Panax species are mostly valuable medicinal plants. While some species' seeds are sensitive to dehydration, the dehydration tolerance of seeds from other Panax species remains unclear. The phospholipase D(PLD) gene plays an important role in plant responses to dehydration stress. However, the characteristics of the PLD gene family and their mechanisms of response to dehydration stress in seeds of Panax species with different dehydration tolerances are not well understood. This study used seeds from eight Panax species to measure the germination rates and PLD activity after dehydration and to analyze the correlation between dehydration tolerance and seed traits. Bioinformatics analysis was also conducted to characterize the PnPLD and PvPLD gene families and to evaluate their expression patterns under dehydration stress. The dehydration tolerance of Panax seeds was ranked from high to low as follows: P. ginseng, P. zingiberensis, P. quinquefolius, P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, P. japonicus var. angustifolius, P. japonicus, P. notoginseng, and P. stipuleanatus. A significant negative correlation was found between dehydration tolerance and seed shape(three-dimensional variance), with flatter seeds exhibiting stronger dehydration tolerance(r=-0.792). Eighteen and nineteen PLD members were identified in P. notoginseng and P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, respectively. These members were classified into five isoforms: α, β, γ, δ, and ζ. The gene structures, subcellular localization, physicochemical properties, and other characteristics of PnPLD and PvPLD were similar. Both promoters contained regulatory elements associated with plant growth and development, hormone responses, and both abiotic and biotic stress. During dehydration, the PLD enzyme activity in P. notoginseng seeds gradually increased as the water content decreased, whereas in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, PLD activity first decreased and then increased. The expression of PLDα and PLDδ in P. notoginseng seeds initially increased and then decreased, whereas in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus, the expression of PLDα and PLDδ consistently decreased. In conclusion, the dehydration tolerance of Panax seeds showed a significant negative correlation with seed shape. The dehydration tolerance in P. vietnamensis var. fuscidiscus and dehydration sensitivity of P. notoginseng seeds may be related to differences in PLD enzyme activity and the expression of PLDα and PLDδ genes. This study provided the first systematic comparison of dehydration tolerance in Panax seeds and analyzed the causes of tolerance differences and the optimal water content for long-term storage at ultra-low temperatures, thus providing a theoretical basis for the short-term and ultra-low temperature long-term storage of medicinal plant seeds with varying dehydration tolerances.
Seeds/metabolism* ; Panax/physiology* ; Plant Proteins/metabolism* ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Phospholipase D/metabolism* ; Plants, Medicinal/enzymology* ; Germination ; Multigene Family ; Water/metabolism* ; Dehydration ; Phylogeny

Objective: To analyze the short-time efficacy of empagliflozin in the treatment of glycogen storage disease type Ⅰb (GSD Ⅰb). Methods: In this prospective open-label single-arm study, the data of 4 patients were collected from the pediatric department in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from December 2020 to December 2022. All of them were diagnosed by gene sequencing and had neutropenia. These patients received empagliflozin treatment. Their clinical symptoms such as height and weight increase, abdominal pain, diarrhea, oral ulcer, infection times, and drug applications were recorded at 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, 12 months, and 15 months after treatment to assess the therapeutic effect. The liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was used to monitor the changes in 1, 5-anhydroglucitol (1, 5AG) concentration in plasma. At the same time, adverse reactions such as hypoglycemia and urinary tract infection were closely followed up and monitored. Results: The 4 patients with GSD Ⅰb were 15, 14, 4 and 14 years old, respectively at the beginning of empagliflozin treatment, and were followed up for 15, 15, 12 and 6 months, respectively. Maintenance dose range of empagliflozin was 0.24-0.39 mg/(kg·d). The frequency of diarrhea and abdominal pain decreased in cases 2, 3, and 4 at 1, 2 and 3 months of treatment, respectively. Their height and weight increased at different degrees.The absolute count of neutrophils increased from 0.84×10⁹, 0.50×10⁹, 0.48×10⁹, 0.48×10⁹/L to 1.48×10⁹, 3.04×10⁹, 1.10×10⁹, 0.73×10⁹/L, respectively. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor was gradually reduced in 1 patients and stopped in 3 patient. Plasma 1, 5 AG levels in 2 children were significantly decreased after administration of empagliflozin (from 46.3 mg/L to 9.6 mg/L in case 2, and from 56.1 mg/L to 15.0 mg/L in case 3). All 4 patients had no adverse reactions such as hypoglycemia, abnormal liver or kidney function, or urinary system infection. Conclusion: In short-term observation, empagliflozin can improve the symptoms of GSD Ⅰb oral ulcers, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and recurrent infection, also can alleviate neutropenia and decrease 1, 5AG concentration in plasma, with favorable safety.
Humans ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Adolescent ; Prospective Studies ; Glycogen Storage Disease Type I/drug therapy* ; Neutropenia ; Abdominal Pain ; Diarrhea/drug therapy* ; Hypoglycemia

OBJECTIVE: To explore characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images features and diagnostic value of rotator cuff tear subtypes. METHODS: From January 2019 to March 2022, percutaneous ultrasound-guided subacromial bursography (PUSB) with persutaneous ultrasound-guide tendon lesionography (PUTL) was performed on 114 patients with suspected rotator cuff injury were evaluated, including 54 males and 60 females ranged in age from 35 to 75 years old with an average of (58.8±8.7 ) years old;76 patients on the right side and 38 patients on the left side;the course of disease ranged from 0.13 to 111 months with an average of (10.2±9.8) months. GE LOGIQ E9 color doppler ultrasound diagnostic high frequency(6 to 12 MHz) was used to CEUS Using arthroscopy as gold standard, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate diagnostic efficacy of US, MRI and CEUS for rotator cuff injury, also sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were calculated. RESULTS: The sensitivity of US in diagnosing full-thickness tears was 72.1%, specificity was 93.0%, and accuracy was 85.1%. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI diagnosis of full-thickness tear were 90.9%, 92.6% and 92.1% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CEUS in diagnosis of full-thickness tear were 100%. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US in the diagnosis of partial tear were 85.7%, 77.2% and 79.8% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI diagnosis of partial tear were 83.7%, 81.7% and 82.5% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CEUS in diagnosis of partial tear were 95.7%, 92.6% and 93.9% respectively. There were significant differences in diagnosis results of US, MRI and CEUS for rotator cuff bursa tear (P<0.001). Kapp test showed good consistency between CEUS and arthroscopy in diagnosing rotator cuff tear subtypes (full-thickness and partial tears). CONCLUSION Using PUSB/PUTL to observe distribution of contrast media in bursa, tendon and joint cavity to evaluate the type of rotator cuff tear, its diagnostic performance is significantly better than US and MRI. Therefore, percutaneous contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be a reliable method for diagnosing subtypes of rotator cuff tears.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant ; Child, Preschool ; Child ; Rotator Cuff Injuries/diagnostic imaging* ; Rotator Cuff/diagnostic imaging* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Rupture ; Arthroscopy

Since the outbreak of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), viral strains have mutated and evolved. Vaccine research is the most direct and effective way to control COVID-19. According to different production mechanisms, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines included inactivated virus vaccine, live attenuated vaccine, mRNA vaccine, DNA vaccine, viral vector vaccine, virus-like particle vaccine and protein subunit vaccine. Among them, viral protein subunit vaccine has a wide application prospect due to its high safety and effectiveness. Viral nucleocapsid protein has high immunogenicity and low variability which could be a new direction for vaccine production. We summarized the current development of vaccine research by reviewing the current progress, vaccine safety and vaccine immune efficiency. It is hoped that the proposed possible development strategies could provide a reference for epidemic prevention work in future.
Humans ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics* ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Protein Subunits ; Vaccines, DNA ; Nucleocapsid Proteins

Objective: To analyze the prevalence and the risk factors of fungal sepsis in 25 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) among preterm infants in China, and to provide a basis for preventive strategies of fungal sepsis. Methods: This was a second-analysis of the data from the "reduction of infection in neonatal intensive care units using the evidence-based practice for improving quality" study. The current status of fungal sepsis of the 24 731 preterm infants with the gestational age of <34⁺⁰ weeks, who were admitted to 25 participating NICU within 7 days of birth between May 2015 and April 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. These preterm infants were divided into the fungal sepsis group and the without fungal sepsis group according to whether they developed fungal sepsis to analyze the incidences and the microbiology of fungal sepsis. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidences of fungal sepsis in preterm infants with different gestational ages and birth weights and in different NICU. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to study the outcomes of preterm infants with fungal sepsis, which were further compared with those of preterm infants without fungal sepsis. The 144 preterm infants in the fungal sepsis group were matched with 288 preterm infants in the non-fungal sepsis group by propensity score-matched method. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the risk factors of fungal sepsis. Results: In all, 166 (0.7%) of the 24 731 preterm infants developed fungal sepsis, with the gestational age of (29.7±2.0) weeks and the birth weight of (1 300±293) g. The incidence of fungal sepsis increased with decreasing gestational age and birth weight (both P<0.001). The preterm infants with gestational age of <32 weeks accounted for 87.3% (145/166). The incidence of fungal sepsis was 1.0% (117/11 438) in very preterm infants and 2.0% (28/1 401) in extremely preterm infants, and was 1.3% (103/8 060) in very low birth weight infants and 1.7% (21/1 211) in extremely low birth weight infants, respectively. There was no fungal sepsis in 3 NICU, and the incidences in the other 22 NICU ranged from 0.7% (10/1 397) to 2.9% (21/724), with significant statistical difference (P<0.001). The pathogens were mainly Candida (150/166, 90.4%), including 59 cases of Candida albicans and 91 cases of non-Candida albicans, of which Candida parapsilosis was the most common (41 cases). Fungal sepsis was independently associated with increased risk of moderate to severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) (adjusted OR 1.52, 95%CI 1.04-2.22, P=0.030) and severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) (adjusted OR 2.55, 95%CI 1.12-5.80, P=0.025). Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure (adjusted OR=2.50, 95%CI 1.50-4.17, P<0.001), prolonged use of central line (adjusted OR=1.05, 95%CI 1.03-1.08, P<0.001) and previous total parenteral nutrition (TPN) duration (adjusted OR=1.04, 95%CI 1.02-1.06, P<0.001) were all independently associated with increasing risk of fungal sepsis. Conclusions: Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis are the main pathogens of fungal sepsis among preterm infants in Chinese NICU. Preterm infants with fungal sepsis are at increased risk of moderate to severe BPD and severe ROP. Previous broad spectrum antibiotics exposure, prolonged use of central line and prolonged duration of TPN will increase the risk of fungal sepsis. Ongoing initiatives are needed to reduce fungal sepsis based on these risk factors.
Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Humans ; Birth Weight ; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal ; Retrospective Studies ; Tertiary Care Centers ; Infant, Extremely Low Birth Weight ; Gestational Age ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Sepsis/epidemiology* ; Retinopathy of Prematurity/epidemiology* ; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology*

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the effects of bis (2-butoxyethyl) phthalate (BBOP) on the onset of male puberty by affecting Leydig cell development in rats. METHODS: Thirty 35-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated to five groups mg/kg bw per day that were gavaged for 21 days with BBOP at 0, 10, 100, 250, or 500 mg/kg bw per day. The hormone profiles; Leydig cell morphological metrics; mRNA and protein levels; oxidative stress; and AKT, mTOR, ERK1/2, and GSK3β pathways were assessed. RESULTS: BBOP at 250 and/or 500 mg/kg bw per day decreased serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels mg/kg bw per day (P < 0.05). BBOP at 500 mg/kg bw per day decreased Leydig cell number mg/kg bw per day and downregulated Cyp11a1, Insl3, Hsd11b1, and Dhh in the testes, and Lhb and Fshb mRNAs in the pituitary gland (P < 0.05). The malondialdehyde content in the testis significantly increased, while Sod1 and Sod2 mRNAs were markedly down-regulated, by BBOP treatment at 250-500 mg/kg bw per day (P < 0.05). Furthermore, BBOP at 500 mg/kg bw per day decreased AKT1/AKT2, mTOR, and ERK1/2 phosphorylation, and GSK3β and SIRT1 levels mg/kg bw per day (P < 0.05). Finally, BBOP at 100 or 500 μmol/L induced ROS and apoptosis in Leydig cells after 24 h of treatment in vitro (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BBOP delays puberty onset by increasing oxidative stress and apoptosis in Leydig cells in rats. UNLABELLED The graphical abstract is available on the website www.besjournal.com.
Rats ; Male ; Animals ; Leydig Cells/metabolism* ; Testosterone ; Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta/pharmacology* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sexual Maturation ; Testis ; Oxidative Stress ; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases/metabolism* ; Apoptosis

Animals ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Antibodies, Neutralizing ; Macaca mulatta ; COVID-19/prevention & control* ; Antibodies, Viral ; Vaccines

Objective: To evaluate the recognition of acute respiratory infection (ARI) by a pretrained model based on electronic medical records (EMRs). Methods: 38 581 EMRs were obtained from Chongqing University Three Gorges Hospital in December 2021. Bidirectional encoder representation from transformers (BERT) pretrained model was used to identify ARI in EMRs. The results of medical professionals were considered as the gold standard to calculate the sensitivity, specificity, Kappa value, and area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic (AUC). Results: There were 3 817 EMRs in the test set, with 1 200 ARIs. A total of 1 205 cases were determined as ARI by the model, with a sensitivity of 92.67% (1 112/1 200) and a specificity of 96.45% (2 524/2 617). The model identified ARI with similar accuracy in males and females (AUCs 0.95 and 0.94, respectively), and was more accurate in identifying ARI cases in those aged less than 18 than in adults 18-59 and adults 60 and older (AUCs 0.94, 0.89 and 0.94, respectively). The current model had a better identification of ARIs in outpatient patients than that in hospitalized patients, with AUCs of 0.74 and 0.95, respectively. Conclusion: The use of the BERT pretrained model based on EMRs has a good performance in the recognition of ARI cases, especially for the outpatients and juveniles. It shows a great potential to be applied to the monitoring of ARI cases in medical institutions.
Adult ; Male ; Female ; Humans ; Electronic Health Records ; Respiratory Tract Infections/diagnosis* ; Outpatients

Objective: To understand the risk factors and antibiotics-resistant patterns of invasive Acinetobacter baumannii infection in Children. Methods: This retrospective study was conducted in 6 tertiary hospitals from January 2016 to December 2018. The basic information, clinical data and the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing were collected from the 98 pediatric inpatients with Acinetobacter baumannii isolated from blood or cerebrospinal fluid and analyzed. According to the susceptibility of the infected strains to carbapenems, they were divided into carbapenem-sensitive Acinetobacter baumannii (CSAB) group and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) group. According to the possible sources of infection, they were divided into nosocomial infection group and community infection group. Chi-square test or Fisher exact test were used to analyze categorical variables and rank sum test were used to analyze continuous variables. The risk factors of invasive CRAB infection in children were analyzed by Logistic regression. Result: There were 56 males and 42 females in 98 cases. The onset age of patients was 8 (2, 24) months. There were 62 cases (63%) from rural area. A total of 87 cases (89%) were confirmed with bloodstream infection, and 12 cases (12%) confirmed with meningitis (1 case was accompanied with bloodstream infection). In these patients, 66 cases (67%) received invasive medical procedures or surgery, 54 cases (55%) received carbapenems-containing therapy. Twenty-four cases were infected with CRAB, and 74 cases with CSAB. The onset age of cases in CRAB group was lower than that in CSAB group (4 (1, 9) vs. 10 (4, 24) months, Z=-2.16, P=0.031). The proportions of hospitalization in intensive care unit, carbapenem antibiotics using, pneumonia and adverse prognosis in CRAB group were higher than those in CSAB group (6 cases (25%) vs. 4 cases (5%), 18 cases (75%) vs. 36 cases (49%), 17 cases (71%) vs. 17 cases (23%), 6 cases (25%) vs. 4 cases (5%), χ²=5.61, 5.09, 18.32, 5.61, all P<0.05). Seventy-seven cases were nosocomial infection and 21 cases were hospital-acquired infection. The proportion of children hospitalized in high-risk wards for nosocomial infections, length of hospitalization, number of antimicrobial therapy received and duration of antimicrobial therapy were higher in the hospital associated infection group than those in the community acquired infection group (all P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that children from rural area (OR=8.42, 95%CI 1.45-48.88), prior mechanical ventilation (OR=12.62, 95%CI 1.31-121.76), and prior antibiotic therapy (OR=4.90, 95%CI 1.35-17.72) were independent risk factors for CRAB infection. The resistance percentage of CSAB isolates to many classes of antibiotics was <6% except to gentamicin, which was as high as 20% (13/65). All CRAB isolates of resistant to ampicillin-sulbactam (20/20), cefepime (23/23), piperacillin (17/17), meropenem (23/23) and imipenem (24/24) were 100%. The resistance percentage to other antibiotics were up to 42%-96%. Conclusions: Most of invasive Acinetobacter baumannii infection in children in China are hospital-acquired. The outcome of invasive CRAB infection was poorer than that of CSAB infection. The drug resistance rate of CRAB strains isolated is high. Living in rural area, prior invasive mechanical ventilation and prior antibiotic therapy were independent risk factors for invasive CRAB infection. The prevention and control of nosocomial infection and appropriate use of antibiotics to reduce Acinetobacter baumannii infection.
Acinetobacter Infections/epidemiology* ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use* ; Carbapenems/therapeutic use* ; Child ; Cross Infection/epidemiology* ; Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Male ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sepsis

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome