In order to investigate some requisite conditions for the formation of mycelial phase of Pityrosporum orbiculare (P. orb) and understand indirectly the pathogenesis of tinea versicolor, we used a semisolid medium containing cholesterol 1. 0g/dl and agar 0.8g/dl, and obtained the mycelial phase of P. orb. Then we studied the relationship between the formation of the mycelial phase and the concentration of cholesterol or agar in the medium. The results showed that when P. orb were cultured on the medium, the hyphae began to grow on the 4-6th day, increased gradually, and peaked on the 10-12th day. The hyphae were mostly blastohyphae, 8-16?m in length and in the shape of racket,and distributed in clustes. It was found that 0. 25g/dl was the minimum concentration of cholesterol to induce the mycelial phase in vitro. Within the range of 0. 25-1.0g/dl the higher the concentration was, the more the hyphae were. When the concentration exceeded 1.0g/dl, the hyphae did not increase markedly. Relative high moisture (0.8g/dl of agar in the medium) was suitable for the production of the hyphae. The results suggest that the occurrence and recurrence of tinea versicolor in summer probably relate to the change of choleserol concentration on the surface of the skin after the evaporation of sweat.

ObjectiveTo discuss the central modulating mechanisms while acupuncturing the Stomach 36[ST36(Zusanli)]by brain functional imaging with positron emission tomography (PET).MethodsPET imaging of whole brain was performed in a group of six healthy subjects during two stimulation paradigms: pseudo acupuncture and real acupuncture at acupoint ST36(Zusanli). The data on cerebral glycometabolism,obtained by using PET,was analyzed by using statistical parametric mapping (SPM).ResultsThere was certain increase of glycometabolism in ipsilateral hypothalamus,back of medulla oblongata;bilateral insular lobe; contralateral paracentral lobule,superior part of precentral and postcentral gyrus,opercular part of frontal and temporal lobe,middle part of cingulate gyrus,head of caudate nucleus,middle part of the back of midbrain and pons,and deep part of cerebellum,whereas decrease in ipsilateral superior part of precentral and postcentral gyrus and lateral part of ipsilateral anterior cerebellar lobe,while acupuncturing at acupoint ST36(Zusanli on the right leg).ConclusionsThe central modulating mechanisms of acupuncturing ST36 are realized by neural and neuroendocrine network modulation mechanisms of vegetative nerve center in cortex and subcortex.

Objective To explore the virulence of enterovirus 71 from infected children in neonatal mice. Methods Three strains of EV71 were isolated from the mild, severe and dead patients. Symptoms, weight and death of mice were recorded throughout 14 days. The mice were sacrificed on the first, third, fifth, seventh and ninth days post infection to gain the tissue virus load including the liver, spleen, lung, intestine, brain and muscle tissue which were used to detect the virus tilter by real-time RT-QPCR, and pathological lesions using HE staining. Results As to the severity of symptoms, no significant difference was found between the severe and mild groups (P＝0. 693), which were more serious than that of the fatal group. (P＝0. 000 ＜ 0. 05/6, P＝0. 000 ＜ 0. 05/6). The survival rate of the mice with mild, severe and fatal virus infection was 77. 2%, 81. 7% and 97. 8%, respectively, and there was a significant difference among the three groups (P＝0. 0010 ＜ 0. 05, P＝0. 001 ＜ 0. 05, P＝0. 0004 ＜ 0. 05). Lung hemorrhage of the mild group was the most serious, and there were no significant differences in pathological lesions of the brain, muscle, spleen and intestine. Virus titer in the liver and muscle was higher than the other tissues and that in mild group of different tissues tended to be higher than the other two groups. Conclusions Neonatal mice infected with the mild strain of enterovirus 71 presents heaviest symptoms, which are not consistent with the outcomes of humans. It is considered to be related to the virus gene, host and other factors.

Objective: To understand the changing trend of the teaching environment of the elementary and secondary schools in Zhengzhou, and to provide data for further improving the teaching environment of the elementary and secondary schools. Methods: A survey of teaching facilities and teaching aids in 534 secondary and primary schools in Zhengzhou was conducted from 2014 to 2018 by using a stratified random sampling method. Results: Teaching facilities: the qualified rate of the railings in the outer corridor of the teaching building was 88.8% (474), the qualified rate of classroom lighting was 79.6% (425), the qualified rate of the light desk distance was 82.8% (442), and the qualified rate of black plate lights 86.1% (460), the qualified rate of each year was statistically significant ( χ 2=9.97, 23.74, 80.10, 53.33, P <0.05); the qualified rate of classroom area per capita was 52.8% (282), the qualified rate of the outer corridor width of the teaching building was 64.0% (342), the qualified rate of each year showed no statistical difference( χ 2=7.38, 8.71, P >0.05). Teaching ancillary facilities: the proportion of centralized water supply was 65.0% (347), toilet with hand washing facilities was 81.6% (436), these two indicators showed an increasing trend, hand washing facilities in campus was 70.6% (377), showed a decreasing trend, the rate of each year differed significantly( χ 2=88.62, 42.71 , 123.53, P <0.05). Conclusion The overall situation of teaching environment in Zhengzhou primary and secondary schools is relatively good, the qualified rate of most indicators of teaching facilities increased from 2014 to 2018. However, there are still some indicators to be strengthened.

Objective:To summarize the application of phage therapy in patients with urinary tract complicated pandrug-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection, and analyze its feasibility and effectiveness.Methods:To retrospectively analyze the clinical data of a patient with complicated urinary tract complex pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae treated by phage from August to September, 2019 in Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center. The female patient, 65 years old, was admitted to the hospital on August 6, 2020. The patient repeated with frequent micturition and urgent micturition half a year before admission. These symptoms were not accompanied by back pain, fever, chills, dysuria, gross hematuria. Urinary culture results in outpatient hospital was pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. After the patient discontinued application of cefoperazone sulbactam, levofloxacin and other drugs, symptoms such as frequent urination could be relieved after treatment, but appeared repeatedly. In August 2019, the center innovatively applied phage therapy to treat this patient with urinary tract pandrug-resistant bacteria infection.Results:For the first time, we applied 117, 135, 178, GD168 phage mixed solution once a day, for 5 days of continuous bladder infusion. At the same time, meropenem and amikacin was intravenous administration to strengthened the anti-infection treatment. Urine culture was negative for two consecutive times after treatment. However, half a month after the end of the bladder infusion, the patient experienced discomfort such as frequent urination. Urine culture: pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae. The second time, we applied a mixture of three phage strains 130, 131, 909, once a day, for 5 days of continuous bladder infusion. And in the afternoon of the third day of treatment, the renal pelvis was retrogradely intubated and perfused with the above three strains of phage mixture. During the second treatment follow-up until March 30, 2020, the patient's urine culture was reviewed once a month. As a result, no pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae was found, and the patient no longer experienced frequent urination and other symptoms of urination. The treatment process was successful and without severe complications and side effects.Conclusions:Phage urinary tract perfusion is an effective method for the treatment of pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae urinary tract infections. The curative effect is accurate and reliable. The patient did not show obvious complications and adverse reactions during treatment. It can be used as an alternative treatment plan for complex pan-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae infection.

OBJECTIVETo explore the experimental method of obtaining position emission tonogiaphy (PET) imaging evidence of changes in cerebral function by puncturing the Stomach 36 (ST36, Zusanli) acupoint.

METHODSData on changes of cerebral glycometabolism were obtained from six healthy male volunteers with positron emission tomography. Visual experimental evidence, as well as statistical parametric mapping (SPM), was gathered while puncturing the ST36 (Zusanli, right leg) acupoint.

RESULTSThere was increased glycometabolism in the hypothalamus, head of the caudate nucleus, temporal lobe, the sinistral cerebellum, postcentral gyrus, and brain stem while the acupoint ST36 was being punctured.

CONCLUSIONSAcupuncture on ST36 can lead to increase in glycometabolism in the vegetative nerve centers, which is correlated with gastric function. Visual experimental evidence of ST36 acupuncturing on functional gastrointestinal disorder was obtained in our study.

Acupuncture ; Acupuncture Points ; Adult ; Brain ; diagnostic imaging ; physiology ; Glucose ; metabolism ; Humans ; Male ; Tomography, Emission-Computed

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of pediatric patients with intracranial primary non-germinomatous germ cell tumors (NGGCT) and evaluate the treatment outcomes and prognostic factors of NGGCT.Methods:Clinical data of 40 children with NGGCT who were treated with radiotherapy (RT) at our department between November 2008 and June 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Ninety percent of them received craniospinal irradiation (CSI). All children received platinum-based chemotherapy. Survival analysis was conducted using the Kaplan-Meier estimate. The prognostic factors were analyzed by log-rank test.Results:The primary sites were pineal gland, sellar / suprasellar region and basal ganglia. The median age of onset was 108 months (20-204 months). The median follow-up time was 33 months (8-131 months), and the 3-year and 5-year overall survival (OS) rates were 82.0%. The 3-year and 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rates were 78.6% and 73.0%. Univariate analysis showed that increased alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) ( P=0.02), age at first diagnosis>10 years ( P=0.006), metastasis at first diagnosis ( P<0.001), and the pathological type (choriocarcinoma, yolk sac tumor and / or embryonal carcinoma) ( P=0.036) were independent adverse prognostic factors. Conclusions:Increased AFP, age>10 years at first diagnosis, tumor metastasis and pathological type were independent adverse prognostic factors of NGGCT. The overall prognosis of NGGCT children is worse than that of their counterparts with germinoma, and multidisciplinary intensive therapy is needed to improve survival.

Objective:To construct and validate a predictive model of fecal/urinary incontinence among older adults in China.Methods:Data was obtained from the Seventh Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey in 2018.In the questionnaire, "Are you able to control your bowel and urine" , was regarded as the main effect indicator.Receiver operating curves(ROC)were used to find the best cut-off values of calf circumference for predicting fecal/urinary incontinence, and univariate Logistic model method was used to explore the potential factors associated with fecal/urinary incontinence among community-living older adults in China.A random sampling method was used to extract 70% of the survey data as the training set, and the remaining 30% of the survey data as the test set.A multivariate Logistic regression analysis was conducted in the training set to build a prediction model that encompassed all predictors, and a nomogram was plotted.Results:Logistic regression analysis showed that age, small calf circumference(male <28.5 cm, female <26.5 cm), inability to walk 1 km continuously, inability to lift 5 kg items, inability to do three consecutive squats, limited daily activities, and a history of urinary system disorders, nervous system disorders, and cerebrovascular disorders were all risk factors for fecal/urinary incontinence for older adults in China.Female, better socioeconomic status, and normal body mass index were protective factors for fecal/urinary incontinence.The Logistic regression model for predicting fecal/urinary incontinence among Chinese older adults was constructed using the above twelve factors.The consistency index(C-index)value of the model was 0.907, indicating that the model had good predictive ability.The area under the ROC curve(AUC)of the overall sample, training set and test set were 0.906(95% CI: 0.896-0.917), 0.907(95 % CI: 0.894-0.921)and 0.910(95% CI: 0.892-0.928), respectively, indicating that the model had high prediction ability and good discrimination. Conclusions:Age, sex, calf circumference, ability to walk 1 km continuously, ability to lift 5 kg items, ability to do three consecutive squats, daily activities, history of urinary system disorders, nervous system disorders and cerebrovascular disorders, socioeconomic status, and body mass index were independent predictors for fecal/urinary incontinence among older adults in China.The nomogram based on the above indicators has a good predictive effect on fecal/urinary incontinence for older adults.

Background/Aims: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) has become an increasingly important health challenge, with a substantial rise linked to changing lifestyles and global obesity. Ursolic acid, a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, has been explored for its potential therapeutic effects. Given its multifunctional bioactive properties, this research further revealed the pharmacological mechanisms of ursolic acid on MASLD. Methods: Drug target chips and bioinformatics analysis were combined in this study to explore the potential therapeutic effects of ursolic acid on MASLD. Molecular docking simulations, surface plasmon resonance analyses, pull-down experiments, and co-immunoprecipitation assays were used to verify the direct interactions. Gene knockdown mice were generated, and high-fat diets were used to validate drug efficacy. Furthermore, initial CD4+ T cells were isolated and stimulated to demonstrate our findings. Results: In this study, the multifunctional extracellular matrix phosphorylated glycoprotein secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) was investigated, highlighting its capability to induce Th17 cell differentiation, amplifying inflammatory cascades, and subsequently promoting the evolution of MASLD. In addition, this study revealed that in addition to the canonical TGF-β/IL-6 cytokine pathway, SPP1 can directly interact with ITGB1 and CD44, orchestrating Th17 cell differentiation via their joint downstream ERK signaling pathway. Remarkably, ursolic acid intervention notably suppressed the protein activity of SPP1, suggesting a promising avenue for ameliorating the immunoinflammatory trajectory in MASLD progression. Conclusions Ursolic acid could improve immune inflammation in MASLD by modulating SPP1-mediated Th17 cell differentiation via the ERK signaling pathway, which is orchestrated jointly by ITGB1 and CD44, emerging as a linchpin in this molecular cascade.