Objective: To investigate the distribution of IgM anti-A/B titers among group O whole blood donors in Jiangsu, establish a low-titer threshold, and analyze the demographic characteristics of low-titer donors, so as to provide data for recruiting low-titer group O whole blood (LTOWB) donors. Methods: Plasma samples from 1 009 group O whole blood donors were tested for IgM anti-A and anti-B titers using the microplate technique. The distribution of antibody titers was analyzed to establish a low-titer threshold. The distribution trends of titers across different demographic groups were also analyzed. Results: The peak titer for anti-A, anti-B were 64 (31.5%), 4 (23.8%), respectively, The proportion of donors with both anti-A and anti-B titers below 64 was 97.3% (982/1 009). The mean anti-A titer was higher than anti-B titer. Anti-A titers were higher in female donors than in male donors (P<0.05). The anti-A titers differed significantly among different age groups (P<0.05). However, no significant difference in titers was observed based on the number of donations (P>0.05). Conclusion: A titer of 64 can be used as the reference threshold of LTOWB in Jiangsu. Male donors of appropriate age are more suitable than female donors for establishing an emergency panel of LTOWB mobile donors.

OBJECTIVE: Blood culture remains the gold standard for diagnosing bloodstream infections. Clinical laboratories must ensure the quality of blood culture processes from receipt to obtaining definitive results. We examined laboratory analytical indicators associated with positive blood culture results. METHODS: Blood cultures collected from Peking Union Medical College Hospital between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022, were retrospectively analyzed. The mode of transportation (piping logistics delivery vs. staff), source of blood cultures (outpatient/emergency department vs. inpatient department), rotation of personnel, and time of reception (8:00-19:59 vs. 20:00-07:59) were compared between blood culture-positive and -negative results. RESULTS: Between 2020 and 2022, the total positive rate of blood culture was 8.07%. The positive rate of blood cultures in the outpatient/emergency department was significantly higher than that in the inpatient department (12.46% vs. 5.83%; P < 0.0001). The time-to-detection of blood cultures was significantly affected by the delivery mode and personnel rotation. The blood culture positive rate of the total pre-analytical time within 1 h was significantly higher than that within 1-2 h or > 2 h ( P < 0.0170). CONCLUSION Laboratory analytical indicators such as patient source, transportation mode, and personnel rotation significantly impacted the positive detection rate or time of blood culture.
Blood Culture/statistics & numerical data* ; Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Emergency Service, Hospital/statistics & numerical data*

OBJECTIVE: Pseudomonas aeruginosa( P. aeruginosa) is a prevalent pathogenic bacterium involved in meningitis; however, the virulence factors contributing to this disease remain poorly understood. METHODS: The virulence of the P. aeruginosa A584, isolated from meningitis samples, was evaluated by constructing in vitro blood-brain barrier and in vivo systemic infection models. qPCR, whole-genome sequencing, and drug efflux assays of A584 were performed to analyze the virulence factors. RESULTS: Genomic sequencing showed that A584 formed a phylogenetic cluster with the reference strains NY7610, DDRC3, Pa58, and Pa124. Its genome includes abundant virulence factors, such as hemolysin, the Type IV secretion system, and pyoverdine. A584 is a multidrug-resistant strain, and its wide-spectrum resistance is associated with enhanced drug efflux. Moreover, this strain caused significantly more severe damage to the blood-brain barrier than the standard strain, PAO1. qPCR assays further revealed the downregulation of the blood-brain barrier-associated proteins Claudin-5 and Occludin by A584. During systemic infection, A584 exhibited a higher capacity of brain colonization than PAO1 (37.1 × 10 ⁶ CFU/g brain versus 2.5 × 10 ⁶ CFU/g brain), leading to higher levels of the pro-inflammatory factors IL-1β and TNF-α. CONCLUSION This study sheds light on the virulence factors of P. aeruginosa involved in meningitis.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa/genetics* ; Virulence Factors/metabolism* ; Animals ; Virulence ; Mice ; Pseudomonas Infections/microbiology* ; Blood-Brain Barrier/microbiology* ; Humans ; Female

Objective To establish and validate a method for simultaneous determination of 9 sedative-hypnotics in human plasma,and to explore the preliminary clinical application.Methods Plasma samples were precipitated with acetonitrile and determined by high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.The column was Agilent Poroshell 120 EC-C18(2.1 mm × 50.0 mm,2.7μm)and eluted with acetonitrile water containing 0.1％formic acid in an equal degree program at a flow rate of 0.3 mL·min-1.The column temperature was 20 ℃ and injection volume was 5 μL.The deprotonated ions of analytes were ionized by positive ion,electron spray ionization and multiple reaction monitoring mode.The specificity,standard curve and lower limit of quantification,precision and recovery,matrix effect,stability and dilution effect of the method were investigated.Results Excellent linear relationship with correlation coefficient of r2 ≥ 0.997 7 was obtained.The linear of esazolam,alprazolam,oxazepam,clonazepam,lorazepam,triazolam,midazolam,diazepam and zolpidem were 18-1 800,4.5-450,25-2 500,3.5-350,25-2 500,1.5-150,5.5-550,35-3 500,4-400 ng·mL-1,respectively.The lower limit of quantification were 18,4.5,25,3.5,25,1.5,5.5,35,4 ng·mL-1.The method was accurate and precise with acceptable intra-day and inter-day precisions(relative standard deviations were less than 20％for a lower limit of quantification and less than 15％for other quality control samples)and an accuracy of 86.21％-112.38％.The extraction recovery rate were 93.07％-110.50％.The matrix factors normalized by internal standard were 86.61％-108.41％,relative standard deviations were less than 15％.Plasma samples remained stable under various storage conditions.The precision and accuracy of plasma samples were acceptable after dilution.Conclusion The method is simple,rapid,sensitive and specific,and it can be used for simultaneous detection of the 9 sedative-hypnotics in human plasma.

Over the past half-century,the climate change,along with population growth,worsens the intensity and frequency of sand storms in China,and the environmental and health problems have become increasingly prominent.Sand and dust particles not only possess their own toxicity but also carry numerous pathogenic microorganisms and heavy metals.This can lead to high concentrations of local dust pollution,causing significant harm to the air environment and the health of residents in downwind areas during long-distance transportation sand and dust.Based on a comprehensive literature review on the health effects of dust storms,this paper aims to summarize the impact of various pathogenic factors presenting in dust storms on human health and the underlying mechanisms to provide a scientific foundation for the development of more effective control measures.In the future,amidst the backdrop of climate change,it is crucial to prioritize the research and analysis of dust source regions and dust control strategies in northern China.Additionally,there is a need to enhance the technology for simulating sand and dust environments in experiments,and to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the medical and toxicological aspects of sand and dust weather.

OBJECTIVE: To establish an efficient protocol for directed differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into functional midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells (DAPs) in vitro. METHODS: hiPSCs were induced to differentiate into DAPs in two developmental stages. In the first stage (the first 13 days), hiPSCs were induced into intermediate cells morphologically similar to primitive neuroepithelial cells (NECs) in neural induction medium containing a combination of small molecule compounds. In the second stage, the intermediate cells were further induced in neural differentiation medium until day 28 to obtain DAPs. After CM-DiI staining, the induced DAPs were stereotactically transplanted into the right medial forebrain bundle (MFB) of rat models of Parkinson's disease (PD). Eight weeks after transplantation, the motor behaviors of PD rats was evaluated. Immunofluorescence assay of brain sections of the rats was performed at 2 weeks after transplantation to observe the survival, migration and differentiation of the transplanted cells in the host brain microenvironment. RESULTS: hiPSCs passaged stably on Matrigel showed a normal diploid karyotype, expressed the pluripotency markers OCT4, SOX2, and Nanog, and were positive for alkaline phosphatase. The primitive neuroepithelial cells obtained on day 13 formed dense cell colonies in the form of neural rosettes and expressed the neuroepithelial markers (SOX2, Nestin, and PAX6, 91.3%-92.8%). The DAPs on day 28 highly expressed the specific markers (TH, FOXA2, LMX1A and NURR1, 93.3-96.7%). In rat models of PD, the hiPSCs-DAPs survived and differentiated into TH⁺, FOXA2⁺ and Tuj1⁺ neurons at 2 weeks after transplantation. Eight weeks after transplantation, the motor function of PD rats was significantly improved as shown by water maze test (P < 0.0001) and apomorphine-induced rotation test (P < 0.0001) compared with rats receiving vehicle injection. CONCLUSION HiPSCs can be effectively induced to differentiate into DAPs capable of differentiating into functional neurons both in vivo and in vitro. In rat models of PD, the transplanted hiPSCs-DAPs can survive for more than 8 weeks in the MFB and differentiate into multiple functional neurocytes to ameliorate neurological deficits of the rats, suggesting the potential value of hiPSCs-DAPs transplantation for treatment of neurological diseases.
Humans ; Rats ; Animals ; Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells ; Cell Differentiation/physiology* ; Neurons ; Parkinson Disease ; Mesencephalon ; Cells, Cultured

Humans ; Female ; Deep Learning ; Ovarian Neoplasms/genetics* ; Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial/genetics* ; Neural Networks, Computer ; RNA

Diabetic ulcer is recognized as a chronic nonhealing wound, often associated with bacterial infection and tissue necrosis, which seriously affect patients' health and quality of life. The traditional treatment methods exist some problems, such as bacterial resistance and secondary trauma, so it is urgent to find new methods to meet the requirements of diabetic ulcer treatment. In this study, we prepared a drug delivery system (DFO@CuS nanoparticles) based on hollow copper sulfide (CuS) nanoparticles loaded with deferoxamine (DFO), which realized the synergistic therapy of promoting angiogenesis and photothermal antibacterial. The morphological structure and particle size distribution of DFO@CuS nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and particle size analyzer, respectively. The antibacterial effect of DFO@CuS nanoparticles was evaluated by the plate coating method. The effects of DFO@CuS nanoparticles on the proliferation, migration, and tube formation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were evaluated by CCK-8 (cell counting kit-8) assay, cell scratch assay, and tube formation assay. The results showed that DFO@CuS nanoparticles were hollow and spherical in shape with an average particle size of (200.9 ± 8.6) nm. DFO@CuS nanoparticles could effectively inhibit the growth of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) under near-infrared (NIR) light irradiation. DFO@CuS nanoparticles showed negligible cytotoxicity and effective acceleration of cell migration and tube formation in a certain concentration range. In conclusion, the prepared DFO@CuS nanoparticles exhibit good photothermal antibacterial properties and pro-angiogenic effects, providing a basis for their application in the treatment of diabetic ulcer.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic etiology for a child with profound intellectual disabilities and obvious behavioral abnormalities. METHODS: A male child who had presented at the Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University on December 2, 2020 was selected as the study subject. Peripheral blood samples of the child and his parents were collected and subjected to whole exome sequencing (WES). Candidate variant was verified by Sanger sequencing. Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis was carried out to determine its parental origin. The splicing variant was also validated in vitro with a minigene assay. RESULTS: WES results revealed that the child had harbored a novel splicing variant of c.176-2A>G in the PAK3 gene, which was inherited from his mother. The results of minigene assay have confirmed aberrant splicing of exon 2. According to the guidelines from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, it was classified as a pathogenic variant (PVS1+PM2_Supporting+PP3). CONCLUSION The novel splicing variant c.176-2A>G of the PAK3 gene probably underlay the disorder in this child. Above finding has expanded the variation spectrum of the PAK3 gene and provided a basis for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis for this family.
Child ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy ; Exons ; Intellectual Disability/genetics* ; Mothers ; Mutation ; p21-Activated Kinases/genetics* ; Parents ; RNA Splicing

Platelets are reprogrammed by cancer via a process called education, which favors cancer development. The transcriptional profile of tumor-educated platelets (TEPs) is skewed and therefore practicable for cancer detection. This intercontinental, hospital-based, diagnostic study included 761 treatment-naïve inpatients with histologically confirmed adnexal masses and 167 healthy controls from nine medical centers (China, n = 3; Netherlands, n = 5; Poland, n = 1) between September 2016 and May 2019. The main outcomes were the performance of TEPs and their combination with CA125 in two Chinese (VC1 and VC2) and the European (VC3) validation cohorts collectively and independently. Exploratory outcome was the value of TEPs in public pan-cancer platelet transcriptome datasets. The AUCs for TEPs in the combined validation cohort, VC1, VC2, and VC3 were 0.918 (95% CI 0.889-0.948), 0.923 (0.855-0.990), 0.918 (0.872-0.963), and 0.887 (0.813-0.960), respectively. Combination of TEPs and CA125 demonstrated an AUC of 0.922 (0.889-0.955) in the combined validation cohort; 0.955 (0.912-0.997) in VC1; 0.939 (0.901-0.977) in VC2; 0.917 (0.824-1.000) in VC3. For subgroup analysis, TEPs exhibited an AUC of 0.858, 0.859, and 0.920 to detect early-stage, borderline, non-epithelial diseases and 0.899 to discriminate ovarian cancer from endometriosis. TEPs had robustness, compatibility, and universality for preoperative diagnosis of ovarian cancer since it withstood validations in populations of different ethnicities, heterogeneous histological subtypes, and early-stage ovarian cancer. However, these observations warrant prospective validations in a larger population before clinical utilities.
Humans ; Female ; Blood Platelets/pathology* ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics* ; Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology* ; China