[Analysis of differences and influencing factors of liver injury associated with different strains of 2019-nCoV infection]

Objective: To analyze whether there are differences and related influencing factors in liver injury associated with different strains of 2019-nCoV/SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: Data of epidemiology, clinical symptoms, laboratory tests, and treatment outcomes of patients with COVID-19 infection confirmed with Alpha and Delta virus strain in Zhejiang Province were retrospectively collected. Statistical analysis was performed using independent samples t-test or Mann-Whitney U test, χ² test or Fisher's exact test, and logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 788 and 381 cases with Alpha and Delta virus strain were included. Vaccination ratio was 0% in Alpha and 85.30% in Delta group (P<0.001), The proportion of patients with fever (80.71% vs. 40.94%, P<0.001) was significantly higher in Alpha than Delta strain group. The proportion of critical ill patients was significantly higher in Delta group (9.90% vs. 1.57%, respectively, P<0.001). The virus negative conversion time was significantly longer in Delta than Alpha group (22 d vs. 11 d, P<0.001), but the incidence of liver injury was significantly higher in Alpha than Delta group (20.05% vs. 13.91%, P=0.011). Univariate analysis showed that Alpha virus strain infection, male sex, body mass index, chronic liver disease, fever, diarrhea, shortness of breath, severe/critical illness, elevated creatine kinase (CK), elevated international normalized ratio (INR) and an elevated neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio was significantly associated with an increased risk of liver injury occurrence, and in patients with pharyngeal pain the risk of liver injury occurrence was significantly reduced. Multivariate analysis showed that shortness of breath [OR, 2.667 (CI: 1.389-5.122); P=0.003], increased CK [OR, 2.544 (CI: 1.414-4.576); P=0.002] and increased INR [OR, 1.721] (CI: 1.074-2.758); P=0.024] was significantly associated with an increased risk of liver injury occurrence, and in patients with pharyngeal pain the risk of liver injury occurrence was significantly reduced [OR, 0.424 (CI: 0.254-0.709); P=0.001]. Conclusion: Although the virulence of the Delta is stronger than Alpha strain, most patients infected with Delta strain vaccinated against COVID-19 in Zhejiang province had milder clinical symptoms and a lower incidence and degree of liver injury. Notably, the infection risk even remains after vaccination; however, symptoms and the incidence of severe and critical illness can be significantly reduced.

[Diffuse midline gliomas with H3K27 alteration in children: a clinicopathological analysis of forty-one cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features of pediatric diffuse midline glioma with H3K27 alteration and to analyze their relationship with prognosis. Methods: Forty-one cases of childhood diffuse midline glioma with H3K27 alteration were collected at Children's Hospital of Fudan University (39 cases) and Xi'an Children's Hospital (2 cases), from July 2016 to July 2020. The clinical manifestations, imaging data, histopathology, immunohistochemical phenotype and molecular genetics features, tumor size, site and histological grading were evaluated. Results: Among the 41 cases, 21 were males and 20 females, the age of onset was 3-14 years, the average and median age was 7.6 years and 7.0 years, respectively. The tumor sites were brain stem (n=36) and other locations (n=5). The clinical manifestations were dizziness, gait disturbance, and limb weakness, etc. The MRI features were variable. The histology varied from low-grade to high-grade glioma with neuron differentiation. Immunohistochemistry showed that the tumor cells expressed H3K27M, GFAP, and Olig2. Genetic study showed that 76% (16/21) of tumors had H3F3A gene mutation, mostly accompanied by TP53 (62%, 13/21) missense mutation; five tumors (24%, 5/21) had HIST1H3B gene mutation, accompanied by missense mutations in ACVR1 and PI3K pathway-related gene PIK3CA (4/5) and PIK3R1 (1/5) mutations. The prognosis was dismal with only one alive and others died. The average and median overall survival time was 7 months and 4 months, respectively. Cox multivariate regression analysis showed that age, tumor location, radiologically maximum tumor diameter, histologic grading, and surgical methods were not significantly associated with overall survival rate (P>0.05). Conclusions: Pediatric diffuse midline gliomas with H3K27 alteration have unique clinicopathological and genetic characteristics. The prognosis is poor. The tumor location and histopathologic grading are not related to prognosis. New specific drugs and comprehensive treatment are needed to improve the prognosis.

Low Thermal Conductivity in Heteroanionic Materials with Layers of Homoleptic Polyhedra

Although BiAgOSe, an analogue of a well-studied thermoelectric material BiCuOSe, is thermodynamically stable, its synthesis is complicated by the low driving force of formation from the stable binary and ternary intermediates. Here we have developed a "subtraction strategy" to suppress byproducts and produce pure phase BiAgOSe using hydrothermal methods. Electronic structure calculations and optical characterization show that BiAgOSe is an indirect bandgap semiconductor with a bandgap of 0.95 eV. The prepared sample exhibits lower lattice thermal conductivities (0.61 W·m^-1·K^-1 at room temperature and 0.35 W·m^-1·K^-1 at 650 K) than BiCuOSe. Lattice dynamical simulations and variable temperature diffraction measurements demonstrate that the low lattice thermal conductivity arises from both the low sound velocity and high phonon-phonon scattering rates in BiAgOSe. These in turn result primarily from the soft Ag-Se bonds in the edge-sharing AgSe₄ tetrahedra and large sublattice mismatch between the quasi-two-dimensional [Bi₂O₂]²⁺ and [Ag₂Se₂]^2- layers. These results highlight the advantages of manipulating the chemistry of homoleptic polyhedra in heteroanionic compounds for electronic structure and phonon transport control.

Analysis of Kefir Grains from Different Regions of the Planet Using High-Throughput Sequencing

The taxonomic composition and spatial localization of yeast and bacteria in kefir grains (KG) obtained for study from different regions of the planet were investigated. The diversity of their microbiome has been demonstrated by high-throughput sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes and the ITS1 region of the 18S-ITS1-5.8S-ITS2-28S complex of yeast rRNA. It has been established that the main representatives of the complex community of KG from different regions are lactic acid bacteria (LAB; lactobacilli, lactococci, and Leuconostoc spp. in different ratios) and different types of yeast of the genus Kazachstania (family Saccharomycetaceae). Acetic acid bacteria and a small percentage of yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus were detected in the KG from Tibet, and yeast Pichia kluyveri was detected in the KG from Ossetia.

Predictive Value of Galectin-3 and Brachial-Ankle Pulse Wave Velocity for Coronary Artery Calcification in Coronary Arteriography Patients

OBJECTIVES

To study the predictive value for coronary artery calcification (CAC) of plasma galectin-3 and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (BaPWV) in coronary arteriography (CAG) patients.

METHODS

Patients who received coronary arteriography (CAG) examination were recruited. The level of plasma galectin-3 was measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The arterial stiffness was analyzed by BaPWV and ankle-brachial index (ABI) which were measured using a volume-plethysmographic device. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to analyze the prognostic value of galectin-3 or BaPWV for coronary artery calcification (CAC).

RESULTS

The level of galectin-3 and BaPWV was significantly higher in CAC patients compared with that in control (p < 0.01). The level of plasma galectin-3 was positively correlated with BaPWV (r = -0.296, p < 0.01) and negatively correlated with ABI (r = -0.296, p < 0.01). ROC curve analysis revealed that galectin-3 ≥5.90 ng/ml was the most powerful predictor for CAC with sensitivity of 85.5% and specificity of 83.5%. The area under the curve (AUC) was 0.916. When the level of BaPWV was more than 1909 m/s, the sensitivity and specificity were 61.8% and 69.6%, respectively, for predicting CAC. The AUC was 0.646.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of plasma galectin-3 increases significantly in CAC patients compared to control, and its level is related to BaPWV and ABI. Galectin-3 and BaPWV can be used to predict CAC, and the diagnosis value (sensitivity and specificity) of galectin-3 for CAC is better than that of BaPWV.

Prognostic value of post-procedural μQFR for drug-coated balloons in the treatment of in-stent restenosis

BACKGROUND

Investigating the prognostic value of the Murray law-based quantitative flow ratio (μQFR) on the clinical outcome after treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR) with a drug-coated balloon (DCB).

METHODS

Patients participating in a previous randomized clinical trial for DCB-ISR were post-hoc analyzed. The primary endpoint was vessel-oriented composite endpoint (VOCE), defined as cardiac death, target vessel-related myocardial infarction, and ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization. μQFRs at baseline and after DCB angioplasty was calculated, and its prognostic value as a predictor of VOCE was explored in Cox regression.

RESULTS

A total of 169 lesions in 169 patients were analyzed. At one-year follow-up, 20 VOCEs occurred in 20 patients. Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis identified a post-procedural μQFR of ≤ 0.89 as the best cut-off to predict VOCE (area under curve [AUC]: 0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.67-0.80; p < 0.001), superior to post-procedural in-stent percent diameter stenosis (DS), which reported an AUC of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.53-0.68; p = 0.18). Post-procedural μQFR was significantly lower in patients with VOCE compared with those without (0.88 [interquartile range: 0.79-0.94] vs. 0.96 [interquartile range: 0.91-0.98], respectively; p < 0.001). After correction for potential confounders, post-procedural μQFR ≤ 0.89 was associated with a 6-fold higher risk of VOCE than lesions with μQFR > 0.89 (hazard ratio: 5.94; 95% CI: 2.33-15.09; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Post-procedural μQFR may become a promising predictor of clinical outcome after treatment of DES-ISR lesions by DCB angioplasty.

Perovskite-like K3TiOF5 Exhibits (3 + 1)-Dimensional Commensurate Structure Induced by Octahedrally Coordinated Potassium Ions

Elpasolite- and cryolite-type oxyfluorides can be regarded as superstructures of perovskite and exhibit structural diversity. While maintaining a similar structural topology with the prototype structures, changes in the size, electronegativity, and charge of cation and/or anion inevitably lead to structural evolution. Therefore, the nominal one-to-one relation suggested by a doubled formula of perovskite does not guarantee a simple 2-fold superstructure for many cases. Herein, the commensurately modulated perovskite-like K₃TiOF₅ was refined at 100 K from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data by using a pseudotetragonal subcell with lattice parameters of a = b = 6.066(2) Å and c = 8.628(2) Å. The length of the modulation vector was refined to 0.3a* + 0.1b* + 0.25c*. In the commensurate supercell of K₃TiOF₅, the B-site Ti⁴⁺ and K⁺ cations in [TiOF₅]^3- and [KOF₅]^6- octahedral units were found to be significantly displaced from the average atomic positions refined in the subcell. The displacements of the K⁺ cations are ±0.76 Å, and those for the Ti⁴⁺ cations are approximately ±0.13 Å. One- and two-dimensional solid-state ¹⁹F NMR measurements revealed two tightly clustered groups of resonances in a ratio of ca. 4:1, assigned to equatorial and axial fluorine, respectively, consistent with local [TiOF₅]^3- units. S/TEM results confirmed the average structure. Electronic structure calculations of the idealized I4mm subcell indicate the instability to a modulated structure arises from soft optical modes that is controlled by the octahedrally coordinated B-site potassium ions in the cryolite-type structure.

Galectin-3 Mediates Thrombin-Induced Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Migration

Vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration is an important step in the progression and development of vulnerable plaques. Thrombin is involved in both physiological and pathological processes of atherosclerosis. Therefore, the elucidation of the mechanisms underlying thrombin-induced VSMC migration is essential for devising effective treatments aimed at the prevention of plaque instability. In this study, we found that thrombin activated MAPK signaling pathways and increased the expression of galectin-3, which was also a well-known factor in atherosclerosis. Knockdown of galectin-3 by specific small interfering RNA (siRNA) blocked thrombin-induced activation of ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK, but not JNK MAPK. Src/FAK phosphorylation was also shown to be activated by thrombin. FAK autophosphorylation at Y397 was most significantly inhibited by galectin-3 siRNA. Galectin-3 siRNA or specific inhibitor (P38 MAPK inhibitor and ERK1/2 inhibitor) effectively prevented thrombin-induced VSMC migration via reducing paxillin expression. These findings demonstrate, for the first time, that thrombin stimulation of VSMC migration and paxillin expression are regulated by galectin-3, and ERK1/2, p38 MAPK, and Src/FAK signaling pathways are involved in this process. These results are beneficial to clarify the role of galectin-3 in thrombin-induced advanced lesions in atherosclerosis and shed new insights into the regulatory mechanism of VSMC migration in combating plaque rupture.

Solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance of spin-9/2 nuclei 115 In and 209 Bi in functional inorganic complex oxides

Indium and bismuth are technologically important elements, in particular as oxides for optoelectronic applications. ¹¹⁵ In and ²⁰⁹ Bi are both I = 9/2 nuclei with high natural abundances and moderately high frequencies but large nuclear electric quadrupole moments. Leveraging the quadrupolar interaction as a measure of local symmetry and polyhedral distortions for these nuclei could provide powerful insights on a range of applied materials. However, the absence of reported nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) parameters on these nuclei, particularly in oxides, hinders their use by the broader materials community. In this contribution, solid-state ¹¹⁵ In and ²⁰⁹ Bi NMR of three recently discovered quaternary bismuth or indium oxides are reported, supported by density functional theory calculations, numerical simulations, diffraction and additional multinuclear (²⁷ Al, ^69,71 Ga, and ¹²¹ Sb) solid-state NMR measurements. The compounds LiIn₂ SbO₆ , BiAlTeO₆ , and BiGaTeO₆ are measured without special equipment at 9.4 T, demonstrating that wideline techniques such as the QCPMG pulse sequence and frequency-stepped acquisition can enable straightforward extraction of quadrupolar tensor information in I = 9/2 ¹¹⁵ In and ²⁰⁹ Bi even in sites with large quadrupolar coupling constants. Relationships are described between the NMR observables and local site symmetry. These are amongst the first reports of the NMR parameters of ¹¹⁵ In, ¹²¹ Sb, and ²⁰⁹ Bi in oxides.

Infestation and distribution of chigger mites on Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) in Yunnan Province, Southwest China

Chigger mites is a group of arthropods and some of them are vectors of scrub typhus. As a common synanthropic rodent species, the Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) often harbors lots of ectoparasites including chigger mites. According to some "data mining" strategies, the present study took the advantage of the abundant original data from a long-term field ecological investigation between 2001 and 2015 to make a detailed analysis of chigger mites on R. norvegicus in Yunnan Province, Southwest of China. From 18 of 33 investigated counties, only 1414 chigger mites were collected from 1113 Brown rats with relatively low infestations. The 1414 individual chigger mites were identified as comprising 61 species, 11 genera and 2 subfamilies of the family Trombiculidae with a high species diversity (S=61, H'=3.13). Of 61 mite species, there were four main species, Walchia ewingi, Ascoschoengastia indica, W. koi and A. rattinorvegici, which accounted for 44.41% of the total mites. All the chigger mites were of aggregated distribution among different individuals of R. norvegicus. The Brown rats in the outdoor habitats harbored much more individuals and species of chigger mites with a higher mean abundance (MA=1.46) and mean intensity (MI=12.53) than in the indoor habitats (P<0.05). The overall infestation of the rats was significantly higher in the mountainous landscapes than in the flatland landscapes (P<0.001). The species similarity (C_ss) of the mites on the male and female rats reached 64.44% with sex biased infestations. The male rats harbored more species and individuals of the mites than the female rats. The adult rats harbored more species and individuals of the mites than the juvenile rats. The species abundance distribution of the mites was successfully fitted by Preston's lognormal model with ŝ(R)=15e^{-[0.31(R-1)]2} (α=0.31, R²=0.95). On the basis of fitting the theoretical curve by Preston's model, the total mite species on R. norvegicus was estimated to be 86 species, and 25 rare mite species were missed in the sampling field investigation. The curve tendency of the species-plot relationship indicates that R. norvegicus have a great potential to harbor many species of chigger mites, and more species of the mites would be collected if more rats are sampled.

Optimal timing of coronary angiograms for patients with chronic kidney disease: association between the duration of kidney dysfunction and SYNTAX scores

Background

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is associated with an increased risk of the progression of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, there are few data on the relationship between CAD severity and the duration of CKD. This study assessed the predictive value of the duration of kidney dysfunction in CKD patients with CAD severity.

Methods

In 145 patients (63.4% male, n = 92; mean age, 68.8 ± 12.8 years) with CKD, severity of CAD was assessed by coronary angiography and quantified by SYNTAX scores, and duration of kidney dysfunction was either assessed by checking historical biochemical parameters of individuals or was based on enquiries.

Results

Patients with high SYNTAX scores (≥ 22) had a greater prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors including age, gender, history of heart failure and smoking. In CKD patients, SYNTAX scores were positively correlated to duration of CKD and serum uric acid (UA), and negatively correlated to high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) and ApoA1 levels. Univariate binary logistic regression and multivariate logistic analyses showed that SYNTAX scores correlated significantly with CKD duration, UA, and HDL-C. Receiver-operating characteristic analysis was used to explore a time point when coronary angiography application was economical and effective and yielded a Youden index of 6.5 years.

Conclusions

Together, our results demonstrated that the duration of kidney dysfunction was an independent correlate of the severity of CAD in patients with CKD. Our findings suggest that coronary angiography should be considered for CKD patients with renal insufficiency having lasted for more than 6.5 years.

Serum MG53/TRIM72 Is Associated With the Presence and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease and Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Mitsugumin 53 or Tripartite motif 72 (MG53/TRIM72), a myokine/cardiokine belonging to the tripartite motif family, can protect the heart from ischemic injury and regulate lipid metabolism in rodents. However, its biological function in humans remains unclear. This study sought to investigate the relationship between circulating MG53 levels and coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods: The concentration of MG53 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum samples from 639 patients who underwent angiography, including 205 controls, 222 patients with stable CAD, and 212 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Logistic and linear regression analyses were used to analyze the relationship between MG53 and CAD. Results: MG53 levels were increased in patients with stable CAD and were highest in patients with AMI. Additionally, patients with comorbidities, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and diabetes also had a higher concentration of MG53. We found that MG53 is a significant diagnostic marker of CAD and AMI, as analyzed by logistic regression models. Multivariate linear regression models revealed that serum MG53 was significantly corelated positively with SYNTAX scores. Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) scores also correlated with serum MG53 levels, indicating that MG53 levels were associated with the severity of CAD and AMI after adjusting for multiple risk factors and clinical biomarkers. Conclusion: MG53 is a valuable diagnostic marker whose serum levels correlate with the presence and severity of stable CAD and AMI, and may represent a novel biomarker for diagnosing CAD and indicating the severity of CAD.

Prognostic Value of Circulating MG53 Levels in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Background: Mitsugumin 53 (MG53), a muscle-specific protein belonging to the TRIM family, has been demonstrated to protect the heart against oxidative injury. Although previous studies indicated that ischemic hearts released MG53 into circulation in mice, its effects in humans remains unknown. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of MG53 in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: Serum levels of MG53 were measured in 300 patients with STEMI, all patients were followed for 3 years. The primary endpoint was major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular (CV) death, heart failure causing-rehospitalization, recurrent myocardial infarction (MI), and stroke.

Results: Patients with a higher concentration of serum MG53 tended to be older, with a history of diabetes. MG53 levels were also highly associated with indicators reflecting heart function, such as left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), N terminal pro B type natriuretic peptide (NT-pro-BNP), and cardiac troponin I (cTnI) at baseline. Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that patients with MG53 levels above the cutoff value (132.17 pg/ml) were more likely to have MACEs. Moreover, it was found to be a significant predictor of CV death (HR: 6.12; 95% CI: 2.10–17.86; p = 0.001). Furthermore, the C-statistic and Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI) values for MACEs were improved with MG53 as an independent risk factor or when combined with cTnI.

Conclusions: MG53 is a valuable prognostic marker of MACE in patients with AMI, independent of established conventional risk factors, highlighting the significance of MG53 in risk stratification post-MI.

MiR-21 regulates pulmonary hypertension in rats via TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of micro ribonucleic acid (miR)-21 on pulmonary hypertension (PH) in rats via regulating tumor growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)/mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 2 (Smad2) signaling pathway and the possible underlying mechanism.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MiR-21 inhibition vector (pLKO-anti-miR-21) was first constructed. The rat model of PH was established by hypoxia feeding induction. A total of three groups were established, including: blank control group, model group and miR-21 low-expression group were set up, with 12 rats in each group. The expression level of miR-21 in lung tissues of rats in each group was detected via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The right ventricle systolic pressure (RVSP) and right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) of rats in each group were measured. The pathological changes in lung tissues of rats were detected using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was used to detect the level of apoptosis in lung tissues of rats in each group. Furthermore, Western blotting was adopted to detect the expression levels of TGF-β1/Smad2 signal pathway-related proteins and apoptosis-related proteins in lung tissues of rats in each group.

RESULTS

Compared with blank control group, the expression level of miR-21 in lung tissues of rats in model group was significantly increased (p<0.01). Meanwhile, miR-21 expression in lung tissues of rats in miR-21 low-expression group was significantly decreased by transfection of miR-21 inhibition vector (p<0.01). The RVSP and RVHI of rats in model group were significantly higher than those of blank control group and miR-21 low-expression group (p<0.01). H&E staining results indicated that the degree of lung tissue injury in model group was remarkably higher than blank control group and miR-21 low-expression group (p<0.01). According to TUNEL staining results, the number of apoptotic cells in lung tissues of rats in model group was markedly smaller than that of miR-21 low-expression group (p<0.01). Moreover, the expression level of Caspase 3 in lung tissues of rats in model group was significantly lower than that of miR-21 low-expression group, while the expression level of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (BAX) was markedly higher. The expression levels of TGF-β1 and phosphorylated (p)-Smad2 in lung tissues of rats in model group were evidently higher than those of blank control group (p<0.01). In addition, lowly expressed miR-21 could effectively reduce the expressions of TGF-β1 and p-Smad2 (p<0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

MiR-21 regulates the symptoms of PH in rats by activating TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway.

MiR-21 regulates pulmonary hypertension in rats via TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway

The article "MiR-21 regulates pulmonary hypertension in rats via TGF-β1/Smad2 signaling pathway, by F. Ding, T. You, X.-D. Hou, K. Yi, X.-G. Liu, P. Zhang, X.-K. Wang, published in Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2019; 23 (9): 3984-3992-DOI: 10.26355/eurrev_201905_17828-PMID: 31115027" has been withdrawn from the authors. The Publisher apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. https://www.europeanreview.org/article/17828.

Clinical characteristics of non-critically ill patients with novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in a Fangcang Hospital

OBJECTIVES

To describe the clinical characteristics of patients in a Fangcang Hospital.

METHODS

Non-critically ill individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests admitted between 7 February and 12 February 2020 to Dongxihu Fangcang Hospital, which was promptly constructed because of the rapid, exponential increase in COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China, were included; clinical course through to 22 February was recorded.

RESULTS

A total of 1012 non-critically ill individuals with positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR tests were included in the study. Thirty (of 1012, 3.0%) individuals were asymptomatic on admission. During hospitalization, 16 of 30 (53.3%) asymptomatic individuals developed different symptoms. Fourteen of 1012 patients (1.4%) remained asymptomatic from exposure to the end of follow up, with a median duration of 24 days (interquartile range 22-27). Fever (761 of 1012, 75.2%) and cough (531 of 1012, 52.4%) were the most common symptoms. Small patchy opacities (355 of 917, 38.7%) and ground-glass opacities (508 of 917, 55.4%) were common imaging manifestations in chest CT scans. One hundred patients (9.9%) were transferred to designated hospitals due to aggravation of illness. Diarrhoea emerged in 152 of 1012 patients (15.0%). Male, older age, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, chills, dyspnoea, So2 value of ≤93%, white blood cell counts of >10 × 109/L and large consolidated opacities on CT images were all risk factors for aggravation of illness.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-critically ill individuals had different clinical characteristics from critically ill individuals. Asymptomatic infections only accounted for a small proportion of COVID-19. Although with a low incidence, diarrhoea was observed in patients with COVID-19, indicating the possibility of faecal-oral transmission.

Multimodal Structure Solution with 19F NMR Crystallography of Spin Singlet Molybdenum Oxyfluorides

Complex crystal structures with subtle atomic-scale details are now routinely solved using complementary tools such as X-ray and/or neutron scattering combined with electron diffraction and imaging. Identifying unambiguous atomic models for oxyfluorides, needed for materials design and structure-property control, is often still a considerable challenge despite their advantageous optical responses and applications in energy storage systems. In this work, NMR crystallography and single-crystal X-ray diffraction are combined for the complete structure solution of three new compounds featuring a rare triangular early transition metal oxyfluoride cluster, [Mo₃O₄F₉]^5-. After framework identification by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, 1D and 2D solid-state ¹⁹F NMR spectroscopy supported by ab initio calculations are used to solve the structures of K₅[Mo₃O₄F₉]·3H₂O (1), K₅[Mo₃O₄F₉]·2H₂O (2), and K₁₆[Mo₃O₄F₉]₂[TiF₆]₃·2H₂O (3) and to assign the nine distinct fluorine sites in the oxyfluoride clusters. Furthermore, ¹⁹F NMR identifies selective fluorine dynamics in K₁₆[Mo₃O₄F₉]₂[TiF₆]₃·2H₂O. These dual scattering and spectroscopy methods are used to demonstrate the generality and sensitivity of ¹⁹F shielding to small changes in bond length, on the order of 0.01 Å or less, even in the presence of hydrogen bonding, metal-metal bonding, and electrostatic interactions. Starting from the structure models, the nature of chemical bonding in the molybdates is explained by molecular orbital theory and electronic structure calculations. The average Mo-Mo distance of 2.505 Å and diamagnetism in 1, 2, and 3 are attributed to a metal-metal bond order of unity along with a 1a²1e⁴ electronic ground state configuration for the [Mo₃O₄F₉]^5- cluster, leading to a rare trimeric spin singlet involving d² Mo⁴⁺ ions. The approach to structure solution and bonding analysis is a powerful strategy for understanding the structures and chemical properties of complex fluorides and oxyfluorides.

Epidemiologic and clinical characteristics of 91 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Zhejiang, China: a retrospective, multi-centre case series

BACKGROUND

Recent studies have focused on initial clinical and epidemiological characteristics of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is the mainly revealing situation in Wuhan, Hubei.

AIM

This study aims to reveal more data on the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients outside of Wuhan, Zhejiang, China.

DESIGN

This study was a retrospective case series.

METHODS

Eighty-eight cases of laboratory-confirmed and three cases of clinically confirmed COVID-19 were admitted to five hospitals in Zhejiang province, China. Data were collected from 20 January 2020 to 11 February 2020.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Of all 91 patients, 88 (96.70%) were laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 with throat swab samples that tested positive for SARS-Cov-2, three (3.30%) cases were clinically diagnosed. The median age of the patients was 50 (36.5-57) years, and female accounted for 59.34%. In this sample, 40 (43.96%) patients had contracted the disease from local cases, 31 (34.07%) patients had been to Wuhan/Hubei, eight (8.79%) patients had contacted with people from Wuhan, and 11 (12.09%) patients were diagnosed after having flown together in the same flight with no passenger that could later be identified as the source of infection. In particular within the city of Ningbo, 60.52% cases can be traced back to an event held in a temple. The most common symptoms were fever (71.43%), cough (60.44%) and fatigue (43.96%). The median of incubation period was 6 (interquartile range 3-8) days and the median time from the first visit to a doctor to the confirmed diagnosis was 1 (1-2) days. According to the chest computed tomography scans, 67.03% cases had bilateral pneumonia.

CONCLUSIONS

Social activity cluster, family cluster and flying alongside with persons already infected with COVID-19 were how people got infected with COVID-19 in Zhejiang.

Role of miR-16-5p in the proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of miR-16-5p in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and to explore the possible underlying mechanism.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

100 pairs of cancerous and para-cancerous tissues surgically removed in our hospital were collected. Real Time quantitative-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to detect the expression level of miR-16-5p in tissues. Bioinformatics and Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay were used to screen and verify the potential target genes of miR-16-5p, respectively. Human HCC SMMC-7721 cells were used for functional experiments. Cell proliferation was detected by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) assay. Cell invasion and migration were evaluated by transwell and scratch wound-healing assay, respectively. The protein expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) associated markers were measured by Western blot (WB) assay.

RESULTS

QRT-PCR showed that miR-16-5p expression in HCC tissues was significantly lower than that of adjacent normal liver tissues. At the cellular level, miR-16-5p was lowly expressed in HCC cells (SMMC-7721). Bioinformatics websites (including Targetscan, PicTar, miRanda) predicted that insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) was a potential target gene of miR-16-5p. Meanwhile, IGF1R was selected for further investigation due to its metastatic function. The results showed that no significant difference was found in the mRNA expression level of IGF1R in HCC tissues. However, the protein level of IGF1R was significantly up-regulated, which was negatively correlated with miR-16-5p. Combined with Dual-Luciferase reporter gene assay, it was confirmed that miR-16-5p could regulate the expression of IGF1R in a targeted manner. Furthermore, down-regulation of IGF1R significantly reduced the inhibitory effect of miR-16-5p on the proliferation and metastasis of SMMC-7721 cells.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed that miR-16-5p suppressed invasion and migration of HCC cells, mechanically by directly targeting and inhibiting IGF1R protein expression. The newly identified miR-16-5p/IGF1R axis might provide new insights into the pathogenesis of HCC and novel potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of HCC.

0688 Evaluation Of A Novel Nasal Airway Stent For Snoring And OSA Treatment By Prospective Japanese Patients

Introduction

This cross-sectional study evaluated a novel nasal airway stent (NAS) in the form of a single-use, disposable device (naśtent® classic, Seven Dreamers Laboratories, Inc., Tokyo, Japan), which represents a significant advancement in NAS technology for the treatment of OSA.

Methods

1353 individuals whom were interested in NAS treatment for their snoring and/or OSA were enrolled in this study conducted in different districts in Tokyo, Japan from 8/21/2015 to 3/7/2016. A total of 1335 participants with complete data were included in the final dataset. Collected data included demographic features, self-reported sleep and OSA characteristics, anatomic traits, Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) scores, and NAS tolerance.

Results

The majority of the participants were middle-aged men (91.5% male, 45±10.8 years) with normal BMI (24.5±5.7). Self-reported sleep was 9-11 hours (0.1%), 7-9 hours (8.2%), 5-7 hours (66.7%), 3-5 hours (22%), 1-3 hours (1.2%), and unreported (1.9%). Their mean Epworth Sleepiness Scale score was 9±5.56, and their peak Mallampati and tonsillar grading scores were 2/4 and 3/5, respectively. Of the participants, 87.4% were aware of possible OSA either by snoring or by prior diagnosis of OSA, and their reasons for desiring use of NAS therapy presented in a similar ratio. Over 80% of the participants had never been treated for their diagnosis of OSA; for those with current or prior treatment for their OSA, 62.9% reported PAP as their primary therapy, followed by oral appliances (25.7%), surgery (0.5%), and other therapies (10.8%). On a scale of 1 to 5 where 5 indicated good tolerance to the NAS, the mean scores were 4±1.3 for easy of insertion and 4±1.2 for convenience of use.

Conclusion

This large, cross-sectional study indicated that the majority of individuals seeking a novel NAS treatment for their snoring and/or OSA in Tokyo, Japan were middle-aged men with 5-7 hours of self-reported sleep whom had some daytime sleepiness, displayed signs of mild anatomic upper airway narrowing, had not been treated for their OSA, and whom felt that the NAS was easy and convenient to use.

Support

Seven Dreamers Laboratories, Inc. and WSS ISRTP

Efficacy of Zotarolimus-Eluting Stents in Treating Diabetic Coronary Lesions: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study

BACKGROUND

Diabetes mellitus (DM) plays an important role in restenosis and late in-stent thrombosis (ST). The current study using optical coherence tomography (OCT) aims to compare target lesion neointima in patients with or without diabetes after zotarolimus-eluting stent (ZES) treatment.

METHODS

OCT images of 90,212 struts and quantitative coronary angiography (QCA) in 62 patients (32 with DM and 30 without DM) with 69 de novo coronary lesions (34 DM and 35 non-DM) both after ZES implantation and 12 ± 1 month angiographic follow-up were recorded. Patient characteristics, lesion characteristics, clinical outcomes, and OCT findings including neointimal thickness, coverage, malapposition, and intimal morphology were analyzed.

RESULTS

Baseline patient characteristics and lesion characteristics data were similar between the two groups. Higher neointimal thickness (0.14 ± 0.09 mm vs. 0.09 ± 0.04 mm, p = 0.021), more neovascularization (3.03 ± 6.24 vs. 0.52 ± 1.87, p = 0.017) and higher incidence of layered signal pattern (12.19 ± 19.91% vs. 4.28 ± 9.02%, p = 0.049) were observed in diabetic lesions comparing with non-diabetic lesions. No differences were found in malapposition, uncovered percentage, and thrombus between the two groups (all p > 0.05). Occurrence of clinical adverse events was also similar during the follow-up period (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Although more neointimal proliferation and more neovascularization were found in diabetic coronary lesions when compared with non-diabetic lesions, treatment with ZES showed similar stent malapposition rate at 1-year follow-up. The data indicated that ZES treatment could possibly be effective in treating diabetic coronary lesions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01747356.