Proteolytic activity of Vibrio harveyi YeaZ is related with resuscitation on the viable but non-culturable state

The YeaZ protein of Vibrio harveyi was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified. The purified recombinant protein YeaZ exhibited the protease activity. The proteolytic activities with azocasein as substrate were 39 130 U mg^-1 . The mutation of the amino acid in active sites such as Asp⁸⁸ , Ser¹⁸⁵ and Trp¹⁶⁹ was performed. The enzyme activities of the purified mutant proteins with Asp⁸⁸ -Ala, Ser¹⁸⁵ -Leu and Trp¹⁶⁹ -Glu were decreased to 24·28, 35·27 and 41·66%, respectively. The mutant protein with two amino acid residues (Asp⁸⁸ -Ala/Ser¹⁸⁵ -Leu) lost the protease activity completely. Addition of the purified recombinant YeaZ increased resuscitation of the viable but non-culturable state (VBNC) cells to culturable state, and the culturable cell count increased from 1·35 × 10² to 3·10 × 10⁶  CFU per ml. While addition of the mutant YeaZ without protease activities did not show obvious promoting effect on resuscitation of VBNC cells. Moreover, the purified YeaZ also showed lower muralytic activity, and the activities of proteins with single amino acids mutation (Thr⁷¹ and Asp¹¹² ) were reduced from 7·05 to 4·75 and 2·50 U mg^-1 , the resuscitation-promoting effect on VBNC cells was not affected by these mutant proteins. These results implied that resuscitation-promoting effect of YeaZ on VBNC cell was partly related to its protease activities, but not with the muralytic activity. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Vibrio harveyi is a major pathogen of marine animals. The bacterium could enter into a viable but non-culturable state (VBNC) state when exposed to harsh conditions, and retains its pathogenicity after resuscitation. In this work, we analysed the enzyme activities of a resuscitation-promoting factor YeaZ and the relationship of protease activities with its promoting effect on the resuscitation of VBNC cells. The results partly revealed the promoting mechanism of the YeaZ on the bacterial resuscitation from VBNC state. The protein could be used as a new drug target and vaccine candidate.

Social brain dysfunctionality in individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their first-degree relatives: An activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis

The social brain hypothesis is regarded as a powerful theory to understand social cognition. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have specific deficits in social and communicative behavior, but the exact relationship between these deficits and abnormalities in the social brain remains unclear. The high heritability of this disorder makes it important to focus on the first-degree relatives of those affected. Research focusing on genetically at-risk (yet healthy) relatives of patients with ASD is critical to the study of neuroimaging endophenotypes. We conducted a voxel-wise activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of 9 functional neuroimaging studies published during the period from 2006 to 2018. These studies included 200 individuals with ASD, 216 unaffected family members (UF), and 235 typical development controls (TD). The voxel-wise significance threshold was p < 0.01 (uncorrected p = 0.001).The ALE meta-analyses showed hyperactivation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and superior temporal gyrus (STG) among individuals with ASD and UF, compared with TD individuals. Group comparisons showed greater likelihood of hyperactivation in the amygdala for ASD, compared with UF and TD.

[Radiation dose and image quality of noncontrast chest CT in domestic and imported main stream manufacturers]

Objective: To compare the radiation dose and image quality of noncontrast chest CT and detection of ground-glass opacity pulmonary nodules (GGN) in domestic 128-slice spiral CT with the other CT scanners from three main stream manufacturers. Methods: From May 8, 2018 to October 31, 2018, noncontrast chest CT images from Neusoft 128-slice CT (75 males, 25 females, (42±16) years), dual-source 64-slice CT (53 males, 47 females, (50±16) years) and dual-source 128-slice CT scanners(69 males, 31 females, (62±17) years), Toshiba 128-slice CT (51 males, 49 females, (58±13) years) and GE 128-slice CT scanner (55 males, 45 females, (60±10) years) were collected in Eastern Theater Command and Tianjin People's Hospital. Radiation dose and image quality were evaluated.GGN detected both in Neusoft CT and dual-source CT scanners were used to analyze the displaying ability of lesions. Results: The noise in lung window of Neusoft CT ((37.8±4.9) HU) was higher than that of other mainstream CT scanners, and the noise in mediastinal window ((8.4±1.9) HU) was lower than that of GE 128-slice CT ((9.8±3.2) HU), but higher than that of dual-source CT and Toshiba 128-slice CT ((6.9±3.5)HU) (P<0.05). The absolute value of lung SNR in Neusoft CT was lower than that of other mainstream CT scanners, and the SNR in aorta (4.6±1.3) was lower than those of dual-source CT and Toshiba 128-slice CT(6.8±2.2) (P<0.05), but was not statistically significant compared with GE 128-slice CT (5.0±1.7). The mean CT value of upper lung ((-863±31) HU) at Neusoft CT was higher than 128-row dual-source CT ((-869±35) HU), and the mean CT value of aorta ((37±7) HU) was lower than that of Toshiba 128-slice CT((42±7) HU) and GE 128-slice CT ((45±9) HU) (P<0.05), while the mean CT values of the remaining lung and aorta were not statistically significant (P>0.05). The two readers had good to excellent consistency for image quality in five scanners (the highest kappa value=0.984). The delineation ability of Neusoft CT for GGN boundary was lower than that of dual-source CT (P<0.05), but had similar abilities to display the solid components, lobulation, burring, vacuoles, vascular bundle sign and pleural depression sign of GGN (all P>0.05). Radiation dose of Neusoft CT was lower than Toshiba 128-slice CT, but higher than dual-source 64-sliceCT and GE 128-slice CT scanners (P<0.05). Conclusions: With lower radiation dose than Toshiba 128-slice CT, Neusoft CT chest examination can meet the requirements of clinical diagnosis, but higher radiation dose and the lower image quality than dual-source CT and GE 128-slice CT shown in this study indicate further improvement is needed in terms of software and hardware.

Multifunctional nanocomposites MGO/FU-MI inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells and enhance the effect of chemoradiotherapy in vivo and in vitro

PURPOSE

The limitation of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer and the rise of the application of nanomaterials in the field of biomedicine have promoted the application of various nanomaterials in the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. To improve the efficiency of cancer treatment, the multifunctional nanocomposites MGO/FU-MI (MGO/FU-MI NCs) were used for combination chemotherapy and radiotherapy to verify its effectiveness in treating tumors.

METHODS

The proliferation activity of MGO/FU-MI NCs on MC-38 and B16 cells was detected by CCK-8, and the level of apoptosis and reactive oxygen species were detected by flow cytometry. To verify its efficacy in the combination of chemoradiotherapy, different treatment regimens were developed for several groups of tumor-bearing mice.

RESULTS

The MGO/FU-MI NCs can induce apoptosis, stimulate ROS production, and inhibit cell proliferation. In vivo experiments, when MGO/FU-MI NCs are used alone for chemotherapy, have a certain therapeutic effect on mouse tumors. When MGO/FU-MI NCs are combined with radiation, the tumor volume can be significantly reduced and the survival time of mice is significantly prolonged.

CONCLUSION

The MGO/FU-MI NCs are very effective in the treatment of tumors when combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, and have the potential to be a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Early Screening and Risk Factors of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a Large Cohort of Chinese Patients With Prader-Willi Syndrome

Previous studies regarding the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in patients with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS) have implicated heterogenous findings. Additionally, the early screening of ASD high-risk population for ASD and identifying ASD risk factors in PWS patients have not been explored. This study included 218 Chinese PWS patients aged 3 months to 18 years old. 78% of subjects were identified as high risk for ASD by ASQ-3 Communication domain score for those younger than 3 years of age and 84% of subjects were classified as high risk for ASD by the GARS-3 for those aged 3 years and older. Among PWS clinical measurements, under-height (P = 0.0186), overweight (P = 0.0248), and obstructive sleep apnea (P = 0.0259) were each significantly correlated with ASD risk. These risk factors and their internal relationship with ASD or ASD traits warrant further studies.

Grafting induces flowering time and tuber formation changes in Brassica species involving FT signalling

Brassica species are widely cultivated and important biennial and annual crops. The transition from vegetative to reproductive development in Brassica species is critical in agriculture and horticulture. Grafting is a useful tool for improving agricultural production and investigating the movement of long-range signals. Here we established a hypocotyl micrografting system in B. rapa crops and successfully grafted the rootstock of turnip onto many different scion genotypes. Grafting with turnip rootstock prolonged vegetative growth, delayed flowering and improved seed yield in rapeseed. The late-flowering turnip rootstock could delay flowering of the scion of the early-flowering turnip accession. The BrrFLC1 (FLOWERING LOCUS C1 in B. rapa) transcript levels and H3K4me3 levels at the BrrFLC1 locus were up-regulated and subsequently suppressed the downstream FT (FLOWERING LOCUS T) signals in leaves of the scion to delay flowering. Vernalization treatment can efficiently promote flowering time in turnip. The non-vernalised turnip flowered early after grafting onto the rootstock of the vernalised turnip, which was accompanied by high levels of FT homologue expression in leaves of the scion. Hypocotyl excision experiments revealed that the process of tuber formation was suppressed by removing the hypocotyl tissue, which in turn repressed the expression of tuberization-related genes. Our findings suggest that the rootstock generates mobile signals that are transported from the rootstock to the scion to fine-tune FT signalling and modulate flowering time.

Assessment of Causal Direction Between Gut Microbiota-Dependent Metabolites and Cardiometabolic Health: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Analysis

We examined the causal direction between gut microbiota-dependent metabolite trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) or its predecessors and cardiometabolic diseases, such as risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, atrial fibrillation (AF), and chronic kidney disease (CKD). We used genetic variants as instruments to test the causal associations. Genetically predicted higher TMAO and carnitine were not associated with higher odds of T2DM, AF, CAD, MI, stroke, and CKD after Bonferroni correction (P ≤ 0.0005). However, we observed that genetically increased choline showed a suggestive association with higher risk of T2DM (odds ratio 1.84 [95% CI 1.00-3.42] per 10 units, P = 0.05). In contrast, genetically predicted higher betaine (0.68 [0.48-0.95] per 10 units, P = 0.023) was suggestively associated with a lower risk of T2DM. We observed a suggestive association of genetically increased choline with a lower level of body fat percentage (β ± SE -0.28 ± 0.11, P = 0.013) but a higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (0.10 ± 0.05, P = 0.034). We further found that T2DM (0.130 ± 0.036, P < 0.0001) and CKD (0.483 ± 0.168, P = 0.004) were causally associated with higher TMAO levels. Our Mendelian randomization findings support that T2DM and kidney disease increase TMAO levels and that observational evidence for cardiovascular diseases may be due to confounding or reverse causality.

Circulating vitamin E and cardiometabolic measures: a Mendelian randomization analysis

Although a large body of literature reported that high intake of vitamin E played a possible role in reducing risk of cardiometabolic diseases, conflicting results were also found in some observational studies due to confounding factors. Hence, we used a Mendelian randomization study as an alternative way to examine the causality between circulating vitamin E and cardiometabolic diseases. Summary-level data were extracted from consortia and three single nucleotide polymorphisms were used as instrumental variables. Our study showed that a one-SD increase in circulating vitamin E levels was causally associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease [odds ratio (OR) 3.16 (95%CI 1.74, 5.73); p = 1.91 × 10^-3] at the Bonferroni-adjusted level of significance (p<0.005). Moreover, a one-SD increase in circulating vitamin E levels was associated with a 0.572-SD increase in low density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dl), a 0.693-SD increase in total cholesterol (mg/dl), and a 1.45-SD increase in triglyceride (mg/dl), but a 0.502-SD decrease in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (mg/dl) at the Bonferroni-adjusted level of significance (p<0.0028). Our findings indicated that genetically elevated vitamin E was associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease, suggesting an adverse causality between circulating vitamin E and coronary artery disease.

Isolation, identification and attenuation of a pathogenic duck hepatitis virus type 1 in China, and complete genomic sequence comparison between the embryo-passaged, attenuated derivatives and their parent

Duck viral hepatitis (DVH) is an acute and fatal disease of young ducklings characterized by rapid transmission and damages. The most important agent of DVH is duck hepatitis virus 1 (DHV-1). The effective control of DVH was achieved by active immunization of 1-day-old duck- lings with an attenuated DHV-1 virus vaccine. However, the attenuated virus might reverse to virulence. In this study, a DHV-1 strain, Du/CH/LBJ/090809, was identified and its genomic se- quences were determined. The genome of Du/CH/LBJ/090809 is composed of 7,692 nt excluding poly A and the virus was clustered into genotype A by comparing with other referenced DHV-1 strains. Du/CH/LBJ/090809 could lead to 30% mortality of 10-day-old specific pathogen free (SPF) ducklings. The virus was passaged serially in SPF chicken embryonated eggs and three vi- ruses, passage 16 (P16), P29 and P40, were selected for genomic analysis. P29 and P40 were used to evaluate the attenuation in duckling by inoculating the virus to 10-day-old SPF ducklings. Re- sults of vaccination-challenge assay showed that the inactivated virus P40 could evoke protection against the pathogenic parent virus. Nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the genomes of Du/ CH/LBJ/090809, P16, P29 and P40 were compared. Changes both in nucleotides and amino acids, which might be contributed to the decreasing in virulence by chicken embryo-passaging of DHV- 1, were observed. We speculated that these changes might be important in the adaption and at- tenuation of the virulent virus. Additionally, strains obtained in this study will provide potential candidate in the development of vaccines against DHV-1.

Gut microbiota of newborn piglets with intrauterine growth restriction have lower diversity and different taxonomic abundances

Aim

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is a prevalent problem in mammals. The present study was conducted to unveil the alterations in intestinal microbiota in IUGR piglets.

Methods and Results

We identified the alterations of small intestinal microbiota in IUGR piglets on 7, 21 and 28 days of age using 16S rRNA sequencing. The results showed that IUGR piglets had a decreased alpha diversity of jejunum microbiota at 7 and 21 days of age; had lower abundances of Bacteroidetes and Bacteroides in the jejunum at 7, 21 and 28 days of age, Oscillibacter in the jejunum at 21 days of age, and Firmicutes in the ileum at 21 days of age; whereas they had higher abundances of Proteobacteria and Pasteurella in the ileum at 21 days of age and Escherichia–Shigella in the jejunum at 28 days of age. Correlation analysis showed that Bacteroides, Oscillibacter and Ruminococcaceae_UCG‐002 compositions were positively associated with the body weight (BW) of IUGR piglets, nevertheless Proteobacteria and Escherichia–Shigella relative abundances were negatively correlated with the BW of IUGR piglets. Gene function prediction analysis indicated that microbiota‐associated carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, glycan biosynthesis and metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and xenobiotics biodegradation and metabolism were downregulated in the IUGR piglets compared to control piglets.

Conclusions

The present study profiled the intestinal microbiota of newborn piglets with IUGR and the newborn IUGR piglets have lower diversity and different taxonomic abundances. Alterations in the abundances of Bacteroidetes, Bacteroides, Proteobacteria Escherichia–Shigella and Pasteurella may be involved in nutrient digestion and absorption, as well as the potential mechanisms connecting to the growth and development of IUGR in mammals.

Significance and Impact of the Study

The small intestinal microbiota were highly shaped in the IUGR piglets, which might further mediate the growth and development of IUGR piglets; and the gut microbiota could serve as a potential target for IUGR treatment.

Protective Effect of Compound Cotinus coggygria Oral Liquid on Mice Acute Liver Injury Induced by D-Galactosamine

OBJECTIVE

We aim to investigate the protective effects of compound Cotinus coggygria oral liquid on acute liver injury of mice induced by D-galactosamine (GalN).

METHODS

Acute liver injury mouse model was established by D-GalN. A total of 72 mice were randomly divided into the blank group, model group constructed by D-GalN, Huganning tablet-treated model group (1.0125 g/kg, as the positive control group), and large (30 ml/kg), medium (15 ml/kg) and small (7.5 ml/kg) doses of compound Cotinus coggygria oral liquid-treated model groups. SPSS 17.0 was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

Compared to the blank group, the model group demonstrated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in mice serum and liver homogenate was significantly increased (P<0.01), alteration of liver tissue structure and obvious hepatic cytolysis necrosis, indicating successfully establishement of acute liver injury model. Compared with the model group, the liver index is significantly decreased in large and medium doses of compound Cotinus coggygria oral liquid treated groups (P<0.05), and the effects of large doses of compound Cotinus coggygria are more significant (P<0.01). Furthermore, different doses of compound Cotinus coggygria oral liquid can significantly reduce the activity of mice serum ALT, AST (P<0.01). Large and medium doses of compound Cotinus coggygria oral liquid significantly reduce the activities of ALT (P<0.01) and AST in liver homogenate (P<0.05), and also improve the structure of liver tissues, decreasing the amount of hepatic necrosis, which is associated with liver cell regeneration.

CONCLUSION

Compound Cotinus coggygria oral liquid has protective effects on mice acute liver injury induced by D-GalN.

Identification of the membrane-spanning domain of glycoprotein 45 in bovine immunodeficiency virus

The membrane-spanning domain (MSD) of the transmembrane subunit (TM) anchors the envelope glycoprotein (Env) on the lipid bilayer of the host cell membrane and virions. Its functions include membrane fusion efficiency and intracellular trafficking of the lentivirus envelope protein. Our study aimed to determine the MSD of bovine immunodeficiency virus (BIV) glycoprotein 45 (gp45) and reveal structural characteristics of the BIV Env protein. We have predicted the region of the BIV MSD and obtained the sequence using bioinformatics software. Various kinds of assays, including analogy analysis, fluorescence microscopy, and dye-transfer-based assays, were carried out to validate the prediction. The results, for the first time, show that the BIV MSD is located at the D170 to M191 amino acids of gp45, and the identified MSD divides gp45 into the extracellular domain (ED), MSD and cytoplasmic domain (CT). We further found that the BIV MSD had a similar structure and function as the HIV MSD using amino acid sequence alignment and fluorescence microscopy. Additionally, the dye-transfer-based assay demonstrates that deletion of the BIV MSD efficiently decreases cell-cell fusion. Based on the identification of the MSD, a "snorkeling" model, in which the flanking charged amino acid residues are buried in the lipid bilayer while their side chains interact with polar head groups, was proposed for the BIV MSD. Ultimately, we further improved the primary structure of the BIV envelope glycoprotein.

Applying Eye Tracking to Identify Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children

Eye tracking (ET) holds potential for the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To overcome the difficulties of working with young children, developing a short and informative paradigm is crucial for ET. We investigated the fixation times of 37 ASD and 37 typically developing (TD) children ages 4-6 watching a 10-second video of a female speaking. ASD children showed significant reductions in fixation time at six areas of interest. Furthermore, discriminant analysis revealed fixation times at the mouth and body could significantly discriminate ASD from TD with a classification accuracy of 85.1%, sensitivity of 86.5%, and specificity of 83.8%. Our study suggests that a short video clip may provide enough information to distinguish ASD from TD children.

miR-15a-5p regulates expression of multiple proteins in the megakaryocyte GPVI signaling pathway

Essentials The action of microRNAs (miRs) in human megakaryocyte signaling is largely unknown. Cord blood-derived human megakaryocytes (MKs) were used to test the function of candidate miRs. miR-15a-5p negatively regulated MK GPVI-mediated αIIbβ3 activation and α-granule release. miR-15a-5p acts as a potential "master-miR" regulating genes in the MK GPVI signaling pathway. SUMMARY: Background Megakaryocytes (MKs) invest their progeny platelets with proteins and RNAs. MicroRNAs (miRs), which inhibit mRNA translation into protein, are abundantly expressed in MKs and platelets. Although platelet miRs have been associated with platelet reactivity and disease, there is a paucity of information on the function of miRs in human MKs. Objective To identify MK miRs that regulate the GPVI signaling pathway in the MK-platelet lineage. Methods Candidate miRs associated with GPVI-mediated platelet aggregation were tested for functionality in cultured MKs derived from cord blood. Results An unbiased, transcriptome-wide screen in 154 healthy donors identified platelet miR-15a-5p as significantly negatively associated with CRP-induced platelet aggregation. Platelet agonist dose-response curves demonstrated activation of αIIbβ3 in suspensions of cord blood-derived cultured MKs. Overexpression and knockdown of miR-15a-5p in these MKs reduced and enhanced, respectively, CRP-induced αIIbβ3 activation but did not alter thrombin or ADP stimulation. FYN, SRGN, FCER1G, MYLK. and PRKCQ, genes involved in GPVI signaling, were identified as miR-15a-5p targets and were inhibited or de-repressed in MKs with miR-15a-5p overexpression or inhibition, respectively. Lentiviral overexpression of miR-15a-5p also inhibited GPVI-FcRγ-mediated phosphorylation of Syk and PLCγ2, GPVI downstream signaling molecules, but effects of miR-15a-5p on αIIbβ3 activation did not extend to other ITAM-signaling receptors (FcγRIIa and CLEC-2). Conclusion Cord blood-derived MKs are a useful human system for studying the functional effects of candidate platelet genes. miR-15a-5p is a potential "master-miR" for specifically regulating GPVI-mediated MK-platelet signaling. Targeting miR-15a-5p may have therapeutic potential in hemostasis and thrombosis.

Extended International Normalized Ratio testing intervals for warfarin-treated patients

Essentials Warfarin typically requires International Normalized Ratio (INR) testing at least every 4 weeks. We implemented extended INR testing for stable warfarin patients in six anticoagulation clinics. Use of extended INR testing increased from 41.8% to 69.3% over the 3 year study. Use of extended INR testing appeared safe and effective.

SUMMARY

Background A previous single-center randomized trial suggested that patients with stable International Normalized Ratio (INR) values could safely receive INR testing as infrequently as every 12 weeks. Objective To test the success of implementation of an extended INR testing interval for stable warfarin patients in a practice-based, multicenter collaborative of anticoagulation clinics. Methods At six anticoagulation clinics, patients were identified as being eligible for extended INR testing on the basis of prior INR value stability and minimal warfarin dose changes between 2014 and 2016. We assessed the frequency with which anticoagulation clinic providers recommended an extended INR testing interval (> 5 weeks) to eligible patients. We also explored safety outcomes for eligible patients, including next INR values, bleeding events, and emergency department visits. Results At least one eligible period for extended INR testing was identified in 890 of 3362 (26.5%) warfarin-treated patients. Overall, the use of extended INR testing in eligible patients increased from 41.8% in the first quarter of 2014 to 69.3% in the fourth quarter of 2016. The number of subsequent out-of-range next INR values were similar between eligible patients who did and did not have an extended INR testing interval (27.3% versus 28.4%, respectively). The numbers of major bleeding events were not different between the two groups, but rates of clinically relevant non-major bleeding (0.02 per 100 patient-years versus 0.09 per 100 patient-years) and emergency department visits (0.07 per 100 patient-years versus 0.19 per 100 patient-years) were lower for eligible patients with extended INR testing intervals than for those with non-extended INR testing intervals. Conclusions Extended INR testing for stable warfarin patients can be successfully and safely implemented in diverse, practice-based anticoagulation clinic settings.

Nosocomial outbreak of Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto fungaemia in a neonatal intensive care unit in China

BACKGROUND

Candida parapsilosis is a common agent of fungaemia, but few outbreaks of Candida parapsilosis infection have been reported in China.

AIM

To elaborate an outbreak of nosocomial Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto fungaemia in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a comprehensive hospital in China from July to October 2017.

METHODS

Epidemics and characteristics of fungaemia cases were investigated. Surveillance samples were collected. Vitek 2 Compact System, internal transcribed spacer sequencing, and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) typing were conducted to identify the isolates. Antifungal susceptibility test was performed for all bloodstream isolates.

FINDINGS

Sixteen neonates were diagnosed as Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto fungaemia during this period. Presenting symptoms included leucopenia, thrombocytopenia, and respiratory crackles. Fifteen cases were cured whereas one case who suffered from severe concomitant diseases died. The isolates were susceptible to fluconazole, amphotericin B, itraconazole, voriconazole, and 5-fluorocytosine. A total of 313 surveillance samples were collected, and Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto was identified from 16 environmental samples and one sample from an ultrasonographer's hand. The colonized locations included wiping cloths, faucets, sinks, operating table, puddles in the bathroom, a ventilator, and an ultrasonic probe. The RAPD patterns of all the Candida parapsilosis sensu stricto isolates from bloodstream and surveillance samples were identical. The outbreak was controlled after a series of infection control measures.

CONCLUSION

Contaminated environment was associated with this outbreak. Close attention to immunocompromised patients, thorough environmental disinfection and hand hygiene should be strengthened in NICU.

Injury Detection for Central Nervous System via EEG with Higher Order Crossing-based Methods

Higher order crossing (HOC) is a powerful tool for time series analysis. Two HOC-based EEG analysis methods are developed for brain injury detection and quantification. The first method explores EEG spectrum characteristics via an estimate of the dominant frequency of a pre-processed EEG signal. The second method is based on the norm of the AHOC, an HOC obtained from the -filter prefiltered EEG signal. Both methods are shown to be effective in detecting hypoxic/asphyxic injuries as well as assessing the severity of the injury.

Effect of lipid lowering tablet on blood lipid in hyperlipidemia model rats

Observe the effect of lipid-lowering tablets on body weight, liver index and serum biochemical indexes of hyperlipidemia rats. The hyperlipidemia rat model was replicated successfully. Compared with the model group, high, medium and low dose lipid-lowering tablets group could significantly increase the body weight of rats with hyperlipidemia (P < 0.01, P < 0.05); High and middle dose lipid-lowering tablets group could significantly reduce the liver index of high fat rat (P < 0.01); High, medium and low dose lipid-lowering tablets group could significantly decrease levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, AST, ALT, ALP, Y-GT in serum (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), and significantly increase the level of HDL-C (P < 0.01). Lipid-lowering tablets can effectively regulate the body lipid metabolism of rats, and have a certain therapeutic effect on hyperlipidemia.

SLC14A1: a novel target for human urothelial cancer

Urinary bladder cancer is the second commonly diagnosed genitourinary malignancy. Previously, bio-molecular alterations have been observed within certain locations such as chromosome 9, retinoblastoma gene and fibroblast growth factor receptor-3. Solute carrier family 14 member 1 (SLC14A1) gene encodes the type-B urea transporter (UT-B) which facilitates the passive movement of urea across cell membrane, and has recently been related with human malignancies, especially for bladder cancer. Herein, we discussed the SLC14A1 gene and UT-B protein properties, aiming to elucidate the expression behavior of SLC14A1 in human bladder cancer. Furthermore, by reviewing some well-established theories regarding the carcinogenesis of bladder cancer, including several genome wide association researches, we have bridged the mechanisms of cancer development with the aberrant expression of SLC14A1. In conclusion, the altered expression of SLC14A1 gene in human urothelial cancer may implicate its significance as a novel target for research.

A SNP panel and online tool for checking genotype concordance through comparing QR codes

In the current precision medicine era, more and more samples get genotyped and sequenced. Both researchers and commercial companies expend significant time and resources to reduce the error rate. However, it has been reported that there is a sample mix-up rate of between 0.1% and 1%, not to mention the possibly higher mix-up rate during the down-stream genetic reporting processes. Even on the low end of this estimate, this translates to a significant number of mislabeled samples, especially over the projected one billion people that will be sequenced within the next decade. Here, we first describe a method to identify a small set of Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that can uniquely identify a personal genome, which utilizes allele frequencies of five major continental populations reported in the 1000 genomes project and the ExAC Consortium. To make this panel more informative, we added four SNPs that are commonly used to predict ABO blood type, and another two SNPs that are capable of predicting sex. We then implement a web interface (http://qrcme.tech), nicknamed QRC (forQR code based Concordance check), which is capable of extracting the relevant ID SNPs from a raw genetic data, coding its genotype as a quick response (QR) code, and comparing QR codes to report the concordance of underlying genetic datasets. The resulting 80 fingerprinting SNPs represent a significant decrease in complexity and the number of markers used for genetic data labelling and tracking. Our method and web tool is easily accessible to both researchers and the general public who consider the accuracy of complex genetic data as a prerequisite towards precision medicine.

Dramatic response of CTNNB1 and VEGFR-2 mutant temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma to bevacizumab in combination with pemetrexed

High recurrence rates and poor survival rates for late stage/advanced temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma with the standard treatments continues to be a significant challenge to otolaryngologists. Targeted therapy for temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma after relapse has not been reported. Here we present a 58-year-old man who was diagnosed with recurrent temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma and treated with a regimen developed using whole exome sequencing. Somatic mutations in genes encoding catenin beta 1 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 were identified in the patient’s tumor sample compared to the normal tissue. The patient was then treated with Bevacizumab in combination with pemetrexed. After two weeks of treatment, tumor volume was reduced by 95% measured by MRI, and the Visual Analogue Scale headache scores went down from 10/10 to 2/10. Our results reveal novel gene mutations of temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma and demonstrate, for the first time, an effective targeted therapy for temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma. The successful treatment regimen of bevacizumab and pemetrexed may provide a new treatment option for treating recurrent temporal bone squamous cell carcinoma that fails to respond to conventional tumor resection, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy.