The clinical value of inflammation index in predicting ICU mortality of critically ill patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Background: The inflammatory response holds paramount significance in the context of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and exhibits a robust correlation with mortality rates. Biological markers such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) play crucial roles in influencing the systemic inflammatory response following ICH. This study aims to compare the predictive efficacy of NLR, PLR, LMR, SII, and SIRI concerning the risk of mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU) among critically ill patients with ICH. Such a comparison seeks to elucidate their early warning capabilities in the management and treatment of ICH. Methods: Patients with severe ICH requiring admission to the ICU were screened from the Medical Information Marketplace for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database. The outcomes studied included ICU mortality and 30 day ICU hospitalization rates, based on tertiles of the NLR index level. To explore the relationship between the NLR index and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with ICH, we utilized receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA), and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 869 patients (51.9% male) were included in the study, with an ICU mortality rate of 22.9% and a 30 day ICU hospitalization rate of 98.4%. Among the five indicators examined, both the ROC curve and DCA indicated that NLR (AUC: 0.660, 95%CI: 0.617-0.703) had the highest predictive ability for ICU mortality. Moreover, this association remained significant even after adjusting for other confounding factors during multivariate analysis (HR: 3.520, 95%CI: 2.039-6.077). Based on the results of the multivariate analysis, incorporating age, albumin, lactic acid, NLR, and GCS score as variables, we developed a nomogram to predict ICU mortality in critically ill patients with ICH. Conclusion: NLR emerges as the most effective predictor of ICU mortality risk among critically ill patients grappling with ICH when compared to the other four indicators. Furthermore, the integration of albumin and lactic acid indicators into the NLR nomogram enhances the ability to promptly identify ICU mortality in individuals facing severe ICH.

Characteristics and functional analysis of a novel mannose receptor in Penaeus vannamei.

The mannose receptor (MR) plays a key role in the innate immune system as a pattern recognition receptor. Here, a novel type of mannose receptor, named PvMR2, was identified from Penaeus vannamei (P. vannamei). The PvMR2 coding sequence (CDS) obtained was 988 base pairs in length, encoding a protein consisting of 328 amino acids. This protein includes a signal peptide and two classical C-type lectin domains (CTLD). Quantitative real-time PCR showed that PvMR2 was distributed in all detected tissues, with the highest levels in the intestines and stomach. Following a bacterial challenge with Vibrio anguillarum (V. anguillarum), PvMR2 showed significant up-regulation in both the intestines and stomach of shrimp. To validate the function of PvMR2, recombinant proteins were extracted and purified using a His-tag. The resulting rPvMR2 demonstrated binding capability with lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and peptidoglycan (PGN) in a dose-dependent manner, affirming its binding affinity. The purified rPvMR2 demonstrated calcium-independent binding activity towards both Gram-positive bacteria (V. anguilliarum and Vibrio parahaemolyticus) and Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli and Aeromonas Veronii). Antibacterial assays confirmed that rPvMR2 inhibits bacterial growth. Intestinal adhesion and adhesion inhibition experiments confirmed that the rPvMR2 can be used to reduce the adhesion capacity of harmful bacteria in the gut. Phagocytosis experiments have shown that rPvMR2 promotes phagocytosis in hemocytes and protects the host from external infection. Treatment with recombinant PvMR2 significantly bolstered bacterial clearance within the hemolymph and markedly augmented shrimp survival post-infection with V. anguillarum. These results suggest that PvMR2 has agglutination, growth inhibition, adhesion inhibition, clearance promotion, and phagocytosis effects on harmful bacteria, and plays a crucial role in the antimicrobial immune response of P. vannamei.

Acute kidney injury after intracerebral hemorrhage: a mini review.

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) stands as a prevalent and pivotal clinical condition. The potential cooccurrence of acute kidney injury (AKI) among afflicted individuals can profoundly influence their prognosis. In recent times, there has been a growing focus among clinical practitioners on researching the relationship between ICH and AKI. AKI occurring concurrently with ICH predominantly arises from both hemodynamic and non-hemodynamic mechanisms. The latter encompasses neurohumoral regulation, inflammatory response, oxidative stress, and iatrogenic factors such as contrast agents, dehydrating agents, antibiotics, and diuretics. Moreover, advanced age, hypertension, elevated baseline creatinine levels, chronic kidney disease, and larger hematomas predispose patients to AKI. Additionally, the current utilization of biomarkers and the development of predictive models appear promising in identifying patients at risk of AKI after ICH. This article aims to underscore the potential of the aforementioned insights to inspire novel approaches to early clinical intervention.

The clinical value of nutritional and inflammatory indicators in predicting pneumonia among patients with intracerebral hemorrhage.

Immunosuppression and malnutrition play pivotal roles in the complications of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and are intricately linked to the development of stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP). Inflammatory markers, including NLR (neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio), SII (systemic immune inflammation index), SIRI (systemic inflammatory response index), and SIS (systemic inflammation score), along with nutritional indexes such as CONUT (controlling nutritional status) and PNI (prognostic nutritional index), are crucial indicators influencing the inflammatory state following ICH. In this study, our objective was to compare the predictive efficacy of inflammatory and nutritional indices for SAP in ICH patients, aiming to determine and explore their clinical utility in early pneumonia detection. Patients with severe ICH requiring ICU admission were screened from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. The outcomes included the occurrence of SAP and in-hospital death. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, multivariate logistic regression, smooth curve analysis, and stratified analysis were employed to investigate the relationship between the CONUT index and the clinical outcomes of patients with severe ICH. A total of 348 patients were enrolled in the study. The incidence of SAP was 21.3%, and the in-hospital mortality rate was 17.0%. Among these indicators, multiple regression analysis revealed that CONUT, PNI, and SIRI were independently associated with SAP. Further ROC curve analysis demonstrated that CONUT (AUC 0.6743, 95% CI 0.6079-0.7408) exhibited the most robust predictive ability for SAP in patients with ICH. Threshold analysis revealed that when CONUT < 6, an increase of 1 point in CONUT was associated with a 1.39 times higher risk of SAP. Similarly, our findings indicate that CONUT has the potential to predict the prognosis of patients with ICH. Among the inflammatory and nutritional markers, CONUT stands out as the most reliable predictor of SAP in patients with ICH. Additionally, it proves to be a valuable indicator for assessing the prognosis of patients with ICH.

Nocardia farcinica brain abscess with torque teno virus co-infection: A case report.

Background: Brain abscesses caused by Nocardia are rare and difficult to diagnose. Nocardia farcinica is among the most common species; however, the conventional diagnosis of N. farcinica infection consists of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood culture and Gram staining. These procedures prolong the time to diagnosis and initiating treatment. Case presentation: A 69-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus presented with headaches and dizziness persisting for 2 weeks, which was initially diagnosed as a brain abscess. Due to the unusual presentation and rapid progression of symptoms, she underwent surgical resection of the brain abscess. No pathogens were detected in blood or CSF cultures. However, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) identified N. farcinica and Torque teno virus in pus extracted from the abscesses. The patient received appropriate antibiotic therapy and recovered fully without any residual neurological deficits. Conclusion: mNGS useful for prompt diagnosis and selection of antibiotic therapy for brain abscesses caused by Nocardia. Surgical intervention is necessary in some cases.

Polystyrene microplastics promote intestinal colonization of Aeromonas veronii through inducing intestinal microbiota dysbiosis.

The premise that pathogen colonized microplastics (MPs) can promote the spread of pathogens has been widely recognized, however, their role in the colonization of pathogens in a host intestine has not been fully elucidated. Here, we investigated the effect of polystyrene MPs (PS-MPs) on the colonization levels of Aeromonas veronii, a typical aquatic pathogen, in the loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus) intestine. Multiple types of MPs were observed to promote the intestinal colonization of A. veronii, among which PS-MPs exhibited the most significant stimulating effect (67.18% increase in A. veronii colonization). PS-MPs inflicted serious damage to the intestinal tracts of loaches and induced intestinal microbiota dysbiosis. The abundance of certain intestinal bacteria with resistance against A. veronii colonization decreased, with Lactococcus sp. showing the strongest colonization resistance (73.64% decline in A. veronii colonization). Fecal microbiota transplantation was performed, which revealed that PS-MPs induced intestinal microbiota dysbiosis was responsible for the increased colonization of A. veronii in the intestine. It was determined that PS-MPs reshaped the intestinal microbiota community to attenuate the colonization resistance against A. veronii colonization, resulting in an elevated intestinal colonization levels of A. veronii.

Damage of polyethylene microplastics on the intestine multilayer barrier, blood cell immune function and the repair effect of Leuconostoc mesenteroides DH in the large-scale loach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus).

Polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) has become a global concern due to their widespread distribution and hazardous properties in aquatic habitats. In this study, the accumulation effect of PE-MPs in the intestine of large-scale loach (Paramisgurnus dabryanus) was explored by adding different concentrations of PE-MPs to the water, the destination of PE-MPs after breaking the intestinal barrier and the effects caused. The collected data showed that PE-MPs accumulation for 21d altered the histomorphology and antioxidant enzyme activity of the intestine, induced dysbiosis of the intestinal flora. 10 mg/L of PE-MPs induced a significant increase in the transcript levels of intestinal immunity factors in loach after 21d of exposure. Moreover, the levels of diamine oxidase (DAO) and d-lactic acid (D-Lac) in the gut and serum of loach were significantly increased after exposure to PE-MPs at all concentrations (1, 5, 10 mg/L). Subsequently, the presence of PE-MPs was detected in the blood, suggesting that the disruption of the intestinal multilayer barrier allowed PE-MPs to spill into the circulation. The accumulation of PE-MPs (1,5,10 mg/L) in the blood led to massive apoptosis and necrosis of blood cells and activated phagocytosis in response to PE-MPs invasion. To alleviate the damage, this study further exposure the effect of probiotics on PE-MPs treated loach by adding Leuconostoc mesenteroides DH (109 CFU/g) to the feed. The results showed that DH significantly increased the intestinal index and reduced the levels of DAO and D-Lac. To investigate the reason, we followed the PE-MPs in the intestine and blood of the loach and found that the number of PE-MPs particles was significantly reduced in the probiotic group, while the PE-MPs content in the feces was elevated. Thus, we concluded that DH reducing the accumulation of PE-MPs in the intestinal by increases fecal PE-MPs, which in turn mitigates the damage to the intestinal barrier caused by PE-MPs, and reduces the amount of PE-MPs in the blood. This work offers a robust analysis to understand the mechanisms of damage to the intestinal barrier by MPs and the fate of MPs after escaping the intestinal barrier and provide a new perspective on the application of probiotics in mitigating PE-MPs toxicity.

Independent predictors of mortality for critically ill patients with polytrauma: A single center, retrospective study.

Independent predictors of mortality and transfusion therapy in polytrauma patients from the Chinese population remain unknown. Here, we aimed to identify these predictors by retrospectively collecting and analyzing vital signs and laboratory results for 408 critically ill patients suffering from polytrauma who were treated in Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University, Jiangsu Province, China from January 2020 to December 2021. We identified risk factors for mortality and transfusion therapy using logistic regression analysis. As a results, we enrolled a total of 408 polytrauma patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1, a mean age of 49.02 ± 16.84 years, a mortality rate of 15.9 %, and a blood transfusion rate of 45.8 %. The multivariate logistic regression showed that decreased Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score (Odds ratio (OR) = 0.72, 95 % confidence interval (95%CI): 0.63-0.83, P < 0.001), decreased base excess (BE) (OR = 0.77, 95%CI: 0.67-0.87, P < 0.001), and increased Injury Severity Score (ISS) (OR = 1.12, 95%CI: 1.06-1.17, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for the mortality. In addition, increased GCS score (OR = 1.17, 95%CI: 1.03-1.35, P = 0.020), increased heart rate (OR = 1.05, 95%CI: 1.04-1.07, P < 0.001), decreased systolic blood pressure (SBP) (OR = 0.97, 95%CI: 0.96-0.99, P < 0.001), increased peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO2) (OR = 1.10, 95%CI: 1.04-1.16, P = 0.002), decreased serum lactate (OR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.42-0.79, P = 0.001), decreased BE (OR = 0.49, 95%CI: 0.39-0.62, P < 0.001), and increased ISS (OR = 1.25, 95%CI: 1.18-1.33, P < 0.001) were independent risk factors for blood transfusion. The area under receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs) of the model to predict mortality and blood transfusion were 0.976 (95%CI: 0.960-0.992, P < 0.001) and 0.973 (95%CI: 0.958-0.987, P < 0.001). In conclusion, decreased BE level was significantly associated with all-cause mortality in polytrauma patients. BE, ISS, and GCS might be independent important predictors for mortality and blood transfusion of polytrauma patients.

The Design and Control of a Biomimetic Binocular Cooperative Perception System Inspired by the Eye Gaze Mechanism.

Research on systems that imitate the gaze function of human eyes is valuable for the development of humanoid eye intelligent perception. However, the existing systems have some limitations, including the redundancy of servo motors, a lack of camera position adjustment components, and the absence of interest-point-driven binocular cooperative motion-control strategies. In response to these challenges, a novel biomimetic binocular cooperative perception system (BBCPS) was designed and its control was realized. Inspired by the gaze mechanism of human eyes, we designed a simple and flexible biomimetic binocular cooperative perception device (BBCPD). Based on a dynamic analysis, the BBCPD was assembled according to the principle of symmetrical distribution around the center. This enhances braking performance and reduces operating energy consumption, as evidenced by the simulation results. Moreover, we crafted an initial position calibration technique that allows for the calibration and adjustment of the camera pose and servo motor zero-position, to ensure that the state of the BBCPD matches the subsequent control method. Following this, a control method for the BBCPS was developed, combining interest point detection with a motion-control strategy. Specifically, we propose a binocular interest-point extraction method based on frequency-tuned and template-matching algorithms for perceiving interest points. To move an interest point to a principal point, we present a binocular cooperative motion-control strategy. The rotation angles of servo motors were calculated based on the pixel difference between the principal point and the interest point, and PID-controlled servo motors were driven in parallel. Finally, real experiments validated the control performance of the BBCPS, demonstrating that the gaze error was less than three pixels.

A study on the impact of housing prices on residents' travel frequency and transportation resilience in 35 Chinese cities.

As urbanization proceeds, urban transportation resilience suffers greater challenges. Covering panel data for 35 Chinese cities from 2006 to 2019, after controlling for other variables that may affect urban residents' transportation volumes, this paper finds that rising houseing prices have a significant positive effect on urban residents' traffic frequency. As frequent traffic trips increase the probability of urban residents experiencing disruptions, rising housing purchase prices would have a negative impact on Chinese urban residents' transportation resilience. The regional comparison analysis finds that the regression coefficients of coastal and eastern cities with more expensive housing price are significantly higher than those of non-coastal and western cities with lower housing price, further validating the findings of this paper.

PvMR1, a novel C-type lectin plays a crucial role in the antibacterial immune response of Pacific white shrimp, Penaeus vannamei.

C-type lectins (CTLs) are important immune molecules in innate immune, which participate in non-self recognition and clearance of pathogens. Here, a new CTL with two distinct C-type lectin domains (CTLDs) from Pacific white shrimp Penaeus vannamei, designated as PvMR1 was identified. The obtained PvMR1 coding sequence (CDS) was 1044 bp long encoding a protein with 347 amino acids. PvMR1 had two CTLD, a conserved mannose-specific EPN motif and a galactose-specific QPD motif, clustering into the same branch as the crustacean CTLs. PvMR1 was widely distributed in shrimp tissues with the highest transcription level in the hepatopancreas, with significantly induced mRNA expression on the hepatopancreas and intestines after immune challenge with Vibrio anguillarum. In vitro assays with recombinant PvMR1 (rPvMR1) protein revealed that it exhibited a wide range of antimicrobial activity, bacterial binding ability, and bacterial agglutination activity in a Ca2+-independent manner. Moreover, PvMR1 promoted bacterial phagocytosis in hemocytes. Furthermore, rPvMR1 treatment could significantly enhance the bacterial clearance in hemolymph and greatly improved the survival of shrimp under V. anguillarum infection in vivo. These results collectively suggest that PvMR1 plays an important role in antibacterial immune response of P. vannamei.

LDLa containing C-type lectin mediates phagocytosis of V.anguillarum and regulates immune effector genes in shrimp.

C-type lectins (CTLs) function as pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) by recognizing invading microorganisms, thereby triggering downstream immune events against infected pathogens. In this study, a novel CTL containing a low-density lipoprotein receptor class A (LDLa) domain was obtained from Litopenaeus vannamei, designed as LvLDLalec. Stimulation by the bacterial pathogen Vibrio anguillarum (V. anguillarum) resulted in remarkable up-regulation of LvLDLalec, as well as release of LvLDLalec into hemolymph. The rLvLDLalec protein possessed broad-spectrum bacterial binding and agglutinating activities, as well as hemocyte attachment ability. Importantly, LvLDLalec facilitated the bacterial clearance in shrimp hemolymph and protected shrimp from bacterial infection. Further studies revealed that LvLDLalec promoted hemocytes phagocytosis against V. anguillarum and lysosomes were involved in the process. Meanwhile, LvLDLalec participated in humoral immunity through activating and inducing nuclear translocation of Dorsal to regulate phagocytosis-related genes and antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) genes, thereby accelerated the removal of invading pathogens in vivo and improved the survival rate of L. vannamei. These results unveil that LvLDLalec serves as a PRR participate in cellular and humoral immunity exerting opsonin activity to play vital roles in the immune regulatory system of L. vannamei.

Elimination of Microcystis aeruginosa through Leuconostoc mesenteroides DH and its underlying mechanism.

Microcystis aeruginosa is ubiquitously found in various water bodies and can produce microcystins (MCs), which threaten the health of aquatic animals and human beings. The elimination of excessive M. aeruginosa is beneficial for the protection of the ecosystems and public health. In this regard, algae-lysing bacteria have been extensively studied as an effective measure for their eradication. However, the active substances generated by algae-lysing bacteria are limited. For this study, we reveal that the phenyllactic acid (PLA) produced by Leuconostoc mesenteroides DH exhibits high efficacy for the removal of M. aeruginosa, and explore the elimination mechanism of strain DH on M. aeruginosa. It was found that a cell-free supernatant of strain DH possessed high removal activities against M. aeruginosa. Abundant reactive oxygen species were induced in algal cells following exposure to strain DH supernatant, as well as superoxide dismutase and catalase responses. Furthermore, the integrity of algal cell membranes and photosynthesis was seriously damaged. Interestingly, added exogenous eugenol significantly inhibited the synthesis of active substance produced by strain DH, which further identified that PLA is one of the active substances that contribute to the eradication of M. aeruginosa on the basis of metabolomics analysis. Our finding demonstrated, for the first time, that PLA (as an anti-cyanobacterial compound) can be used for the removal of M. aeruginosa, which provides a theoretical basis for the control of M. aeruginosa.