Objective: To analyze the expression of sigma factor in drug resistance gene mutations of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), so as to provide a reference for the drug resistance mechanism of tuberculosis. Methods: Clinical sputum specimens of outpatients at Tianjin Center for Tuberculosis from 2018 to 2022 were collected. A total of 899 MTB-positive strains were obtained by culture, and 492 phenotypically sensitive strains and 407 phenotypically resistant strains were identified by an in vitro phenotypic drug susceptibility test. Thirty drug-sensitive strains of MTB were randomly selected, and 98 drug-resistant strains with specific resistance phenotypes were chosen; all were subjected to melting curve analysis for detection of drug-resistance gene mutations. The strains were divided into sensitive strains without gene mutation, isoniazid-resistant strains with inhA mutation or katG mutation, rifampicin-resistant strains with rpoB mutation, and multigene mutation-resistant strains with inhA+rpoB mutation or katG+rpoB mutation. The mRNA relative expression of sigma factor was detected by fluorescence quantitative PCR, and the ratio of sigma factor mRNA relative expression between the experimental strain and the standard strain >2 was used to screen for highly expressed sigma factor. The differences in sigma factor mRNA relative expression and high expression rate between drug-resistant gene mutant strains and sensitive strains were analyzed. Results: Thirty sensitive strains and 90 drug-resistant strains were included. Among them, there were 16 strains with inhA mutation, 22 strains with katG mutation, 13 strains with rpoB mutation, 15 strains with inhA+rpoB mutation, and 24 strains with katG+rpoB mutation. Compared to the sigma factors of the sensitive strains, the mRNA expression levels of sigG and sigI in inhA-mutated strains, sigF, sigG, sigH, sigI, sigJ, and sigL in katG-mutated strains, and sigF, sigG, sigH, sigJ, and sigL in rpoB-mutated, inhA+rpoB-mutated, and katG+rpoB-mutated strains were significantly higher (all P<0.05). Additionally, the high-expression rates of sigI in inhA-mutated strains, sigF, sigG, sigI, sigJ, and sigL in katG-mutated and inhA+rpoB-mutated strains, and sigF, sigG, sigH, sigJ, and sigL in rpoB-mutated and katG+rpoB-mutated strains were also higher (all P<0.05). Conclusion Compared to sensitive MTB strains, sigI showed higher relative expression of mRNA and high-expression rate in inhA-mutated strains, and sigF, sigG, sigJ, and sigL had higher mRNA relative expression and high-expression rates in katG-mutated, rpoB-mutated, and multi-drug-resistant strains.

Objective To explore the application value of anhydrous ethanol as an alternative to methanol in the preparation of chromosomal specimens from peripheral blood lymphocytes, and to establish a set of quantitative analytical methods for objectively evaluating the effectiveness of specimen preparation. Methods Residual blood samples from routine laboratory slide preparation were used for lymphocyte culture. The standard slide preparation method was employed. The fixative in the control group was methanol and glacial acetic acid (3∶1). Four experimental groups were set up based on the ratio of anhydrous ethanol to glacial acetic acid in the fixative (volume ratios of 3∶1, 5∶1, 7∶1, and 9∶1 for experimental groups 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively). A chromosomal analysis was conducted using an automated chromosome scanning/image analysis system to evaluate the morphology and dispersion of metaphase chromosomes in both control and experimental groups. Comparisons were made between the control and experimental groups regarding the dic + r aberration rate, ace aberration rate, chromosomal aberration rate, chromosome dispersion index, chromosome overlapping ratio, and dispersion index/overlapping ratio. Results Microscopic evaluation revealed that the preparation quality of experimental groups 1 and 2 was comparable to the control group. No statistically significant differences were observed in dic + r aberration rate between each of the experimental groups and the control (P > 0.05). All experimental groups except group 4 showed no significant differences in ace aberration rate and chromosome aberration rate compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Experimental groups 1 and 2 showed no significant differences in chromosome dispersion index, overlapping ratio, and dispersion index/overlapping ratio compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusion A mixture of anhydrous ethanol and glacial acetic acid at a 5∶1 ratio is recommended for use as a fixative in the preparation of chromosomal specimens from peripheral blood lymphocytes. A quantitative index system for assessing the quality of chromosomal specimens was established, enabling objective evaluation of slide preparation effectiveness.

Assessment is an indispensable and critical activity in the educational process. In the recent decades, with the birth and development of competence-based educational paradigm, the rationale behind assessment is shifting from "assessment of learning" to "assessment for learning". Workplace-based assessment (WPBA), which aims to improve the quality of both learning and teaching through assessment in real workplace circumstances, is a set of assessment tools that conforms to the new concepts of medical education. In this article, with the purpose to promote the application of WPBA and thus enhance the quality of dental education in our country, a thorough discussion is performed regarding the core principles, tools, advantages of WPBA as well as attentions that should be noted when applying WPBA. It is recommended to establish a longitudinal assessment system which employs various WPBA tools and assesses the development of students' competencies through the whole educational process. Such a dynamic assessment system may be helpful to provide all-rounded and competent dental talents who can eventually benefit the society.

Background::Although significant advances have been made in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM), leading to unprecedented response and survival rates among patients, the majority eventually relapse, and a cure remains elusive. This situation is closely related to an incomplete understanding of the immune microenvironment, especially monocytes/macrophages in patients with treatment-na?ve MM. The aim of this study was to provide insight into the immune microenvironment, especially monocytes/macrophages, in patients with treatment-na?ve MM.Methods::This study used the single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data of both patients with MM and heathy donors to identify immune cells, including natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and monocytes/macrophages. Transcriptomic data and flow cytometry analysis of monocytes/macrophages were used to further examine the effect of monocytes/macrophages in treatment-na?ve MM patients.Results::A significant difference was observed between the bone marrow (BM) immune cells of the healthy controls and treatment-na?ve MM patients through scRNA-seq. It is noteworthy that, through an scRNA-seq data analysis, this study found that interferon (IFN)-induced NK/T cells, terminally differentiated effector memory (TEMRA) cells, T-helper cells characterized by expression of IFN-stimulated genes (ISG +Th cells), IFN-responding exhausted T cells, mannose receptor C-type 1 (MRC1) + DCs, IFN-responding DCs, MHCII + DCs, and immunosuppressive monocytes/macrophages were enriched in patients with treatment-na?ve MM. Significantly, transcriptomic data of monocytes/macrophages demonstrated that "don’t eat me" -related genes and IFN-induced genes increase in treatment-na?ve MM patients. Furthermore, scRNA-seq, transcriptomic data, and flow cytometry also showed an increased proportion of CD16 + monocytes/macrophages and expression level of CD16. Cell-cell communication analysis indicated that monocytes/macrophages, whose related important signaling pathways include migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and interleukin 16 (IL-16) signaling pathway, are key players in treatment-na?ve MM patients. Conclusions::Our findings provide a comprehensive and in-depth molecular characterization of BM immune cell census in MM patients, especially for monocytes/macrophages. Targeting macrophages may be a novel treatment strategy for patients with MM.

Objective:To translate the Self-Confidence Scale for Clean Intermittent Self-Catheterization (SCSCISC) into Chinese and test its reliability and validity.Methods:Following the Brislin questionnaire translation principles, the English version of SCCSISC was translated, back translated, culturally adapted, consulted with experts, and pre-surveyed to form the Chinese version of SCCSISC. From June to September 2023, 237 patients with neurogenic bladder admitted to the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University were selected as survey subjects by the convenient sampling method. The critical ratio method was used for project analysis, and Cronbach's α coefficient, split half reliability, and test-retest reliability were used to evaluate the reliability of the scale. Content validity and construct validity were used to test the validity of the scale.Results:The Cronbach's α coefficient of the Chinese version of SCCSISC was 0.976, the split half coefficient was 0.962, and the test-retest reliability was 0.876. The item-level content validity index ( I- CVI) of the Chinese version of SCCSISC was 0.86 to 1.00, and the scale-level content validity index ( S- CVI) was 0.93, with Kappa consistency coefficients above 0.74. Two common factors were extracted through exploratory factor analysis, with a cumulative variance contribution rate of 73.42%. Conclusions:The Chinese version of SCCSISC has good reliability and validity, and can be used as a tool for self-confidence measurement of clean intermittent self-catheterization among patients with neurogenic bladder in China.

Objective　To investigate whether the expression regulation of regulatory gene Sigma factors (sigA-sigM) is related to isoniazid resistance phenotype in isoniazid-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) caused by katG mutations, and to provide reference for the study of the molecular mechanism of isoniazid resistance. Methods　A total of 90 strains were collected from the patients undergoing first-line treatment at the Tianjin Tuberculosis Control Center during drug resistance testing from 2020 to 2022, of which 30 strains were sensitive strains without katG mutation, and 65 strains were isoniazid-resistant strains caused by katG mutation, including 11 strains resistant only to isoniazid, 24 strains resistant to both isoniazid and streptomycin, and 30 strains multidrug-resistant to isoniazid, streptomycin, and rifampicin. After the strains were collected on the isoniazid drug-containing medium, the RNA of the strains was extracted, and the relative expression levels of Sigma factors were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR). The expression differences of Sigma factors in different isoniazid drug-resistant phenotypes were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test. Results The gene expression levels of sigA, sigC, sigF, sigG, sigH, sigI, sigJ, sigK, sigL in isoniazid mono-resistant group were significantly higher than those in pan-isoniazid-sensitive group (Z=4.368, 5.701, 6.865, 4.021, 5.126, 2.670, 5.983, 4.701, 5.490, P all<0.001). The gene expression levels of sigA, sigC, sigF, sigG, sigH, sigI, sigJ, sigK, sigL in poly-resistance group were significantly higher than those in pan-sensitivity group (Z=-5.017, -4.670, -4.667, -5.456, -4.083, -5.393, -4.712, -6.971, -8.206, -5.211, P all<0.001). In multidrug-resistant (MDR) group, the gene expression levels of sigC, sigD, sigE, sigF, sigG, sigH, sigI, sigJ, sigK, sigL were significantly higher than those in pan-isoniazid-sensitive group (Z=-5.537, -4.003, -5.216, -7.328, -7.730, -5.658, -4.440, -6.036, -4.862, -4.312, P all<0.001). The expression levels of sigB, sigF, sigG showed statistically significant differences in gene expression between the isoniazid mono-resistant, isoniazid poly-resistant, and isoniazid multidrug-resistant groups (Z=10.139, 7.735, 14.532, P all<0.001). The expression rates of sigF, sigG, sigI, sigJ, and sigL in the isoniazid-resistant group were significantly higher than those in isoniazid sensitive group (χ2=17.410. 45.673. 57.661. 42.896. 26.363, P all<0.001). Conclusions sigF, sigG, sigI, sigJ, and sigL are associated with isoniazid resistance due to katG mutations.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of frailty among elders aged ≥60 years in the Beijing community and analyze the risk factors of frailty.Methods:This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 1936 older persons in Baizhifang Community in Beijing were included between May and September 2023. Their frailty was evaluated by Fried Frailty Phenotype Scale. Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF), Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were used to evaluate nutritional status, physical function, and depression, respectively. The prevalence and risk factors of frailty among the elderly in the community were analyzed.Results:A total of 168 individuals met the criteria for frailty, and the prevalence of frailty was 8.7%. Compared to the non-frail group, the frail group was predominantly female (71.4% vs 62.2%; χ 2=5.59, P=0.018), older [(72.1±6.6) vs (69.9±6.0) ages; t=-5.25, P<0.001], unmarried (1.8% vs 0.8%; χ 2=8.60, P=0.014), with lower education levels (10.7% vs 3.5%; χ 2=23.38, P<0.001), poorer self-assessed health (22.6% vs 6.5%; χ 2=69.80, P<0.001), lower MNA-SF scores [(12.2±2.2) vs (13.0±1.4) scores; t=6.29, P<0.001], lower SPPB scores [(8.4±1.9) vs (10.2±1.6) scores; t=14.62, P<0.001], higher GDS scores [(4.0±3.8) vs (1.9±2.1) scores; t=-11.48, P<0.001], and worse vision, hearing, and olfactory functions (48.2% vs 34.1%, 36.9% vs 23.0%, 9.5% vs 3.0%; χ 2=13.37, 16.11, 40.58, all P<0.001). They were also more likely to suffer from hypertension (70.8% vs 56.7%; χ 2=12.52, P<0.001), diabetes (42.3% vs 29.4%; χ 2=12.06, P<0.001), osteoarthritis (46.4% vs 30.3%; χ 2=18.39, P<0.001) and stroke (19.0% vs 13.3%; χ 2=4.28, P=0.039). Logistic regression analysis showed that frailty was independently associated with nutritional status ( OR=0.8, 95% CI: 0.7-0.9, P<0.001), depressive symptoms ( OR=1.1, 95% CI: 1.1-1.2, P<0.001), olfactory function ( OR=2.1, 95% CI: 1.4-3.0, P<0.001; OR=2.9, 95% CI: 1.4-5.9, P=0.003), and physical function ( OR=0.6, 95% CI: 0.6-0.7, P<0.001) after adjusting for covariates. Conclusions:The prevalence of frailty among elderly people in community is relatively high. Frailty in community elders is associated with physical function, psychological function, nutritional status, and olfactory function decline.

Objective:To analyze mobility limitation condition and its relationship with cognitive function in community-dwelling elderly.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, a total of 1 935 older adults aged≥60 years were recruited from May to September 2023 in Beijing Baizhifang Community Health Service Center and its five subordinate health service stations (Baizhifang Hutong health service station, Nancaiyuan community health service station, Youanmen community health service station, Younei West Street health service station and Shuanghuaili community health service station). The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) was used to assess the mobility capacity of the elderly, and the elderly were divided into two groups with SPPB, the elderly with a SPPB≤9 points were grouped into mobility limitation group (645 cases), and the ones with a SPPB≥10 points were considered with normal mobility capacity (1 290 cases). The cognitive function of the older adults was assessed with the mini-mental state examination; and the gender, age, calf circumference, history of chronic disease, frailty status, cognitive function, nutritional status, depression status, hearing and vision condition of the two groups were compared with χ2 test or Mann-Whitney U non-parametric test. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the mobility limitation and its relationship with cognitive function in the older adults. Results:Mobility limitation was found in 33.33% (645/1 935) of community-dwelling older adults. The proportions of advanced age, female, hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, frailty, depression, cognitive impairment, hearing decline, and vision decline in the mobility limitation group were all significantly higher than those in the normal mobility capacity group (31.32% vs 13.41%, 69.92% vs 59.61%, 65.27% vs 54.03%, 33.80% vs 28.60%, 27.91% vs 19.53%, 17.83% vs 11.47%, 10.54% vs 7.36%, 13.18% vs 2.02%, 18.45% vs 6.59%, 14.73% vs 7.75%, 30.54% vs 20.31%, 45.58% vs 30.39%) (all P<0.05). Advanced age ( OR=2.542, 95% CI: 1.977-3.269), female ( OR=1.736, 95% CI: 1.390-2.167), stroke ( OR=1.426, 95% CI: 1.065-1.911), depression ( OR=2.292, 95% CI: 1.656-3.174), cognitive impairment ( OR=1.601, 95% CI: 1.154-2.220), frailty ( OR=5.199, 95% CI: 3.219-8.397) and vision decline ( OR=1.405, 95% CI: 1.124-1.756) were all positively correlated with the mobility limitation in the community-dwelling older adults (all P<0.05). Conclusion:The older adults in the community have a higher risk of mobility limitation, mobility limitation is a positive correlation factor of cognitive impairment.

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics of psoriasis and status quo of medical care for patients in county areas of China.Methods:This study was a cross-sectional investigation. Based on the “Qianxian Wuyin” Project (a national project for upgrating ability for psoriasis care at county level), an online questionnaire survey was conducted in the dermatology departments of 459 county hospitals in 404 pilot administrative counties across China from February to June 2023. The questionnaire included demographic information of patients (gender, ethnicity, age, place of residence, education, marital status), and clinical characteristics of psoriasis (disease course, type, comorbidities, body surface area (BSA) and previous treatment. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) were applied for assessing the quality of life and disease severity, and completed by patients or guardian and doctors, respectively.Results:A total of 16 935 patients completed the questionnaire. The age of patients was 1-102(44.17±11.58)years, and 71.0% (12 036/16 935) were 30-59 years old. The ratio of male to female was 2.21∶1; 24.3%(4 117/16 935) of patients had high school education; there were 9 940 patients(58.7%) with previous or current smoking and/or alcohol use; 42.8%(7 218/16 855) of patients had a disease course of 1-5 years. There were 15 630 patients(92.3%) with DLQI≥10, 8 346 patients(49.7%) with PASI≥10, 15 017 patients(89.2%) with BSA≥10%. The plaque type was the most common disease type ( n=14 965, 88.7%), and spotting type ranked the second ( n=1 141, 6.8%). The most common initial site was the trunk ( n=12 309, 72.9%). Among the comorbidities, hypertension was the most common one ( n=1 681, 10.0%). There were 7 650 reports of treatment response to conventional topical drug therapy and 3 112 reports of treatment response to systemic drug therapy, with 6 269 (81.9%) and 2 493 (80.1%) reporting poor or no response, respectively. Conclusions:The survey shows that in the county areas of China, the majority of psoriasis patients are severe patients with short course of disease, plaque type is the most common type, and hypertension is the most common comorbidity; and the conventional treatment is less effective for most patients.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical application of urine sediment score (USS) in early diagnosis, etiological differentiation, staging and prognosis of acute kidney injury (AKI), and to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of independent USS and its combination with blood urea nitrogen(Bun) serum creatinine(sCr) and uric acid(UA) in AKI.Methods:From August 23 to September 28, 2023, 9 020 morning urine samples of hospitalized patients in the First Hospital of Jilin University were detected by Sysmex UF5000.A total of 3 226 ssamples with small and round cell (SRC) > 1/μl and/or CAST>1/μl were screened for microscopic examination, and 404 cases with positive renal tubular epithelial cells and/or cast were enrolled in this study. There were 218 males and 186 females, aged 59.5 (49.0, 71.0) years. The 404 cases were divided into the USS AKI group (345 cases) and the USS non-AKI group (59 cases) according to the USS results based on the microscopic findings. According to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria, they were divided into KDIGO criteria AKI group (63 cases) and KDIGO criteria non-AKI group (341 cases), and the AKI group was divided into renal AKI group (33 cases) and non-renal AKI group (30 cases). According to the clinical diagnosis recorded in the medical records, they were divided into clinically diagnosed AKI group (29 cases) and clinically diagnosed non-AKI group (375 cases).The χ 2 test or Fisher exact test was used to compare USS in different AKI causes and stages. Logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratio of renal AKI and stage 3 AKI. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of USS, sCr, UA and Bun alone and in combination in the diagnosis of AKI, and the best cut-off value, sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of AKI were calculated. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results:The USS was used to identify the etiology of KDIGO standard AKI group,and there were significant differences in USS between renal AKI group and non-renal AKI group (χ 2=11.070, P<0.001). Compared to USS=1, the odds ratio of renal AKI was 8.125 when USS≥2 (95% CI 2.208—29.901). There was a statistically significant difference in the comparison of USS between groups in each stage of the AKI staging study based on USS (χ 2=15.724, P<0.05). Compared to USS=1, the odds ratio of stage 3 AKI was 9.714 when USS≥2 (95% CI 1.145-82.390). The AUC of independent USS in the diagnosis of AKI was 0.687 (95% CI 0.618-0.757, P<0.001), the specificity was 65.7% and the sensitivity was 61.9%. The AUC of USS combined with Bun, sCr, UA in the diagnosis of AKI was 0.794 (95% CI 0.608-0.980, P<0.05), the specificity was 82.4%, and the sensitivity was 88.9%. Conclusions:There wasan increased likelihood of renal AKI or stage 3 AKI while USS≥2,and whose combination with Bun, sCr and UA will improve the diagnostic efficiency of AKI.