Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics and prognosis of pneumococcal meningitis(PM),and drug sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae(SP)isolates in Chinese children.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical information,laboratory data,and microbiological data of 160 hospitalized children under 15 years old with PM from January 2019 to December 2020 in 33 tertiary hospitals across the country.Results Among the 160 children with PM,there were 103 males and 57 females.The age ranged from 15 days to 15 years,with 109 cases(68.1% )aged 3 months to under 3 years.SP strains were isolated from 95 cases(59.4% )in cerebrospinal fluid cultures and from 57 cases(35.6% )in blood cultures.The positive rates of SP detection by cerebrospinal fluid metagenomic next-generation sequencing and cerebrospinal fluid SP antigen testing were 40% (35/87)and 27% (21/78),respectively.Fifty-five cases(34.4% )had one or more risk factors for purulent meningitis,113 cases(70.6% )had one or more extra-cranial infectious foci,and 18 cases(11.3% )had underlying diseases.The most common clinical symptoms were fever(147 cases,91.9% ),followed by lethargy(98 cases,61.3% )and vomiting(61 cases,38.1% ).Sixty-nine cases(43.1% )experienced intracranial complications during hospitalization,with subdural effusion and/or empyema being the most common complication[43 cases(26.9% )],followed by hydrocephalus in 24 cases(15.0% ),brain abscess in 23 cases(14.4% ),and cerebral hemorrhage in 8 cases(5.0% ).Subdural effusion and/or empyema and hydrocephalus mainly occurred in children under 1 year old,with rates of 91% (39/43)and 83% (20/24),respectively.SP strains exhibited complete sensitivity to vancomycin(100% ,75/75),linezolid(100% ,56/56),and meropenem(100% ,6/6).High sensitivity rates were also observed for levofloxacin(81% ,22/27),moxifloxacin(82% ,14/17),rifampicin(96% ,25/26),and chloramphenicol(91% ,21/23).However,low sensitivity rates were found for penicillin(16% ,11/68)and clindamycin(6% ,1/17),and SP strains were completely resistant to erythromycin(100% ,31/31).The rates of discharge with cure and improvement were 22.5% (36/160)and 66.2% (106/160),respectively,while 18 cases(11.3% )had adverse outcomes.Conclusions Pediatric PM is more common in children aged 3 months to under 3 years.Intracranial complications are more frequently observed in children under 1 year old.Fever is the most common clinical manifestation of PM,and subdural effusion/emphysema and hydrocephalus are the most frequent complications.Non-culture detection methods for cerebrospinal fluid can improve pathogen detection rates.Adverse outcomes can be noted in more than 10% of PM cases.SP strains are high sensitivity to vancomycin,linezolid,meropenem,levofloxacin,moxifloxacin,rifampicin,and chloramphenicol.[Chinese Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics,2024,26(2):131-138]

Mammals exhibit limited heart regeneration ability, which can lead to heart failure after myocardial infarction. In contrast, zebrafish exhibit remarkable cardiac regeneration capacity. Several cell types and signaling pathways have been reported to participate in this process. However, a comprehensive analysis of how different cells and signals interact and coordinate to regulate cardiac regeneration is unavailable. We collected major cardiac cell types from zebrafish and performed high-precision single-cell transcriptome analyses during both development and post-injury regeneration. We revealed the cellular heterogeneity as well as the molecular progress of cardiomyocytes during these processes, and identified a subtype of atrial cardiomyocyte exhibiting a stem-like state which may transdifferentiate into ventricular cardiomyocytes during regeneration. Furthermore, we identified a regeneration-induced cell (RIC) population in the epicardium-derived cells (EPDC), and demonstrated Angiopoietin 4 (Angpt4) as a specific regulator of heart regeneration. angpt4 expression is specifically and transiently activated in RIC, which initiates a signaling cascade from EPDC to endocardium through the Tie2-MAPK pathway, and further induces activation of cathepsin K in cardiomyocytes through RA signaling. Loss of angpt4 leads to defects in scar tissue resolution and cardiomyocyte proliferation, while overexpression of angpt4 accelerates regeneration. Furthermore, we found that ANGPT4 could enhance proliferation of neonatal rat cardiomyocytes, and promote cardiac repair in mice after myocardial infarction, indicating that the function of Angpt4 is conserved in mammals. Our study provides a mechanistic understanding of heart regeneration at single-cell precision, identifies Angpt4 as a key regulator of cardiomyocyte proliferation and regeneration, and offers a novel therapeutic target for improved recovery after human heart injuries.
Humans ; Mice ; Rats ; Cell Proliferation ; Heart/physiology* ; Mammals ; Myocardial Infarction/metabolism* ; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism* ; Pericardium/metabolism* ; Single-Cell Analysis ; Zebrafish/metabolism*

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain Abscess ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; beta-Lactamases

Objective: To investigate the incidence and treatment of perioperative anemia in patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms in Hubei Province. Methods: The clinicopathological data of 7 474 patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms in 62 hospitals in 15 cities (state) of Hubei Province in 2019 were collected in the form of network database. There were 4 749 males and 2 725 females. The median age of the patients was 62 years (range: 17 to 96 years). The hemoglobin value of the first time in hospital and the first day after operation was used as the criterion of preoperative anemia and postoperative anemia. Anemia was defined as male hemoglobin <120 g/L and female hemoglobin <110.0 g/L, mild anemia as 90 to normal, moderate anemia as 60 to <90 g/L, severe anemia as <60 g/L. The t test and χ² test were used for inter-group comparison. Results: The overall incidence of preoperative anemia was 38.60%(2 885/7 474), and the incidences of mild anemia, moderate anemia and severe anemia were 25.09%(1 875/7 474), 11.37%(850/7 474) and 2.14%(160/7 474), respectively. The overall incidence of postoperative anemia was 61.40%(4 589/7 474). The incidence of mild anemia, moderate anemia and severe anemia were 48.73%(3 642/7 474), 12.20%(912/7 474) and 0.47%(35/7 474), respectively. The proportion of preoperative anemia patients receiving treatment was 26.86% (775/2 885), and the proportion of postoperative anemia patients receiving treatment was 14.93% (685/4 589). The proportions of preoperative anemia patients in grade ⅢA, grade ⅢB, and grade ⅡA hospitals receiving treatment were 26.12% (649/2 485), 32.32% (85/263), and 29.93% (41/137), and the proportions of postoperative anemia patients receiving treatment were 14.61% (592/4 052), 22.05% (73/331), and 9.71% (20/206). The proportion of intraoperative blood transfusion (16.74% (483/2 885) vs. 3.05% (140/4 589), χ²=434.555, P<0.01) and the incidence of postoperative complications (17.78% (513/2 885) vs. 14.08% (646/4 589), χ²=18.553, P<0.01) in the preoperative anemia group were higher than those in the non-anemia group, and the postoperative hospital stay in the preoperative anemia group was longer than that in the non-anemia group ((14.1±7.3) days vs. (13.3±6.2) days, t=5.202, P<0.01). Conclusions: The incidence of perioperative anemia in patients with gastrointestinal neoplasms is high. Preoperative anemia can increase the demand for intraoperative blood transfusion and affect the short-term prognosis of patients. At present, the concept of standardized treatment of perioperative anemia among gastrointestinal surgeons in Hubei Province needs to be improved.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Anemia/epidemiology* ; Blood Transfusion ; Female ; Gastrointestinal Neoplasms/surgery* ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Young Adult

Objective To explore and establish accurate detection quality control method of source positioning and timer precision for afterloading equipment. Methods The source positioning detection device was made of hd camera,EBT3 disposable film and steel rule,collecting source in each resident point for video images and film. Accurate measurement of radioactive source positioning and timer accuracy, including the timing absolute error and linear error through analysis of image sampling rate. After the film grayscale distribution analysis,comparison between film gray peak position and the measurement of resident point geometry,got the stay point source physics and radiation center deviation. Results Radioactive source physics and radiation center deviation was (-0.33± 0. 10) mm;For all default dwell time,timer average absolute deviation was (0.22±0. 02) s,linear fitting result was y=x-0. 226,R2=1,timing linear error was-0. 01％ Conclusions established detection means through the video images and film exposure quantitative analysis for accurately determination of source positioning,dwell time and source radiation center precision. After experimental testing the machine precision satisfied the requirement of clinical use.

Objective To measure the irradiation doses from the image beam line (IBL) of Artiste linac under the 2Dplanar,MV CBCT,6 MV 2Dplanar and Somatom CT modes to select an appropriate image-guided mode combined with the irradiation sites. Methods The head, chest and pelvic phantom doses from the IBL under the 2Dplanar,MV CBCT and 6 MV 2Dplanar modes were measured by using IBA Dose 1 electrometer and FC65 ionization chamber.The irradiation doses of Somatom CT scans of the head, chest and pelvis were measured using IBA Dosimax plus A system and the measurement results were analyzed. Results In the head and neck, the average irradiation dose was 16. 60 mGy under IBL 2Dplanar mode, 58. 73 mGy under IBL MV CBCT mode, 19. 83 mGy under 6 MV 2Dplanar mode and 7-9 mGy under Somatom CT. In the chest, the average irradiation dose was 14. 08 mGy under IBL 2Dplanar mode, 49. 17 mGy under MV CBCT mode, 18. 97 mGy under 6 MV 2Dplanar mode and 9-11 mGy under Somatom CT mode.In the pelvis, the average irradiation dose was 13. 36 mGy under IBL 2Dplanar mode, 45. 65 mGy under MV CBCT mode, 17. 52 mGy under 6 MV 2Dplanar mode and 12-15 mGy under Somatom CT mode. Conclusions In the head and neck, the image quality under IBL 2Dplanar mode is recommended, which is qualified for image registration standards. Somatom CT mode is suitable for the chest. In the pelvic region, IBL 2DPlanar mode can be applied when the intestinal cavity and bladder are well filled, and MV CBCT mode can be chosen if they are poorly filled.

Objective To observe the therapeutic efficacy of intravitreal ranibizumab combined with laser photocoagulation for the treatment of macular edema associated with ischemic branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO).Methods Together 60 patients (60 eyes) with BRVO in Anshan City Central Hospital were included and divided into three groups,20 patients with intravitreal ranibizumab treatment as A group,20patients with retinal laser photocoagulation treatment as B group,and another 20 patients with intravitreal ranibizumab combined with retinal laser photocoagulation therapy as C group,followed by the preoperative observation of the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA),slit lamp,fundus and intraocular pressure examination,fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA),optical coherence tomography (OCT).One day after the surgery,BCVA,slit lamp and intraocular pressure examination were conducted,and 1 month,2months,3 months after the surgery,observation of BCVA,slit lamp,fundus and intraocular pressure examination were performed.Then,OCT was used to determine the status of macular edema.And finally,BCVA and central macular thickness (CMT) in the three groups were statistically analyzed by observing the above indicators.Results The BCVA at 1 month,2 months,and 3 months after treatment was higher than before treatment in all three groups,and the differences were statistically significant (all P ＜ 0.05).The BCVA of A group was 0.26 ±0.14 and 0.26 ±0.14 at 2 and 3 months after treatment,respectively,which was significantly better than that of B group (0.39 ±0.10 and 0.40 ±0.10) (all P ＜0.05).At 3 months after treatment,the BCVA in C group was 0.14 ±0.11,which was significantly higher than that in A group (0.26 ±0.14) (P＜0.05).The BCVA of C group was 0.30 ±0.13,0.20 ±0.12,0.14 ± 0.11 at 1 month,2 months and 3months after treatment,respectively,which was better than that of B group (0.43 ±0.10,0.39 ± 0.10,0.40 ± 0.10),and the differences were statistically significant (all P ＜0.05).The postoperative CMT was significantly reduced when compared with preoperation in all three groups (all P ＜ 0.05).The CMT at 1 month,2 months and 3 months after treatment in C group was (318.85 ± 71.48)μm,(287.15 ± 56.71) μm and (255.05 ± 60.90)μm,respectively,which was better than that in A group [(347.00 ± 67.59) μm (305.10 ± 47.44) μm and (282.40 ± 36.26) μm],and B group [(417.05 ± 63.94) μm,(394.80 ±57.18) μm,and (375.90 ± 55.10) μm],with significant differences (all P ＜ 0.05).At 2 months and 3 months after treatment,CMT in A group was better than that in B group,and the difference was statistically significant (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion The efficacy of retinal laser photocoagulation combined with intravitreal ranibizumab in the treatment of BRVO macular edema is better than simple retinal laser photocoagulation and simple intravitreal ranibizumab.

Objective To observe the early changes in the area of the foveal avascular zone (FAZ) and macular vascular density (MVD) in diabetic patients using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) and its clinical significance.Methods This was a retrospective study.Totally 33 patients with diabetes mellitus were enrolled,including 13 patients with no-diabetic retinopathy (NDR group) and 20 patients with nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR group) according to the international clinical grading criteria of diabetic retinopathy.Additional 26 healthy subjects with matched age were enrolled in the control group.All the subjects underwent the 3 mm ×3 mm scanning of macular retina by OCTA for obtaining 4 levels of macular vascular density map.And the area of the FAZ and the MVD were measured.Results The area of FAZ was(0.392 ± 0.028) mm2 in the NDR group and (0.410 ± 0.019) mm2 in the NPDR group,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant compared with the control group (0.314 ± 0.025) mm2 (all P =0.000),and there was statistically significant difference between the NDR group and NPDR group (P =0.010).The MVD in the superficial retinal layer,deep retinal layer,outer retinal layer and choroidal capillary layer was 0.500 ±0.012,0.553 ±0.007,0.393 ±0.005,0.651 ±0.006 in the NDR group,and 0.484 ± 0.012,0.522 ± 0.007,0.397 ± 0.007,0.642 ± 0.007 in the NPDR group,respectively,and the difference was statistically significant compared with the control group (0.518 ±0.014,0.572 ±0.008,0.385 ±0.005,0.666 ±0.007) (all P =0.000);there were statistically significant differences in MVD between the NDR group and NPDR group in the superficial retinal layer,deep retinal layer and choroidal capillary layer (all P =0.000),but not in the outer retinal layer (P =0.065).Conclusion OCTA suggested that the early retinal microcirculation impairment in the macula in patients with diabetes,which changes with the progression of the disease.

To compare the effect of integration processing technology of origin (IPTO) and traditional cutting processing technology (TCPT) of Moslae Herba for lung-Yang deficiency rats caused by complex factors, analyze the mechanism, and provide the modern pharmacology basis for the implementation of IPTO of Moslae Herba. The rat models of lung-Yang deficiency were established by smoking + swimming in ice water + drinking ice water. The model rats were randomly divided into different groups, and were treated with intragastric administration for 30 d. Then the general signs, anal temperature and autonomic activity of the rats were observed. The pathological morphology of lung tissues was observed, and the positive expression of tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) was observed by immunohistochemical method, and the hematological indexes were determined. Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method was used to detect serum nitric oxide (NO), immunoglobulin G (IGG), malondialdehyde (MDA), thromboxane B2 (TXB2) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) level, and the organ coefficients of heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney and other organs were calculated. According to the results, Moslae Herba volatile oil and decoction could improve the general signs and autonomic activities of lung-Yang deficiency rats, improve the body weight, rectal temperature, and the content of IGG in serum of lung-Yang deficiency rats, reduce organ coefficients of heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney, serum NO, MDA, TXB2, IL-8 contents, white blood cell and TNF-α mean optical density in the lung tissues of rats. witg statistically significant difference (<0.01 or <0.05). The effects of IPTO volatile oil and water decoction were slightly higher. Therefore, Moslae Herba has therapeutic effect on lung-Yang deficiency rats, and ICPT has better effect, whose mechanism may be related to the intervention of TNF-α expression, improving the level of IGG, and inhibiting NO, MDA, IL-8, and TXB2 levels.

Objective To investigate whether the accelerator image beam line (IBL) full scan and extend field of view(EFOV) scan mode megavoltage cone beam CT(MV CBCT) images can be used for dose calculation in adaptive radiotherapy.Methods The large aperture CT and MV CBCT were used to scan the CIRS 062M electron density modules,the CT value was established to electron density curves in the Pinnacle treatment planning system.Also,CT and MV CBCT were used to scan the head and neck,chest,abdomen and pelvis phantom.The intensity modulated radiotherapy(IMRT) plans were made with CT images and transplanted to MV CBCT images.The dose of targets and organs with their electron density curves was calculated,and two type IMRT plans with different CT images were compared.Results The dose distribution of head and neck phantom was acceptable,compared with the reference plan,the difference was within 3 ％.The dose distribution of chest and.pelvis was significantly reduced from reference plans,and the difference was 5％ and 10％ separately.This difference was beyond the scope of clinical acceptance.Conclusions MV CBCT images of accelerator IBL full scan mode in patients with head and neck site scan could be used for dose calculation in adaptive radiotherapy,chest and pelvic sites in EFOV mode scanning MV CBCT images could only be used for image guidance.