Perinatal prevalence of birth defects in the Mainland of China, 2000-2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although birth defects are of great concern globally, the latest national prevalence has not yet been quantified in China. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the perinatal prevalence of birth defects in the Mainland of China between 2000 and 2021. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature search of six databases for relevant articles published between January 1, 2000, and March 1, 2023. We included published studies that reported data on the perinatal prevalence of birth defects in the Mainland of China. The DerSimonian and Laird random-effects models were used to estimate the pooled prevalence and its 95% confidence interval (CI). We also conducted subgroup analyses and univariable meta-regressions to explore differences in prevalence by time period, geographic region, and other characteristics. RESULTS: We included 254 studies reporting the perinatal prevalence of birth defects and 86 studies reporting only the prevalence of specific types of birth defects. Based on 254 studies covering 74,307,037 perinatal births and 985,115 cases with birth defects, the pooled perinatal prevalence of birth defects was 122.54 (95% CI 116.20-128.89) per 10,000 perinatal births in the Mainland of China during 2000-2021. Overall, the perinatal prevalence of birth defects increased from 95.60 (86.51-104.69) per 10,000 in 2000-2004 to 208.94 (175.67-242.22) per 10,000 in 2020-2021. There were also significant disparities among different geographical regions. Congenital heart defects (33.35 per 10,000), clefts of the lip and/or palate (13.52 per 10,000), polydactyly (12.82 per 10,000), neural tube defects (12.82 per 10,000), and inborn errors of metabolism (11.41 per 10,000) were the five most common types of birth defects. The perinatal prevalence among males was significantly higher than that among females (ß = 2.44 × 10-3, P = 0.003); a higher perinatal prevalence of birth defects was observed among perinatal births whose mothers were ≥ 35 years (ß = 4.34 × 10-3, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Comprehensive and sustained efforts are needed to strengthen surveillance and detection of birth defects, improve prenatal and postnatal healthcare, and promote rehabilitation, especially in underdeveloped areas.

First Report of Neopestalotiopsis piceana Causing Gray Blight in Camellia sinensis L. in China.

Tea plants (Camellia sinensis L.) are an important cash crop and are cultivated worldwide for their commercial value (Palanisamy et al. 2014). Tea gray blight is an important tea plant disease as it can cause a decline in tea quality and reduce yields by 20-30% (Sanjay et al. 2008). In August 2018, a disease survey was conducted on 400 ha of organic tea plantations in the Pu'er area of Yunnan Province (22.48° N, 100.58° E). The survey found that widespread disease was causing damage to 40% of the tea plantations and that the most seriously affected tea variety was Yunkang No. 10, which had an average disease incidence of 30-35%. The affected leaves grew small yellow-green spots on their tips or margins in the early stage that expanded into round or irregular brown spots with distinct concentric whorls and black conidial disks arranged in whorls when the humidity was high (Fig. 1A-B), which is consistent with tea gray blight disease (Zheng et al. 2021). Twenty-four diseased leaf samples were collected from four different tea plantations and transported to the Pu-Erh Tea Research Laboratory. Leaves with disease spots were cut into 4 mm ×4 mm square pieces, surface-sterilized with 75% alcohol for 1 min, disinfected with 1% sodium hypochlorite for 3 min, and washed thrice with sterile water. The tissue pieces were placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates containing 100 µg ml-1 of chloramphenicol (Wang et al. 2021). After 3 d of culturing in the dark at 28 C, twenty pure cultures with similar morphology were obtained, and two representative isolates were selected and transferred into new PDA media. After 7 d, circular fungal colonies with dense aerial mycelium produced black, wet spore masses that grew on the PDA media (Fig. 1C-D). The conidia were spindle-shaped with four septa, measuring 25.0 (21.0-26.0) × 6.0 (4.5-7.0) µm (n=15). The conidia had three median cells, two of which were dark brown in color with unclear separations, with a single basal hyaline appendage 3.8 (3.5-4.5) µm (n=30) in length and 2-3 apical hyaline appendages 31 (27-35) µm in length (n=30) (Fig. 1E), similar to the conidial characteristics of Neopestalotiopsis piceana (Maharachchikumbura et al. 2014). Two isolates were selected for DNA extraction. The internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1-α) gene, and partial ß-tubulin (tub2) gene were amplified using the ITS1F-ITS4 primer set (White et al 1990), the EF-1α-F and EF-1α-R primer sets (Li et al. 2018), and the tub1 and tub2 primers, respectively (Chauhan et al. 2007). The ITS (OP535632 to OP535632), tef1-α (OP589285,OP589287), and tub2 (OP589286,OP589288) sequences were submitted to NCBI GenBank. Basic Local Alignment Search Tool analysis demonstrated that these sequences were 100% similar to those of N. piceana isolates available in GenBank. The sequences were compared using the Mafft software package, and sequences with the same ID were concatenated using scripts. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic tree was constructed using the MEGA (ver. 5.1) software package based on the concatenated sequences (ITS, tef1-α, and tub2). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that C-5 and B-3 showed 95% bootstrap support with N. piceana isolates in references (Fig. 2). According to the morphology and molecular characterization, C-5 and B-3 were identified as N. piceana. Pathogenicity tests on these two isolates were conducted using 36 healthy tea plants. The leaves were scratched slightly with sterile toothpick tips, after which pathogen cakes (6 mm diameter) were placed on the wounds with the mycelial side facing down and covered with sterile absorbent cotton to maintain a moist environment. Control leaves were wounded and covered with sterile PDA plugs (three replicates per treatment, three plants per replicate). Seven days later, the inoculated leaves exhibited similar symptoms observed under natural conditions, whereas the control leaves exhibited no symptoms. The same isolates as the introduced strains were isolated from the diseased tea leaves, completing Koch's postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of N. piceana causing gray blight on tea leaves in China. These results provide valuable information for the prevention and management of gray blight on tea leaves. References: Chauhan, J. B., et al. 2007. Indian J Biotechnol. 6: 404-406 Li, D. X., et al. 2018. J. Trop. Crops. 39:1827-1833. Maharachchikumbura, S. N., et al. 2014. Stud. Mycol. 79:121-186. Palanisamy, S., et al. 2014. Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 172:216-223. Sanjay, R., et al. 2008. Crop Protect. 27(3-5): 689-694. Wang, Q. M., et al. 2021. Front. Microbiol. 12:774438. White, T. J., et al. 1990. Academic, San Diego. 315-322 Zheng, S., et al. 2021. Plant Dis. 105:3723-3726.

Association between air particulate matter pollution and blood cell counts of women preparing for pregnancy: Baseline analysis of a national birth cohort in China.

BACKGROUND: Limited evidence is known about whether long-term exposures to air borne particulate matters of 2.5 µm or less (PM2.5) impact human hematologic index for women preparing for pregnancy. No study assessed the effect of PM1, which is small enough to reach the blood circulation. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether exposure to PM1 and PM2.5 is associated with blood cell count of woman preparing for pregnancy. METHOD: Based on the baseline data of a national birth cohort in China, we analysed the white blood cell (WBC), red blood cells (RBC) and thrombocyte counts of 1,203,565 women who are aged 18-45 years, being Han ethnicity, had no chronic disease and preparing for pregnancy. We matched their home addresses and examination date with daily concentrations of PM1 and PM2.5 which were estimated by a machine learning method with remote sensing, meteorological and land use information. Generalized additive mixed model to examine the associations between exposure to one-year average exposure to PMs prior to the health examination and the blood cells counts, after adjustment for potential individual variables. RESULTS: A 10 µg/m3 PM1 increment was associated with -1.49% (95%CI: 1.56%, -1.42%) difference in WBC count; with 0.33% (95%CI: 0.30%, 0.36%) difference of RBC count; and with 1.08% (95%CI: 1.01%, 1.15%) difference of thrombocyte count. For PM2.5, the corresponding difference was -0.47% (95%CI: 0.54%, -0.39%) for WBC; was 0.06% (95%CI: 0.03%, 0.09%) for RBC; and was 1.10% (95%CI: 1.02%, 1.18%) for thrombocyte. Women working as workers, being overweight and with tobacco smoking exposure had higher associations between PMs and hematologic index than their counterparts (p < 0.05 for interaction test). CONCLUSION: Long-term exposure to PMs were associated with decrement in WBC, as well as increment in RBC and thrombocytes among Han Chinese women preparing for pregnancy. Measures such as using air purifiers and wearing a mask in polluted areas should be improved to prevent women from the impact of PMs.

Performance of two species of whiteflies is unaffected by glucosinolate profile in Brassica plants.

BACKGROUND: While plant glucosinolates are known to impart resistance to many insects, their role in the interactions between plants and many phloem-feeding insects such as whiteflies are poorly understood. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci complex comprises many cryptic species that differ in the ability to utilize Brassica plants. However, whether Brassica plants-specific traits such as glucosinolates determine differences of whiteflies in colonizing Brassica plants remains in question. RESULTS: We first observed performance of two whitefly species MEAM1 and Asia II 3, which differ obviously in their ability to colonize Brassica plants, on four cultivars of three Brassica species that vary in glucosinolate profile. We found that the life history characteristics of each of the two whitefly species seems to be only marginally affected by cultivar. We next used wild-type Arabidopsis plants and mutants defective in glucosinolate biosynthesis or hydrolysis to explore the effects of glucosinolates on the whitefly. We found that fecundity and development of immature stages of neither of the two whitefly species differ significantly between wild-type and mutants. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that glucosinolates may have little effect on the oviposition by adults and the survival and development of immature stages of MEAM1 and Asia II 3 whiteflies. The marked differences in colonizing Brassica crops between the two whitefly species are likely due to plant traits other than glucosinolates. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Puerhibacterium puerhi gen. nov., sp. nov., a novel member of the family Promicromonosporaceae, isolated from Pu-erh tea pile-fermentation.

A Gram-staining positive aerobic bacterium, designated TLY-12T, was isolated from the Pu-erh tea pile-fermentation process in Pu'er city, Yunnan, China. Strain TLY-12T grew at 15-37 °C (optimum, 30 °C), pH 6.0-11.0 (optimum, pH 9.0) and 0-9.0% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 3.0%). The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0, C16:0 and iso-C16:0. The respiratory quinone were menaquinones MK-9 (H2) and MK-9 (H4). The polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), diphosphatidylglycerol (DPG), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphoglycolipid (PGL), glycolipid (GL) and an unidentified phospholipid (PL). The peptidoglycan contained glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine and lysine, with the last named being the diagnostic diamino acid. Whole-cell sugars of the isolate were ribose, galactose and glucose. Phylogenetic analyses of 16S rRNA gene showed that this strain belonged to the family Promicromonosporaceae, and was most closely related to Isoptericola cucumis DSM 101603 T, which gave sequence similarity of 97.9%. Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 3.91 Mbp and a G + C content of 75.0%. Average nucleotide identity and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values were all below the species threshold of described Promicromonosporaceae species. Genome phylogenetic analysis showed that strain TLY-12T formed a separate evolutionary branch, and was parallel to other related genera of Promicromonosporaceae. Based on the phylogenetic, phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and genome pairwise data, strain TLY-12T is considered to represent a novel species in a new genus in the family Promicromonosporaceae, for which the name Puerhibacterium puerhi gen. nov, sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is TLY-12T (= CGMCC 1.17157T = KCTC 49467T).

Paenibacillus puerhi sp. nov., isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Pu-erh tea plants (Camellia sinensis var. assamica).

An aerobic, Gram-staining-positive, rod-shaped, endospore-forming and motile bacterial strain, designated SJY2T, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of tea plants (Camellia sinensis var. assamica) collected in the organic tea garden of the Jingmai Pu-erh tea district in Pu'er city, Yunnan, southwest China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that the isolate belonged to the genus Paenibacillus. The closest phylogenetic relative was Paenibacillus filicis DSM 23916T (98.1% similarity). The major fatty acids (> 10% of the total fatty acids) were anteiso-C15:0 and isoC16:0. The major respiratory quinone was MK-7 and the major polar lipid was diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine. The peptidoglycan contained glutamic acid, serine, alanine and meso-diaminopimelic acid. Genome sequencing revealed a genome size of 6.71 Mbp and a G + C content of 53.1%. Pairwise determined whole genome average nucleotide identity (gANI) values and digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) values suggested that strain SJY2T represents a new species, for which we propose the name Paenibacillus puerhi sp. nov. with the type strain SJY2T (= CGMCC 1.17156T = KCTC 43242T).

Association between airborne particulate matter and renal function: An analysis of 2.5 million young adults.

BACKGROUND: Limited studies have examined the impact of airborne particulate matter of 2.5 µm or less (PM2.5) on renal function. No study has examined the effect of PM1, which is small enough to reach the blood circulation. We examined whether exposure to PM1 or PM2.5 affected renal function of young Han Chinese. METHOD: We included 2,546,047 young adults who were aged 18 to 45 years, being Han ethnicity and had no chronic disease from a Chinese national birth cohort. Serum creatinine (Scr) of each participant was measured during the baseline examination. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) were calculated for each participant using the latest Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. One-year average exposure to PM1 and PM2.5 prior to the health examination for each participant were estimated using machine learning models with satellite remote sensing information. Generalized additive mixed models were used to estimate associations between PM1 or PM2.5 and renal function after adjusting for detailed individual variables. RESULTS: A 10 µg/m3 increment in PM1 exposure was associated with -0.95% (95%CI: -1.04%, -0.87%) difference of eGFR in females and -0.37% (95%CI: -0.44%, -0.31%) in males. For PM2.5, the corresponding difference of eGFR was -0.99% (95%CI: -1.05%, -0.93%) in females and -0.48% (95%CI: -0.53%, -0.43%) in males, respectively. Associations between eGFR and PM were higher in females compared to males (p < 0.05 for interaction test). Association with PM1 were weaker than that with other fractions included in PM2.5. Participants who worked as farmers, were of normal weight, were not exposed to tobacco smoking, did not drink alcohol, had higher associations between eGFR and PM than their counterparts (p < 0.05 for interaction test). CONCLUSION: Exposure to PM1 and PM2.5 was associated with reduced renal function among Han Chinese at reproductive age.

Folic Acid Supplementation and the Association between Maternal Airborne Particulate Matter Exposure and Preterm Delivery: A National Birth Cohort Study in China.

BACKGROUND: Potential modification of the association between maternal particulate matter (PM) exposure and preterm delivery (PTD) by folic acid (FA) supplementation has not been studied. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether FA supplementation could reduce the risk of PTD associated with maternal exposure to PM in ambient air during pregnancy. METHOD: In a cohort study covering 30 of the 31 provinces of mainland China in 2014, 1,229,556 primiparas of Han ethnicity were followed until labor. We collected information on their FA supplementation and pregnancy outcomes and estimated each participant's exposure to PM with diameters of ≤10µm (PM10), 2.5µm (PM2.5), and 1µm (PM1) using satellite remote-sensing based models. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to examine interactions between FA supplementation and PM exposures, after controlling for individual characteristics. RESULTS: Participants who initiated FA ≥3 months prior to pregnancy (38.1%) had a 23% [hazard ratio (HR)=0.77 (95% CI: 0.76, 0.78)] lower risk of PTD than women who did not use preconception FA. Participants with PM concentrations in the highest quartile had a higher risk of PTD [HR=1.29 (95% CI: 1.26, 1.32) for PM1, 1.52 (95% CI: 1.46, 1.58) for PM2.5, and 1.22 (95% CI: 1.17, 1.27) for PM10] than those with exposures in the lowest PM quartiles. Estimated associations with a 10-µg/m3 increase in PM1 and PM2.5 were significantly lower among women who initiated FA ≥3 months prior to pregnancy [HR=1.09 (95% CI: 1.08, 1.10) for both exposures] than among women who did not use preconception FA [HR=1.12 (95% CI: 1.11, 1.13) for both exposures; pinteraction<0.001]. The corresponding association was also significantly lower for a 10-µg/m3 increase in PM10 [HR=1.03 (95% CI: 1.02, 1.03) for FA ≥3 months before pregnancy vs. 1.04 (95% CI: 1.03, 1.04) for no preconception FA; pinteraction<0.001]. CONCLUSION: Our findings require confirmation in other populations, but they suggest that initiating FA supplementation ≥3 months prior to pregnancy may lessen the risk of PTD associated with PM exposure during pregnancy among primiparas of Han ethnicity. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP6386.

Color-related chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations of Chinese kale can be altered through CRISPR/Cas9 targeted editing of the carotenoid isomerase gene BoaCRTISO.

The carotenoid isomerase gene (BoaCRTISO) of Chinese kale was targeted and edited using the CRISPR/Cas9 system in the present study. The results showed a high mutation rate (81.25%), and 13 crtiso mutants were obtained. Only two types of mutations, insertions and replacements, were found. Both the total and individual carotenoid and chlorophyll concentrations of the biallelic and homozygous mutants were reduced, and the total levels declined by 11.89-36.33%. The color of the biallelic and homozygous mutants changed from green to yellow, likely reflecting a reduction in the color-masking effect of chlorophyll on carotenoids. The expression levels of most carotenoid and chlorophyll biosynthesis-related genes, including CRTISO, were notably lower in the mutants than in the WT plants. In addition, the functional differences between members of this gene family were discussed. In summary, these findings indicate that CRISPR/Cas9 is a promising technique for the quality improvement of Chinese kale and other Brassica vegetables.

Ambient temperature and the risk of preterm birth: A national birth cohort study in the mainland China.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the effect of ambient temperature on preterm birth, especially for the trimester-specific effects. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether exposure to relatively low or high temperature during pregnancy is associated with increasing risk of preterm birth or not. METHOD: We analysed the data of a birth cohort with 1,281,859 singleton pregnancies during 2013-2014 and matched the home address of each pregnant women to the model based daily meteorological and air pollution data. Then we used the Cox proportional hazard regression models with random effect to estimate the non-linear associations between exposure to relatively low or high temperature at each trimester of pregnancy and the risk of preterm birth, after controlling for air pollution and individual-level covariates. FINDING: The overall preterm birth rate was 8.1% (104,493 preterm births). Exposure to relatively low or high temperatures during the entire pregnancy significantly increase the risk of preterm birth, with hazard ratios (HRs) [95% confidence intervals (CIs)] of 1.03 (95%CI: 1.02, 1.04) for relatively low (9.1 ℃, the 5th percentile) temperature and 1.55 (95%CI: 1.48, 1.61) for relatively high (23.0 ℃, the 95th percentile) temperature in comparison with the thresholds (12.0 ℃). Pregnant women at the early pregnancy (the 1st and 2nd trimester) are more susceptible to high temperatures while pregnant women at the late pregnancy (the 3rd trimester) are more susceptible to low temperatures. CONCLUSION: These findings provide new evidence that exposure to relatively low or high temperatures during pregnancy increases the risk of preterm birth, which can serve as scientific evidence for prevention of preterm birth.

Long-term exposure to airborne particulate matter of 1 µm or less and blood pressure in healthy young adults: A national study with 1.2 million pregnancy planners.

No evidence exists concerning the effect of airborne particulate matter of 1 µm or less (PM1) on blood pressure of young adults planning for pregnancy. We collected health examination information of about 1.2 million couples (aged 18-45 years) from a national birth cohort in China from Jan 1, 2013 to Oct 1, 2014 and matched their home address to daily PM1 and PM2.5 concentrations, which were predicted by remote sensing information. Generalized additive mixed models were used to analyze associations between long-term exposure to PM and blood pressure, after controlling for individual factors. A 10 µg/m3 increase in PM1 was associated with increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) for 0.26 (95%CI: 0.24, 0.29) mmHg in females and 0.29 (95%CI: 0.26, 0.31) mmHg in males, respectively. PM1 was also associated with increased DBP for 0.22 (95%CI: 0.20, 0.23) mmHg in females and 0.17 (95%CI: 0.15, 0.19) mmHg in males, respectively. Similar effects on blood pressure were found for PM2.5, meanwhile, the effect of PM2.5 on SBP increased with the scale of PM1 included in PM2.5 (p for interaction term <0.01). In summary, long-term exposure to PM1 as well as PM2.5 was associated with increased SBP and DBP of Chinese young adults planning for pregnancy.

Effects of glucose and gibberellic acid on glucosinolate content and antioxidant properties of Chinese kale sprouts.

Glucosinolates, anthocyanins, total phenols, and vitamin C, as well as antioxidant capacity, were investigated in Chinese kale sprouts treated with both glucose and gibberellic acid (GA3). The combination of 3% (0.03 g/ml) glucose and 5 µmol/L GA3 treatment was effective in increasing glucosinolate content while glucose or GA3 treatment alone did not influence significantly almost all individual glucosinolates or total glucosinolates. The total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Chinese kale sprouts were enhanced by combined treatment with glucose and GA3, which could be useful in improving the main health-promoting compounds and antioxidant activity in Chinese kale sprouts.

Seroepidemiology of Syphilis Infection among 2 Million Reproductive-age Women in Rural China: A Population-based, Cross-sectional Study.

BACKGROUND:: Quantifying syphilis prevalence is important for planning interventions and advocating for resources on syphilis. However, data on large sample studies regarding the prevalence of syphilis among reproductive-age women in rural China were not available for analysis. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence, epidemiological characteristics, and related factors of syphilis infection among reproductive-age women in rural China. METHODS:: Data were obtained from a nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional study under the National Free Preconception Health Examination Project which covered all the 31 provinces in Mainland China. Women intending to get pregnant within the next 6 months were enrolled between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2012. Sociodemographic, gynecological and obstetric characteristics, and other relevant information were obtained through face-to-face interviews. Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay test was used to detect positive samples of syphilis. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to assess the associations between syphilis seropositivity and related factors. RESULTS:: The overall seroprevalence of syphilis (SPS) among the 2,044,126 women who received syphilis screening test during 2010-2012 was 0.37% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.36-0.37%). The SPS appeared 0.24% (95% CI: 0.23-0.26%) and 0.66% (95% CI: 0.59-0.72%) in women at 21-24 and 40-44 years of age, respectively, showing an increase of SPS, parallel with age, and the difference was significant. SPS was significantly higher in ethnic minorities than that in Han nationality (0.58% vs. 0.35%, respectively, odds ratio [OR] = 1.41, 95% CI: 1.30-1.53) and higher in workers than that in farmers (0.45% vs. 0.36%, respectively, OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.14-1.41). Women with primary school or below level had a higher SPS as compared to those with college or above educational level (0.61% vs. 0.32%, respectively, OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 2.14-2.89), and the increase reversely correlated with the levels of education. Women whose spouses were syphilis seropositive had significant greater risk (OR = 48.26, 95% CI: 44.38-52.48) as compared those whose spouses were seronegative. Women who reported having had a history of sexually transmitted infections were more likely to be tested positive for serological syphilis (OR = 27.17, 95% CI: 20.44-36.11) as compared to those without. CONCLUSIONS:: High SPS is seen among reproductive-age women in rural China that calls for targeted interventions on syphilis prevention and control in this target population, with emphasis on those who are 35 years of age and above, less educated, being minor ethnicity, workers, and living in the western regions of China.

[Value of red blood cell distribution width in assessing the severity of acute pancreatitis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of red blood cell distribution width (RDW) in assessment of the severity of acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: This retrospective analysis was conducted among 527 patients with AP treated in our department from May, 2013 to May, 2016. According to the severity of the condition, the patients were classified into mild acute pancreatitis (MAP) group, moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) group and severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) group, with 105 subjects without AP as the control group. The demographic data and data of RDW were collected from all cases to evaluate the value of RDW in assessing the severity of AP in comparison with classic evaluation indicators glucose (Glu) and calcium (Ca). RESULTS: The patients with AP and the control subjects showed significant differences in RDW, Glu and Ca (P<0.05). RDW and Glu was significantly higher but Ca was significantly lower in SAP patients than in MAP and MSAP patients (P<0.05). Binary classification logistic regression analysis showed that Glu (P<0.05, OR=2.343), Ca (P<0.05, OR=2.182) and RDW (P<0.05, OR=3.374) were all independent risk factors for AP. The area under the ROC curve for predicting SAP decreased in the order of RDW (0.801), Glu (0.658), and Ca (0.227). CONCLUSION: RDW is a useful indicator for evaluation of the severity of AP.

Status of HBsAg seroprevalence in 15 million rural couples in China: a cross-sectional study.

A cross-sectional analysis of prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection (HBV) among rural couples was conducted between 2010 and 2014. Serologic HBV markers, including hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and e antigen (HBeAg), were tested. Primary outcome of interest comprised HBsAg positivity in couples (both positive: F+M+, only wife positive: F+M-, only husband positive: F-M+), and secondary outcome consisted of prevalence and risk factors of HBsAg positivity among husbands or wives. Of 14,816,300 couples included, 0.7% were F+M+; 6.3% were F-M+; 4.4% were F+M-, resulting in the overall seroprevalence of 11.4%. Individually, 6.1% were HBsAg positive with a higher rate seen in husbands (7.0%) than in wives (5.2%). Wife's HBeAg(+)/HBsAg (+) (AOR = 2.61), HBeAg(-)/HBsAg (+) (AOR = 2.23), positivity of syphilis (AOR = 1.50), living in a high-risk region (AOR = 1.46) were significantly predictors of HBsAg positivity in husbands. Prevalence and predictors of HBsAg positivity in wives had similar results. Our data show a high burden and discordant pattern of HBV infection in rural couples, and partner's double positivity of HBeAg and HBsAg was the most significant factor of HBV infection in couples. A comprehensive strategy that emphasizes vaccination and education is needed.

Genetic variation in alkaloid accumulation in leaves of Nicotiana.

Alkaloids are plant secondary metabolites that are widely distributed in Nicotiana species and contribute greatly to the quality of tobacco leaves. Some alkaloids, such as nornicotine and myosmine, have adverse effects on human health. To reduce the content of harmful alkaloids in tobacco leaves through conventional breeding, a genetic study of the alkaloid variation among different genotypes is required. In this study, alkaloid profiles in leaves of five Nicotiana tabacum cultivars and Nicotiana tomentosiformis were investigated. Six alkaloids were identified from all six genotypes via gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Significant differences in alkaloid content were observed both among different leaf positions and among cultivars. The contents of nornicotine and myosmine were positively and significantly correlated (R(2)=0.881), and were also separated from those of other alkaloids by clustering. Thus, the genotype plays a major role in alkaloid accumulation, indicating a high potential for manipulation of alkaloid content through traditional breeding.

[Optimized schemes for acupuncture treatment of migraine during attack].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the therapeutic effect of manual acupuncture, electroacupuncture (EA), auricular acupuncture and bloodletting therapies combined with orthogonal design for migraine patients, so as to select a better scheme for relieving headache. METHODS: total of 76 migraine patients in the stage of attack were recruited in the present study and randomly (stratified random and central random) allocated to 9 groups by means of orthogonal experimental design [L9 (3(4)), 4 factors (F) and three levels (L)] i.e., F1: ody-acupoints combination; F1-L1: regional acupoints [Sizhukong (TE 23), Shuaigu (GB 8), Taiyang (EX-HN 5), etc.] near the focus, F1-L2:regional +distal acupoints [Hegu (L 4), Taichong (LR 3), etc.] far from the focus, and F1-L3:regional + remote acupoints+ those selected according to syndrome differentiation [for instance, Ganshu (BL 18), Yanglingquan (GB 34), Qiuxu (GB 40) and Taixi (KI 3) for hyperactivity of Liver-yang, etc.]; F2: manual acupuncture or EA of body acupoints; F2-L1:no acupuncture stimulation, F2-L2:manual acupuncture stimulation, and F2-L3:manual + EA stimulation; F3: auricular acupuncture therapy; F3-L1:no acupuncture stimulation, F3-L2: otopoint-manual acupuncture (Shenmen, Jiaogan, etc.), and F3-L3:otopoint-EA; F4: bloodletting; F4-L1 : EX-HN 5 + Ashi point bloodletting, F4-L2:EX-HN5 bloodletting, and F4-L3: no bloodletting. The therapeutic effect of acupuncture was evaluated using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and analyzed by investigators who did not participate in the treatment course. RESULTS: Within 24 hours after the treatment, the four factors influencing headache relief from bigger to smaller are body-acupoints combination > manual acupuncture or EA stimulation > bloodletting > auricular acupuncture. Among the therapeutic schemes evaluated by orthogonal deduction, the analgesic effect was most stable in the manual acupuncture at regional + distal acupoints group which was recommended to be the ba-sic scheme for migraine. The auricular EA could effectively reduce VAS levels from 10 min to 30 min after stimulation, while bloodletting at Taiyang (EX-HN 5)+ Ashi points was effective in relieving migraine from 4 h to 24 h after the treatment, suggesting a long lasting post-therapeutic analgesic effect. CONCLUSION: Manual acupuncture stimulation of the local + distal body acupoints combined with otopoint-EA and bloodletting at Taiyang (EX-HN 5) + Ashi points is the best option for relieving migraine during attack.

Effect of NaCl treatments on glucosinolate metabolism in broccoli sprouts.

To understand the regulation mechanism of NaCl on glucosinolate metabolism in broccoli sprouts, the germination rate, fresh weight, contents of glucosinolates and sulforaphane, as well as myrosinase activity of broccoli sprouts germinated under 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 mmol/L of NaCl were investigated in our experiment. The results showed that glucoerucin, glucobrassicin, and 4-hydroxy glucobrassicin in 7-d-old broccoli sprouts were significantly enhanced and the activity of myrosinase was inhibited by 100 mmol/L of NaCl. However, the total glucosinolate content in 7-d-old broccoli sprouts was markedly decreased although the fresh weight was significantly increased after treatment with NaCl at relatively low concentrations (20, 40, and 60 mmol/L). NaCl treatment at the concentration of 60 mmol/L for 5 d maintained higher biomass and comparatively higher content of glucosinolates in sprouts of broccoli with decreased myrosinase activity. A relatively high level of NaCl treatment (100 mmol/L) significantly increased the content of sulforaphane in 7-d-old broccoli sprouts compared with the control. These results indicate that broccoli sprouts grown under a suitable concentration of NaCl could be desirable for human nutrition.

[Study on the impacts of different time of moxibustion on regulating lipid effects of hyperlipidemia].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the impacts of different time of moxibustion on its regulating lipid effects and safety of hyperlipidemia. METHODS: Seventy-six cases of hyperlipidemia patients were randomly divided into three groups: including moxibustion 10 min group (group A, 25 cases), moxibustion 20 min group (group B, 25 cases) and moxibustion 30 min group (group C, 26 cases). All of these three groups choose the same acupoints, Shenque (CV 8),Zusanli (ST 36), Fenglong (ST 40) and Sanyinjiao (SP 6) were selected. These three groups were treated with moxibustion for 10 min, 20 min and 30 min, respectively, three times a week, 12 times constituted one course, two courses were required for each group. All indices of blood lipid and fasting blood glucose were observed before and after treatment, and the preliminary evaluation was made on the safety of hepatic and renal function. RESULTS: There were significant decrease in total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and blood sugar after moxibustion treatment (all P<0.001), there was no significant difference of high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) before and after treatment (P>0.05). The group C played more prominent role than group A in regulating the TC (P<0.01) and LDL-C (P<0.05), there was no significant difference between group C and group B (P>0.05). The blood urea nitrogen(BUN) was significantly reduced after moxibustion treatment (P<0.05), and there were no significant differences of other safety indices before and after treatment (all P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Moxibustion can effectively and safely reduce the blood lipid level of hyperlipidemia patients, the decreasing degree of lipid is different with different time of moxibustion after treatment, and the decreasing degree in moxibustion 30 min group is significantly better than that in moxibustion 10 min group.

[Study on the best solution of immediate analgesia of acupuncture for migraine].

OBJECTIVE: To select the best solution of immediate analgesia of migraine treated with acupuncture. METHODS: Taken 36 cases of migraine in attack stage as research objects, by means of orthogonal experimental design, applying the L9 (3(4)) orthogonal table, the therapeutic effect of immediate analgesia of acupuncture for migraine in attack stage was analyzed in four factors, which were effective acupoints combination, electroacupuncture therapy, auricular therapy and bloodletting therapy, and three levels of each factors. In the test procession, random approaches (stratified random and central random) and blinding experiment (the appraiser blind) were used. The time points of observation were before treatment, and 10, 20 minutes after treatment. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to evaluate therapeutic effect. RESULTS: Comparing with the headache before treatment, at the time points of 10 and 20 minutes after treatment, the best solution for headache relief was needling therapy (local and distal points and points selection according to the differentiation), auricular electroacupuncture therapy and bloodletting at Taiyang Zimai (Extra) or Taiyang (EX-HN 5)and Ashi points. CONCLUSION: In the attack stage of migraine, by the therapy combined with puncture on local and distal points and the points according to the differentiation, auricular electroacupuncture and bloodletting at Taiyang Zimai or Taiyang (EX-HN 5) and Ashi points, the favorable effects of immediate analgesia are received.