Background Deoxynivalenol (DON), a priority contaminant for food safety risk monitoring, is produced by Fusarium spp. infesting crops, and its common derivatives are 3-acetyl-DON (3A-DON) and 15-acetyl-DON (15A-DON), which have been shown to possess gastrointestinal toxicity, immunotoxicity, reproductive toxicity, and cytotoxicity. Due to the stable physicochemical properties of the DON family of toxins (DONs), they cannot be effectively removed during food processing, thus following the food chain, entering the human body, and posing health risks. Objective To understand the contamination status of DONs in commercial foods (cereals and bakery products) in Shanghai in 2022–2023, and to assess the exposure risk of DONs in pregnant women by combining their dietary consumption data. Methods Liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to determine the contamination level of DONs in 1 100 food samples (cereals and baked goods) collected in 2022 and 944 samples collected in 2023 from Shanghai. The dietary monitoring data of pregnant women in Shanghai from 2016 to 2017 were adopted. The monitoring employed the food frequency questionnaire distributed among pregnant women through a combination of online telephone enquiry and offline on-site face-to-face survey to estimate their food consumption levels. An exposure assessment model was established to calculate the exposure level to DONs, and the probability distribution of the DONs exposure level in the pregnant women group in Shanghai was obtained by applying @Risk 7.5 software and simulating the calculation according to the Monte Carlo principle. With reference to the tolerable daily intake (TDI) of DONs [1.00 µg·(kg·d)⁻¹] proposed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, the risk of exposure to DONs from commercial cereals and bakery products in pregnant women in Shanghai was assessed. Results DONs were detected in cereal and bakery samples collected in 2022 and 2023 with different levels of contamination. The level of DONs in cereal foods in 2023 (mean: 36.33 µg·kg⁻¹) decreased compared to 2022 (mean: 23.64 µg·kg⁻¹). However, the positive rate (71.67%) and level (mean: 51.22 µg·kg⁻¹) of DONs in bakery products increased significantly compared with 2022 (positive rate: 10.00%, mean: 24.39 µg·kg⁻¹). The mean consumption of cereals in 783 pregnant women was 222.48 g·d⁻¹ and the mean consumption of bakery products was 36.07 g·d⁻¹, and there was no statistically significant difference in the intake of all types of cereals and bakery products across the early, middle, and late stages of pregnancy. The modelled intakes of DONs via commercial cereals and bakery products for pregnant women in Shanghai were calculated to be 0.20 and 0.57 µg·(kg·d)⁻¹ in 2022 for the mean level and the 95th percentile level, respectively, and 0.16 µg·(kg·d)⁻¹ and 0.35 µg·(kg·d)⁻¹ in 2023, respectively. The results of the health risk assessment showed that pregnant women in Shanghai had 2.6% and 1.4% probability of exposure to DONs from cereal consumption in 2022 and 2023, respectively. Conclusion The risk of exposure of pregnant women in Shanghai to DONs via commercial cereals and bakery products is relatively low (1.4%-2.6%). However, considering the physical sensitivity of pregnant women, they should avoid consuming moldy grains and appropriately reduce intake of bakery products.

Background::Carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and diameter, stiffness, and wave reflections, are independent and important clinical biomarkers and risk predictors for cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of the present study was to establish nationwide reference values of carotid properties for healthy Chinese adults and to explore potential clinical determinants.Methods::A total of 3053 healthy Han Chinese adults (1922 women) aged 18-79 years were enrolled at 28 collaborating tertiary centers throughout China between April 2021 and July 2022. The real-time tracking of common carotid artery walls was achieved by the radio frequency (RF) ultrasound system. The IMT, diameter, compliance coefficient, β stiffness, local pulse wave velocity (PWV), local systolic blood pressure, augmented pressure (AP), and augmentation index (AIx) were then automatically measured and reported. Data were stratified by age groups and sex. The relationships between age and carotid property parameters were analyzed by Jonckheere-Terpstra test and simple linear regressions. The major clinical determinants of carotid properties were identified by Pearson’s correlation, multiple linear regression, and analyses of covariance.Results::All the parameters of carotid properties demonstrated significantly age-related trajectories. Women showed thinner IMT, smaller carotid diameter, larger AP, and AIx than men. The β stiffness and PWV were significantly higher in men than women before forties, but the differences reversed after that. The increase rate of carotid IMT (5.5 μm/year in women and 5.8 μm/year in men) and diameter (0.03 mm/year in both men and women) were similar between men and women. For the stiffness and wave reflections, women showed significantly larger age-related variations than men as demonstrated by steeper regression slopes (all P for age by sex interaction <0.05). The blood pressures, body mass index (BMI), and triglyceride levels were identified as major clinical determinants of carotid properties with adjustment of age and sex. Conclusions::The age- and sex-specific reference values of carotid properties measured by RF ultrasound for healthy Chinese adults were established. The blood pressures, BMI, and triglyceride levels should be considered for clinical application of corresponding reference values.

Objective The rabbit knee osteoarthritis(KOA)model was established by simple anterior cruciate ligament disruption.Methods The selected 40 adult white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups,blank group with 6 rabbits and model group with 34 rabbits.The rabbits in model group were given the disruption of anterior cruciate ligament of right knee joint.In the fourth,eighth and the twelfth weeks of modeling,different degrees of degenerative changes have been ob-served on the rabbits articular cartilages from both macroscopic and microscopic aspects.Results At 4,8 and 12 weeks after modeling,the articular cartilage of the rabbits in the model group showed degenerative changes in different degrees.At 8 and 12 weeks,the typical pathological manifestations of KOA in the middle and late stages were found in the infrapatellar fat pad and synovium,respectively.There were no changes in articular cartilage,infrapatellar fat pad and synovial membrane in the blank group at the same time.There were significant differences in the gross score between the model group and the blank group at 4 weeks[(1.300±0.674)vs 0.000],8 weeks[(2.400±0.516)vs 0.000]and 12 weeks[(3.583±0.668)vs 0.000](P＜0.05),the histopathological scores were significantly different,at 4 weeks[(2.900±0.567)vs 0.000],8 weeks[(7.500±1.178)vs(0.500±0.707)],12 weeks[(11.833±1.337)vs(1.500±0.707)],(P＜0.05).Conclusion The establishment of rabbit knee arthritis model by simply cutting the anterior cruciate ligament is simple and feasible,with good stability,high success rate,small trauma,short modeling cycle and less changes in animal physiological structure.The rabbit knee arthritis model es-tablished by simply cutting the anterior cruciate ligament has good modeling effect on different stages and grades of knee os-teoarthritis,and the postoperative infection and trauma can be controlled,which can meet the test requirements.

Objective To investigate the effects of miR-375 knockdown on the proliferation and apoptosis of trophoblast cells in preeclampsia(PE)model and its mechanism.Methods Human chorionic trophoblast cell line HTR-8/Svneo was randomly divided into the normoxic control group,the PE model group,the miR-NC group,and the miR-375 inhibitor group.Among them,cells in the miR-NC group and miR-375 inhibitor group were transfected with miR-NC and miR-375 inhibitor,respectively;cells in the normoxic control group were cultured in a normoxic enviroment,and cells in the remaining three groups were cultured under hypoxic conditions to establish the PE trophoblast cell model.The expression of miR-375 was detected by RT-PCR,the proliferation of cells was detected by EdU fluorescence staining and CCK-8 assay,the apoptosis of cells was detected by flow cytometry,and the expression of YAP1 protein and apoptosis-related proteins(Bcl-2,caspase-3,and Bax proteins)were detected by Western blot.The target regulation relationship between miR-375 and YAP1 was detected by dual luciferase reporter gene assay.Results Compared with the normoxic control group,the PE model group showed an increase in the expression of miR-375(P<0.05),a decrease in the proportion of EdU-positive cells(P<0.05),a decline in the cell proliferation ability(P<0.05),increases in the apoptosis rate(P<0.05)and the expression levels of Bax and caspase-3 proteins(P<0.05),and a decrease in the expression levels of YAP1 and Bcl-2 proteins(P<0.05).There was no significant difference in the above indicators between the PE model group and the miR-NC group(P>0.05).Compared with the miR-NC group,the miR-375 inhibitor group showed a lower expression of miR-375(P<0.05),an increased percentage of EdU-positive cells(P<0.05),an enhanced cell proliferation ability(P<0.05),a lower apoptosis rate(P<0.05),and a lower expression of Bax and caspase-3 proteins(P<0.05),while with a higher expression of YAP1 and Bcl-2 proteins(P<0.05).The dual luciferase reporter gene assay showed that miR-375 had a targeted regulatory effect on YAP1(P<0.05).Conclusion Knocking down miR-375 can promote the proliferation and inhibit the apoptosis of PE trophoblast cells,and its mechanism may be related to its targeted regulation of YAP1 gene.

Objective:To investigate the effect of pre-treatment plasma Epstein-Barr virus(EBV)DNA copy number on the clinical features and prognosis of patients with adult secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis(sHLH).Methods:The clinical characteristics,survival rate,and prognostic factors of 171 patients with adult sHLH treated at Jiangsu Province Hospital from June 2017 to January 2022 were retrospectively analyzed in this study.Patients were divided into three groups,including the EBV DNA-negative group(＜5.0 × 102 copies/ml),lower EBV-DNA loads group(5.0 × 102-8.51 × 104 copies/ml),and higher EBV-DNA loads group(＞8.51 × 104 copies/ml),according to pre-treatment plasma EBV-DNA copy number.Cox regression model was established for screening prognostic factors.Adult sHLH survival prediction model was constructed and realized through the nomogram based on EBV-DNA load after adjusted the factors affecting survival of etiology and treatment strategy.Concordance index(C-index)and calibration curves were calculated to verify model predictive and discriminatory capacity.Results:Among 171 adult sHLH patients,84 patients were not infected with EBV(EBV DNA-negative group),and 87 with EBV(EBV DNA-positive group,48 lower EBV-DNA loads group and 39 higher EBV-DNA loads group).Consistent elevations in the levels of liver enzymes(ALT and AST),LDH,TG,β2-microglobulin and ferritin across the increasing of EBV-DNA load(all P＜0.05),while the levels of fibrinogen decrease(P＜0.001).The median follow-up time was 52 days(range 20-230 days),and 123 patients died.The overall survival(OS)rate of patients in EBV DNA-positive group was lower than that in EBV DNA-negative group(median OS:40 days vs 118 days,P＜0.001).Higher EBV-DNA loads had worse OS(median OS:24 days vs 45 days vs 118 days,P＜0.0001 for trend)compared to lower EBV-DNA loads and EBV DNA-negative group.Multivariate Cox analysis revealed that higher EBV-DNA loads(P=0.005),fibrinogen≤ 1.5 g/L(P=0.012),ferritin(P=0.041),associated lymphoma(P=0.002),and anti-tumor based strategy(P=0.001)were independent prognostic factors for OS.The C-indexes of 30 day,90 days,365 days survival rate were all greater than 0.8 of the nomogram model and calibration curves provided credibility to their predictive capability.Subgroup analysis showed that patients with higher EBV-DNA loads had a significantly worse prognosis in adult sHLH who were women,ferritin＞5 000 μg/L,β2-microglobulin＞7.4 mmol/L and regardless of age,etiologies,HScore points.Conclusion:The EBV-DNA load is a strong and independent predictor for survival in patients with sHLH.The prognostic nomogram based on EBV-DNA loads was dependable and provides a visual tool for evaluating the survival of adult sHLH.

Objective:To optimize the technical parameters related to the preparation of novel frozen human platelets and formulate corresponding protocol for its preparation.Methods:Novel frozen human platelets were prepared with O-type bagged platelet-rich plasma(PRP),the key technical parameters(DMSO addition,incubation time,centrifugation conditions,etc.)of the preparation process were optimized,and the quality of the frozen platelets was evaluated by routine blood tests,apoptosis rate,platelet activation rate and surface protein expression level.Results:In the preparation protocol of novel frozen human platelets,the operation of centrifugation to remove supernatant was adjusted to before the procedure of platelets freezing,and the effect of centrifugation on platelets was minimal when the centrifugation condition was 800 xg for 8 min.In addition,platelets incubated with DMSO for 30 min before centrifugation exhibited better quality after freezing and thawing.The indexes of novel frozen human platelets prepared with this protocol remained stable after long-term cryopreservation.Conclusion:The preparation technique of novel frozen human platelets was established and the protocol was formulated.It was also confirmed that the quality of frozen platelets could be improved by incubating platelets with DMSO for 30 min and then centrifuging them at 800 ×g for 8 min in the preparation of novel frozen human platelets.

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics of critically ill neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) who acquired Serratia marcescens infection for onset or colonization, and to explore the risk factors contributing to the onset of Serratia marcescens infection. Methods:A retrospective case-control study was conducted by collecting clinical data from NICU neonates at the Women and Children's Hospital of Ningbo University between January 2017 and December 2023. Forty-four neonates with clinical signs and/or symptoms consistent with Serratia marcescens infection, and with Serratia marcescens isolated from specimens, would be enrolled as the infection onset group, while 45 neonates who tested positive for Serratia marcescens in rectal and/or pharyngeal cultures during the same period, but had no clinical signs or infection symptoms, were enrolled as the colonization control group. The distribution of bacteria in the neonates infected with Serratia marcescens was observed, and clinical data were subjected to univariate and binary multivariate Logistic regression analyses for screening the independent risk factors for onset of acquired Serratia marcescens infection in NICU. Results:During the 7-year period, 5 972 neonates were admitted to the NICU, of which 297 developed hospital-acquired infections. Among these, 44 neonates were identified with Serratia marcescens infection, accounting for 14.8% of hospital-acquired infections. During the same period, a total of 45 neonates were diagnosed with the colonization of Serratia marcescens, but did not develop any symptoms. The primary infection sites of the neonates in both the colonization control group and infection onset group were respiratory tract, accounting for 86.7% (39/45) and 43.2% (19/44), respectively. The highest rate of infection in the infection onset group was respiratory tract (43.2%), followed by bloodstream infection [29.6% (13/44)], intracranial infection [15.9%, (7/44)], intestinal infection [6.8% (3/44)], and urinary tract infection [4.5% (2/44)]; no deaths were reported. In addition to respiratory tract infection, 13.3% (6/45) of the neonates in the colonization control group had intestinal infection, and no pathogenic bacteria was detected in their blood, cerebrospinal fluid, or urine. Univariate analysis showed that compared with the colonization control group, the neonates in the infection onset group had lower gestational ages [days: 28.5 (26.9, 30.0) vs. 32.0 (30.1, 34.6), P < 0.01], lower birth weights and proportion of probiotic usage [birth weights (kg): 1.20 (0.96, 1.44) vs. 1.75 (1.45, 2.23), probiotic usage: 29.5% (13/44) vs. 57.8% (26/45), both P < 0.01], longer length of NICU stay and duration of antibiotic usage [length of NICU stay (days): 65.11±23.00 vs. 40.31±20.04, duration of antibiotic usage (days): 23.09±9.57 vs. 11.80±7.19, both P < 0.01], and higher proportions of invasive procedures such as mechanical ventilation > 3 days and central venous catheterization > 7 days [mechanical ventilation > 3 days: 61.4% (27/44) vs. 20.0% (9/45), central venous catheterization > 7 days: 81.8% (36/44) vs. 28.9% (13/45), both P < 0.01], indicating that these factors were associated with Serratia marcescens infection onset acquired in NICU. Binary multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that a birth weight of ≤ 1.5 kg [odds ratio ( OR) = 5.745, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was 1.345-24.549, P = 0.018], a length of NICU stay > 45 days ( OR = 3.642, 95% CI was 1.102-12.041, P = 0.034), duration of antibiotic usage ( OR = 0.871, 95% CI was 0.799-0.949, P = 0.002), non-usage of probiotics ( OR = 3.191, 95% CI was 1.058-9.627, P = 0.039), and invasive procedures such as mechanical ventilation > 3 days ( OR = 5.302, 95% CI was 1.510-18.619, P = 0.009), and central venous catheterization > 7 days ( OR = 3.818, 95% CI was 1.103-13.212, P = 0.034) were independent risk factors for the onset of NICU-acquired Serratia marcescens infection. Conclusions:The incidence of NICU-acquired Serratia marcescens infection is high. Low birth weight, prolonged length of NICU stay, long-term antibiotic usage, and invasive treatments are independent risk factors for the onset of NICU-acquired Serratia marcescens infection. Oral probiotics may be a new method for preventing onset of NICU-acquired Serratia marcescens infection.

AIM To establish an LC-MS/MS method for the simultaneous content determination of forsythin,forsythoside A,chlorogenic acid,neochlorogenic acid,amygdalin,emodin,rhein and salidroside in Lianhua Qingwen Capsules.METHODS The analysis was performed on a 35℃thermostatic ACQUITY UPlC-HSS T3 column(100 mm×2.1 mm,1.8 μm),with the mobile phase comprising of 0.1%formic acid-acetonitrile flowing at 0.3 mL/min in a gradient elution manner,and electron spray ionization source was adopted in negative ion scanning with multiple reaction monitoring mode.RESULTS Eight constituents showed good linear relationships within their own ranges(r≥0.999 5),whose average recoveries were 99.20%-100.96%with the RSDs of 0.62%-1.23%.CONCLUSION This simple,sensitive and reliable method can be used for the quality control of Lianhua Qingwen capsules.

Objective:To compare the differences of clinical characteristics of temporal lobe epilepsy with bilateral hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-bHS) with those of temporal lobe epilepsy with unilateral hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-uHS).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed. Forty-eight patients with confirmed TLE-bHS enrolled in Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical School of Zhejiang University from January 2013 to January 2022 were chosen, and 101 patients with confirmed TLE-uHS admitted to our hospital at the same time period were selected as controls. Clinical data such as onset age, disease course, past medical history, seizure frequency, anti-seizure medications, video EEG and neuropsychological test results, and outcomes were analyzed.Results:Compared with the TLE-uHS group, the TLE-bHS group had higher male proportion, elder onset age, shorter disease course, higher seizure frequency, more types of past and currently used anti-seizure medications, lower proportion of autonomic nerve with aura, higher proportion of no aura at onset, higher proportion of slow head background movement in video EEG, and lower memory quotient, verbal memory scores and non-verbal memory scores, with significant differences ( P<0.05); the differences in ratio of past medical history and ratio of distributions of regions with interictal epileptiform abnormalities between the 2 groups were statistically significant ( P<0.05): the TLE-bHS group had significantly higher proportion of previous intracranial infection/encephalitis and higher ratio of bilateral temporal epileptiform abnormalities than the TLE-uHS group, while the TLE-uHS group had significantly higher proportion of patients with febrile convulsion history and higher ratio of unilateral temporal epileptiform abnormalities ( P<0.05). Only 10 patients (20.8%) in the TLE-bHS group received non-drug therapy, including anterior temporal lobectomy in 3 patients (Engel grading I in postoperative follow-up for 2 years), neuroregulatory therapy in 4, and ketogenic diet in 4; of the 55 patients (54.5%) in the TLE-uHS group who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy, 48 patients (87.3%) had Engel grading I, 1 patient (1.8%) had grading II, 4 (7.3%) had grading III, and 2 (3.6%) had grading IV after 2 years of follow-up. Conclusion:Differences in onset age, disease course, past medical history, seizure frequency, anti-seizure medications, and video EEG and neuropsychological test results can help to discriminate patients with TLE-bHS or with TLE-uHS.

Objective:To further improve the understanding of paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), we retrospectively analyzed and summarized the clinical characteristics, treatment status, and survival status of patients with PNH in Zhejiang Province.Methods:This study included 289 patients with PNH who visited 20 hospitals in Zhejiang Province. Their clinical characteristics, comorbidity, laboratory test results, and medications were analyzed and summarized.Results:Among the 289 patients with PNH, 148 males and 141 females, with a median onset age of 45 (16-87) years and a peak onset age of 20-49 years (57.8% ). The median lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) level was 1 142 (604-1 925) U/L. Classified by type, 70.9% (166/234) were classical, 24.4% (57/234) were PNH/bone marrow failure (BMF), and 4.7% (11/234) were subclinical. The main clinical manifestations included fatigue or weakness (80.8%, 235/289), dizziness (73.4%, 212/289), darkened urine color (66.2%, 179/272), and jaundice (46.2%, 126/270). Common comorbidities were hemoglobinuria (58.7% ), renal dysfunction (17.6% ), and thrombosis (15.0% ). Moreover, 82.3% of the patients received glucocorticoid therapy, 70.9% required blood transfusion, 30.7% used immunosuppressive agents, 13.8% received anticoagulant therapy, and 6.3% received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The 10-year overall survival (OS) rate was 84.4% (95% CI 78.0% -91.3% ) . Conclusion:Patients with PNH are more common in young and middle-aged people, with a similar incidence rate between men and women. Common clinical manifestations include fatigue, hemoglobinuria, jaundice, renal dysfunction, and recurrent thrombosis. The 10-year OS of this group is similar to reports from other centers in China.