ObjectiveTo conduct an epidemiological investigation, isolate and identify the pathogenic bacteria, and perform whole-genome sequencing (WGS) analysis of a food poisoning outbreak in Suzhou High-tech Zone, so as to provide references for the prevention and management of similar incidents. MethodsAn epidemiological investigation was carried out on affected individuals and restaurant staff. Multi-pathogen screening was performed on rectal swab samples from affected cases and restaurant staff, as well as on environmental swab samples from food preparation areas and retained food samples. WGS was performed on the pathogens isolated from the samples. ResultsA total of 15 cases were identified through hospital visit record reviews and on-site inquiries. Of the 15 case samples, 14 tested positive for Staphylococcus aureus (SA). In addition, 3 out of 15 staff samples and 6 out of 34 retained food samples tested positive for SA. WGS results revealed that the 6 food-derived isolates and 13 case-derived isolates shared the same sequence type (ST), Staphylococcal Protein A (SPA) type, and enterotoxin gene profile, with whole-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (wgSNP) differences of ≤5. Two novel SA sequence types: ST9159 and ST9161, were also identified in this study. ConclusionThis food poisoning outbreak is caused by contamination food with SA harbouring the seb and sec enterotoxin genes. The primary causes of contamination and cross-contamination included improper food handling practices, the use of the same utensils for raw and cooked foods, and extended storage of certain dishes at room temperature. Strengthening sanitary supervision in food handling facilities is crucial for reducing the occurrence of similar incidents.

Background::Hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury (HIRI) remains a common complication during liver transplantation (LT) in patients. As a key downstream effector of the Hippo pathway, Yes-associated protein (YAP) has been reported to be involved in various physiological and pathological processes. However, it remains elusive whether and how YAP may control autophagy activation during ischemia-reperfusion.Methods::Human liver tissues from patients who had undergone LT were obtained to evaluate the correlation between YAP and autophagy activation. Both an in vitro hepatocyte cell line and in vivo liver-specific YAP knockdown mice were used to establish the hepatic ischemia-reperfusion models to determine the role of YAP in the activation of autophagy and the mechanism of regulation. Results::Autophagy was activated in the post-perfusion liver grafts during LT in patients, and the expression of YAP positively correlated with the autophagic level of hepatocytes. Liver-specific knockdown of YAP inhibited hepatocytes autophagy upon hypoxia-reoxygenation and HIRI ( P <0.05). YAP deficiency aggravated HIRI by promoting the apoptosis of hepatocytes both in the in vitro and in vivo models ( P <0.05). Attenuated HIRI by overexpression of YAP was diminished after the inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine. In addition, inhibiting autophagy activation by YAP knockdown exacerbated mitochondrial damage through increasing reactive oxygen species ( P <0.05). Moreover, the regulation of autophagy by YAP during HIRI was mediated by AP1 (c-Jun) N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling through binding to the transcriptional enhanced associate domain (TEAD). Conclusions::YAP protects against HIRI by inducing autophagy via JNK signaling that suppresses the apoptosis of hepatocytes. Targeting Hippo (YAP)-JNK-autophagy axis may provide a novel strategy for the prevention and treatment of HIRI.

Objective:To design a new type of intelligent power-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis and to use experiments to verify its kinematic performance.Methods:The main body of the prosthesis was designed using a double parallel four-link configuration based on a remote motion center mechanism. A series elastic actuator was used to provide external power for the prosthesis, and an antagonistic torsion spring structure was used to achieve bidirectional energy storage assistance in hip flexion and extension. A control system based on impedance control was established. By setting up an auxiliary force field to compensate for the difference between the actual angle of the prosthesis and the target angle, the prosthesis assist function was realized. Finally, the traditional hip disarticulation prosthesis was used as a comparison to test the overall performance of the new intelligent power-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis worn by normal people.Results:For the new smart-assisted hip-disarticulation prosthesis, the goodness-of-fit of its hip joint angle curve to that of a normal person was 86%, which was 14% higher than that of the traditional hip-disarticulation prosthesis (72%). The goodness-of-fit of the healthy-side angle of the new smart-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis to the normal human was 94%, which was the same as that of the traditional hip disarticulation prosthesis.Conclusions:A new type of intelligent power-assisted hip disarticulation prosthesis is designed to realize the function of prosthesis-assisted movement.

Objective To explore the role of transcription factor EB(TFEB)induced by aerobic exer-cise in improving insulin resistance(IR)of skeletal muscles in high-fat diet mice.Method Eighteen male SPF C57BL/6 mice aged 6 weeks were randomly divided into a common diet group(CON),a high-fat diet group(HFD),and a high-fat diet exercise group(HFDE),each of 6.Both high-fat groups were on high-fat diet for 12 weeks.Then the HFDE group underwent daily 60-minute tread-mill exercise with the slope of 0°,at a speed of 12 m/min,5 times per week for 12 weeks.Finally,the glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were detected using the intraperitoneal injection glucose tol-erance test(IPGTT)and intraperitoneal injection insulin tolerance test(IPITT).The fasting blood glu-cose and insulin contents were measured by biochemical method,and the IR level was calculated by using the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance(HOMA-IR).Moreover,Western blotting was employed to detect the expression of phosphorylated transcription factor EB(pTFEB)and TFEB in skeletal muscle,glucose transporter 4(GLUT4)in cytoplasm and membrane,phosphorylated insulin re-ceptor substrates1(pIRS1),phosphorylated protein kinase B(pAKT),phosphoinositide 3-kinase(PI3K),and phosphorylated akt substrate of 160 kD(pTBC1D4)in skeletal muscle.The correlation of pTFEB and TFEB to insulin signaling pathway-related proteins was analyzed.Results(1)Compared with the CON group,there was a significant increase in the average body weight,IPGTT,blood glucose at each time point of IPGTT,area under curve(AUC),serum insulin,HOMA-IR,protein expressions of pTFEB,total-TFEB and GLUT4 in cytoplasm of the HFD group(P<0.01),but a significant decrease in the average protein expressions of pIRS1,pAKT,PI3K,pTBC1D4 and GLUT4 in cell membrane of skeletal muscles(P<0.01).However,no significant differences were found between the two groups in the average expression of pTFEB and T-TFEB proteins.(2)Compared to the HFD group,a signifi-cant increase was found in the average body weight,blood glucose at each time point of IPGTT,blood glucose of IPITT at 0 min,30 min and 60 min and AUC,serum insulin,HOMA-IR,expres-sions of pTFEB,T-TFEB and GLUT4 in cytoplasm of HFDE group(P<0.05 or P<0.01),with a signifi-cant decrease in the average protein expressions of pIRS1,pAKT,PI3K,pTBC1D4 and GLUT4 in cell membrane and T-TFEB in nucleus(P<0.01).(3)TFEB was negatively correlated with the expres-sion of pIRS1,PI3K,pAKT,and pTBC1D4 proteins(r=-0.8642,r=-0.7789,r=-0.8946,r=-0.8040)but positively correlated with cytoplasmic GLUT4(r=0.8532,P<0.01).Moreover,TFEB in the nucleus was of positive correlation with GLUT4 in the cell membrane(r=0.7744,P<0.01).Conclusions High-fat diet can decrease the expression of insulin signaling pathway related proteins in skeletal mus-cles of mice and weaken their insulin action,leading to the disorder of glucose and lipid metabolism.However,aerobic exercise can significantly increase the expression of such proteins to promote insulin function and sensitivity,and relieve disorders in glucose and lipid metabolism.This effect may be achieved through the promotion of skeletal muscle TFEB nuclear translocation,which activates IRS1/PI3K/AKT/TBC1D4/GLUT4 signaling pathway and facilitates GLUT4 membrane translocation,ultimately enhancing glucose uptake in skeletal muscle cells.The authors speculate that the TFEB-mediated insu-lin signaling pathway may be an important molecular pathway for aerobic exercise to improve insulin re-sistance.

Purpose: This study examined the diagnostic value of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) features in differentiating between benign and malignant skin lesions. Methods: A total of 1,392 patients with 1,422 skin lesions who underwent HFUS examinations were included in an initial dataset (cohort 1) to identify features indicative of malignancy. Qualitative clinical and HFUS characteristics were recorded for all lesions. To determine which HFUS and clinical features were suggestive of malignancy, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed. The diagnostic performance of HFUS features combined with clinical information was evaluated. This assessment was validated using internal data (cohort 2) and multicenter external data (cohort 3). Results: Features significantly associated with malignancy included age above 60 years; lesion location in the head, face, and neck or genital regions; changes in macroscopic appearance; crawling or irregular growth pattern; convex or irregular base; punctate hyperechogenicity; blood flow signals; and feeding arteries. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of HFUS features combined with clinical information were 0.946, 92.5%, and 86.9% in cohort 1; 0.870, 93.1%, and 80.8% in cohort 2 (610 lesions); and 0.864, 86.2%, and 86.6% in cohort 3 (170 lesions), respectively. However, HFUS is not suitable for evaluating lesions less than 0.1 mm in thickness or lesions exhibiting surface hyperkeratosis. Conclusion In a clinical setting, the integration of HFUS with clinical information exhibited good diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant and benign skin lesions. However, its utility was limited in evaluating extremely thin lesions and those exhibiting hyperkeratosis.

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of individualized removal therapeutic regimen for donor-specific antibodies (DSA) and examine its related influencing factors.Method:From January 2016 to January 2021, 34 recipients of kidney transplant (KT) underwent regular DSA testing and the results were positive. DSA removal therapy based upon rituximab (RTX) plus intravenous immune globulin (IVIG) was offered. Correlation between DSA negative conversion rate and DSA types, time from start of treatment to transplantation, HLA loci targeted by DSA and DSA mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) were analyzed retrospectively. Changes of immunedominant DSA (iDSA) and serum creatinine in individuals with de novo DSA (dnDSA) before and after treatment were also examined.Results:At Month 3 post-treatment, antibodies turned negative in 17/34(50.0%) patients and DSA became negative in 19/34(55.9%) at the last follow-up. Then we identified 78 DSA from all patients. No significant difference existed in negative conversion rate of pfDSA and dnDSA at Month 3 post-treatment [62.9%(39/62) vs 37.5%(6/16)] and at the last follow-up [4.2%(46/62) vs 56.3%(9/16)]( P=0.067, 0.219). For pfDSA, negative conversion rate of pfDSA with different MFIs after 3-month treatment varied significantly [negative conversion rate of weak positive DSA was 78.6%(33/42) and positive and above DSA 30%(6/20), P<0.001]. It was an independent related factor of whether or not pfDSA could turn negative (48.6%, 95% CI: 22.3%-66.8%, P=0.001). At the last follow-up, negative conversion rate of pfDSA differed markedly at different timepoints from start of treatment to transplantation [treated within 30 days post-operation was 79.2%(42/53) and over 30 days post-operation was 44.4%(4/9), P=0.042] and among different DSA MFI [88.1%(37/42) of weakly positive DSA and 45%(9/20) of positive and above DSA, P<0.001] and they were independent related factors for negative conversion of pfDSA (34.8%, 95% CI: 3.2%-61.8%, P=0.008; 43.1%, 95% CI: 18.5%-63.4%, P=0.001). Mean decline rate in iDSA was 66.67% at Month 3 post-treatment and 77.90% at the last follow-up. The difference was statistically significant ( P=0.035). Serum level of creatinine of 9 patients with dnDSA was (110.2±26.9) μmol/L pre-treatment, (178.8±90.5) μmol/L during treatment, (153.9±72.8) μmol/L at Month 3 post-treatment and (213.6±185.8) μmol/L at the last follow-up. Serum creatinine rose during treatment ( t=-2.794, P=0.023), declined at Month 3 post-treatment ( t=3.430, P=0.009) and spiked again at the last follow-up ( P=0.028). Conclusion:After DSA removal therapy based upon RTX plus IVIG, negative conversion rate of pfDSA is correlated with its MFI and time from start of treatment to transplantation. There is no significant rebound in DSA MFI and graft function of dnDSA patients improves immediately after treatment.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of visceral adipose tissue-derived serine protease inhibitor(vaspin)level in the diagnosis of nontraumatic osteonecrosis of femoral head(NONFH).Methods A total of 77 NONFH patients hospitalized in Linyi People's Hospital from November 2022 to May 2023 were included in necrotic group,and 76 healthy persons in our hospital during the same period were included in normal group.The general data of two groups were compared,and serum vaspin levels of patients with different clinical characteristics in necrotic group were compared.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve was drawn to analyze the diagnostic value of serum vaspin in NONFH.Results The serum vaspin level in necrotic group was significantly lower than that in normal group(P<0.05).Serum vaspin levels in patients with bilateral hip disease were significantly lower than those in patients with unilateral hip disease(P<0.05).Serum vaspin levels in patients with femoral head collapse was significantly lower than that in patients without femoral head collapse(P<0.05).The serum vaspin level decreased with the increase of Association Research Circulation Osseous(ARCO)stage(P<0.05).Serum vaspin level was negatively correlated with ARCO stage and visual analogue scale score(P<0.05),but positively correlated with Harris hip score(P<0.05).ROC curve showed that the area under the curve of serum vaspin for NONFH was 0.868(95%CI:0.813-0.923,P<0.001),sensitivity was 82.9%,specificity was 75.3%.Conclusion Vaspin can be used as a potential serum marker for the diagnosis of NONFH.With the progression of NONFH,the serum vaspin level tends to decrease.

Purpose: This study examined the diagnostic value of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) features in differentiating between benign and malignant skin lesions. Methods: A total of 1,392 patients with 1,422 skin lesions who underwent HFUS examinations were included in an initial dataset (cohort 1) to identify features indicative of malignancy. Qualitative clinical and HFUS characteristics were recorded for all lesions. To determine which HFUS and clinical features were suggestive of malignancy, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed. The diagnostic performance of HFUS features combined with clinical information was evaluated. This assessment was validated using internal data (cohort 2) and multicenter external data (cohort 3). Results: Features significantly associated with malignancy included age above 60 years; lesion location in the head, face, and neck or genital regions; changes in macroscopic appearance; crawling or irregular growth pattern; convex or irregular base; punctate hyperechogenicity; blood flow signals; and feeding arteries. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of HFUS features combined with clinical information were 0.946, 92.5%, and 86.9% in cohort 1; 0.870, 93.1%, and 80.8% in cohort 2 (610 lesions); and 0.864, 86.2%, and 86.6% in cohort 3 (170 lesions), respectively. However, HFUS is not suitable for evaluating lesions less than 0.1 mm in thickness or lesions exhibiting surface hyperkeratosis. Conclusion In a clinical setting, the integration of HFUS with clinical information exhibited good diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant and benign skin lesions. However, its utility was limited in evaluating extremely thin lesions and those exhibiting hyperkeratosis.

Purpose: This study examined the diagnostic value of high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) features in differentiating between benign and malignant skin lesions. Methods: A total of 1,392 patients with 1,422 skin lesions who underwent HFUS examinations were included in an initial dataset (cohort 1) to identify features indicative of malignancy. Qualitative clinical and HFUS characteristics were recorded for all lesions. To determine which HFUS and clinical features were suggestive of malignancy, univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed. The diagnostic performance of HFUS features combined with clinical information was evaluated. This assessment was validated using internal data (cohort 2) and multicenter external data (cohort 3). Results: Features significantly associated with malignancy included age above 60 years; lesion location in the head, face, and neck or genital regions; changes in macroscopic appearance; crawling or irregular growth pattern; convex or irregular base; punctate hyperechogenicity; blood flow signals; and feeding arteries. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of HFUS features combined with clinical information were 0.946, 92.5%, and 86.9% in cohort 1; 0.870, 93.1%, and 80.8% in cohort 2 (610 lesions); and 0.864, 86.2%, and 86.6% in cohort 3 (170 lesions), respectively. However, HFUS is not suitable for evaluating lesions less than 0.1 mm in thickness or lesions exhibiting surface hyperkeratosis. Conclusion In a clinical setting, the integration of HFUS with clinical information exhibited good diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant and benign skin lesions. However, its utility was limited in evaluating extremely thin lesions and those exhibiting hyperkeratosis.

Objective:The transjugular or transfemoral approach is used as a common method for hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurement in current practice. This study aims to confirm the safety and effectiveness of measuring HVPG via the forearm venous approach.Methods:Prospective recruitment was conducted for patients with cirrhosis who underwent HVPG measurement via the forearm venous approach at six hospitals in China and Japan from September 2020 to December 2020. Patients' clinical baseline information and HVPG measurement data were collected. The right median cubital vein or basilic vein approach for all enrolled patients was selected. The HVPG standard process was used to measure pressure. Research data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 statistical software. Quantitative data were used to represent medians (interquartile ranges), while qualitative data were used to represent frequency and rates. The correlation between two sets of data was analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis.Results:A total of 43 cases were enrolled in this study. Of these, 41 (95.3%) successfully underwent HVPG measurement via the forearm venous approach. None of the patients had any serious complications. The median operation time for HVPG detection via forearm vein was 18.0 minutes (12.3~38.8 minutes). This study confirmed that HVPG was positively closely related to Child-Pugh score ( r = 0.47, P = 0.002), albumin-bilirubin score ( r = 0.37, P = 0.001), Lok index ( r = 0.36, P = 0.02), liver stiffness ( r = 0.58, P = 0.01), and spleen stiffness ( r = 0.77, P = 0.01), while negatively correlated with albumin ( r = -0.42, P = 0.006). Conclusion:The results of this multi-centre retrospective study suggest that HVPG measurement via the forearm venous approach is safe and feasible.