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Viral covert mortality disease (VCMD), caused by covert mortality nodavirus (CMNV), is a newly emerging disease affecting most cultured shrimp and other crustaceans, but not fish. However, we discovered for the first time that Mugilogobius abei, a common marine fish collecting from shrimp farming ponds and surrounding coastal waters in China, was tested to be CMNV positive based on reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay. Further investigation based on the quantitative RT-LAMP assay indicated that 39% individuals of sampled M. abei were CMNV positive. Sequencing and alignment of sequences revealed that the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene of CMNV isolated from M. abei shared 98% homology with that from the original CMNV isolates. Histopathological analysis showed that CMNV infection in M. abei could induce extensive skeletal muscle necrosis, nervous tissue vacuolation in retina of eye and cerebellum of brain. Positive signals were verified in skeletal muscle, eye, brain and intestine by in situ hybridization (ISH) with CMNV probes. Under transmission electron microscope (TEM), CMNV particles were further visualized in the cytoplasm of neurogliocytes, granulocytes and myocytes in the CMNV positive samples diagnosed by ISH. All findings suggested that CMNV, a typical alphanodavirus originated from shrimp, could switch their hosts to fish by cross-species transmission. Meanwhile, the results reminded us to pay close attention to the high risk of CMNV to use fish as intermediate or new host as well as potentially spread or cause epidemic among cultured marine fish.

ObjectiveTo examine the measurements on enteral feeding intolerance (EFI) in critically ill children.MethodsThe Joanna Briggs Institute methods for conducting a scoping review were followed. Articles published since 2004 which assessed EFI in critically ill children were identified. A full search strategy was executed in seven English databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, JBI EBP, CINAHL) and four Chinese databases (CNKI, VIP, Wanfang, Sinomed). Two reviewers screened records according to our inclusion and exclusion criteria, and conducted a full-text review of selected articles. The reference lists of all studied selected were screened for additional sources. Relevant data was extracted using a researcher-developed tool.ResultsOf the 627 articles identified, 32 were included in this scoping review. Most articles focused on the measurement of high gastric residual volume (n = 22), followed by diarrhea (n = 20), and vomiting (n = 9). Most of the studies were of observational-analytic design (13/32) and experimental design (8/32).ConclusionThis scoping review addressed the complexity and diversity of EFI measurements. Given the importance of adequacy of enteral nutrient intake, we highlighted the necessary to develop individual measurements of EFI, taking the age of children and disease condition into consideration. Further studies can also investigate accurate and objective physiological measurements of EFI to advance EN and improve outcomes in critically ill children.

Velocity pulse with strong energy input is the significant feature of near-fault ground motions. Bridges close to or passing across seismic faults may suffer from higher failure risk, which is inseparable from the influence of velocity pulse. This study aims to evaluate the nonlinear response characteristics of bridge structures under various near-fault ground motion conditions. A typical isolated continuous girder bridge is adopted, and two corresponding finite element models, i.e., considering and ignoring the heating effect of lead core bearings (LRBs), are established based on the OpenSees platform. Then, a total of 40 near-fault ground motion records are selected, and the pulses are extracted. Both the energy-based and deformation-based seismic responses are captured and compared to reveal the differences for the isolated bridge subjected to the original waves and the extracted pulses. The results highlight that the accuracy of the seismic evaluation based on the extracted pulses strongly depends on the precondition that the pulse period is close to the fundamental period of the isolated bridge. Hence, inputting the extracted pulses for predicting the in-elastic seismic response of isolated bridges locating at near-fault region is not an adequate replacement for those original waves of near-fault ground motions. In addition, the heating effect of LRBs will be magnified for the seismic response of isolated bridges subjected to the extracted pulses, and it will mainly affect the seismic responses of bearings and piers, i.e., the former increases and the latter decreases.

Host specialization is a ubiquitous character of phytophagous insects. The polyphagous population is usually composed of some subpopulations that can use only a few closely related plants. Cotton-melon aphids, Aphis gossypii Glover exhibited strong host specialization, and the cotton- and cucurbits-specialized biotypes had been clearly identified. However, the experimental work that addressed the roles of plant species in determining diet breadth of phytophagous insects is rare. In the present study, we took the artificial host transfer method to assess the role of two special plants, zucchini Cucurbita zucchini L. and cowpea Vigna unguiculata (Linn.) Walp, in regulating diet breadth of cotton- and cucurbits-specialized A. gossypii collected from cotton and cucumber fields and reared separately on the native host plant for ten years. The results showed that the cotton-specialized aphids did not directly use cucumber whereas the cucurbits-specialized did not use cotton regardless of the coexistence or separation of cotton and cucumber plants. Neither of the cotton- and cucurbits-specialized aphids could use capsicum Capsicum annuum, eggplant Solanum melongenahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carolus_Linnaeus, tomato Solanum lycopersicum, maize Zea mayshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Linnaeus, and radish Raphanus sativus, however, both of them could use zucchini and cowpea. Moreover, the feeding experience on zucchini led the cotton-specialized aphids to use cucumber well and finally to be transformed into the cucurbits-specialized biotype. The short-term feeding experience on cowpea resulted in the diet breadth expansion of the cucurbits-specialized aphids to use cotton. On the other hand, the diet breadth expansion of the cucurbits- and cotton-specialized aphids was only realized by different species of plant. It concluded that the special host plant did induce the conversion of feeding habits in the cotton- and cucurbits-specialized aphids, and consequently broke the host specialization. The plant species is an underlying factor to determine the diet breadth of phytophagous insects.

ABSTRACT Translucent post-larvae disease (TPD), caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus (Vp TPD), has become an emerging shrimp disease, affecting more than 70%–80% of coastal shrimp nurseries in China in spring 2020. Here, we investigated the key virulence factors of Vp TPD by analyzing protein fragments, related genomic information, as well as experimental challenge tests. After investigating the toxic effects of purified protein fragments with different molecular weights (MWs) from Vp TPD, we found that only the protein fragments with MW >100 kDa showed similar lethality to live Vp TPD in the experimental challenge test using post-larvae shrimp. Meanwhile, similar histopathological changes exhibiting in the hepatopancreas and midgut of the diseased individuals were observed in the post-larvae shrimp challenged with either bacterial protein fragments (MW >100 kDa) or live Vp TPD. Based on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and mass spectrometry analyses, two novel proteins, Vibrio high virulent protein (VHVP)-1 and VHVP-2, were identified as the candidates of key virulence factors to cause TPD. Moreover, VHVP-1 and VHVP-2 were found to be encoded by two genes (vhvp-1 and vhvp-2) tandemly located on a 187,791-bp plasmid and were predicted to depend on the same promoter following a comparative genomic analysis. Further epidemiological investigation and challenge test indicated that the V. parahaemolyticus isolate carrying only the vhvp-1 gene and lacking vhvp-2 gene could not cause mortality of experimental Penaeus vannamei post-larvae. The mutant (Δvhvp-2) by deleting vhvp-2 gene could only cause 4.92% of accumulative mortality of post-larvae that is similar to the non-Vp TPD Vibrio strain. Additionally, the complemented strains, Δvhvp-2/pBT3-vhvp-2 and Δvhvp-2/pwtCas9-vhvp-2, showed similar virulence to the wild-type Vp TPD. The results demonstrated that V. parahaemolyticus becomes lethal to post-larval shrimp by acquiring the VHVP-2 virulence factor. This study sheds light on further investigations of the pathogenic mechanism of Vp TPD and the development of strategies for early diagnosis of TPD in shrimp hatcheries. IMPORTANCE As a severe emerging shrimp disease, TPD has heavily impacted the shrimp aquaculture industry and resulted in serious economic losses in China since spring 2020. This study aimed to identify the key virulent factors and related genes of the Vp TPD, for a better understanding of its pathogenicity of the novel highly lethal infectious pathogen, as well as its molecular epidemiological characteristics in China. The present study revealed that a novel protein, Vibrio high virulent protein-2 (MW >100 kDa), is responsible to the lethal virulence of V. parahaemolyticus to shrimp post-larvae. The results are essential for effectively diagnosing and monitoring novel pathogenic bacteria, like Vp TPD, in aquaculture shrimps and would be beneficial to the fisheries department in early warning of Vp TPD emergence and developing prevention strategies to reduce economic losses due to severe outbreaks of TPD. Elucidation of the key virulence genes and genomics of Vp TPD could also provide valuable information on the evolution and ecology of this emerging pathogen in aquaculture environments.

Abstract Background Mycobacterium haemophilum is a slow-growing non-chromogenic nontuberculous Mycobacterium species that can cause skin infection or arthritis in an immunocompromised population or in children. Primary infection of the healthy adult cornea is rare. The special requirements for culture make this pathogen difficult to diagnose. The study aims to report the clinical manifestation and treatment process of corneal infection and notify the awareness of M. Haemophilus keratitis among clinicians. This is the first case report of primary M. haemophilum infection in the cornea of healthy adults reported in the literature. Case presentation A 53-year-old healthy goldminer presented with left eye redness and a history of vision loss for four months. The patient was misdiagnosed with herpes simplex keratitis until M. haemophilum was detected using high-throughput sequencing. Penetrating keratoplasty was performed, and a large number of mycobacteria were detected by Ziehl-Neelsen staining of the infected tissue. Three months later, the patient developed conjunctival and eyelid skin infections that manifested as caseous necrosis of the conjunctiva and skin nodules. After excision and debridement of the conjunctival lesions and systemic antituberculosis drug treatment for 10 months, the patient was cured. Conclusion M. haemophilum could cause primary corneal infection in healthy adults, which is an infrequent or rare infection. Owing to the need for special bacterial culture conditions, conventional culture methods do not provide positive results. High-throughput sequencing can rapidly identify the presence of bacteria, which aids in early diagnosis and timely treatment. Prompt surgical intervention is an effective treatment option for severe keratitis. Long-term systemic antimicrobial therapy is crucial.

Abstract Tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) with multiple incentives is a metabolic skeletal disease that occurs in fast-growing broilers. Perturbations in the gut microbiota (GM) have been shown to affect bone homoeostasis, but the mechanisms by which GM modulates bone metabolism in TD broilers remain unknown. Here, using a broiler model of TD, we noted elevated blood glucose (GLU) levels in TD broilers, accompanied by alterations in the pancreatic structure and secretory function and damaged intestinal barrier function. Importantly, faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) of gut microbes from normal donors rehabilitated the GM and decreased the elevated GLU levels in TD broilers. A high GLU level is a predisposing factor to bone disease, suggesting that GM dysbiosis-mediated hyperglycaemia might be involved in bone regulation. 16S rRNA gene sequencing and short-chain fatty acid analysis revealed that the significantly increased level of the metabolite butyric acid derived from the genera Blautia and Coprococcus regulated GLU levels in TD broilers by binding to GPR109A in the pancreas. Tibial studies showed reduced expression of vascular regulatory factors (including PI3K, AKT and VEFGA) based on transcriptomics analysis and reduced vascular distribution, contributing to nonvascularization of cartilage in the proximal tibial growth plate of TD broilers with elevated GLU levels. Additionally, treatment with the total flavonoids from Rhizoma drynariae further validated the improvement in bone homoeostasis in TD broilers by regulating GLU levels through the regulation of GM to subsequently improve intestinal and pancreatic function. These findings clarify the critical role of GM-mediated changes in GLU levels via the gut–pancreas axis in bone homoeostasis in TD chickens.

To reveal the physical properties of pores and sunspots varying with solar cycle, we carried out a statistical comparison among pores, transitional sunspots, and mature sunspots using Solar Dynamics Observatory/Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager from 2010 April to 2023 July. The OTSU method and region-growing algorithm were combined to detect umbrae of 11,876 sunspots covering solar cycles 24 and 25. The relationships between umbral area, continuum intensity ( I ), line-of-sight (LOS) magnetic field strength ( B _los ), and line-of-sight velocity ( V _los ) of umbrae were investigated in detail. The main conclusions are as follows. (1) The steepness between the total magnetic flux and total area of transitional sunspots appears to be flattened in each phase of the observed solar cycles, and does not have a significant variation over the solar cycle. (2) For three groups of sunspots, the umbral physical parameters’ means and their correlations show only minor variations with the solar cycle, which are in error ranges. (3) As the mean umbral LOS magnetic field strength increases, the correlation of the umbral I – B _los increases. The flattening of transitional sunspots in total area–total magnetic flux scatter is related to the evolution of sunspots itself, and may not correspond to the solar cycle. The umbral physical parameters and their correlations do not exhibit a discernible regularity over the solar cycle. Our analysis results contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of the dynamic processes of sunspot magnetic fields and give a new perspective on revealing the physical features of vertical magnetic flux tubes.

The effects of common cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber （BR）, BR prepared from neodymium catalyst system and carbon black modified BR on sidewall compound properties were investigated by adding different BR to sidewall compound of passenger car radial tire. The results showed that the carbon black modified BR had higher Mooney viscosity, shorter scorch time, longer curing time, and higher minimum and maximum torque. The modulus, tensile strength and rebound resilience of the vulcanizate increased, while loss factor at 60 ℃ decreased. The rolling resistance of the finished tire was reduced.

1,3-xylan, an important organic carbon in the ocean, is peculiar to marine algae. 1,3-xylanase-secreting bacteria and their extracellular 1,3-xylanases play pivotal roles in the degradation and biomass conversion of 1,3-xylan. However, only a few 1,3-xylanase-secreting bacteria and 1,3-xylanases have been reported. Here, we identified a novel marine bacterium capable of secreting 1,3-xylanases, designated as strain HB14T. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that strain HB14T clustered tightly with known species of the genus Gilvimarinus, showing the highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity (97.7%) with the type strain of Gilvimarinus chinensis. Based on phylogenetic, genomic, chemotaxonomic and phenotypic studies, strain HB14T was classified as a representative of a novel species in the genus Gilvimarinus, for which the name Gilvimarinus xylanilyticus sp. nov. was proposed. The type strain is HB14T (=CCTCC AB 2022109T = KCTC 92379T). Four 1,3-xylanases secreted by strain HB14T were identified based on genome and secretome analyses, and the two (Xyn65 and Xyn80) with relatively higher abundance in secretome were successfully expressed in Escherichia coli and biochemically characterized. They showed the highest activity at pH 6.0–7.0 and 40°C and released mainly 1,3-xylobiose and 1,3-xylotriose from 1,3-xylan. These data suggest that strain HB14T acts as a player in marine 1,3-xylan degradation and recycling and that its extracellular 1,3-xylanases may have a good potential in 1,3-xylooligosaccharides preparation.

Abstract Background Considering the high morbidity and mortality of lung cancer and the high incidence of pulmonary nodules, clearly distinguishing benign from malignant lung nodules at an early stage is of great significance. However, determining the kind of lung nodule which is more prone to lung cancer remains a problem worldwide. Methods A total of 480 patients with pulmonary nodule data were collected from Shandong, China. We assessed the clinical characteristics and computed tomography (CT) imaging features among pulmonary nodules in patients who had undergone video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) lobectomy from 2013 to 2018. Preliminary selection of features was based on a statistical analysis using SPSS. We used WEKA to assess the machine learning models using its multiple algorithms and selected the best decision tree model using its optimization algorithm. Results The combination of decision tree and logistics regression optimized the decision tree without affecting its AUC. The decision tree structure showed that lobulation was the most important feature, followed by spiculation, vessel convergence sign, nodule type, satellite nodule, nodule size and age of patient. Conclusions Our study shows that decision tree analyses can be applied to screen individuals for early lung cancer with CT. Our decision tree provides a new way to help clinicians establish a logical diagnosis by a stepwise progression method, but still needs to be validated for prospective trials in a larger patient population.

Objectives To investigate the independent and collective impact of alcohol drinking and tobacco smoking on the drug-resistance of newly diagnosed tuberculosis (TB).Design This was a retrospective cohort study.Setting Shandong, China.Participants Patients with newly diagnosed TB from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2020 were collected. Exclusive criteria: retreated cases; extrapulmonary tuberculosis; without information on drug susceptibility testing results, smoking or drinking habits; bacteriological identification as non-tuberculous mycobacteria.Primary and secondary outcome measures Patients were classified into four groups including smokers only (G1), drinker only (G2), smoker +drinker (G3), non-smoker +non-drinker group (G0). We described the drug-resistant profiles, clinical factors and calculated the ORs of different drug-resistance among G1, G2, G3, compared with G0 through univariate and multivariate logistics regression models.Results Of the 7996 TB cases enrolled, the proportions of G1, G2, G3 and G0 were 8.25%, 3.89%, 16.46% and 71.40%, respectively. The rates of drug-resistant (DR)-TB, mono-resistant TB, multidrug resistant (MDR)-TB, polydrug resistant TB in G1, G2, G3 and G0 were 19.24%/16.4%/17.33%/19.08%, 11.52%/8.68%/10.94%/11.63%, 3.03%/2.57%/2.96%/3.66% and 4.70%/4.82%/3.34%/ 4.08%, respectively. G3 had a higher risk of MDR1: isoniazid +rifampin (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.91, 95% CI: 1.036 to 3.532), but had a lower risk of DR-TB (aOR=0.84, 95% CI: 0.71 to 0.99), rifampin-related resistance (aOR=0.68, 95% CI: 0.49 to 0.93), streptomycin-related resistance (aOR=0.82, 95% CI: 0.68 to 0.99), ethambutol-related resistance (aOR=0.57, 95% CI: 0.34 to 0.95), MDR3: isoniazid +rifampin+streptomycin (aOR=0.41, 95% CI: 0.19 to 0.85), any isoniazid +streptomycin resistance (aOR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.71 to 1.00). However, there were no significant differences between G1 and G0, G2 and G0 in all drug-resistant subtypes. Those patients with cavity had a higher risk of DR-TB among G3 (OR=1.35, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.81).Conclusion Although we did not found an independent impact of alcohol drinking or tobacco smoking on TB drug-resistance, respectively, these two habits had a combined effect on TB drug-resistance.

Abstract Background To explore population aging and the epidemic trend of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in the elderly, and provide a basis for the prevention and control of pulmonary tuberculosis among the elderly. Methods We collected clinical information of 239,707 newly active PTB patients in Shandong Province from 2005 to 2017. We analyzed and compared the clinical characteristics, reported incidence and temporal trend of PTB among the elderly group (≥60 years) and the non-elderly group (

Hydraulic rolling reshaper is an advanced reshaping tool to solve the problem of casing deformation, which has been widely used in recent years. When it is used for well repair operation, the reshaping force provided by ground devices is generally determined by experience. However, too large reshaping force may destroy the deformed casing, and too small reshaping force may also prolong the construction period and affect the repairing effect. In this paper, based on Hertz contact theory and elastic-plastic theory, combined with the process parameters of shaping, and considering the structural characteristics of the deformed casing and reshaper, we propose a mathematical model for calculating the reshaping force required for repairing deformed casing by hydraulic rolling reshaper. Meanwhile, the finite element model and numerical method of hydraulic rolling reshaper repairing deformed casing are established by using the finite element method, and the reliability of the mathematical model is verified by several examples. On this basis, the control variable method is used to investigate the influence of each parameter on the reshaping force, and the influence degree of each parameter is explored by orthogonal simulation test and Pearson correlation analysis. The research results not only provide an important theoretical basis for the prediction of reshaping force in on-site construction, but also provide a reference for the subsequent improvement of the shaping process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is an unavoidable contaminant in animal feed and agricultural products. AFB1 has been found to impair the liver and kidney function of sheep. However, few data are available, which explain the toxic damage of AFB1 exposure on meat quality. In the study, male Dorper RAMS sheep (6-month-old) were orally administrated with AFB1 at the dose of 1 mg/kg body weight once. The body temperature, serum biochemistry, meat quality-related parameters, oxidation indicators in meat and serum, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and anti-inflammatory, and microbiota composition of feces were measured 24 h after AFB1 exposure. The results showed that the body temperature was slightly increased, the mental state of mutton sheep was suppressed, and biochemical indicators were significantly changed after AFB1 exposure. AFB1 impaired mutton quality reflected by the structure of muscle fibers was changed, and increased muscle drip loss and lightness (L*), and decreased muscle redness (a*). Moreover, we found that AFB1 caused changes in the oxidative stress indicators T-SOD, T-AOC, MDA, GSH level, and GSH/GSSG ratio, and inflammation damage of mutton reflected by increasing pro-inflammatory TNF-α and reducing anti-inflammatory IL-10 mRNA levels, disrupts the secretion of inflammatory factors, and changed the composition of gut microbiota reflected by significantly increased Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio and decreased the abundances of Butyrivibrio, which are related to the quality of the mutton. In summary, gut microbiota participates in AFB1 to damage mutton quality, which may be co-mediated by oxidative stress, inflammation, and gut microbiota.

Background: Drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), diabetes and exposure to air pollution are thought to be important threat to human health, but no studies have explored the effects of ambient air pollutants on DR-TB when adjusting diabetes status so far. Methods: We performed a study among 3759 newly diagnosed TB cases with drug-susceptibility testing results, diabetes status, and individual air pollution data in Shandong from 2015 to 2019. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) including three models (Model 1: without covariates, Model 2: adjusted by diabetes status only, Model 3: with all covariates) were applied. Results: Of 3759 TB patients enrolled, 716 (19.05%) were DR-TB, and 333 (8.86%) had diabetes. High exposure to O3 was associated with an increased risk of RFP-resistance (Model 2 or 3: odds ratio (OR) = 1.008, 95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.002–1.014), ethambutol-resistance (Model 3: OR = 1.015, 95%CI: 1.004–1.027) and any rifampicin+streptomycin resistance (Model 1,2,3: OR = 1.01, 95%CI: 1.002–1.018) at 90 days. In contrast, NO2 was associated with a reduced risk of DR-TB (Model 3: OR = 0.99, 95%CI: 0.981–0.999) and multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) (Model 3: OR = 0.977, 95%CI: 0.96–0.994) at 360 days. Additionally, SO2 (Model 1, 2, 3: OR = 0.987, 95%CI: 0.977–0.998) showed a protective effect on MDR-TB at 90 days. PM2.5 (90 days, Model 2: OR = 0.991, 95%CI: 0.983–0.999), PM10 (360 days, Model 2: OR = 0.992, 95%CI: 0.985–0.999) had protective effects on any RFP+SM resistance. Conclusions: O3 contributed to an elevated risk of TB resistance but PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2 showed an inverse effect. Air pollutants may affect the development of drug resistance among TB cases by adjusting the status of diabetes.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and tuberculosis (TB) are two major infectious diseases posing significant public health threats, and their coinfection (aptly abbreviated COVID-TB) makes the situation worse. This study aimed to investigate the clinical features and prognosis of COVID-TB cases.Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, CNKI, and Wanfang databases were searched for relevant studies published through December 18, 2020. An overview of COVID-TB case reports/case series was prepared that described their clinical characteristics and differences between survivors and deceased patients. Pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for death or severe COVID-19 were calculated. The quality of outcomes was assessed using GRADEpro.Results: Thirty-six studies were included. Of 89 COVID-TB patients, 19 (23.46%) died, and 72 (80.90%) were male. The median age of non-survivors (53.95 ± 19.78 years) was greater than that of survivors (37.76 ± 15.54 years) (p < 0.001). Non-survivors were more likely to have hypertension (47.06 vs. 17.95%) or symptoms of dyspnea (72.73% vs. 30%) or bilateral lesions (73.68 vs. 47.14%), infiltrates (57.89 vs. 24.29%), tree in bud (10.53% vs. 0%), or a higher leucocyte count (12.9 [10.5–16.73] vs. 8.015 [4.8–8.97] × 109/L) than survivors (p < 0.05). In terms of treatment, 88.52% received anti-TB therapy, 50.82% received antibiotics, 22.95% received antiviral therapy, 26.23% received hydroxychloroquine, and 11.48% received corticosteroids. The pooled ORs of death or severe disease in the COVID-TB group and the non-TB group were 2.21 (95% CI: 1.80, 2.70) and 2.77 (95% CI: 1.33, 5.74) (P < 0.01), respectively.Conclusion: In summary, there appear to be some predictors of worse prognosis among COVID-TB cases. A moderate level of evidence suggests that COVID-TB patients are more likely to suffer severe disease or death than COVID-19 patients. Finally, routine screening for TB may be recommended among suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in countries with high TB burden.

Objective This study was designed to identify the risk factors for drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) and the association between comorbidity and drug resistance among retreated pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB).Design A retrospective study was conducted among all the 36 monitoring sites in Shandong, China, over a 16-year period. Baseline characteristics were collected from the TB Surveillance System. Categorical variables were compared by Fisher’s exact or Pearson’s χ2 test. The risk factors for drug resistance were identified using univariable analysis and multivariable logistic models. The influence of comorbidity on different types of drug resistance was evaluated by performing multivariable logistic models with the covariates adjusted by age, sex, body mass index, drinking/smoking history and cavity.Results A total of 10 975 patients with PTB were recorded during 2004–2019, and of these 1924 retreated PTB were finally included. Among retreated PTB, 26.2% were DR-TB and 12.5% had comorbidity. Smoking (adjusted OR (aOR): 1.69, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.39), cavity (aOR: 1.55, 95% CI 1.22 to 1.97) and comorbidity (aOR: 1.44, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.02) were risk factors for DR-TB. Of 504 DR-TB, 9.5% had diabetes mellitus, followed by hypertension (2.0%) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (1.8%). Patients with retreated PTB with comorbidity were more likely to be older, have more bad habits (smoking, alcohol abuse) and have clinical symptoms (expectoration, haemoptysis, weight loss). Comorbidity was significantly associated with DR-TB (aOR: 1.44, 95% CI 1.02 to 2.02), overall rifampin resistance (aOR: 2.17, 95% CI 1.41 to 3.36), overall streptomycin resistance (aOR: 1.51, 95% CI 1.00 to 2.27) and multidrug resistance (aOR: 1.96, 95% CI 1.17 to 3.27) compared with pan-susceptible patients (p

Abstract Background Primary drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) has contributed to a significant health and economic burden on a global scale, especially in China. we sought to estimate epidemiological characteristics of primary DR-TB in China from 2004 to 2018. Methods Eleven thousand four hundred sixty-seven newly diagnosed and 1981 retreated TB cases with drug susceptibility data were included. Chi-Square test for trends, linear regression, a joinpoint regression model and temporal trend in proportions of the different resistance patterns were carried out. Results The proportion of primary DR-TB and mono-resistant TB (MR-TB) in China had reduced by more than 12% since 2004, and were 21.38%, 13.35% in 2018 respectively. Among primary DR-TB cases (2173,18.95%), the percentage of multiresistant TB (MDR-TB, from 5.41 to 17.46%), male (from 77.03 to 84.13%), cavity (from 13.51 to 43.92%), rifampicin(RFP)-resistant TB (from 8.11 to 26.98%), streptomycin(SM)-resistant TB (from 50.00 to 71.43%) increased significantly (P

In the present study, we hypothesized that hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α)-mediated mitophagy plays a protective role in ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced acute kidney injury (AKI). Mitophagy was evaluated by measuring the changes of mitophagy flux, mitochondria DNA copy number, and the changes of mitophagy-related proteins including translocase of outer mitochondrial membrane 20 (TOMM20), cytochrome c oxidase IV (COX IV), microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3B (LC3B), and mitochondria adaptor nucleoporin p62 in HK2 cells, a human tubular cell line. Results show that HIF-1α knockout significantly attenuated hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R)-induced mitophagy, aggravated H/R-induced apoptosis, and increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Similarly, H/R induced significantly increase in Bcl-2 19-kDa interacting protein 3 (BNIP3), a downstream regulator of HIF-1α. Notably, BNIP3 overexpression reversed the inhibitory effect of HIF-1α knockout on H/R-induced mitophagy, and prevented the enhancing effect of HIF-1α knockout on H/R-induced apoptosis and ROS production. For in vivo study, we established HIF-1αflox/flox; cadherin-16-cre mice in which tubular HIF-1α was specifically knockout. It was found that tubular HIF-1α knockout significantly inhibited I/R-induced mitophagy, and aggravated I/R-induced tubular apoptosis and kidney damage. In contrast, adenovirus-mediated BNIP3 overexpression significantly reversed the decreased mitophagy, and prevented enhanced kidney damage in tubular HIF-1α knockout mice with I/R injury. In summary, our study demonstrated that HIF-1α-BNIP3-mediated mitophagy in tubular cells plays a protective role through inhibition of apoptosis and ROS production in acute kidney damage.

Background/Aims: Alzheimer disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disease that is characterized by the deposition of beta-amyloid peptide and formation of intracellular neurofibrillary tangles. Due to the failure of various clinical trials of novel drugs for AD, effective drugs for AD treatment are urgently required. Methods: In this study, we used the classic APP/PS1 mouse model to explore the neuroprotective effects of a new compound, bajijiasu, and the mechanisms involved. Behavioral tests and western blotting were performed to assess the beneficial effects of bajijiasu in APP/PS1 mice. Results: Morris water maze and Y-maze test results showed that oral administration of bajijiasu (35 mg/kg/day and 70 mg/kg/day) improved learning and memory abilities in APP/PS1 mice. Bajijiasu reduced ROS and MDA levels in both the hippocampus and cortex. Moreover, western blotting results showed that bajijiasu protected neurons from apoptosis, elevated the expression levels of neurotrophic factors, and alleviated endoplasmic reticulum stress in both the hippocampus and cortex. Conclusion: These results indicate that the mechanisms underlying the effects of bajijiasu on AD might be related to beta-amyloid-downstream pathologies, particularly endoplasmic reticulum stress.