Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) as a grouping imaging biomarker combined with a decision-tree mode to preoperatively predict the pathological grade of bladder cancer

AIM

To investigate whether the Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) could be used to develop a new non-invasive preoperative grade-prediction system to partially predict high-grade bladder cancer (HG-BC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The present study enrolled 89 primary BC patients prospectively from March 2022 to June 2023. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of VI-RADS for predicting HG-BC and muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) in the entire group. In the low VI-RADS (≤2) group, the decision tree-based method was used to obtain significant predictors and construct the decision-tree model (DT model). The performance of the DT model and low VI-RADS scores for predicting HG-BC was determined using ROC, calibration, and decision curve analyses.

RESULTS

At a cut-off of ≥3, the specificity and positive predictive value of VI-RADS for predicting HG-BC in the entire group was 100%, and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.697. Among 65 patients with low VI-RADS scores, the DT model showed an AUC of 0.884 in predicting HG-BC compared to 0.506 for low VI-RADS scores. Calibration and decision curve analyses showed that the DT model performed better than the low VI-RADS scores.

CONCLUSION

Most VI-RADS scores ≥3 correspond to HG-BCs. VI-RADS could be used as a grouping imaging biomarker for a pathological grade-prediction procedure, which in combination with the DT model for low VI-RADS (≤2) populations, would provide a potential preoperative non-invasive method of predicting HG-BC.

Effects of aeration modes and rates on nitrogen conversion and bacterial community in composting of dehydrated sludge and corn straw

Aeration is an important factor to regulate composting efficiency and nitrogen loss. This study is aimed to compare the effects of different aeration modes (continuous and intermittent) and aeration rate on nitrogen conversion and bacterial community in composting from dehydrated sludge and corn straw. Results showed that the intermittent aeration mode at same aeration volume was superior to the continuous aeration mode in terms of NH3 emission reduction, nitrogen conversion and germination index (GI) improvement. Intermittent aeration mode with 1200 L/h (aeration 5 min, stop 15 min) [K5T15 (V1200)] and 300 L/h of continuous aeration helped to the conservation of nitrogen fractions and accelerate the composting process. However, it was most advantageous to use 150 L/h of continuous aeration to reduce NH3 emission and ensure the effective composting process. The aeration mode K5T15 (V1200) showed the fastest temperature rise, the longer duration of thermophilic stage and the highest GI (95%) in composting. The cumulative NH3 emission of intermittent aeration mode was higher than continuous aeration mode. The cumulative NH3 emission of V300 was 23.1% lower than that of K5T15 (V1200). The dominant phyla in dehydrated sludge and corn straw composting were Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Bacteroidetes. The dominant phylum in the thermophilic stage was Firmicutes (49.39%~63.13%), and the dominant genus was Thermobifida (18.62%~30.16%). The relative abundance of Firmicutes was greater in the intermittent aeration mode (63.13%) than that in the continuous aeration mode (57.62%), and Pseudomonas was dominant in composting with lower aeration rate and the lowest NH3 emission. This study suggested that adjustment to the aeration mode and rate could affect core bacteria to reduce the nitrogen loss and accelerate composting process.

[Mid- and long-term results of surgical treatment of brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis]

Objective: To examine the mid - and long-term outcomes of surgical treatment of brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. The clinical data of 39 patients,which had been diagnosed as brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis (244 cases),who underwent surgical treatment,were analyzed between July 2012 to November 2022 at Department of Endoluminal Vascular Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. There were 5 males and 34 females, aged (37.9±14.0)years (range:13 to 71 years). Despite medical treatment, the patients suffered severe ischemic symptoms continually and then underwent surgical interventions. Among them, 20 patients underwent endovascular procedures, 11 underwent open surgical procedures, and 8 underwent hybrid procedures. Patients were followed up through outpatient visits at 1, 3, 6 months after surgery and once every year later. Follow-up was conducted until November 2022. Operation status, postoperative complications and re-intervention of patients were recorded and the Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to analyze postoperative vascular patency rates. Results: All 39 surgeries were successful, with no intraoperative death or serious complications. The follow-up period was (48.8±38.2) months(range:1 to 123 months). Thirty-three patients experienced symptom relief after surgery, and 6 patients required secondary surgical interventions. The patency rates for the endovascular treatment group at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year were 95.0%, 75.2%, 60.2%, and 60.2%, respectively, while the patency rates for open surgery were all 90.9%. In the hybrid surgery group, the patency rates at 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-year were all 87.5%. Conclusion: For patients with brachiocephalic Takayasu arteritis, choice of an appropriate blood flow revascularization intervention should be based on the patient's condition,and the mid-and long-term outcomes are satisfactory.

[Clinical characteristics and efficacy analysis of various treatments for spontaneous carotid artery dissection]

Objective: To investigate the clinical features of spontaneous carotid artery dissection (SCAD) and the efficacy of different treatment methods. Methods: The clinical data of 164 patients with SCAD who were treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from June 2018 to January 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 127 males and 37 females, with a mean age of (49.5±11.1) years. They were divided into conservative treatment group (n=100) and surgical treatment group (n=64) according to whether they received surgical treatment. Patients were followed at 3, 6, and 12 months after discharge and annually thereafter through outpatient or inpatient visits. The incidence of cerebral ischemic events, cerebral hemorrhage events, and mortality rates during hospitalization and follow-up periods were analyzed in the two patient groups. To examine correlates of revascularization in SCAD, multifactorial logistic regression analysis was used. Results: Of the 164 patients, 18 patients had bilateral SCAD and a total of 182 carotid arteries were included in the study. Ischemic stroke (85 cases, 51.8%) and transient ischemic attack (31 cases, 18.9%) were the main clinical manifestations in SCAD patients. Hypertension (81 cases, 49.4%) and hyperlipidemia (39 cases, 23.8%) were the main comorbidities in SCAD patients. During hospitalization, 100 patients in the conservative treatment group received medication in 113 carotid arteries, no new cerebral ischemic events or symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage events occurred, and no death occurred. A total of 69 carotid arteries were surgically treated in 64 patients in the surgical treatment group. The success rate was 97.1% (67/69). In the surgical treatment group, the proportion of carotid stenosis degree≥90% was 47.8% (33/69), the proportion of type Ⅱ SCAD was 60.9% (42/69), and the proportion discharged from the hospital to receive antiplatelet therapy was 92.8% (64/69), which were higher than those in the conservative treatment group, which were 25.7% (29/113), 45.1% (51/113), and 73.5% (83/113), respectively (all P<0.05). The follow-up time [M(Q1, Q3)] in the conservative treatment group was 24 (13, 34) months, with an 8% (9/113) rate of ischemic events and a 7.1% (8/113) rate of readmission; in the surgical treatment group, the follow-up time was 24 (11, 38) months, and there were no new ischemic events or deaths. The results of multifactorial logistic regression analysis showed that the degree of true luminal stenosis<90% (OR=2.738, 95%CI: 1.067-7.026, P=0.036) and type Ⅰ dissections (OR=2.656, 95%CI: 1.189-5.935, P=0.017) were the correlates of complete revascularization. Conclusions: Ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack are the main clinical manifestations in patients with SCAD. Pharmacological antithrombotic therapy remains the method of choice, and endovascular treatment after failure of conservative therapy reduces the risk of recurrent long-term cerebral ischemic events and the re-admission rate of patients.

[Sexually active status and its correlates among community-based older adults in Tianjin]

Objective: To understand the sexually active status among community-based older adults aged ≥50 years in Tianjin, China, and to explore the potential correlates. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using multistage sampling among community-based older adults aged ≥50 was conducted between June 2020 and December 2022. The estimated sample size was 735. The survey collected questionnaire information through face-to-face interviews with investigators, including sociodemographic, health, and sexual lifestyle characteristics. The multivariable logistic regression model was used to assess correlates of sexually active status. Results: A total of 776 study participants (510 males and 266 females) were included, whose major age distribution was 50-59 years (45.9%). The overall sexual activity prevalence of the participants was 45.6%. Older age (60-69: aOR=0.67, 95%CI: 0.45-0.99; ≥70: aOR=0.12, 95%CI: 0.07-0.21), being male (aOR=1.93, 95%CI: 1.32-2.82), living in urban area (aOR=0.18, 95%CI: 0.12-0.28), living with spouse/married (aOR=2.80, 95%CI: 1.41-5.58), living alone (aOR=0.51, 95%CI: 0.27-0.96), having difficulty climbing stairs or walking (aOR=0.55, 95%CI: 0.31-0.97), having chronic diseases (one chronic disease: aOR=0.55, 95%CI: 0.36-0.85; two or more chronic diseases: aOR=0.53, 95%CI: 0.33-0.84) were associated with sexually active status among older adults. Conclusions: Many community-based older adults remained sexually active. There was an association between physical health and sexually active status among community-based older adults. Incorporating sexual health services into healthcare services for community-based older adults could be advocated, with a concurrent emphasis on enhancing the awareness and competence of providing sexual health services among community-based healthcare workers.

Study on Lattice Radiotherapy Treatments (LRT) for Head and Neck Bulky Tumors

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

Lattice radiotherapy (LRT) exploits various effects of radiation, such as the bystander effect and the abscopal effect, and consists on the administration of high dose fraction in small areas with large tumor masses, helping to solve the problem of treating bulky disease, especially if it is located in a critical anatomical area. The optimization of LRT treatment plans is challenging due to the difficulty to generate spots of high dose within the tumor with consequent high gradient. This study compares the plan dosimetry and delivery time of two delivery techniques VMAT and CyberKnife for LRT treatments of bulky head and neck lesions.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Six patients with giant head and neck tumors who received LRT at our institution were included in this study. Target and OARs were contoured following international guidelines; to allow easy identification of the desired high gradient zones, an artificial geometrical lattice structure with spherical vertices was arranged inside the target volume (GTV), and the vertices of the lattice representing the high dose boost volumes (GTVboost) were delineated. The GTVboost and GTV were prescribed to receive 12 Gy and 3 Gy, respectively in a single fraction. Separate VMAT and CyberKnife LRT plans were optimized for each patient with lattice vertex of 0.5 diameter and center-to-center distances of 1.5 cm (LRT1.5) and 3 cm (LRT3). The dose heterogeneity was measured as the peak-to-valley dose ratio (PVDR), with the traditional definition being replaced by the D10/D90 ratio, where D10 and D90 represent the doses covering 10% and 90% of the GTV, respectively. For each plan generated, the treatment delivery time, the monitor units (MU), and the PVDR were assessed. Pre-treatment plan verifications were performed with ArcCheck array and Gafchromics film for VMAT and CyberKnife, respectively, using gamma analysis criteria of 3%-3mm.

RESULTS

The mean PVDR obtained for VMAT LRT plans were 2.0 and 2.6 for LRT1.5 and LRT3, respectively, and 3.2 and 4.7, respectively for CyberKnife LRT plans. For each pre-treatment plan dose verification, the gamma passing rate (GPR) was higher than 95.0 %; CyberKnife delivery time and MU were more than 10 times higher than that of VMAT, nevertheless, VMAT had a lower PVDR. The detailed results are shown in the table below.

CONCLUSION

CyberKnife LRT has a strong ability to place the peak dose within the target, generating a higher peak-to-valley dose ratio, however its use is partially invalidated by the long beam delivery times and the resulting high MU number; the use of the VMAT LRT technique allows clinically adequate dosimetry with acceptable delivery times.

[Application value of serum protein indicators in constructing the early prediction model for the prognosis of patients with pulmonary tuberculosis]

Objective: To analyze the clinical significance of laboratory examination indicators as the key prognostic factors and to construct an early prediction model for prognosis assessment of pulmonary tuberculosis patients. Methods: The basic information, biochemical indexes and blood routine items of 163 tuberculosis patients (144 males and 19 females, aged 41-70 years, with an average age of 56 years) and 118 healthy persons who underwent physical examination (101 males and 17 females, aged 46-64 years, with an average age of 54 years) in Suzhou Fifth People's Hospital from January 2012 to December 2020 were retrospectively collected. According to the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis after six months of treatment, the enrolled patients were divided into a cured group (96 cases) and a treatment failure group (67 cases). To analyze the baseline levels of laboratory examination indicators between these two groups, we screened the key predictors and the binary logistic regression method in SPSS statistics software was used to construct the prediction model. Results: The baseline levels of total protein, albumin, prealbumin, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, erythrocyte, hemoglobin and lymphocyte were significantly higher in the cured group than in the treatment failure group. After 6 months of treatment, the indexes of total protein, albumin and prealbumin increased significantly in the cured group, but remained at the low levels in the treatment failure group. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis showed that total protein, albumin and prealbumin as independent predictors for forecasting the prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis patients had the highest prediction accuracy. Logistic regression analysis showed that the combination of these three key predictors could construct the best early prediction model for assessing the prognosis of pulmonary tuberculosis patients, with a prediction accuracy of 0.924 (0.886-0.961), sensitivity of 75.0%, specificity of 94%, showing an ideal prediction accuracy. Conclusions: The routine test indexes of total protein, albumin and prealbumin show good application value in the construction of early prediction model for prognosis evaluation of pulmonary tuberculosis treatment. The combined prediction model consisting of total protein, albumin and prealbumin is expected to provide a theoretical basis and reference model for precision treatment and prognosis assessment of tuberculosis patients.

[Revision rate of periprosthetic joint infection post total hip or knee arthroplasty of 34 hospitals in China between 2015 and 2017: a multi-center survey]

Objective: To investigate the rate of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) revision surgeries and clinical information of hip-/knee- PJI cases nationwide from 2015 to 2017 in China. Methods: An epidemiological investigation. A self-designed questionnaire and convenience sampling were used to survey 41 regional joint replacement centers nationwide from November 2018 to December 2019 in China. The PJI was diagnosed according to the Musculoskeletal Infection Association criteria. Data of PJI patients were obtained by searching the inpatient database of each hospital. Questionnaire entries were extracted from the clinical records by specialist. Then the differences in rate of PJI revision surgery between hip- and knee- PJI revision cases were calculated and compared. Results: Total of 36 hospitals (87.8%) nationwide reported data on 99 791 hip and knee arthroplasties performed from 2015 to 2017, with 946 revisions due to PJI (0.96%). The overall hip-PJI revision rate was 0.99% (481/48 574), and it was 0.97% (135/13 963), 0.97% (153/15 730) and 1.07% (193/17 881) in of 2015, 2016, 2017, respectively. The overall knee-PJI revision rate was 0.91% (465/51 271), and it was 0.90% (131/14 650), 0.88% (155/17 693) and 0.94% (179/18 982) in 2015, 2016, 2017, respectively. Heilongjiang (2.2%, 40/1 805), Fujian (2.2%, 45/2 017), Jiangsu (2.1%, 85/3 899), Gansu (2.1%, 29/1 377), Chongqing (1.8%, 64/3 523) reported relatively high revision rates. Conclusions: The overall PJI revision rate in 34 hospitals nationwide from 2015 to 2017 is 0.96%. The hip-PJI revision rate is slightly higher than that in the knee-PJI. There are differences in revision rates among hospitals in different regions.

Pyroptosis and airway homeostasis regulation

Pyroptosis is a form of cell death associated with inflammation. In the maintenance of airway homeostasis, pyroptosis goes through activation and assembly of Inflammasome. The pyroptosis pathway is mediated by caspase which activates the pore-forming effect of substrate gasdermin family members. It eventually leads to lysis and release of the cell contents and then induces an inflammatory response. In this process, it participates in airway homeostasis regulation by affecting airway immunity, airway epithelial structure and airway microbiota. Therefore, we discussed the correlation between airway immunity, airway epithelial structure, airway microbiota and the mechanism of pyroptosis to describe the role of pyroptosis in airway homeostasis regulation which is of great significance for understanding the occurrence and treatment of airway inflammatory diseases.

Exome-wide screening identifies novel rare risk variants for bone mineral density

Bone mineral density (BMD) is an independent risk factor of osteoporosis-related fractures. We performed gene-based burden tests to assess the association between rare variants and BMD, and identified several BMD candidate genes.

PURPOSE

BMD is highly heritable and a major predictor of osteoporotic fractures, but its genetic basis remains unclear. We aimed to identify rare risk variants contributing to BMD.

METHODS

Utilizing the newly released UK Biobank 200,643 exome dataset, we conducted a gene-based exome-wide association study in males and females, respectively. First, 100,639 males and 117,338 females with BMD values were included in the polygenic risk scores (PRS) analysis. Among individuals with lower 30% PRS, cases were individuals with top 10% BMD, and individuals with bottom 10% BMD were the controls. Considering the effects of vitamin D (VD), individuals with the highest 30% VD concentration were selected for VD-BMD analysis. After quality control, 741 males and 697 females were included in the BMD analysis, and 717 males and 708 females were included in the VD-BMD analysis. The variants were annotated by ANNOVAR software, then BMD and VD-BMD qualified variants were imported into the SKAT R-package to perform gene-based burden tests, respectively.

RESULTS

The gene-based burden test of the exonic variants identified genome-wide candidate associations in ANKRD18A (P = 1.60 × 10^-5, P_{Bonferroni adjust} = 2.11 × 10^-3), C22orf31 (P = 3.49 × 10^-4, P_{Bonferroni adjust} = 3.17 × 10^-2), and SPATC1L (P = 1.09 × 10^-5, P_{Bonferroni adjust} = 8.80 × 10^-3). For VD-BMD analysis, three genes were associated with BMD, such as NIPAL1 (P = 1.06 × 10^-3, P_{Bonferroni adjust} = 3.91 × 10^-2).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggested that rare variants contribute to BMD, providing new sights for broadening the genetic structure of BMD.

Increase in skeletal muscle extracellular volume as an under-recognised change detected at cardiac MRI in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

AIM

To explore skeletal muscle change and its correlation with the myocardium in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) with T1 mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective study enrolled 50 HCM patients and 35 healthy controls. The extracellular volume (ECV) of the skeletal muscle and myocardium, the presence and absence of LGE of the myocardium, and cardiac troponin T (cTnT), were assessed. In the HCM group, the elevated ECV_skeletal group was defined as ECV_skeletal >2 standard deviations (SD) above the mean value of the controls. Statistical analyses included Student's t-test, the Mann-Whitney U-test, and linear regression.

RESULTS

ECV_skeletal in the HCM group was higher than in the control group (mean 13.0 versus 10.9%; p<0.001), with 20 (40%) HCM patients having elevated ECV_skeletal (ECV_skeletal ≥13.7%). In the HCM group, ECV_skeletal had a positive linear correlation with global myocardial ECV (r=0.37, p=0.009). In addition, the elevated ECV_skeletal group had a higher cTnT than the non-elevated group (log cTnT, mean 1.55 versus 1.16, p=0.045). Furthermore, segmental myocardial ECV in the elevated ECV_skeletal group was higher than in the non-elevated group, despite the presence or absence of myocardial LGE (median 30.1 versus 27.2%; 26.5 versus 24.6%, both p<0.001) or hypertrophy (median 29.0 versus 26.0%; 26.8 versus 24.8%, both p<0.001).

CONCLUSION

In the HCM patients, ECV_skeletal was higher than in the healthy controls. Furthermore, some ECV_skeletal changes had corresponding changes in the cTnT and myocardium.

[Study on the related factors of antiviral treatment in previously reported hepatitis C patients based on the Andersen model]

Objective: To understand the basic characteristics of previously reported patients with hepatitis C and analyze the related factors affecting their antiviral treatment. Methods: A convenient sampling method was adopted. Patients who had been previously diagnosed with hepatitis C in the Wenshan Prefecture of Yunnan Province and Xuzhou City of Jiangsu Province were contacted by telephone for an interview study. The Andersen health service utilization behavior model and related literature were used to design the research framework for antiviral treatment in previously reported hepatitis C patients. A step-by-step multivariate regression analysis was used in previously reported hepatitis C patients treated with antiviral therapy. Results: A total of 483 hepatitis C patients, aged 51.73 ± 12.06 years, were investigated. The proportion of male, agricultural occupants who were registered permanent residents, farmers and migrant workers was 65.24%, 67.49%, and 58.18%, respectively. Han ethnicity (70.81%), married (77.02%), and junior high school and below educational level (82.61%) were the main ones. Multivariate logistic regression analysis results showed that married patients with hepatitis C (OR = 3.19, 95% CI: 1.93-5.25, compared with unmarried, divorced, and widowed patients) with high school education or above (OR = 2.54, 95% CI: 1.54-4.20, compared with patients with junior high school education or below) were more likely to receive antiviral treatment in the predisposition module. Patients with severe self-perceived hepatitis C in the need factor module (compared with patients with mild self-perceived disease, OR = 3.36, 95% CI: 2.09-5.40) were more likely to receive treatment. In the competency module, the family's per capita monthly income was more than 1,000 yuan (compared with patients with per capita monthly income below 1,000 yuan, OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.02-2.47), and the patients had a high level of awareness of hepatitis C knowledge (compared with patients with a low level of knowledge, OR = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.01-2.35), and the family members who knew the patient's infection status (compared with patients with an unknown infection status, OR = 4.59, 95% CI: 2.24-9.39) were more likely to receive antiviral treatment. Conclusion: Different income, educational, and marital statuses are related to antiviral treatment behavior in hepatitis C patients. Family support of hepatitis C patients receiving hepatitis C-related knowledge and their families knowing the infection status is more important in promoting the antiviral treatment of patients, suggesting that in the future, we should further strengthen the hepatitis C knowledge of hepatitis C patients, especially the family support of hepatitis C patients' families in treatment.

Increased Sparc release from subchondral osteoblasts promotes articular chondrocyte degeneration under estrogen withdrawal

OBJECTIVE

The incidence of osteoarthritis (OA) in menopausal women is significantly higher than in same-aged men. Investigating the role of subchondral osteoblasts in estrogen deficiency-induced OA may help elucidate the pathological mechanism, providing new insights for the diagnosis and treatment of menopausal OA.

METHODS

A classical ovariectomy-induced OA (OVX-OA) rat model was utilized to isolate primary articular chondrocytes and subchondral osteoblasts, which were identified and then cocultured in Transwell. The expression of chondrocyte anabolic and catabolic indicators was evaluated. The differentially expressed proteins in the conditioned medium (CM) of osteoblasts were identified by Liquid Chromatograph-Mass Spectrometer (LC-MS/MS). Normal chondrocytes were treated with osteoblast CM, and then RNA sequencing was performed on the treated chondrocytes. KEGG was used to identify significant enrichment of signaling pathways, and Simple Western was used to verify the expression of related proteins in the signaling pathways.

RESULTS

Coculture of OVX-OA subchondral osteoblasts with chondrocytes significantly downregulated the expression of the anabolic indicators and upregulated the expression of the catabolic indicators in chondrocytes. 1,601 proteins were identified in both normal and OVX osteoblast culture supernatants. Protein-protein interaction network analysis revealed that Sparc was one of the hub proteins. The AMPK/Foxo3a signaling pathway of chondrocytes was downregulated by OVX-OA osteoblasts CM. AICAR, the AMPK agonist, partially reversed the catabolic effect of OVX-OA osteoblasts on chondrocytes.

CONCLUSIONS

Sparc secreted by OVX-OA subchondral osteoblasts can downregulate the AMPK/Foxo3a signaling pathway of chondrocytes, thereby promoting chondrocyte degeneration.

The Therapeutic and Prognostic Role of Clusterin in Diverse Musculoskeletal Diseases: A Mini Review

This mini-review aims to introduce the association between Secretory clusterin/apolipoprotein J (sCLU) and diverse musculoskeletal diseases. A comprehensive review of the literature was performed to identify basic science and clinical studies, which implied the therapeutic and prognostic role of sCLU in diverse musculoskeletal diseases. sCLU is a multifunctional glycoprotein that is ubiquitously expressed in various tissues and is implicated in many pathophysiological processes. Dysregulated expression of sCLU had been reported to be assocaited with proliferative or apoptotic molecular processes and inflammatory responses, which participated in many pathophysiological processes such as degenerative musculoskeletal diseases including ischemic osteonecrosis, osteoarthritis (OA) and degenerative cervical myelopathy (spinal cord injury), neoplastic musculoskeletal diseases, inflammatory and autoimmune musculoskeletal diseases including Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), joint damage induced by Brucella abortus, Sjogren's syndrome, idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, muscle glucose metabolism, insulin sensitivity and traumatic musculoskeletal diseases. Recent findings of sCLU in these musculoskeletal diseases provides insights on the therapeutic and prognostic role of sCLU in these musculoskeletal diseases. sCLU may serve as a promising therapeutic target for ischemic osteonecrosis, OA and spinal cord injury as well as a potential prognostic biomarker for OA and RA. Moreover, sCLU could act as a prognostic biomarker for osteosarcoma (OS) and a promising therapeutic target for OS resistance. Although many studies support the potential therapeutic and prognostic role of sCLU in some inflammatory and autoimmune-mediated musculoskeletal diseases, more future researches are needed to explore the molecular pathogenic mechanism mediated by sCLU implied in these musculoskeletal diseases.

Analysis results of 169 cases of chorionic villus samples of missed abortion using high throughput sequencing

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the use of high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology to detect chromosomes in chorionic villus samples of missed abortion embryos and investigate its utility in the genetic diagnosis of missed abortion.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

HTS was used to assess chorionic villus samples obtained from 169 patients with missed abortions from August 2020 to March 2022, at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University. The test results were statistically analyzed. To investigate the impact of advanced age on the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities, the patients were divided into two groups: elderly (≥35 years) and nonelderly pregnant women (<35 years).

RESULTS

(1) Among the samples of 169 patients, 100 (59.17%) cases of chromosomal abnormalities were detected. Among these 100, 90 (90%) had chromosomal numerical abnormalities and 10 (10%) had chromosomal structural abnormalities. (2) Chromosomal numerical abnormality was abnormalities mainly included aneuploidy (92.22%, 83/90), with trisomy (62.22%, 56/90) and monosomy (22.22%, 20/90) accounting for the majority. The top three numerical abnormalities included 18 cases of Turner syndrome (monosomy X; 20%, 18/90), 10 cases of trisomy 16 (11.11%, 10/90), and 10 cases of trisomy 22 (11.11%, 10/90). (3) Villous chromosomal abnormalities were found in 48 (70.59%) elderly pregnant women, and 52 (51.48%) nonelderly pregnant women, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

(1) Chromosomal abnormality is an important cause of missed abortion, it majorly includes chromosomal numerical abnormality, of which most cases are of aneuploidy. (2) Advanced age may increase the risk of embryonic chromosomal abnormalities. (3) Villus chromosome detection using HTS has a positive value and can be used for analyzing and determining the causes of missed abortion.

Theoretical investigations on the superhydrophobicity of intrinsic hydrophilic surfaces with overhang microstructures

It has been accepted generally that it is necessary to obtain the so-called surface superhydrophobicity on intrinsically hydrophobic materials. However, recent experiments have indicated that it could be possible to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces on intrinsically hydrophilic materials by creating adequate roughness. In this work, such a strategy for surface superhydrophobicity on hydrophilic materials with an intrinsic contact angle less than 90° was demonstrated thermodynamically based on a proposed 2-D analytical model. In particular, different (trapezoidal, vertical and inverse-trapezoidal) microstructures were employed to analyze their wetting states such as composite and noncomposite and superhydrophobic behavior as well as the previous corresponding experimental observations. Based on the thermodynamic calculations, it was demonstrated that for an overhang microstructure, intrinsic contact angle, which was restricted by the sidewall angle of micropillars, was not an independent parameter to affect superhydrophobicity. Furthermore, an overhang microstructure was critical to realize the transition from hydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity, and for such a transition, the sidewall angle should be less than the intrinsic contact angle where a positive free energy barrier could support the liquid/vapor interfaces and separate the Wenzel and Cassie states on such hydrophilic surfaces. Most importantly, it was found that for such hydrophilic surfaces, generally, the free energy of the noncomposite or Wenzel states were lower than that of the composite or Cassie states for those trapezoidal, vertical and inverse-trapezoidal microstructures, implying that once a noncomposite state was formed, it can hardly become a composite state, or in other words, even if superhydrophobic behavior was possible, it could be temporary or unstable.

Free energy variations with contact angle.

[Epidemiological characteristics of imported COVID-19 cases in Tianjin]

Objective: To understand the epidemiological characteristics of imported COVID-19 cases in Tianjin, and provide references for risk assessment and control of imported COVID-19 cases. Methods: The information of imported COVID-19 cases were obtained from National Notifiable Disease Report System of China CDC. The data of imported COVID-19 cases reported from Tianjin airport and epidemiological surveys by CDCs at all levels from March 15, 2020 to August 31, 2021 were collected and analyzed by using software Excel 2010, SPSS 25.0 and R. Results: From March 15, 2020 to August 31, 2021, a total of 606 imported cases of COVID-19 were reported in Tianjin, in which 552 cases were finally included in the analysis. The male to female ratio of the cases was 1.8∶1, the age of the cases ranged from 3 to 77 years, and the cases were mainly reported in age group 20-39 years (59.8%). The areas where the imported case sojourned within 14 days included Europe (242 cases, 43.8%), Africa (139 cases, 25.2%), Americas (85 cases, 15.4%) and Asia (86 cases, 15.6%). The proportion of confirmed cases in autumn and winter was relatively high. During the study period, the proportion of infected persons found in custom entry quarantine decreased, and the proportion of persons with personal health declaration and under medical isolation observation increased. The interval between entry and diagnosis of infected persons tended to increase. Conclusion: The proportion of imported COVID-19 cases detected on the first day of entry at Tianjin airport decreased, and the interval to detect the infected persons trended to increase, to which close attention must be paid.

Functional analysis of a putative Bombyx mori cypovirus miRNA BmCPV-miR-10 and its effect on virus replication

Bombyx mori cypovirus (BmCPV) is an important pathogen of silkworm (B. mori), the economically beneficial insect. The mechanism of its interaction with host immune defence system in the process of infection is still not yet completely clear. Researches have demonstrated that virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNA) play a crucial role in regulating host-pathogen interaction, but few reports are available so far on miRNAs encoded by insect viruses, especially the RNA viruses. In this study, a putative miRNA encoded by the 10th segment of BmCPV genomic RNA, BmCPV-miR-10, was identified and functionally analysed. The expression of the putative BmCPV-miR-10 could be detected via stem-loop RT-PCR (reverse transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction) in the midgut of silkworm larvae infected with BmCPV. BmCSDE1 (B. mori cold shock domain E1 protein) gene was predicted to be a candidate target gene for BmCPV-miR-10 with the miRNA binding site located in 3' untranslated region of its mRNA. The regulation effect of the putative BmCPV-miR-10 on BmCSDE1 was verified in HEK293 cells by lentiviral expression system, in BmN cells by transfecting BmCPV-miR-10 mimics. The qRT-PCR (quantitative real-time PCR) results showed that the putative BmCPV-miR-10 could suppress the expression of BmCSDE1. By injection of BmCPV-miR-10 mimics into the silkworm larvae infected with BmCPV, it was further proved that the putative BmCPV-miR-10 could suppress the expression of BmCSDE1 in vivo, then inhibit the expression of BmApaf-1 (B. mori apoptotic protease activating factor 1), while enhance the replication of BmCPV genomic RNAs to a certain extent. These results implied that the putative BmCPV-miR-10 could down-regulate the expression of BmCSDE1, then suppress the expression of BmApaf-1, thereby created a favourable intracellular environment for virus replication and proliferation.

[A diffusion-weighted image denoising algorithm using HOSVD combined with Rician noise corrected model]

OBJECTIVE

To propose a novel diffusion-weighted (DW) image denoising algorithm based on HOSVD to improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of DW images and the accuracy of subsequent quantization parameters.

METHODS

This HOSVDbased denoising method incorporated the sparse constraint and noise-correction model. The signal expectations with Rician noise were integrated into the traditional HOSVD denoising framework for direct denoising of the DW images with Rician noise. HOSVD denoising was performed directly on each local DW image block to avoid the stripe artifacts. We compared the proposed method with 4 image denoising algorithms (LR + Edge, GL-HOSVD, BM3D and NLM) to verify the effect of the proposed method.

RESULTS

The experimental results showed that the proposed method effectively reduced the noise of DW images while preserving the image details and edge structure information. The proposed algorithm was significantly better than LR +Edge, BM3D and NLM in terms of quantitative metrics of PSNR, SSIM and FA-RMSE and in visual evaluation of denoising images and FA images. GL-HOSVD obtained good denoising results but introduced stripe artifacts at a high noise level during the denoising process. In contrast, the proposed method achieved good denoising results without causing stripe artifacts.

CONCLUSION

This HOSVD-based denoising method allows direct processing of DW images with Rician noise without introducing artifacts and can provide accurate quantitative parameters for diagnostic purposes.

[Analysis of diagnosis, treatment and risk classification of blunt thoracic aortic injury]

Objective: Propose a new risk classification system for blunt thoracic aortic injury and explore its treatment strategies. Methods: After the retrospective analysis of clinical data from 68 patients with blunt thoracic aortic injury in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from November 2016 to October 2020, there were 56 males and 12 females, among these patients, the median age was 45(21-69). According to the degree of aortic injury and the combined injury, the patients were scored for aortic injury, and the risk of the patients were graded into following three types: low-risk group (score ≤ 2 points) 12 cases, intermediate-risk group (3 points ≤ score ≤ 5 points) 41 cases, high-risk group (score ≥ 6 points) 15 cases. Analyzing the effects of treatments received by patients in different grades on the prognosis. Patients were followed up through hospitalization or outpatient clinics at 1, 3, 6, 12 months after surgery and every year thereafter. Results: Of the 68 patients, 21 received non-surgical treatment and 47 received surgical repair, including 6 open surgery and 41 thoracic aortic endovascular repair. There were 16 cases of emergency operation and 31 cases of delayed operation. Twelve low-risk patients were treated with non-surgical treatment, and only 1 patient died of lung infection, with a mortality rate of 8.3% (1/12). There were 8 deaths in 41 moderate-risk patients, with a mortality rate of 19.5% (8/41), and the aortic-related mortality rate was 9.8% (4/41), and the operative mortality rate was 10.8% (4/37). The total mortality of 15 high-risk patients was 40% (6/15), and the aortic-related mortality rate was 30.0% (5/15), and the mortality rate of surgical patients was 10% (1/10). During the follow-up period of 5 to 52 months, no deaths occurred outside the hospital. According to the risk grading, there were significant differences in the aortic-related mortality of each grade (χ²=7.840, P=0.020). During the follow-up of 5-52 months, 1 case had type Ⅰ endoleak, 1 case of cerebral infarction, and 1 case of acute renal failure. Conclusion: According to the patient's degree of aortic injury and combined injury, the risk classification helps to choose the appropriate treatment.

Silence of ATAD2 inhibits proliferation of colorectal carcinoma via the Rb-E2F1 signaling

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to clarify the potential function of ATAD2 (ATPase family, AAA domain containing 2) in regulating proliferative and apoptotic abilities of colorectal carcinoma (CRC).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

ATAD2 levels in CRC specimens and cell lines were detected by quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). Overall survival in CRC patients with high or low level of ATAD2 was assessed by Kaplan-Meier method. The correlation between ATAD2 level and clinical characteristics of CRC patients was analyzed by χ2 test. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were generated to illustrate potential risk factors for the overall survival of CRC. After knockdown of ATAD2 in SW620 cells, relative levels of Cyclin D1, ppRb, pRb, E2F1, Cyclin E and cleaved Caspase 3 were detected by Western blot. Regulatory effects of ATAD2 on viability, clonality, cell cycle distribution, and apoptosis in SW620 and HCT15 cells were examined by a series of functional experiments.

RESULTS

Upregulated ATAD2 in CRC was correlated to tumor size, tumor node metastasis (TNM) staging, and histological classification of CRC. High level of ATAD2 predicted poor prognosis in CRC patients. Cox regression test suggested that ATAD2 level, tumor size, TNM staging and histological classification were independent factors influencing overall survival in CRC. Knockdown of ATAD2 reduced viability and clonality in SW620 and HCT15 cells. In addition, cell cycle was arrested in G1 phase and apoptosis was stimulated in CRC cells with ATAD2 knockdown. In SW620 cells transfected with ATAD2 shRNA, protein levels of Cyclin D1, ppRb, E2F1 and Cyclin E were downregulated, and cleaved Caspase 3 was upregulated.

CONCLUSIONS

ATAD2 is upregulated in CRC tissues and correlated to poor prognosis of CRC patients. It exerts an anti-proliferation role in CRC by arresting cell cycle in G1/S phase and triggering apoptosis via the Rb-E2F1 signaling.

Long noncoding RNA TTN-AS1 promotes the proliferation and migration of prostate cancer by inhibiting miR-1271 level

OBJECTIVE

Prostate cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors. Recently, the role of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in tumor progression has been well concerned by numerous researchers. In this research, lncRNA TTN-AS1 was studied to identify its biological function in the progression of prostate cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Firstly, Real Time-quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) was conducted to measure TTN-AS1 expression in prostate cancer tissues. Furthermore, in vitro role of TTN-AS1 in regulating prostate cancer cells was assessed. Tumor formation assay was conducted in NOD/SCID mice to explore the in vitro function of TTN-AS1. In addition, the luciferase reporter gene assay was performed to analyze the relationship between TTN-AS1 and miR-1271.

RESULTS

TTN-AS1 expression was remarkably higher in prostate cancer samples compared with that of corresponding ones. Moreover, proliferation and migration of prostate cancer cells were inhibited after TTN-AS1 was silenced. MiR-1271 was upregulated after the silence of TTN-AS1. Further mechanism assays showed that miR-1271 was a direct target of TTN-AS1 in prostate cancer. In addition, tumor formation and metastasis abilities were inhibited after in vivo knockdown of TTN-AS1.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study discovers a potential oncogene in prostate cancer and demonstrates that TTN-AS1 enhances cell proliferation and migration via sponging miR-1271.

Functional divergence of white genes in Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata revealed by RNA interference

Henosepilachna vigintioctopunctata is a serious pest of Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae in many Asian countries. RNA interference (RNAi) can effectively reduce transcript abundance in this beetle, offering opportunities to explore the biological function of specific genes. The white gene encodes a half-type ATP-binding cassette transporter that plays an essential role in tryptophan, guanine and uric acid transport across membranes. Mutations that disrupt the function of white are known to cause eye pigmentation phenotypes in many insect species. Here, we found evidence for five white gene paralogues present in H. vigintioctopunctata transcriptome datasets sequenced from a range of developmental stages. We individually knocked down each of the five white genes through the injection of corresponding double-stranded RNAs (dsRNAs) to the fourth-instar larvae to determine whether functional divergence has occurred. We found that injecting 1 μg dswhite3 caused compound eye colour of pupae and adults to develop as red/brown and brown, respectively, compared with black eyes in control beetles. Injection of 2 μg dswhite3 increased RNAi efficacy and produced a clearer eye colour phenotype. At both doses, the ocular diaphragm (a ring of black pigment surrounding each eye) did not change in the white3 RNAi hypomorphs. Moreover, our data revealed that injection of dswhite2 at the fourth-instar larval stage impaired the climbing ability of both male and female adults. Our results confirmed, for the first time, functional divergence of duplicated white genes in an insect species.

A new micro/nano-touch-trigger probe using an optoelectronic sensor with a wedge prism

In this paper, we propose a new touch-trigger probe with high precision and a large permissible measurement range. A wedge prism was used in the sensing unit to achieve 3D detection using only one optoelectronic sensor. The measurement range was expanded from ±8 µm to ±14 µm through the new optical structure. The probe has uniform stiffness and uniform sensitivity. Some experiments were performed to investigate the performance of the probe. It was found that the probe has a resolution of 10 nm and a repeatability of less than 9.1 nm. The applicability of the probe was also verified.

Brain areas associated with clinical and cognitive insight in psychotic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis

In the past years, ample interest in brain abnormalities related to clinical and cognitive insight in psychosis has contributed several neuroimaging studies to the literature. In the current study, published findings on the neural substrates of clinical and cognitive insight in psychosis are integrated by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis. Coordinate-based meta-analyses were performed with the parametric coordinate-based meta-analysis approach, non-coordinate based meta-analyses were conducted with the metafor package in R. Papers that could not be included in the meta-analyses were systematically reviewed. Thirty-seven studies were retrieved, of which 21 studies were included in meta-analyses. Poorer clinical insight was related to smaller whole brain gray and white matter volume and gray matter volume of the frontal gyri. Cognitive insight was predominantly positively associated with structure and function of the hippocampus and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. Impaired clinical insight is not associated with abnormalities of isolated brain regions, but with spatially diffuse global and frontal abnormalities suggesting it might rely on a range of cognitive and self-evaluative processes. Cognitive insight is associated with specific areas and appears to rely more on retrieving and integrating self-related information.

A simple approach to prepare self-assembled, nacre-inspired clay/polymer nanocomposites

Inspired by the relationship between the well-ordered architecture of aragonite crystals and biopolymers found in natural nacre, we present a facile strategy to construct large-scale organic/inorganic nacre-mimetics with hierarchical structure via a water-evaporation driven self-assembly process. We connect LAPONITE®-nanoclay platelets with each other using carboxymethyl cellulose, a cellulose derivative, thus creating thin, flexible films with a local brick-and-mortar architecture. The dried films show a pronounced resistance against tensile forces allowing for stronger thin films than nacre. In terms of functionalities, we report excellent glass-like transparency along with exceptional shape-persistent flame shielding. We also demonstrate that through metal ion-coordination we can further strengthen the interactions between the polymers and the nanoclays, and thus enhanced mechanical, and thermal properties as well as resistance against swelling and dissolution in aqueous environments. We believe that our simple pathway to fabricate such versatile polymer/clay nanocomposites can open avenues for inexpensive production of environmentally friendly, biomimetic materials in aerospace, wearable electrical devices, and in the food packaging industry.

Clinical characteristics of two human-to-human transmitted coronaviruses: Corona Virus Disease 2019 vs. Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

OBJECTIVE

Subsequent to a global outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in 2012, a novel human coronavirus, known as Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused a major disease outbreak. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review to compare epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory features of COVID-19 and MERS-COV populations.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials database to identify potential studies that have reported COVID-19 or MERS-COV disease. Epidemiology, clinical, and laboratory outcomes, intensive care unit (ICU) admission rates, discharge rates, and fatality rates were evaluated using Graph-Pad Prism software.

RESULTS

A total of forty-two studies were included in our research, involving in 4,720 patients (COVID-19 = 2,012, MERS-COV = 2,708). The present study revealed that main clinical manifestations of both COVID-19 and MERS-COV populations are fever, cough and generalized weakness or myalgia, and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is the main complication. The COVID-19 population has a lower rate of ICU admissions, discharges, fatalities, and shorter incubation periods than those of MERS-COV population.

CONCLUSIONS

The main clinical features of both COVID-19 and MERS-COV populations are fever, cough and generalized weakness or myalgia. ARDS is the main complication of both populations. COVID-19 cases have a shorter incubation period and lower rate of ICU admissions, discharges and fatalities compared to MRES-COV population.

Development of an x-ray detector by polycrystalline diamond and its application in Z-pinch x-ray detection

Large-grain-sized polycrystalline diamond films are fabricated by electron assisted chemical vapor deposition. A pure SP3 carbon bond in the cubic lattice structure is confirmed by Raman spectrum analysis. The grain size is on the order of several hundreds of μm or larger. Interlaced-finger electrodes are imprinted onto a 6 × 6 mm² × 500 µm film to fabricate the x-ray detector. The width of every finger is 25 µm, and the distance between nearby fingers is 25 μm. Strong x ray irradiates when a pulsed current flows through a double-layer nested tungsten wire array in the Z-pinch. This diamond detector now works as one of the main x-ray detectors for the Z-pinch device. The diamond detector is calibrated using a plastic scintillator. The comparison between the signal measured by these two methods confirms that the large-grain-sized polycrystalline diamond is a good candidate for the detection of nanosecond pulsed x ray.

Neuroendoscopic lavage for ventriculitis: Case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Ventriculitis, one of the difficulties in neurosurgical treatment, is a significant cause of death and morbidity in patients with hydrocephalus. Neuroendoscopy is widely used in the treatment of non-communicable hydrocephalus. The advantages of neuroendoscopy may play a decisive role in the treatment of ventriculitis.

CASE REPORT AND METHODS

We report a 34-year-old male patient with refractory fever and rapid progressive disturbance of consciousness due to ventriculitis caused by intraventricle rupture in a left colliculus abscess. He received intravenous (IV) antibiotics and saline neuroendoscopic lavage (NEL) combined with septostomy and endoscopic third ventriculostomy leading to rapid recovery and remission of symptoms. We also reviewed the use of NEL for ventriculitis in PubMed from 1970 to January 20, 2019.

RESULTS

In our review, 93 cases (including the present report) were treated with NEL; 91 cases of infection subsided, and 7 patients died.

CONCLUSION

NEL may be an effective method for the treatment of ventriculitis.

[Analysis on monitoring results of occupational hazards in Yangzhou city from 2014 to 2018]

Objective: To undersand the monitor of occupational hazards in the enterprises in the past 5 years, as well as the distribution of occupational disease hazards and their dynamic changes in their respective jurisdictions, for providing scientific basis for prevention and control of occupational diseases in relevant departments. Methods: Taking the method of cluster sampling, select the monitoring results of the occupational disease hazard factors commissioned by the Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention from 2014 to 2018 and the annual monitoring data of the network of the occupational hazard declaration system of the Safety Supervision Bureau, using chi-square test, trend Statistical analysis was performed by chi-square test or Fisher exact probability method. Results: There were 461 testing companies in the past 5 years, with a total of 15, 186 monitoring points and 43428 samples. The pass rate was 94.32% (14324/15186) . The pass rate was increasing year by year from 2014 to 2017 (P<0.05) ; The pass rate of various occupational disease hazards surveillance were greater than 90% except the rate of physical factors. In 2014, the qualified rate of physical factors was the lowest, which was 86.99% (1558/1791) ; the production rate of different production scale enterprises in 2018 was higher than that of 2014. From 2014 to 2018, the number of inspection enterprises and the number of inspection points of the joint-stock economy and state-owned economic enterprises are both high, 58 (10091 points) and 71 (1830 points) respectively; The qualified rate of state-owned economy and collective economy monitoring is high, 98.36% (1800/1830) and 100% (74/74) respectively. It had reached more than 95%; The enterprises tested mainly from the economic development zone and Guangling, respectively accounting for 34.27% (158/461) and 33.84% (156/461) of the total number of enterprises. Which followed by the Hanjiang, accounting for 23.21% of the total number of enterprises (107/461) ; The monitoring enterprises were mainly distributed in the manufacturing and power industries, which accounted for 85.25% (393/461) and 6.07% (28/461) of the total number of enterprises, respectively. Conclusion: The monitoring rate of enterprises had been increasing year by year from 2014 to 2018. Noise was the main disease prevention and controlling factor in the area.In addition, micro-enterprises, individual economy and foreign-invested economy were the key targets for occupational health.

[Epidemiological investigation of 511 adult inpatients with gas burns]

Objective: To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of adult inpatients with gas burns in the Department of Burns of Hwa Mei Hospital of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the author's unit) , so as to provide evidence for the prevention of gas burn. Methods: Medical records of all inpatients with flame burns admitted to the author's unit from January 2011 to December 2017 were collected. The percentage of adult inpatients with gas burns in total inpatients with flame burns in the same period, and their gender, age, injury season, accident place, burn severity, common compound injury, complication, population caliber, education, industry, as well as the pre-injury disease and prognosis of elderly inpatients with gas burns were retrospectively analyzed. In addition, the age, accident place, education, and industry of the floating population in the adult inpatients with gas burns were analyzed separately and compared with the total population of adult inpatients with gas burns in 7 years. Data were processed with chi-square test or Fisher's exact probability test (Monte Carlo algorithm). Results: During the 7 years, 1 490 inpatients with flame burns were admitted to the author's unit, among which 511 were adult inpatients with gas burns, accounting for 34.30%. The number of adult inpatients with gas burns increased gradually during the 7 years, but its percentage in the total inpatients with flame burns during the same period showed no significant difference (χ(2)=7.087, P>0.05). Among the 511 adult inpatients with gas burns (hereinafter referred to as the patients in this group), there were 315 males and 196 females, with a male/female ratio of 1.61 to 1.00, and the middle-aged patients were the most, up to 270 cases, accounting for 52.84%. The distribution of adult inpatients with gas burns during the 7 years was significantly different in gender and age (χ(2)=54.810, 27.832, P<0.01). Among the patients in this group, most were injured in summer, totally 251 cases, accounting for 49.12%, and the accident place was mainly at home, totally 388 cases, accounting for 75.93%. The distribution of adult inpatients with gas burns during the 7 years was significantly different in injury season (χ(2)=42.254, P<0.01), but not in accident place (χ(2)=6.782, P>0.05). The patients in this group were mainly with moderate burns (237 cases, accounting for 46.38%), and the distribution trend of burn severity of adult inpatients with gas burns was basically the same during the 7 years (χ(2)=19.680, P>0.05); 176 patients (34.44%) were accompanied by inhalation injury, and 30 patients (5.87%) were accompanied by blast injury of lung; post injury complications occurred in 20 patients (3.91%). In the elderly inpatients with gas burns, 44.44% (32/72) were accompanied by pre-injury basic diseases, and the proportion of death or unhealed reached 18.06% (13/72). Most of the patients in this group were permanent residents (358 cases, accounting for 70.06%) and received secondary education (304 cases, accounting for 59.49%), and the majority of them were engaged in manufacturing/construction (138 cases, accounting for 27.01%), self-employed business (90 cases, accounting for 17.61%), and catering (90 cases, accounting for 17.61%) industries. The distribution of adult inpatients with gas burns during the 7 years was significantly different in population caliber, education, and occupation (χ(2)=17.496, 29.898, 88.896, P<0.05 or P<0.01). Among the patients of this group, the floating population were mainly young (90 cases, accounting for 58.82%) and middle-aged (62 cases, accounting for 40.52%), with main accident place at home (97 cases, accounting for 63.40%), generally received secondary education (101 cases, accounting for 66.01%), and were mainly engaged in manufacturing/construction (71 cases, accounting for 46.41%), self-employed business (26 cases, accounting for 16.99%), and catering (20 cases, accounting for 13.07%) industries. Compared with the total adult inpatients with gas burns in 7 years, the floating population were younger, more injured in the workplace, and more concentrated in industry (χ(2)=42.924, 9.390, 27.819, P<0.01). Conclusions: Gas burn was the leading injury cause of inpatients with flame burns in the author's unit, which mainly occurred in summer and at home; the patients were mainly male, young and middle-aged, and permanent residents, most of which were with moderate burn, often accompanied by inhalation injury. Most of the patients were of secondary education, engaged in manufacturing/construction, self-employed business, and catering industries, among which the floating population were younger, more injured in the workplace, and more concentrated in industry. In order to prevent gas burn, we should pay more attention to the propaganda and education of gas safety among young and middle-aged men, floating population, retired old people and housewives, especially in summer, we should do a good job in gas safety inspection at home. In addition, we should urge enterprises to further strengthen the supervision of production safety.