OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a nomogram model for predicting 30-day mortality among elderly patients with sepsis-associated liver dysfunction (SALD), to identify high-risk patients and improve prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using data extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care-IV (MIMIC-IV) database for elderly patients with SALD who were first admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center between 2008 and 2019, including basic characteristics, severity scores, underlying diseases, infection foci, 24-hour vital signs, initial laboratory indicators, 24-hour complications, and prognosis related indicators. Patients were randomly assigned to training group and validation group in a ratio of 7 : 3. The training group used the LASSO regression analysis, as well as multivariate Logistic regression analysis to screen for independent risk factors for 30-day mortality. A nomogram prediction model was constructed, and receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC curve), calibration curves, and decision curve analysis (DCA) were used to evaluate the model, and validate the model using the validation cohort. RESULTS: A total of 630 elderly patients with SLAD were included in the study, including 441 in the training group and 189 in the validation group. Oxford acute severity of illness score (OASIS) for training group [odds ratio (OR) = 1.060, 95% confidence interval (95%CI) was 1.034-1.086], 24-hour pulse oxygen saturation (SpO₂; OR = 0.876, 95%CI was 0.797-0.962), initial mean corpuscular volume (MCV; OR = 1.043, 95%CI was 1.009-1.077), initial red blood cell distribution width (RDW; OR = 1.237, 95%CI was 1.123-1.362), initial blood glucose (OR = 1.008, 95%CI was 1.004-1.013), and initial aspartate aminotransferase (AST; OR = 1.000, 95%CI was 1.000-1.001) were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality in patients (all P < 0.05). Based on the above variables, a nomogram model was constructed, and the ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the model in the training group was 0.757 (95%CI was 0.712-0.803), with a sensitivity of 65.05% and a specificity of 74.90%; the AUC of the model in the validation group was 0.712 (95%CI was 0.631-0.792), with a sensitivity of 58.67% and a specificity of 81.58%. The calibration curves of the training and validation groups show that both the fitted curves were close to the standard curves. The Hosmer-Lemeshow test: the training group (χ ² = 6.729, P = 0.566), the validation group (χ ² = 13.889, P = 0.085), indicating that the model can fit the observed data well. The DCA curve shows that when the threshold probability of the training group was 16% to 94% and the threshold probability of the validation group was 27% to 99%, the net benefit of the model was good. CONCLUSIONS OASIS, 24-hour SpO₂, initial MCV, initial RDW, initial blood glucose and initial AST are independent risk factors for 30-day mortality in elderly patients with SALD. The nomogram based on these six variables demonstrates good predictive performance.
Humans ; Sepsis/complications* ; Retrospective Studies ; Nomograms ; Aged ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors ; Liver Diseases/mortality* ; Intensive Care Units ; ROC Curve ; Male ; Female ; Logistic Models

Objective·To analyze changes in the type distribution and drug resistance of pathogenic bacteria isolated from burn wards and to provide evidence for rational use of antibiotics, reduction of drug-resistant isolates, and hospital infection control. Methods·Isolates from burn patients were collected from January 2011 to December 2014. Statistical analysis of infection sources, type distribution, and changes in resistance rates of main pathogens during the four year period was performed. Results·A total of 2399 isolates were collected, including 1286 (53.61%) gram-negative bacilli (G-b), 1088 (45.35%) gram-positive cocci (G+c), and 25 (1.04%) fungi. The most common G-b pathogens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (447, 34.76%) and Acinetobacter baumannii (369, 28.69%). The most common G+c pathogen and fungus were Staphylococcus aureus (489, 44.94%) and Candida albicans (8, 33.33%), respectively. In the last two years, the detection rates of S.aureus and A.baumannii were significantly lower and the detection rate of P.aeruginosa was significantly higher than those in the first two years (P<0.05). P.aeruginosa and A.baumannii showed high resistance (>80%) to the third and fourth generation cephalosporins, carbapenems, aminoglycosides and quinolones, but the changes were not statistically significant (P>0.05). S.aureus was only highly resistant to penicillin (97.58%) and was 100% susceptible to vancomycin. Its resistance rates toward cefazolin, ampicillin/sulbactam, gentamicin, levofloxacin, and rifampin decreased significantly (P<0.05). The detection rate of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) dropped from 72.28% to 63.00%. Conclusion·Many types of drug resistant bacteria were detected in burn wards. The drug resistance problem was serious. Improving management and rational use of antibiotics can reduce the occurrence of drug-resistant bacteria and increase the efficacy of clinical anti-infective treatment and nosocomial infection control.

Objective PU.1 plays a key role in innate immune function in the alveolar macrophage.This study was to con-struct and identify recombinant adenovirus vectors carrying the human transcription factor PU.1 gene. Methods The recombinant shut-tle plasmid was obtained from the PU.1 gene ( SPI1) and eukaryotic expression vector that digested by restriction enzymes and connected by T4 DNA ligase.The target fragment SPI1-IRES-EGFP was amplified by PCR.The product was cloned into the intermediate pDONR221 and then recombined with the adenovirus backbone plasmid pAd/CMV/V5-DEST to form a recombinant adenovirus vector. The recombinant adenovirus vector was linearized by PacI and then transfected into human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells to obtain the recombinant adenovirus pAD-SPI1-IRES-EGFP, which was then propagated in HEK293 cells, filtered and purified to obtain high-con-centration adenoviruses.The adenovirus titer was determined by TCID 50 assay.The PU.1 gene expression in the HEK293 cells was con-firmed by fluorescence microscopy and real-time qPCR. Results PCR amplification, restriction digestion and sequencing analysis showed the recombinant adenovirus carried the correct PU.1 gene.The final virus titer, calculated by TCID 50, was 8 ×1011 IU/mL. Green fluorescence was observed under the fluorescence microscope. Real-time qPCR confirmed that the expression of PU.1 mRNA was increased by 2189.93 folds. Conclusion The recombinant adenovirus vector carrying the PU.1 gene was constructed and obtained successfully, which could contribute to further studies of the influence of PU.1 overex-pression on the innate defense against Aspergillus fumigatus.

Objective Dendritic cell-associatedC-type lectin-1 ( Dectin-1) is one of the most important receptors in antifungal innate immune response.This study was to construct a recombinant adenovirus vector expressing themurine Dectin-1gene and acquire a high-concentration adenovirus by amplification and purification. Methods The PCR amplification product CLEC7A-pIRES2-EGFP was cloned into the intermediate vector pDONR221, and then recom-bined with the backbone vector pAD/CMV/V5-DEST to produce a re-combinant plasmid pAD-CLEC7A-pIRE2S -EGFP.The recombinant plasmid was linearized with Pac I and transfected into human embryon-ic kidney ( HEK293) cells to produce recombinant adenovirus pAD-CLEC7Ap-IRES 2-EGFP. The adenovirus was propagated in the HEK293 cells and purified by filtering through the cellulose acetate membrane and concentrating column.Fluorescence microscopy and re-al-time PCR were used to determine the expression of the Dectin-1 gene. Results PCR identification, enzyme digestion, and sequen-cing results manifested theDectin-1 gene in the vector, with the final adenovirus titer of 5×1011 IU/mL.Fluorescence microscopy revealed green fluorescence and real-time PCR assay confirmed that the expression of Dectin-1 was improved by 8677.25 times. Conclusion A relatively high-titer adenovirus expressing Dectin-1 was acquired,which may help to further study the high expression of Dectin-1 in anti-fungal innate immunity in vitro and in vivo.

Objective To compare the results of susceptibility testing by European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST)and Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI)broth microdilution methods against Aspergillus isolates.Methods The susceptibilities of 116 Aspergillus isolates were determined for amphotericin B, voriconazole, itraconazole,caspofungin and micafungin according to EUCAST (E.DEF 9.1 )and CLSI (M38-A2)methods.The essential agreement (EA),categorical agreement (CA),very major errors (VME)and major errors (ME)of the two methods were compared.Results The EA was 96.3%-100% between the two methods.The CA ,ME,and VME were 98.8%,0-1.2% and 0 respectively for the susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus to voriconazole.The CA,ME and VME was 1 00%,0 and 0 respectively for the susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger to amphotericin B,or the susceptibility of Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus to itraconazole.Conclusions The results of susceptibility testing by EUCAST and CLSI broth microdilution methods are well consistent against Aspergillus isolates.

This paper introduces the development and the key technology of image guided Surgery Systems (IGSS) and analyses its prospect in this paper. IGSS can be used in clinical surgery as an assistant tool, and it would be an advanced medical equipment combined with medical robotics.
Robotics ; Surgery, Computer-Assisted ; instrumentation ; methods