Objective To quantitatively analyze the impact of environmental hygiene on the occurrence of health-care-associated infections(HAI).Methods Monitoring data of HAI and environmental hygiene from a tertiary first-class hospital from January 2018 to December 2022 were collected,and the impact of environmental bacterial colony forming unit(CFU)on the occurrence of HAI was analyzed by a time-series generalized additive model.Results The single-contamination model showed a significant positive correlation between HAI and staff's hand bacterial CFU(β1=0.009,P=0.012).For an increase of 1 interquartile range(IQR)in the monthly mean CFU per dish(MCFU/Dish)of staffs'hand,the incidence of HAI increased by 13.28％(95％CI:2.82％-24.81％).Subgroup and lag effect analysis showed that when the monthly MCFU/Dish(after hand disinfection)of staffs'hand in-creased by one IQR,the excess risk(ER)of HAI for the month(lag0)was 16.26％(95％CI:15.45％-17.09％).In the multi-contamination model,the correlation between surface contamination and HAI was also statistically sig-nificant.Conclusion There is a significant correlation between hospital environmental hygiene and the occurrence of HAI.

The postmortem interval (PMI) estimation is a key and difficult point in the practice of forensic medicine, and forensic scientists at home and abroad have been searching for objective, quantifiable and accurate methods of PMI estimation. With the development and combination of high-throughput sequencing technology and artificial intelligence technology, the establishment of PMI model based on the succession of the microbial community on corpses has become a research focus in the field of forensic medicine. This paper reviews the technical methods, research applications and influencing factors of microbial community in PMI estimation explored by using high-throughput sequencing technology, to provide a reference for the related research on the use of microbial community to estimate PMI.
Humans ; Postmortem Changes ; Artificial Intelligence ; Autopsy ; Cadaver ; Microbiota

objectiveTo explore the specific molecular mechanism of neuronal apoptosis induced by ATM inactivation. MethodsCGNs matured 7 days in vitro were cultured 8 h with 25 K， 5 K or 25 K medium containing ATM-specific inhibitors （Ku55933， 10 µmol/L； Ku60019， 15 µmol/L） for Hoechst stain and apoptosis analysis， or cultured for different lengths of time （2， 4， 8 h） to detect the protein expression levels of ATM， caspase-3 and cleaved caspase-3 by Western blotting. ATM and GADD45α specific siRNA was transfected into C6 cells and CGNs， and its interference efficiency was verified by q-PCR and Western blotting. CGNs matured for 5 days in vitro were transfected with ATM specific siRNA and pCMV-EGFP by calcium phosphate for 48 h， Hoechst staining and apoptosis analysis were performed. CGNs matured for 7 days in vitro were treated with 25 K medium containing ATM specific inhibitors for 8 h， transcriptome sequencing， differential expression gene identification and pathway enrichment analysis were performed. CGNs matured for 5 days in vitro were co-transfected with GADD45α specific siRNA and pCMV-EGFP by calcium phosphate for 48 h， then treated with 5 K or 25 K medium containing 15 µmol/L Ku6 for 8 h. Hoechst staining and apoptosis analysis were performed. ResultsCompared with the 25 K， CGNs nuclear pyknosis rate， cleaved Caspase-3 and ATM protein expression level were increased in the 5 K and ATM-specific inhibitor groups. The mRNA and protein expression levels of ATM and GADD45α were effectively reduced after transfection of ATM and GADD45α specific siRNA in C6 cells and CGNs. Compared with control， CGNs transfected with ATM specific siRNA showed a higher nuclear pyknosis rate. Totally 835 genes were identified to be up-regulated and 848 genes to be down-regulated in the Ku55933 treatment group； 454 genes were identified to be up-regulated and 314 genes to be down-regulated in the Ku6 treatment group； 274 genes were co-up regulated in the Ku5 and Ku60019 treatment groups， while 179 genes were co-down-regulated in the Ku5 and Ku6 treatment groups and the expression of ATM downstream target GADD45α was upregulated. The enrichment results showed that TNF signaling pathway， NF-κB signaling pathway and Apoptosis signaling pathway were significantly enriched. Compared with control， mRNA and protein expression levels of GADD45α were increased in inhibitor treatment and 5 K， while knocking down GADD45α resulted in a decrease in nuclear pyknosis rate in the Ku60019 and 5 K treatment group. ConclusionLoss of ATM activity induces GADD45α-dependent cerebellar granular neuronal apoptosis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the risk factors and construct a predictive model for severe myelosuppression due to chemotherapy in triple negative breast cancer （TNBC）. MethodsPatients with TNBC who received anthracycline combined with cyclophosphamide sequential paclitaxel chemotherapy regimen at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from September 2， 2016 to September 2， 2021 were selected and assigned to severe myelosuppression group and no/mild myelosuppression group. The χ² test and binary logistic regression were used to analyze the risk factors for severe myelosuppression due to chemotherapy and to develop a prediction model. Hosmer-Lemeshow test and receiver operating characteristic （ROC） curve were used to evaluate the predictive efficiency of the regression model. Kappa consistency test was used to verify the regression model externally. ResultsA total of 207 patients who met the inclusion were enrolled and 106 patients （51%） had severe myelosuppression. Binary logistic regression multivariate analysis showed that age 40 to 60 years （OR = 3.463， 95% CI： 1.144 to 10.486， P = 0.028）， age >60 years （OR = 3.474， 95% CI： 1.004 to 12.020， P = 0.049）， body mass index （BMI） 18.5 to 24.0 （OR = 1.445， 95% CI： 0.686 to 3.087， P = 0.328）， BMI <18.5 （OR = 3.582， 95% CI： 1.260 to 10.182， P = 0.017）， tumor TNM stage Ⅱ （OR = 1.698， 95% CI： 0.831 to 3.468， P = 0.146）， tumor TNM stage Ⅲ （OR = 2.943， 95% CI： 1.199 to 7.227， P = 0.019）， previous diabetes （OR = 2.441， 95% CI： 1.076 to 5.539， P = 0.033）， low pre-treatment albumin level （OR = 2.759， 95% CI： 1.141 to 6.669， P = 0.024） and low pre-treatment lymphocytes （OR = 3.428， 95% CI： 1.689 to 6.958， P = 0.001） were independent risk factors for severe myelosuppression due to chemotherapy. The χ² value for the logistic regression model Hosmer-Lemeshow test was 11.507， P= 0.175， the area under the ROC curve was 0.763， standard error 0.033， 95% CI： 0.698-0.828， P=0.000. External validation showed that the prediction model had a specificity of 88% and a sensitivity of 80%； the kappa value was 0.679， standard error 0.081， P=0.000. conclusionThis logistic regression model had high predictive efficacy and is useful for clinicians to predict whether patients with TNBC develop severe myelosuppression.

Objectives: To investigated the safety and efficacy of treating patients with acute non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) and elevated levels of N-terminal pro-hormone B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) with levosimendan within 24 hours of first medical contact (FMC). Methods: This multicenter, open-label, block-randomized controlled trial (NCT03189901) investigated the safety and efficacy of levosimendan as an early management strategy of acute heart failure (EMS-AHF) for patients with NSTEMI and high NT-proBNP levels. This study included 255 patients with NSTEMI and elevated NT-proBNP levels, including 142 males and 113 females with a median age of 65 (58-70) years, and were admitted in the emergency or outpatient departments at 14 medical centers in China between October 2017 and October 2021. The patients were randomly divided into a levosimendan group (n=129) and a control group (n=126). The primary outcome measure was NT-proBNP levels on day 3 of treatment and changes in the NT-proBNP levels from baseline on day 5 after randomization. The secondary outcome measures included the proportion of patients with more than 30% reduction in NT-proBNP levels from baseline, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) during hospitalization and at 6 months after hospitalization, safety during the treatment, and health economics indices. The measurement data parameters between groups were compared using the t-test or the non-parametric test. The count data parameters were compared between groups using the χ² test. Results: On day 3, the NT-proBNP levels in the levosimendan group were lower than the control group but were statistically insignificant [866 (455, 1 960) vs. 1 118 (459, 2 417) ng/L, Z=-1.25,P=0.21]. However, on day 5, changes in the NT-proBNP levels from baseline in the levosimendan group were significantly higher than the control group [67.6% (33.8%,82.5%)vs.54.8% (7.3%,77.9%), Z=-2.14, P=0.03]. There were no significant differences in the proportion of patients with more than 30% reduction in the NT-proBNP levels on day 5 between the levosimendan and the control groups [77.5% (100/129) vs. 69.0% (87/126), χ²=2.34, P=0.13]. Furthermore, incidences of MACE did not show any significant differences between the two groups during hospitalization [4.7% (6/129) vs. 7.1% (9/126), χ²=0.72, P=0.40] and at 6 months [14.7% (19/129) vs. 12.7% (16/126), χ²=0.22, P=0.64]. Four cardiac deaths were reported in the control group during hospitalization [0 (0/129) vs. 3.2% (4/126), P=0.06]. However, 6-month survival rates were comparable between the two groups (log-rank test, P=0.18). Moreover, adverse events or serious adverse events such as shock, ventricular fibrillation, and ventricular tachycardia were not reported in both the groups during levosimendan treatment (days 0-1). The total cost of hospitalization [34 591.00(15 527.46,59 324.80) vs. 37 144.65(16 066.90,63 919.00)yuan, Z=-0.26, P=0.80] and the total length of hospitalization [9 (8, 12) vs. 10 (7, 13) days, Z=0.72, P=0.72] were lower for patients in the levosimendan group compared to those in the control group, but did not show statistically significant differences. Conclusions: Early administration of levosimendan reduced NT-proBNP levels in NSTEMI patients with elevated NT-proBNP and did not increase the total cost and length of hospitalization, but did not significantly improve MACE during hospitalization or at 6 months.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Aged ; Natriuretic Peptide, Brain ; Simendan/therapeutic use* ; Non-ST Elevated Myocardial Infarction ; Heart Failure/drug therapy* ; Peptide Fragments ; Arrhythmias, Cardiac ; Biomarkers ; Prognosis

Objective: To analyze the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients with small bowel tumors. Methods: This was a retrospective, observational study. We collected clinicopathological data of patients with primary jejunal or ileal tumors who had undergone small bowel resection in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University between January 2012 and September 2017. The inclusion criteria included: (1) older than 18 years; (2) had undergone small bowel resection; (3) primary location at jejunum or ileum; (4) postoperative pathological examination confirmed malignancy or malignant potential; and (5) complete clinicopathological and follow-up data. Patients with a history of previous or other concomitant malignancies and those who had undergone exploratory laparotomy with biopsy but no resection were excluded. The clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of included patients were analyzed. Results: The study cohort comprised 220 patients with small bowel tumors, 136 of which were classified as gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), 47 as adenocarcinomas, and 35 as lymphomas. The median follow-up for all patient was 81.0 months (75.9-86.1). GISTs frequently manifested as gastrointestinal bleeding (61.0%, 83/136) and abdominal pain (38.2%, 52/136). In the patients with GISTs, the rates of lymph node and distant metastasis were 0.7% (1/136) and 11.8% (16/136), respectively. The median follow-up time was 81.0 (75.9-86.1) months. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 96.3%. Multivariate Cox regression-analysis results showed that distant metastasis was the only factor associated with OS of patients with GISTs (HR=23.639, 95% CI: 4.564-122.430, P<0.001). The main clinical manifestations of small bowel adenocarcinoma were abdominal pain (85.1%, 40/47), constipation/diarrhea (61.7%, 29/47), and weight loss (61.7%, 29/47). Rates of lymph node and distant metastasis in patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma were 53.2% (25/47) and 23.4% (11/47), respectively. The 3-year OS rate of patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma was 44.7%. Multivariate Cox regression-analysis results showed that distant metastasis (HR=4.018, 95%CI: 2.108-10.331, P<0.001) and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.291, 95% CI: 0.140-0.609, P=0.001) were independently associated with OS of patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma. Small bowel lymphoma frequently manifested as abdominal pain (68.6%, 24/35) and constipation/diarrhea (31.4%, 11/35); 77.1% (27/35) of small bowel lymphomas were of B-cell origin. The 3-year OS rate of patients with small bowel lymphomas was 60.0%. T/NK cell lymphomas (HR= 6.598, 95% CI: 2.172-20.041, P<0.001) and adjuvant chemotherapy (HR=0.119, 95% CI: 0.015-0.925, P=0.042) were independently associated with OS of patients with small bowel lymphoma. Small bowel GISTs have a better prognosis than small intestinal adenocarcinomas (P<0.001) or lymphomas (P<0.001), and small bowel lymphomas have a better prognosis than small bowel adenocarcinomas (P=0.035). Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of small intestinal tumor are non-specific. Small bowel GISTs are relatively indolent and have a good prognosis, whereas adenocarcinomas and lymphomas (especially T/NK-cell lymphomas) are highly malignant and have a poor prognosis. Adjuvant chemotherapy would likely improve the prognosis of patients with small bowel adenocarcinomas or lymphomas.
Humans ; Prognosis ; Intestinal Neoplasms/diagnosis* ; Duodenal Neoplasms ; Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors ; Lymphoma ; Adenocarcinoma/surgery* ; Constipation ; Abdominal Pain ; Retrospective Studies

Objective To evaluate the risk of hearing loss of assembly workers in an automobile manufacturing factory. Methods An 8-hour equivalent sound level monitoring was carried out for assembly posts in an automobile factory. The risk of noise-induced hearing loss of assembly workers was measured using the method specified in ISO 1999:2013(E). The risk of noise-induced hearing loss was assessed in a graded manner according to the Guidelines for the Management of Occupational Disease Hazards from Noise. The results were statistically analyzed using Pearson correlation analysis. Results The average 8-hour equivalent sound level of the assembly work post in this automobile manufacturing factory was 89.5 dB (A). At 4000 Hz, the hearing loss N₅₀ (dB) of assembly workers reached the maximum. The longer the exposure time, the higher the risk of high-frequency standard hearing threshold shift. The risk of high-frequency standard hearing threshold shift was at a relatively high level at 30 years of work, while the risk of noise deafness reached a higher level after 40 years of work. Conclusion The 8-hour equivalent sound level (L_EX,8h) of assembly workers in the automobile factory exceeds the occupational exposure limit. With the increase of exposure years, the risk of high-frequency standard hearing threshold shift and noise deafness increases.

Since the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in late 2019, artificial intelligence technology has shown increasing values in the research and control of tropical infectious diseases. The introduction of artificial intelligence technology has shown remarkable effectiveness to reduce the diagnosis and treatment burdens, reduce missing diagnosis and misdiagnosis, improve the surveillance and forecast ability and enhance the medicine and vaccine development efficiency. This paper summarizes the current applications of artificial intelligence in tropical infectious disease control and research and discusses the important values of artificial intelligence in disease diagnosis and treatment, disease surveillance and forecast, vaccine and drug discovery, medical and public health services and global health governance. However, artificial intelligence technology suffers from problems of single and inaccurate diagnosis, poor disease surveillance and forecast ability in open environments, limited capability of intelligent system services, big data management and model interpretability. Hereby, we propose suggestions with aims to improve multimodal intelligent diagnosis of multiple tropical infectious diseases, emphasize intelligent surveillance and forecast of vectors and high-risk populations in open environments, accelerate the research and development of intelligent management system, strengthen ethical security, big data management and model interpretability.

OBJECTIVE: Prenatal phthalate exposure has been associated with placental inflammatory factors and infant allergic rhinitis (AR). However, the results are inconclusive. We designed a population-based cohort study to examine the effects of placental inflammatory biomarkers on the sex-dependent associations between maternal phthalate exposure and infant AR. METHODS: A total of 2,348 pregnant women from Ma'anshan, Anhui Province, China, who were screened before antenatal visits and met the inclusion criteria, were included in the present study. We assessed AR in their offspring aged 36 months with a questionnaire. Quantitative PCR was performed to measure placental inflammatory factor mRNAs. The independent samples t-test and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine the associations between infant AR and maternal phthalates. RESULTS: Childhood AR may be related to education and family monthly income ( P = 0.01). The phthalate metabolites, mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP), mono (2-ethyl-5-hydroxyl) phthalate (MEHHP), in pregnant women were associated with a significantly increased risk for infant AR in males [ P < 0.05; odds ratio ( OR): 1.285; 95% confidence interval ( CI): 1.037-1.591, and OR: 1.232, 95% CI: 1.008-1.507, respectively], but not females. Additionally, irritably-increased expression levels of HO-1 and IL-4 were associated with AR in male infants ( OR: 1.175; 95% CI: 1.038-1.329 and OR: 1.181; 95% CI: 1.056-1.322, respectively). The association between maternal urinary MEHHP and placental HO-1 was marginally significant according to mediation analysis. CONCLUSION The associations of maternal MEHHP and MEOHP levels with fetal AR in males were significant. Placental HO-1 was a fractional mediator in the associations between MEHHP and AR. Thus, the placenta should be further investigated as a potential mediator of maternal exposure-induced disease risk in children.
Biomarkers ; Child, Preschool ; Cohort Studies ; Diethylhexyl Phthalate/analogs & derivatives* ; Female ; Humans ; Interleukin-4/pharmacology* ; Male ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Phthalic Acids/adverse effects* ; Placenta ; Pregnancy ; Rhinitis, Allergic/epidemiology*

Peptide is a compound consisting of 2-50 amino acids, which is intermediate between small molecule and protein. It is characterized by a variety of biological activities, easy absorption, strong specific targeting, and few side effects and has become one of the hotspots in biomedical research in recent years. Chinese medicine contains a large number of peptides. The traditional processing methods such as decocting and boiling can effectively boost peptides to exert their due biological activities. At present, however, the research on Chinese medicinal components in laboratory generally employs high-concentration alcohol extraction method, which may cause the peptides to be ignored in many natural Chinese medicines. Substantial studies have revealed that the peptides in Chinese medicine are important material basis responsible for the traditional efficacy. Based on years of research and literature retrieval, this study put forward the concept of "traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)-peptides", referring to the components consisting of two or more amino acids with molecular weight between small molecules and proteins that can express the efficacy of Chinese medicine. Furthermore, this study also summarized the extraction and separation of TCM-peptides, and structure determination methods and routes, predicted the research prospect of modern research methods of TCM-peptides based on "holistic view" and big data. The artificial intelligence prediction was combined with high-throughput screening technology to improve the discovery efficiency and accuracy of TCM-peptides, and holographic images between TCM-peptides and biological targets were established to provide references for the innovative drug design and related health product development of TCM-peptides based on TCM theories.
Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Artificial Intelligence ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/chemistry* ; Research Design ; Peptides ; Proteins ; Amino Acids