Objective To observe the effects on somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) of multichannel functional electrical stimulation (FES) of the legs based on a normal walking pattern,and to compare the effects with two-channel functional electrical stimulation.Methods Thirteen healthy young volunteers (6males and 7 females) were randomly assigned to receive 2 sessions of either two-channel FES for 30 minutes or four-channel FES for 15min with a 3-day interval between the two treatment sessions.The latencies and amplitudes of the N9 and P40 SEPs were recorded before and after every treatment.All the treatments were carried out on the right lower limbs.Results Thirteen healthy young volunteers (6males and 7 females) were randomly assigned to receive 2 sessions of either two-channel FES for 30 minutes or four-channel FES for 15 min with a 3-day interval between the two treatment sessions.The latencies and amplitudes of the N9 and P40 SEPs were recorded before and after every treatment.All the treatments were carried out on the right lower limbs.Conclusions The N9 latency with four-channel FES is remarkably shorter than that with two-channel FES on the legs of healthy young subjects,suggesting that multichannel functional electrical stimulation based on the normal human walking pattern can activate brain cells faster.

Objective To observe the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) based on a normal walking pattern on the lower extremity function of subjects early after cerebral infarction.Methods Twenty patients with cerebral infarction aged (59.7 ± 10.1) years (range 45-80) who were hospitalized and within 3 months (31.1 ± 19.3 days) after the onset were randomly assigned to an FES group (n =11) or a placebo stimulation group (n =9).All subjects in both groups received standard medical and rehabilitation treatment.In addition,the FES group received FES and the placebo group received sham-FES without current output.The daily stimulation and shamstimulation sessions lasted for 30 min,5 d/week for 3 weeks.All of the subjects in the two groups were assessed using the Fugl-Meyer assessment (FMA),postural assessment for stroke patients (PASS),the Berg balance scale (BBS),functional ambulation categories (FACs) and the modified Barthel index (MBI).Results After 3 weeks of treatment,FMA,PASS,BBS and MBI scores had all improved significantly compared with before treatment in both groups,but the FES group showed significantly better improvement.After treatment the average FAC results of both groups had improved,and there was no significant difference between the two groups.At the same time,the research revealed the expected significant correlations among the FMA,PASS,BBS and MBI results.Conclusion FES based on a normal walking pattern can improve lower extremity motor function early after cerebral infarction,improve balance,and improve ability in the activities of daily living.

Objective To compare the effects of three different training patterns of MOTOmed training on the somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) of healthy youths. Methods Ten healthy young volunteers received training in patterned sequences of passive movement, active movement with no resistance and active movement with resistance. Each pattern lasted for 30 minutes and SEPs were examined before and after 90 minutes of training. The amplitude and latency of N9 and P40 were recorded. Results All three training patterns heightened SEP amplitude and lengthened SEP latency, but active training had the most obvious effect on amplitude. The rates of change of am-plitude after each training pattern had significant differences, which was most obvious after training the resistance training pattern. Conclusions MOTOmed motor training can excite the cerebral cortex and up-regulate SEP ampli-tude. Active movement with resistance is the most effective among the three patterns tested.

Objective To analyze the clinical and electrophysiological features of one geneology with limbgirdle muscular dystrophy(LGMD). Methods Twenty-seven members of one family with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy(LGMD)were investigated.Fourteen of them were examined with electromyography(EMG)and their motor conduction velocities(MCV)and sensory conduction velocities(SCV)were measured.Among them,10 had no clinical manifestations,while 4 demonstrated symptoms and signs of LGMD. Results Three of the 4 patients had suffered from LGMD when young.They demonstrated the typical clinical features,including the progressive muscle weakness in the upper and lower extremities,positive Gower signs,duck gait,muscle atrophy distributed tO the proximal extremity,and no gastrocnemius hypertrophy.One subject presented atypical characteristics.The MCVs and SCVs of the 4 patients were normal,but neuropathic manifestations were found in the EMGS of 3 of them.and mixed neuropathic and myopathic manifestations were found in the EMG of the other.Conclusion LGMD patients in the same family can vary in their clinical characteristics.The longer the duration,the more severe the clinical features.Electrophysiological examination can reveal normal MCV and SCV but abnormal elctromyography.

Objective To understand the etiology and clinical characteristics of candidemia, and the diagnostic value of(1, 3)-β-Dglucan. Methods This analysis included 31 patients with candidemia, 39 patients with Candida deep colonization, and 50 healthy subjects, who were enrolled from Wuyi Chinese Hospital Affiliated to Jinan University during the period from September 2015 to March 2018. Clinical data such as fungal culture, clinical features, and serum(1, 3)-β-D-glucan level were analyzed and compared between groups. Results Overall, 13 strains of Candida albicans and 18 strains of non-albicans Candida were isolated from the 31 patients with candidemia. The incidence of candidemia was associated with old age(>65 years), prior surgery(≤7 days), indwelling catheter(≥2 catheters and lasting ≥5 days), duration of mechanical ventilation(≥5 days)(P<0.05), but not associated with sex, underlying disease, prior use of anmicrobial and antifungal agents, immunosuppressant or glucocorticoid, or hypoproteinemia(P>0.05). Serum level of(1, 3)-β-D-glucan was significantly higher in candidemia patients than in the patients with candida deep colonization and healthy controls(P<0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of(1, 3)-β-D-glucan in diagnosing candidemia were 87.1％ and 96.0％, respectively. The level of(1, 3)-β-D-glucan was significantly higher in candidemia with bacterial infection than candidemia without bacterial infection(P<0.05). The level of of(1, 3)-β-D-glucan was also significantly higher in the candidemia caused by Candida albicans alone than that caused by non-albicans Candida alone(P<0.05). Conclusions Non-albicans Candida is more prevalent than Candida albicans in candidiasis, but Candida albicans is still the most important Candida species. The incidence of candidemia is asociated with advanced age(>65 years), prior surgery within 7 days, indwelling catheters(≥2 catheters and lasting ≥5 days), and mechanical ventilation(≥5 days). Serum(1, 3)-β-D-glucan level is valuable for early diagnosis of candidemia.

Objective:To identify a pathogenic strain JM-1 isolated from the pus of a patient stabbed by a sea shrimp and to analyze its antibiotic susceptibility and virulence genes, aiming to provide reference for screening clinically related infections caused by Cysteiniphilum litorale as a rare pathogen and improving prognosis. Methods:Biochemical phenotype identification, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS), 16S rRNA gene sequencing, analysis of average nucleotide identity (ANI) and average amino acid identity (AAI) based on the whole genome and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and the whole genome were performed to accurately determine the taxonomic status of the strain JM-1. E-test was used to detect antibiotic susceptibility, and the results were interpreted according to the interpretation standards of Francisella tularensis in CLSI M45-A3. The virulence factor database (VFDB) was used for genome-wide annotation and analysis of virulence genes. Results:After culturing the strain JM-1 on the Columbia blood plate for 3 d, some grey-white, medium-sized, smooth, round and convex hemolytic colonies were observed. Gram staining result showed lightly colored Gram-negative Coccobacillus. API NH identification results suggested that the isolate JM-1 was Moraxella catarrhalis (biochemical code: 3010), while there was no identification result in Vitek2 system NH card (biochemical code: 0211002121). The EXS3000 mass spectrometer self-built database identified the isolate JM-1 as Cysteiniphilum litorale. The phylogenetic analysis based on the 16S rRNA gene and the whole genome showed that the isolate JM-1 and Cysteiniphilum litorale DSM 101832 T clustered into the same branch, and the ANI and AAI values between the two strains were 95.07% and 95.65%, respectively. The biochemical phenotype identification indicated the isolate JM-1 producing β-lactamase and penicillinase. Antibiotic susceptibility test results showed the strain was resistant to penicillin and sensitive to gentamicin, streptomycin, doxycycline, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and chloramphenicol. Genome annotation suggested the virulence genes of the isolate JM-1 were similar to those of Francisella, including Francisella pathogenicity island (FPI), type Ⅳ fimbriae, capsule and lipopolysaccharide. Conclusions:Cysteiniphilum litorale was a rare pathogen with virulence genes similar to those of Francisella, and its antibiotic susceptibility was also similar to that of Francisella. This study confirmed a case of clinical infection caused by Cysteiniphilum litorale. The self-built MALDI-TOF MS system could be used for its rapid identification.

Objective:To establish a competing risk model to predict the cumulative hazard risk probability of the outcomes (unhealed or hyperthyroidism recurrence) of Graves disease (GD) treated with 131I. Methods:From January 2020 to May 2021, 61 GD patients (13 males, 48 females; age (46.0±13.8) years) who received 131I treatment in Zhangzhou Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University were enrolled. The outcomes of treatment were recovery, unhealed or hyperthyroidism recurrence (event 1), and hypothyroidism (event 2). Follow-up was started 1 month after 131I treatment and ended 1 year later. It was terminated in the following conditions: one of the two events occurred; no event occurred after 1 year of follow-up; the research deadline was up. The Fine-Gray test was used to analyze the factors related to event 1, and then the competitive risk model was established. Results:Thirty-nine patients had hypothyroidism, 17 patients were unhealed or had hyperthyroidism recurrence, 2 patients lost follow-up, and 3 patients had normal thyroid function after 1 year follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed that effective half-life (hazard ratio ( HR)=1.74, 95% CI: 1.10-2.75, β=0.55, P=0.019) and thyroid volume ( HR=1.12, 95% CI: 1.07-1.17, β=1.12, P<0.001) were risk factors for event 1, while the elasticity of thyroid was a protective factor ( HR=0.17, 95% CI: 0.06-0.54, β=-1.76, P=0.003). The C index of the nomogram constructed based on the multi-factor competitive risk model was 0.784(95% CI: 0.633-0.935). Conclusions:Thyroid volume, elastic value, and effective half-life are associated with treatment outcomes of 131I. The competitive risk model can predict the therapeutic outcomes of GD patients treated with 131I.

OBJECTIVE To construct a predictive model of ultrasound(US),analyze and compare with its diagnostic efficacy in different forms of combination with CT of the neck in predicting central district lymph node metastasis(CLNM)of papillary thyroid carcinoma.METHODS Lesions confirmed as PTC by surgical pathology in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2021 were included for study,The lesions were scored according to the American college of radiology thyroid imaging reporting and data system(ACR TI-RADS),the risk model to predict CLNM was constructed based on the training set and verified internally in the testing set.The model was combined with CT to diagnose CLNM using both serial and parallel modes.The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves of CT,model,and model combined with CT for the diagnosis of CLNM was drawn separately,and then calculated and compared the area under the curve(AUC).RESULTS A total of 470 lesions were included in 440 patients.The model can be presented as Y=-4.664+0.171 ×maximum diameter+0.685×gender+0.600×multifoca lity+0.251×ACR TI-RADS score.After ROC curves analysis,the optimal diagnostic cut-off value of the model was 0.407.When Y≥ 0.407(optimal diagnostic cut-off point),CLNM was considered to be positive.In the training set,the C-index of model was 0.780(95％CI:0.661-0.756).In the testing set,the C-index was 0.778(95％CI:0.682-0.874).The Homsmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test showed that the calibration of the model was good(P=0.294,P=0.879).In the testing set,compared with CT,model and the serial mode,the sensitivity(77.5％),diagnostic coincidence rate(80.6％),and negative predictive value(84.6％)of parallel mode were higher,whereas specificity(83.0％)was relatively lower.On diagnostic CLNM,the parallel mode had a higher AUC than the series mode(0.803 vs.0.669,Z=-2.931,P=0.003).CONCLUSION The model combined with CT in parallel mode can improve the clinical accuracy of diagnosis in CLNM and compensate for the shortcomings of traditional imaging techniques such as US and CT,which has specific clinical applicability.

Sugar-sugar glycosyltransferases play important roles in constructing complex and bioactive saponins. Here, we characterized a series of UDP-glycosyltransferases responsible for biosynthesizing the branched sugar chain of bioactive steroidal saponins from a widely known medicinal plant Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis. Among them, a 2'-O-rhamnosyltransferase and three 6'-O-glucosyltrasferases catalyzed a cascade of glycosylation to produce steroidal diglycosides and triglycosides, respectively. These UDP-glycosyltransferases showed astonishing substrate promiscuity, resulting in the generation of a panel of 24 terpenoid glycosides including 15 previously undescribed compounds. A mutant library containing 44 variants was constructed based on the identification of critical residues by molecular docking simulations and protein model alignments, and a mutant UGT91AH1^Y187A with increased catalytic efficiency was obtained. The steroidal saponins exhibited remarkable antifungal activity against four widespread strains of human pathogenic fungi attributed to ergosterol-dependent damage of fungal cell membranes, and 2'-O-rhamnosylation appeared to correlate with strong antifungal effects. The findings elucidated the biosynthetic machinery for their production of steroidal saponins and revealed their potential as new antifungal agents.