Search

Zhongbao Zuo,1,&ast; Jing Wu,1,&ast; Miaochan Wang,1 Rui Wu,2 Xiaojing Zhang,2 Lanlan Hu,1 Huaizhong Cui,1 Ting Feng,3 Aifang Xu,1 Shourong Liu2 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang, 310023, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Hepatology, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang, 310023, People’s Republic of China; 3Ultrasound Department, Hangzhou Xixi Hospital, Zhejiang, 310023, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Aifang Xu; Shourong Liu, Email 13616500869@163.com; lsr85463990@126.comIntroduction: This study aimed to explore serum HBV pre-genomic RNA (pgRNA) levels and its associated factors among HBV-infected patients in the real world.Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted from May 10, 2023, to January 15, 2024. Univariate logistic analysis for positive serum HBV pgRNA was performed first, and variables with statistical significance were included in a multivariate logistic model. A decreasing trend of serum HBV pgRNA and HBV DNA levels was also detected first by univariate logistic regression and then by multivariate logistic regression.Results: 482 patients were included in our analysis at baseline, and 191 patients were followed up. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that positive HBV DNA (AOR: 2.63, 95% CI: 1.46– 4.75, P=0.001), ≥ 1000 hBsAg (AOR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.08– 4.89, P=0.03), positive HBeAg (AOR: 28.26, 95% CI: 15.2– 52.55, P< 0.001), and ALP (AOR: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.001– 1.02, P=0.03) were positively correlated with positive HBV pgRNA at baseline. Two independent multivariate logistic regression models were constructed for the decreasing trend of serum HBV pgRNA and HBV DNA for the 191 follow-up patients. Results showed that the decreasing trend of HBV pgRNA was positively correlated with positive baseline HBV DNA (AOR: 4.60, 95% CI: 1.84– 11.51, P=0.001), baseline HBsAg ≥ 1000 IU/mL (AOR: 8.74, 95% CI: 1.09– 70.10, P=0.04), and HDL (AOR: 5.01, 95% CI: 1.28– 19.66, P=0.02). The decreasing trend of HBV DNA was positively correlated with positive baseline HBV pgRNA (AOR: 3.80, 95% CI: 2.00– 8.83, P< 0.001) and AST (AOR: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.03– 1.08, P< 0.001).Conclusion: Our study revealed that HBV DNA, HBsAg, HBeAg, and ALP were significantly correlated with positive HBV pgRNA at baseline. The baseline HBV DNA, HBsAg, and HDL were significantly correlated with decreasing levels of HBV pgRNA. A decreasing trend of HBV DNA significantly correlated with patients’ baseline HBV pgRNA and AST.Keywords: chronic hepatitis B, HBsAg, HBV pgRNA, HBV DNA

Xiuri Wang,1 Yunxiao Liang,1 Liuyang Hu2 1Department of Gastroenterology, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, 530016, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, 530016, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Liuyang Hu, Department of Laboratory Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, 530016, People’s Republic of China, Email 1225432679@qq.comAbstract: Species of Pantoea are mainly environmental strains and plant pathogens, rarely causing human infections. Here, we describe two cases of hemodialysis catheter-related bloodstream infection caused by Pantoea in patients with uremia. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of catheter related bloodstream infection caused by Pantoea dispersa (P. dispersa) in hemodialysis patients, as well as the first case of bloodstream infection caused by Pantoea anthophila (P. anthophila). Multiple blood cultures from the catheter showed the presence of Pantoea, and the isolated P. dispersa and P. anthophila were found to be highly sensitive to various antibiotics. Prompt use of antibiotics and catheter lock with gentamicin or amikacin led to rapid recovery of the patients, avoiding the economic burden of catheter replacement. Infections caused by Pantoea might be underestimated as methods such as VITEK® MS system often result in misidentification. Therefore, we recommend using advanced techniques such as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) or 16S ribosomal RNA analysis to detect more cases of Pantoea infections. By sharing these cases, we hope to increase awareness among clinicians about the potential pathogenicity of Pantoea in hemodialysis patients. It is crucial to strengthen noting the primary concern for sources of infection with Pantoea species (plant and environmental exposures) to prevent outbreaks of Pantoea-related bloodstream infections in hospitals.Keywords: hemodialysis catheter-related bloodstream infections, nosocomial bloodstream, pantoea genus, pantoea dispersa, pantoea anthophila

Jia Wei,1,&ast; Mingfen Song,1,&ast; Hong Jing Mao,1 Ruobing Qi,1 Lili Yang,1 You Xu,1 Pan Yan,1 Linlin Hu2 1Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310013, People’s Republic of China; 2Sleep Medicine Center, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310013, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Hong Jing Mao, Email maohongjing@hz7hospital.comBackground: The effectiveness of medication combined with smartphone-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) has been well verified, but there are few studies on the sequence of remission of insomnia symptoms. This study aims to understand the sequence of symptom improvement and the factors influencing the treatment effectiveness in patients with insomnia.Methods: Smartphone-delivered CBT, as a form of Online CBT, allows for training through mobile devices at any time and place. We utilized the Good Sleep 365 app to conduct a survey, involving 2820 patients who met the baseline inclusion criteria. These patients were assessed using a general demographic questionnaire and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) to evaluate general demographic information and insomnia symptoms, and subsequently underwent CBT training using the Good Sleep 365 app. A total of 1179 patients completed follow-ups at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 16 weeks, and 24 weeks.Results: At 4 weeks and 8 weeks, the descending order of the reduction rates of PSQI components (excluding component 6: use of sleeping medication) was: sleep latency, subjective sleep quality, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, sleep maintenance, and daytime dysfunction. At 16 weeks and 24 weeks, the descending order was subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep efficiency, daytime dysfunction, sleep maintenance, and sleep disturbance. There were significant differences in the reduction rates of PSQI components (excluding component 6: use of sleeping medication) both at the same follow-up times and at different follow-up times (all P< 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that patients older than 30 years and those with a college degree or above had better treatment outcomes, whereas those with a disease duration of more than three years had worse outcomes.Conclusion: The sequence of symptom improvement in patients with insomnia changes over time, and age, educational level, and duration of disease are factors influencing treatment outcomes.Keywords: insomnia, CBT-I, PSQI, influencing factors

Shandong Jiang,1,2 Libin Hu,1,2 Hang Zhou,1,2 Jianan Wu,1,2 Jiayin Zhou,1,2 Xian Yu,1,2 Gao Chen1,2 1Department of Neurosurgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310016, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Precise Treatment and Clinical Translational Research of Neurological Diseases, Hangzhou, 310016, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Gao Chen, Department of Neurosurgery, Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, 310009, People’s Republic of China, Email d-chengao@zju.edu.cnAbstract: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a primary, non-traumatic cerebral event associated with substantial mortality and disability. Despite advancements in understanding its etiology and refining diagnostic techniques, a validated treatment to significantly improve ICH prognosis remains elusive. Exosomes, a subtype of extracellular vesicles, encapsulate bioactive components, predominantly microRNAs (miRNAs), facilitating and regulating intercellular communication. Currently, exosomes have garnered considerable interests in clinical transformation for their nanostructure, minimal immunogenicity, low toxicity, inherent stability, and the ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier. A wealth of studies has demonstrated that exosomes can improve the prognosis of ICH through anti-apoptosis, neurogenesis, angiogenesis, anti-inflammation, immunomodulation, and autophagy, primarily via the transportation or overexpression of selected miRNAs. More importantly, exosomes can be easily customized with specific miRNAs or bioactive compounds to establish delivery systems, broadening their potential applications. This review focuses on the therapeutic potential of exosomes in ICH, reviewing the mechanisms of molecular biology mediated by certain miRNAs, discussing the benefits, challenges, and future prospects in ICH treatment. We hope comprehensive understanding of exosomes based on miRNAs will provide new insights into the treatment of ICH and guide the translation of exosome’s research from laboratory to clinical practice. Keywords: intracerebral hemorrhage, exosomes, extracellular vesicles, microRNAs, stem cells

Shaoyan Shi, Leiming Hu, Dong Hu, Xuehai Ou, Yansheng Huang Department of Hand Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710000, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yansheng Huang, Department of Hand Surgery, Honghui Hospital, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710000, People’s Republic of China, Email yshg1991@163.comAbstract: Diabetic wounds pose a significant challenge in modern healthcare due to their chronic and complex nature, often resulting in delayed healing, infections, and, in severe cases, amputations. In recent years, nanotherapeutic approaches have emerged as promising strategies to address the unique pathophysiological characteristics of diabetic wounds. This review paper provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in nanotherapeutics for diabetic wound treatment. We discuss various nanomaterials and delivery systems employed in these emerging therapies. Furthermore, we explore the integration of biomaterials to enhance the efficacy of nanotherapeutic interventions. By examining the current state-of-the-art research, challenges, and prospects, this review aims to offer valuable insights for researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals working in the field of diabetic wound care.Keywords: diabetic wounds, nanoparticle, biomaterials, DELIVERY system

Yun Shi,1,2 Chan Wang,2 Mary Ann Sevick,1– 3 Han Bao,4 Xinyi Xu,1,2 Yulin Jiang,1,2 Ziqiang Zhu,5 Ashley Wei,1,2 Naumi M Feldman,6 Lu Hu1,2 1Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Institute for Excellence in Health Equity, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA; 2Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA; 3Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA; 4Jacobi Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; 5Wellsure Medical Practice, New York, NY, USA; 6Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, New York, NY, USACorrespondence: Lu Hu, Center for Healthful Behavior Change, Institute for Excellence in Health Equity, NYU Langone Health, 180 Madison Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA, Tel +1 646-501-3438, Email lu.hu@nyulangone.orgPurpose: The purpose of this study is to describe diabetes distress and related factors among Chinese Americans with type 2 diabetes in New York City (NYC).Methods: We conducted a secondary data analysis of the baseline data from three research studies conducted among community-dwelling Chinese American adults with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Distress Scale (DDS) was used to measure sources of diabetes distress including emotional-, regimen-, interpersonal-, and physician-related distress. A score of 2 or greater indicates moderate diabetes distress or higher. Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) was used to measure depressive symptoms. Participants’ sociodemographic information was also collected. Descriptive statistics were used to describe diabetes distress, and logistic least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was used to examine factors associated with diabetes distress level.Results: Data from 178 participants (mean age 63.55± 13.56 years) were analyzed. Most participants were married (76.40%), had a high school degree or less (65.73%), had a household annual income < &dollar;25,000 (70.25%), and reported limited English proficiency (93.22%). About 25.84% reported moderate or higher overall distress. The most common sources of distress were emotional burden (29.78%), followed by regimen- (28.65%), interpersonal- (18.54%), and physician-related distress (14.04%). Participants who were younger, female, limited English proficient, and had elevated depressive symptoms were more likely to have higher diabetes distress.Conclusion: Diabetes distress is prevalent among Chinese immigrants with type 2 diabetes, especially emotional- and regimen-related distress. Given the known link between diabetes distress and poor glycemic control, it is critical to screen for diabetes distress at primary care clinics and incorporate psychological counseling in diabetes care in this underserved population.Keywords: Chinese Americans, immigrant health, ethnic minority, diabetes distress, psychological burden, mental health, stress, emotional distress

Fangfang Fan,1,2,&ast; Zhe Liang,1,2,&ast; Zhihao Liu,1 Pengfei Sun,1 Lihua Hu,1 Jia Jia,1,2 Yan Zhang,1,2 Jianping Li1,2 1Department of Cardiology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China; 2Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jianping Li, Department of Cardiology & Institute of Cardiovascular Disease, Peking University First Hospital, No. 8 Xishiku Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100034, People’s Republic of China, Email lijianping03455@pkufh.comPurpose: Early identification of new residual risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD) is warranted. In this study, we aim to investigate the association between the serine concentration, an important amino acid in one-carbon metabolism, and CHD in Chinese hospitalized patients.Patients and Methods: This case–control study included 428 case–control pairs comprising patients with CHD with a maximum coronary artery stenosis degree of > 70% and controls with stenosis of < 30%. The individuals were matched by age, sex, and date of coronary angiography at Peking University First Hospital from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2019. Conditional logistic regression was used to investigate the associations between the serine concentration and CHD.Results: Patients with CHD were aged 63.48 ± 10.38 years, and 43.73% were male. Compared with controls, patients with CHD had a slightly lower serine concentration (13.35 ± 4.20 vs 13.77 ± 4.08 μg/mL), but the difference was not significant. In the multivariable conditional logistic regression analysis, for every 1 μg/mL increase in serine concentration, the odds of CHD decreased by 6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.90– 0.99; P = 0.010). Patients with a serine concentration of ≥ 13.41 μg/mL had a lower CHD risk than those with a serine concentration of < 13.41 μg/mL (odds ratio [OR] 0.57, 95% CI 0.39– 0.84; P = 0.004). Subgroup analyses showed that sex interacted with the relationship between serine concentration and CHD (Pinteraction = 0.039), which was more significant in males (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.87– 0.98; P = 0.013) than in females.Conclusion: This study observed an inverse association between the serine concentration and CHD prevalence in Chinese hospitalized patients, which revealed that serine might play a protective role in CHD.Keywords: serine, coronary heart disease, case–control, one-carbon metabolism

Liang Hu,1 Han Wu,1 Jiamin Wang,2 Yang Hu1 1Department of Urology, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Intervention, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Yang Hu, Department of Urology, Affiliated Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Jinhua, People’s Republic of China, Email yanghu2024@126.comAbstract: Minimally invasive percutaneous nephrolithotomy (mini-PCNL) maintains a stone clearance rate similar to standard PCNL while reducing blood loss. Bleeding is a complex and serious complication that can arise after PCNL surgery. Pseudoaneurysm (PA) is an uncommon type of delayed bleeding problem, which affects less than 1% of patients after PCNL. The most effective treatment for severe post-PCNL hemorrhage is super-selective renal angiographic embolization (SRAE), but it can fail in some patients and require additional surgical intervention. This report details the case of a male patient, 55 years old, who experienced severe bleeding four times and had three SRAE procedures and one laparoscopic procedure after PCNL. The presence of a renal artery pseudoaneurysm was not initially identified during the first two attempts of angiography due to arterial spasm and a small, undeveloped lesion. This case report is intended to enhance awareness of tiny pseudoaneurysms, emphasizing the importance of avoiding oversight to improve the success rate of embolization.Keywords: super-selective renal angiographic embolization, percutaneous nephrolithotomy, haemorrhage, case

Zhuangzhi Zhou,1 Yao Chen,2 Na Tan,1 Li Hu3 1Department of Dermatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Nursing, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China Correspondence : Li Hu, Email 993602708@qq.comBackground: Extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is a rare skin cancer with unclear pathogenesis, insidious progression, and high recurrence rate. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features and postoperative recurrence factors of primary EMPD.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 40 patients with primary EMPD who underwent wide local excision surgery at a single medical center between 2009 and 2019. Risk factors for recurrence of primary EMPD were analyzed using multivariate binary logistic regression.Results: The study included 40 patients with primary EMPD, comprising 31 males (77.5%) and 9 females (22.5%), with a median age of 75.52 years (range 52– 99 years). The most common lesion location was the scrotum (22 cases, 55.0%), followed by the vulva, penis, scrotum, underarm and anus. Multivariable regression analysis revealed significant differences in the presence of ill-defined tumour borders, exudation and nodules in the primary lesion affecting the relapse of primary EMPD (p< 0.05).Conclusion: Our findings indicate that ill-defined tumour borders, exudation and nodules in the primary site should be considered as independent risk factors for disease recurrence, which may provide useful suggestions for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of primary EMPD.Keywords: extramammary paget’s disease, factors, recurrence, postoperative, retrospective

Liuyang Hu,1 Qi Chen,2 Xingchun Chen1 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, 530016, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ophthalmology, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, 530016, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xingchun Chen, Department of Laboratory Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, 530016, People’s Republic of China, Email 369609020@qq.comAbstract: Infection caused by the Humicola sp is extremely rare. We report the first case of fungal keratitis caused by Humicola pulvericola (H. pulvericola) in a 63-year-old man with a history of exposed to hot oil two weeks ago who developed keratitis. Direct examination of confocal microscopy and corneal scrapings showed fungal hyphae and isolates were identified by morphology and by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer region of ribosomal DNA. The in vitro antifungal susceptibilities of the case strain were tested for five antifungal agents. The results showed that the infectious agent was resistant towards fluconazole, caspofungin and amphotericin B; itraconazole and voriconazole were highly effective against H. pulvericola. He was diagnosed with H. pulvericola keratitis and treated with oral itraconazole and natamycin eyedrops. After one month of treatment, the lesion gradually improved, with the best-corrected visual acuity improving to 0.8.Keywords: Humicola pulvericola, keratitis, itraconazole, fungal infection, antifungal drugs

Yanhua Liu,1,2,&ast; Fuxing Li,1,2,&ast; Youling Fang,2,3 Qiaoshi Zhong,1,2 Yanping Xiao,1,2 Yunwei Zheng,1,2 Junqi Zhu,2,3 Chuwen Zhao,2,3 Xingwei Cao,1,2 Jianqiu Xiong,4 Longhua Hu1,2 1The Second Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Jiangxi, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medicine, Clinical Laboratory of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Jiangxi, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Nursing, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Jiangxi, Nanchang, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jianqiu Xiong, Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Mingde Road No. 1, Jiangxi, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China, Email 1773014059@qq.com Longhua Hu, Department of Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medicine, Clinical Laboratory of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Mingde Road No. 1, Jiangxi, Nanchang, 330006, People’s Republic of China, Email longhuahu@163.comObjective: This research aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics, prognosis, and antimicrobial treatment of bloodstream infections (BSI) caused by Enterobacter cloacae complex (ECC).Methods: The clinical data of patients with bloodstream infections caused by Enterobacter cloacae complex from April 2017 to June 2023 were collected retrospectively. These data were then analyzed in subgroups based on the detection results of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL), 30-day mortality, and the type of antimicrobial agent used (β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations (BLICs) or carbapenems).Results: The proportion of ESBL-producing Enterobacter cloacae complex was 32.5% (37/114). Meanwhile, ICU admission, receiving surgical treatment within 3 months, and biliary tract infection were identified as risk factors for ESBL-producing ECC-BSI. Additionally, immunocompromised status and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score ≥ 6.0 were identified as independent risk factors of 30-day mortality in patients with ECC-BSI (n = 108). Further analysis in BSI patients caused by non-ESBL-producing ECC revealed that patients treated with BLICs (n = 45) had lower SOFA scores and lower incidence of hypoproteinemia and sepsis compared with patients treated with carbapenems (n = 20). Moreover, in non-ESBL-producing ECC-BSI patients, the univariate Cox regression analysis indicated a significantly lower 30-day mortality rate in patients treated with BLICs compared to those treated with carbapenems (hazard ratios (HR) [95% CI] 0.190 [0.055– 0.662], P = 0.009; adjusted HR [95% CI] 0.106 [0.013– 0.863], P = 0.036).Conclusion: This study investigated the factors influencing the susceptibility to infection by ESBL-producing strains and risk factors for 30-day mortality in ECC-BSI patients. The results revealed that ESBL-negative ECC-BSI patients treated with BLICs exhibited significantly lower 30-day mortality compared to those treated with carbapenems. BLICs were found to be more effective in ECC-BSI patients with milder disease (ESBL-negative and SOFA ≤ 6.0).Keywords: Enterobacter cloacae complex, extended-spectrum β-lactamase, bloodstream infection, risk factors, β-lactam/β- lactamase inhibitor combinations, carbapenems

Xin-Yu Liang,1,&ast; Li-yuan Mu,1,&ast; Lei Hu,2,&ast; Rui-ling She,1,&ast; Chen-yu Ma,1,&ast; Jun-han Feng,1,&ast; Zhi-yu Jiang,1 Zhao-xing Li,1 Xiu-quan Qu,1 Bai-qing Peng,1 Kai-nan Wu,1 Ling-quan Kong1 1Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People’s Republic of China; 2Information Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Ling-quan Kong, Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400016, People’s Republic of China, Tel +8613101380893, Email huihuikp@163.comPurpose: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is widely used in diabetes management and now recommended for diagnosis and risk assessment. Our research focused on investigating the optimal cutoff points of HbA1c for diagnosis of diabetes and prediabetes in Chinese breast cancer women, aiming to enhance early detection and tailor treatment strategies.Patients and Methods: This study involved 309 breast cancer women without diabetes history in China. Patients were categorized into groups of newly diagnosed diabetes, prediabetes, and normal glucose tolerance using oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) according to the 2010 ADA criteria. HbA1c data were collected from all patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the effectiveness of the HbA1c screening.Results: Among the 309 breast cancer women without diabetes history, 96 (31.0%) were identified with diabetes and 130 (42.1%) had prediabetes according to OGTT, and the incidence of normal glucose tolerance was only 26.9% (83). ROC curve analysis, using OGTT as a reference, revealed that the area under the curve of 0.903 (P< 0.001, 95% CI, 0.867– 0.938) for HbA1c alone, indicating high accuracy. The optimal HbA1c cutoff for identifying diabetes was determined to be 6.0%, with a sensitivity of 78.1% and specificity of 86.4%. For prediabetes, the ROC curve for HbA1c alone showed that the area under the ROC curve of 0.703 (P< 0.001, 95% CI, 0.632– 0.774), with an optimal cutoff of 5.5% (sensitivity of 76.9% and specificity of 51.8%).Conclusion: The prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes is very high in breast cancer women without diabetes history in China. The optimal cutoff points of HbA1c for identifying diabetes and prediabetes are 6.0% and 5.5% in Chinese breast cancer women, respectively.Keywords: breast cancer, diabetes, HbA1c, prediabetes

In the hopes of observing the highest-energy neutrinos (E>1 EeV) populating the Universe, both past (RICE, AURA, ANITA) and current (RNO-G, ARIANNA, ARA and TAROGE-M) polar-sited experiments exploit the impulsive radio emission produced by neutrino interactions. In such experiments, rare single event candidates must be unambiguously identified above backgrounds. Background rejection strategies to date primarily target thermal noise fluctuations and also impulsive radio-frequency signals of anthropogenic origin. In this paper, we consider the possibility that ‘fake’ neutrino signals may also be generated naturally via the ‘triboelectric effect.’ This broadly describes any process in which force applied at a boundary layer results in displacement of surface charge, leading to the production of an electrostatic potential difference ΔV. Wind blowing over granular surfaces such as snow can induce such a potential difference, with subsequent coronal discharge. Discharges over timescales as short as nanoseconds can then lead to radio-frequency emissions at characteristic MHz–GHz frequencies. Using data from various past (RICE, AURA, SATRA, ANITA) and current (RNO-G, ARIANNA and ARA) neutrino experiments, we find evidence for such backgrounds, which are generally characterized by: (a) a threshold wind velocity which likely depends on the experimental trigger criteria and layout; for the experiments considered herein, this value is typically O(10 m/s), (b) frequency spectra generally shifted to the low-end of the frequency regime to which current radio experiments are typically sensitive (100–200 MHz), (c) for the strongest background signals, an apparent preference for discharges from above-surface structures, although the presence of more isotropic, lower amplitude triboelectric discharges cannot be excluded.

Jing Wang,1,&ast; Lisha He,2,&ast; Zhiyan Jin,1,&ast; Guoguang Lu,1 Sufei Yu,1 Lingling Hu,1 Meidan Fang,1 Xiaxia Jin1 1Department of Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Ultrasound, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Meidan Fang; Xiaxia Jin, Department of Clinical Laboratory, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Linhai, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, People’s Republic of China, Tel +86 13586102337; +86 15967063239, Email fangmd@enzemed.com; jinxiax@enzemed.comObjective: To explore the early predictors and their predicting value of 28-day mortality in sepsis patients and to investigate the possible causes of death.Methods: 127 sepsis patients were included, including 79 cases in the survival group and 48 cases in the death group. The results of all patients on admission were recorded. After screening the risk factors of 28-day mortality, the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to determine their predictive value for the 28-day mortality rate on admission, and the Kaplan-Meier curve was drawn to compare the 28-day mortality rate between groups. Finally, patients with cytokine and lymphocyte subsets results were included for investigating the possible causes of death through correlation analysis.Results: APACHE II (acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II), SOFA (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment) and red blood cell distribution width (RDW) were the risk factors for 28-day mortality in sepsis patients (OR: 1.130 vs.1.160 vs.1.530, P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity and specificity of APACHE II, SOFA and RDW in predicting the mortality rate at 28 days after admission in sepsis patients were 0.763 vs 0.806 vs 0.723, 79.2% vs 68.8% vs 75.0%, 65.8% vs 89.9% vs 68.4%. The combined predicted AUC was 0.873, the sensitivity was 89.6%, and the specificity was 82.3%. The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed that the 28-day mortality rates of sepsis patients with APACHE II≥ 18.5, SOFA≥ 11.5 and RDW≥ 13.8 were 58.5%, 80.5% and 59.0%, respectively. In the death group, APACHE II was positively correlated with SOFA, IL-2, and IL-10, and RDW was positively correlated with PLT, TNF-α, CD3+ lymphocyte count, and CD8+ lymphocyte count.Conclusion: Sepsis patients with high APACHE II, SOFA and RDW levels at admission have an increased 28-day mortality rate. The elevation of these indicators in dead patients are related to immune dysfunction.Keywords: sepsis, APACHE II, SOFA, red blood cell distribution width, mortality, immune dysfunction

Xiang Li,1,&ast; Lei Hu,1,&ast; Abid Naeem,2,3,&ast; Shanghua Xiao,2 Ming Yang,2 Hongming Shang,4 Jing Zhang1,2 1National Pharmaceutical Engineering Center for Solid Preparation in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China; 2Key Laboratory of Modern Preparation of TCM, Ministry of Education, Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330004, People’s Republic of China; 3School of Life Science, Advanced Research Institute of Multidisciplinary Science, School of Medical Technology, Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, Key Laboratory of Medical Molecule Science and Pharmaceutics Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, 100081, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Biochemistry & Chemical Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jing Zhang, Tel/Fax +86 79187118658, Email jing.zhang@jxutcm.edu.cnAbstract: Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are extracellular fibers composed of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and decorated proteins produced by neutrophils. Recently, NETs have been associated with the development of many diseases, including tumors. Herein, we reviewed the correlation between NETs and tumors. In addition, we detailed active compounds from traditional herbal medicine formulations that inhibit NETs, related nanodrug delivery systems, and antibodies that serve as “guiding moieties” to ensure targeted delivery to NETs. Furthermore, we discussed the strategies used by pathogenic microorganisms to evade NETs.Keywords: neutrophil extracellular traps, cancer, traditional herbal medicine formulations, nano delivery systems

Lili Wang,1,2,&ast; Lu Nie,3,&ast; Yue Liu,4,&ast; Liang Hu,2 Aiping Zhou,2 Dongjiang Wang,2 Xuebin Xu,4 Jian Guo2 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, Zhoushan Women and Children Hospital, Zhoushan, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First People’s Hospital of Foshan, Foshan, Guangdong, People’s Republic of China; 4Shanghai Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Jian Guo; Xuebin Xu, Email guojian1110@126.com; xxb72@sina.comBackground: This study aimed to provide epidemiological features of Salmonella enterica serovar Rissen, determine antimicrobial susceptibility, virulence gene profiles, and describe the potential association of S. Rissen from different sources in China.Methods: During 2008– 2019, a total of non-repetitive 228 S. Rissen isolates were collected from human, animals and environment in China. The antimicrobial susceptibility test, screening of antimicrobial and virulence genes by PCR, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) were performed.Results: Among the 154 isolates from human, the majority of the cases (80.5%) occurred in summer, and S. Rissen was mainly detected in people aged 21– 40 (37.7%) and 41– 60 (28.6%) years old, and 74 non-human source S. Rissen strains were identified, with pork being the most common source. About 93.4% isolates were resistant to at least one of the 12 tested antimicrobial agents, and high frequencies of resistance were observed for tetracyclines (91.2%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (74.1%) and ampicillin (67.5%). A total of 171 (75%) isolates were resistant to at least three categories of antimicrobials, and the most common resistance profile was Tetracycline(s)-β-Lactams-Sulfonamides. The resistance rates to chloramphenicol, quinolones and sulfafurazole were significantly higher in strains isolated from human compared to non-human source strains. Among these isolates, the β-Lactams resistance was mainly associated with gene blaTEM (54.7%), sulfonamide resistance with sul2 (45.7%) and sul3 (54.3%), tetracycline resistance with tetA (81.3%). All the isolates harbored virulence genes hilA, sopB, sciN, stn and ssrB, and most of them harbored ssaQ (98.7%), mgtC (98.7%) and invA (98.2%). The majority (91.7%) of S. Rissen isolates showed high similarity (> 80%) with each other in PFGE patterns and came from human, animals and environment.Conclusion: The high frequencies of multidrug resistance and probable clonal dissemination in this serovar call for the necessity of systematic surveillance on S. Rissen in China.Keywords: Salmonella Rissen, antimicrobial susceptibility test, resistance genes, virulence genes, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis

Pingyang Ke,1,&ast; Jing Liu,1,2,&ast; Chengzhi Chen,3,&ast; Sen Luo,3,&ast; Huiwen Gu,3,&ast; Juan Gu,4 Yan Liu,1 Yuanlin Ma,1 Yuan Meng,1 Liqin Hu,1 Xin Tian,1 Fei Xiao1 1Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurology, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Neurology, Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Management, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, People’s Republic of China; 4Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology of Ministry of Education and Medical Electrophysiological Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Fei Xiao; Xin Tian, Email feixiao81@126.com; xintian@cqmu.edu.cnBackground: Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) has been widely used in various fields and has had an important impact on human public health. In addition, it inevitably damages human health, including neurological diseases. Therefore, this study explored the effect of ZnO NPs on epilepsy.Methods: The effect of ZnO NPs on epilepsy was observed by behavioral analysis. TLR4 expression and autophagy related pathways were detected by RNA-seq and Western blot. In addition, the cell types of autophagy were detected by immunofluorescence. Further, the electrophysiological changes of ZnO NPs induced autophagy were detected by whole-cell patch-clamp. Finally, the recovery experiment was carried out by TLR4 inhibitor (TAK-242).Results: We found that ZnO NPs enhanced epilepsy susceptibility and severity. Through RNA-seq analysis and Western blot, it was found that ZnO NPs affected the changes of TLR4 and autophagy related pathways. In addition, we found that ZnO NPs mainly affects autophagy of inhibitory neurons, resulting in excitation/inhibition imbalance. The autophagy and epileptic phenotypes were reversed with TAK-242. In general, ZnO NPs exacerbate epileptic seizures by modulating the TLR4-autophagy axis.Conclusion: ZnO NPs enhanced the susceptibility and severity of epilepsy. Mechanistically, ZnO NPs affected autophagy by changing the expression of TLR4. In particular, the ZnO NPs mainly affected the synaptic function of inhibitory neuron, leading to excitation/inhibition imbalances.Keywords: zinc oxide nanoparticles, epilepsy, excitation/inhibition balance, autophage

Chuwen Zhao,1,2,&ast; Yunwei Zheng,1,&ast; Yaping Hang,1 Yanhui Chen,1 Yanhua Liu,1 Junqi Zhu,1,2 Youling Fang,1,2 Jianqiu Xiong,3 Longhua Hu1 1Department of Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medicine, Clinical Laboratory of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 2School of Public Health, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Nursing, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Longhua Hu, Department of Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Medicine, Clinical Laboratory of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Mingde Road No. 1, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China, Email longhuahu@163.com Jianqiu Xiong, Department of Nursing, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Mingde Road No. 1, Nanchang, Jiangxi, 330006, People’s Republic of China, Email 1773014059@qq.comObjective: Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae are prevalent Gram-negative microorganisms responsible for pneumonia, as well as the primary Enterobacteriaceae pathogens causing bacteremic pneumonia. The objective of this research is to analyze the risk factors associated with bacteremic pneumonia caused by these pathogens and develop a predictive model.Patients and Methods: This retrospective investigation encompassed a cohort of 252 patients diagnosed with Escherichia coli or Klebsiella pneumoniae-induced bacteremic pneumonia between 2018 and 2022. The primary endpoint was 30-day mortality, which was analyzed using multifactorial logistic regression, nomogram construction, and Bootstrap validation.Results: Among the 252 patients diagnosed with Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, 65 succumbed to the disease while 187 survived. The overall 30-day mortality was found to be 25.8%. A multifactorial logistic regression analysis revealed that diastolic blood pressure, cerebrovascular diseases/transient ischemic attacks (TIA), immunosuppression, blood urea nitrogen, Pitt score, and CURB-65 score were statistically significant factors. The Nomogram model demonstrated an AUC of 0.954, which closely aligns with the Bootstrap-derived mean AUC of 0.953 (95% CI: 0.952– 0.954).Conclusion: In patients with bacteremic pneumonia caused by Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae, Low diastolic blood pressure (≤ 61 mmHg), pre-existing cerebrovascular disease/ transient ischemic attacks (TIA), immunosuppression status, elevated blood urea nitrogen levels (≥ 8.39 mmol/L), high Pitt score (≥ 3), and a high CURB-65 score (≥ 2) are all independent risk factors for Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteremic pneumonia, among which the first three warrant particular attention.Keywords: Klebsiella pneumoniae, Escherichia coli, bacteremic pneumonia, 30-day mortality, nomogram

Xiuri Wang,1,&ast; Yunxiao Liang,1,&ast; Qiuchen Cheng,1 Wei Nong,1 Liuyang Hu2 1Department of Gastroenterology, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, 530016, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Laboratory Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Nanning, 530016, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Liuyang Hu, Department of Laboratory Medicine, The People’s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Guangxi Academy of Medical Sciences, Taoyuan Road N 6, Nanning, Guangxi, 530016, People’s Republic of China, Email 1225432679@qq.comAbstract: Nocardiosis is mainly an opportunistic infection that affects immunosuppressed individuals, with the most common manifestation being the pulmonary infection and cerebral abscesses. Abdominal abscesses caused by Nocardia is rare in diabetes patients. Here, we report a rare case of abdominal abscesses caused by Nocardia farcinica (N. farcinica) in a 56-year-old man with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes and prolonged use of corticosteroids for the treatment of secondary adrenal insufficiency. Abdominal CT suggested abdominal abscesses, and the culture of the abscess puncture fluid identified it as N. farcinica by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). Treatment with a combination of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) and imipenem/cilastatin (IPM/CS), along with surgical drainage and reduction in corticosteroid dosage, achieved successful outcomes in treating disseminated abdominal abscesses. Immunocompromised patients with unexplained fever, abdominal pain, and abdominal abscess should be suspected of Nocardia infection.Keywords: abdominal nocardiosis, Nocardia farcinica, abdominal abscesses, diabetes, corticosteroid

Luo H, Hang Y, Zhu H, et al. Infect Drug Resist. 2023;16:2601–2609 Following a review of the paper post-publication, the authors realized the Funding statement on page 2607 was incorrect. The correct Funding statement is as follows: Funding This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82060391), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province (No. 20202BAB216021), the Health Commission of Jiangxi Province (No. 20201034). The authors apologize for any inconvenience caused to the readers.

The ability to alloy different elements is critical for property tuning and materials discovery. However, general alloying at the nanoscale remains extremely challenging due to strong immiscibility and easy oxidation, particularly for early transition metals that are highly reactive. Here, we report nanoscale alloying using a high-temperature- and high-entropy-based strategy (T∗ΔSmix) to significantly expand the possible alloys and include early transition metals. While high-temperature synthesis favors alloy formation and metal reduction, the high-entropy compositional design is critical to further extending the alloying to strongly repelling combinations (e.g., Au-W) and easily oxidized elements (e.g., Zr). In particular, we explicitly characterized a record 15-element nanoalloy, which showed a solid-solution structure featuring localized strain and lattice distortions as a result of extreme mixing. Our study significantly broadens available compositions of nanoalloys and provides clear guidelines by utilizing the less-explored entropic chemistry.

The International Association of Fire Safety Science (IAFSS) is comprised of members from some 40 countries. This paper presents the Association's thinking, developed by the Management Committee, concerning pressing research needs for the coming 10 years presented as the IAFSS Agenda 2030 for a Fire Safe World. The research needs are couched in terms of two broad Societal Grand Challenges: (1) climate change, resiliency and sustainability and (2) population growth, urbanization and globalization. The two Societal Grand Challenges include significant fire safety components, that lead both individually and collectively to the need for a number of fire safety and engineering research activities and actions. The IAFSS has identified a list of areas of research and actions in response to these challenges. The list is not exhaustive, and actions within actions could be defined, but this paper does not attempt to cover all future needs.

BACKGROUND: While increased levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines in chronologically aged humans have been linked to the development of ageing-associated chronic disorders (e.g., cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, osteoporosis and Alzheimers disease), approaches that reduce circulating cytokines are not yet available. In chronologically aged mice, we recently demonstrated that epidermal dysfunction largely accounts for age-associated elevations in circulating cytokine levels, and that improving epidermal function reduced circulating cytokine levels. OBJECTIVE: We performed a pilot study to determine whether improving epidermal function reduces circulating pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in aged humans. METHODS: Thirty-three aged humans were topically treated twice-daily for 30 days, with ≈ 3 mL of an emollient, previously shown to improve epidermal function, while untreated, aged humans and a cohort of young volunteers served as controls. Changes in epidermal function and levels of three key, age-related, plasma cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα) were measured at baseline and after treatment, using Luminex 200™ system. RESULTS: We also found significantly higher baseline levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNFα in aged vs. young humans (P

Yu Wang,1,&ast; Hanning Zha,1,&ast; Xiang Fang,2 Tianjiao Shen,1 Kunyun Pan,1 Jianping Zhang,1 Keqiang He,1 Sheng Wang,1 Liguo Hu1 1Department of Anesthesiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC (Anhui Provincial Hospital), Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Anesthesiology, Hefei BOE Hospital, Hefei, Anhui, People’s Republic of China&ast;These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Sheng Wang; Liguo Hu, Email iamsheng2020@ustc.edu.cn; hulg@163.comObjective: The dose selection of ropivacaine for spinal anesthesia in clinical work mainly depends on the experience of the anesthesiologist. In this study, a prospective and modified up-down sequential allocation design was used to provide the optimal dose selection of ropivacaine for spinal anesthesia.Patients and methods: This study was divided into two stages, and a total of 164 elderly patients with elective hip fractures were included. In stage I, the dose of ropivacaine was selected using the up-down sequential method of height correction, and the 50% effective dose (ED50) and 95% effective dose (ED95) were obtained. A nomogram for predicting satisfactory anesthesia and a formula for predicting the optimal dose was also given in this stage. In stage II, the dose of ropivacaine was calculated by using the optimal dose prediction formula, so as to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the model.Results: The ED50 and ED95 of the stage I were 7.036 mg (95%CI 6.549– 7.585 mg) and 8.709 mg (95%CI 7.902– 14.275 mg), respectively. And provided a nomogram predicting satisfactory anesthesia with a C-index of 0.847 (95%CI 0.774– 0.92). The optimal dose prediction formula of ropivacaine was calculated, including variables for age, gender, height, and weight. This formula was found to be 90% efficient. It is worth mentioning that the incidence of direct transfer to the ward in the two stages was as high as 86.84% and 93.33%, respectively, and no patients were transferred to the ICU in stage II.Conclusion: The ED50 and ED95 of ropivacaine were 7.036 mg and 8.709 mg, respectively, and the nomograms are sufficiently accurate to predict satisfactory anesthesia. Beyond that, the dose prediction equation provided in this study has high efficacy and safety, and can guide the dose selection of spinal anesthesia in elderly patients with hip fracture in clinical practice.Clinical trials registration: ChiCTR2100046982Keywords: ropivacaine, dose selection, elder, spinal anesthesia, Hip fracture, sequential design