OBJECTIVES: To investigate the level of neuropsychological development in large for gestational age (LGA) infants at the age of 12 months. METHODS: The infants, aged 12 to <13 months, who attended the Outpatient Service of Child Care in the First Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University from December 2021 to June 2023, were enrolled as subjects. According to the gestational age and birth weight, they were divided into preterm appropriate for gestational age (AGA) group, preterm LGA group, early term AGA group, early term LGA group, full-term AGA group, and full-term LGA group. A modified Poisson regression analysis was used to investigate the association between LGA and neuropsychological development outcome at 12 months of age. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding factors, compared with the full-term AGA group at the age of 12 months, the full-term LGA group had a significant increase in the risk of language deficit (RR=1.364, 95%CI: 1.063-1.750), the early term LGA group had significant increases in the risk of abnormal gross motor, fine motor, language, and the preterm LGA group had significant increases in the risk of abnormal language, social behavior, and total developmental quotient (P<0.05); also, the early term AGA group had higher risks of developmental delay across all five attributes and in total developmental quotient at the age of 12 months (P<0.05); except for the language attribute, the preterm AGA group had higher risks of developmental delay in the other 4 attributes (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The neuropsychological development of LGA infants with different gestational ages lags behind that of full-term AGA infants at 12 months of age, and follow-up and early intervention of such infants should be taken seriously in clinical practice.
Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Child ; Humans ; Birth Weight ; Infant, Large for Gestational Age ; Infant, Small for Gestational Age ; Gestational Age ; Child Health

Nanozyme is novel nanoparticle with enzyme-like activity, which can be classified into peroxidase-like nanozyme, catalase-like nanozyme, superoxide dismutase-like nanozyme, oxidase-like nanozyme and hydrolase-like nanozyme according to the type of reaction they catalyze. Since researchers first discovered Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with peroxidase-like activity in 2007, a variety of nanoparticles have been successively found to have catalytic activity and applied in bioassays, inflammation control, antioxidant damage and tumor therapy, playing a key role in disease diagnosis and treatment. We summarize the use of nanozymes with different classes of enzymatic activity in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and describe the main factors influencing nanozyme activity. A Mn-based peroxidase-like nanozyme that induces the reduction of glutathione in tumors to produce glutathione disulfide and Mn²⁺, which induces the production of reative oxygen species (ROS) in tumor cells by breaking down H₂O₂ in physiological media through Fenton-like action, thereby inhibiting tumor cell growth. To address the limitation of tumor tissue hypoxia during photodynamic tumor therapy, the effect of photodynamic therapy is significantly enhanced by using hydrogen peroxide nanozymes to catalyze the production of oxygen from H₂O₂. In pathological states, where excess superoxide radicals are produced in the body, superoxide dismutase-like nanozymes are able to selectively regulate intracellular ROS levels, thereby protecting normal cells and slowing down the degradation of cellular function. Based on this principle, an engineered nanosponge has been designed to rapidly scavenge free radicals and deliver oxygen in time to save nerve cells before thrombolysis. Starvation therapy, in which glucose oxidase catalyzes the hydrolysis of glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide in cancer cells with the involvement of oxygen, attenuates glycolysis and the production of intermediate metabolites such as nucleotides, lipids and amino acids, was used to synthesize an oxidase-like nanozyme that achieved effective inhibition of tumor growth. Furthermore, by fine-tuning the Lewis acidity of the metal cluster to improve the intrinsic activity of the hydrolase nanozyme and providing a shortened ligand length to increase the density of its active site, a hydrolase-like nanozyme was successfully synthesized that is capable of cleaving phosphate bonds, amide bonds, glycosidic bonds and even biofilms with high efficiency in hydrolyzing the substrate. All these effects depend on the size, morphology, composition, surface modification and environmental media of the nanozyme, which are important aspects to consider in order to improve the catalytic efficiency of the nanozyme and have important implications for the development of nanozyme. Although some progress has been made in the research of nanozymes in disease treatment and diagnosis, there are still some problems, for example, the catalytic rate of nanozymes is still difficult to reach the level of natural enzymes in vivo, and the toxic effects of some heavy metal nanozymes material itself. Therefore, the construction of nanozyme systems with multiple functions, good biocompatibility and high targeting efficiency, and their large-scale application in diagnosis and treatment is still an urgent problem to be solved. (1) To improve the selectivity and specificity of nanozymes. By using antibody coupling, the nanoparticles are able to specifically bind to antigens that are overexpressed in certain cancer cells. It also significantly improves cellular internalization through antigen-mediated endocytosis and enhances the enrichment of nanozymes in target tissues, thereby improving targeting during tumor therapy. Some exogenous stimuli such as laser and ultrasound are used as triggers to control the activation of nanozymes and achieve specific activation of nanozyme. (2) To explore more practical and safer nanozymes and their catalytic mechanisms: biocompatible, clinically proven material molecules can be used for the synthesis of nanoparticles. (3) To solve the problem of its standardization and promote the large-scale clinical application of nanozymes in biomonitoring. Thus, it can go out of the laboratory and face the market to serve human health in more fields, which is one of the future trends of nanozyme development.

BACKGROUNDHigh-voltage analog X-ray examination is a main tool for pneumoconiosis, which is challenged by digital radiography (DR). The tube voltage of DR chest films required for diagnosis and staging of pneumoconiosis is concerned technically. We investigated the influence of the tube voltage on chest X-ray DR image quality of patients exposed to occupational dust.

METHODSDR images of the CDRAD2.0model, an anatomical chest phantom, and 136 exposed workers were analyzed at different tube voltages by threereaders. Image quality factors (IQF) were calculated and compared using the CDRAD2.0 model. DR images of ten anatomic positions were scored against those of the high-kilovolt chest films in anatomical phantom and clinical cases, and differences in scores were analyzed.

RESULTSIn the CDRAD2.0 model, all three readers had a minimal IQF at 120 kV (mean: 22.25 kV). The differences in the mean IQF of DR images at different tube voltages was significant (F = 13.78, P < 0.001). The IQF of DR imaging at 120 kV was similar to high kilovolt analog imaging (t = -0.58, P > 0.05). In the anatomic phantom and clinical cases, the DR images at 120 kV were closest in anatomical detail to the high kV analog images, and the means were similar (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSAmong different tube voltages, DR image quality is closest to the high kilovolt analog images at 120 kV in patients exposed to occupational dust.

Adult ; Aged ; Environmental Pollution ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Phantoms, Imaging ; Pneumoconiosis ; diagnosis ; Radiographic Image Enhancement ; methods ; Radiography, Thoracic

Objective:To investigate the changes of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in pancreatic cancer cells under the effect of pulsed electric fields (PEF).Methods:Murine-derived pancreatic cancer cells Panc02 were treated with PEF at electric field strengths of 0, 250, 500, 750, and 1 000 V/cm, respectively. The intracellular ROS generation patterns under the different field strengths and at different times after the PEF were investigated in vitro by flow cytometry and immunofluorescence, meanwhile exploring the apoptosis of murine and human pancreatic cancer cells under different field strengths. Twenty 6- to 8-week-old male C57BL/6 SPF mice were prepared as orthotopic pancreatic cancer models and divided into five groups of four mice each: 250 V/cm PEF group, 500 V/cm PEF group, 750 V/cm PEF group, 1 000 V/cm PEF group, and sham operation group. ROS expression in the residual tumor tissues of mice in each group was detected by immunofluorescence.Results:Under the 500 V/cm, 750 V/cm and 1 000 V/cm electric field strength, the proportion of cells with intracellular ROS expression was decreased after 6 h, 12 h, 24 h and 48 h of the PEF compared with 2 h after the PEF, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared with 0 V/cm PEF group, ROS expression increased in Panc02 cells treated with 500 V/cm and 750 V/cm PEF groups, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Compared with 250 V/cm PEF group under the same time, ROS in Panc02 cells treated with 500 V/cm and 750 V/cm electric field strengths increased, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). The proportions of apoptosis of both Panc02 cells and MIA-PaCa-2 cells increased with rising field strength and peaked at the field strength of 750 V/cm. Compared with the sham-operated group, the expression of ROS was increased in pancreatic cancer tissues of mice in the 500 V/cm PEF-treated group (16.65±6.01 vs. 2.38±1.21, t=-6.53) and 750 V/cm PEF-treated group (16.54±4.41 vs. 2.38±1.21, t=-6.48), and the differences were statistically significant in both cases (both P<0.001). Conclusion:PEF treatment was able to increase the level of ROS in both pancreatic cancer cells and tissues, and more ROS were produced when the electric field strength was 500 and 750 V/cm.

Objective    To compare the in-hospital outcomes of transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TA-TAVR) for bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) patients. Methods    Patients (including BAV and TAV patients) who underwent TA-TAVR with the J-ValveTM in West China Hospital from July 2014 to July 2020 were included consecutively. The clinical outcomes of the patients were analyzed. Results    A total of 354 patients were included in the study, 75 in the BAV group and 279 in the TAV group. There were 229 males and 125 females with a mean age of 72.2±6.0 years. No death occurred during the procedure, and the overall technical success rate was 97.7%. The all-cause in-hospital mortality rate was 1.4%. Twenty (26.7%) patients with BAV and 46 (16.5%) patients with TAV had mild or higher perivalvular leaks immediately after the procedure. No patients with BAV required permanent pacemaker implantation postoperatively, while 13 (4.7%) TAV patients required permanent pacemaker implantation, with an overall pacemaker implantation rate of 3.7%. One (1.3%) BAV patient and 7 (2.5%) TAV patients developed acute kidney injury postoperatively. One (1.3%) BAV patient and 1 (0.4%) TAV patient developed peri-operative myocardial infarction. The average postoperative hospital stay was 7.6±3.6 d for BAV patients and 8.6±6.1 d for TAV patients. There was no statistical difference in primary or secondary in-hospital outcomes between BAV and TAV patients (P>0.05). Conclusion    Compared to TAV patients, BAV patients have similar in-hospital outcomes, with a low incidence of adverse clinical outcomes, which provides preliminary evidence for its implementation in Chinese patients with a high proportion of BAV.

In tropical regions, numerous tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) play a crucial role as causative agents of infectious diseases in humans and animals. Recently, the population of companion and pet dogs has significantly increased in Vietnam; however, information on the occurrence of TBPs is still limited. The objectives of this investigation were to determine the occurrence rate, risk factors, and phylogenetic characteristics of TBPs in dogs from northern Vietnam. Of 341 blood samples tested by PCR, the total infection of TBPs was 73.9% (252/341). Babesia vogeli (18SrRNA gene – 30.5%) was detected most frequently in studied dogs followed by Rickettsia spp. (OmpA gene – 27%), Anaplasma platys (groEL gene – 22%), Bartonella spp. (16SrRNA – 18.8%), Mycoplasma haemocanis (16SrRNA – 9.4%) and Hepatozoon canis (18SrRNA gene – 1.2%), respectively. All samples were negative for Ehrlichia canis and Anaplasma phagocytophylum. Co-infection was detected in 31.4% of the samples (107/341) of which, A. platys/Bartonella spp. (34/94,10%), Rickettsia spp./B. vogeli (19/94, 5.6%), and M. haemocanis/B. vogeli (19/94, 5.6%) were recorded as the three most frequent two species of co-infection types. Statistical analysis revealed a significant correlation between TBP infection and several host variables regarding age, breed, and living area in the current study. The recent findings reported herein, for the first time in Vietnam, are essential for local veterinarians when considering the appropriate approaches for diagnosing these diseases. Furthermore, this data can be used to establish control measures for future surveillance and prevention strategies against canine TBPs in Vietnam.