The emerging and re-emerging arthropod-borne infectious diseases pose a serious threat to global public health security. Field and laboratory studies of arthropods of medical importance are essential and critical for the prevention and control of arthropod-borne infectious diseases. Various institutions or universities in China have been conducting research in the field or laboratory study of arthropods of medical importance, but up to 2023, it is still lacking detailed biosafety guidelines or recommendations that can guide the related work for arthropods of medical importance. In order to proactively address potential biosafety issues in the field or laboratory activities related to arthropods of medical importance, improve the standardization of arthropod biosafety classification, operations, and protection, and ensure the safety of practitioners, an expert consensus on the biosafety recommendation of arthropods of medical importance in field and laboratory has been developed, aiming to guide the future work of arthropods and ensure the national biosafety and biosecurity of China.

Objectives: Bipolar hemiarthroplasty is commonly performed to treat displaced femoral neck fractures in osteo porotic patients. This study aimed to assess the occurrence and outcomes of unplanned return visits to the emergency department (ED) within 90 days following bipolar hemiarthroplasty for displaced femoral neck fractures. Methods: The clinical data of 1322 consecutive patients who underwent bipolar hemiarthroplasty for osteoporotic femoral neck fractures at a tertiary medical center were analyzed. Data from the patients’ electronic medical records, including demographic information, comorbidities, and operative details, were collected. The risk factors and mortality rates were analyzed. Results: Within 90 days after surgery, 19.9% of patients returned to the ED. Surgery-related reasons accounted for 20.2% of the patient’s returns. Older age, a high Charlson comorbidity index score, chronic kidney disease, and a history of cancer were identified as significant risk factors for unplanned ED visits. Patients with uncemented implants had a significantly greater risk of returning to the ED due to periprosthetic fractures than did those with cemented implants (P = 0.04). Patients who returned to the ED within 90 days had an almost fivefold greater 1-year mortality rate (15.2% vs 3.1%, P < 0.001) and a greater overall mortality rate (26.2% vs 10.5%, P < 0.001). Conclusions This study highlights the importance of identifying risk factors for unplanned ED visits after bipolar hemiarthroplasty, which may contribute to a better prognosis. Consideration should be given to the use of cemented implants for hemiarthroplasty, as uncemented implants are associated with a greater risk of peri prosthetic fractures.

X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is an adult-onset debilitating neurodegenerative disorder presenting with motor and nonmotor symptoms. The treatment options for XDP are limited. We described a patient with XDP who underwent a unilateral transcranial magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (tcMRgFUS) pallidothalamic tractotomy with a one-year follow-up. The patient reported an immediate improvement in his pain after the procedure. Compared to baseline, there was an improvement in his scores in the dystonia (31%), parkinsonism (35.1%), and activities of daily living (71%) subscales at 1-year follow up. The overall improvement at one year was 46%. There were no adverse events noted. Additional studies with larger sample size and follow-up would be needed to document its long-term safety and efficacy.
Dystonia 3, Torsion, X-Linked ; Dystonic Disorders ; Genetic Diseases, X-Linked

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning and the differences in the severity of poisoning.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2014 to December 2020. The general information, exposure time, poisoning dose, poisoning cause, poisoning route, clinical manifestations, laboratory examination results during hospitalization, treatment measures, hospital stays and prognosis of the patients were collected. The patients were graded according to the poisoning severity scoring standard of Chinese Expert Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Poisoning in 2016. The highest severity score during hospitalization was used as the final grade. According to the final grade, asymptomatic and mild patients were included in the mild group, and moderate, severe and death patients were included in the severe group. The independent sample T test or Mann-Whitney U test was used for measurement data, and χ2 test or Fisher's exact test was used for counting data. The differences of general data and clinical data between the two groups were compared. Results:According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 83 patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning were selected as the study subjects. All patients survived, mainly mild poisoning (56.6%), with a male to female ratio of 33∶50, and an average age of 39 years. The number of poisoning cases increased yearly (the highest in 2019), and most cases occurred in spring and summer. The main cause of poisoning was suicide (71.1%), direct oral administration (83.1%) was the primary route of poisoning, and the dominating clinical manifestations were digestive symptoms (71.1%). Laboratory tests showed increased white blood cell count (WBC), neutrophil percentage (NEUT %) and D-dimer, and decreased hemoglobin and potassium. Compared with the mild group, patients in the severe group were older [(51±17) years vs. (35±19) years], had a higher proportion of suicide and direct oral administration, a longer hospital stay [8.0 (4.8, 12.0) d vs. 3.0 (2.0, 5.5) d], a higher dose of poisoning [200.0 (50.0, 200.0) mL vs. 30.0 (11.3, 57.5) mL], and higher NEUT % within 24 h of admission [(83.4±10.4) vs. (73.2±12.8)]. The increase of WBC, NEUT %, aspartate aminotransferase, prothrombin time, D-dimer and the decrease of serum potassium were more common in the severe group than the mild group, with statistical significance (all P<0.05). Conclusions:The number of patients with acute glyphosate herbicide poisoning is increasing yearly. Generally, the condition is mild and the prognosis is satisfying. The severity is more serious in the middle-aged and elderly patients andthose with direct oral administration, high toxic dose, and high NEUT % within 24 h of admission. Severe poisoning is more likely to cause changes in laboratory indicators.

Although agomelatine may be associated with an increased risk of hepatotoxicity, the incidence rate of acute hepatitis seemed divergent between clinical trials and daily practice. Whether aging or gender is a risk factor in developing hepatotoxicity due to agomelatine is not clear. We present 3 older female cases with acute hepatitis occurring due to highly probable idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury caused by agomelatine. From these cases, regular surveillance on liver function in the older women taking antidepressants would be of benefits.

In Taiwan, high-risk patients have been identified and tested for preventing community spread of COVID-19. Most sample collection was performed in emergency departments (EDs). Traditional sample collection requires substantial personal protective equipment (PPE), healthcare professionals, sanitation workers, and isolation space. To solve this problem, we established a multifunctional sample collection station (MSCS) for COVID-19 testing in front of our ED. The station is composed of a thick and clear acrylic board (2 cm), which completely separates the patient and medical personnel. Three pairs of gloves (length, 45 cm) are attached and fixed on the outside wall of the MSCS. The gloves are used to conduct sampling of throat/nasal swabs, sputum, and blood from patients. The gap between the board and the building is only 0.2 cm (sealed with silicone sealant). ED personnel communicate with patients using a small two-way broadcast system. Medical waste is put in specific trashcans installed in the table outside the MSCS. With full physical protection, the personnel conducting the sampling procedure need to wear only their N95 mask and gloves. After we activated the station, our PPE, sampling time, and sanitization resources were considerably conserved during the 4-week observation period. The MSCS obviously saved time and PPE. It elevated the efficiency and capacity of the ED for handling potential community infections of COVID-19.
Betacoronavirus ; Clinical Laboratory Techniques ; Coronavirus Infections ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; organization & administration ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; methods ; Pandemics ; Personal Protective Equipment ; supply & distribution ; Pneumonia, Viral ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; Taiwan ; epidemiology

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a hyperglycemia-induced progressivedevelopment of renal insufficiency. Excessive glucose can increase mitochondrialreactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce cell damage, causing mitochondrial dysfunction.Our previous study indicated that cilostazol (CTZ) can reduce ROS levelsand decelerate DN progression in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes.This study investigated the potential mechanisms of CTZ in rats with DN and in highglucose-treated mesangial cells. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed 5 mg/kg/day ofCTZ after developing STZ-induced diabetes mellitus. Electron microscopy revealedthat CTZ reduced the thickness of the glomerular basement membrane and improvedmitochondrial morphology in mesangial cells of diabetic kidney. CTZ treatmentreduced excessive kidney mitochondrial DNA copy numbers induced by hyperglycemiaand interacted with the intrinsic pathway for regulating cell apoptosis as anantiapoptotic mechanism. In high-glucose-treated mesangial cells, CTZ reduced ROSproduction, altered the apoptotic status, and down-regulated transforming growthfactor beta (TGF-) and nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells(NF-B). Base on the results of our previous and current studies, CTZ decelerationof hyperglycemia-induced DN is attributable to ROS reduction and thereby maintenanceof the mitochondrial function and reduction in TGF- and NF-B levels.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a hyperglycemia-induced progressivedevelopment of renal insufficiency. Excessive glucose can increase mitochondrialreactive oxygen species (ROS) and induce cell damage, causing mitochondrial dysfunction.Our previous study indicated that cilostazol (CTZ) can reduce ROS levelsand decelerate DN progression in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced type 1 diabetes.This study investigated the potential mechanisms of CTZ in rats with DN and in highglucose-treated mesangial cells. Male Sprague–Dawley rats were fed 5 mg/kg/day ofCTZ after developing STZ-induced diabetes mellitus. Electron microscopy revealedthat CTZ reduced the thickness of the glomerular basement membrane and improvedmitochondrial morphology in mesangial cells of diabetic kidney. CTZ treatmentreduced excessive kidney mitochondrial DNA copy numbers induced by hyperglycemiaand interacted with the intrinsic pathway for regulating cell apoptosis as anantiapoptotic mechanism. In high-glucose-treated mesangial cells, CTZ reduced ROSproduction, altered the apoptotic status, and down-regulated transforming growthfactor beta (TGF-) and nuclear factor kappa light chain enhancer of activated B cells(NF-B). Base on the results of our previous and current studies, CTZ decelerationof hyperglycemia-induced DN is attributable to ROS reduction and thereby maintenanceof the mitochondrial function and reduction in TGF- and NF-B levels.