ability of drugs to target the thrombus site. More importantly, timely thrombolysis is essential to reduce the sequelae of cardiovascular disease, but ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a major challenge that must be solved after blood flow recovery. Herein, a multifunctional therapeutic nanoparticle (NP) based on Fe3O4 and strontium ions encapsulated in mesoporous polydopamine was successfully constructed and then loaded with TNK-tPA (FeM@Sr-TNK NPs). The NPs (59.9 min) significantly prolonged the half-life of thrombolytic drugs, which was 3.04 times that of TNK (19.7 min), and they had good biological safety. The NPs were shown to pass through vascular models with different inner diameters, curvatures, and stenosis under magnetic targeting and to enable accurate diagnosis of thrombi by photoacoustic imaging. NPs combined with the magnetic hyperthermia technique were used to accelerate thrombolysis and quickly open blocked blood vessels. Then, renal IRI-induced functional metabolic disorder and tissue damage were evidently attenuated by scavenging toxic reactive oxygen and nitrogen species and through the protective effects of bioactive ion therapy, including reduced apoptosis, increased angiogenesis, and inhibited fibrosis. In brief, we constructed a multifunctional nanoplatform for integrating a "diagnosis-therapy-protection" approach to achieve comprehensive management from thrombus to renal IRI, promoting the advancement of related technologies.

Distribution and Drug Sensitivity Analysis of Pathogenic Bacteria Isolated from Patients in Hematology Department / 中国实验血液学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the distribution and drug sensitivity of pathogenic bacteria isolated from patients in hematology department, in order to provide evidence for rational use of antibiotics in clinic.@*METHODS@#The distribution of pathogenic bacteria and drug sensitivity data of patients in the hematology department of The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from 2015 to 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, and the pathogens isolated from different specimen types were compared.@*RESULTS@#A total of 2 029 strains of pathogenic bacteria were isolated from 1 501 patients in the hematology department from 2015 to 2020, and 62.2% of which were Gram-negative bacilli, mainly Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia and Acinetobacter baumannii. Gram-positive coccus accounted for 18.8%, mainly Coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CoNS) and Staphylococcus aureus. Fungi (17.4%) were mainly candida. The 2 029 strains were mainly isolated from respiratory tract (35.1%), blood (31.8%) and urine (19.2%) specimens. Gram-negative bacilli were the main pathogenic bacteria in different specimen types (>60%). K. pneumoniae, S. maltophilia and A. baumannii were the most common pathogens in respiratory specimens, E. coli, CoNS, K. pneumoniae and P. aeruginosa were common in blood samples, and E. coli and Enterococcus were most common in urine samples. Enterobacteriaceae had the highest susceptibility to amikacin and carbapenems (>90.0%), followed by piperacillin/tazobactam. P. aeruginosa strains had high sensitivity to antibiotics except aztreonam (<50.0%). The susceptibility of A. baumannii to multiple antibiotics was less than 70.0%. The antimicrobial resistance rates of E. coli and K. pneumoniae in respiratory tract specimens were higher than those in blood specimens and urine specimens.@*CONCLUSION@#Gram-negative bacilli are the main pathogenic bacteria isolated from patients in hematology department. The distribution of pathogens is different in different types of specimens, and the sensitivity of each strain to antibiotics is different. The rational use of antibiotics should be based on different parts of infection to prevent the occurrence of drug resistance.

A Synergistic and Efficient Thrombolytic Nanoplatform: A Mechanical Method of Blasting Combined with Thrombolytic Drugs.

Background and Objective: Thrombosis is a common disease that poses a great threat to life and health. Most thrombolytic effects of traditional treatments or nanomedicine are not efficient or safe enough. Therefore, we designed a nanoparticle (NP) with a combination of a phase transition material and thrombolytic drugs for efficient and safe thrombolysis. Methods: A thrombus fibrin-targeted and phase transition NP was designed and contained perfluorohexane (PFH) and the thrombolytic drug rtPA core, with CREKA polypeptides attached to the shell of the PLGA NPs. Characterization of the phase transition and ultrasound imaging of the NPs was carried out under low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU). LIFU-responsive drug release in vitro was also explored. Under the synergistic effect of PFH and rtPA, the efficient thrombolysis ability of the NPs was studied in vitro and in vivo. In vivo monitoring of thrombosis and biosafety were also verified. Results: The PPrC NPs had good ultrasound imaging ability under LIFU irradiation and were related to the phase transition characteristics of the NPs. CREKA polypeptides can effectively increase the aggregation of the NPs on thrombi. Under static and dynamic conditions in vitro, the "liquid to gas" transformation effect of PFH can perform the destruction function of the excavator at the thrombus site and promote the specific release of rtPA, and the subsequent rtPA drug thrombolysis can further fully dissolve the thrombus. In vivo experiments showed that the NPs can monitor the formation of thrombi and have good thrombolytic effects, with significantly reduced bleeding side effects. The biochemical indexes of the rats were within normal limits after treatment. Conclusion: PPrC NPs loaded with PFH and rtPA combining a mechanical way of blasting with thrombolytic drugs may be a promising new and reliable approach for thrombus monitoring and treatment.

A theranostic metallodrug modulates immunovascular crosstalk to combat immunosuppressive liver cancer.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly malignant, fatal disease with a complex tumor microenvironment (TME) characterized by severe immunosuppression and malformed vascular structures, thus most advanced HCC patients do not respond well to current mainstream pharmacotherapy and T-cell-related immunotherapy. Therefore, an efficient immunovascular crosstalk modulation strategy may help combat HCC by reversing immunosuppression and vessel normalization, especially by reprogramming tumor associated macrophages (TAMs). In this study, tyrosine kinase inhibitor lenvatinib (Len) was loaded into mesoporous Fe3O4 (mFe) nanoparticles (NPs), and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was attached to the NP surface to produce a metallodrug (BSA-mFe@Len NPs). In acidic TME, BSA allowed pH-responsive Len release and mFe exposure. Len directly triggered HCC apoptosis and changed the abnormal TME via vessel normalization, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte recruitment, and regulatory T-cell elimination at tailored dosages. After TAM phagocytosis, mFe NPs reprogrammed TAMs into M1 phenotypes to synergistically amplify antitumor immunity. The metallodrug achieved significant tumor growth inhibition, induced tumor vessel normalization effects, and acquired instant antitumor immunity as well as long-term immune memory in vivo. Furthermore, it displayed good T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging performance, indicating potential theranostic applications. Collectively, this research provides new insights for unleashing the multifaceted potential of current pharmaceuticals in synergy with metallic nanomedicine for treating intractable liver cancer. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Current pharmacotherapy and immunotherapy have limited success in treating advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) due to its complex tumor microenvironment (TME). Hence, this work first put forward a theranostic metallodrug by loading lenvatinib (Len) into mesoporous Fe3O4 (mFe) nanoparticles (NPs) and coating a pH-degradable bovine serum albumin corona onto the surface. The metallodrug was able to modulate immunovascular TME for combating HCC via metalloimmunotherapy induced by the mFe NPs and Len's multiple functions (direct triggering of tumor apoptosis, vessel normalization, cytotoxic T-lymphocyte recruitment, and regulatory T-cell elimination). In vivo experiments showed that the metallodrug could significantly inhibit HCC growth and evoke long-term antitumor immune memory, paving a new avenue for treating advanced HCC patients.

Novel recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone in aiding postoperative assessment of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer-phase I/II study.

PURPOSE: Thyroid hormone withdrawal (THW) inevitably induced hypothyroidism in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), and we aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a novel recombinant human thyroid-stimulating hormone (rhTSH, ZGrhTSH) as an alternative of THW in China. METHODS: Totally, 64 DTC patients were enrolled with 24 in the dose-escalation cohort equally grouped into 0.9 mg × 1 day, 0.9 mg × 2 day, 1.8 mg × 1 day, and 1.8 mg × 2 day dosage, and 40 further enrolled into 0.9 mg × 2 day dose-expansion cohort. All patients underwent both ZGrhTSH phase and levothyroxine (L-T4) withdrawal phase for self-comparison in terms of TSH levels, the radioactive iodine (RAI) uptake, stimulated thyroglobulin level, and the quality of life (QoL). RESULTS: In ZGrhTSH phase, no major serious adverse events were observed, and mild symptoms of headache were observed in 6.3%, lethargy in 4.7%, and asthenia in 3.1% of the patients, and mostly resolved spontaneously within 2 days. Concordant RAI uptake was noticed in 89.1% (57/64) of the patients between ZGrhTSH and L-T4 withdrawal phases. The concordant thyroglobulin level with a cut-off of 1 µg/L was noticed in 84.7% (50/59) of the patients without the interference of anti-thyroglobulin antibody. The QoL was far better during ZGrhTSH phase than L-T4 withdrawal phase, with lower Billewicz (- 51.30 ± 4.70 vs. - 39.10 ± 16.61, P < 0.001) and POMS (91.70 ± 16.70 vs. 100.40 ± 22.11, P = 0.011) scores which indicate the lower the better. Serum TSH level rose from basal 0.11 ± 0.12 mU/L to a peak of 122.11 ± 42.44 mU/L 24 h after the last dose of ZGrhTSH. In L-T4 withdrawal phase, a median of 23 days after L-T4 withdrawal was needed, with the mean TSH level of 82.20 ± 31.37 mU/L. The half-life for ZGrhTSH clearance was about 20 h. CONCLUSION: The ZGrhTSH held the promise to be a safe and effective modality in facilitating RAI uptake and serum thyroglobulin stimulation, with better QoL of patients with DTC compared with L-T4 withdrawal.

Magnet-Guided Bionic System with LIFU Responsiveness and Natural Thrombus Tropism for Enhanced Thrombus-Targeting Ability.

Background: Arterial thrombosis is a serious threat to human health. Recently, many thrombus-targeted nanoparticles (NPs) have been constructed for detecting thrombi or monitoring thrombolysis, but their thrombus-targeting performance is limited. Considering this drawback, we designed a specific bionic system with enhanced thrombus-targeting ability. Materials and Methods: In the bionic system, gelatin was chosen as a carrier, and Fe3O4 served as a magnetic navigation medium and a magnetic resonance (MR) imaging agent. The CREKA peptide, which targets fibrin, was conjugated to the surface of gelatin to prepare targeted NPs (TNPs), which were then engulfed by macrophages to construct the bionic system. At the targeted site, the bionic system released its interior TNPs under low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) irradiation. Moreover, the targeting performance was further improved by the conjugated CREKA peptide. Results: In this study, we successfully constructed a bionic system and demonstrated its targeting ability in vitro and in vivo. The results indicated that most TNPs were released from macrophages under LIFU irradiation at 2 W/cm2 for 10 min in vitro. Additionally, the enhanced thrombus-targeting ability, based on the natural tropism of macrophages toward inflammatory thrombi, magnetic navigation and the CREKA peptide, was verified ex vivo and in vivo. Moreover, compared with the bionic system group, the group treated with TNPs had significantly decreased liver and spleen signals in MR images and significantly enhanced liver and spleen signals in fluorescence images, indicating that the bionic system is less likely to be cleared by the reticuloendothelial system (RES) than TNPs, which may promote the accumulation of the bionic system at the site of the thrombus. Conclusion: These results suggest that the magnet-guided bionic system with LIFU responsiveness is an excellent candidate for targeting thrombi and holds promise as an innovative drug delivery system for thrombolytic therapy.

Antithrombotic Therapy by Regulating the ROS-Mediated Thrombosis Microenvironment and Specific Nonpharmaceutical Thrombolysis Using Prussian Blue Nanodroplets.

In thrombotic diseases, the effects of reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated oxidative stress as a "perpetrator" in thrombosis must be resolved. Accordingly, an insufficient understanding of thrombus therapy prompted the authors to pursue a more comprehensive and efficient antithrombotic treatment strategy. A Prussian blue (PB)-based nanodroplet system (PB-PFP@PC) is designed using PB and perfluorinated pentane (PFP) in the core, and a targeting peptide (CREKA, Cys-Arg-Glu-Lys-Ala) is attached to poly(lactic-coglycolic acid) (PLGA) as the delivery carrier shell. Upon near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation, PB and PFP jointly achieve an unprecedented dual strategy for drug-free thrombolysis: photothermal therapy (PTT) combined with optical droplet vaporization (ODV). PB, a nanoenzyme, also regulates the vascular microenvironment via its antioxidant activity to continuously scavenge abnormally elevated ROS and correspondingly reduce inflammatory factors in the thrombus site. This study provides a demonstration of not only the potential of ODV in thrombus therapy but also the mechanism underlying PTT thrombolysis due to thermal ablation-induced fibrin network structural damage. Moreover, PB catalyzes ROS to generate oxygen (O2 ), which combines with the ODV effect, enhancing the ultrasound signal. Thus, regulation of the thrombosis microenvironment combined with specific nonpharmaceutical thrombolysis by PB nanodroplets provides a more comprehensive and efficient antithrombotic therapeutic strategy.

Epidemiological characteristics and treatment outcome analysis of 229 patients with hydrofluoric acid burns in hands / 中华烧伤杂志

Objective: To explore the epidemiological characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients with hydrofluoric acid burns in hands. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. The medical records of 229 patients with hydrofluoric acid burns in hands who were admitted to Zhejiang Quhua Hospital from January 2008 to December 2020 and met the inclusion criteria were collected. The following statistical data of patients were collected, including gender, age, type of affiliated enterprise, hydrofluoric acid mass fraction, injury site, total burn area, prehospital time, length of hospital stay, length of wound healing, whether hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia occurred or not on admission, whether surgery intervention was performed or not, and whether scar sequelae occurred or not. Single factor and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to screen out the risk factors impacting surgery intervention and scar sequelae of all the patients and patients whose hydrofluoric acid mass fraction was known. Single factor and multivariate linear regression analysis were used to screen out the risk factors impacting the length of wound healing of all the patients and patients whose hydrofluoric acid mass fraction was known. Results: The 229 patients included 206 males and 23 females, with the majority aged 30 to 50 years (139 patients). The type of affiliated enterprise of majority patients was non-fluorine chemical enterprise. The hydrofluoric acid mass fraction was known in only 91 patients, mainly medium. The majority injury site was in the middle and end of finger. The total burn area was below or equal to 1% total body surface area. The prehospital time was 19 (9, 29) h. The length of hospital stay was 2 (1, 7) d. The length of wound healing was 12 (8, 18) d. The proportions of hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia were 0.9% (2/229) and 1.3% (3/229) on admission, respectively. Thirty-six patients had surgeries and 83 patients had scar sequelae. In 229 patients, single factor logistic regression analysis showed that both type of affiliated enterprise and prehospital time were the factors impacting surgery intervention (with odds ratio values of 7.86 and 51.35, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 1.83-33.76 and 11.89-221.78, respectively, P<0.01) and scar sequelae of patients (with odds ratio values of 3.62 and 27.40, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 1.76-7.43 and 13.25-56.68, respectively, P<0.01); multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that prehospital time was the independent risks factor impacting surgery intervention and scar sequelae of patients (with odds ratio values of 43.00 and 24.55, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 9.89-187.03 and 11.78-51.16, respectively, P<0.01); single factor linear regression analysis showed that both type of affiliated enterprise and prehospital time were the factors impacting the length of wound healing of patients (with β values of 6.16 and 12.83, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 3.38-8.93 and 10.72-14.93, respectively, P<0.01); multivariate linear regression analysis showed that both type of affiliated enterprise and prehospital time were the independent risk factors impacting the length of wound healing of patients (with β values of 2.81 and 12.16, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.50-5.13 and 10.00-14.31, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). In 91 patients whose hydrofluoric acid mass fraction was known, single factor logistic regression analysis showed that type of affiliated enterprise, hydrofluoric acid mass fraction (low and high), and prehospital time were all the factors impacting surgery intervention of patients (with odds ratio values of 9.10, 11.25, 10.69, and 0.04, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 1.15-72.25, 1.39-90.93, 1.32-86.59, and 0.01-0.19, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01), type of affiliated enterprise, hydrofluoric acid mass fraction, and prehospital time were all the factors impacting scar sequelae of patients (with odds ratio values of 0.32, 0.21, and 36.80, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 0.11-0.92, 0.06-0.73, and 11.03-122.79, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01); multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that both hydrofluoric acid mass fraction and prehospital time were the independent risk factors impacting surgery intervention of patients (with odds ratio values of 11.51 and 0.04, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 1.22-108.26 and 0.01-0.25, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01), prehospital time was the independent risk factor impacting scar sequelae of patients (odds ratio=37.71, with 95% confidence interval of 9.97-142.69, P<0.01); single factor linear regression analysis showed that type of affiliated enterprise, hydrofluoric acid mass fraction (low and high), and prehospital time were all the factors impacting the length of wound healing of patients (with β values of 7.12, -5.63, -9.74, and 13.50, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of 2.43-11.81, -10.59--0.68, -14.78--4.70, and 10.14-16.86, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01); multivariate linear regression analysis showed that both hydrofluoric acid mass fraction and prehospital time were the independent risk factors impacting the length of wound healing of patients (with β values of -5.84 and 0.09, respectively, 95% confidence intervals of -10.59--1.08 and 0.05-0.12, respectively, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions: The majority of patients with hydrofluoric acid burns in hands are young and middle-aged males. Type of affiliated enterprise, hydrofluoric acid mass fraction and prehospital time are the risk factors that affect the treatment outcomes of patients with hydrofluoric acid burns in hands.

Total Infectomes Characterization of Respiratory Infections in pre-COVID-19 Wuhan, China

At the end of 2019 Wuhan witnessed an outbreak of "atypical pneumonia" that later developed into a global pandemic. Metagenomic sequencing rapidly revealed the causative agent of this outbreak to be a novel coronavirus - SARS-CoV-2. Herein, to provide a snapshot of the pathogens in pneumonia-associated respiratory samples from Wuhan prior to the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, we collected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples from 408 patients presenting with pneumonia and acute respiratory infections at the Central Hospital of Wuhan between 2016 and 2017. Unbiased total RNA sequencing was performed to reveal their "total infectome", including viruses, bacteria and fungi. Consequently, we identified 37 pathogen species, comprising 15 RNA viruses, 3 DNA viruses, 16 bacteria and 3 fungi, often at high abundance and including multiple co-infections (12.8%). However, SARS-CoV-2 was not present. These data depict a stable core infectome comprising common respiratory pathogens such as rhinoviruses and influenza viruses, an atypical respiratory virus (EV-D68), and a single case of a sporadic zoonotic pathogen - Chlamydia psittaci. Samples from patients experiencing respiratory disease on average had higher pathogen abundance than healthy controls. Phylogenetic analyses of individual pathogens revealed multiple origins and global transmission histories, highlighting the connectedness of the Wuhan population. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the pathogens associated with acute respiratory infections and pneumonia, which were more diverse and complex than obtained using targeted PCR or qPCR approaches. These data also suggest that SARS-CoV-2 or closely related viruses were absent from Wuhan in 2016-2017.

Smooth muscle actin immunostain is useful for the diagnosis of Trichomonas vaginalis in vaginal smears.

OBJECTIVE: The parasite Trichomonas vaginalis (T. vaginalis) causes one of the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infections in humans. T. vaginalis is notorious for its inconspicuous appearance in vaginal smears. It can be missed under the microscope. METHOD: In the present study, we investigate the immunoreactivity of T. vaginalis to smooth muscle actin (SMA) in the vaginal smear. RESULT: T. vaginalis trophozoite and pseduocyst are immunoreactive for SMA in all of the study group cases (n = 21) and in none of the control group cases (n = 21). Thus, SMA immunostain is a sensitive method for the demonstration of T. vaginalis. Moreover, the protozoan attains a conspicuous and unique appearance. By SMA immunohistochemical stain, the apperance of T. vaginalis floated freely or located in the cytoplasm of the epithelial cells is easily identified. CONCLUSION: We recommend performing SMA immunostain in every vaginal smear with clinical or pathologic suspicion of trichomoniasis.

Innovation and exploration of diversified teaching patterns for Biochemical Reaction Engineering under the new engineering education background / 生物工程学报

Biochemical Reaction Engineering is a professional discipline with emphasis on both theory and practice. It is the core course in the curriculum provision for students majoring in bioengineering and plays an important role in the cultivation of professional talents. However, there are so much theory knowledge, such as formulas and deduction, that students showed poor efficiency in their study. Herein, to cater the objective command of innovative talents under new education background, and to improve the practical teaching efficiency and the students' enthusiasm as well as the practical innovation capability, the teaching team innovated and explored the teaching pattern, the teaching method as well as the teaching technologies. The teaching efficiency has been remarkably improved by introducing the virtual simulate technology, the micro-lecture, the case teaching pattern attempts and the scientific platform, which can be used as reference by other peers.

Identification of New Psychoactive Tryptamines 4-OH-MET and 4-AcO-DMT Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / 法医学杂志

Objective To detect the uncontrolled new psychoactive tryptamines involved in drug-related cases with high resolution mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Methods White and brown powder obtained in actual cases were extracted and analyzed by gas chromatography-quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry （GC-QTOF-MS）, ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-linear ion trap quadrupole-orbitrap mass spectrometry （UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS） and 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy （1H-NMR）. Results After detection by GC-QTOF-MS, the components of white powder showed main characteristic fragment ion peaks at m/z 218.141 0 （molecular ion peak）, 72.080 6 （base peak）, etc. After detection by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, its protonated molecular ion was m/z 219.149 4. The main ions in the secondary mass spectrum under the collision-induced dissociation （CID） mode were m/z 160.076 3 and 72.080 8. After detection by GC-QTOF-MS, the components of brown powder showed main characteristic fragment ion peaks at m/z 246.135 7 （molecular ion peak）, 58.065 1 （base peak）, etc. After detection by UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS, its protonated molecular ion was m/z 247.145 0. The main ions in the secondary mass spectrum under CID mode were m/z 202.087 1, 160.076 3 and 134.060 5. NIST 17 library retrieval and 1H-NMR confirmed that the white powder and brown powder contained new psychoactive tryptamines 4-OH-MET and 4-AcO-DMT, respectively. Conclusion GC-QTOF-MS, UPLC-LTQ-Orbitrap MS and 1H-NMR can be used together to identify unknown new psychoactive substances.

Prognosis factors analysis of patients with malignant solitary pulmonary nodules / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the prognosis factors that influence the postoperative survival rate in patients with malignant solitary pulmonary nodules and to provide a reference for the prognosis risk stratification of early lung cancer patients.@*METHODS@#In this study, we retrospectively reviewed 172 patients who were admitted to Peking University First Hospital from April 2006 to December 2013. All cases were radiologically defined as solitary pulmonary nodule and were pathologically confirmed to be stage Ia non-small cell lung cancer after surgical procedure. The patients' clinical and follow-up data were summarized and analyzed. The relevance between survival time and factors that may affect patients' prognosis was evaluated, which included gender, age, clinical symptoms, smoking history, comorbidity index, tumor biomarkers, nodule type, type of surgery, nodule location, nodule histopathological type, nodule size, histopathological differentiation grade, proliferating cell nuclear antigen Ki-67 expression level and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, Cox univariant and multivariant regression analysis were conducted to evaluate the factors affecting prognosis.@*RESULTS@#The 3-year overall survival rate of the atients with malignant solitary pulmonary nodules was 93.6%, and the 5-year overall survival rate was 89.8%. KaplanMeier survival analysis and Cox univariant regression analysis showed that the overall survival rate of the male patients was significantly lower than that of the female patients. In addition, the elderly patients with histopathology characterized as high Ki-67 proliferation index were also associated with the worse overall survival (P<0.05). Cox multivariant regression analysis demonstrated that age more than 65 years as well as the high Ki-67 expression level were independent risk factors for overall survival in patients with malignant solitary pulmonary nodules (age: P=0.023, HR=3.531, 95%CI 1.190-10.472; Ki-67: P=0.004, HR=1.021, 95%CI 1.007-1.035).@*CONCLUSION@#For patients with malignant solitary pulmonary nodules, with pathological defined as stage Ia non-small cell lung cancer, age, gender and Ki-67 expression levels might be important prognostic factors. Comprehensive consideration of Ki-67 proliferation index and clinical pathological features may help to stratify the prognosis more accurately and guide the selection of appropriate therapeutic strategies, which needs to be verified by multi-center studies.