[Diagnostic value of whole blood cell parameters logistic regression model for radiation injury on radiation workers]

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of whole blood cell parameters logistic regression model for radiation injury on radiation workers by comparing the differences of whole blood cell parameters between occupational radiation injury population and occupational health examination population. Methods: In February 2023, 184 radiation workers who received occupational health examinations in our hospital and occurrenced chromosome aberration from July 2021 to July 2022 were retrospectively selected as the radiation injury group. And other 184 radiation workers encountered in the same period without chromosome aberration occurrence were selected as the control group. Collected whole blood cell parameters from two groups of research subjects, conducted comparative analysis, constructed a logistic regression model, and evaluated the diagnostic value of the logistic regression model for radiation injury on radiation workers by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under curve (AUC) . In addition, with the same standard, 60 radiation workers with chromosome aberration and 60 radiation workers without chromosome aberration from August 2022 to January 2023 were included in the validation queue to validate the logistic regression model. Results: Neu_X, Neu_Y, Neu_Z, Lym_X, Lym_Y, Lym_Z, Mon_X, Mon_Y, Mon_Z, Micro, MCHC in the radiation injury group were significantly higher than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . And MCV and Macro in the radiation injury group were lower than those in the control group, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05) . Moreover, logistic regression analysis showed that Lym_X, Lym_Y, Lym_Z, MCHC, Micro were all independent risk factors for diagnosing radiation injury on radiation workers (OR=1.08、1.02、0.99、1.06、51.32, P<0.05) . ROC curve analysis showed that the AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the logistic regression model based by Lym_X, Lym_Y, Lym_Z, MCHC and Micro in diagnosing radiation injury on radiation workers were 0.80, 85.9%, 65.8% and 75.9% respectively. The validation queue verified the logistic regression model and the AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the logistic regression model were 0.80, 81.7%, 71.7% and 76.7% respectively, the model fitted well. Conclusion: Radiation damage can cause changes in multiple whole blood cell parameters of radiation workers. The logistic regression model based by Lym_X, Lym_Y, Lym_Z, MCHC and Micro showed good diagnosis ability and can be used for the screening of radiation injury on radiation workers.

[Respiratory virus infection and its influence on outcome in children with septic shock]

Objective: To investigate respiratory virus infection in children with septic shock in pediatric care units (PICU) in China and its influence on clinical outcomes. Methods: The clinical data of children with septic shock in children's PICU from January 2018 to December 2019 in 10 Chinese hospitals were retrospectively collected. They were divided into the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 groups according to the onset of disease, and the characteristics and composition of respiratory virus in the 2 groups were compared. Matching age, malignant underlying diseases, bacteria, fungi and other viruses, a new database was generated using 1∶1 propensity score matching method. The children were divided into the respiratory virus group and non-respiratory virus group according to the presence or absence of respiratory virus infection; their clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and treatment were compared by t-test, rank sum test and Chi-square test. The correlation between respiratory virus infection and the clinical outcomes was analyzed by logistic regression. Results: A total of 1 247 children with septic shock were included in the study, of them 748 were male; the age was 37 (11, 105) months. In the pre-and post-COVID-19 groups, there were 530 and 717 cases of septic shock, respectively; the positive rate of respiratory virus was 14.9% (79 cases) and 9.8% (70 cases); the seasonal distribution of septic shock was 28.9% (153/530) and 25.9% (185/717) in autumn, and 30.3% (161/530) and 28.3% (203/717) in winter, respectively, and the corresponding positive rates of respiratory viruses were 19.6% (30/153) and 15.7% (29/185) in autumn, and 21.1% (34/161) and 15.3% (31/203) in winter, respectively. The positive rates of influenza virus and adenovirus in the post-COVID-19 group were lower than those in the pre-COVID-19 group (2.1% (15/717) vs. 7.5% (40/530), and 0.7% (5/717) vs. 3.2% (17/530), χ2=21.51 and 11.08, respectively; all P<0.05). Rhinovirus virus were higher than those in the pre-Covid-19 group (1.7% (12/717) vs. 0.2% (1/530), χ2=6.51, P=0.011). After propensity score matching, there were 147 cases in both the respiratory virus group and the non-respiratory virus group. Rate of respiratory failure, acute respiratory distress, rate of disseminated coagulation dysfunction, and immunoglobulin usage of the respiratory virus group were higher than those of non-respiratory virus group (77.6% (114/147) vs. 59.2% (87/147), 17.7% (26/147) vs. 4.1% (6/147), 15.6% (25/147) vs. 4.1% (7/147), and 35.4% (52/147) vs. 21.4% (32/147); χ2=11.07, 14.02, 11.06 and 6.67, all P<0.05); and PICU hospitalization of the former was longer than that of the later (7 (3, 16) vs. 3 (1, 7)d, Z=5.01, P<0.001). Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of respiratory viral infection was associated with respiratory failure, disseminated coagulation dysfunction, the use of mechanical ventilation, and the use of immunoglobulin and anti-respiratory viral drugs (OR=2.42, 0.22, 0.25, 0.56 and 1.12, all P<0.05). Conclusions: The composition of respiratory virus infection in children with septic shock is different between pre and post-COVID-19. Respiratory viral infection is associated with organ dysfunction in children with septic shock. Decreasing respiratory viral infection through respiratory protection may improve the clinical outcome of these children.

[Expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 and clinicopathological and immunological characteristics in fumarate hydratase-deficient renal cell carcinoma]

Objective: To investigate the expression of programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1), clinicopathologic features, immunohistochemical expression and molecular characteristics in fumarate hydratase (FH)-deficient renal cell carcinoma and to explore the potential application of immunotherapy in the patients. Methods: There were six patients with FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University between January 2020 and October 2022. The clinical data, histological morphology, immunophenotype, PD-L1 expression and next-generation sequencing results were tabulated and analyzed. Results: There were 6 patients, all male, age ranged from 37 to 72 years (mean 45.7 years). Four cases were high-grade (WHO/ISUP grade3-4) with 2 or more histologic patterns, including papillary (most common), glandular, tubular, vesicular, ethmoid, nest-like, cystic and solid structures. Two cases were low-grade which showed nest-like, glandular, or tubular arrangement with eosinophilic flocculent cytoplasm and small intracellular vacuoles. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed strong expression of 2SC in all 6 cases, negative expression of FH in 5 cases, and positive expression of GATA3 in 5 cases. In high-grade cases, the mean values of CD4 and CD8 positive T-lymphocytes in advanced tumor invasion were 180.3/mm2 and 130.5/mm2, respectively. PD-L1 combined positive scores (CPS) were 20, 50, 5 and 30, respectively. The Ki-67 proliferative index were 20%, 20%, 10% and 30%, respectively. In low-grade cases, the mean values of CD4 and CD8 positive T-lymphocytes were 123.0/mm2 and 100.5/mm2, respectively. The PD-L1 CPS score was 1, and the Ki-67 proliferation index was 3%. High-throughput sequencing showed FH gene somatic mutation in 3 cases, FH gene germline mutation in 2 cases, and FH gene mutation was not detected in one case. Conclusion: FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma is more commonly high-grade than low grade. FH and 2SC are immunohistochemical markers used in the diagnosis of FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma, and GATA3 positivity is supportive of the diagnosis. The tumor infiltration of high-grade FH-deficient renal cell carcinoma shows an increase in CD4 and CD8 positive T-lymphocytes, and high expression of PD-L1; thus, anti-PD-L1 immunotherapy can be used as a treatment option.

[Seroepidemiological analysis of hepatitis B virus infection among adolescents aged 0-14 years in Henan Province and preliminary evaluation of the effectiveness of childhood hepatitis B vaccine immunization program]

Objective: To analyze the seroepidemiological characteristics of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection among adolescents aged 0-14 years in Henan Province and to evaluate the effectiveness of the childhood hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) immunization program. Methods: From September 2021 to March 2022, a total of 4 883 adolescents aged 0-14 years were selected from 25 villages or communities of 18 provincial-level cities in Henan Province by using the multi-stage random cluster sampling method. Demographic data were collected through questionnaires. The 3 ml of blood samples were collected from individuals aged 0-4 years and 5 ml of blood samples were collected from individuals aged 5-14 years to test HBsAg, HBcAb and HBsAb. Data on vaccination were collected through Henan Provincial Immunization Information System and hepatitis B cases in Henan Province were collected through China Infectious Disease Reporting System. The effectiveness of the childhood HepB immunization program was analyzed. Results: The average age of 4 883 subjects was (7.32±2.81) years old. The positive rates of HBsAg and HBcAb were 0.1% (7/4 883) and 1.0% (50/4 883), and the population standardized rates were 0.3% and 1.7%. In 2002, the positive rate of HBsAg among adolescents aged 0-14 years in Henan Province was 3.39%. Compared with that in 2002, the number of chronic HBV infections among adolescents in Henan Province in 2022 decreased by about 0.7 million. In 2002, the vaccination rate of newborns who completed all three doses of vaccine was 6.26%. In 2003, the vaccination rate of the hepatitis B vaccine rose rapidly, reaching 90% in 2013 for the first time. After 2014, the vaccination rate in Henan Province continued to remain above 95%. The proportion of cases among children aged 1-4 years in clinical reports decreased from 0.43% (1 108/256 566) in 2006 to 0.01% (78/80 655) in 2021. The proportion of cases among adolescents aged 5-19 years decreased from 18.21% (46 710/256 566) in 2006 to 1.1% (827/80 655) in 2021. Conclusions: From 2002 to 2022, the positive rate of HBsAg among adolescents aged 0-14 years has decreased significantly in Henan Province. The effectiveness of the HepB immunization program for children is good.

[Immunogenicity, safety and immune persistence of the sequential booster with the recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine (CHO cell) in healthy people aged 18-84 years]

Objective: To evaluate the immunogenicity, safety, and immune persistence of the sequential booster with the recombinant protein-based COVID-19 vaccine (CHO cell) in healthy people aged 18-84 years. Methods: An open-label, multi-center trial was conducted in October 2021. The eligible healthy individuals, aged 18-84 years who had completed primary immunization with the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine 3 to 9 months before, were recruited from Shangyu district of Shaoxing and Kaihua county of Quzhou, Zhejiang province. All participants were divided into three groups based on the differences in prime-boost intervals: Group A (3-4 months), Group B (5-6 months) and Group C (7-9 months), with 320 persons per group. All participants received the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO cell). Blood samples were collected before the vaccination and after receiving the booster at 14 days, 30 days, and 180 days for analysis of GMTs, antibody positivity rates, and seroconversion rates. All adverse events were collected within one month and serious adverse events were collected within six months. The incidences of adverse reactions were analyzed after the booster. Results: The age of 960 participants was (52.3±11.5) years old, and 47.4% were males (455). The GMTs of Groups B and C were 65.26 (54.51-78.12) and 60.97 (50.61-73.45) at 14 days after the booster, both higher than Group A's 44.79 (36.94-54.30) (P value<0.05). The GMTs of Groups B and C were 23.95 (20.18-28.42) and 27.98 (23.45-33.39) at 30 days after the booster, both higher than Group A's 15.71 (13.24-18.63) (P value <0.05). At 14 days after the booster, the antibody positivity rates in Groups A, B, and C were 91.69% (276/301), 94.38% (302/320), and 93.95% (295/314), respectively. The seroconversion rates in the three groups were 90.37% (272/301), 93.75% (300/320), and 93.31% (293/314), respectively. There was no significant difference among these rates in the three groups (all P values >0.05). At 30 days after the booster, antibody positivity rates in Groups A, B, and C were 79.60% (238/299), 87.74% (279/318), and 90.48% (285/315), respectively. The seroconversion rates in the three groups were 76.92% (230/299), 85.85% (273/318), and 88.25% (278/315), respectively. There was a significant difference among these rates in the three groups (all P values <0.001). During the sequential booster immunization, the incidence of adverse events in 960 participants was 15.31% (147/960), with rates of about 14.38% (46/320), 17.50% (56/320), and 14.06% (45/320) in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. The incidence of adverse reactions was 8.02% (77/960), with rates of about 7.50% (24/320), 6.88% (22/320), and 9.69% (31/320) in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. No serious adverse events related to the booster were reported. Conclusion: Healthy individuals aged 18-84 years, who had completed primary immunization with the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine 3 to 9 months before, have good immunogenicity and safety profiles following the sequential booster with the recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (CHO cell).

[Summary of experience with patterning cropped and shaped mesh repair for perineal hernia after abdominoperineal excision in rectal cancer]

Objective: To examine the patterning cropped and shaped mesh repair for perineal hernia after abdominoperineal excision (APE) in rectal cancer. Methods: The clinical data of 8 patients with perineal hernia after APE who accepted surgical treatment in the Department of Hepatopancreatobiliary and Hernia Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from March 2017 to December 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 3 males and 5 females, aged (67.6±7.2) years (range: 56 to 76 years). Eight patients developed a perineal mass at (11.3±2.9) months (range: 5 to 13 months) after APE. After surgical separation of adhesion and exposing the pelvic floor defect, a 15 cm×20 cm anti-adhesion mesh was fashioned as a three-dimensional pocket shape to fit the pelvic defect, then fixed to the promontory or sacrum and sutured to the pelvic sidewalls and the anterior peritoneum, while two side slender slings were tailored in front of the mesh and fixed on the pectineal ligament. Results: The repair of their perineal hernias went well, with an operating time of (240.6±48.8) minutes (range: 155 to 300 minutes). Five patients underwent laparotomy, 3 patients tried laparoscopic surgery first and then transferred to laparotomy combined with the perineal approach. Intraoperative bowel injury was observed in 3 patients. All patients did not have an intestinal fistula, bleeding occurred. No reoperation was performed and their preoperative symptoms improved significantly. The postoperative hospital stay was (13.5±2.9) days (range: 7 to 17 days) and two patients had postoperative ileus, which improved after conservative treatment. Two patients had a postoperative perineal hernia sac effusion, one of them underwent placement of a tube to puncture the hernia sac effusion due to infection, and continued irrigation and drainage. The postoperative follow-up was (34.8±14.0) months (range: 13 to 48 months), and 1 patient developed recurrence in the seventh postoperative month, no further surgery was performed. Conclusions: Surgical repair of the perineal hernia after APE can be preferred transabdominal approach, routine application of laparoscopy is not recommended, combined abdominoperineal approach can be considered if necessary. The perineal hernia after APE can be repaired safely and effectively using the described technique of patterning cropped and shaped mesh repair.

Neural network based integration of assays to assess pathogenic potential

Limited data significantly hinders our capability of biothreat assessment of novel bacterial strains. Integration of data from additional sources that can provide context about the strain can address this challenge. Datasets from different sources, however, are generated with a specific objective and which makes integration challenging. Here, we developed a deep learning-based approach called the neural network embedding model (NNEM) that integrates data from conventional assays designed to classify species with new assays that interrogate hallmarks of pathogenicity for biothreat assessment. We used a dataset of metabolic characteristics from a de-identified set of known bacterial strains that the Special Bacteriology Reference Laboratory (SBRL) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has curated for use in species identification. The NNEM transformed results from SBRL assays into vectors to supplement unrelated pathogenicity assays from de-identified microbes. The enrichment resulted in a significant improvement in accuracy of 9% for biothreat. Importantly, the dataset used in our analysis is large, but noisy. Therefore, the performance of our system is expected to improve as additional types of pathogenicity assays are developed and deployed. The proposed NNEM strategy thus provides a generalizable framework for enrichment of datasets with previously collected assays indicative of species.

[Investigate of the etiology and prevention status of liver cirrhosis]

Objective: To investigate the etiology, prevention and treatment status, and their corresponding regional differences of the patients with liver cirrhosis in China, in order to provide scientific basis for the development of diagnosis and control strategies in China. Methods: Clinical data of patients diagnosed with liver cirrhosis for the first time through January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020 from 50 hospitals in seven different regions of China were collected and analyzed retrospectively, and the difference of etiology, treatment, and their differences in various regions were analyzed. Results: A total of 11 861 cases with liver cirrhosis were included in the study. Thereinto, 5 093 cases (42.94%) were diagnosed as compensated cirrhosis, and 6 768 cases (57.06%) had decompensated cirrhosis. Notably, 8 439 cases (71.15%) were determined as chronic hepatitis B-caused cirrhosis, 1 337 cases (11.27%) were alcoholic liver disease, 963 cases (8.12%) were chronic hepatitis C, 698 cases (5.88%) were autoimmune liver disease, 367 cases (3.09%) were schistosomiasis, 177 cases (1.49%) were nonalcoholic fatty liver, and 743 cases (6.26%) of other types of liver disease. There were significant differences in the incidence of chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C, alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver, schistosomiasis liver disease, and autoimmune liver disease among the seven regions (P<0.001). Only 1 139 cases (9.60%) underwent endoscopic therapy, thereinto, 718 cases (6.05%) underwent surgical therapy, and 456 cases (3.84%) underwent interventional therapy treatment. In patients with compensated liver cirrhosis, 60 cases (0.51%) underwent non-selective β receptor blockers(NSBB), including 59 cases (0.50%) underwent propranolol and 1 case (0.01%) underwent carvedilol treatment. In patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis, 310 cases (2.61%) underwent NSBB treatment, including 303 cases (2.55%) underwent propranolol treatment and 7 cases (0.06%) underwent carvedilol treatment. Interestingly, there were significant differences in receiving endoscopic therapy, interventional therapy, NSBB therapy, splenectomy and other surgical treatments among the seven regions (P<0.001). Conclusion: Currently, chronic hepatitis B is the main cause (71.15%) of liver cirrhosis in several regions of China, and alcoholic liver disease has become the second cause (11.27%) of liver cirrhosis in China. The three-level prevention and control of cirrhosis in China should be further strengthened.

[Characteristics of daytime napping and its correlation with chronic diseases in Chinese adults]

Objective: To describe the prevalence of daytime nap habit in participants of the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study, across 10 study regions and explore its correlation with prevalence of major chronic diseases. Methods: Participants with a self-reported pre-diagnosis of any cancer at baseline survey were excluded. Logistic regression models were used to analyze the differences in study regions and age distribution of the prevalence daytime nap habit, and its correlation with the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and chronic liver diseases. Results: Among 510 145 participants, 39.9% had daytime nap habit in summer and 20.8% had daytime nap habit all the year round. Urban-rural differences were observed in the prevalence of summer nap habit and perennial nap habit. Daytime nap in summer was common in rural areas and Suzhou, with prevalence ranged from 32.9% to 73.3%. Haikou and Liuzhou had higher prevalence of perennial nap (60.4% and 63.3%). The proportion of people with daytime nap habit all the year round increased with age (P for trend <0.001), the proportion was highest in those aged 70- years (31.9%). Daytime nap habit in summer was positively correlated with the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, CHD and chronic liver disease with OR of 1.10 (95%CI: 1.07-1.14), 1.03 (95%CI:1.02-1.05), 1.07 (95%CI: 1.02-1.12) and 1.07 (95%CI:1.00-1.14), respectively. Daytime nap habit all the year round was positively correlated with the prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, CHD, stroke, COPD and chronic liver disease with OR of 1.33 (95%CI: 1.29-1.37), 1.11 (95%CI: 1.09-1.13), 1.39 (95%CI: 1.33-1.45), 1.33 (95%CI: 1.26-1.41), 1.12 (95%CI: 1.08-1.16) and 1.27 (95%CI:1.18-1.37) respectively. Conclusion: There were regional and age differences in prevalence of daytime nap habit among CKB participants. Daytime nap habit, especially daytime nap habit all the year round, was positively correlated with the prevalence of major chronic diseases.

[The surveillance analysis of the adverse events following immunization of the domestic 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine in Zhejiang Province]

To evaluate the safety of the domestic 13-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine-tetanus toxoid protein (PCV13-TT) after its licensure. The adverse event following immunization (AEFI) and the vaccination data of PCV13-TT in Zhejiang province from July 2020 to October 2021 were collected from national adverse event following immunization surveillance system and Zhejiang provincial immunization information system. Descriptive epidemiological method was used for this analysis. From July 2020 to October 2021, 302 317 doses of PCV13-TT were administered in children under 6 years old in Zhejiang Province and 636 AEFI case reports were received, with a reporting rate of 21.04 per 10 000 doses. Of these AEFI cases, 97.17% were mild vaccine product-related reaction (20.54 per 10 000 doses) and 95.44% occurred in the 0-1 d after vaccination (20.08 per 10 000 doses). The most common clinical diagnoses of AEFI included fever (224 cases), redness (204 cases), and induration (190 cases), while allergic rash (11 cases) was the most common diagnosis among the abnormal reactions. In conclusion,the present results bolstered that the domestic PCV13-TT was generally well tolerated in children under 6 years old in Zhejiang Province.

[Correlation between sleep status and frailty in adults aged 30-79 years in China]

Objective: To explore the correlation between sleep status and frailty in adults aged 30-79 years in China, and explore the potential effect modification of general and central obesity. Methods: Based on the baseline data of the China Kadoorie Biobank, we used multinomial logistic regression to analyze the correlation between long and short sleep duration, insomnia disorder, snoring, and unhealthy sleep score with risks of pre-frailty and frailty. Both overall and obesity-stratified analyses were performed. Result: Among the 512 724 participants, 2.3% had frailty and 40.1% had pre-frailty. There was a U-shaped relationship between sleep duration and frailty score. Short (OR=1.21, 95%CI: 1.19-1.23) or long sleep duration (OR=1.19, 95%CI: 1.17-1.21), insomnia disorder (OR=2.09, 95%CI: 2.02-2.17), and snoring (OR=1.61, 95%CI: 1.59-1.63) were all positively correlated with pre-frailty, and dose-response relationships were observed between unhealthy sleep score and pre-frailty (P for trend<0.001), with OR values of 1.46 (1.44-1.48), 1.97 (1.93-2.00) and 3.43 (3.21-3.67) respectively for those having unhealthy sleep score of 1 to 3. These sleep problems were also positively correlated with frailty. Compared with the overweight or obesity group, stronger relationships were observed between short sleep duration and frailty or pre-frailty and between insomnia disorder and pre-frailty, while the relationships between snoring and frailty and pre-frailty were weaker in the participants with normal weight (P for interaction <0.007 for all). We also observed similar effect modification by central obesity. Conclusion: Long or short sleep duration, insomnia disorder, snoring and higher unhealthy sleep scores were positively correlated with pre-frailty or frailty, general and central obesity status could modify the relationships.

A toolkit for enhanced reproducibility of RNASeq analysis for synthetic biologists

Sequencing technologies, in particular RNASeq, have become critical tools in the design, build, test and learn cycle of synthetic biology. They provide a better understanding of synthetic designs, and they help identify ways to improve and select designs. While these data are beneficial to design, their collection and analysis is a complex, multistep process that has implications on both discovery and reproducibility of experiments. Additionally, tool parameters, experimental metadata, normalization of data and standardization of file formats present challenges that are computationally intensive. This calls for high-throughput pipelines expressly designed to handle the combinatorial and longitudinal nature of synthetic biology. In this paper, we present a pipeline to maximize the analytical reproducibility of RNASeq for synthetic biologists. We also explore the impact of reproducibility on the validation of machine learning models. We present the design of a pipeline that combines traditional RNASeq data processing tools with structured metadata tracking to allow for the exploration of the combinatorial design in a high-throughput and reproducible manner. We then demonstrate utility via two different experiments: a control comparison experiment and a machine learning model experiment. The first experiment compares datasets collected from identical biological controls across multiple days for two different organisms. It shows that a reproducible experimental protocol for one organism does not guarantee reproducibility in another. The second experiment quantifies the differences in experimental runs from multiple perspectives. It shows that the lack of reproducibility from these different perspectives can place an upper bound on the validation of machine learning models trained on RNASeq data.

Graphical Abstract

Antibody therapy reverses biological signatures of COVID-19 progression

Understanding who is at risk of progression to severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is key to clinical decision making and effective treatment. We study correlates of disease severity in the COMET-ICE clinical trial that randomized 1:1 to placebo or to sotrovimab, a monoclonal antibody for the treatment of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (ClinicalTrials.gov04545060). Laboratory parameters identify study participants at greater risk of severe disease, including a high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a negative SARS-CoV-2 serologic test, and whole-blood transcriptome profiles. Sotrovimab treatment is associated with normalization of NLR and the transcriptomic profile and with a decrease of viral RNA in nasopharyngeal samples. Transcriptomics provides the most sensitive detection of participants who would go on to be hospitalized or die. To facilitate timely measurement, we identify a 10-gene signature with similar predictive accuracy. We identify markers of risk for disease progression and demonstrate that normalization of these parameters occurs with antibody treatment of established infection.

[Spicy food consumption and risk of lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancers: a prospective cohort study of Chinese adults]

Objective: To explore the association of spicy food consumption and risk of lip, oral cavity, and pharynx cancers (LOCPs) in Chinese adults. Methods: Based on the baseline survey and long-term follow-up of the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) study, Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for associations between spicy food consumption and LOCPs incidence. Results: Of the 510 145 participants included at baseline, 30.1% reported daily spicy food consumption. During a mean follow-up of 10.8 (2.0) years, we documented 767 LOCPs cases. Multivariate adjusted analyses showed that the risk of LOCPs incidence decreased with the frequency of spicy food intake (trend P=0.003), with HR of 0.69 (95%CI:0.54-0.88) for daily spicy food consumers, compared with never or occasional consumers. Participants who preferred moderate pungency degrees had the lowest risk of LOCPs, with a 33%[0.67(95%CI:0.52-0.87)] reduced risk compared to those who consumed spicy food less than once per week. The later the starting age, the lower the risk (trend P=0.004). Those who started eating spicy food after 18 years old had the lowest risk of LOCPs incidence, with adjusted HR (95%CI) of 0.70(0.54-0.92). Conclusions: Spicy food intake might be associated with a decreased risk of LOCPs incidence. Such association was independent of healthy lifestyles. Advocating moderate-pungency spicy food consumption and healthy lifestyles might help prevent LOCPs.

Dietary chitooligosaccharide supplementation alleviates intestinal barrier damage, and oxidative and immunological stress in lipopolysaccharide-challenged laying hens

This study aimed to investigate the effects of chitooligosaccharide (COS) on intestinal barrier, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged laying hens. A total of 360 Hy-line Brown laying hens (80-wk-old) were randomly divided into 5 groups with 6 replicates of 12 birds. Hens were fed a corn-soybean meal basal diet supplemented with different COS levels (0; 5; 10; 15; 20 mg/kg) for 8 wk. The results showed that 15 mg/kg COS administration elevated albumen height and Haugh unit (P < 0.05), and numerically optimized productive performance (P > 0.05), therefore, the dosage of 15 mg/kg was chosen for the subsequent experiment. Thereafter, 12 birds from non-supplemented group were randomly selected and assigned into 2 groups, and birds in each group were administered (1.5 mg/kg BW, i.p.) with saline (control group) or LPS (challenge group). Another 6 hens from 15 mg/kg COS-supplemented group were selected and injected with LPS in the same way. Compared with the control group, LPS-challenged birds exhibited elevated circulating diamine oxidase activity, and reduced jejunal villus height and ratio of villus height to crypt depth, and these indices were reversed to control levels by COS (P < 0.05). Also, LPS increased malondialdehyde accumulation and reduced several antioxidant enzyme activities in the intestinal mucosa (P < 0.05). Additionally, LPS increased jejunal secretory IgA and interferon-γ (IFN-γ), and ileal secretory IgA, IgM, and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) concentrations, whereas COS reduced jejunal IFN-γ and IL-1β, and ileal IgM levels (P < 0.05). Moreover, LPS down-regulated mRNA abundance of jejunal occludin and claudin 2, and upregulated expression of jejunal nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2, superoxide dismutase 1, and IFN-γ as well as ileal IL-1β (P < 0.05). Besides, COS increased jejunal occludin and ileal claudin 2, nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2, and heme oxygenase-1 expression, and decreased jejunal IFN-γ and IL-1β abundance (P < 0.05). These results suggested that COS could alleviate LPS-induced intestinal barrier impairment, and oxidative and immunological stress in laying hens.

RNA Solutions: Synthesizing Information to Support Transcriptomics (RNASSIST)

MOTIVATION

Transcriptomics is a common approach to identify changes in gene expression induced by a disease state. Standard transcriptomic analyses consider differentially expressed genes (DEGs) as indicative of disease states so only a few genes would be treated as signals when the effect size is small, such as in brain tissue. For tissue with small effect sizes, if the DEGs do not belong to a pathway known to be involved in the disease, there would be little left in the transcriptome for researchers to follow up with.

RESULTS

We developed RNA Solutions: Synthesizing Information to Support Transcriptomics (RNASSIST), a new approach to identify hidden signals in transcriptomic data by linking differential expression and co-expression networks using machine learning. We applied our approach to RNA-seq data of post-mortem brains that compared the Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) group with the control group. Many of the candidate genes are not differentially expressed so would likely be ignored by standard transcriptomic analysis pipelines. Through multiple validation strategies, we concluded that these RNASSIST-identified genes likely play a significant role in AUD.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION

The RNASSIST algorithm is available at https://github.com/netrias/rnassist and both the software and the data used in RNASSIST are available at https://figshare.com/articles/software/RNAssist_Software_and_Data/16617250.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Age-related changes in liver metabolism and antioxidant capacity of laying hens

This study aimed to investigate the age-related changes of hepatic metabolism and antioxidant capacity of laying hens at 3 different ages. A total of 192 Hy-line Brown laying hens were assigned into 3 groups: 1) 195-day-old (D195 group); 2) 340-day-old (D340 group); 3) 525-day-old (D525 group). Each group replicated 8 times with 8 hens at the same age. Higher activity of aspartate aminotransferase and lower contents of total protein and globulin were observed in the serum of 525-day-old hens in comparison with their 195-day-old counterparts (P < 0.05). The 525-day-old hens accumulated higher contents of total cholesterol and triglyceride in the liver than 195-day-old birds. Additionally, compared with hens from D195 or D340 group, 525-day-old birds exhibited a lower circulating estradiol level (P < 0.05). For antioxidant capacity, birds in the D525 group showed a higher malondialdehyde concentration in both serum and liver as compared with D195 or D340 group (P < 0.05). The 525-day-old hens also exhibited lower glutathione peroxidase activities in both serum and liver when compared with 195-day-old birds (P < 0.05). Simultaneously, there was a decline of hepatic superoxide dismutase activity in the D525 group in comparison with D195 group (P < 0.05). Compared with 195-day-old counterparts, 340-day-old birds upregulated the mRNA abundance of nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 and glutathione peroxidase 1 in the liver (P < 0.05). In contrast, hens from D525 group showed the downregulation of hepatic nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1, and superoxide dismutase 1 when compared with D340 group (P < 0.05). These results indicated that increasing age can adversely affect liver metabolism and function of laying hens.

Genome-Wide Transcription Factor DNA Binding Sites and Gene Regulatory Networks in Clostridium thermocellum

Clostridium thermocellum is a thermophilic bacterium recognized for its natural ability to effectively deconstruct cellulosic biomass. While there is a large body of studies on the genetic engineering of this bacterium and its physiology to-date, there is limited knowledge in the transcriptional regulation in this organism and thermophilic bacteria in general. The study herein is the first report of a large-scale application of DNA-affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq) to transcription factors (TFs) from a bacterium. We applied DAP-seq to > 90 TFs in C. thermocellum and detected genome-wide binding sites for 11 of them. We then compiled and aligned DNA binding sequences from these TFs to deduce the primary DNA-binding sequence motifs for each TF. These binding motifs are further validated with electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and are used to identify individual TFs’ regulatory targets in C. thermocellum. Our results led to the discovery of novel, uncharacterized TFs as well as homologues of previously studied TFs including RexA-, LexA-, and LacI-type TFs. We then used these data to reconstruct gene regulatory networks for the 11 TFs individually, which resulted in a global network encompassing the TFs with some interconnections. As gene regulation governs and constrains how bacteria behave, our findings shed light on the roles of TFs delineated by their regulons, and potentially provides a means to enable rational, advanced genetic engineering of C. thermocellum and other organisms alike toward a desired phenotype.

[Mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in central nervous system: a clinicopathological analysis]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features of central nervous system (CNS) mesenchymal chondrosarcoma (MCS). Methods: Nine cases of CNS MCS were collected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from September 2010 to September 2020. The clinical,imaging,histopathological and immunohistochemical features were reviewed. NCOA2 gene rearrangement was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Results: There were three male and six female patients, with age range of 1 to 59 years (median 31 years). Six cases were intracranial and three cases were intraspinal, and the tumors showed dural attachment. They were often diagnosed as meningioma basing on preoperative imaging. Microscopically, the tumors showed a characteristic biphasic histologic pattern composed of undifferentiated mesenchymal small cells and well-differentiated hyaline cartilage islands. The small cells area were positive for SOX9 (9/9), CD99 (8/9), and without BRG1 and INI1 deletion. The cartilaginous component expressed SOX9 (9/9) and S-100 protein (8/9). NCOA2 gene break apart signal was identified in five cases (5/5). Eight patients were followed up for 4-124 months. Three patients (3/8) had recurrences within one year and two patients died of the tumor. Conclusions: CNS MCS is an extremely rare malignant neoplasm with a propensity to dural involvement. Preoperative imaging has low diagnostic accuracy. CNS MCS should be differentiated from other CNS small round cell tumors and chondrosarcoma. FISH detection of NCOA2 gene rearrangement will assist the diagnosis of MCS.

[Self-rated health measures and their relations to all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in adults from 10 regions of China]

Objective: To examine the association between self-rated health status (SRH) and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Methods: A total of 512 713 adults aged 30-79 years from 10 areas of China were followed from baseline (2004-2008) until 31 December 2016 in the China Kadoorie Biobank study. Global and age-comparative SRH [general self-rated health status (GSRH) and age-comparative self-rated health status (ASRH), respectively] were asked in baseline questionnaires. Causes for mortality were monitored through linkage with established Disease Surveillance Point system and health insurance records. Multivariable Cox proportional regression models were used to estimate the HRs and 95%CIs for the association between SRH measures and all-cause or cardiovascular mortality. Results: During an average of 9.9 years' follow-up, 44 065 deaths were recorded, among which 17 648 were from cardiovascular disease. Compared with excellent GSRH, the HR(95%CI) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality associated with poor GSRH was 1.84(1.78-1.91) and 1.94(1.82-2.06), respectively. Relative to better ASRH, the HR(95%CI) for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality associated with worse ASRH was 1.75(1.70-1.81) and 1.83(1.73-1.92), respectively. Conclusion: In this large prospective cohort study in China, participants reporting poor GSRH or worse ASRH had significantly higher risk of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality.

[Clinicopathological features of adenocarcinoma of the rete testis]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, and differential diagnosis of adenocarcinoma of the rete testis. Methods: Four adenocarcinoma cases of the rete testis diagnosed at West China Hospital, Chengdu, China (3 cases, including 2 consultation cases) and the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China (1 case) between January 2009 and December 2017 were included. Their clinical, morphologic and immunohistochemical features were analyzed using histological analysis and immunohistochemical staining. Related literature was reviewed to reveal the characteristics of this tumor. Results: The 4 patients' age range was 26-64 years. The maximum diameters of the tumors were 3.0 and 4.5 cm in 2 cases, respectively. On gross examination, adenocarcinomas of the rete testis appeared as a solid, white to gray or tan to yellow mass that raised at the hilum of the testis. Microscopically, all tumors showed multiple histologic patterns, including corded/trabecular (4/4), glandular, nested, sarcomatoid (3/4), solid (2/4), papillary, cribriform, and slit-like (1/4). Three types of adenocarcinoma cells included cuboidal to columnar (4/4), polygonal (4/4) and spindle-shaped (2/4) with pale eosinophilic and clear cytoplasm. The tumor cell nuclei appeared moderately to markedly atypical and pleomorphic, with a various number of mitoses. Transition from benign to malignant rete epithelium was seen in all cases. Eosinophilic hyaloid globules were found in 1 case. On immunohistochemical study, the tumor cells were diffusely, strongly positive for CKpan (4/4), EMA (4/4), Ber-EP4 (3/3) and CAⅨ(2/2), and focally positive for CK7 (4/4), vimentin (4/4), CD10 (4/4), PAX8 (3/3), PAX2 (3/3). The Ki-67 proliferative index was all>50% (4/4). The prognosis was poor. Two of the 3 patients died within 1 year after the surgical resection. Conclusions: Adenocarcinoma of the rete testis is a rare malignant tumor with several histologic patterns. Transition from benign to malignant rete epithelium is an important diagnostic clue. Detailed clinical history, tumor growth site and immunohistochemistry are helpful for its diagnosis and differential diagnosis.

A comparison of intestinal integrity, digestive function, and egg quality in laying hens with different ages

Intestinal integrity, digestive enzyme activity, nutrient utilization, and egg quality of laying hens at different ages were evaluated and compared in this study. A total of 192 Hy-line Brown laying hens at 195-d-old (D195 group), 340-d-old (D340 group), and 525-d-old (D525 group) were allocated into one of 3 groups in accordance with their ages. Each group had 8 replicates of 8 birds each, and all birds were fed a maize-soybean meal basal diet for a 2-wk experiment. Compared with the D195 group, intestinal villus height and ratio of villus height to crypt depth, as well as serum D-lactate content increased in the D525 group (P < 0.05). The sucrase and maltase activities in the jejunal mucosa, amylase activity in the pancreas, and trypsin activity in the jejunal chyme of 525-d-old hens were lower than their 195-d-old counterparts (P < 0.05). In addition, there was a decline of trypsin and lipase activities in the ileal chyme of hens from D525 group in comparison with D195 or D340 group (P < 0.05). Apparent retention of dry matter and crude protein of birds in D340 and D525 group decreased when compared with the D195 group (P < 0.05). Moreover, birds in the D525 group exhibited a lower level of ether extract retention, and higher contents of several excreted amino acids than those in the D195 group (P < 0.05). Compared with the D195 group, eggs harvested from D525 group exhibited lower albumen height, eggshell strength and thickness, and a higher egg weight (P < 0.05). In conclusion, increased intestinal permeability (higher serum D-lactate content), compromised digestive function (lower digestive enzyme activities and apparent nutrient retention, and higher concentrations of excreted amino acids), and poor egg quality (lower albumen height, eggshell strength, and thickness) were observed with increasing age in the laying hens.

[Clinical characteristics and outcome of pregnant patients with myasthenia gravis]

Objective: To study the clinical characteristics of pregnant patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) and the influence of MG to pregnancy. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted including 28 MG patients with 38 pregnancies admitted to the 8th Medical Center of PLA General Hospital between January 2013 and October 2018. Data were collected including clinical scores of MG, serum level of acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies, abnormal repetitive nerve stimulation (RNS) and history of thymectomy before pregnancy. The course of pregnancy, delivery and neonatal outcome were also analyzed. According the outcome of MG, patients were divided into three groups, i.e. improvement group, stable group and deterioration group. Results: (1) The age of MG patients ranged from 21 to 36 (27±4) years. The previous course of MG was 0.5-17.2 (7.4±5.8)years. Based on Osserman clinical type, type ⅡA was the most common one [44.1% (15/34)], followed with type Ⅰ [29.4% (10/34)], type ⅡB [23.5% (8/34)] and type Ⅳ (2.9%).(2)There were 38 pregnancies in 28 women whose pregnancy outcomes resulted in one spontaneous abortion, three embryonic arrest and 34 live births. All abortions developed in the first trimester. Among the 34 pregnancies with live births, the symptoms of MG improved in 16 pregnancies (47.1%), whereas those deteriorated in 10 pregnancies (29.4%) during the first or third trimester and remained stable in 8 pregnancies (23.5%). (3) Compared with improvement group and stable group, the deterioration group had shorter duration of MG [(1.1±0.5) years vs. (7.1±5.1) years, (9.0±5.4) years respectively], higher clinical scores (20.9±6.0 vs. 14.8±6.6,13.3±5.0) and more frequent abnormal RNS(9/10 vs. 8/16, 4/8) and type ⅡB(6/10 vs. 1/16, 1/8) before pregnancy. Positive rate of serum AChR antibody and percentage of thymectomy before pregnancy were comparable between three groups. (4) Spinal anesthesia was performed in 23 pregnancies and 11 cases were vaginal delivery. No transient neonatal MG were found in live-born infants. Conclusions: Pregnancy in patients with under-controlled myasthenia gravis should not be discouraged. The outcome of MG is affected by the duration of MG, MG score and RNS before pregnancy. The first and third trimesters of pregnancy are considered high-risk periods for MG exacerbations. Neonatal transient myasthenia is uncommon, but the newborn should be carefully monitored by obstetricians and neurologists.

Dietary squalene supplementation alleviates diquat-induced oxidative stress and liver damage of broiler chickens

The aim of this study was to explore the protective effects of squalene supplementation on growth performance, oxidative status, and liver function of diquat-challenged broilers. One hundred forty-four 1-day-old male Ross 308 broiler chicks were allocated to 3 groups, and each group consisted of 6 replicates of 8 birds each. The three groups were as follows: 1) nonchallenged broilers fed with a basal diet (control group), 2) diquat-challenged broilers fed a basal diet, and 3) diquat-challenged broilers fed with a basal diet supplemented with 1.0 g/kg of squalene. Broilers were intraperitoneally injected with 20 mg/mL of diquat solution at a dosage of 1 mL/kg of BW or an equivalent amount of saline at 20 d. Compared with the control group, weight gain and BW change rate during 24 h after injection were decreased by diquat challenge (P < 0.05), and the diquat-induced compromised growth performance was improved by squalene supplementation (P < 0.05). Diquat administration reduced plasma superoxide dismutase activity and increased malondialdehyde accumulation and glutathione peroxidase activity in both plasma and the liver (P < 0.05). In contrast, plasma glutathione peroxidase activity in diquat-challenged broilers was reduced by squalene supplementation (P < 0.05). The hepatic glutathione level was reduced by diquat administration (P < 0.05), whereas its level in plasma and the liver of diquat-challenged broilers was increased by squalene supplementation (P < 0.05). The relative liver weight of broilers was increased by diquat challenge (P < 0.05), with its value being intermediate in the squalene-supplemented group (P > 0.05). The plasma aminotransferase activities and total bilirubin concentration were increased by diquat challenge (P < 0.05), which were reduced by squalene supplementation (P < 0.05). The mRNA abundance of hepatic nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (P < 0.05) was upregulated by diquat treatment, regardless of squalene supplementation. The mRNA abundance of hepatic glutathione peroxidase 1 and B-cell lymphoma/leukemia 2–associated X protein was upregulated by diquat challenge (P < 0.05), which was reversed by squalene administration (P < 0.05). Squalene increased NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 mRNA abundance and decreased caspase 3 mRNA abundance in the liver of diquat-challenged broilers (P < 0.05). The results suggested that squalene can increase weight gain, improve oxidative status, and alleviate liver injury in diquat-challenged broilers.

[Safety and immunogenicity analysis of recombinant （hansenula polymorpha) hepatitis B vaccine （CpG ODN adjuvant) among adults: the preliminary results of phase I clinical trial]

Objective: To evaluate the safety and immune effect of recombinant hepatitis B vaccine （CpG ODN adjuvant). Methods: On Oct. 26, 2016, we launched volunteer recruitment in Kaihua county, Quzhou city, Zhejiang Province. In the randomized, double-blind, controlled trial, a total of 48 subjects with negative HBV screening tests and normal hepatorenal function among 18 and 60 years old were selected and divided into two groups randomly, 24 cases each. The experimental group was given 250 μg of CpG ODN recombinant （Hansenula polymorpha) Hepatitis B vaccine and the control group was given 10 μg of commercial Hepatitis B vaccine with timed at 0, 1and 6 months. The inoculation reactions were compared the difference between the two groups after observed and recorded in time periods. We also collected serum before and after immunization to compare the two groups of anti-HBs positive rate, geometric mean concentration（GMC). Results: During the study period, the incidence of adverse events was 66.67%（16/24) in the experimental group and 54.17%（13/24) in the control group, with no significant difference（P=0.556). The severities of adverse events were level 1 or level 2, and no level 3 or above adverse reactions occurred. After full-course immunization, in the FAS data set, the anti-HBs GMC in the experimental group [2 598.56（1 127.90-5 986.90) mIU/ml] was higher than that in the control group[371.97（164.54-840.91) mIU/ml] In the PPS set, the GMC of test group was 7 808.21（3 377.00-18 052.00) mIU/ml, which was higher than that of the control group [843.22（213.80-3 325.90) mIU/ml]. The anti-HBs positive rate of FAS（PPS) was 95.83%（100.00%) in the experimental group and the control group; The anti-HBs strongly positive rate of FAS（PPS) was 79.17%（90.00%) in the experimental group and 33.33%（50.00%) in the control group, with statistically significant differences among the FAS set（P=0.003) and no statistically significance differences among the PPS set（P=0.074). Conclusion: CpG Hepatitis B Vaccine is safe and shows better immunogenicity than the control vaccine.

[A multicentric study on clinical characteristics and antibiotic sensitivity in children with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection]

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of pediatric methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection and the antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates. Methods: The clinical data of children with MRSA infection and antibiotic sensitivity of the isolates from 11 children's hospitals in Infectious Diseases Surveillance of Paediatrics (ISPED) group of China between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018 were collected retrospectively. The children's general condition, high-risk factors, antimicrobial therapy and prognosis, differences in clinical disease and laboratory test results between different age groups, and differences of antibiotic sensitivity between community-acquired (CA)-MRSA and hospital-acquired (HA)-MRSA were analyzed. The t test and Wilcoxon rank sum test were used for statistical analysis of the quantitative data and Chi-square test were used for comparison of rates. Results: Among the 452 patients, 264 were males and 188 were females, aged from 2 days to 17 years. There were 233 cases (51.5%) in the ≤1 year old group, 79 cases (17.5%) in the>1-3 years old group, 29 cases (6.4%) in the >3-5 years old group, 65 cases (14.4%) in the >5-10 years old group, and 46 cases (10.2%) in the>10 years old group. The main distributions of onset seasons were 55 cases (12.2%) in December, 47 cases (10.4%) in February, 46 cases (10.2%) in November, 45 cases (10.0%) in January, 40 cases (8.8%) in March. There were 335 cases (74.1%) CA-MRSA and 117 (25.9%) cases HA-MRSA. Among all cases, 174 cases (38.5%) had basic diseases or long-term use of hormone and immunosuppressive drugs. During the period of hospitalization, 209 cases (46.2%) received medical interventions. There were 182 patients (40.3%) had used antibiotics (β-lactams, glycopeptides, macrolides, carbapenems, oxazolones, sulfonamides etc) 3 months before admission. The most common clinical disease was pneumonia (203 cases), followed by skin soft-tissue infection (133 cases), sepsis (92 cases), deep tissue abscess (42 cases), osteomyelitis (40 cases), and septic arthritis (26 cases), suppurative meningitis (10 cases). The proportion of pneumonia in the ≤1 year old group was higher than the >1-3 years old group,>3-5 years old group,>5-10 years old group,>10 years old group (57.5% (134/233) vs. 30.4% (24/79), 31.0% (9/29), 38.5% (25/65), 23.9% (11/46), χ(2)=17.374, 7.293, 7.410, 17.373, all P<0.01) The proportion of skin and soft tissue infections caused by CA-MRSA infection was higher than HA-MRSA (33.4% (112/335) vs. 17.9% (21/117), χ(2)=10.010, P=0.002), and the proportion of pneumonia caused by HA-MRSA infection was higher than CA-MRSA (53.0% (62/117) vs. 42.1% (141/335), χ(2)=4.166, P=0.041). The first white blood cell count of the ≤1 year old group was higher than that children > 1 year old ((15±8)×10(9)/L vs. (13±7)×10(9)/L, t=2.697, P=0.007), while the C-reactive protein of the ≤1 year old group was lower than the 1-3 years old group,>5-10 years old group,>10 years old group (8.00 (0.04-194.00) vs.17.00 (0.50-316.00), 15.20 (0.23-312.00), 21.79(0.13-219.00) mg/L, Z=3.207, 2.044, 2.513, all P<0.05), there were no significant differences in procalcitonin (PCT) between different age groups (all P>0.05). After the treatment, 131 cases were cured, 278 cases were improved, 21 cases were not cured, 12 cases died, and 10 cases were abandoned. The 452 MRSA isolates were all sensitive to vancomycin (100.0%), linezolid (100.0%), 100.0% resistant to penicillin, highly resistant to erythromycin (85.0%, 375/441), clindamycin (67.7%, 294/434), less resistant to sulfonamides (5.9%, 23/391), levofloxacin (4.5%, 19/423), gentamicin (3.2%, 14/438), rifampicin (1.8%, 8/440), minocycline (1.1%, 1/91). The antimicrobial resistance rates were not significantly different between the CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The infection of MRSA is mainly found in infants under 3 years old. The prevalent seasons are winter and spring, and MRSA is mainly acquired in the community. The main clinical diseases are pneumonia, skin soft-tissue infection and sepsis. No MRSA isolate is resistant to vancomycin, linezolid. MRSA isolates are generally sensitive to sulfonamides, levofloxacin, gentamicin, rifampicin, minocycline, and were highly resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin. To achieve better prognosis. clinicians should initiate anti-infective treatment for children with MRSA infection according to the clinical characteristics of patients and drug sensitivity of the isolates timely and effectively.

[Establishment of clinical features and prognostic scoring model in early-stage hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic liver failure]

Objective: To explore the clinical characteristics and establish a corresponding prognostic scoring model in patients with early-stage clinical features of hepatitis B-induced acute-on-chronic liver failure (HBV-ACLF). Methods: Clinical characteristics of 725 cases with hepatitis B-related acute-on-chronic hepatic dysfunction (HBV-ACHD) were retrospectively analyzed using Chinese group on the study of severe hepatitis B (COSSH). The independent risk factors associated with 90-day prognosis to establish a prognostic scoring model was analyzed by multivariate Cox regression, and was validated by 500 internal and 390 external HBV-ACHD patients. Results: Among 725 cases with HBV-ACHD, 76.8% were male, 96.8% had cirrhosis base,66.5% had complications of ascites, 4.1% had coagulation failure in respect to organ failure, and 9.2% had 90-day mortality rate. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that TBil, WBC and ALP were the best predictors of 90-day mortality rate in HBV-ACHD patients. The established scoring model was COSS-HACHADs = 0.75 × ln(WBC) + 0.57 × ln(TBil)-0.94 × ln(ALP) +10. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of subjects was significantly higher than MELD, MELD-Na, CTP and CLIF-C ADs(P < 0.05). An analysis of 500 and 390 cases of internal random selection group and external group had similar verified results. Conclusion: HBV-ACHD patients are a group of people with decompensated cirrhosis combined with small number of organ failure, and the 90-day mortality rate is 9.2%. COSSH-ACHDs have a higher predictive effect on HBV-ACHD patients' 90-day prognosis, and thus provide evidence-based medicine for early clinical diagnosis and treatment.

[Primary skull base chondrosarcoma: a clinicopathological analysis]

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, immunophenotype, molecular characteristics and differential diagnosis of primary skull base chondrosarcoma. Methods: Nine cases of primary skull base chondrosarcoma were collected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, from January 2006 to June 2019, reviewed for the clinical and radiologic data and morphologic features, immunophenotype and molecular characteristics. Results: Among all the 9 cases, six were male, three were frmale, with average age 47 years, and median age 47 years; five cases were WHO gradeⅠ, and four were WHO grade Ⅱ. Microscopically, the tumor showed lobulated growth pattern with low-medium cellularity within a chondroid or mucoid background. The tumor cells showed mild-moderate atypia, with binucleated forms, and mitosis was rare or occasional. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) showed tumor cells were positive for S-100 protein, vimentin, SOX-9 and D2-40, and negative for Brachyury, CK, EMA and CK8/18; the Ki-67 index was low (1% to 5%). Molecular analysis showed IDH1 R132C mutation in four cases. Conclusions: Skull base chondrosarcoma is a rare cartilaginous malignant tumor with a good prognosis. Its characteristic morphologies, combined with IHC and molecular detection are helpful for the differential diagnosis.

Dietary mannan oligosaccharide ameliorates cyclic heat stress-induced damages on intestinal oxidative status and barrier integrity of broilers

This study investigated protective effects of mannan oligosaccharide (MOS) inclusion on growth performance, intestinal oxidative status, and barrier integrity of cyclic heat-stressed broilers. A total of 240 one-day-old chicks were allocated into 3 treatments of 10 replicates each. Control broilers reared at a thermoneutral temperature were fed a basal diet, whereas broilers in heat stress and MOS groups raised at a cyclic high temperature (32 to 33°C for 8 h/d) were given the basal diet supplemented with 0 or 250 mg/kg MOS, respectively. Compared with control group, heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) average daily gain and feed conversion ratio during grower, finisher, and entire periods, average daily feed intake during finisher and entire periods, and ileal superoxide dismutase activity at 42 D, whereas increased (P < 0.05) rectal temperature at 21 and 42 D and jejunal malondialdehyde content at 42 D. Dietary MOS increased (P < 0.05) average daily gain, average daily feed intake, and feed conversion ratio during finisher and entire periods, but decreased (P < 0.05) jejunal malondialdehyde concentration of heat-stressed broilers at 42 D. Heat stress decreased (P < 0.05) jejunal villus height (VH) and claudin-3 gene expression at 21 D, and VH and VH: crypt depth (CD) ratio in jejunum and ileum as well as mRNA abundances of jejunal mucin 2 and occludin, and ileal mucin 2, zonula occludens-1, and occludin, and claudin-3 at 42 D, whereas increased (P < 0.05) serum D-lactate acid content at 21 and 42 D, and serum diamine oxidase activity and jejunal CD at 42 D. The MOS supplementation increased (P < 0.05) jejunal VH at 21 D, VH and VH: CD of jejunum and ileum at 42 D, mRNA abundances of jejunal occludin and ileal mucin 2, zonula occludens-1, and occludin at 42 D, whereas reduced (P < 0.05) ileal CD at 42 D. These results suggested that MOS improved growth performance, and oxidative status and barrier integrity in the intestine of broilers under cyclic heat stress.

Association of Dysplastic Coronoid Process with Long-Face Morphology

Vertical malocclusion is a developmental condition, resulting from complex interactions among multiple etiological factors during the growth period. As a tricky dentofacial deformity clinically, long-face (LF) morphology is characterized by excessive vertical facial growth with severe disarrangement of jaws and teeth. Since the improvement of LF patients on facial profile and occlusion is often difficult and lacks long-term stability, it becomes important to unravel the etiology of LF pattern formation for early prevention and treatment. In the current studies, we identified a transgenic mouse model that exhibited a dysplastic coronoid process and LF morphology. Although the mutant mice exhibited jaw structures and occlusion comparable to controls at birth, they all acquired typical LF morphology with anterior open bite during postnatal growth, resembling clinical features of the selected skeletal class III patients. Since the coronoid process provides an insertion site for the temporalis attachment, we examined the initial development and differentiation of the temporalis and found identical results in both control and mutant mice before E17.5 when the temporal muscle makes attachment to the coronoid process. However, thereafter, we observed altered orientation and reduced size of the cross-sectional area of the temporalis in mutant mice, which persisted to the weaning stage. Biomechanical analysis and simulation modeling further support the idea that altered morphology of the coronoid process may impair the efficiency of the vertical temporalis contraction and appears to correlate with LF formation. Consistently, we present evidence that a dysplastic mandibular coronoid process was also seen in some human patients with skeletal III LF morphology. Taken together, the results presented in this study establish an association of the craniofacial bony structures with vertical patterning, which will have implications in earlier prediction for clinical precaution and intervention.

[Effects of n-hexane on learning and memory and the expressions of nerve growth factor mRNA and nerve growth factor receptor mRNA of brain tissue in mice exposed to N-hexane]

Objective: To Effects of n-hexane on learning and memory and the expressions of nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA and nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) mRNA of brain tissue in mice exposed to N-hexane. Methods: 40 Kunming mice were randomly divided into low-dose group, meddle-dose group, high-dose dose group and control group, with 10 mice in each group. All the groups were orally exposed to n-hexane in different doses: low-dose group with 43.5 mg/kg, middle-dose group with 86.5 mg/kg and high-dose group with 173.0 mg/kg, 1 time per day for 20 d. After the poisoning, the Y-arm test and the expressions of NGF mRNA and NGFR mRNA and the concentrations of NGF and NGFR in the brain tissues of each group were measured. Results: In the first Y-arm test, there existed a significant difference in correct reaction rate generally in all groups (P<0.05), and correct reaction rate in the middle-dose group and the high-dose group were low significantly compared with that in the control group(P<0.05). In the second Y-arm test, there existed a significant differences in total electric shock time and correct reaction rate generally in all groups (P<0.01), and the total electric shock time prolonged significantly and the correct response rate decreased significantly in 3 dose groups compared with those of the control group(P<0.05). The expression levels of NGF mRNA in brain tissues of low, meddle and high dose-groups were 0.81±0.66, 0.67±0.37 and 0.69±0.26, and the expression levels of NGFR mRNA were 1.22±0.42, 1.98±0.84 and 2.01±2.01, respectively. Compared with the control group, the expressions of NGF mRNA in the 3 dose groups decreased significantly (P<0.05), and the expression of NGFR mRNA in middle-and high-dose groups increased significantly (P<0.05). The concentrations of NGF in brain tissues of low,meddle and high dose-groups were 39.97±7.24 ng/L, 39.26±7.88 ng/L,31.70±8.21 ng/L,and the concentrations of NGFR were 17.37±6.82 ng/L,21.37±7.16 ng/L, 22.46±7.70 ng/L, respectively. Compared with the control group, the concentrations of NGF in high-dose groups decreased significantly(P<0.05), and the concentrations of NGFR in middle-and high-dose groups increased significantly (P<0.05). Conclusion: N-hexane exposure can result in decrease of learning and memory in mice, which may be related to abnormal expression of NGF mRNA and NGFR mRNA in brain tissue.

InfoSAGE: Usage Pattern of a Family-Centric Care Coordination Online Platform

Globally, there is an expanding elderly population, and families are finding it increasingly challenging to coordinate care for their older family members. This paper reports on the usage patterns of InfoSAGE, an online private social network that has tools for communication and care coordination for elders and their families. This descriptive analysis describes the types of family networks using the platform and types of functionality most used by elders and their family members.

[Clinicopathological features and molecular genetics of paediatric-type follicular lymphoma: report of eight cases]

Objective: To investigate the clinical presentation pathological diagnostic features and molecular genetics of paediatric-type follicular lymphoma (PTFL). Methods: Eight cases of PTFL at Fujian Cancer Hospital between January 2003 and May 2018 were analyzed by hematoxylin-eosin stain, immunohistochemistry, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The relevant literature review was performed. Results: All patients were male with age ranging from 12 to 27 years (median age of 18 years and average age of 19 years). Clinical manifestations included painless lymph adenopathy, primarily involving head and neck lymph nodes (6/8). According to Ann Arbor stage, there were 7 patients at stage Ⅰ A and 1 patient at stage Ⅱ A. Histologically, the structure of the lymph nodes was effaced with pushing borders visible at the tumor periphery. The lesions consisted of expanding, irregular follicles that were arranged in back to back fashion along with thinning or disappearing sleeves. The starry sky phenomenon in the follicle was prominent with loss of polarity. Under high power magnification, the follicles were composed of uniform, medium-sized blastic cells in 5 cases or centroblast in 3 cases. The neoplastic cells were positive for B cell markers and germinal center markers primarily confined to the germinal center. Bcl-2 was negative in 7 cases and 1 case showed weak bcl-2 staining. MUM1 was negative in all cases. Ki-67 demonstrated a high proliferation index of great than 70% in 7 of 8 cases. Eight cases showed Ig clonal rearrangement. No bcl-2, bcl-6, and IRF4/MUM1 gene rearrangements by FISH were detected in all cases. One patient was treated with 6 cycles of CHOP after surgical resection. Other patients underwent only simple surgical resection. All patients were alive upon clinical follow-up. Conclusion: PTFL is a rare subtype of B cell lymphoma with unique clinical and pathological features. It should be distinguished from reactive follicular hyperplasia, nodal marginal lymphoma in children, large B-cell lymphoma with IRF4 rearrangement and usual follicular lymphoma.

[A multicentric clinical study on clinical characteristics and drug sensitivity of children with pneumococcal meningitis in China]

Objective: To understand clinical characteristics of children with pneumococcal meningitis (PM) in China and to analyze the drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates and associated impacts on death and sequelae. Methods: The clinical data, follow-up results and antimicrobial sensitivity of isolated strains of 155 children (including 98 males and 57 females, age ranged from 2 months to 15 years) with PM in 10 tertiary-grade A class hospitals of Infectious Diseases Surveillance of Pediatrics (ISPED) from 2013 to 2017 were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into different groups according to the following standards: ≤1 year old group,>1-3 years old group and >3 years old group according to age; death group and non-death group according to the death within 30 days after PM diagnosis; complication group and non-complication group according to the abnormal cranial imaging diagnosis; sequelae group and no-sequelae group according to the follow-up results. Bonfereoni chi-square segmentation and Kruskal-Wallis H test were used for statistical analysis. Results: There were 64 cases (41.3%) in the ≤1 year old group, 39 cases in the >1-3 years old group (25.2%), and 52 cases (33.5%) in the >3 years old group. The most common clinical manifestation was fever (151 cases, 97.4%). The mortality was 16.8% (26/155) during hospitalization. The neurological complication rate was 49.7% (77/155) during hospitalization, including the most common complication, subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 50 cases (32.3%) and hearing impairment in 6 cases. During follow-up after discharge, no death was found and focal neurological deficits were found in 47 cases (30.3%), including the frequent neurological sequelae: cognitive and mental retardation of different degree in 22 cases and hearing impairment in 14 cases (9.0%). The rate of cure and improvement on discharge was 74.8% (116/155) and the lost to follow-up rate was 8.4% (13/155). The proportions of died cases, neurological complications during hospitalization and proportions of peripheral white blood cell count <12 × 10(9)/L before admission in ≤1 year old group were significantly higher than those in >3 years old group (25.0% (16/64) vs. 5.8% (3/52), 75.0% (48/64) vs. 25.0% (13/52), 48.4% (31/64) vs. 15.4% (8/52), χ(2)=7.747, 28.767, 14.044; P=0.005, 0.000, 0.000). The proportions of headache, vomiting, neck resistance and high risk factors of purulent meningitis in >3 years old group were significantly higher than those in ≤ 1 year old group (67.3%(35/52) vs. 1.6%(1/64), 80.8% (42/52) vs. 48.4% (31/64), 69.2% (36/52) vs. 37.5% (24/64), 55.8% (29/52) vs. 14.1%(9/64), χ(2)=57.940, 12.856, 11.568, 22.656; P=0.000, 0.000, 0.001, 0.000). Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were completely sensitive to vancomycin (100.0%, 152/152), linezolid (100.0%, 126/126), moxifloxacin (100.0%, 93/93) and ofloxacin (100.0%,41/41); highly sensitive to levofloxacin (99.3%, 142/143) and ertapenem (84.6%, 66/78); moderately sensitive to ceftriaxone (48.4%, 45/93), cefotaxime (40.0%, 44/110) and meropenem (38.0%, 38/100); less sensitive to penicillin (19.6%, 27/138) and erythromycin (4.2%, 5/120). The proportions of non-sensitive strains of penicillin (21/21) and meropenem (17/18) in the death group were significantly higher than those (90/117, 45/82) in the survived group(χ(2)=4.648 and 9.808, P=0.031 and 0.002). Conclusions: The children's PM is mainly found in infants under 3 years old in China. Death and neurological complications are more common in PM children under 1 year old. The clinical manifestations and peripheral blood inflammatory markers of PM patients under 1 year old are not typical. Fever is the most common clinical manifestation and subdural effusion and (or) empyema is the most common complication. Long-term hearing impairment is common in PM and the follow-up time must be prolonged. The dead PM cases had high in sensitive rates to penicillin and meropenem.

[Qualitative pathological assessment of liver fibrosis regression after antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B]

Objective: To investigate the methods for qualitative pathological assessment of dynamic changes in liver fibrosis/cirrhosis after antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB), since antiviral therapy can partially reverse liver fibrosis and cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B and semi-quantitative, rather than qualitative, pathological assessment is often used for the research on liver fibrosis regression. Methods: Previously untreated CHB patients with liver fibrosis and cirrhosis were enrolled, and liver biopsy was performed before treatment and at 78 weeks after the antiviral therapy based on entecavir. The follow-up assessment was performed once every half a year. Based on the proportion of different types of fibrous septum, we put forward the new qualitative criteria called P-I-R classification (predominantly progressive, predominantly regressive, and indeterminate) for evaluating dynamic changes in liver fibrosis. This classification or Ishak fibrosis stage was used to evaluate the change in liver fibrosis after treatment and Ishak liver inflammation score was used to evaluate the change in liver inflammation after treatment. Results: A total of 112 CHB patients who underwent liver biopsy before and after treatment were enrolled, and among these patients, 71 with an Ishak stage of ≥3 and qualified results of live biopsy were included in the final analysis. Based on the P-I-R classification, 58% (41/71) were classified as predominantly progressive, 29% (21/71) were classified as indeterminate, and 13% (9/71) were classified as predominantly regressive; there were no significant differences between the three groups in alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, albumin, HBeAg positive rate, HBV DNA, and liver stiffness (P < 0.05). After treatment, the proportion of predominantly progressive, indeterminate, or predominantly regressive patients changed to 11% (8/71), 11% (8/71), and 78% (55/71), respectively. Among the 35 patients who had no change in Ishak stage after treatment, 72% (25/35) were classified as predominantly regressive and had certain reductions in the Laennec score, percentage of collagen area, and liver stiffness. Conclusion: This new P-I-R classification can be used to assess the dynamic changes in liver fibrosis after antiviral therapy in CHB patients.

[Clinical effect and safety of pegylated interferon-α-2b injection (Y shape, 40 kD) in treatment of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B patients]

Objective: To investigate the clinical effect and safety of long-acting pegylated interferon-α-2b (Peg-IFN-α-2b) (Y shape, 40 kD) injection (180 μg/week) in the treatment of HBeAg-positive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients, with standard-dose Peg-IFN-α-2a as positive control. Methods: This study was a multicenter, randomized, open-label, and positive-controlled phase III clinical trial. Eligible HBeAg-positive CHB patients were screened out and randomized to Peg-IFN-α-2b (Y shape, 40 kD) trial group and Peg-IFN-α-2a control group at a ratio of 2:1. The course of treatment was 48 weeks and the patients were followed up for 24 weeks after drug withdrawal. Plasma samples were collected at screening, baseline, and 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, and 72 weeks for centralized detection. COBAS® Ampliprep/COBAS® TaqMan® HBV Test was used to measure HBV DNA level by quantitative real-time PCR. Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay with Elecsys kit was used to measure HBV markers (HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe). Adverse events were recorded in detail. The primary outcome measure was HBeAg seroconversion rate after the 24-week follow-up, and non-inferiority was also tested. The difference in HBeAg seroconversion rate after treatment between the trial group and the control group and two-sided confidence interval (CI) were calculated, and non-inferiority was demonstrated if the lower limit of 95% CI was > -10%. The t-test, chi-square test, or rank sum test was used according to the types and features of data. Results: A total of 855 HBeAg-positive CHB patients were enrolled and 820 of them received treatment (538 in the trial group and 282 in the control group). The data of the full analysis set showed that HBeAg seroconversion rate at week 72 was 27.32% in the trial group and 22.70% in the control group with a rate difference of 4.63% (95% CI -1.54% to 10.80%, P = 0.1493). The data of the per-protocol set showed that HBeAg seroconversion rate at week 72 was 30.75% in the trial group and 27.14% in the control group with a rate difference of 3.61% (95% CI -3.87% to 11.09%, P = 0.3436). 95% CI met the non-inferiority criteria, and the trial group was non-inferior to the control group. The two groups had similar incidence rates of adverse events, serious adverse events, and common adverse events. Conclusion: In Peg-IFN-α regimen for HBeAg-positive CHB patients, the new drug Peg-IFN-α-2b (Y shape, 40 kD) has comparable effect and safety to the control drug Peg-IFN-α-2a.

[Post-marketing safety analysis of inactivated enterovirus A71 vaccines]

Objectives: To evaluate the safety of inactivated enterovirus A71(EV-A71) vaccines after large-scale immunization in the community. Methods: We selected EV-A71 susceptible people (healthy children) aged 6-59 months in vaccination clinics from 89 counties in Zhejiang Province between April 2016 and March 2018. All local and systematic adverse actions were collected by 30 min on-site inspection, within 3 days and 4-30 days follow-up. Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the difference of AEs incidence in various characteristics among two groups. Results: A total of 71 663 doses of vaccines were included for active safety analysis, which included 37 331 doses in boys and 34 332 doses in girls. Among all the doses, children aged 6 to 11 months, 12 to 23 months and 24 to 59 months were received 13 707, 32 639 and 25 317 doses respectively. The incidence of adverse reactions within 30 min, 3 days and 4-30 days were 0.33% (239 doses), 1.58% (1 133 doses) and 0.34% (244 doses) respectively. Adverse reactions within 3 days were 1 372 doses, with a incidence of 1.91%; among all the cases, 539 doses (0.75%) were grade 1, 677 doses (0.94%) were grade 2 and 156 doses (0.22%) were grade 3, no grade-4 adverse reaction was reported. The common local adverse reactions were redness, swelling and pruritus, with the incidence rates were 0.05% (39 doses), 0.02% (16 doses) and 0.02% (12 doses), respectively, while the most common systemic adverse reaction was pyrexia with an incidence of 1.19% (856 doses), followed by diarrhea and anorexia with the incidence rates were 0.15% (104 doses) and 0.13% (90 doses) respectively. Conclusion: Most adverse actions of EV-A71 vaccines were mild and moderate and majority of them were common adverse actions. No new adverse reactions were found in the study.

Betaine improves the growth performance and muscle growth of partridge shank broiler chickens via altering myogenic gene expression and insulin-like growth factor-1 signaling pathway

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of betaine on growth performance, carcass characteristics, myogenic gene expression, and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling pathway in partridge shank broiler chickens. A total of 192 one-day-old partridge shank broiler chickens were randomly divided into 4 groups with 6 replicates of 8 chickens for a 52-d feeding trial. Broilers were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control), 250 (B250), 500 (B500), or 1,000 (B1000) mg/kg betaine. Compared with the control group, the B500 and B1000 groups had higher (P < 0.05) body weight gain (BWG), and the B500 group had a lower (P < 0.05) feed/gain ratio (F:G) during the whole trial period. Moreover, the B1000 group increased (P < 0.05) the breast muscle yield and decreased (P < 0.05) relative abdominal fat weight. The mRNA expression of myocyte enhancer factor 2B (MEF2B) and mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) and mTOR phosporylation were higher (P < 0.05) in both breast and thigh muscles in the B500 and B1000 groups than those in the control group. The higher (P < 0.05) concentration and mRNA expression of IGF-1 were also observed in breast muscle in the B500 and B1000 groups. Additionally, the B1000 group up-regulated (P < 0.05) the mRNA level of myogenic differentiation factor 1 (MyoD1) in breast muscle and myogenin (MyoG) in thigh muscle. In conclusion, diets supplemented with 500 or 1,000 mg/kg betaine improved the growth performance of partridge shank broiler chickens during the whole trial period, and the B1000 group significantly improved the breast muscle growth. These improvements might result from increased mRNA expression of MyoD1 and MEF2B in breast muscle and MyoG and MEF2B in thigh muscle, and through alterations in IGF-1/mTOR signaling pathway.

[Clinicopathological characteristics of adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma]

Objective: To investigate the clinical presentation, clinicopathologic features, diagnosis and differential diagnosis of adult T cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). Methods: Four cases of ATLL from Fujian Cancer Hospital between October 2017 and May 2018 were analyzed using hematoxylin-eosin and immunohistochemical stains and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for HTLV-1 provirus genes. The relevant literature was reviewed. Results: There were two males and two females, age range 38-80 years. All patients were from coastal cities of Fujian province. Clinical presentations including lymphadenopathy, hepatomegaly and splenomegaly were detected in most patients; skin lesion, hypercalcemia and lymphocytosis were also commonly detected.Histologically, there was diffuse effacement of the normal architecture by tumor cells infiltration. The inflammatory background is usually sparse, with scanty eosinophils. The atypical lymphoid cells were typically medium to large sized with pronounced nuclear pleomorphism, irregular nuclei, chromatin clumping and prominent nucleoli. Blast-like cells with transformed nuclei were present in variable proportions. Giant cells with convoluted or cerebriform nuclear contours may be present. Rare cases may be composed predominantly of anaplastic tumor cells. Characteristic "flower cells" with large multi-lobated nuclei can be seen. The tumor cells were strongly positive for CD2, CD3, CD5, CD4 and CD25, but negative for CD7, CD8 and cytotoxic molecules (including TIA-1, Granzyme B and perforin). In three cases, the large transformed cells were positive for CD30. In one case, the anaplastic large cells were diffusely and strongly positive for CD30. All cases were negative for EBER, but positive for HTLV-1 provirus. Conclusions: ATLL is a rare type of T cell lymphoma with unique clinical and pathological features, and should be distinguished from peripheral T cell lymphoma, NOS, ALK negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma and mycosis fungoides. Hypercalcemia, systemic disease, characteristic "flower cells" and specific immunophenotypic profile of CD3(+), CD4(+), CD25(+), and CD7(-) are highly suggestive. However, ATLL can only be confirmed if the presence of HTLV-1 provirus.

A Usability Evaluation of the InfoSAGE App for Family-Based Medication Management

The design of a mobile medication manager within a broader family and elder-centric collaboration platform faces challenges of usability and wide applicability. To inform the development and use cases of eldercare apps, we present the preliminary results of a usability study of an iOS and Android app intended for both family members and aging adults for the mobile management of medication lists. Seven participants were recorded during the performance of eight typical use-case scenarios of the medication portion of the InfoSAGE app. Audio and video recordings were analyzed for themes and events. The aim of this paper is to help inform future design choices for eldercare mobile apps.

Effects of Modified Palygorskite Supplementation on Egg Quality and Mineral Element Content, and Intestinal Integrity and Barrier Function of Laying Hens

This study was conducted to investigate effects of modified palygorskite (MPal) supplementation on the laying performance, egg quality and mineral element content, immunity, oxidative status, and intestinal integrity and barrier function of laying hens. A total of 360 52-week-old Hyline Brown hens were randomly assigned into four dietary treatments for a 7-week feeding trial. The birds were fed a basal diet supplemented with 0 (control group), 0.25, 0.5, and 1 g/kg MPal, respectively. The supplementation of MPal did not alter laying performance and egg quality among groups. Compared with the control group, MPal inclusion decreased lead (Pb) content in yolks at 49 days, and either 0.5- or 1-g/kg MPal supplementation decreased Pb accumulation in yolks at 25 days and manganese (Mn) accumulation in yolks at 25 and 49 days. The contents of jejunal secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA), ileal SIgA, and immunoglobulin G were decreased by the dietary 0.5-g/kg MPal supplementation. The supplementation of MPal also decreased malondialdehyde content in jejunum and ileum, and decreased serum diamine oxidase activity of the laying hens at 25 and 49 days. The inclusion of 0.5 and 1 g/kg MPal enhanced villus height in jejunum and ileum, and also increased the ratio of villus height to crypt depth in ileum. In conclusion, MPal supplementation decreased Pb and Mn contents in yolks, and exhibited beneficial effects on the intestinal immunity, oxidative status, and intestinal integrity and barrier function of laying hens and its optimal dosage was 0.5 g/kg.

[Clinical characteristics and antimicrobial resistance of pneumococcal infections from 9 children's hospitals in 2016]

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics of pneumococcal infections and drug resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from children's hospitals, which would provide reference for preventing and treating pneumococcal diseases. Methods: This was a prevalence survey. In this study, the age, specimen type, monthly distribution characteristics, and antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates from 9 children's hospitals in China were investigated between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016. The WHONET 5.6 software was used to analyze the antibiotic susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae. The comparison of rates was performed by Chi-square test. Results: A total of 6 200 isolates of streptococcus pneumoniae were obtained, namely, 95.1% (5 876/6 177) from the respiratory tract specimens, 2.2% (136/6 177) from blood specimens and 0.4% (24/6 177) from cerebrospinal fluid specimens. The isolates were mainly from children older than 1 and younger than 5 years (54.7%, 3 381/6 185) . Most of strains (33.2%, 1 184/3 563) were isolated in November, December and January. Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates were completely sensitive to vancomycin (100.0%, 6 189/6 189) , linezolid (100.0%, 6 030/6 030) , moxifloxacin (100.0%, 3 064/3 064) , highly sensitive to levofloxacin (99.8%, 5 528/5 540), ertapenem (98.8%, 3 024/3 061) and lowly sensitive to erythromycin (1.7%, 102/6 016), clindamycin (3.7%, 116/3 136), and tetracycline (5%, 244/4 877), respectively. According to the parenteral susceptibility breakpoints for non-meningitis isolates, the sensitivity of Streptocococus pneumoniae to penicillin from children's hospital of Chongqing Medical University (49.3%, 892/1 809) was significantly lower than those of other hospitals (χ(2)=1 268.161, P<0.05) . Conclusions:Streptococcus pneumoniae is mainly isolated from respiratory tract, from children older than 1 and younger than 5 years and during November to January in tertiary children's hospital of China. The Streptococcus pneumoniae from children is highly sensitive to vancomycin, linezolid, moxifloxacin, levofloxacin. There are also significant differences in the sensitivity of penicillin for Streptococcus pneumoniae from different hospitals.

Effects of dietary l-methionine supplementation on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and muscular antioxidant capacity and myogenic gene expression in low birth weight pigs

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary Met supplementation on the growth performance, carcass characteristics, meat quality, and muscular antioxidant capacity and myogenic gene expression in low birth weight (LBW) pigs. Thirty normal birth weight (NBW) and 60 LBW female piglets were selected at birth. In each litter, after weaning, 1 of the LBW piglets (LBW-CON group) and 1 of the NBW piglets (NBW-CON group) were fed the basal diets and 1 LBW littermate was fed the basal diet supplemented with Met (LBW-MET group). Thus, all pigs were distributed into groups of 3 treatments × 6 replicates (pens) × 5 piglets per replicate up to 180 d of age. Compared with NBW-CON pigs, LBW-CON pigs had decreased ADG ( = 0.004) and ADFI ( < 0.001) during the postweaning period and greater backfat thickness ( = 0.015) at slaughter. In addition, LBW-CON pigs exhibited compromised meat quality, as evidenced by a greater drip loss at 24 h postmortem( = 0.037) and a lower pH at 45 min postmortem ntents of malondialdehyde (MDA; = 0.046) and protein carbonyl ( = 0.028) in the LM. The LBW pigs fed the Met-supplemented diets had a greater amount of reduced glutathione (GSH; = 0.009) but a lower level of MDA ( = 0.015) in the LM compared with the LBW-CON pigs. Methionine supplementation increased the pH at 24 h postmortem (pH) value ( = 0.004) but reduced the drip loss at both 24 ( = 0.016) and 48 h ( = 0.005) postmortem of LBW-MET pigs in comparison with the LBW-CON pigs. The Met-supplemented diets increased the -adenosyl-methionine content ( = 0.006), DNA methyltransferase activity ( = 0.007), and CpG methylation levels of the sites +27 ( = 0.008) and +160 ( = 0.009) of myostatin (MSTN) exon 1 but decreased the mRNA expression of MSTN ( = 0.011) in the LM of the LBW-MET group compared with the LM of the LBW-CON group. Additionally, when compared with the LBW-CON group, the area of LM ( = 0.037) was significantly increased in the LBW-MET group, in parallel with the upregulated mRNA abundance of myogenin ( = 0.025), myocyte enhancer factor 2A ( = 0.036), and myocyte enhancer factor 2D ( = 0.015). In conclusion, Met supplementation increases pH and decreases drip loss in the LM of LBW-MET pigs, along with a greater GSH content but a lower MDA accumulation. Also, the LBW-MET pigs showed a greater LM area, which may be associated with the improved expression of myogenic genes.

Evaluation of Dietary Palygorskite Supplementation on Growth Performance, Mineral Accumulations, Antioxidant Capacities, and Meat Quality of Broilers Fed Lead-Contaminated Diet

The objective of this study was to evaluate influence of dietary palygorskite (Pal) supplementation on growth performance, mineral accumulations in the tissues (livers, kidneys, and muscles), antioxidant capacities, and meat quality of broilers fed lead (Pb)-contaminated diet. One-hundred forty-four male broiler chicks were randomly divided into three treatment groups, receiving a corn-soybean meal basal diet (the control group), the basal diet contaminated with 10 mg/kg Pb (the Pb group), and the basal diet with 10-g/kg Pal supplementation and 10-mg/kg Pb contamination (the Pal/Pb group) from 1 to 42 days of age, respectively. Treatments did not affect growth performance of broilers in the 42-day study (P > 0.05). Compared with the control group, Pb contamination increased Pb accumulation in the livers, kidneys, and muscles (P < 0.05); elevated malondialdehyde accumulation in the livers, kidneys, and breast muscles; glutathione peroxidase activity in the livers and superoxide dismutase activity in the kidneys (P < 0.05); exacerbated drip loss in the pectoralis muscles (P < 0.05); and reduced glutathione peroxidase activity in the pectoralis muscles (P < 0.05) of broilers at 42 days of age. The values of these parameters were reversed in the Pal/Pb group to levels comparable with those in the control group (P < 0.05). Additionally, Pal supplementation reduced redness value in the pectoralis muscles (P < 0.05), and decreased Cu concentration in the pectoralis muscles and livers at 42 days of age as well as its accumulation in the kidneys at both 21 and 42 days of age compared with the other two groups (P < 0.05). The results suggested that dietary Pal supplementation would decrease Pb residue in the tissues, alleviate oxidative stress, and affect meat quality of broilers exposed to Pb.