Exploring the Sustainability of Upcycled Foods: An Analysis of Consumer Behavior in Taiwan.

Given the urgent climate change and food security challenges, upcycled food products are crucial for sustainable food production and waste management. This study investigates Taiwanese consumer behavior towards upcycled foods using the value-attitude-behavior (VAB) theory, focusing on "product knowledge", "green perceived quality", and "price sensitivity". Of the 335 distributed surveys, 320 valid responses (95.5% effectiveness) were analyzed. The results indicated that eco-conscious values strongly influenced consumer attitudes and anticipated guilt (ß = 0.647, p < 0.001; ß = 0.691, p < 0.001), shaping behavioral intentions (ß = 0.290, p < 0.001). Attitudes significantly correlated with intentions, validating the VAB framework. However, anticipated guilt showed a minimal impact (ß = 0.029, p = 0.629), revealing complex consumer emotions. Green perceived quality and product knowledge were the key decision-making factors (ß = 0.193, p < 0.001; ß = 0.146, p < 0.001). Surprisingly, price sensitivity positively influences intentions (ß = 0.764, p < 0.001), suggesting the consumer prioritization of quality and environmental values over price. These insights inform strategies for businesses to enhance consumer engagement and sustainability alignment, advancing progress towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Postoperative follow-up of 221 patients with infective endocarditis from Gaoligong mountain area of Yunnan in China: a retrospective, single-center, observational cohort study.

Background: Despite improvements in management, infective endocarditis (IE) is still associated with high mortality and morbidity. The outcome of patients with IE remains unclear in high-altitude areas of China. To characterize the epidemiological features and surgical outcomes, a retrospective analysis was conducted to 221 patients diagnosed with IE from a single center. In addition, to assess the prognosis of patients, a multivariate logistic regression model was performed to analyze the affecting risk factors. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 221 patients with IE who underwent surgical treatment at the Department of Cardiac Surgery of Yan'an Hospital Affiliated to Kunming Medical University from January 2013 to December 2019. The analysis evaluated patient demographics, pathogenic bacterial composition, echocardiography results, and surgical treatment outcomes. After a 1-year follow-up period, the mortality rate was statistically analyzed. The patients were divided into two groups based on their survival status: those who survived and those who did not. Relevant factors were compared between the two groups, and a multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the risk factors that affect the prognosis of patients with IE. Results: Out of the 221 patients diagnosed with IE, 164 were male and 57 were female, with an average age of 39.25±14.36 years. The most common underlying heart diseases were bicuspid aortic valve disease (24.9%), congenital heart disease (19.5%), rupture of aortic sinus aneurysm (5.0%) and rheumatic valvular disease (2.3%). The blood culture had a positive rate of 48.42% (107/221), with Streptococcus viridans (29.9%) and Streptococcus haematoides (13.1%) being the main specifically pathogenic bacteria identified. Transthoracic echocardiography produced positive results in 89.6% (198/221) of cases. The findings included vegetation formation (100%), valve perforation or tear (21.7%), and perivalvular abscess formation (5.6%). Out of the patients, 174 underwent elective surgery, 47 received emergency surgery, and 11 died within 1 year after surgery, resulting in a mortality rate of 5.0%. However, the death group had longer operation time, cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) time and higher EuroSCORE II compared to the non-death group (P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis identified preoperative hematocrit decrease, prolonged operation time and CPB time, high New York Heart Association (NYHA) cardiac function grade, and liver diseases as risk factors for 1-year mortality in patients with IE (OR =1.003, 0.000, 1.006, 1.026, 1.624 and 4.746). Conclusions: IE primarily affects young and middle-aged men with rheumatic heart valvular disease as the main underlying heart disease and Streptococcus viridans as the main pathogen. Surgical intervention significantly reduces early mortality in IE patients. To improve postoperative prognosis, clinicians should remain vigilant, especially in high-risk groups with preoperative hematocrit, prolonged operation time, and CPB time, high NYHA cardiac function grade, EuroSCORE II, and vegetation formation.

Study of the Correlation between Streaming Video Platform Content on Food Production Processes and the Behavioral Intentions of Generation Z.

With an estimated 2.4 million cases of foodborne illnesses recorded annually in the UK alone, food safety has become a paramount concern among stakeholders. Modern technology has positioned streaming platforms as pivotal conduits for disseminating information. Channels such as YouTube offer detailed recordings of the food production process, granting consumers extensive visibility of the food journey from farm to table. This increased transparency not only promotes vigilant monitoring of food safety practices but also solicits consumer feedback regarding the public exposure to food processing videos. Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study augments its framework with constructs, such as perceived trust, perceived risk, community experience, and brand identity, to evaluate Taiwan's Generation Z consumer behavioral intentions. With 226 valid responses amassed, structural equation modeling facilitated elucidation of the relationships among the constructs. This analysis yielded three salient insights. First, Generation Z's engagement with food processing videos on streaming platforms is positively correlated with their subsequent purchasing behavior. Second, enriched community experience was correlated with strengthened brand identification. Third, both perceived trust and perceived risk had a constructive impact on behavioral intentions within Gen Z's demographic data. Based on these outcomes, food industry enterprises should proactively develop and bolster community experiential value, thereby encouraging streaming platform users to transform into brand consumers and advocates.

Breaking Conventional Eating Habits: Perception and Acceptance of 3D-Printed Food among Taiwanese University Students.

Considering the prevalent strain on environmental resources imparted by existing food systems, prioritizing environmental sustainability is an imperative course of action. Subsequently, the shift towards sustainable production and consumption patterns engenders an escalating demand for environmentally conscious food systems. Thus, 3D-printed food technology surfaces are a promising solution noted for their efficacy in curtailing food waste, bolstering environmental sustainability, and imparting innovative strategies to the food supply chain. Herein, we amalgamate the theory of planned behavior (TPB) framework with several variables, namely 'sensory appeal', 'food neophobia', 'perceived health risk', and 'environmental friendliness' to probe the behavioral intentions of Taiwanese university students' perceptions about 3D-printed food. Employing the snowball sampling method, 370 questionnaires were disseminated, out of which 319, constituting an effective retrieval rate of 86.2%, were deemed valid. Statistical analysis produced intriguing findings. Consumers' inclination to purchase 3D-printed food is substantially determined by their attitudes, subjective norms, sensory appeal, food neophobia, perceived health risks, and environmental friendliness. Contrary to our initial hypothesis, perceived behavioral control did not exhibit a significant impact on consumers' propensity to purchase 3D-printed food. Therefore, businesses should focus on magnifying the sensory appeal of 3D-printed food, coupled with precise nutritional labeling, to bolster consumer interest, enhance acceptance, and augment behavioral intentions. This study sheds light on the potential for the development of 3D-printed food in Taiwan, providing an indispensable reference for future endeavors in Taiwan's 3D-printed food industry.

Tabernanthalog and ibogainalog inhibit the α7 and α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors via different mechanisms and with higher potency than the GABAA receptor and CaV2.2 channel.

In this study, we have investigated the pharmacological activity and structural interaction of two novel psychoplastogens, tabernanthalog (TBG) and ibogainalog (IBG) at heterologously-expressed rat (r) and human (h) nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), the rα1ß2γ2L γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor (GABAAR), and the human voltage-gated N-type calcium channel (CaV2.2 channel). Both compounds inhibited the nAChRs with the following receptor selectivity: α9α10 > α7 > α3ß2 â‰… α3ß4, indicating that ß2/ß4 subunits are relatively less important for their activity. The potencies of TBG and IBG were comparable at hα7 and hα9α10 subtypes, and comparable to their rat counterparts. TBG- and IBG-induced inhibition of rα7 was ACh concentration-independent and voltage-dependent, whereas rα9α10 inhibition was ACh concentration-dependent and voltage-independent, suggesting that they interact with the α7 ion channel pore and α9α10 orthosteric ligand binding site, respectively. These results were supported by molecular docking studies showing that at the α7 model TBG forms stable interactions with luminal rings at 9', 13', and 16', whereas IBG mostly interacts with the extracellular-transmembrane junction. In the α9α10 model, however, these compounds interacted with several residues from the principal (+) and complementary (-) sides in the transmitter binding site. Ibogaminalog (DM506) also interacted with a non-luminal site at α7, and one α9α10 orthosteric site. TBG and IBG inhibited the GABAAR and CaV2.2 channels with 10 to 30-fold lower potencies. In sum, we show that TBG and IBG inhibit the α7 and α9α10 nAChRs by noncompetitive and competitive mechanisms, respectively, and with higher potency than the GABAAR and CaV2.2 channel.

Rational Design of Potent α-Conotoxin PeIA Analogues with Non-Natural Amino Acids for the Inhibition of Human α9α10 Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors.

α-Conotoxins (α-CTxs) are structurally related peptides that antagonize nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), which may serve as new alternatives to opioid-based treatment for pain-related conditions. The non-natural amino acid analogues of α-CTxs have been demonstrated with improved potency compared to the native peptide. In this study, we chemically synthesized Dab/Dap-substituted analogues of α-CTx PeIA and evaluated their activity at heterologously expressed human α9α10 nAChRs. PeIA[S4Dap, S9Dap] had the most potent half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of 0.93 nM. Molecular dynamic simulations suggested that the side chain amino group of Dap4 formed additional hydrogen bonds with S168 and D169 of the receptor and Dap9 formed an extra hydrogen bond interaction with Q34, which is distinctive to PeIA. Overall, our findings provide new insights into further development of more potent analogues of α-CTxs, and PeIA[S4Dap, S9Dap] has potential as a drug candidate for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain.

Dual Antagonism of α9α10 nAChR and GABAB Receptor-Coupled CaV2.2 Channels by an Analgesic αO-Conotoxin Analogue.

Pain severely affects the physical and mental health of patients. The need to develop nonopioid analgesic drugs to meet medical demands is urgent. In this study, we designed a truncated analogue of αO-conotoxin, named GeX-2, based on disulfide-bond deletion and sequence truncation. GeX-2 retained the potency of its parent peptide at the human α9α10 nAChR and exhibited potent inhibitory activity at CaV2.2 channels via activation of the GABAB receptor (GABABR). Importantly, GeX-2 significantly alleviated pain in the rat model of chronic constriction injury. The dual inhibition of GeX-2 at both α9α10 nAChRs and CaV2.2 channels is speculated to synergistically mediate the potent analgesic effects. Results from site-directed mutagenesis assay and computational modeling suggest that GeX-2 preferentially interacts with the α10(+)α10(-) binding site of α9α10 nAChR and favorably binds to the top region of the GABABR2 subunit. The study offers vital insights into the molecular action mechanism of GeX-2, demonstrating its potential as a novel nonopioid analgesic.

Clinical significance of detecting group B Streptococcus from midstream urine culture / 中国感染控制杂志

Objective To explore the clinical significance and antimicrobial resistance of group B Streptococcus(GBS)isolated from midstream urine culture,aiming to provide a basis for the diagnosis and treatment of clinical urinary tract infection(UTI).Methods Information about GBS strains isolated from midstream urine culture of in-patients and outpatient in a hospital in Nanjing from February 2020 to December 2022 were retrieved through labora-tory information system,strains with complete data were screened out.Case data,urine routine,and antimicrobial susceptibility testing results were reviewed.Results A total of 9 081 non-repetitive bacterial strains were detected from midstream urine culture,including 425 GBS strains,accounting for 4.7％,ranking sixth.Strains with incom-plete data were excluded,a total of 365 patients were included in the study.169(46.3％)were males and 196(53.7％)were females,with an average age of(55.4±15.2)years.365 patients who were detected GBS were from 17 de-partments,with the highest proportion being department of urology(n=237,64.9％).The underlying diseases of patients mainly included hypertension(n=136),diabetes(n=95),urolithiasis(n=120)and urinary tumors(n=98).211 patients underwent urological surgery,all were treated with antimicrobial agents before surgery,and 205 patients underwent indwelling urinary catheters after surgery;9 patients were detected GBS from urine during the middle and advanced stage of pregnancy.36.4％(n=133),38.9％(n=142)and 24.7％(n=90)patients had GBS colony count ≤104 CFU/mL,104-105 CFU/mL,and ≥105 CFU/mL,respectively.Patients with symptoms of UTI accounted for 24.9％(n=91),and asymptomatic bacteriuria accounted for 75.1％(n=274).The incidence of UTI symptoms in males was lower than that in females(19.5％vs 29.6％,P＜0.05).As the GBS colony count in urine culture increased,the proportion of patients with symptoms of UTI showed an upward trend(P＜0.05).On the day of urine culture,the positive rates of urine routine white blood cells,leukocyte esterase,and nitrite were 53.2％,50.1％,and 3.8％,respectively.The positive rates of urine occult blood,leukocyte esterase,white blood cells,and urine protein in patients with symptomatic UTI were all higher than those with asymptomatic bacteriuria patients(all P＜0.05).No GBS were found to be resistant to penicillin,ampicillin,vancomycin,linezolid,and tigecycline.The resistance rate to levofloxacin and moxifloxacin was about 40％,and resistance rate to tetracycline and clindamycin was over 60％.Conclusion GBS isolated from urine is more common in non-pregnant adults,and only a small percentage have symptoms of UTI.The results of urine culture and urine routine should be comprehen-sively judged based on patient's clinical symptoms and signs.GBS in urine is susceptible to multiple antimicrobial agents,and clinical medication should be adopted rationally based on antimicrobial susceptibility testing result.

Analysis of the status and influencing factors of diabetics’ awareness of diabetic retinopathy in Funing County, Jiangsu Province / 中华眼底病杂志

Objective:To analyze the status and influencing factors of awareness of diabetic retinopathy (DR) knowledge in diabetics in Funing County, Jiangsu Province.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study. In 2021, a total of 2 125 residents with diabetes in Funing County, Jiangsu Province were recruited using cluster random sampling methods. General examinations were performed and ophthalmological evaluation were conducted including visual acuity in daily life, slit lamp microscope with preset lens, digital non-mydriatic fundus photography. Clinical assessment and classification of DR were according to the international standard clinical classifications of diabetic retinopathy in 2019. DR was classified into no obvious DR, mild non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), moderate NPDR, severe NPDR and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Field questionnaire surveys were conducted to show the awareness rate of DR knowledge. Then Chi-square test and Logistic regression analysis were used to investigate influencing factors.Results:Among 2 125 subjects, 762 (35.86%, 762/2 125) residents were male and 1 363 (64.14%, 1 363/2 125) residents were female. A total of 444 (20.89%, 444/2 125) subjects were diagnosed as DR. Among which, 438 (20.61%, 438/2 125) subjects were NPDR, 6 (0.28%, 6/2 125) subjects were PDR. A total of 419 (19.72%, 419/2 125) subjects were diagnosed as cataract. The topic awareness rates were all below 45.00%. The overall population awareness rate was 19.45% (4 959/25 500). Awareness rate was correlated with age, visual acuity in daily life, education level, family history of diabetes, diabetic retinopathy grades and the type of treatment for diabetes ( P<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the knowledge rate of prevention and treatment of DR Decreased significantly in patients aged 60-79 compared with those aged under 50 ( P<0.05). Compared with those with visual acuity <0.1 in daily life, the knowledge rate of DR prevention and treatment in those with visual acuity ≥0.1 was significantly decreased ( P<0.05). While primary school to college education, with family history of diabetes, with DR, oral hypoglycemic agents and/or insulin treatment were associated with higher awareness rate ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The DR knowledge level is low among diabetics in Funing County, Jiangsu Province in 2021. Age, visual acuity in daily life, education level, family history of diabetes, with DR and receiving drug treatments are main influencing factors for diabetic’s awareness.

Performance evaluation of some domestically produced biochemical reagents / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To evaluation the performance of a total of 40 clinical biochemical reagents from three domestic manufacturers and two foreign manufacturers, and evaluate their clinical application value.Methods:The Beckman AU5400 automatic biochemical analyzer was used to verify the performance of 40 kinds of commonly used clinical biochemical reagents from three domestic manufacturers of Sichuan Maccura, Ningbo Medical System, and Shanghai Fosun Long March, and two foreign imported manufacturers of Roche and Japan′s Hitachi. The analysis samples were selected from the serum of patients who underwent clinical testing in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital hospital from December 2021 to June 2022. Refer to China′s national health industry standards, China′s national pharmaceutical industry standards, the US Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) for the performance evaluation standards of in vitro diagnostic reagents, and the methods recommended in the relevant regulations of China′s State Food and Drug Administration on the management of in vitro diagnostic reagents. The precision, linear range, open bottle stability, interchangeability of calibrators and accuracy from different batches of 40 reagents were evaluated and validated. Simple linear regression analysis was used for linear regression, and P<0.05 indicated that the regression was statistically significant. Results:The overall precisions of 40 reagents were fine, except for one domestic reagent with low-level intra-batch coefficient of variation ( CV) exceeding the range declared in the specification. The intra-and inter-batch CVs of the remaining reagents were all smaller than those declared in their respective specifications. The linear ranges of domestic reagents and imported ones have achieved the linear ranges declared by each manufacturer. There were no statistical differences on the measurements between the reagents from open bottle of 30 days and the corresponding new ones for 40 reagents( P>0.05). The test values of domestic reagents and imported reagents after exchange of different batches of calibrators were within the ranges declared by each manufacturer. Both domestic reagents and imported reagents have passed the accuracy verification. Conclusions:The performance index of 27 biochemical detection indicators of the three domestic manufacturers are basically consistent with those of imported reagents, meeting the requirements of clinical biochemical laboratories. However, the bottle opening stability and anti-interference performance of some detection reagents needs to be improved.

Susceptilibity and molecular characterization of carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae without producing carbapenemase / 临床检验杂志

Objective@#To analyze the susceptibility and distribution of β-lactamase encoding and efflux pump genes as well as the inhibitory effect of efflux pump inhibitors on the carbapenem resistance of the carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae without producing carbapenemase (CRKPPC). @*Methods@#One hundred and eight strains of carbapenem non-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae were collected from our hospital during 2012-2014. The strains producing carbapenemase were screened by Mastdiscs combi Carba plus disc system. For CRKPPC strains, the susceptibilities to antimicrobial agents were determined by micro-dilution broth methods. PCR and DNA sequencing technology were used to analyze the prevalence of β-lactamase encoding extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and plasmid mediated AmpC genes as well as efflux genes including acrAB-tolC, kexD, kdeA, kpnEF and kpnGH. The inhibitory experiments were implemented by using carbonylcyanide-m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP) and Reserpine to observe the role of efflux pumps on the carbapenem resistance. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) was performed to analyze the expression of outer membrane proteins OmpK35 and OmpK36. @*Results@#Twenty-six strains out of the 108 carbapenem non-susceptible Klebsiella pneumoniae were identified to be CRKPPC strains which displayed quite high resistance to β-lactam and high resistance to amikacin, gentamicin, levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Very good sensitivities were observed to tigecycline, polymyxin, ceftazidime/avibatan and aztreonam/avibatan. The high prevalence of bla CTX-M and bla SHV were also displayed with the prevalent rates being 76.9% and 57.7%, respectively. The loss of outer membrane proteins OmpK35 and OmpK36 with varying degrees was observed, among which 57.7% strains lost ompK35 and 19.2% strains lost OmpK36. More than 80% strains contained efflux genes including acrAB-tolC, kexD, kdeA, kpnEF and kpnGH. The results of inhibitory experiments showed that CCCP displayed quite obviously inhibitory effects on the carbepenem resistance whereas no inhibitory effect was observed for Reserpine. @*Conclusion@#Tigecycline and polymyxin could be used as the basis of combined drug for CRKPPC. The prevalence of AmpC, ESBLs and loss of OmpK35 and OmpK36 with varying degrees among these strains were observed, but the over-expression of efflux pumps should be the main mechanism of the carbapenem resistance in the Klebsiella pneumoniae strains, and efflux inhibitors may have potential value in treating the infections caused by these bacteria.

Analysis of occupational pneumoconiosis in Jiangsu province from 2006 to 2017 / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective@#To analyze the characteristics and patterns of occupational pneumoconiosis in Jiangsu Province, China, from 2006 to 2017, and to provide a scientific basis for government departments to develop effective interventions and preventive strategies against occupational pneumoconiosis.@*Methods@#The data of 9327 patients with occupational pneumoconiosis were retrieved from the online report of occupational pneumoconiosis in Jiangsu Province from 2006 to 2017. Excel worksheet and SPSS 20.0 software were used to organize and analyze the data, respectively. An epidemiological statistical analysis was performed on age of onset, length of dust exposure, type of work, industry category, type of pneumoconiosis, annual incidence of pneumoconiosis, regional distribution, enterprise scale, and economic category in those patients.@*Results@#A total of 9 327 patients with occupational pneumoconiosis were reported in Jiangsu Province from 2006 to 2017. In those patients, 8 559 were newly diagnosed and 768 had advanced disease. The male-female ratio was 16.34:1.Patients with stage I pneumoconiosis(6 994, 74.99%) were dominant in all the patients. The mean age of onset and length of dust exposure were 58.5±10.7 and 15.3±10.9 years, respectively. Most of the patients (6 012, 64.46%) had an age of onset between 50 and 69 years. For the length of dust exposure, the highest percentage was observed in patients exposed for no more than 5 years (2 231, 23.92%).The largest number of patients diagnosed with pneumoconiosis(1 200, 12.87%) was reported in 2010. Most of the patients(7 012, 75.18%) were from four cities, i.e, Wuxi (2 090, 22.41%), Yancheng (1 987, 21.30%), Suzhou (1 552, 16.64%), and Xuzhou (1 383, 14.83%). In all the patients, the incidence of silicosis (6791, 72.81%) was highest, followed by coal worker pneumoconiosis (1 364, 14.62%) and electric welder pneumoconiosis (563, 6.04%).Pneumoconiosis complicated by tuberculosis was found in 28 (0.3%) patients.A total of 1616 (17.33%) patients were reported in health, social security, and social welfare industries, while 1474 (15.80%) patients worked for coal mining and washing. Rock drillers (2 818, 30.21%) were dominant in those patients.State-owned economic enterprises reported the largest number of patients(5 441, 58.34%).Patients from small enterprises (4 323, 46.35%) had the highest percentage.@*Conclusion@#Pneumoconiosis is an occupational disease with a high incidence in Jiangsu Province. Pneumoconiosis patients show an industry- and job-centered distribution. The length of dust exposure is decreasing.

Antimicrobial resistance profile of clinical isolates in hospitals across China: report from the CHINET Surveillance Program, 2017 / 中国感染与化疗杂志

Objective To investigate the antimicrobial resistance profile of the clinical isolates collected from selected hospitals across China. Methods Twenty-nine general hospitals and five children's hospitals were involved in this program. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out according to a unified protocol using Kirby-Bauer method or automated systems. Results were interpreted according to CLSI 2017 breakpoints. Results A total of 190 610 clinical isolates were collected from January to December 2017, of which gram negative organisms accounted for 70.8％ (134 951/190 610) and gram positive cocci 29.2％ (55 649/190 610). The prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains was 35.3％ in S. aureus (MRSA) and 80.3％ in coagulase negative Staphylococcus (MRCNS) on average. MR strains showed much higher resistance rates to most of the other antimicrobial agents than MS strains. However, 91.6％ of MRSA strains were still susceptible to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, while 86.2％ of MRCNS strains were susceptible to rifampin. No staphylococcal strains were found resistant to vancomycin. E. faecalis strains showed much lower resistance rates to most of the drugs tested (except chloramphenicol) than E. faecium. Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) was identified in both E. faecalis and E. faecium. The identified VRE strains were mainly vanA, vanB or vanM type based on phenotype or genotype. The proportion of PSSP or PRSP strains in the non-meningitis S.pneumoniae strains isolated from children decreased but the proportion of PISP strains increased when compared to the data of 2016. Enterobacteriaceae strains were still highly susceptible to carbapenems. Overall, less than 10％ of these strains (excluding Klebsiella spp.) were resistant to carbapenems. The prevalence of imipenem-resistant K. pneumoniae increased from 3.0％ in 2005 to 20.9％ in 2017, and meropenem-resistant K. pneumoniae increased from 2.9％ in 2005 to 24.0％ in 2017, more than 8-fold increase. About 66.7％ and 69.3％ of Acinetobacter (A. baumannii accounts for 91.5％) strains were resistant to imipenem and meropenem, respectively. Compared with the data of year 2016, P. aeruginosa strains showed decreasing resistance rate to carbapenems. Conclusions Bacterial resistance is still on the rise. It is necessary to strengthen hospital infection control and stewardship of antimicrobial agents. The communication between laboratorians and clinicians should be further improved in addition to surveillance of bacterial resistance.

Analysis of occupational poisoning in Jiangsu Province, from 2006-2015 / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective@#Analysis of occupational poisoning character and laws in Jiangsu Province from 2006-2015, so as to provide scientific basis for the formulation of effective intervention measures and prevention strategies.@*Methods@#According to the data of Jiangsu province occupational poisoning cases reports of year 2006 to 2015, by EXCEL arranged, using SPSS software to do epidemiological data statistical analysis.@*Results@#In the past ten years, the number of occupational poisoning cases reported in Jiangsu province increased first and then declined. 547 cases of acute occupational poisoning reported in Jiangsu province from 2006-2015 years (35.82% of the total poisoning cases, the same below) , 980 cases of chronic occupational poisoning (64.18%) . The ratio of male and female in acute poisoning was 2.48, while 1.55 of chronic poisoning. The cases of poisoning reported were young and middle-aged, and working years was mainly in 5 years. The cases reported in the south of Jiangsu (mainly is chronic poisoning) is higher than that in the northern part of Jiangsu (mainly is acute poisoning) , which is more economically underdeveloped.. The reported highest mortality rate of occupational poisoning is asphyxia gas poisoning (5.43%) , followed by irritating gas poisoning (2.99%) and organic solvent poisoning (0.47%) . Many more occupational poisoning cases reported from large, joint-stock enterprises, especially chronic poisoning. Meanwhile more cases of acute poisoning reported from small, micro private enterprises.@*Conclusion@#Although a decline in occupational poisoning cases in Jiangsu, the prevention and treatment measures are still not lax. According to the species of toxic, regional economic differences, the scale of the enterprises and the type of economy, the characteristic key classification and prevention should be carried out. Expand the coverage of hospitals in the diagnosis and reporting of occupational poisoning diseases, and strive to improve the quality of occupational disease reports.

Epidemiological characteristics of pesticide poisoning in Xuzhou city from 2005 to 2017 / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective@#To understand the characteristics and causes of pesticide poisoning in Xuzhou city, and provide basis for formulating prevention and control measures.@*Methods@#The cases of pesticide poisoning in Xuzhou City from 2005 to 2017 were collected from "Pesticide Poisoning Report Card" . The data were analyzed and assessed by EpiData. The SPSS 22.0 software was used for statistical analysis.@*Results@#During the thirteen years, there were a total of 8092 cases of pesticide poisoning, among which, the number of occupational pesticide poisoning was 1 408, accounting for 17.4% of the total number of cases, 14 patients died, the case fatality rate was 0.1%. There were 2, 992 cases of male poisoning, accounting for 36.97% of the total number of cases, and 5, 100 cases of female poisoning, accounting for 63.03%. There were 6684 non-productive pesticide poisonings, accounting for 82.6% of the total number of cases; 387 deaths occurred, and the mortality rate was 5.8%. Among non-productive poisonings, the incidence of oral pesticide poisoning was 84.3%, and the incidence of accidental poisoning by pesticides was 15.7%. Organophosphorus pesticides poisoning cases accounted for the majority of oral pesticide poisoning cases. The overall incidence of pesticide poisoning showed a downward trend. The age of non-productive pesticide poisoning cases was mainly 15-44 years old, and the number of cases of poisoning were 4 029 cases (60.28%) . With the increase of age, the mortality rate of poisoning cases was higher, especially for those over 60 years old who died of oral pesticide poisoning (40.1%) . The peak of pesticide poisoning began to increase in the second quarter and reached its peak in the third quarter.@*Conclusion@#Although the cases of pesticide poisoning reported in Xuzhou City have been declining in recent years, the situation is still severe. The proportion of oral pesticide suicide accounts for a large proportion, and the mortality rate of elderly and female is relatively high, and the government should pay more attention. Workers should conduct safety education and psychological counseling to improve the knowledge and consciousness of safe use of pesticides.

Effect of miRNA from Glycyrrhiza uralensis decoction on gene expression of human immune cells / 中国中药杂志

MicroRNAs(miRNA) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate the expression of protein coding genes by repressing translation of protein coding mRNA or enhancing mRNA degradation. Its functions have attracted more and more attention from the public. In recent years, the cross-border regulation of miRNA has become a new research direction, and provides a new perspective for people to comprehensively understand the functions of miRNA. Plant miRNA is usually methylated and not easy to degrade. According to our previous researches, there were abundant small RNAs in the decoction of dried liquorice, which provides a new way to study the mechanism of action of licorice. In this study, small RNAs extracted from Glycyrrhiza uralensis decoction and synthesized miRNA mimics were used to treat peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC) isolated from healthy volunteers. The gene expression of toll-like receptors(TLRs), some transcription factors, signal molecules and cytokines were analyzed by RT-PCR. The results showed that glycyrrhiza miRNA could significantly regulate PBMC by inhibiting the expression of genes involved in T cell differentiation, inflammation and apoptosis. The study brought new ideas to us in comprehensively studying the mechanism of licorice and developing the traditional Chinese medicine.

Analysis on species classification and chracteristics of drug resistance and virulence in CTX-M-producing Escherichia coli isolated from urine culture / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To analyze the species classification and chracteristics of drug resistance and virulence in CTX-M producing Escherichia coli isolated from urine culture.Methods Escherichia coli cultured by urine were collected from our hospital during 2014,the ring disk diffusion test was implemented to determine the bacterial susceptibility,the EBLs determination test was used to analyze the bacterial EBLs producing situation;the enterobactoer duplicated gene spacer consensus sequency PCR(ERIC-PCR) was adopted to perform the genetic relation analysis;PCR was used to amplify the CTX-M encoding genes and multiple virulence genes iutA,ompT,fyuA,fdeC,fimH,traT,cvaC,pap,kpsMT,pAI,usp,aer,hlyA,cnf and chuA;the multiple PCR was used to analyze the species calssification of CTX-M-producing Escherichia coli;these strains of bacteria were classified as the CTX-M-producing group and non-CTX-M-producing group according to the results of CTX-M coding gene detection,the differences in the antibacterial drug resistance and virulence genes between the two gorups were performed the contrastive analysis.Results One hundred and sixty-two strains of E.coli by urine culture had no genetic correlation,among 126 EBLs positive strains,91 strains produced CT-M,in which 57 strains of CT-M producing Escherichia coli belonged to type D,and 116 strains belong to Type B2.The statistical analysis found that the drug resistance rate in the CTX-M-producing group was significantly higher than that in the non-CT-M producing group (except for imipenem),the prevalence of virulence genes including iutA,chuA and traT in the CT-M producing bacteria group was significantly higher than that in the non-CTX-M-producing group(P=0.001,0.006,0.000)Conclusion CTX-M-producing E.coli is main pathogenic bacterium of urinary infection in our hospital,its majority belong to type D with increased drug resistance,moreover has close correlation with virulence genes iutA,chuA and traA and is a pertential threat in clinical treatment of urinary infection.

Incidence of occupational diseases in a province of China during the period of "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" and its trend / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective@#To investigate the incidence of occupational diseases in a province of China during the period of "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" , and to analyze the features of disease spectrum, the characteristics of regional and industrial distribution, and incidence trend.@*Methods@#Data (2011-2015) were collected from the Information System of Occupational Diseases and Occupational Health to analyze the reported cases of occupational diseases during the period of "Twelfth Five-Year Plan". A statistical analysis was performed to identify the characteristics of the disease distribution in terms of sex, age, working years, enterprise type, enterprise scale, and region, as well as the incidence trend.@*Results@#The overall incidence of occupational diseases in this province fluctuated and decreased gradually. There were a total of 5036 new cases of occupational diseases during the period of "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" ; 89.45% of them were male, and 69.78% of them were aged 40-69 years; the most frequently seen occupational diseases were pneumoconiosis (72.48%) and ear, nose, throat, and oral diseases (7.23%). Most cases of pneumoconiosis occurred after 5-10 years of exposure, and other occupational diseases usually developed within 10 years of exposure. New cases of occupational diseases were often seen in small and micro enterprises, as well as Wuxi, Suzhou, and Yancheng.@*Conclusion@#During the period of "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" , the incidence of occupational diseases in this province decreased gradually, indicating improved control of occupational diseases, but we still need to pay attention to the high-risk population (male, aged over 40 years) , as well as the prevention of occupational noise-induced hearing loss, and to strengthen the supervision of small and micro enterprises.

Analysis on the Antimicrobial Susceptibilities and the Prevalence of ESBLs Encoding Genes of Escherichia Coli Isolates Collected from Blood / 现代检验医学杂志

Objective To analyze the susceptibilities of Escherichia coli isolates collected from blood and the prevalence of ESBLs encoding genes.Methods A total of 121 Escherichia coli isolates collected from blood during 2012 were analyzed for antimicrobial susceptibilities by software of WHONET 5.6,the production of ESBLs was confirmed by confirmatory pheno-typic testing,PCR and DNA sequence were further implemented to analyze the ESBLs-encoding genes.Results 121 E.coli isolates displayed high resistance towards broad spectrum penicillin and 2nd or 3rd generation cephalosporins,levofloxacin and cotrimoxazole,with the resistance rates being more than 40%,susceptibilities to imipenem,piperacillin/tazobactam,ami-kacin were observed,with the resistance rates to be less than 12%,86(88.7%)out of 121 isolates were found to produce ESBLs.Among them,59.5% (72),38.8% (47)and 4.1% (5)were confirmed to carry blaCTX-M,blaTEM and blaSHV genes.Additionally,2(1.7%)isolates carried all the genes detected,30(24.8%)isolates carried both of blaCTX and bla-TEM,1(0.8%)isolate carried both of blaSHV andblaTEM.Conclusion Most of the E.coli isolates from the blood culture in Nanjing Gulou Hospital produce ESBLs,and displayed resistance towards most of the penicillins,cephalosporins and sin-gle amide antimicrobial agents should be chosen according to susceptibility results.

The progress of cell-replacement therapy for age-related macular degeneration / 中华眼底病杂志

Based on the pathogenic mechanisms of age-related macular degeneration (AMD),tremendous preclinical and clinical trials have demonstrated that cell transplantation which aim to replace impaired retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) with healthy RPE cells is a promising approach to treat AMD.So far,choices of cell sources mainly are autologous RPE,iris pigment epithelium,fetal RPE,human embryonic stem cell-derived RPE and human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE,and some of them are undergoing clinical researches.Grafting manners in cell-based therapies are various including RPE sheet or RPE-choroid complex transplantation,RPE cell suspension injection,and RPE sheet transplantation with scaffolds.This review is limited to cell-based therapies for RPE that damaged first in the progress of AMD and focus on recent advances in cell sources,transplantation methods,preclinical and clinical trials,and the obstacles that must be overcome.