[Investigate developmental coordination disorder of kindergarten children in Zhejiang Province]

In order to investigate developmental coordination disorder (DCD) of kindergarten children in Zhejiang province, 200 ordinary kindergartens were randomly selected by stratified random sampling in 11 prefecture-level cities of Zhejiang Province, and 38 900 children from 1 000 classes in each grade were then randomly selected into the study from June 2019 to December 2019. The Little DCD Questionnaire and a self-designed questionnaire were used to screen the DCD of those children. There were 36 807 valid questionnaires, and 6.50% (2 391/36 807) of them were positive results. The results showed that boy, age ≤5 years, overweight or obesity, left handedness, comorbidity with motor or developmental disorders and premature infants were risk factors of DCD in children. As for parents and families, maternal gestational age<20 years, maternal overweight or obesity before pregnancy, low-middle level education of parents, direct family and low income of family were also associated with DCD in children. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct early prevention and intervention strategies targeting on identified risk factors among relevant population.

Menopausal hormone therapy: what are the problems in the perception of Chinese physicians?

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate Chinese physicians' perception and attitudes toward menopausal hormone therapy (MHT).

METHODS

This nationwide online survey was conducted in China. Physicians registered in the WeChat groups of the Gynecological Endocrinology Committee of China's Maternal and Child Health Care Association received a message invitation to complete this anonymous online survey from April 2020 to July 2020. Physicians' knowledge of and attitudes toward MHT were surveyed.

RESULTS

In total, 4672 questionnaires were submitted; only completed questionnaires could be submitted. The message was sent to 6021 doctors, so the response rate was 77.6%. Overall, 77.9-92.9% of physicians knew the common indications and contraindications to MHT. Additionally, 90.6%, 85.4%, 80.7% and 37.5% of physicians thought that MHT would increase the risk of venous thrombosis, breast cancer, endometrial cancer and weight gain, respectively. In total, 58.1% of the physicians mistakenly believed that a sex hormone test was one of the necessary examinations to reassess MHT prescription during follow-up visits. We found that 68.5% of physicians would consider using MHT themselves or recommend MHT to their partners in the future, and 11.4% were currently using MHT.

CONCLUSIONS

Most Chinese physicians have basic knowledge of MHT. Their misunderstandings about MHT mainly centered on the risks of endometrial cancer, weight gain and the necessary examinations during follow-up visits. These misunderstandings need to be clarified in future professional training programs.

[Spindle cell hemangioma: a clinicopathological and molecular analysis of eight cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological and genetic characteristics of spindle cell hemangioma (SCH). Methods: The clinical, morphological and immunohistochemical features of 8 SCHs diagnosed from January 2013 to September 2021 in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China were retrospectively analyzed. Hotspot mutations for IDH1 codon 132 and IDH2 codon 172 were tested in 4 SCHs and 29 other non-SCH lesions using Sanger sequencing. Results: The 8 cases occurred in patients with a wide age range, from neonate to 46 years (mean 28 years, median 32 years). Both genders were equally affected. The course of the disease spanned from half a year to 31 years. Two SCHs were recurrent tumors. All tumors involved the distal extremities (4 of foot, 2 of ankle and 2 of hand). Six cases were presented as a single lesion and 2 cases as multiple lesions. The tumor diameters were 1-5 cm. All the 8 SCHs were typically composed of cavernous vascular space and solid components consisting of slit-like vessels, spindle cells and epithelioid endothelial cells which often exhibited cytoplasmic vacuolation. These two alternating components and the vacuolated epithelioid endothelial cells were the distinctive diagnostic clues for SCH. Vascular endothelial cells including epithelioid cells in the solid areas expressed CD31 (8/8), ERG (4/4), CD34 (5/8) and D2-40 (2/3). The spindle cells expressed SMA (8/8). Neither endothelial cells nor spindle cells expressed HHV8 (0/7), Desmin (0/5) or S-100 (0/3). Mutations were revealed in 2 SCHs, with IDH1 mutation (p.R132C) and IDH2 mutation (p.R172G), respectively. The IDH1/2 gene hotspot mutations were not found in the remaining 2 SCHs or the other 29 non-SCH lesions. Simple excisions were performed for 7 cases, and partial resection for 1 case. Follow-up information was obtained in 6 cases, with follow-up time ranging from 5 to 90 months (average, 46 months). No metastasis occurred in the 6 cases. No recurrence occurred in cases treated with simple excision. The residual lesions of the patient who received partial resection were stable. Conclusions: SCH is rare and should be differentiated from a variety of benign and malignant vascular lesions. An accurate diagnosis of SCH is clinically important and can be achieved by combining clinical information and typical pathological presentation. IDH1/2 gene hotspot mutations are specific to SCH in vascular lesions. Genetic detection is helpful in the diagnosis of challenging cases.

In Vitro Explant Assays and Cultures to Study PCP Signaling in Axon Guidance

In vitro studies have provided valuable insights to the function and mechanisms in axon guidance. In this chapter, we will introduce the rodent "open-book" assay, pre- or postcrossing explant culture and the dissociated neuron culture. They have been used to discover mechanism which we have gone on to validate or will confirm using in vivo genetic approaches.

Genetic analyses of blood β-hydroxybutyrate predicted from milk infrared spectra and its association with longevity and female reproductive traits in Holstein cattle

Ketosis is one of the most prevalent and complex metabolic disorders in high-producing dairy cows and usually detected through analyses of β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentration in blood. Our main objectives were to evaluate genetic parameters for blood BHB predicted based on Fourier-transform mid-infrared spectra from 5 to 305 d in milk, and estimate the genetic relationships of blood BHB with 7 reproduction traits and 6 longevity traits in Holstein cattle. Predicted blood BHB records of 11,609 Holstein cows (after quality control) were collected from 2016 to 2019 and used to derive 4 traits based on parity number, including predicted blood BHB in all parities (BHBp), parity 1 (BHB1), parity 2 (BHB2), and parity 3+ (BHB3). Single- and multitrait repeatability models were used for estimating genetic parameters for the 4 BHB traits. Random regression test-day models implemented via Bayesian inference were used to evaluate the daily genetic feature of BHB variability. In addition, genetic correlations were calculated for the 4 BHB traits with reproduction and longevity traits. The heritability estimates of BHBp, BHB1, BHB2, and BHB3 ranged from 0.100 ± 0.026 (± standard error) to 0.131 ± 0.023. The BHB in parities 1 to 3+ were highly genetically correlated and ranged from 0.788 (BHB1 and BHB2) to 0.911 (BHB1 and BHB3). The daily heritability of BHBp ranged from 0.069 to 0.195, higher for the early and lower for the later lactation periods. A similar trend was observed for BHB1, BHB2, and BHB3. There are low direct genetic correlations between BHBp and selected reproductive performance and longevity traits, which ranged from -0.168 ± 0.019 (BHBp and production life) to 0.157 ± 0.019 (BHBp and age at first calving) for the early lactation stage (5 to 65 d). These direct genetic correlations indicate that cows with higher BHBp (greater likelihood of having ketosis) in blood usually have shorter production life (-0.168 ± 0.019). Cows with higher fertility and postpartum recovery, such as younger age at first calving (0.157 ± 0.019) and shorter interval from calving to first insemination in heifer (0.111 ± 0.006), usually have lower BHB concentration in the blood. Furthermore, the direct genetic correlations change across parity and lactation stage. In general, our results suggest that selection for lower predicted BHB in early lactation could be an efficient strategy for reducing the incidence of ketosis as well as indirectly improving reproductive and longevity performance in Holstein cattle.

Characterization of Axon Guidance Phenotypes in Wnt/PCP Mutant Mice

Our lab showed that the Wnt family proteins can function as axon guidance molecules and the planar cell polarity (PCP) pathway mediates the function of Wnts in axon guidance. One of the key evidences was by identifying the axon guidance defects in knockout or conditional knockout animals. We utilized a variety of axon tracing and labeling techniques, including immunohistochemistry (IHC), DiI, BDA, and fluorescent reporters (GFP or tdTomato). These studies have primarily been conducted in spinal cord commissural axons, but have been applied to retinal ganglion cell axons, corticospinal tract axons, dopaminergic and serotonergic projections.

Mutation of the murine Prickle1 (R104Q) causes phenotypes analogous to human symptoms of epilepsy and autism

Epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently show comorbidity, suggesting shared or overlapping neurobiological basis underlying these conditions. R104Q is the first mutation in the PRICKLE 1(PK1) gene that was discovered in human patients with progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME). Subsequently, a number of mutations in the PK1 gene were shown to be associated with either epilepsy, autism, or both, as well as other developmental disorders. Using CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene editing, we generated a PK1R104Q mouse line. The mutant mice showed reduced density of excitatory synapses in hippocampus and impaired interaction between PK1 and the repressor element 1(RE-1) silencing transcription factor (REST). They also displayed reduced seizure threshold, impaired social interaction, and cognitive functions. Taken together, the PK1R104Q mice display characteristic behavioral features similar to the key symptoms of epilepsy and ASD, providing a useful model for studying the molecular and neural circuit mechanisms underlying the comorbidity of epilepsy and ASD.

Corrigendum: First report on the rapid detection and identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in viable but non-culturable (VBNC) under food storage conditions

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.615875.].

Biochemical and Cellular Assays to Study Mechanisms of PCP Signaling in Axon Guidance

Understanding biochemical and cellular mechanisms of how PCP components regulate axon guidance is important for understanding brain development and may lead to new therapeutic approaches for neural repair. Meanwhile, axonal growth cones are a highly polarized structure and are a great experimental system. Therefore, some of these novel mechanisms we are uncovering for axon guidance may be applicable for PCP signaling in general. In this chapter, we introduce some of the techniques we used or developed: (1) protein localization and trafficking; (2) protein phosphorylation; and (3) protein-protein interactions in the same cell and across the two neighboring cells.

Urinary complement proteins and risk of end-stage renal disease: quantitative urinary proteomics in patients with type 2 diabetes and biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy

PURPOSE

To investigate the association between urinary complement proteins and renal outcome in biopsy-proven diabetic nephropathy (DN).

METHODS

Untargeted proteomic and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) functional analyses and targeted proteomic analysis using parallel reaction-monitoring (PRM)-mass spectrometry was performed to determine the abundance of urinary complement proteins in healthy controls, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients, and patients with T2DM and biopsy-proven DN. The abundance of each urinary complement protein was individually included in Cox proportional hazards models for predicting progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

RESULTS

Untargeted proteomic and functional analysis using the KEGG showed that differentially expressed urinary proteins were primarily associated with the complement and coagulation cascades. Subsequent urinary complement proteins quantification using PRM showed that urinary abundances of C3, C9, and complement factor H (CFAH) correlated negatively with annual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) decline, while urinary abundances of C5, decay-accelerating factor (DAF), and CD59 correlated positively with annual rate of eGFR decline. Furthermore, higher urinary abundance of CFAH and lower urinary abundance of DAF were independently associated with greater risk of progression to ESRD. Urinary abundance of CFAH and DAF had a larger area under the curve (AUC) than that of eGFR, proteinuria, or any pathological parameter. Moreover, the model that included CFAH or DAF had a larger AUC than that with only clinical or pathological parameters.

CONCLUSION

Urinary abundance of complement proteins was significantly associated with ESRD in patients with T2DM and biopsy-proven DN, indicating that therapeutically targeting the complement pathway may alleviate progression of DN.

Research Note: Effect of dietary cottonseed meal and soybean oil concentration on digesta passage time and amino acids digestibility in roosters

Two experiments were conducted to study the effect of dietary cottonseed meal (CM) and soybean oil (SO) on passage time of digesta and standardized ileal digestibility (SID) of amino acids (AA). The experimental design was a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement evaluating the levels of CM (20 or 40 %) and SO (0 or 10 %). Experiment 1 estimated the effect of CM and SO on the passage time of digesta. Twenty-five Chinese yellow-feathered roosters (BW = 2.61 ± 0.08 kg; 26-wk-old) were individually weighed and allocated to 5 diets in 5 randomized complete blocks by initial BW. Experimental diet 1 contained 20% CM and 0 SO, diet 2 contained 20% CM and 10% SO, diet 3 contained 40% CM and 0% SO, diet 4 contained 40% CM and 10% SO, and a nitrogen-free diet was also fed. Passage time through the total digestive tract was determined by time-relative cumulation of dry excreta. Experiment 2 estimated the effect of CM and SO on SID of AA in CM. Thirty Chinese yellow-feathered roosters (BW = 2.91 ± 0.05 kg; 26-wk-old) were allocated to the 5 experimental diets in 6 randomized complete blocks by initial BW to determine the SID of AA. Increasing CM concentration significantly reduced the time for 50% relative cumulation of dry excreta (P < 0.05). Adding 10% SO tended to increase the time for 50% relative cumulation of dry excreta (0.05 < P < 0.10) relative to diets without SO. Dietary CM and SO did not affect the SID of indispensable AA or dispensable AA of CM significantly, but increasing dietary CM tended to reduce the SID of Lys (0.05 < P < 0.10). Increasing SO tended to reduce the SID of Met (0.05 < P < 0.10). There were no significant interactive effects of SO and CM (P > 0.10). These results suggest passage time is increased with dietary SO, and reduced with dietary CM, but digestibility of AA in CM was not significantly affected by dietary CM and SO.

[Analysis of laboratory re-examination results in Sichuan Provincial Malaria Diagnostic Reference Laboratory from 2014 to 2020]

OBJECTIVE

To re-examine the diagnosis results of reported malaria cases in Sichuan Province from 2014 to 2020, so as to assess the malaria diagnostic capability of Sichuan Provincial Malaria Diagnostic Reference Laboratory.

METHODS

The blood and blood smear samples from reported malaria cases were collected by Sichuan Provincial Malaria Diagnostic Reference Laboratory from 2014 to 2020, and subjected to re-examinations using microscopy and nested PCR assay. The re-examination results were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 1 710 samples from reported malaria cases were re-examined by Sichuan Provincial Malaria Diagnostic Reference Laboratory from 2014 to 2020, and 1 634 samples were identified positive, with a positive coincidence rate of 95.56% (1 634/1 710) and a 92.29% (1 508/1 634) total coincidence rate of the Plasmodium species. The coincidence rates with P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. malariae and P. ovale were 99.48% (961/966), 97.07% (430/443), 83.05% (98/118) and 67.86% (19/28), respectively, and the coincidence rate was 91.81% (1 513/1 648) between microscopic and nested-PCR results.

CONCLUSIONS

The capability of microscopists remains weak at grassroot medical institutions in Sichuan Province. Further training is required among microscopists to improve the malaria surveillance capability in Sichuan Province during the post-elimination stage.

Prickle promotes the formation and maintenance of glutamatergic synapses by stabilizing the intercellular planar cell polarity complex

Whether there exists a common signaling mechanism that assembles all glutamatergic synapses is unknown. We show here that knocking out Prickle1 and Prickle2 reduced the formation of the PSD-95–positive glutamatergic synapses in the hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in postnatal development by 70–80%. Prickle1 and Prickle2 double knockout in adulthood lead to the disassembly of 70 to 80% of the postsynaptic-density(PSD)-95–positive glutamatergic synapses. PSD-95–positive glutamatergic synapses in the hippocampus of Prickle2E8Q/E8Q mice were reduced by 50% at postnatal day 14. Prickle2 promotes synapse formation by antagonizing Vangl2 and stabilizing the intercellular complex of the planar cell polarity (PCP) components, whereas Prickle2 E8Q fails to do so. Coculture experiments show that the asymmetric PCP complexes can determine the presynaptic and postsynaptic polarity. In summary, the PCP components regulate the assembly and maintenance of a large number of glutamatergic synapses and specify the direction of synaptic transmission.

Construction of multifunctional porcine acellular dermal matrix hydrogel blended with vancomycin for hemorrhage control, antibacterial action, and tissue repair in infected trauma wounds

Prevention of bacterial infection and reduction of hemorrhage, the primary challenges posed by trauma before hospitalization, are essential steps in prolonging the patient's life until they have been transported to a trauma center. Extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel is a promising biocompatible material for accelerating wound closure. However, due to the lack of antibacterial properties, this hydrogel is difficult to be applied to acute contaminated wounds. This study formulates an injectable dermal extracellular matrix hydrogel (porcine acellular dermal matrix (ADM)) as a scaffold for skin defect repair. The hydrogel combines vancomycin, an antimicrobial agent for inducing hemostasis, expediting antimicrobial activity, and promoting tissue repair. The hydrogel possesses a porous structure beneficial for the adsorption of vancomycin. The antimicrobial agent can be timely released from the hydrogel within an hour, which is less than the time taken by bacteria to infest an injury, with a cumulative release rate of approximately 80%, and thus enables a relatively fast bactericidal effect. The cytotoxicity investigation demonstrates the biocompatibility of the ADM hydrogel. Dynamic coagulation experiments reveal accelerated blood coagulation by the hydrogel. In vivo antibacterial and hemostatic experiments on a rat model indicate the healing of infected tissue and effective control of hemorrhaging by the hydrogel. Therefore, the vancomycin-loaded ADM hydrogel will be a viable biomaterial for controlling hemorrhage and preventing bacterial infections in trauma patients.

Measurement of the Total Lung Volume Using an Adjusted Single-Breath Helium Dilution Method in Patients With Obstructive Lung Disease

Background: Whole-body plethysmography (WBP) is the gold standard for measuring lung volume, but its clinical application is limited as it requires expensive equipment and is not simple to use. Studies have shown that the single-breath helium dilution (SBHD) method, which is commonly used in clinical practice, significantly underestimates lung volume in patients with obstructive lung disease (OLD). By comparing the differences in lung volume measured using SBHD and WBP, we aimed to establish a correction equation for the SBHD method to determine the total lung volume in patients with OLD of different severities.

Methods: From 628 patients with OLD simultaneously subjected to SBHD and WBP, 407 patients enrolled between January 2018 and November 2019 were in the training group and 221 enrolled between December 2019 and December 2020 were in the prospective verification cohort. The multiple linear regression equation was used for data in the training group to establish a correction equation for SBHD to determine the total lung volume, and this was validated in the prospective validation cohort.

Results: There was a moderate positive correlation between total lung capacity (TLC) determined using the SBHD [TLC (SBHD)] and WBP methods [TLC (WBP)] (r = 0.701; P < 0.05), and the differences between TLC (SBHD) and TLC (WBP) (ΔTLC) were related to the severity of obstruction. As the severity of obstruction increased, the TLC was underestimated by the SBHD method. We established the following correction equation: TLC (adjusted SBHD) (L) = −0.669 + 0.756*TLC(SBHD)(L) – 0.047*FEV1FVC+0.039*height (cm)–0.009*weight(kg)(r2 = 0.753 and adjusted r2 = 0.751). Next, we validated this equation in the validation cohort. With the correction equation, no statistical difference was observed between TLC (adjusted SBHD) and TLC (WBP) among the obstruction degree groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: The SBHD method is correlated with WBP to measure the total lung volume, but the SBHD method presents limitations in determining the total lung volume in patients with obstructive lung disease. Here, we established an effective and reliable correction equation in order to accurately assess the total lung volume of patients with OLD using the SBHD method.