Polygonati Rhizoma demonstrates significant potential for addressing both chronic and hidden hunger. The supply of high-quality seedlings is a primary factor influencing the development of the Polygonati Rhizoma industry. Warm water soaking is often used in agriculture to promote the rapid germination of seeds, while its application and molecular mechanism in Polygonati Rhizoma have not been reported. To rapidly obtain high-quality seedlings, this study treated Polygonatum kingianum var. grandifolium seeds with sand storage at low temperatures, warm water soaking, and cultivation temperature gradients. The results showed that the culture at 25 ℃ or sand storage at 4 ℃ for 2 months rapidly broke the seed dormancy of P. kingianum var. grandifolium, while the culture at 20 ℃ or sand storage at 4 ℃ for 1 month failed to break the seed dormancy. Soaking seeds in 60 ℃ warm water further increased the germination rate, germination potential, and germination index. Specifically, the seeds soaked at 60 ℃ and cultured at 25 ℃ without sand storage treatment(Aa25) achieved a germination rate of 78. 67%±1. 53% on day 42 and 83. 40%±4. 63% on day 77. The seeds pretreated with sand storage at 4 ℃ for 2 months, soaked in 60 ℃ water, and then cultured at 25 ℃ achieved a germination rate comparable to that of Aa25 on day 77. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that warm water soaking might promote germination by triggering reactive oxygen species( ROS), inducing the expression of heat shock factors( HSFs) and heat shock proteins( HSPs), which accelerated DNA replication, transcript maturation, translation, and processing, thereby facilitating the accumulation and turnover of genetic materials. According to the results of indoor controlled experiments and field practices, maintaining a germination and seedling cultivation environment at approximately 25 ℃ was crucial for the one-year seedling cultivation of P. kingianum var. grandifolium.
Germination ; Seedlings/genetics* ; Water/metabolism* ; Seeds/metabolism* ; Polygonatum/genetics* ; Temperature ; Plant Proteins/genetics* ; Plant Dormancy

Abstract: Objective　To analyze the epidemiological characteristics (season, age, gender, mixed infection and clinical manifestations, etc.) of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection in children in Hainan Province, so as to provide epidemiological evidence-based medical basis for the prevention and control of MP infection in children in Hainan Province. Methods　The serum IgM antibodies of MP, Legionella pneumophila, Chlamydia pneumoniae, adenovirus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Q fever Rickettsia, parainfluenza virus, influenza A virus and influenza B virus in children with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) who were hospitalized in pediatrics of many hospitals in Hainan Province from March 2012 to February 2020 were detected by indirect immunofluorescence method. The positive serum MP-IgM antibody was defined as MP infection. The epidemiological and clinical data of MP infected cases were analyzed retrospectively. Results　From March, 2012 to February, 2020, a total of 35 731 qualified pediatric inpatients with RTIs in many hospitals in Hainan Province were tested for serum MP-IgM with the total positive rate of 39.12% (13 978/35 731). The yearly positive rates of MP-IgM from 2012 to 2020 were 48.39%, 56.23%, 56.62%, 47.04%, 29.71%, 24.14%, 47.55%, 36.84% and 24.46% respectively. The positive rates of MP-IgM in 2013 and 2014 were significantly higher than those in other years (P<0.05). The positive rate of MP-IgM in summer in Hainan Province was the highest (41.34%) and the lowest in winter (35.77%) (P<0.05). MP infection occurred in all age groups, the positive rate of MP-IgM in children of preschool (51.80%) was significantly higher than that in other age groups (P<0.01), and the positive rate of MP IgM in children of infancy (15.36%) was lower than that in other age groups (P<0.01). The positive rate of MP-IgM in female was 44.77%, which was significantly higher than that in male (35.83%) (P<0.05). MP infection combined with positive IgM of another pathogen accounted for 32.63% (4 561 cases), positive IgM of another two pathogens accounted for 1.26% (176 cases). MP infection was mostly found in pneumonia (68.73%), and the main clinical symptoms were cough (84.72%), fever (51.01%) and wheezing (3.16%). Conclusions　MP is an important pathogen of respiratory tract infection in children in Hainan Province, and infection is more common in children in early school age and early childhood. Mp-specific tests should be performed to identify the pathogen in children suspected of MP infection. In the high incidence season, health education should be strengthened in kindergartens, schools and other places to prevent respiratory tract infection.

Aim To study the effects of high-fat diet on testicular germ cell apoptosis in mice through endoplasmic reticulum stress. Methods C57BL/6J male mice were assigned into normal group and high-fat diet group randomly, with six mice in each group. The mice in normal group or high-fat diet group were fed with regular or high-fat diet continuously for five months. The mice were weighed, anesthetized, and euthanized to collect testicular and epididymal tissue for analysis. The testicular tissue was weighed and their indices were calculated. Epididymal tissue was collected for semen analysis. The morphological alterations of testicular tissue were observed using hematoxylin-eosin ( HE ) staining. The apoptosis of germ cells was detected by TUNEL staining and the apoptotic indices were calculated. The expression levels of apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins in testicular tissue were detected by Western blot. The protein expression and localization of GRP78 in testicular tissue were further detected by immunofluorescence. Results The results showed that compared to the normal group, the high-fat diet group had a significant increase in body weight, a significant decrease in testicular index, sperm concentration, and sperm vability, loose arrangement of germ cells, significant thinning of the seminiferous epithelium, no significant change in the diameter of seminiferous tubules, a significant increase in germ cell apoptosis , with an increased apoptosis index, and significant increase in expression of Bax and cleaved-caspase-12,and a significant decrease in Bcl-2 protein expression. The expression levels of GRP78 , p-IREl, XBP1, and ATF6a proteins were significantly up-regulated, while p-PERK, p-eIF2a, ATF4 protein expression showed no significant changes. Immunofluorescence results further showed a significant increase in the expression of GRP78 protein in the testicular tissue,with no significant changes in the expression location. Conclusions High-fat diet can induce the apoptosis of mouse testicular germ cells, and the mechanism may be related to the activation of endoplasmic reticulum stress IRE1 and ATF6 signaling pathway.

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

To explore the efficacy and value of personalized surgical schemes in the repair of maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula based on the size of the maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula. A total of 28 patients with maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula who were admitted to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Stomatology Hospital of Kunming Medical University from July 2017 to May 2020 were included to conduct a prospective case clinical study. After the inflammation in the maxillary sinus was controlled, a proper surgical repair method was selected according to the size of the perforation and fistula based on the double-layer closure technique. The diameter of the perforation and fistula was measured with the assistance of cone-beam CT. After that, the platelet rich fibrin (PRF) repair was performed on the perforation and fistula with 3 mm≤diameter<7 mm in size in 14 patients. The PRF repair and buccal flap repair were performed on the perforation and fistula with 7 mm ≤diameter<15 mm in size in 7 patients. The adjacent buccal pad repair, palatine flap repair, and buccal flap repair were performed on the perforation and fistula with 15 mm≤ diameter<25 mm in size in 4 patients. The nasolabial axial flap repair and nasolabial free flap repair were performed on the perforation and fistula with a diameter ≥25 mm in size in 3 patients. The medical follow-up was conducted in all patients in the 1st, 2nd, and 4th week after surgery, with an overall success rate reaching 96.4% (27/28) after the initial intervention. The relapse of disease occurred in one patient (4.6%) with diabetes and a smoking history in the 2nd week after surgery. Identifying a proper surgical repair method according to the size of the oral and maxillary sinus perforation and maxillary sinus fistula based on the double-layer closure technique can improve the one-time cure rate in these patients under the premise that the inflammation in the maxillary sinus can be controlled.
Fistula/surgery* ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Maxilla ; Maxillary Sinus/surgery* ; Oroantral Fistula/surgery*

Objective: The scientific community knows little about the long-term influence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on olfactory dysfunction (OD). With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing worldwide, the risk of imported cases remains high. In China, it is necessary to understand OD in imported cases. Methods: A prospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 11 self-reported patients with COVID-19 and OD from Xi'an No. 8 Hospital were followed between August 19, 2021, and December 12, 2021. Demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory and radiological findings, and treatment outcomes were analyzed at admission. We surveyed the patients via telephone for recurrence and sequelae at the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Results: Eleven patients with OD were enrolled; of these, 54.5% (6/11) had hyposmia and 45.5% (5/11) had anosmia. 63.6% (7/11) reported OD before or on the day of admission as their initial symptom; of these, 42.9% (3/7) described OD as the only symptom. All patients in the study received combined treatment with traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and 72.7% (8/11) had partially or fully recovered at discharge. In terms of OD recovery at the 12-month follow-up, 45.5% (5/11) reported at least one sequela, 81.8% (9/11) had recovered completely, 18.2% (2/11) had recovered partially, and there were no recurrent cases. Conclusions Our data revealed that OD frequently presented as the initial or even the only symptom among imported cases. Most OD improvements occurred in the first 2 weeks after onset, and patients with COVID-19 and OD had favorable treatment outcomes during long-term follow-up. A better understanding of the pathogenesis and appropriate treatment of OD is needed to guide clinicians in the care of these patients.
COVID-19/complications* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Pandemics ; Prospective Studies ; SARS-CoV-2

Objective:To explore the repeatability of ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating the Young′s modulus (E) of the lumbar multifidus (LM) and the difference in E of the bilateral LM, and to analyze the E′s change ratio of LM and its impact factors at upright and 90° forward bend positions.Methods:A total of 60 healthy volunteers, selected from interns, standardized training residents and refresher doctors in department of diagnostic ultrasound of Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from July to December in 2020, were examined twice by SWE to estimate the E value of LM at prone, upright and 90° flexion positions, respectively. Firstly, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was applied to test the reliability between the two repeated measurements.Secondly, the differences in E of the bilateral LM were discussed. The discrepancies in the E value of male and female volunteers at prone, upright and 90° flexion positions and the change ratio of the E value at upright and 90° forward bend positions were also discussed, respectively. Finally, Spearman correlation coefficient was utilized to evaluate the correlations of E and its change ratio with gender, age, BMI and activity level at upright and 90° forward bend positions, respectively.Results:The ICC value in LM measured by SWE was in the range of 0.691 to 0.951. No obvious change in bilateral E values of the same posture was observed for an individual(all P>0.05). The change ratios of E at upright and 90° flexion positions were approximate to 2 and 7, respectively. Moreover, at prone position, the E value exhibited negative correlation with age and activity level of self-assessment ( rs=-0.300, P=0.020; rs=-0.383, P=0.002). The E in female was higher compared with that in male. At active states the change ratio in E was positively correlated with age and activity level ( rs=0.278, P=0.031; rs=0.495, P<0.001), and the E′s change ratio in male was higher than that in female. Conclusions:SWE possesses excellent repeatability in evaluating the E value of LM with no significant difference in E of bilateral LM. The E′s change ratio in LM varies with different contraction strategies and changes with age, sex and self-reported activity level.

Aneurysm, Dissecting/surgery* ; Aorta, Thoracic/surgery* ; Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic/surgery* ; Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation ; China ; Endovascular Procedures ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To find out the mortality trend and related factors in aged hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus(DM). METHODS: The case information diabetic in patients who died during the period from 2005 to 2014 were collected and the mortality and causes of death were analyzed. RESULTS: From 2005 to 2014, 1297 diabetic patients died, and the mortality of elderly DM inpatients was 4.44%(1162 cases), significantly higher than that of the non-elderly of 0.94%(P<0.001). The death rate of elderly diabetic patients was significantly higher in males than in females(5.22% vs. 3.47%, P<0.001). The mortality of the aged diabetic patients decreased within 10 years(P<0.001), decreasing from 4.75% in 2005 to 3.01% in 2009(P<0.001) in the year of 2005-2009, while there were no differences in the year of 2010-2014. The main death causes of the aged diabetic in-patients were as follows: infections(27.71%), cardiovascular diseases(25.22%), tumor(21.34%), cerebral vascular diseases(10.41%) and diabetic complications(5.51%). The first death cause in the 60-79 yrs group was cardiovascular diseases, while in the ≥80 yrs group, it was infections. The constituent ratio of infection as death cause in the aged during 2010-2014 significantly increased(22.60% vs. 32.50%, P<0.001), increasing by 43.81%, and it became the first cause of death in 2010. CONCLUSION: The death rate of the elderly DM in-patients has decreased significantly within 10 years, from 2005 to 2014, while the rate has kept steady from 2010. Infections and cardiovascular diseases are the main cause of death. So it's important to prevent the elderly hospitalized DM patients from infection, in addition to cardiovascular diseases, and to control in time.

OBJECTIVE: To explore expression of β-catenin and NF-κB signaling pathway in synovial tissue of rats with different degrees of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). METHODS: Forty-eight SPF male rats weighed (200±20) g were randomly divided into three groups, namely model group (32 rats), sham operation group (8 rats) and control group (8 rats). KOA model rats were established by Hulth method, and 8 rats were killed at 2, 4, 8, 12 weeks respectively after modeling, in order to establish KOA model rats with moderate, early, mild and severe degree. Sham operation group was only cut off capsule of knee joint and suture to exclude interference factor, control group was untreated. Behavior, synovial hyperplasia and cartilage degeneration of rats among each group were observed. Expression of NF-κB and signaling pathway and β-catenin in synovial tissue of rats were detected by real-time PCR. RESULTS: KOA rat model was successfully established, and synovial hyperplasia was observed in KOA model at mild and early degree, and then gradually decreased; while cartilage degeneration in the early moderate and severe KOA model was significantly expressed, and gradually aggravated with time. The results of PCR showed that expression of β-catenin in 4-week group (8.57±0.46) and 8-week group (4.23±0.09) were higher than those in control group (<0.05); expression of TLR-2 in 2-week group (12.04±4.02) and 4-week group (8.54±2.13) were higher than those in control group(<0.05), and TLR-4 in 2-week group(5.04±0.93), 4-week group (3.29±0.58) and 8-week group (1.63±0.12) were higher than those in control group; expression of NF-κB was significantly higher in 2-week group (10.15±2.04), 4-week group (15.97±4.17), 8-week group (7.69±1.48) and 12-week group (6.70±1.58) than that in control group (<0.05), and expression of IL-1β was significantly higher in 4-week group (2.79±0.25) and 8-week group (2.46±0.32) than that of control group (<0.05). CONCLUSIONS On the RNA expression level, both of β-catenin and NF-κB signaling pathways are involved in synovial inflammation in KOA model rats, and they play a regulatory role in expression of IL-1β, degeneration of KOA.
Animals ; Inflammation ; Male ; NF-kappa B ; Osteoarthritis, Knee ; Rats ; Signal Transduction ; beta Catenin