Macrophage M1/M2 ratio as a predictor of pleural thickening in patients with tuberculous pleurisy

We evaluated the association between macrophage polarization and the development of pleural thickening in patients with tuberculous pleurisy. Patients with tuberculous pleurisy admitted to our hospital between October 2018 and March 2019 were prospectively recruited. Pleural fluid samples were obtained before treatment for detection of adenosine deaminase (ADA) and macrophage phenotype (M1: CD14+ CD86+; M2: CD14+ CD163+). Peripheral blood samples were subjected to interferon gamma release assay (IGRA). All subjects were administered standard anti-tuberculosis regimen (2HREZ/4HR); high-resolution CT was performed to determine pleural thickening (thickness>2mm) after completion of treatment. Pleural effusion in patients with thickened pleura had significantly more M1 but fewer M2 macrophages, and higher ADA level, as compared to those with normal pleura (P<0.05). No significant between-group difference was observed with respect to IGRA. In receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the optimal cut-off level of M1/M2 ratio for predicting pleural thickening was 1.149 (area under the curve: 0.842; sensitivity: 88.6%; specificity: 69.2%; positive predictive value: 86.3%; negative predictive value: 81.7%). M1/M2 ratio in the pleural fluid is a promising marker for predicting the development of pleural thickening in patients with tuberculous pleurisy. Macrophage-mediated immune response may play an important role in the pathogenesis of tuberculous pleurisy.

[Clinical characteristics of children infected with different subtypes/genotypes of human respiratory syncytial virus in Beijing from 2009 to 2017]

Objective: To explore the different clinical characteristics of children infected with different subtype/genotype of human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) in Beijing. Methods: Respiratory specimens for positive HRSV were randomly collected from children with acute respiratory tract infection (ARTI) in the epidemic season of HRSV from November of each year to January of the next year during 2009 and 2017. G genes of HRSV were amplified and sequenced for subtyping and genotyping by bioinformatics analysis. Clinical data were collected and analyzed. Results: Out of 590 children, 376 (63.7%) with subtype A, and 214 (36.3) with subtype B. The annual dominant subtypes of HRSV from 2009 to 2017 were B-A-A-B-AB-A-A-B-A, respectively, whilst a total of 10 genotypes were detected with 95.8% assigned to genotype ON1 and NA1 of subtype A, and genotype BA9 of subtype B. Children infected with subtype B (96 cases, 44.9%) were more likely aged 0-3 month old than those with subtype A (118 cases, 31.4%) (P=0.001), and more likely to be admitted to Intensive Care Unit(ICU) ((124 cases, 57.9%) than those with subtype A (172 cases, 45.7%)) (P=0.005). Statistical significance were shown among children infected with genotype ON1, NA1 or BA9, in the possibility of infection in children aged 0-3 month (P=0.003), proportion of admission into ICU (P=0.007), length of stay in hospital (P=0.001), and clinical outcome (P=0.001), respectively. Conclusion: Children infected with different subtype or genotype of HRSV have different clinical characteristics, which stresses the important role of the monitoring HRSV subtypes and genotypes among children.

[Da Vinci robot-assisted pylorus and vagus nerve-preserving partial gastrectomy for gastric cancer]

Objective: To investigate the safety and feasibility of Da Vinci robot-assisted pylorus and vagus nerve-preserving partial gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods: In this study, descriptive case series method was used to retrospectively analyze the data of 3 patients with gastric cancer who underwent Da Vinci robot-assisted pylorus and vagus nerve-preserving partial gastrectomy in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from December 2020 to February 2021. The linear layout was adopted for the setting of trocar, and the co-axial direction was the line connecting the umbilicus and splenic hilum. The inferior pyloric arteries and veins need to be preserved. The center was the bifurcation of the right gastroepiploic vessel and the inferior pyloric vessel. Dissection and exposure were performed from the upper, lower, right and left sides, and ventral and dorsal sides to complete the dissection of the inferior pyloric lymph nodes. The superior border of the pancreas was treated by the right diaphragmatic crus approach, the left retroperitoneal approach and the esophageal approach to determine the distribution of the posterior vagal trunk and its branches, and to determine the anatomical relationship with the left gastric artery. The left gastric artery was cut off while the celiac branch of vagus nerve and cardia branch of left gastric artery were preserved. Lymph node dissection was performed on the lateral side of nerve fibers around the blood vessels. Result: All the 3 patients successfully completed the robotic surgery without conversion to laparoscopy or laparotomy. The operation time was (340.0±26.4) (300-390) minutes, the intraoperative blood loss was (13.3±3.3) (10-20) ml, the number of dissected lymph nodes was 26.7±3.9 (19-32), the length of pylorus canal preserved was (3.3±0.3) (3-4) cm, the distal margin was (2.3±0.3) (2-3) cm, and the proximal margin was (3.0±0.6) (2-4) cm. No postoperative complications occurred in all the 3 patients. The first flatus time was 2-3 days after operation, and the postoperative hospital stay was 6-7 days. The operation cost of the 3 patients was (40±7) (33-53) thousand yuan. Conclusion: Da Vinci robot-assisted pylorus and vagus nerve-preserving partial gastrectomy is safe and feasible.

Ginsenosides regulation of lysophosphatidylcholine profiles underlies the mechanism of Shengmai Yin in attenuating atherosclerosis

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) preparation, Shengmai Yin (SMY), is widely applied in cardiovascular disease treatments. However, the pharmacological mechanism of its therapeutic effects has not been fully clarified.

AIM OF THIS STUDY

This study aimed to clearly define the efficacy and underlying mechanism of SMY and its active components in protecting against atherosclerosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The pharmacological effects of SMY and its components were evaluated upon a mouse hypercholesteremia model induced by a high cholesterol diet (HCD) for 12 weeks and Apoe^-/- mice, a mouse atherosclerosis model. Pathological indicators including serum cholesterol levels, cytokines and histological changes in aortic root plaques were assessed. Untargeted metabolomic, untargeted lipidomic and targeted lipidomic changing profiles were investigated to clarify pharmacological mechanisms.

RESULTS

SMY and red ginseng crude extracts (GE) significantly decreased the serum cholesterol levels in hypercholesteremia mice and reduced the aortic root plaque areas and exerted antiatherogenic efficacy in Apoe^-/- mice. Moreover, total red ginseng saponin extracts (TGS) showed the most apparent improvement on maintaining lipid homeostasis, representing the effects of red ginseng in SMY on atherosclerosis treatment. Mechanically, TGS inhibited serum secreted phospholipase A₂ (sPLA₂) activity and lowered the serum levels of lysophosphatidylcholine (lysoPC), which is a risk factor for atherosclerosis.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings revealed that ginsenosides from SMY exerted therapeutic effects on atherosclerosis by maintaining lipid homeostasis including cholesterol and lysoPCs.

Automatic detection of adult cardiomyocyte for high throughput measurements of calcium and contractility

Simultaneous calcium and contractility measurements on isolated adult cardiomyocytes have been the gold standard for the last decades to study cardiac (patho)physiology. However, the throughput of this system is low which limits the number of compounds that can be tested per animal. We developed instrumentation and software that can automatically find adult cardiomyocytes. Cells are detected based on the cell boundary using a Sobel-filter to find the edge information in the field of view. Separately, we detected motion by calculating the variance of intensity for each pixel in the frame through time. Additionally, it detects the best region for calcium and contractility measurements. A sensitivity of 0.66 ± 0.08 and a precision of 0.82 ± 0.03 was reached using our cell finding algorithm. The percentage of cells that were found and had good contractility measurements was 90 ± 10%. In addition, the average time between 2 cardiomyocyte calcium and contractility measurements decreased from 93.5 ± 80.2 to 15.6 ± 8.0 seconds using our software and microscope. This drastically increases throughput and provides a higher statistical reliability when performing adult cardiomyocyte functional experiments.

Biotechnological Aspects of Salt-Tolerant Xylanases: A Review

β-1,4-Xylan is the main component of hemicelluloses in land plant cell walls, whereas β-1,3-xylan is widely found in seaweed cell walls. Complete hydrolysis of xylan requires a series of synergistically acting xylanases. High-saline environments, such as saline-alkali lands and oceans, frequently occur in nature and are also involved in a broad range of various industrial processes. Thus, salt-tolerant xylanases may contribute to high-salt and marine food processing, aquatic feed production, industrial wastewater treatment, saline-alkali soil improvement, and global carbon cycle, with great commercial and environmental benefits. This review mainly introduces the definition, sources, classification, biochemical and molecular characteristics, adaptation mechanisms, and biotechnological applications of salt-tolerant xylanases. The scope of development for salt-tolerant xylanases is also discussed. It is anticipated that this review would serve as a reference for further development and utilization of salt-tolerant xylanases and other salt-tolerant enzymes.

Increased risk of diabetes in cancer survivors: a pooled analysis of 13 population-based cohort studies

BACKGROUND

Diabetes is considered as an established risk factor for cancer development. However, the link between diabetes among cancer survivors remains inconclusive. The hypothesis of this study was to assess the hazard ratio (HR) of incidence of diabetes in cancer survivors compared with the HR in the general population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was performed in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from database inception to 15 December 2020 for population-based cohort studies. Summary effect estimates were combined using random-effects models. We also performed subgroup analyses to test sources of heterogeneity and the stability of the results stratified by various study and participant characteristics.

RESULTS

Thirteen population-based cohort studies involving 1 686 595 participants were analyzed. The HR for the development of diabetes in cancer survivors was 1.39 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.29-1.50; I2 = 82.3%; P < 0.001] compared with that in noncancer controls, among which survivors of hematological, gynecologic, breast, colorectal and urinary tract cancer (all P < 0.05) showed consistent significant results, whereas no significant increased risk was observed for other cancer types. The effects were more prominent in populations of shorter cancer survival duration (<1 year) (HR 2.09, 95% CI 1.32-3.32; P = 0.009). Moreover, cancer survivors with a longer follow-up period (>10 years) had a relatively higher risk of diabetes (HR 1.54, 95% CI 1.34-1.77) than those with a shorter follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

In this large pooled analysis of population-based cohorts, evidence supports the hypothesis that the risk of developing diabetes is increased in cancer survivors compared with the general population. We should interpret the results with caution for considerable interstudy heterogeneity. However, health policy makers should take this as a challenge for the early prevention and effective intervention of diabetes.

Nonsense-mediated mRNA decay efficiency influences bleeding severity in ITGA2B c.2659C > T (p.Q887X) knock-in mice

Glanzmann's thrombasthenia (GT) is a severe hemorrhagic disease. It is caused by mutations in ITGA2B or ITGB3, which are the respective genes encoding integrin αIIb and β3. Despite widespread mutational analysis, the mechanisms underlying the extensive variability in bleeding severity observed among affected individuals remains poorly understood. In order to explore the mechanisms conferring for bleeding heterogeneity, three GT patients with ITGA2B c.2671C > T (p.Q891X) who possessed different bleeding scores were studied. Analysis showed that there was significant difference in nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) efficiency among the three patients. These differences positively correlated with their bleeding score. Next, a knock-in mouse model (KI mice) with the ITGA2B c.2659C > T (p.Q887X) was generated using CRISPR/Cas9. Importantly, this mutation is homologous to ITGA2B c.2671C > T (p.Q891X) in humans. The bleeding time of KI mice was significantly in comparison to the wide-type mice. Interestingly, bleeding was stopped after treatment with caffeine, which is a known NMD inhibitor. This suggests that NMD efficiency potentially influences bleeding severity in ITGA2B c.2659C > T (p.Q887X) KI mice.

Changes in mRNA and protein levels of gonadotropin releasing hormone and receptor in ovine thymus, lymph node, spleen, and liver during early pregnancy

There exists maternal immunological modification in maternal immune organs during early pregnancy in mammals. Gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) is widely distributed in vertebrate tissues, including immune organs. However, it is unclear that early pregnancy induces expression of GnRH and GnRH receptor (GnRHR) in ovine immune organs. The objective of this study was to explore the expression of GnRH and GnRHR in main immune organs (thymus, lymph node, spleen, and liver) during early pregnancy in sheep. Ovine thymus, lymph node, spleen and liver were sampled at day 16 of estrous cycle, and days 13, 16, and 25 of pregnancy. The expression of GnRH and GnRHR was detected through real-time quantitative PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis. The results indicated that early pregnancy induced upregulation of mRNA and protein levels of GnRH and GnRHR in the maternal lymph node, spleen and liver, and mRNA and protein of GnRH in the maternal thymus, but mRNA and protein of GnRHR decreased in the maternal thymus during early pregnancy. In summary, the mRNA and protein levels of GnRH and GnRHR were changed in maternal thymus, lymph node, spleen and liver in a tissue specific manner during early pregnancy in sheep.

Efficacy and safety of glucokinase activators for type 2 diabetes mellitus therapy: a meta-analysis of double-blind randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of oral glucokinase activator (GKA) in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched and collected randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of glucokinase activators in the treatment of T2DM from PubMed, ClinicalTrails, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CNKI databases. Revman5.3 software was used to do the meta-analysis, and the Cochrane tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias in the included RCTs.

RESULTS

Seven double-blind RTCs were included in the final analysis, with a total of 762 patients. For the efficacy, the meta-analysis found that GKAs lowed the levels of fasting blood glucose (FPG) (mean difference -0.71, 95% CI: -1.11 to -0.31, based on 459 patients from 5 works of literature) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) (mean difference: -0.65%, 95% CI: -0.82 to -0.48, based on 570 patients from 4 works of literature). Subgroup analysis showed GKAs combined with metformin, but not used alone, reduced the levels of FPG. In terms of safety, GKAs did not affect the total rate of adverse events (AEs). GKAs did not affected the risks of diarrhea (RR 1.59, 95% CI: 0.7 to 3.65,  p =0.26), headache (RR 0.96, 95% CI: 0.41-2.21, p =0.60), and nausea (RR 2.23, 95% CI: 0.55-9.12,  p =0.24), but they increased the risk of hypoglycemia (RR 1.81, 95% CI: 1.35 to 2.42, p <0.0001, based on 570 patients from 4 literatures).

CONCLUSIONS

Oral GKAs combined with metformin has an evident hypoglycemic effect on T2DM, and they seem to be relatively good tolerant. Further clinical studies are still necessary to explore its long-term efficacy and safety.

[Analysis of the time for observation and related factors at clinics after vaccination among children's parents]

Objective: To understand the time for observation and related factors in the clinics after vaccination among children's parents. Methods: From December 2019 to January 2020, parents of children aged 0-3 years were recruited by multiple-stage sampling from 34 vaccination clinics in 12 districts and counties in 6 provinces (Shandong, Guangdong, Henan, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, and Liaoning). A questionnaire survey on the time of observation after vaccination was conducted. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the related factors of parental observation time after vaccination. Results: A total of 3 292 parents of 0-3 year's old children were selected, and 3 178 parents were finally included in the analysis. 87.85%(2 792/3 178) of the parents reported that the observation time after vaccination at clinics was ≥30 minutes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for the regions, the main factors affecting the observation time at clinics after vaccination among parents appeared as observation time informed by physicians at the clinic appeared ≥30 minutes (OR=31.622, 95%CI: 19.847-50.384), parents were medical personnel (OR=2.779, 95%CI: 1.505-5.133), parents being volunteers working on vaccination-related publicity and education activities (OR=1.986, 95%CI: 1.438-2.743), parents aged 35 years old or above (OR=1.900, 95%CI: 1.215-2.971), being parents of the first child (OR=1.663, 95%CI: 1.282-2.156), per capita annual income of the family as 8 000- Yuan (OR=1.646, 95%CI: 1.168-2.319), children aged 0-12 months old (OR=1.646, 95%CI: 1.203-2.252) or 13-24 months old (OR=1.506, 95%CI: 1.064-2.133), obedient to physicians' advice at the clinic (OR=1.481, 95%CI: 1.067-2.055). Conclusions: The proportions of parents observed for ≥30 minutes at the clinics of vaccination were high. When the information was from the physicians at the vaccination clinic, the observation time was the most critical factor for parents to observe at clinics as required.

[Analysis of pathogen distribution and drug resistance of acute,delayed and chronic periprosthetic joint infection]

Objective: To analyze the pathogen distribution and drug resistance in acute,delayed and chronic periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). Methods: The clinical data of 316 patients with periprosthetic infection after primary hip and knee arthroplasty admitted to the Department of Arthroplasty,the First Affiliated Hospital,Xinjiang Medical University from August 2010 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 146 males and 170 females,aged (62.3±14.2) years (range:22 to 89 years).One hundred and sixty one patients underwent total hip arthroplasty and 155 patients underwent total knee arthroplasty.According to the time of postoperative infection,the patients were divided into acute PJI group (65 cases),delayed PJI group (83 cases) and chronic PJI group (168 cases).The results of pathogen species,composition ratio and drug susceptibility tests were collected,and the independent sample t test,Chi-square test or Fisher's exact probability test were used for comparison. Results: Gram-positive bacteria were the main pathogens of PJI (49.7%,157/316),and the positive rates of culture in patients with acute PJI,delayed PJI and chronic PJI were 33.8% (22/65),55.4% (46/83) and 53.0% (89/168),and the difference was statistically significant(χ²=8.343,P=0.015).The common bacteria were coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (54.8%,86/157) and Staphylococcus aureus (30.6%,48/157),The drug-sensitivity to linezolid,vancomycin and tigacycline was 100%.The gram-negative bacteria were mainly Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae,and the drug resistance rate to carbapenems was low,ranging from 0 to 9.09%.The drug resistance rates of acute PJI patients to rifampicin,ciprofloxacin and erythromycin were significantly higher than those of late onset and chronic PJI patients,the difference was statistically significant(rifampicin:χ²=14.332,P=0.001;ciprofloxacin:χ²=12.086,P=0.002;erythromycin:χ²=9.096,P=0.010);The drug resistance rate of acute PJI patients to levofloxacin,clindamycin and tetracycline was higher than that of chronic PJI patients,and the difference was statistically significant(levofloxacin:χ²=10.500,P=0.002; clindamycin: χ²=7.103,P=0.007; tetracycline: χ²=6.909,P =0.012).The resistance rate of ampicillin/sulbactam in acute PJI (60.0%) was significantly higher than that in chronic PJI (16.7%),and the difference was statistically significant(χ²= 5.853,P=0.040). Conclusion: Gram-positive bacteria are the main pathogens of PJI,and the resistance rate of pathogens of acute PJI is higher than that of late onset and chronic PJI.

Multi-Layer Counter-Pressure Injection Molding for Thick-Walled Optical Lens

In precision optical applications, plastics thick-walled optical lenses are increasing. Dimensional stability and optical performance are the critical issues that should be addressed for plastic thick-walled lenses. A novel multi-layer counter-pressure injection molding process is proposed in this study. The experimental prism mold with moveable pistons was developed to investigate the effects of layering methods, counter-pressure and their combination on thick-walled optical lenses. The experimental results reveal that counter-pressure injection molding is effective in improving shrinkage, transmittance and refractive index of the thick-walled optical prism. Counter-pressure of the piston provided lower melt velocity and shorter flow path of melt to improve polymer molecules orientation, and also offered continuous holding pressure during the filling stage to eliminate defects such as shrinkage or short shots. The combination of counter-pressure and multi-layer injection molding technology further improved the dimension stability and optical performance of the thick-walled optical lens. Much thinner layers than the final wall thickness of prism ensures shrinkage reduction during the cooling stages. A thick-walled optical prism was fabricated successfully upon applying a multi-layer counter-pressure injection molding process.

Arecoline hydrobromide enhances jejunum smooth muscle contractility via voltage-dependent potassium channels in W/Wv mice

Gastrointestinal motility was disturbed in W/Wv, which were lacking of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC). In this study, we have investigated the role of arecoline hydrobromide (AH) on smooth muscle motility in the jejunum of W/Wv and wild-type (WT) mice. The jejunum tension was recorded by an isometric force transducer. Intracellular recording was used to identify whether AH affects slow wave and resting membrane potential (RMP) in vitro. The whole-cell patch clamp technique was used to explore the effects of AH on voltage-dependent potassium channels for jejunum smooth muscle cells. AH enhanced W/Wv and WT jejunum contractility in a dose-dependent manner. Atropine and nicardipine completely blocked the excitatory effect of AH in both W/Wv and WT. TEA did not reduce the effect of AH in WT, but was sufficient to block the excitatory effect of AH in W/Wv. AH significantly depolarized the RMP of jejunum cells in W/Wv and WT. After pretreatment with TEA, the RMP of jejunum cells indicated depolarization in W/Wv and WT, but subsequently perfused AH had no additional effect on RMP. AH inhibited the voltage-dependent K+ currents of acutely isolated mouse jejunum smooth muscle cells. Our study demonstrate that AH enhances the contraction activity of jejunum smooth muscle, an effect which is mediated by voltage-dependent potassium channels that acts to enhance the excitability of jejunum smooth muscle cells in mice.

[Molecular-related epidemic characteristics of influenza A (H3N2) viruses in Guangzhou, 2019]

Objective: To isolate the influenza A (H3N2) viruses from different sources in Guangzhou in 2019 and analyze these viruses' evolution and variation characteristics. Methods: The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of H3N2 isolates from outpatient monitoring, influenza outbreaks, and inpatient severe cases in Guangzhou in 2019 were sequenced. Bioinformatics software analyzed the variations and evolution characteristics of HA and NA genes. Results: The epidemic peaks of influenza A (H3N2) viruses were made up of period Ⅰ (from January to August) and period Ⅱ (from November to December). The positive rate of influenza A (H3N2) in males was 13.46% (703/5 221), which was higher than that in females (11.50%, 510/4 435) (χ²=8.43,P=0.00). The group's positive rate of 10-20 years old was the highest (25.18%,665/2 641). The isolates from different sources were highly homologous and closely related to 3C.2a.1 branches, which could be further divided into three small groups of Group 1-3. Gene recombination was observed between different branches. The mutations of HA antigen sites gradually appeared from Group 1 to Group 3, leading to new antigen drift. Variations of HA antigenic sites mainly occurred in the region of A and B. The mutations of receptor binding sites of Group 1 and Group 3 viruses occurred in the anterior and posterior walls. There were two glycosylation sites lacked on region A of HA antigen observed in the isolates of Group 2-3. Conclusions: Genetic variations of H3N2 influenza viruses in Guangzhou included gene mutations and gene recombination. Under the pressure of the vaccine, the evolution of viruses was rapid. Therefore, the monitoring of molecular-related epidemic characteristics of the H3N2 influenza virus was necessary.

[Impact of additional time spent for vaccination services on overall satisfaction rate in parents]

Objective: To understand the overall satisfaction rate with vaccination services in parents of children, and the impact of additional time consumed for vaccination service on overall satisfaction rate. Methods: From December 2019 to January 2020, a total of 3 178 parents of 0-3 years old children were investigated to collect the information about their basic characteristics, additional time spent for vaccination service and overall satisfaction through questionnaires. Binary logistic regression model and restricted cubic spline model were used to evaluate the impact of additional time spend on the overall satisfaction rate. Results: The overall satisfaction rate of parents with vaccination services was 92.32%. The median time for parents to move from home to vaccination clinic was 10.00 (10.00, 20.00) minutes, the median waiting time to make an appointment was 10.00 (5.00, 15.00) minutes, the median waiting time for vaccination was 5.00 (3.00, 10.00) minutes, and the median total additional time spent was 30.00 (20.00, 45.00) minutes. The binary logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting the relevant factors, the main factors affecting the overall satisfaction rate were the waiting time for making an appointment (the 4- minutes group vs. 8- minutes group: OR=1.863, 95%CI: 1.307-2.657), waiting time for vaccination (the <4 minutes group vs. 8- minutes group: OR=1.529, 95%CI: 1.102-2.120; the 4- minutes group vs. 8- minutes group: OR=1.534, 95%CI: 1.104-2.130), total additional time spent (the 15- minutes group vs. 30- minutes group: OR=1.470, 95%CI: 1.094-1.976). Restricted cubic spline analysis showed that the waiting time for making an appointment (non-linear: χ²=13.18, P=0.001), the waiting time for vaccination (non-linear: χ²=13.50, P=0.001), and the total additional time consumed (non-linear: χ²=9.38, P=0.009) showed a non-linear inverted "V" dose response relationship to the overall satisfaction of vaccination services. Conclusions: The waiting time for parents to make an appointment, the waiting time for vaccination and the total additional time spent for receiving vaccination services affected the overall satisfaction rate of the vaccination services. And the waiting time for making an appointment was the most important factor, and it is necessary to shorten the waiting time for appointment. It is suggested that the vaccination clinic should make use of information technology (such as WeChat public account, APP) to make accurate appointments, make appointments to the time period to control the number of people within time period.

Competitive gene flow does not necessarily maximize the genetic gain of genomic breeding programs in the presence of genotype-by-environment interaction

National and international across-population selection is often recommended and fairly common in the current breeding practice of dairy cattle, with the primary aims to increase genetic gain and genetic variability. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the strategy of truncation selection of sires across populations [i.e., competitive gene flow strategy (CGF)] may not necessarily maximize genetic gain in the long term in the presence of genotype-by-environment interaction (G×E). Two alternative strategies used to be compared with CGF were forced gene flow (FGF) strategies, with 10 or 50% of domestic dams forced to be mated with foreign sires (FGF10%, FGF50%). Two equal-size populations (N_dams = 1,000) that were selected for the same breeding goal trait (h² = 0.3) under G×E correlation (r_g) of either 0.9 or 0.8 were simulated to test these 3 different strategies. Each population first experienced either 5 or 20 differentiation generations (G_d), then 15 migration generations. Discrete generations were simulated for simplicity. Each population performed a within-population conventional breeding program during differentiation generations and the 3 across-population sire selection strategies based on joint genomic prediction during migration generations. The 4 G_{d_}r_g combinations defined 4 different levels of differentiation degree between the 2 populations at the start of migration. The true rate of inbreeding over the last 10 migration generations in each scenario was constrained at 0.01 to provide a fair basis for comparison of genetic gain across scenarios. Results showed that CGF maximized the genetic gain after 15 migration generations in 5_0.9 combination only, the case of the lowest differentiation degree, with a superiority of 0.4% (0.04 genetic SD units) over the suboptimal strategy. While in 5_0.8, 20_0.9, and 20_0.8 combinations, 2 FGF strategies had a superiority in genetic gain of 2.3 to 12.5% (0.21-1.07 genetic SD units) over CGF after 15 migration generations, especially FGF50%. The superiority of FGF strategies over CGF was that they alleviated inbreeding, introduced new genetic variance in the early migration period, and improved accuracy in the entire migration period. Therefore, we concluded that CGF does not necessarily maximize the genetic gain of across-population genomic breeding programs given moderate G×E. The across-population selection strategy remains to be optimized to maximize genetic gain.

Asthma in patients with suspected and diagnosed coronavirus disease 2019

BACKGROUND

Patients with asthma are comparatively susceptible to respiratory viral infections and more likely to develop severe symptoms than people without asthma. During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is necessary to adequately evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of the population with asthma in the population tested for and diagnosed as having COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE

To perform a study to assess the impact of asthma on COVID-19 diagnosis, presenting symptoms, disease severity, and cytokine profiles.

METHODS

This was an analysis of a prospectively collected cohort of patients suspected of having COVID-19 who presented for COVID-19 testing at a tertiary medical center in Missouri between March 2020 and September 2020. We classified and analyzed patients according to their pre-existing asthma diagnosis and subsequent COVID-19 testing results.

RESULTS

Patients suspected of having COVID-19 (N = 435) were enrolled in this study. The proportions of patients testing positive for COVID-19 were 69.2% and 81.9% in the groups with asthma and without asthma, respectively. The frequencies of relevant symptoms were similar between the groups with asthma with positive and negative COVID-19 test results. In the population diagnosed as having COVID-19 (n = 343), asthma was not associated with several indicators of COVID-19 severity, including hospitalization, admission to an intensive care unit, mechanical ventilation, death due to COVID-19, and in-hospital mortality after multivariate adjustment. Patients with COVID-19 with asthma exhibited significantly lower levels of plasma interleukin-8 than patients without asthma (adjusted P = .02).

CONCLUSION

The population with asthma is facing a challenge in preliminary COVID-19 evaluation owing to an overlap in the symptoms of COVID-19 and asthma. However, asthma does not increase the risk of COVID-19 severity if infected.

Test of Lepton-Flavor Universality in B→K^{*}ℓ^{+}ℓ^{-} Decays at Belle

We present a measurement of R_{K^{*}}, the branching fraction ratio B(B→K^{*}μ^{+}μ^{-})/B(B→K^{*}e^{+}e^{-}), for both charged and neutral B mesons. The ratio for the charged case R_{K^{*+}} is the first measurement ever performed. In addition, we report absolute branching fractions for the individual modes in bins of the squared dilepton invariant mass q^{2}. The analysis is based on a data sample of 711  fb^{-1}, containing 772×10^{6}  BB[over ¯] events, recorded at the ϒ(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^{+}e^{-} collider. The obtained results are consistent with standard model expectations.

[Amentoflavone inhibits M1 polarization of THP-1-derived foam cells by activating PPAR-α/γ]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the mechanism by which amentoflavone inhibits polarization of THP-1-derived foam cells to M1 phenotype.

OBJECTIVE

Human monocyte cell line THP-1 was stimulated to differentiate into M1-type macrophages using phorbol 12-myrislate13-acetate (PMA) combined with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and recombinant human interferon-γ (rhlFN-γ). M1 polarization of THP-1-derived macrophages was confirmed by observing morphological changes of the cells and detecting the mRNA expression of L-6 and TNF-α with RT-qPCR. THP-1-derived foam cells treated with 5 or 10 μmol/L amentoflavone for 24 h were examined for cytokines using ELISA. The mRNA and protein expressions of IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, TGF-β, PPAR-α/γ, Arg-1 and Fizz1 in the cells were detected using RT-qPCR and Western blotting.

OBJECTIVE

Amentoflavone prevented induced M1 polarization of THP-1 cells. Amentoflavone down-regulated the mRNA expressions of IL-6 and TNF-α, up-regulated mRNA expressions of IL-8 and TGF-β mRNA (P < 0.05), and increased the protein expressions of PPAR-α/γ, Arg-1 and Fizz1. Molecular docking simulation showed that amentoflavone could bind to the surface of PPARα/γ.

OBJECTIVE

Amentoflavone can inhibit the differentiation of macrophages into M1 type by activating PPAR-α/γ and restoring the expressions of the gene Arg-1 and Fizz1.

CircVCAN regulates the proliferation and apoptosis of osteoarthritis chondrocyte through NF-κB signaling pathway

OBJECTIVE

Osteoarthritis is one of the chronic diseases with a high incidence. CircRNA is a circular non-coding RNA. Studies show that CircRNA is closely relevant to the pathogenesis of OA chondrocytes. However, the specific principle is still unclear.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

38 patients with OA tissues and 38 patients with normal knee cartilage in our hospital were selected, respectively. The mRNA expression levels of CircVCAN were measured by quantificational real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Cell proliferation was detected by the Cell Counting Kit (CCK8). Cell cycle and apoptosis of OA chondrocytes were measured by flow cytometry. qRT-PCR and western blot were used to detect PCNA, p50, p52, p65 mRNA and protein expression levels.

RESULTS

CircVCAN was highly expressed in OA tissues and OA chondrocytes. Cell proliferation and PCNA expression levels decreased significantly after transfection with si-CircVCAN in OA-chondrocytes. However, there was a significant increase on OA chondrocytes after transfection with LV-CircVCAN. Compared with the si-NC group, the apoptosis rate of OA chondrocytes was significantly increased after transfection with si-CircVCAN. The proportion of G0/G1 phase in the cell cycle was significantly reduced and the proportion of S phase was significantly increased. On the contrary, the apoptosis rate was significantly reduced after transfection with LV-CircVCAN. The proportion of G0/G1 phase in the cell cycle was significantly increased and the proportion of S phase was significantly reduced. The mRNA and protein levels of p50, p52 and p65 were significantly increased after transfection of LV-CircVCAN in OA-chondrocytes. Furthermore, PDTC (NF-κB inhibitor) transfection can significantly reverse the effect of overexpression of CircVCAN on the proliferation and apoptosis of OA chondrocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

CircVCAN is overexpressed in OA tissues and cells. CircVCAN can affect the proliferation and apoptosis of OA chondrocytes by blocking the activation of the NF-κB signaling pathway. Thus, CircVCAN may be an important target molecule for OA treatment.

CORRELATION BETWEEN SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM AND DYSLIPIDEMIA IN WOMEN IN NORTHEAST CHINA

CONTEXT

It is well known that thyroid hormones are important, being involved in affects the metabolism of carbohydrate, protein, lipids. The relationship between thyroid hormones and lipid metabolism is the focus of recent research.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the relationship between subclinical hypothyroidism and lipid metabolism in women.

DESIGN

We conducted an epidemiological survey of thyroid diseases among women in Northeast China from September 2014 to December 2014.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

A total of 1397 women underwent physical examinations and laboratory tests for thyroid function and lipid metabolism.

RESULTS

We found that the detection rate of subclinical hypothyroidism was 13.03%. Patients with subclinical hypothyroidism showed significantly higher levels of triglyceride (1.69±1.9 vs. 1.45±1.4) and the risk of hyper triglyceridemia in women with thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels ≥10mIU/L was 4.96-fold higher compared with that in the normal population (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Disorders of lipid metabolism in women with subclinical hypothyroidism show a direct correlation with the level of TSH, and the risk of hyper triglyceridemia is significantly increased when the level of TSH ≥10mIU/L.