ObjectiveTo investigate the contamination status, transmission risk and drug resistance of Klebsiella pneumoniae (KP) on the object surfaces in the surrounding environment of hospitalized patients infected with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) , so as to provide a scientific guidance for the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infection. MethodsSamples from the surfaces of objects in the surrounding environment of CRKP infected patients living in the intensive care unit (ICU) and hand specimens from healthcare workers were collected for KP isolation and identification, as well as drug susceptible test in a medical institution located in Minhang District, Shanghai from 2021 to 2023. Additionally, both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to identify the influencing factors associated with KP contamination in the hospital environment. ResultsA total of 546 surface samples were collected from the surrounding environment objects of 15 patients infected with CRKP, with a KP detection rate of 6.59% (36/546).The KP detection rate in the ICU of general ward (10.22%) was higher than that in the ICU of emergency department (2.94%) (χ²=12.142, P<0.001). Moreover, the KP detection rate on the surfaces of patient-contacted items (15.66%) was higher than that on shared-use items (6.25%), cleaning items (10.00%), and medical supplies (3.30%) (χ²=17.943, P<0.001). Besides, the detection rate of KP in items sent out of hospital for disinfection (15.38%) was higher than that in those self-disinfected (4.20%) (χ²=19.996, P<0.001).The highest detection rate of KP was observed in high-temperature washing (15.13%, 18/119) (χ²=21.219, P<0.001), while the lowest detection rate was observed in antibacterial hand sanitizer with trichlorohydroxydiphenyl ether sanitizing factor (0, 0/60) ( χ²=21.219, P<0.001).The detection rate of KP in samples taken more than 24 hours after the last disinfection (23.08%) was higher than that in those taken at 4 to24 hours (12.90%) and less than 4 hours (4.22%) (χ²=23.398,P<0.001).ICU of general ward (OR=4.045, 95%CI: 2.206‒7.416), patient-contacted items (OR=3.113, 95%CI: 1.191‒8.141), and self-disinfection ( OR=0.241, 95%CI:0.144‒0.402) were influencing factors for KP contamination in environmental surface. From 2021 to 2023, the drug resistance rates of hospital environmental KP isolates showed an upward trend (P<0.001) to antibiotics such as ceftazidime and gentamicin. Furthermore, high drug resistance rates of KP (>90%) were observed to ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, and cefepime. ConclusionCRKP can be transmitted outward through the surfaces of objects in the patients’ surroundings, and the drug resistance situation is severe. In clinical settings, it is necessary to implement isolation measures for CRKP infection patients, to increase the frequency of disinfection for objects in their surroundings, to strengthen hand hygiene practices, and to use antibiotics appropriately.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to explore the correlation between the quality of life （QOL） and different traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndromes in patients with myasthenia gravis （MG）， identifying potential influencing factors to provide new insights for clinical interventions and improving the QOL of patients with MG. MethodsA questionnaire survey was conducted on 93 adults with MG who visited the Department of Neurology at the Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine from March 2023 to January 2024. Statistical analysis was performed on the clinical data collected using SPSS 24.0 software. ResultsAmong the 93 patients with MG， the average score for myasthenia gravis quality of life-15 （MGQOL-15） was 17.65±6.27， and that for the 36-item short form health survey （SF-36） was （106.13±11.83） scores. The QOL was rated as good for 16 patients and moderate for 77 patients. There were no statistically significant differences in the scores of MGQOL-15， SF-36， and their individual scales by gender or education level. Age showed statistically significant differences in MGQOL-15 and the role physical （RP） scale （P<0.05）， and occupational type showed significant differences in the vitality （VT） scale （P<0.01）. The Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America （MGFA） classification had statistical significance on the total SF-36 score （P<0.01）， VT scale （P<0.01）， role emotional （RE） scale （P<0.05）， social functioning （SF） scale （P<0.05）， and physical functioning （PF） scale （P<0.01）. Among patients with different TCM syndromes， there were significant differences in MGQOL-15 scores （F=4.919， P<0.01）. Moreover， significant differences were observed in SF-36 scores （P<0.01）， VT scale （P<0.01）， RE scale （P<0.05）， mental health （MH） scale （P<0.01）， and SF scale （P<0.05）. ConclusionFactors affecting the QOL of patients with MG include age， occupational type， and clinical classification of MG. Specifically， a greater impact on the QOL of older patients is observed， while physical laborers have a poorer QOL compared to non-physical laborers. Patients classified as MGFA type Ⅱ and higher have a poorer QOL. Additionally， there is a potential correlation between the QOL and TCM syndromes， with patients presenting with spleen and kidney Qi deficiency having a lower QOL than those with spleen and stomach Qi deficiency or Qi and Yin deficiency， which is particularly evident in the VT， RE， MH， and SF scales.

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium with strong pathogenicity. With the widespread use of antibiotics， its multi-drug resistance has gradually increased. Among them， methicillin-resistant S. aureus （MRSA） is one of the main pathogens of hospital and community infections. Antimicrobial peptides are short-chain peptides with good antibacterial effects and low drug resistance， which have been widely studied in recent years. This study summarizes the mechanism of action of antimicrobial peptides and related study on antimicrobial peptides against MRSA from different sources. It is found that the mechanisms of action of antimicrobial peptides include targeting bacterial cell membranes， bacterial cells， and bacterial cell walls， etc. Besides isolating antimicrobial peptides with anti-MRSA activity from animals， plants， and microorganisms， antimicrobial peptides can also be obtained through synthetic methods. Among them， GHa-derived peptides from animal sources， Ib-AMP4 from plant sources， Ph-SA from microbial sources， the synthetic peptide LLKLLLKLL-NH2， and so on， due to their effective antibacterial activity， rapid bactericidal speed， and low toxicity， are promising candidates for anti-MRSA drugs.

BACKGROUND: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022. Patients were allocated within 36 h after onset via block randomization to receive ANP or placebo (3 g/day for 5 days). The primary outcomes were changes in cerebral infarct and edema volumes after 14 days of treatment. The primary safety outcome was severe adverse events (SAEs) for 90 days. RESULTS: There were 57 and 60 patients finally included in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively for modified intention-to-treat analysis. The median age was 66.0 years, and the median NIHSS score at baseline was 12.0. The changes in cerebral infarct volume at day 14 were 0.3 mL and 0.4 mL in the ANP and placebo groups, respectively (median difference: -7.1 mL; interquartile range [IQR]: -18.3 to 2.3 mL, P = 0.30). The changes in cerebral edema volume of the ANP and placebo groups on day 14 were 11.4 mL and 4.0 mL, respectively ( median difference: 3.0 mL, IQR: -1.3 to 9.9 mL, P = 0.15). The rates of SAE within 90 days were similar in the ANP (3/57, 5%) and placebo (7/60, 12%) groups ( P = 0.36). Changes in serum mercury and arsenic concentrations were comparable. In patients with large artery atherosclerosis, ANP reduced the cerebral infarct volume at 14 days (median difference: -12.3 mL; IQR: -27.7 to -0.3 mL, P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: ANP showed a similar safety profile to placebo and non-significant tendency to reduce cerebral infarct volume in patients with moderate-to-severe stroke. Further studies are warranted to assess the efficacy of ANP in reducing cerebral infarcts and improving clinical prognosis. TRAIL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov , No. NCT04475328.
Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Double-Blind Method ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/adverse effects* ; Ischemic Stroke/drug therapy* ; Pilot Projects ; Stroke/drug therapy* ; Treatment Outcome

The present study aimed to explore whether hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) improved hypoxic pulmonary hypertension (HPH) in rats by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis. Male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into normal group, normal+NaHS group, hypoxia group, and hypoxia+NaHS group, with 6 rats in each group. The control group rats were placed in a normoxic (21% O₂) environment and received daily intraperitoneal injections of an equal volume of normal saline. The normal+NaHS group rats were placed in a normoxic environment and intraperitoneally injected with 14 μmol/kg NaHS daily. The hypoxia group rats were placed in a hypoxia chamber, and the oxygen controller inside the chamber maintained the oxygen concentration at 9% to 10% by controlling the N₂ flow rate. An equal volume of normal saline was injected intraperitoneally every day. The hypoxia+NaHS group rats were also placed in an hypoxia chamber and intraperitoneally injected with 14 μmol/kg NaHS daily. After the completion of the four-week modeling, the mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) of each group was measured using right heart catheterization technique, and the right ventricular hypertrophy index (RVHI) was weighed and calculated. HE staining was used to observe pathological changes in lung tissue, Masson staining was used to observe fibrosis of lung tissue, and Western blot was used to detect protein expression levels of hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), pyruvate kinase isozyme type M2 (PKM2), nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3), GSDMD-N-terminal domain (GSDMD-N), Caspase-1, interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and IL-18 in lung tissue. ELISA was used to detect contents of IL-1β and IL-18 in lung tissue. The results showed that, compared with the normal control group, there were no significant changes in all indexes in the normal+NaHS group, while the hypoxia group exhibited significantly increased mPAP and RVHI, thickened pulmonary vascular wall, narrowed lumen, increased collagen fibers, up-regulated expression levels of aerobic glycolysis-related proteins (HK2 and PKM2), up-regulated expression levels of pyroptosis-related proteins (NLRP3, GSDMD-N, Caspase-1, IL-1β, and IL-18), and increased contents of IL-1β and IL-18. These changes of the above indexes in the hypoxia group were significantly reversed by NaHS. These results suggest that H₂S can improve rat HPH by inhibiting aerobic glycolysis-pyroptosis.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Male ; Hypertension, Pulmonary/metabolism* ; Glycolysis/drug effects* ; Hydrogen Sulfide/therapeutic use* ; Hypoxia/complications* ; Rats ; Pyroptosis/drug effects*

ObjectiveTo analyze the reported cases of infectious diseases across different tiers of public medical and healthcare institutions in Minhang District, Shanghai from 2013 to 2023, to investigate the status and changes in reported infectious diseases in this district from a temporal, etiological, and demographic perspectives, so as to provide a scientific basis for the construction of a hierarchica early-warning surveillance system under the grading diagnosis and treatment model in medical institutions, as well as for optimizing sentinel surveillance at facilities of different levels. MethodsA retrospective analysis was performed using surveillance data from the China Disease Prevention and Control Information System in Minhang District from 2013 to 2023. Reported infectious diseases were categorized into three categories based on transmission routes: respiratory infectious diseases, intestinal infectious diseases, and sexually transmitted and blood borne infectious diseases. According to the implementation phase of the grading diagnosis and treatment policy, the research time was divided into four time periods: 2013‒2016, 2017‒2019, 2020‒2022, and 2023. The distribution and temporal changes of reported cases of infectious diseases were compared across community health service centers (CHCs), secondary hospitals, tertiary grade-A hospitals and tertiary grade-B hospitals. Chi-square test was used for univariate analysis of differences in the number of reported cases. Quantitative data with normal distribution were analyzed using parametric tests, otherwise, Kruskal⁃Wallis H tests were used. ResultsThe proportions of total reported cases of infectious diseases in medical institutions at all levels in Minhang District, Shanghai from 2013 to 2023 were 10.66% in CHCs, 9.10% in secondary hospitals, 64.95% in tertiary grade-B hospitals, and 15.29% in tertiary grade-A hospitals, with an overall decline and then rebound trend in the reported cases. After the implementation of grading diagnosis and treatment policy, the number of reported cases in CHCs and secondary hospitals showed a trend of first decreasing and then increasing, while that in tertiary grade-B hospitals showed a steady decreasing trend and that in tertiary grade-A hospitals showed an increasing trend. In terms of the research periods divided above, a total of 10 392 cases were reported in 2013‒2016 (70.34% from tertiary grade-B hospitals and 12.59% from CHCs), including 2 922 cases of respiratory infectious diseases, 1 241 cases of intestinal infectious diseases, and 6 229 cases of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infectious diseases. Between 2017 and 2019, a total of 6 967 cases were reported (73.49% from tertiary grade-B hospitals and 11.84% from tertiary grade-A hospitals), including 2 983 cases of respiratory infectious diseases, 279 cases of intestinal infectious diseases, and 3 705 cases of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infectious diseases. Between 2020 and 2022, a total of 4 599 cases were reported (69.92% from tertiary grade-B hospitals and 24.57% from tertiary grade-A hospitals), including 1 627 cases of respiratory infectious diseases, 123 cases of intestinal infectious diseases, and 2 849 cases of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infectious diseases. In 2023, a total of 4 648 cases were reported (35.20% from tertiary grade-B hospitals and 27.50% from tertiary grade-A hospitals), including 3 165 cases of respiratory infectious diseases, 69 cases of intestinal infectious diseases, and 1 414 cases of sexually transmitted and blood-borne infectious diseases. The proportion of reported cases from tertiary grade-B hospitals was the highest in all the four research periods, but exhibited an obvious decrease in 2023. The differences in the reported cases of infectious diseases with different transmission routes among medical institutions at all levels were statistically significant (χ²=3 225.628, P<0.05). The differences in the mean age of patients among medical institutions at all levels were statistically significant (H=1 325.927, P<0.05). ConclusionThere are significant differences in the number of reported cases of infectious disease in the medical institutions at different levels. Tertiary grade-B hospitals have historically dominated the number of reported cases, but its share has declined recently. Whereas, CHCs and tertiary grade-A hospitals have played an increasingly important role in the surveillance and early warning of respiratory and intestinal infectious diseases. Therefore, it is recommended to leverage the strengths of grading diagnosis and treatment to establish targeted sentinel sites and deploy specialized teams tailored to the epidemiological characteristics of specific disease categories.

In order to understand the characteristics of avian leukosis virus(ALV)infection and the polymorphisms of receptor genes Tva,Tvb and NHE1 sequences in different Qingyuan Ma chick-en breeding farms,the isolation and identification of exogenous ALV virus,receptor gene amplifi-cation and sequencing analysis were carried out in five Qingyuan Ma chicken breeding farms.The results of virus isolation and subtype identification showed that the positive rate of exogenous ALV virus isolation in farms A,B and C was less than 5％,among which there was ALV-J infection alone in farm A,mixed infection with ALV-J and ALV-K in farm B,ALV-K infection a-lone in farm C,and no exogenous ALV infection was detected in farm D and E.Polymorphism anal-ysis of recipient genes showed that there were different frequencies of Tvar3,Tvar4 and Tvbr3 re-sistance alleles in A-E farms,and the distribution frequency of Tvar3 was 0.2-0.6,the distribution frequency of Tvar4 was 0.3-0.7,and the distribution frequency of Tvbr3 was 0.1-0.7.In addition,there were Tvar5 resistance alleles in both B and D farms,with a distribution frequency of 0.2.A to-tal of 18 SNP mutations occurred in the NHE1 receptor gene sequence,and further analysis showed that positions 1 279,1 361,1 369,1 406,1 442,and 1 912 were non-synonymous mutations,which could cause changes in amino acids.The study suggested that there were differences in the exogenous ALV and its subtypes among the five Qingyuan Ma chicken breeders,and each farm should have a more targeted and unique purification strategy.The distribution of Tva and Tvb re-sistance alleles at different frequencies,along with the occurrence of 6 non-synonymous mutations in the NHE1 gene,indicate that Qingyuan Ma chicken have the potential of genetic resistance breeding.

Objective:To investigate the spatial resolution and image quality of positron emission tomography and X-ray computed tomography (PET/CT) based on the next-generation silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) and the conventional photomultiplier tube (PMT) and to explore the effects of different PET photoelectric transducers (PMT and SiPM) and the Q. Clear algorithm on the spatial resolution, quantitative accuracy, and image quality of PET/CT.Methods:GE Discovery Elite PET/CT (PMT PET/CT) and GE Discovery Meaningful Insights (MI) PET/CT (SiPM PET/CT) were employed to scan the elliptical resolution phantom and NEMA NU2-2018 image quality phantom. Using the OSEM+ PSF+ TOF (VPFX-S) algorithm, image reconstruction was performed based on raw data of both phantoms. For the MI-acquired phantom data, additional reconstructions were conducted using the Q. Clear algorithm, with β values ranging from 150 to 550 and an increment of 100. For the elliptical resolution phantom, the radial, tangential, and axial full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) values of five line sources in three slices were calculated and averaged. For the image quality phantom, the recovery coefficient (RC), contrast recovery coefficient (CRC), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), percentage of background variability (PBV), background coefficient of variability (BCV) of the spheres, as well as the residual error (RE) of lung inserts at different image slices, were calculated.Results:Compared to Elite, MI (VPFX-S) showed decreases in the radial, tangential, and axial FWHM of 4.25%-13.58%, 7.00%-13.22%, and 6.02%-36.14%, respectively; no significant difference in RCmax for the spheres; increases in spheres′ CRC and CNR of 10.17%-38.89% and 38.31%-94.95%, respectively, and decreases in spheres′ PBV and BCV of 26.20%-33.82% and 31.29%-35.97%, respectively. When compared to MI (VPFX-S), MI (Q.Clear) showed decreases in the radial, tangential, and axial FWHM of 6.49%-45.02%, 7.80%-35.60%, and 13.31%-36.80%, respectively; an increase in spheres′ CNR of 38.31%-94.95%; decreases in spheres′ PBV and BCV of 26.20%-33.82% and 6.64%-10.31%, respectively, and no significant difference in spheres′ RC. With an increase in the β value, the CNR, RE, and FWHM in radial, tangential, and axial directions derived from MI (Q.Clear) increased, while RC, CRC, PBV, and BCV decreased. Conclusions:Under image reconstruction using VPFX-S, the next-generation SiPM PET/CT exhibits elevated spatial resolution, hot lesion contrast, detectability, and background noise compared to the PMT PET/CT. Compared to OSEM, the Q. Clear algorithm improves spatial resolution, quantitative accuracy, and image quality, with such improvement related to the β value. The β value affects the outcomes of the Q. Clear algorithm, especially the maximum quantitative value of small lesions. This is particularly important for improving clinical diagnostic capabilities.

Objective To construct a risk assessment model for long-term MACE after PCI in acute myocardial infarction(AMI)patients based on global wall motion index(GWMI).Methods A to-tal of 350 AMI patients undergoing PCI in our hospital from May 2019 to May 2021 were en-rolled,and according to whether MACE occurred during follow-up period,they were divided into MACE group(82 cases)and non-MACE group(268 cases).Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the long-term risk factors,and a regression model of risk factors was constructed.Re-ceiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was applied to evaluate and compare the pre-dictive efficacy of our risk assessment model and Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events(GRACE)score for long-term MACE.Results The MACE group had significantly higher GRACE score,GWMI and B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP)level,and lower lymphocyte count,hemoglobin level and revascularization ratio than the non-MACE group(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).ROC curve analysis showed that the cutoff value of GWMI for predicting MACE was 1.04,and the AUC value was 0.747(95％CI:0.678-0.815).Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that BNP and GWMI were risk factors for MACE,while lymphocyte count,hemoglobin,and re-vascularization were protective factors for MACE(P＜0.05,P＜0.01).The regression equation for risk assessment model revealed that the AUC value in predicting MACE was 0.903(95％CI:0.862-0.952)for our risk assessment model and 0.757(95％CI:0.692-0.822)for GRACE score.Conclusion GWMI is an influencing factor for long-term MACE after PCI in AMI patients.A risk assessment model based on GWMI can effectively predict the risk of long-term MACE.

Objective To evaluate the quality of ultrafine powder of Spatholobus suberectus from different sources by combined HPLC fingerprint and chemical pattern recognition.Methods Separation was performed on a Amethyst C18-H column(4.6 mmx250 mm,5 pm)and the mobile phase was 0.1％phosphoric acid-acetonitrile with gradient elution.The flow rate was 1.0 mL/min and the wavelength was 260 nm.The column temperature was 30 ℃.The cluster analysis(CA),least partial squares-discriminant analysis(PLS-DA)and principal component analysis(PCA)were applied to studying the HPLC fingerprint and chemical pattern recognition.Results Thirteen common peaks were identified in ultrafine powder samples of 10 batches of Spatholobus suberectus and 3 components were identified by reference substances.The similarity of fingerprint was 0.921-0.989,indicating good similarity.The samples were divided into 3 groups by cluster analysis;principal component analysis results extracted 4 principal components.According to the composite score,the quality of ultrafine powder samples of Spatholobus suberectus from S6,S1,S2,S3 were better than others.And 4 kinds of marker compounds that caused the quality difference of ultrafine powder samples of Spatholobus suberectu were screened out through the least partial squares-discriminant analysis,which were epicatechin and peaks 1,6 and 4 respectively.Conclusion The fingerprint method is simple and reproducible,and can be used to evaluate the quality of ultrafine powder samples of Spatholobus suberectus in combination with multi-mode stoichiometric analysis.