Objective:To investigate the risk factors of pleural effusion after spinal separation surgery for patients with spinal metastatic tumors.Methods:A total of 427 patients with spinal metastatic tumors from January 2014 to January 2022 in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine were retrospectively analyzed. There were 252 males and 175 females, with an average age of 59±12 years (range, 15-87 years). All patients underwent separation surgery. Based on the chest CT within 1 month after surgery, the volume of pleural effusion was measured individually by reconstruction software. Pleural effusion was defined as small volume (0-500 ml), moderate volume (500-1 000 ml), and large volume (above 1 000 ml). Baseline data and perioperative clinical outcomes were compared between the groups, and indicators with statistically significant differences were included in a binary logistic regression analysis to determine the independent risk factors for the development of pleural effusion after isolation of spinal metastatic cancer. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were conducted to calculate the area under the curve (AUC) for each independent risk factor.Results:All patients successfully completed the operation. Among the 427 patients, there were 35 cases of large pleural effusion, 42 cases of moderate pleural effusion, and 350 cases of small pleural effusion. There were significant differences in tumor size (χ 2=9.485, P=0.013), intraoperative blood loss ( Z=-2.503, P=0.011), blood transfusion ( Z=-2.983, P=0.003), preoperative total protein ( Z=2.681, P=0.007), preoperative albumin ( Z=1.720, P= 0.085), postoperative hemoglobin ( t=2.950, P=0.008), postoperative total protein ( Z=4.192, P<0.001), and postoperative albumin ( t=2.268, P=0.032) in the large pleural effusion group versus the small and moderate pleural effusion group. Logistic regression analysis showed that decreased preoperative albumin ( OR=0.89, P=0.045) and metastases located in the thoracic spine ( OR=4.01, P=0.039) were independent risk factors for the occurrence of large pleural effusion after separation surgery. The ROC curve showed that the AUC and 95% CI for preoperative albumin, lesion location, and the combined model were 0.637 (0.54, 0.74), 0.421 (0.36, 0.48), and 0.883 (0.81, 0.92). The combined predictive model showed good predictive value. Conclusion:The volume of pleural effusion can be measured individually and quantitatively based on chest CT. Decreased preoperative albumin and metastases located in the thoracic spine are independent risk factors for the occurrence of large pleural effusion after separation surgery. The combined prediction of the two factors has better predictive efficacy.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and genetic basis of a male patient with primary infertility caused by Acephalic spermatozoa syndrome.Methods:A patient who had presented at the Henan Provincial People′s Hospital on October 1, 2022 was selected as the study subject. Clinical data and results of laboratory exams and sperm electron microscopy were collected. The patient was subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES), and candidate variants were verified by Sanger sequencing and pathogenicity analysis.Results:WES revealed that the patient has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the PMFBP1 gene, namely c. 853del (p.Ala285Leufs*24) and c. 1276A>T (p.Lys426X), which were both unreported previously. Sanger sequencing suggested that the c. 853del (p.Ala285Leufs*24) variant has derived from his deceased mother, whilst the c. 1276A>T (p.Lys426X) variant has derived from his father. Based on the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG), both variants were classified as pathogenic (PVS1+ PM2_Supporting+ PP4). Conclusion:The compound heterozygous variants of the PMFBP1 gene probably underlay the Acephalic spermatozoa syndrome in this patient. The discovery of the novel variants has also enriched the mutational spectrum of Acephalic spermatozoa syndrome.

Objective:To analyze the morphology and molecular biology and clarify the taxonomic status of one Cupriavidus species strain SZY C1 isolated from clinical wound specimens. Methods:Strain SZY C1 was subjected to physiological and biochemical identification, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and whole genome sequencing. Its genomic features and virulence genes were analyzed using bioinformatics software.Results:Strain SZY C1 was a gram-negative, non-fermenting bacterium wihout flagella and the ability to form spores. After culturing on Columbia blood agar plates for 24 h, it formed grayish-white colonies that were round, raised, opaque, and had neatly defined margins. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, strain SZY C1 belonged to the genus Cupriavidus with the highest 98.52% similarity to Cupriavidus metallicuns. The genome size of strain SZY C1 was determined to be 5 515 517 bp, with a G+ C content of 67.87%. Whole genome sequencing showed that strain SZY C1 had the closest phylogenetic relationship with Cupriavidus agavae, with an average nucleotide identity value of 84.76% and a digital DNA-DNA hybridization value of 29.1%, which were lower than the identification threshold for prokaryotic species. The strain SZY C1 carried multiple virulence genes, drug resistance genes, and heavy metal resistance genes. Conclusions:Based on phenotypic and genomic analyses, the strain SZY C1 is a potential new species of the Cupriavidus genus.

Objective:To analyze the biological characteristics, phylogeny and the taxonomic status of strain 7712 (=CGMCC 1.17031=NBRC 113783=KCTC 15766) isolated from a clinical blood sample.Methods:Strain 7712 was identified by the cultural properties, cellular and colonial morphology, physiological and biochemical reactions, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry system, and genome correlation index analysis. The genomic phylogenetic tree was construct to analyze the taxonomic position. The virulence factors and resistance genes of strain 7712 and related strains were then compared by the online virulence factor database and online comprehensive antibiotic research database respectively.Results:Strain 7712 was urease negative, gram-negative nonfermenters, which was identified as Ochrobactrum anthropi by VITEK GN card. The 16S rRNA gene analysis showed that the strain was closely related to the members of genera Ochrobactrum and Brucella. The phylogenetic tree showed that strain 7712 was clustered together with Ochrobactrum teleogrylli LCB8 T and Ochrobactrum haematophilum CCUG 38531 T, along with genus Brucella and other Ochrobactrum species. The genome relatedness indexes analysis showed that the average nucleotide identity between strain 7712 and Ochrobactrum teleogrylli LCB8 T was 98.16%, which was higher than the threshold for prokaryotic species. Genetic prediction showed that strain 7712 carried several virulence-related genes and resistance-related genes, of which the existence of OCH gene might be responsible to the resistance to cephalosporin. Conclusions:A case of human infection caused by Ochrobactrum teleogrylli is identified, which would help promote the understanding of biodiversity of genus Ochrobactrum.

The purpose of this study is to construct a muscle-specific synthetic promoter library, screen out muscle-specific promoters with high activity, analyze the relationship between element composition and activity of highly active promoters, and provide a theoretical basis for artificial synthesis of promoters. In this study, 19 promoter fragments derived from muscle-specific elements, conserved elements, and viral regulatory sequences were selected and randomLy connected to construct a muscle-specific synthetic promoter library. The luciferase plasmids pCMV-Luc and pSPs-Luc were constructed and transfected into the myoblast cell line C2C12. The activities of the synthesized promoters were evaluated by the luciferase activity assay. Two non-muscle-derived cell lines HeLa and 3T3 were used to verify the muscle specificity of the highly active promoters. The sequences of promoters with high activity, good muscle specificity, and correct sequences were analyzed to explore the relationship between the element composition and activity of promoters. We successfully constructed a muscle-specific promoter library and screened out 321 effective synthetic promoter plasmids. Among them, the activity of SP-301 promoter was 5.63 times that of CMV. The 15 promoters with high activity were muscle-specific. In the promoters with high activity and correct sequences, there was a relationship between their element composition and activity. Muscle-specific elements accounted for a high proportion in the promoters, while they had weak correlations with the promoter activity, being tissue-specific determinants. Viral elements accounted for no less than 20% in highly active promoters, which may be the key elements for the promoter activity. The content of conserved elements was proportional to the promoter activity. This study lays a theoretical foundation for the synthesis of tissue-specific efficient promoters and provides a new idea for the construction and application of in-situ gene delivery systems.
Promoter Regions, Genetic ; Humans ; Animals ; Mice ; Gene Library ; Cell Line ; Transfection ; HeLa Cells ; Luciferases/metabolism* ; Muscle, Skeletal/metabolism* ; Plasmids/genetics* ; Myoblasts/cytology*

Objective:To analyze the molecular epidemiological characteristics of Campylobacter fetus subsp. testudinum ( Cft). Methods:Fifteen strains of Cft collected in our laboratory from 2010 to 2022 were subjected to whole-genome sequencing. Their epidemiological characteristics were analyzed based on the global genome data of Cft on GenBank database. MLST-GrapeTree software was used to obtain the genetic structure of Cft strains. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using core-genome single nucleotide polymorphism (cgSNP) analysis, and the sequence clusters were identified using rhierBAPS. Virulence genes and drug resistance genes of Cft strains were annotated using CARD, ResFinder and VFDB database. Their susceptibility to antibiotics was tested using E-test method and the results were analyzed using the CLSI-M45 sensitivity standard for Campylobacter jejuni/ Campylobacter coli. Results:Based on average nucleotide identity (ANI) analysis, the genome data of 41 Cft strains including 24 isolated from human, 13 from animals and four of unknown sources were collected from GenBank database. Among the 24 human-derived strains, 20 were linked to Asian descent and only one was linked to Caucasian descent (spouse of Asian descent), showing statistically significant differences in human ethnicity. All of the 13 animal-derived strains were originated from reptilian sources, including six from turtles, four from snakes and three from lizards. MLST revealed that ST46 was the predominant ST in China, while ST15 was the major sequence type in the United States. Grapetree analysis also demonstrated that the genetic diversity in China was greater than that in the United States. The phylogenetic tree constructed based on cgSNP and BAPS identified six distinct sequence clusters. The Chinese isolates were scattered in diverse sequence clusters and closely related to animal-derived strains, while the American isolates mainly belonged to ST15. The genes encoding virulence factors such as flagella, glycosylation systems and adhesins were carried by all of the 41 Cft strains (100.00%). The invasion-related virulence genes, such as the genes encoding the IV type secretion system ( virB4, virB9, virD4) and the resistance-related tetO efflux pump gene were specifically identified in the emerging ST74 clones. In vitro drug susceptibility testing of 15 Chinese isolates revealed 46.67% of the Cft strains were resistant to ciprofloxacin and 100.00% were sensitive to erythromycin. Conclusions:The global sequence clusters of Cft isolates showed a great genetic diversity. Most of the people with Cft infection had basic immune diseases and might have eaten or had contact with reptiles. Notably, the Chinese domestic infection of ST46 and the emerging ST74 should arouse our more attention.

Objective:To study the molecular phylogeny and virulence gene profile of Francisella salimarina. Methods:Phylogenetic analysis of Francisella salimarina was performed based on the global genome data of related Francisella species on GenBank database. The consistency in phylogenetic analysis based on single marker genes (such as 16S rRNA gene, rpoB gene and mdh gene) and the core genome as compared. Virulence genes and antibiotic resistance genes were annotated using the virulence factor database (VFDB) and the Comprehensive Antibiotic Resistance Database (CARD), respectively. The virulence of Francisella salimarina was analyzed with a Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) infection model using Francisella philomiragia ATCC 25015 T as reference strain. Results:The phylogenetic analysis revealed that Francisella salimarina was closely related to Francisella philomiragia. The phylogenetic tree based on mdh gene was highly similar to that based on the core genome. Francisella salimarina could be differentiated from other related species by 16S rRNA gene or mdh gene, with the latter being more accurate. Eight Francisella salimarina strains carried multiple virulence genes, mainly involved in secretion, adhesion, immune regulation, motility and stress survival. Moreover, beta-lactam resistance gene blaFPH was identified in all eight strains. Francisella salimarina showed high lethality in the Galleria mellonella infection model, which was similar to Francisella philomiragia ATCC 25015 T. Conclusions:Francisella salimarina was a rare pathogen with similar pathogenicity to Francisella philomiragia. The mdh gene could be used as a molecular target for rapid identification of Francisella salimarina.

Objective:To summarize and discuss the concept and clinical manifestations of complex fracture-dislocations of the elbow in children, and compare its injury characteristics, treatment and clinical effect with adults.Methods:From September 2015 to January 2020, 34 patients seen and treated at our institution for complex fracture-dislocations of the elbow were identified, and their medical records and radiographs were reviewed retrospectively. The inclusion criteria were elbow dislocation combined with one or more fractures at the proximal ulna and radius. There were 25 boys and 9 girls, with an average age of 8.3±3.2 years. The left arm was involved in 27 cases, and the right arm was involved in 7 cases. The causes of injury included falling from a scooter in 16 cases, falling from height in 10 cases, cycling in 5 cases and traffic accident in 3 cases. All patients were treated with closed reduction and the application of plaster under local anaesthesia in the emergency room. Then, X-ray, CT and MRI were performed to evaluate the fracture-dislocation and ligament injury. The following treatment plan was comprehensively evaluated according to the size and displacement of the combined fracture block and the stability of the elbow, for example, open reduction with K-wires and tension band or plate fixation for olecranon fracture, open reduction with loop plate fixation for coronal process fracture, closed reduction or open reduction with K-wires or elasticstable intramedullary nail for radial neck fracture.Results:Among the 34 patients, there were 16 cases of transolecranon fracture-dislocation, 1 case of varus posteromedial rotational instability, 4 cases of valgus posterolateral rotatory instability and 13 cases of divergent dislocation of elbow. All patients were followed up for 13(8, 15) months, and the average fracture healing time was 3.5±0.8 weeks, with no failure of internal fixation. In 2 cases of elbow dislocation combined radial neck fracture, one case had ischemic necrosis of the radial head and one case had early closure of epiphyseal plate of the proximal radius. At the last follow-up, all patients had no subluxation, dislocation or instability of the elbow. The therapeutic efficacy was evaluated at the final follow-up by the Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS) as excellent in 25 cases, good in 5 cases, fair in 3 cases, and poor in one case, with excellent and good rate 88%.Conclusion:The complex fracture-dislocations of the elbow is rare in children. We have the opinion that the clinical characteristics are dislocation combined with one or more fractures of the proximal ulna and radius. Compared with adults, its pathological characteristics and the scope of injury are similar, but most of the injuries are mild. The clinical manifestations are mainly transolecranon fracture-dislocation and divergent dislocation of elbow. Good results can be achieved in most cases through open reduction with internal fixation for fractures.

Abstract According to the Healthy China Action Plan, Wuhan gives full play to the role of preventing and controlling student myopia by promoting student health. The primary focus is placed on education in schools, and Wuhan has integrated educational resources to develop a multi-level myopia prevention and control system and service network for school students. The network contains educational adminstrative, schools, families, and professional technical service organizations. By integrating multiple disciplines, Wuhan has built a comprehensive vision health management service system for all students. The Internet and cloud intelligent monitoring facilitated the establishment of a smart vision health management platform for students, which thoroughly and efficiently implemented myopia prevention and control to safeguard students visual health by engaging in education, monitoring, and supervision. The prevention and control of student myopia is a breakthrough for comprehensive healthy development of students. A comparison of the standard myopia rate in Wuhan in 2019 and 2018 revealed that the standard myopia rate at different learning stages of primary school, junior high school, and high school dropped by 3.31, 2.50, and 2.26 percentage points, respectively, and the rate of myopia in primary school was significantly lower than the national level. Post-epidemic surveys showed that the compliance rate and the awareness rate of the visual environment and visual behaviors of primary and secondary school students in Wuhan reached more than 80%, and prevalence of newly onset myopia or decreased vision was 30%, which was lower than the national average. The "Wuhan Model" provides an important referential framework for public health services for school students.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical feature and gene variant for two cases of primary male infertility caused by severe asthenospermia and to analyze the etiology of the disease. METHODS: Genomic DNA of peripheral blood samples of patients and their parents was extracted and gene variant analysis of the patients was conducted by using whole exome sequencing. Suspected pathogenic variant was verified by Sanger sequencing and pathogenic analysis. RESULTS: Whole exome sequencing showed that the DNAH1 gene of patient 1 had two heterozygous variants of c.2016T>G(p.Y672X) and c.6017T>G (p.V2006G). The DNAH1 gene of patient 2 had a homozygous variant of c.2610G>A(p.W870X), which were inherited from his father and mother, respectively. According to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics standards and guidelines, the c.2016T>G (p.Y672X) and c.2610G>A (p.W870X) varaints of DNAH1 gene were predicted to be pathogenic (PVS1+PM2+PM3+PP3). CONCLUSION The two patients of multiple morphological abnormalities of the sperm flagella may be caused by DNAH1 gene variant, which has resulted in primary male infertility.
Dyneins/genetics* ; Genomics ; Humans ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Male ; Mutation ; Sperm Tail/pathology* ; Whole Exome Sequencing