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Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the current status of disease-related knowledge and to analyze the relationship among the general condition, illness perception, and psychological status of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)., Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 118 patients using convenience sampling. The general questionnaire, disease-related knowledge questionnaire of COVID-19, Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ), and Profile of Mood States (POMS) were used to measure the current status of participants., Results: The overall average score of the disease-related knowledge of patients with COVID-19 was (79.19 ± 14.25), the self-care situation was positively correlated with knowledge of prevention and control ( r = 0.265; P = 0.004) and total score of disease-related knowledge ( r = 0.206; P = 0.025); the degree of anxiety was negatively correlated with the knowledge of diagnosis and treatment ( r = -0.182; P = 0.049). The score of disease-related knowledge was negatively correlated with negative cognition (volatility, consequences, emotional statements) and negative emotions (tension, fatigue, depression) ( P < 0.05); positively correlated with positive cognition (disease coherence) and positive emotion (self-esteem) ( P < 0.05)., Conclusions: It was recommended that we should pay more attention to the elderly and low-income groups, and increase the knowledge about diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19 and self-care in the future health education for patients.

Objectives: A novel tp0548 sequence-type was identified in one clinical isolate (X-4) from a patient diagnosed with primary syphilis in Xiamen, China. To precisely define and characterise a new clinical isolate, we performed further genome-scale molecular analysis., Methods: The pooled segment genome sequencing method followed by Illumina sequencing was performed., Results: This novel sequence-type contained a unique nucleotide substitution 'T' at position 167 and belonged to the SS14-like clade of TPA strains, as determined by phylogenetic analysis. Multi-locus sequence analysis of nine chromosomal loci demonstrated that the X-4 isolate was clustered within a monophyletic group of TPA strains. Whole-genome phylogenetic analysis subsequently corroborated the TPA strain classification of the X-4 isolate and revealed that the isolate was closely related to the SS14 strain, with 42 single-nucleotide variations and 12 insertions/deletions. In addition, high intrastrain heterogeneity in the length of the poly G/C tracts was found in the TPAChi&#95;0347 locus, which might indicate that this gene of the X-4 isolate is likely involved in phase variation events. The length heterogeneity of the poly A/T tracts was lower than the genetic variability of the poly G/C tracts, and all the observed intrastrain variations fell within coding regions., Conclusion: The novel tp0548 sequence-type was determined to belong to a new TPA isolate, X-4. The identification of variable length in homopolymetic tracts (G/C and A/T) could provide a snapshot of the genes that potentially involved in genotype-phenotype variations. These findings provide an unequivocal characterisation for better understanding the molecular variation of this emerging isolate., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Florfenicol, apramycin, and danofloxacin are antibiotics approved only for veterinary use and that have good therapeutic effects on chicken respiratory infections caused by Escherichia coli. We established epidemiological cutoff values (ECV) for these antibiotics using 363 E. coli isolates from tracheal samples of chickens in 5 veterinary clinics in Guangdong Province, China. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined using the agar dilution method as per Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institution guidelines. The ECV were then calculated using the statistical method and verified by normalized resistance interpretation and ECOFFinder software programs. The ECV of florfenicol, apramycin, and danofloxacin against E. coli were 16, 16, and 0.125 μg/mL, respectively. Susceptibility tests indicated that these isolates were resistant to florfenicol (66.7%), apramycin (22.3%), and danofloxacin (92.3%). Strains carrying floR were distributed in the range of MIC ≥32 μg/mL for florfenicol. Apramycin resistance was found in 77 strains (77/363, 21.1%), and isolates that carried aac(3)-IV were all in the range of MIC ≥512 μg/mL. Danofloxacin resistance was found in the range of MIC ≤0.125 μg/mL, but there were no mutations in the quinolone resistance-determining regions and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance genes qnrA, qnrB, qnrC, qnrD, aac-(6')-Ib-cr, qep, and oqxB. The presence of the qnrS gene was verified in a few of the strains with an MIC of 0.06 μg/mL. The establishment of ECV was significant for monitoring of resistance development and therapy guidance., (Copyright © 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

We developed a new Boson chemiluminescence immunoassay (CIA) and evaluated its application with cross-sectional analyses. Our results indicated that the Boson CIA demonstrated strong discriminatory power in diagnosing syphilis and that it can be used as a first-line screening test for syphilis serodiagnosis using the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control algorithm or as a confirmatory test when combined with a patient's clinical history., (Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

To characterize the CBFP reaction in the modern era, we analyzed the results of parallel rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) tests from a total of 63,765 blood samples obtained at Zhongshan Hospital in the Medical College of Xiamen University from May 2008 to February 2013. Among the 63,765 tested blood samples, 206 (0.32%) had the CBFP reaction. In multivariate analysis, an increased likelihood of the CBFP reaction was associated with female subjects, subjects ≥80years old, and subjects between 16 and 35years old (P<0.05). The CBFP reaction occurred in association with 17 categories of disease, including 60 types of diseases, in the 206 subjects. To our knowledge, a number of these diseases had not been previously reported to be associated with the CBFP in the RPR test, including false labor, megaloblastic anemias, aplastic anemias, redundant prepuce, congenital malformation of heart, and salpingitis. Among the 206 patients with the CBFP reaction, 35 patients were subjected to follow-up for five years. 26 out of 35 these patients were at a 1:1 initial RPR titer, 8 out of 35 patients were at a 1:2 initial RPR titer, and 1 out of 35 patients were at a 1:4 initial RPR titer. 30 subjects had their RPR seroreverted. In our opinion, additional CBFP research using a large sample population will contribute to the identification of additional underlying serious disorders that are not related to syphilis. Such results could be useful for the prediction and diagnosis of these diseases., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The cysteine and glycine-rich protein 3 (CSRP3) plays an important role in the myofiber differentiation. Here, we identified five SNVs in all exon and intron regions of the CSRP3 gene using DNA sequencing, PCR-RFLP and forced-PCR-RFLP methods in 554 cattle. Four of the five SNVs were significantly associated with growth performance and carcass traits of the cattle. In addition, we evaluated haplotype frequency and linkage disequilibrium coefficient of five sequence variants. The result of haplotype analysis demonstrated 28 haplotypes present in Qinchuan and two haplotypes in Chinese Holstein. Only haplotypes 1 and 8 were being shared by two populations, haplotype 14 had the highest haplotype frequency in Qinchuan (17.4%) and haplotype 8 had the highest haplotype frequency in Chinese Holstein (94.4%). Statistical analyses of combined genotypes indicated that some combined genotypes were significantly or highly significantly associated with growth and carcass traits in the Qinchuan cattle population. qPCR analyses also showed that bovine CSRP3 gene was exclusively expressed in longissimus dorsi muscle and heart tissues. The data support the high potential of the CSRP3 as a marker gene for the improvement of growth performance and carcass traits in selection programs., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Neurosyphilis (NS) may present with neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by cognitive impairment, personality disorders, and confusion, among others. Very few studies have focused on neuropsychiatric disorders secondary to NS in elderly people., Method: A retrospective chart review was performed to characterize the psychiatric findings, clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory findings, and brain magnetic resonance imaging results of ten elderly inpatients with NS., Results: In these ten patients, the most common presenting symptoms included a wide variety of psychiatric manifestations. The serum rapid plasma regain (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA) of the ten patients were positive, with positive CSF TPPA and RPR rates of 100% and 60%, respectively. In addition, 90% of the patients demonstrated abnormal imaging, including cerebral atrophy, infarct ischemic stroke, and hydrocephalus., Conclusions: Our findings support the importance of serological tests for syphilis as a routine component of the evaluation of patients with clinically evident neurological or psychiatric symptoms. If the serology is positive, all of the patients should be examined with a lumbar puncture. Moreover, psychiatric illnesses secondary to NS in the elderly also deserve medical attention.

Aim: To characterize the pharmacokinetics (PKs), pharmacodynamics (PDs), and tolerability of different dose regimens of prasugrel in healthy Chinese subjects., Methods: This was a single-centered, open-label, parallel-design study. Subjects received a single loading dose (LD) of prasugrel followed by once-daily maintenance dose (MD) for 10 d. They were enrolled into 3 groups: 60 mg LD/10 mg MD; 30 mg LD/7.5 mg MD; 30 mg LD/5 mg MD. Blood samples were collected after the first and last dose. The serum concentration of the active metabolite of prasugrel was determined using a LC/MS/MS method. Platelet aggregation was assessed using the VerifyNow-P2Y(12) assay., Results: Thirty-six healthy native Chinese subjects (19 males) aged 18-45 were enrolled; mean age and body weight were similar across the treatment groups (n=12 for each). The metabolite AUC(0-4) and C(max) increased dose-proportionally across the dose range of 5 mg to 60 mg. The median T(max) was 0.5 h in all groups. The PD parameters, indicated by the inhibition of ADP-induced platelet aggregation, were met more rapidly in the 60 mg group than the 30 mg group after the LD (94%-98%). This high degree of inhibition of platelet aggregation was maintained following the 10 mg MD (87%-90%) and was lower in the 7.5 mg and 5 mg MD groups (79%-83% and 64%-67%, respectively). Prasugrel was well tolerated in healthy Chinese subjects for single doses up to 60 mg and a MD of 10 mg for 10 d., Conclusion: The PKs and PDs of the active metabolite of prasugrel were similar to those in Chinese subjects reported by a previous bridging study, which demonstrated that the exposure to the active metabolite in Chinese subjects was higher than in Caucasians.