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Objective: This study aims to assess the risk of neonatal susceptibility to COVID-19 among pregnant women. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study involving 1089 pregnant women ≥28 weeks of gestational age, who were categorized into infected and uninfected groups. Data for all participants were collected through a comprehensive review of electronic medical records and follow-up phone calls. The primary outcome was neonatal infection with SARS-CoV-2, while secondary outcomes included delivery patterns and gestational age at delivery. Results: Maternal vaccination (OR 95%CI:0.63[0.46, 0.85]) and maternal infection with SARS-CoV-2 (OR 95%CI: 0.45[0.34, 0.60]) were found to be associated with a decreased risk of neonatal infection. The infected group exhibited a lower neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection rate (25.93%) compared to the uninfected group (45.15%). Logistic regression analysis identified several risk factors associated with an increased risk of neonatal infection, including pregnancy BMI (OR 95%CI: 1.04[1.01, 1.08]), age at first pregnancy (OR 95%CI: 1.05[1.01, 1.10]), age at menarche (OR 95%CI: 1.13[1.02, 1.26]), and parturition (Yes vs. No) (OR 95%CI:1.4 [1.04,1.88]). Conclusion: Maternal vaccination and perinatal infection with SARS-CoV-2 play a protective role in preventing neonatal SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Abstract Aim To explore the association between social capital and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and to determine whether depression mediates the association among Chinese older adults in the context of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Design A descriptive cross‐sectional research design. Methods The Geriatric Depression Scale‐15, Social Capital Questionnaire and 12‐item Short‐Form Health Survey were used to investigate 1201 older adults selected from Jinan, Shandong Province, China, using a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method. Results Pearson's correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between social capital and HRQoL (r = 0.269, p

Abstract Background Endobronchial ultrasonography-guided transbronchial needle aspiration biopsy (EBUS-TBNA) has been used for more than 10 years in China. Its clinical application and diagnostic value in different diseases with large sample was lack of report. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed about the application and diagnostic value of EBUS-TBNA in different disease of patients in Respiratory Intervention Center of Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health from January 2012 to July 2020. Results A total 5758 patients were included with 182 patients excluded for lack of information. Finally, data of 5576 patients (3798 males and 1778 females) were analyzed. For anesthetize, most patients were undergoing general anesthesia of intravenous with spontaneous breathing (69.4%), followed by general anesthesia of intravenous and inhalation with tracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (17.9%) and conscious sedation and analgesia (12.8%). Lymph nodes were the main sites of biopsy obtained (76.4%). Tumors accounted for the highest proportion of disease (66.4%), followed by infection diseases (9.9%), sarcoidosis (3.9%), lymphoma (1.1%), and others (18.7%). The sensitivity of EBUS-TBNA for diagnosis of tumor was 89.7%, and 40.8% for infection diseases. There were significant differences in the puncture site and proportions of diseases between male and females (both p

Demodex is one of the most common parasites in the human body. It can be classified into demodex folliculorum and demodex brevis based on the parasitic sites. It is an opportunistic pathogenic microorganism, and clinical symptoms may not appear in part of infected people, but the parasite can cause multiple common ocular diseases represented by blepharitis. Its typical symptoms include dry eyes, foreign body sensation in eyes, secretion attached to eyelashes, and ocular surface irritation. The diagnosis of demodex blepharitis should be based on the clinical manifestations and the results of etiological tests. The treatment is related to many kinds of drugs including plant essential oil and physical therapy. At present, diagnosing and treating demodex blepharitis is increasingly sophisticated, but the relationship between demodex infection and its pathogenicity remains unclear. This paper summarizes the current characteristics of demodex and the clinical manifestation, diagnosis, treatment, and existing issues of demodex blepharitis, hoping to provide a reference for future studies in demodex.

The construction of libraries of stereoisomers of natural products serves as an important approach to investigating the correlation between the stereostructure and biological activity. However, the total synthesis and isomerzation of polycyclic scaffolds with multiple chrial centers are rare. Spirooliganin (1), a new skeleton natural product isolated from the plant Illicium oligandrum, was structurally characterized by comprehensive analysis of NMR spectroscopic data and ECD which revealed an unprecedented 5-6-6-6-7 polycyclic framework with six chiral centers. Here we report a 17-step total synthesis to prepare a library of stereochemically diverse isomers of spirooliganin, including 16 diastereoisomers and 16 regioisomers. In addition to a regioselective hetero-Diels-Alder cycloaddition, the synthetic strategy involves a photo-induced stereoselective Diels-Alder reaction, which gives only the abnormal trans-fused product as rationalized by density functional theory calculations. Preliminary biological evaluation showed that spirooliganin and regioisomers 39 exhibited potent inhibition of Coxsackievirus B3. It also revealed the pharmacophore effect of the D-ring (16R,18R,24R, and 26R) for their antiviral activities.

AIM: To investigate corneal graft survival rate and endothelial cell density (ECD) loss after keratoplasty in cytomegalovirus (CMV) positive patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study. We analyzed the clinical data of patients who underwent viral DNA detection in aqueous humor/corneal tissue collected during keratoplasty from March 2015 to December 2018 at the Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing, China. To further evaluate the effect of CMV on graft survival rate and ECD loss, patients were divided into three groups: 1) CMV DNA positive (CMV+) group; 2) viral DNA negative (virus-) group, comprising virus- group eyes pairwise matched to eyes in the CMV+ group according to ocular comorbidities; 3) control group, comprising virus- group eyes without ocular comorbidities. The follow-up indicators including graft survival rate, ECD, ECD loss, and central corneal thickness (CCT), were analyzed by Tukey honestly significant difference (HSD) test. RESULTS: Each group included 29 cases. The graft survival rate in CMV+ group were lowest among the three groups (P=0.000). No significant difference in donor graft ECD was found among three groups (P=0.54). ECD in the CMV+ group was lower than the virus- group at 12 (P=0.009), and 24mo (P=0.002) after keratoplasties. Furthermore, ECD loss was higher in the CMV+ group than in the virus- group in the middle stage (6-12mo) post-keratoplasty (P=0.017), and significantly higher in the early stage (0-6mo) in the virus- group than in the control group (P=0.000). CONCLUSION: CMV reduces the graft survival rate and exerts persistent detrimental effects on the ECD after keratoplasty. The graft ECD loss associate with CMV infection mainly occurrs in the middle stage (6-12mo postoperatively), while ocular comorbidities mainly affects ECD in the early stage (0-6mo postoperatively).

Abstract Disruption of gamma‐amino butyric acid type A receptors (GABAARs) synaptic clustering and a decrease in the number of GABAARs in the plasma membrane are thought to contribute to alteration of the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission, which promotes seizure induction and propagation. The multipass transmembrane protein cleft lip and palate transmembrane protein 1 (Clptm1) controls the forward trafficking of GABAAR, thus decaying miniature inhibitory postsynaptic current (mIPSC) of inhibitory synapses. In this study, using a pentylenetetrazol (PTZ)‐induced epilepsy rat model, we found that Clptm1 regulates epileptic seizures by modulating GABAAR‐mediated inhibitory synaptic transmission. First, we showed that Clptm1 expression was elevated in the PTZ‐induced epileptic rats. Subsequently, we found that downregulation of Clptm1 expression protected against PTZ‐induced seizures, which was attributed to an increase in the number of GABAARγ2s in the plasma membrane and the amplitude of mIPSC. Taken together, our findings identify a new anti‐seizure target that provides a theoretical basis for the development of novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of epilepsy.

Aquilaria sinensis is an important non-timber tree species for producing high-value agarwood, which is widely used as a traditional medicine and incense. Agarwood is the product of Aquilaria trees in response to injury and fungal infection. The APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factors (TFs) play important roles in plant stress responses and metabolite biosynthesis. In this study, 119 AsAP2/ERF genes were identified from the A. sinensis genome and divided into ERF, AP2, RAV, and Soloist subfamilies. Their conserved motif, gene structure, chromosomal localization, and subcellular localization were characterized. A stress/defense-related ERF-associated amphiphilic repression (EAR) motif and an EDLL motif were identified. Moreover, 11 genes that were highly expressed in the agarwood layer in response to whole-tree agarwood induction technique (Agar-Wit) treatment were chosen, and their expression levels in response to methyl jasmonate (MeJA), salicylic acid (SA), or salt treatment were further analyzed using the quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR). Among the 11 genes, eight belonged to subgroup B-3. All 11 genes were significantly upregulated under salt treatment, while eight genes were significantly induced by both MeJA and SA. In addition, the gene clusters containing these upregulated genes on chromosomes were observed. The results obtained from this research not only provide useful information for understanding the functions of AP2/ERF genes in A. sinensis but also identify candidate genes and gene clusters to dissect their regulatory roles in agarwood formation for future research. Key words: AP2/ERF gene family, Aquilaria sinensis, genome-wide analysis, expression profiles L'Aquilaria sinensis est espece forestiere importante pour sa production de bois d'aloes de grande valeur, lequel est largement employe en medecine traditionnelle et comme encens. Le bois d'aloes resulte de la blessure et de l'infection par un champignon des arbres d'Aquilaria. Les facteurs de transcription (FT) AP2/ERF jouent des roles importants dans les reponses aux stress et dans la synthese des metabolites. Dans ce travail, 119 genes AsAP2/ERF ont ete identifies au sein du genome de l'A. sinensis et divises en sous-familles (ERF, AP2, RAF et Soloist). Leurs motifs conserves, structure genique, emplacement chromosomique et localisation subcellulaire ont ete caracterises. Un motif EAR (<< ERF-associated amphiphilic repression >>) associe au stress ou a la defense ainsi qu'un motif EDLL ont ete identifies. De plus, 11 genes qui etaient fortement exprimes au sein de la couche de bois responsable de la production de bois d'aloes, en reponse a la technique d'induction sur arbres entiers (traitement Agar-Wit), ont ete choisis et leur niveau d'expression en reponse a divers traitements (MeJA, SA ou salinite) a ete analyse plus a fond par qRT-PCR. Parmi ces 11 genes, huit appartenaient au sous-groupe B-3. Tous les genes etaient exprimes significativement plus fortement en reponse au stress salin, tandis que huit de ces genes etaient induits a la fois par le MeJA et le SA. De plus, les amas geniques contenant ces genes surexprimes ont fait l'objet d'observations. Les resultats de ces travaux fournissent non seulement de l'information utile pour comprendre les fonctions des genes AP2/ERF chez l'A. sinensis, mais apportent egalement des genes candidats et des amas geniques pour dissequer leurs roles dans la regulation de la formation du bois d'aloes. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : famille de genes AP2/ERF, Aquilaria sinensis, analyse a l'echelle du genome, profils d'expression, Introduction Aquilaria sinensis (Lour.) Gilg is an economic plant that is an important non-timber tree species for producing high-value agarwood. Agarwood is widely used as a traditional medicine, perfume, and [...]

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo morphologic features of the cornea in patients with unilateral posterior interstitial keratitis.MethodsSeven eyes of 7 patients with unilateral posterior interstitial keratitis were examined by slit-lamp biomicroscopy, anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT), and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM). The imaging features of the cornea were evaluated and analyzed.ResultsBy slit-lamp examination, the posterior corneal stromal opacities were observed in all 7 eyes, and deep neovascularization in 4 eyes. The posterior stromal opacities showed higher reflectivity with an intact overlying epithelium by AS-OCT and did not invade the Bowman’s layer in all cases. IVCM revealed highly reflective dispersed microdots, needle-shaped bodies, and increased reflectivity of keratocytes in the lesion site in all patients. Active Langerhans cells and an attenuated subbasal nerve plexus were observed in 5 eyes. After treatment, the active Langerhans cells disappeared; however, highly reflective microdots and needle-shaped bodies remained.ConclusionThe three-dimensional evaluation of slit-lamp biomicroscopy, AS-OCT, and IVCM may help in the early diagnosis of patients with posterior interstitial keratitis.

In order to explore the different effects of Central Pacific El Niño (CP) and Eastern Pacific El Niño (EP) on the occurrence of Nilaparvata lugens (Stål) in South China and the underlying climatic causes. Based on the light--trap data of N. lugens and meteorological data from 1979 to 2020, the effects of different meteorological conditions of two types of El Niño events on the occurrence of N. lugens in South China was discussed by means of nonparametric tests, correlation analysis and inverse distance weight. The results showed as follows: (1) there was a significant difference between the effects of CP events and EP events on the occurrence of N. lugens in South China, with CP events being more likely to trigger a large occurrence of N. lugens immigration in South China. (2) The occurrence degree of N. lugens in South China was significantly affected by the atmospheric temperature fields during the impact of CP events, whereas it was affected not only by the atmospheric temperature fields but also by the precipitation during an EP events. (3) The differences of atmospheric temperature fields and atmospheric circulation situation between the two types of El Niño events were the main reasons for the different occurrence degree of N. lugens in South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) are significant in liver fibrosis. Our past investigations have shown that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hucMSCs) and their secreted exosomes (MSC-ex) could alleviate liver fibrosis via restraining HSCs activation. However, the mechanisms underlying the efficacy were not clear. Ferroptosis is a regulatory cell death caused by excessive lipid peroxidation, and it plays a vital role in the occurrence and development of liver fibrosis. In the present study, we aimed to study the proferroptosis effect and mechanism of MSC-ex in HSCs. MSC-ex were collected and purified from human umbilical cord MSCs. Proferroptosis effect of MSC-ex was examined in HSCs line LX-2 and CCl4 induced liver fibrosis in mice. Gene knockdown or overexpression approaches were used to investigate the biofactors in MSC-ex-mediated ferroptosis regulation. Results: MSC-ex could trigger HSCs ferroptosis by promoting ferroptosis-like cell death, ROS formation, mitochondrial dysfunction, Fe2 + release, and lipid peroxidation in human HSCs line LX-2. Glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) is a crucial regulator of ferroptosis. We found that intravenous injection of MSC-ex significantly decreased glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) expression in activated HSCs and collagen deposition in experimental mouse fibrotic livers. Mechanistically, MSC-ex derived BECN1 promoted HSCs ferroptosis by suppressing xCT-driven GPX4 expression. In addition, ferritinophagy and necroptosis might also play a role in MSC-ex-promoted LX-2 cell death. Knockdown of BECN1 in MSC diminished proferroptosis and anti-fibrosis effects of MSC-ex in LX-2 and fibrotic livers. MSC-ex may promote xCT/GPX4 mediated HSCs ferroptosis through the delivery of BECN1 and highlights BECN1 as a potential biofactor for alleviating liver fibrosis.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the electro-neurophysiological characteristics of the ventral and dorsal nerves at the L2 segment in a quantitative manner.MethodsMedical records of consecutive patients who underwent single-level approach selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) from June 2019 to January 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Intraoperative electro-neurophysiological data were analyzed.ResultsA total of 74 males and 27 females were included in the current study with a mean age of 6.2 years old. Quadriceps and adductors were two main muscle groups innervated by L2 nerve roots in both ventral and dorsal nerve roots. Dorsal roots have a higher threshold than that of the ventral ones, and muscles that first reached 200 µV innervated by dorsal roots have longer latency and smaller compound muscle action potential (CMAP) than those of the ventral ones. Supervised machine learning can efficiently distinguish ventral/dorsal roots using threshold + latency or threshold + CMAP as predictors.ConclusionElectro-neurophysiological parameters could be used to efficiently differentiate ventral/dorsal fibers during SDR.