Abstract: Objective To investigate the prevalence and pathogenic characteristics of Yersinia enterocolitica infection in children with diarrhea under 5 years of age in western Yunnan, and to provide a basis for the prevention and treatment of infectious diarrhea in children. Methods Feces were collected from under five-year-old children with diarrhea in the First Affiliated Hospital of Dali University from 2020 to 2021. Clinical information of the cases was also collected. Yersinia enterocolitica was isolated from the samples after cold enrichment on selective culture plates, and the pathogenic characteristics of Yersinia enterocolitica were analyzed by biological type and serotype and virulence gene detection. Results A total of 397 feces were collected. Seven strains of Yersinia enterocolitica were isolated in three samples, and the prevalence of Yersinia enterocolitica infection was 0.76% (3/397). Among the three positive samples, two Yersinia frederiksenii or Yersinia intermedia were isolated in specimen No. 212 , and five Yersinia enterocolitica were detected in specimens No. 24 and 226. Two Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from one sample were biological type 1A, and the virulence gene test results were ail-/ystA-/ ystB+ /yadA-/virF-, which were non-pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica. Three Yersinia enterocolitica isolated from the other sample were biological type 3, serotype O∶3 (rfbc+), and virulence gene detection results were ail+/ystA+/ystB-/yadA+ /virF+, which were pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica. While pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica was detected from feces of children with diarrhea at 11 months of age with a infection rate of 0.50%(2/397). Conclusion Sporadic infection of pathogenic Yersinia enterocolitica was found in under five-year-old children in western Yunnan Province. It is necessary to strengthen the monitoring and research of Yersinia enterocolitica.

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

By referring to the relevant ancient herbal literature， medical records and prescription books， the textual research of Violae Herba has been conducted to verify the name， origin， producing area， quality evaluation and processing method changes. The results showed that the name of Zihua Diding originated from its flower color and plant morphological characteristics. The primitive plant of Violae Herba is Viola genus of Violaceae， V. yedoensis， as stipulated in the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia， has been the mainstream in past dynasties of China. Violae Herba is mainly wild， and it is widely distributed throughout the country. Since modern times， the quality of Violae Herba is better with integrity， green color and yellow root. There are few records on the harvesting and processing methods of Violae Herba in ancient times， most of which are directly used after drying. It is suggested that the collection and processing methods of Violae Herba in the famous classical formulas can be implemented in accordance with the provisions of the 2020 edition of Chinese Pharmacopoeia.

Objective: To study the correlation between the content changes of main medicinal ingredients and the color values of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma during storage based on the principle of chromaticity analysis,and to provide reference for studying on the mechanism of discoloration and improving the quality evaluation of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma. Method: Simulated accelerated test was adopted in this study, where Rhei Radix et Rhizoma was stored under high temperature(40±5)℃,high humidity RH(92.5±5)%and strong light(4 000±500)Lx conditions to accelerate its discoloration. For the samples taken at different time points,the color value was determined by spectrophotometer and the total contents of anthraquinone and free anthraquinones,sennoside A,B,catechin and gallic acid were determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The correlation between the effective components and the color value of rhubarb was analyzed by SPSS software. Result: During the storage process,it was observed by the eye that the color of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma was significantly darker and darker in the simulated acceleration test. According to the analysis of the chromaticity value results,the changes of chromaticity values L^*and E^*ab of Rhei Radix et Rhizoma were significantly negatively correlated with free strontium content(P<0.05),and significantly positively correlated with catechin content(P<0.05),but there was no correlation with total anthraquinones and sennoside A. The chromaticity value a^* was significantly negatively correlated with gallic acid(P<0.05) and significantly positively correlated with sennoside B(P<0.05). Conclusion: There is a certain correlation between the change of color value and the content of six medicinal ingredients during Rhei Radix et Rhizoma storage.

Objective To investigate the role of β-arrestin2 in intestinal inflammation and illustrate the mechanisms from the perspective of epithelial barrier function. Methods Dextran sodium sulfate(DSS)is used to induce acute intestinal colitis in mice. The experiment groups are designed as the wild type control(WT),the wild type colitis (WT+DSS) and the β-arrestin2- knockout colitis (KO+DSS). The expression of β-arrestin2 gene by mRNA and protein level is compared between the WT and WT + DSS groups. The difference of weight loss , disease activity index(DAI),spleen weight,colon length,histological score,intestinal permeability and important tight junction proteins (occludin ,claudin1 and ZO-1) were detected in the WT+DSS and KO+DSS groups. Results Compared with the WT group,the expression of β-arrestin2 was significantly higher in the colon of the WT+DSS group. Compared with the WT+DSS group,the KO+DSS group had less weight loss(P < 0.05),lower DAI(P<0.05),smaller spleen,longer colon and lower histological score(P=0.002). The KO+DSS group had a lower intestinal permeability(P = 0.009)and higher protein level of occludin and claudin1.There was no signifi-cant difference of ZO-1 in the two groups. Conclusion β-arrestin2 may promote mouse colitis through impairment of epithelial barrier function.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the risk factors for the development of congenital anal atresia in neonates.

METHODSA total of 70 neonates who were admitted to 17 hospitals in Foshan, China from January 2011 to December 2014 were enrolled as case group, and another 70 neonates who were hospitalized during the same period and had no anal atresia or other severe deformities were enrolled as control group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the risk factors for the development of congenital anal atresia.

RESULTSThe univariate analysis revealed that the age of mothers, presence of oral administration of folic acid, infection during early pregnancy, and polyhydramnios, and sex of neonates showed significant differences between the case and control groups (P<0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that infection during early pregnancy (OR=18.776) and male neonates (OR=9.304) were risk factors for congenital anal atresia, and oral administration of folic acid during early pregnancy was the protective factor (OR=0.086).

CONCLUSIONSInfection during early pregnancy is the risk factor for congenital anal atresia, and male neonates are more likely to develop congenital anal atresia than female neonates. Supplementation of folic acid during early pregnancy can reduce the risk of congenital anal atresia.

Anus, Imperforate ; etiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Risk Factors

The distribution information of Lomatogonium rotatum. was collected by interview investigation and field survey, and 55 related environmental factors were collected, the habitat suitability study was conducted based on geographic information system (GIS) and maximum entropy model. The AUCs of ROC curve were both above 0.99, indicating that the predictive results with the maximum model were highly precise. The results showed that 13 major environmental factors have obvious influence on ecology suitability distributions of L. rotatum, including month average temperature of February et al., the suitable distribution areas are mainly concentrated in the east-central of Inner Mongolia, including Hexigten banner, Duolun county, Zhenglan banner et al., The zoning results basically coincide with the genuine producing areas, and further afford new suitable distribution areas, which can provide reference for L. rotatum's wild nursery and the siting of introduction and cultivation.
China ; Ecosystem ; Environment ; Gentianaceae ; growth & development ; Geographic Information Systems ; Rain ; Temperature

OBJECTIVETo detect changes of Foxp3 expression in the decidua in patients with preeclampsia and investigate the correlation of Foxp3-924 (rs2232365) polymorphisms with preeclampsia.

METHODSFrom October 2011 to December 2012, 252 normal pregnant women and 156 preeclampsia patients of Han nationality from the same geographic region were tested for Foxp3-924 genotypes by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primer (PCR-SSP). Sixty-eight of the patients with preeclampsia (33 with mild and 35 with severe preeclampsia) and 30 of the normal pregnant women were also examined for Foxp3 expression in the decidua using immunohistochemical method.

RESULTSFoxp3 positive expression rates in the decidua was 51.52% in mild preeclampsia and 28.57% in severe preeclampsia cases, significantly lower than that in the control group (86.67%, P<0.05). In preeclampsia patients, the frequencies of Foxp3-924G/G, G/A, and A/A genotypes were 0.1346, 0.4615 and 0.4038, respectively, and the frequencies of Foxp3-924A and Foxp3-924 G were 0.6346 and 0.3654, respectively. The genotype frequencies of Foxp3-924G/G, G/A and A/A in the control group were 0.1508, 0.4087 and 0.4405, respectively, and the frequencies of Foxp3-924 A and Foxp3-924 G were 0.6448 and 0.3552, respectively. No significant differences were found in the gene frequencies of Foxp3-924G/A between preeclampsia patients and the control group (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expression level of Foxp3 in the placental tissue of preeclampsia patients is significantly lower than that in normal pregnant women, suggesting that lowered Foxp3 expression decreases the immunosuppressive function and causes imbalance of immune tolerance between maternal-fetal to induce preeclampsia. Foxp3-924 polymorphisms is not significantly correlated with the occurrence of preeclampsia.

Case-Control Studies ; Female ; Forkhead Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Gene Frequency ; Genotype ; Humans ; Placenta ; metabolism ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Pre-Eclampsia ; genetics ; Pregnancy

Objective: To investigate the seroepidemiology and genetic characterization of hepatitis E virus (HEV) in western Yunnan Province. Methods: Questionnaire survey was conducted among 1638 residents in western Yunnan Province using stratified sampling method. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect serum anti-HEV IgG and IgM. HEV RNA was extracted from patients with serum anti-HEV IgM positive. The open reading flame 2 (ORF2) of HEV that was amplified by nested RT-PCR was sequenced and compared with standard HEV genotypes 1-4. Results: Serum anti-HEV positive was found in 13.92% (228/1638) residents. The HEV infection rate in males was significantly higher than that in females with a ratio of 1.47 (. P<0.01). 20-30 and 30-40 years old young men showed the highest incidence, 20.57% and 20.78%, respectively. While 10-20 and 20-30 years old young women exhibited the highest infection rate, 11.85% and 15.60%, respectively. According to occupation, the highest HEV infection rate was observed in farmers (20.35%) and migrants (16.50%). We isolated 10 individual HEV isolates from 31 patients with serum anti-HEV IgM positive. Homology analysis and phylogenetic analysis indicated that these 10 HEV isolates belonged to HEV genotype 4 with the homology of 78.65%-94.71%. Conclusions: The HEV infection rate is high in western Yunnan Province. HEV genotype 4 is the leading cause of HEV infection and young farmers and migrants are the main infected population.

Objective To investigate the changes of plasma miRNA-124 and miRNA-765 levels in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI).Methods Thirty sTBI patients,admitted to our hospital from January 2009 to March 2010,and 24 healthy volunteers were included in the study.Quantitative RT-PCR was employed to determine the levels of miRNA-124 and miRNA-765 in the plasma and traumatic brain tissues at different time points after injury; receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to explore the potential of miRNA-124 and miRNA-765 as diagnostic TBI biomarkers.Results MiRNA-124 level dominantly increased 6 h after TBI and continued to rise 12 and 24 h,while miRNA-765 reached its peak level at 12 h after TBI in patients with sTBI,enjoying significant differences as compared with those in the matched healthy volunteers(t=2.41,P=0.001).miR-124 level (t=2.686,P=0.001) and miR-765 level (t=2.673,P=0.000) in the contusion and laceration tissues after sTBI predominantly increased as compared with those in the normal brain tissues surrounding to the contusion and laceration tissues,with significant difference.ROC curve analysis indicated that miR-124 and miR-765 were good diagnostic markers of sTBI (area under the curve:0.98 and 0.79).Conclusion Plasma-derived miR-124 and miR-765 change significantly,which could be employed as diagnostic markers for sTBI.