Background/Aims: This study aimed to assess the impact of INTERCEPT Foam Spray (IFS) application on delayed endoscope reprocessing through microbiological surveillance culture (MSC). Methods: A quasi-experimental, matched-comparison pilot study was conducted using gastrointestinal endoscopy. IFS was applied to the endoscopes after precleaning and before reprocessing the next day. An equal number of endoscopes, matched by endoscope type, were subjected to routine reprocessing. The MSC were subjected to high-level disinfection to detect any contamination. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact test (categorical data) and Student t-test (continuous data). Results: In total, 150 MSCs were collected from 42 endoscopes. Positive MSCs were observed in 4.0% (4/75) of the sprayed group and 1.3% (1/75) of the control group (95% confidence interval, 30.34–0.31; p>0.05), all of which were contributed by colonoscopes. Colonoscope were more prone to positive MSC (mean difference in percentage, p<0.05). Mean spraying hours were not associated with detected growth (11.7% vs. 13.6%; 95% confidence interval, 1.43 to –5.27; p>0.05), with environmental and skin flora being the primary contaminants. Conclusions IFS may be applied when delayed endoscope processing is necessary, but with caution when applied to colonoscopes. However, further research is warranted to verify the result.

Background/Aims: This study aimed to assess the impact of INTERCEPT Foam Spray (IFS) application on delayed endoscope reprocessing through microbiological surveillance culture (MSC). Methods: A quasi-experimental, matched-comparison pilot study was conducted using gastrointestinal endoscopy. IFS was applied to the endoscopes after precleaning and before reprocessing the next day. An equal number of endoscopes, matched by endoscope type, were subjected to routine reprocessing. The MSC were subjected to high-level disinfection to detect any contamination. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact test (categorical data) and Student t-test (continuous data). Results: In total, 150 MSCs were collected from 42 endoscopes. Positive MSCs were observed in 4.0% (4/75) of the sprayed group and 1.3% (1/75) of the control group (95% confidence interval, 30.34–0.31; p>0.05), all of which were contributed by colonoscopes. Colonoscope were more prone to positive MSC (mean difference in percentage, p<0.05). Mean spraying hours were not associated with detected growth (11.7% vs. 13.6%; 95% confidence interval, 1.43 to –5.27; p>0.05), with environmental and skin flora being the primary contaminants. Conclusions IFS may be applied when delayed endoscope processing is necessary, but with caution when applied to colonoscopes. However, further research is warranted to verify the result.

Background/Aims: This study aimed to assess the impact of INTERCEPT Foam Spray (IFS) application on delayed endoscope reprocessing through microbiological surveillance culture (MSC). Methods: A quasi-experimental, matched-comparison pilot study was conducted using gastrointestinal endoscopy. IFS was applied to the endoscopes after precleaning and before reprocessing the next day. An equal number of endoscopes, matched by endoscope type, were subjected to routine reprocessing. The MSC were subjected to high-level disinfection to detect any contamination. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test or Fisher exact test (categorical data) and Student t-test (continuous data). Results: In total, 150 MSCs were collected from 42 endoscopes. Positive MSCs were observed in 4.0% (4/75) of the sprayed group and 1.3% (1/75) of the control group (95% confidence interval, 30.34–0.31; p>0.05), all of which were contributed by colonoscopes. Colonoscope were more prone to positive MSC (mean difference in percentage, p<0.05). Mean spraying hours were not associated with detected growth (11.7% vs. 13.6%; 95% confidence interval, 1.43 to –5.27; p>0.05), with environmental and skin flora being the primary contaminants. Conclusions IFS may be applied when delayed endoscope processing is necessary, but with caution when applied to colonoscopes. However, further research is warranted to verify the result.

Alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH) is a liver disease characterized by steatosis, inflammation, and necrosis of the liver tissue as a result of excessive alcohol consumption. Pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a xenobiotic nuclear receptor best known for its function in the transcriptional regulation of drug metabolism and disposition. Clinical reports suggested that the antibiotic rifampicin, a potent human PXR activator, is a contraindication in alcoholics, but the mechanism was unclear. In this study, we showed that the hepatic expression of fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) was uniquely elevated in ASH patients and a mouse model of ASH. Pharmacological inhibiting FABP4 attenuated ASH in mice. Furthermore, treatment of mice with the mouse PXR agonist pregnenolon-16α-carbonitrile (PCN) induced the hepatic and circulating levels of FABP4 and exacerbated ASH in a PXR-dependent manner. Our mechanism study established FABP4 as a transcriptional target of PXR. Treatment with andrographolide, a natural compound and dual inhibitor of PXR and FABP4, alleviated mice from ASH. In summary, our results showed that the PXR-FABP4 gene regulatory axis plays an important role in the progression of ASH, which may have accounted for the contraindication of rifampicin in patients of alcoholic liver disease. Pharmacological inhibition of PXR and/or FABP4 may have its promise in the clinical management of ASH.

Objective: To explore the correlation between hemoglobin and blood pressure. Methods: This study adopted the cross-sectional design method. Participants were recruited from grade 2 in primary school, grade 1 from junior and senior high school taking physical examination, including the hemoglobin test, organized by the Guangzhou Municipal Primary and Secondary School Health and Health Promotion Center from January to December in 2015. Correlation between blood pressure and hemoglobin and determinants of blood pressure were analyzed. Results: A total of 34 752 samples participated including 17 414 boys and 17 338 girls. Hemoglobin was negatively associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) among girls with anemia(P<0.01). Hemoglobin was positively associated with SBP and DBP among boys and girls with normal hemoglobin level(P<0.01). With each tertile increase in blood pressure, hemoglobin level increased by 1 mmHg. Logistic regression analysis showed that compared with peers from same grade with hemoglobin level lower than P25, the risk of suffering from pre-hypertension and hypertension among students from grade 2 with hemoglobin level greater than or equal to P75, and those from junior high and senior high schools with hemoglobin level higher than or equal to P50. Conclusion Among students without anemia population, a positive correlation between hemoglobin and SBP and DBP is observed.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of metabolic disorder among the high school students in Guangzhou. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 4 620 high school students selected with stratified cluster sampling was conducted in Guangzhou. Height, weight, blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and serum lipid of TC, TG were measured. Household socioeconomic status, medical history, physical activities as well as personal diet and study habits were acquired with structured questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of central obesity was 11.5%. The overall prevalence of IFG and DM was 6.9%. The overall prevalence of both hypercholesteremia and hypertriglyceridemia was 13.4%. The prevalence of hypertension was 11.6%. With multivariable logistic regression, the results showed that: fast eating was associated with increased risk of central obesity (OR=1.79, 95%CI=1.47-2.18) and hypercholesteremia/hypertriglyceridemia (OR=1.27，95%CI=1.04-1.54). While students who ate slow had low risk of central obesity (OR=0.47, 95%CI=0.33-0.68), hypercholesteremia/hypertriglyceridemia(OR=0.71, 95%CI=0.54-0.94) and hypertension (OR=0.65, 95%CI=0.49-0.88). Students with sugar-sweetened beverages once a day or more had higher risk of central obesity (OR=1.60, 95%CI=1.08-2.38) while students without sugar-sweetened beverages consumption had low risk of IFG/DM (OR=0.57, 95%CI= 0.43-0.77) than those who consumed 1-2 times/week. Students without eating out habit had lower risk of hypercholesteremia /hypertriglyceridemia than those with eating out for 1-2 times/week (OR=0.78, 95%CI=0.62-0.98), and students who had lunch out of home or canteen had higher risk of hypercholesteremia /hypertriglyceridemia than those who ate at canteen (OR=1.38，95%CI=1.06-1.81). Conclusion The prevalence of metabolic disorder among high school students in Guangzhou is at a relatively high level. High eating speed, heavy sugared beverages intake and frequently eating out habits are associated with risk of metabolic disorder.