ObjectiveTo establish a regional risk assessment system for hospital-acquired infections in neurosurgery department of general hospital, and to evaluate its prevention and control effectiveness. MethodsFailure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) was used to identify the core risk factors for infections in neurosurgery department. The risk priority number (RPN) of each risk factor was calculated to determine the priority intervention targets. Targeted interventions were developed and continuously refined through the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycles. Data from January to June 2023 (control group) and July to December 2023 (intervention group) were collected to compare the differences in environmental hygiene monitoring qualification rate, incidence rate of hospital-acquired infections among inpatients, and detection rate of bacterial antimicrobial resistance. ResultsHigh-risk factors for hospital-acquired infections in neurosurgery department included patient-related risk factors, inadequate implementation of isolation measures for special infections, and poor compliance with surgical site infection (SSI) prevention protocols. After intervention, the environmental hygiene qualification rate significantly increased from 81.55% to 100.00% (χ²=120.49, P<0.001). The overall hospital-acquired infection rate among inpatients decreased from 2.62% to 2.45%, the infection rate of per case declined from 3.12% to 2.84%, and the detection rate of multidrug-resistant organism infections reduced from 43.72% to 36.79%. Additionally, antimicrobial utilization rate decreased from 48.75% to 42.53% (χ²=34.09, P<0.001). ConclusionThe FMEA-based risk assessment system can effectively identify critical infection risks in neurosurgery department, and targeted interventions can significantly improve infection prevention and control performance.

Objective This study aims to achieve high-yield functional expression of the human voltage-gated potassium channel K_V3.1 using an Escherichia coli cell-free protein synthesis system, thereby providing a novel synthetic approach for drug screening, structural analysis and functional characterization of K_V3.1. Methods K_V3.1 was expressed in an Escherichia coli cell-free protein synthesis system for 10 hours in the presence of peptide surfactant A₆K. The secondary structure of K_V3.1 was analyzed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The potassium channel activity of the recombinant protein liposome K_V3.1-A₆K was investigated using fluorescent dyes Oxonol VI as indicators, which are capable of reflecting alterations in membrane potential. Results Soluble K_V3.1 protein was successfully synthesized, achieving a purified yield of up to 1.2 mg/mL via an Escherichia coli cell-free protein synthesis system. Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that K_V3.1 exhibited characteristic α-helical secondary structures. Membrane potential fluorescence assays demonstrated that the K_V3.1-A₆K proteoliposomes, which were reconstructed with surfactant peptide A₆K, exhibited remarkable potassium ion permeability. Conclusion This study successfully achieved high-yield expression of human K_V3.1 with activity using an Escherichia coli-based cell-free protein synthesis system. This innovative method not only significantly enhances the expression yield of K_V3.1, but also maintains its functional activity, thereby establishing a novel and efficient synthetic platform for drug screening and advancing our understanding of structure-function relationships in K_V3.1 research.
Humans ; Escherichia coli/metabolism* ; Shaw Potassium Channels/biosynthesis* ; Cell-Free System ; Circular Dichroism ; Protein Biosynthesis ; Recombinant Proteins/metabolism* ; Membrane Potentials ; Shab Potassium Channels

Purpose: Cancer has become a significant major public health concern, making the discovery of new cancer markers or therapeutic targets exceptionally important. Elevated expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 12A (TNFRSF12A) expression has been observed in certain types of cancer. This project aims to investigate the function of TNFRSF12A in tumors and the underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Various websites were utilized for conducting the bioinformatics analysis. Tumor cell lines with stable knockdown or overexpression of TNFRSF12A were established for cell phenotyping experiments and subcutaneous tumorigenesis in BALB/c mice. RNA-seq was employed to investigate the mechanism of TNFRSF12A. Results: TNFRSF12A was upregulated in the majority of cancers and associated with a poor prognosis. Knockdown TNFRSF12A hindered the colorectal cancer progression, while overexpression facilitated malignancy both in vitro and in vivo. TNFRSF12A overexpression led to increased nuclear factor кB (NF-κB) signaling and significant upregulation of baculoviral IAP repeat containing 3 (BIRC3), a transcription target of the NF-κB member RELA, and it was experimentally confirmed to be a critical downstream factor of TNFRSF12A. Therefore, we speculated the existence of a TNFRSF12A/RELA/BIRC3 regulatory axis in colorectal cancer. Conclusion TNFRSF12A is upregulated in various cancer types and associated with a poor prognosis. In colorectal cancer, elevated TNFRSF12A expression promotes tumor growth, potentially through the TNFRSF12A/RELA/BIRC3 regulatory axis.

Purpose: Cancer has become a significant major public health concern, making the discovery of new cancer markers or therapeutic targets exceptionally important. Elevated expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 12A (TNFRSF12A) expression has been observed in certain types of cancer. This project aims to investigate the function of TNFRSF12A in tumors and the underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Various websites were utilized for conducting the bioinformatics analysis. Tumor cell lines with stable knockdown or overexpression of TNFRSF12A were established for cell phenotyping experiments and subcutaneous tumorigenesis in BALB/c mice. RNA-seq was employed to investigate the mechanism of TNFRSF12A. Results: TNFRSF12A was upregulated in the majority of cancers and associated with a poor prognosis. Knockdown TNFRSF12A hindered the colorectal cancer progression, while overexpression facilitated malignancy both in vitro and in vivo. TNFRSF12A overexpression led to increased nuclear factor кB (NF-κB) signaling and significant upregulation of baculoviral IAP repeat containing 3 (BIRC3), a transcription target of the NF-κB member RELA, and it was experimentally confirmed to be a critical downstream factor of TNFRSF12A. Therefore, we speculated the existence of a TNFRSF12A/RELA/BIRC3 regulatory axis in colorectal cancer. Conclusion TNFRSF12A is upregulated in various cancer types and associated with a poor prognosis. In colorectal cancer, elevated TNFRSF12A expression promotes tumor growth, potentially through the TNFRSF12A/RELA/BIRC3 regulatory axis.

Purpose: Cancer has become a significant major public health concern, making the discovery of new cancer markers or therapeutic targets exceptionally important. Elevated expression of tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 12A (TNFRSF12A) expression has been observed in certain types of cancer. This project aims to investigate the function of TNFRSF12A in tumors and the underlying mechanisms. Materials and Methods: Various websites were utilized for conducting the bioinformatics analysis. Tumor cell lines with stable knockdown or overexpression of TNFRSF12A were established for cell phenotyping experiments and subcutaneous tumorigenesis in BALB/c mice. RNA-seq was employed to investigate the mechanism of TNFRSF12A. Results: TNFRSF12A was upregulated in the majority of cancers and associated with a poor prognosis. Knockdown TNFRSF12A hindered the colorectal cancer progression, while overexpression facilitated malignancy both in vitro and in vivo. TNFRSF12A overexpression led to increased nuclear factor кB (NF-κB) signaling and significant upregulation of baculoviral IAP repeat containing 3 (BIRC3), a transcription target of the NF-κB member RELA, and it was experimentally confirmed to be a critical downstream factor of TNFRSF12A. Therefore, we speculated the existence of a TNFRSF12A/RELA/BIRC3 regulatory axis in colorectal cancer. Conclusion TNFRSF12A is upregulated in various cancer types and associated with a poor prognosis. In colorectal cancer, elevated TNFRSF12A expression promotes tumor growth, potentially through the TNFRSF12A/RELA/BIRC3 regulatory axis.

Objective To compare the difference,agreement,and axial length measurement success rate between biometers ZW-30 and IOLMaser 700 based on swept-source optical coherence tomography for the measurement of ocular bi-ological parameters in patients with cataracts.Methods A total of 126 cataract patients(233 eyes)who were advised to undergo cataract surgery at the Department of Ophthalmology at Beijing Tongren Hospital,Capital Medical University from January to February 2024 were included in this study.Two biometers were used to measure the axial length(AL),mean keratometry(Km),anterior chamber depth(ACD),lens thickness(LT),central corneal thickness(CCT),and horizontal corneal diameter[namely,the white-to-white(WTW)distance].The axial measurement success rate of the two biometers and the difference and agreement between the parameters were calculated.Results The mean difference between ZW-30 and IOLMaster 700 was(-0.006±0.042)mm for AL,(-0.074±0.204)D for Km,(0.031±0.051)mm for ACD,(0.001±0.005)mm for CCT,and(-0.286±0.337)mm for WTW,and the differences were statistically significant(all P＜0.05).The mean difference between ZW-30 and IOLMaster 700 was(0.008±0.215)mm for LT,and the difference was not statis-tically significant(t=0.579,P=0.563).The 95％limits of agreement range was between-0.011 mm and 0.000 mm for AL,between-0.474 D and 0.326 D for Km,between-0.010 mm and 0.012 mm for CCT,between-0.068 mm and 0.131 mm for ACD,between-0.116 mm and 0.159 mm for LT,and between-0.947 mm and 0.376 mm for WTW.The intra-class correlation coefficient of all measurements ranged from 0.790 to 1.000.The AL measurement success rate of IOLMaster 700 and ZW-30 was 95.3％and 95.7％,respectively.The latter had an AL measurement success rate of 98.7％after manually marking the position of the retinal identification line.Conclusion There were statistically significant differences between ZW-30 and IOLMaster 700 in the measurement of the AL,Km,ACD,and CCT,which,however,were not clinically significant.The agreement between both was good.ZW-30 had a higher AL measurement success rate,espe-cially for the manual identification function of eyes with opacified refractive media,which can further improve the AL meas-urement success rate and provide reference for clinical work.

Objective:To observe the ultrasonographic features of idiopathic uveal effusion syndrome (IUES).Methods:A retrospective controlled study. From January 2012 to December 2023, 13 patients with IUES (26 eyes) diagnosed by ophthalmology examination in Department of Ophthalmonogy of Beijing Tongren Hospital (IUES group) and 22 healthy people with 30 eyes (control group) were included in the study. Both eyes of all participants were examined by color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) and ultrasonic biomicroscopy (UBM). The thickness of the ocular wall at 300 μm on the temporal side of the optic disc was measured by CDU. UBM was used to measure the thickness of the nasal and temporal scleral processes. Corneal thickness (CT), anterior chamber depth (AD), lens thickness (LT) and axial length (AL) were measured by A-mode ultrasound. There were no significant differences in age ( t=0.842), sex component ratio ( χ2=0.540), eye difference ( χ2=0.108) and AL ( t=0.831) between IUES group and control group ( P>0.05). The CDU and UBM imaging features and biometrics of IUES affected eyes were observed. Independent sample t test was used for comparison between groups. Results:CDU examination results showed that in 26 eyes of IUES group, choroidal detachment occurred in 20 eyes (76.9%, 20/26), which showed arc-shaped band echo connected with peripheral and equatorial eye wall echo, with uniform low echo area below, and blood flow signal could be seen on the band echo. The echo thickened and decreased in 4 eyes (15.3%, 4/26). Nine eyes (33.3%, 9/26) were accompanied by retinal detachment, which showed that the posterior pole vitreous echo was connected to the optic disc echo, and the blood flow signal was seen on the ribbon echo. UBM results showed ciliary detachment in 22 eyes (84.7%, 22/26), showing a spongy thickening of the ciliary body with interlamellar echo separation and an echoless area between the sclera. Ciliary body echo thickened and decreased in 2 eyes (7.7%, 2/26). Shallow space between ciliary body and sclera was observed in 2 eyes (7.7%, 2/26). Compared with the control group, CT ( Z=2.054), LT ( Z=1.867), scleral thickness ( Z=2.536) and ocular wall thickness ( Z=2.094) were thickened in IUES group, and AD ( Z=1.888) were decreased, with statistical significance ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The CDU of IUES is characterized by a thickened echo of the ocular wall and a uniform low echo area under the detached choroid. UBM is characterized by a spongy thickening of the ciliary body echo with interlaminar echo separation.

Objective:To evaluate the effectiveness of anti-G straining maneuver (AGSM) in pilots by surface electromyography (sEMG), and to explore the relationships between characteristics of sEMG and anti-G endurance in pilots.Methods:Thirty-eight male high-performance fighter pilots who completed the human centrifuge test at the Air Force Medical Center were selected. Among them, 25 completed the 8.0 G for 10 s anti-G endurance test and 13 completed the 9.0 G for 10 s anti-G endurance test. The sEMG tester was used to keep track of the changes of sEMG in rectus abdominis, rectus femoris, anterior tibial and gastrocnemius muscles while pilots were engaged in AGSM. The anti-G endurance was evaluated according to the changes of visual fields and consciousness. The pilots were divided into 3 groups: the good vision and consciousness group, peripheral visual field narrowing group and endurance endpoint group. The differences in the integral electromyogram (iEMG), mean power frequency (MPF) and muscle input rates between the 3 groups were investigated.Results:A total of 25 pilots completed the 8.0 G for 10 s anti-G endurance test. Among them, 8 (32.0%) were in the good vision and consciousness group, 13 (52.0%) in the peripheral visual field narrowing group and 4 (16.0%) reached the endurance endpoint. Among the 13 pilots who completed the 9.0 G for 10 s anti-G endurance test, 3 (23.1%) were in the good vision and consciousness group, 6 (46.1%) in the peripheral visual field narrowing group, and 4 (30.8%) in the endurance endpoint group. The results of sEMG showed that the iEMG values of the anterior tibialis muscle in pilots under the 9.0 G for 10 s load were significantly different across endurance groups ( H=7.54, P=0.023), and that the iEMG values of the tibialis anterior muscle in the good vision and consciousness group were higher than those in the endurance endpoint group ( P=0.036). The negative slopes of MPF for the rectus abdominis, rectus femoris, anterior tibialis, and gastrocnemius muscles were higher in the good vision and consciousness group than in the other 2 groups, but the differences were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). During the 8.0 G for 10 s anti-G endurance test, there were significant differences in lower limb muscle contribution rates between the 3 groups ( F=4.19, P=0.029). The endurance endpoint group exhibited a lower contribution rate than the good vision and consciousness group ( P=0.025). During the 9.0 G for 10 s anti-G endurance test, there were significant differences in tibialis anterior muscle contribution rates between the 3 groups ( F=4.16, P=0.049). The endurance endpoint group demonstrated a lower contribution rate than the good vision and consciousness group ( P=0.049). Conclusions:The full and balanced activation of abdominal muscles and lower limb muscles, especially the effective mobilization of calf muscles, plays a pivotal role in improving pilots′ AGSM efficiency in high G environments.

Objective:To analyze the biological parameters of the anterior segment of age-related cataracts patients with or without zonular weakness with the new generation of sweep-source anterior optical coherence tomography (OCT) device CASIA2 to provide a basis for the diagnosis of zonular weakness.Methods:A case-control study was conducted.A total of 158 cases (186 eyes) of patients with age-related cataracts having zonular weakness as a zonular weakness group, and 80 cases (80 eyes) of cataract with age-related cataracts without zonular weakness as a normal zonule group were enroll from June 2022 to June 2023 at Beijing Tongren Hospital.All patients underwent routine preoperative ophthalmological examination including slit lamp microsopy, IOLMaster 700, ocular B-ultrasound and OCT.The anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber volume (ACV), lens thickness (LT), lens vault (LV), anterior chamber angle opening distance at 750 μm (AOD750), lens decentration and tilt, radius of curvature of the anterior lens surface (RAL), and radius of curvature of the posterior lens surface (RPL) of patients were measured with CASIA2 and compared between the two groups.The relationship between zonular weakness and anterior chamber parameters and lens parameters was evaluated by logistic regression analysis.This study followed the Declaration of Helsinki.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Beijing Tongren Hospital (No.TRECKY2018-049), and all enrolled patients signed the informed consent form.Results:In the zonular weakness group, ACD, ACV, RAL, and AOD750 were (2.34±0.56)mm, (85.05±40.19)mm 3, 7.52 (7.13, 8.08)mm, and 0.27 (0.07, 0.30)mm, respectively, which were smaller than (3.13±0.38)mm, (127.75±38.15)mm 3, 9.28(8.51, 9.76)mm, and 0.52 (0.31, 0.65)mm in the normal zonule group, with statistically significant differences (all P<0.05).LT and LV in the zonular weakness group were (5.14±0.45)mm and (1.22±0.53)mm, respectively, which were larger than (4.27±0.52)mm and (0.32±0.30)mm in the normal zonule group, and the differences were statistically significant (both P<0.05).Magnitude of lens decentration and tilt in the zonular weakness were 0.34 (0.13, 0.45)mm and 6.44 (3.67, 7.32)°, respectively, which were significantly larger than 0.19 (0.12, 0.25)mm and 4.88 (3.85, 5.65)° in the normal zonule group (both P<0.05).No obvious pattern was found in the direction of decentration and tilt.Logistic regression analysis showed that LV and lens decentration were risk factors of zonular weakness (odds ratios [ OR]=706.170, 335.339; both P<0.05), and RAL was a protective factor of zonular weakness ( OR=0.239, P<0.05). Conclusions:Age-related cataract patients with zonular weakness often present with a decrease in ACV due to increased anterior convexity of the lens.Decreased RAL, increased lens decentration and elevated LV are risk factors for zonular weakness.

ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyze the association between novel coronavirus (“SARS-CoV-2”) infection and clinical symptoms in inpatients with severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, so as to provide evidence for improving clinical diagnostic ability. MethodsFrom January 13 to March 2, 2023, respiratory tract specimens of 456 inpatients with SARI were collected from 8 sentinel institutions, SARS-CoV-2 was detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Whole genome sequencing and sequence analyses were performed to samples with a cycle threshold (Ct) value of <35. At the same time, demographic information, clinical characteristics and underlying disease condition of the cases were collected, and the association between age, symptoms and nucleic acid positive rates was evaluated by χ² test and Spearman correlation analysis. ResultsA total of 456 cases were included, the median (P₂₅, P₇₅) age was 70 (69, 85) years old, of which 200 cases were novel coronavirus nucleic acid positive for SARS-CoV-2, with a positive rate of 43.86%. The positive rate was the highest in the 80-year-old group (56.82%), and the positive rate increased significantly with age (r=0.15, P=0.002). The proportion of oppression in chest, sore throat and expectoration in novel coronavirus nucleic acid positive cases was significantly higher than that in negative cases (all P<0.05). The 33 viruses sequenced successfully were all Omicron subvariants, with BF.7 (51.52%) and BA.5.2 (42.42%) being the predominant ones. ConclusionA positive correlation was observed between advanced age and the risk of SARS-CoV-2 positivity in patients with SARI. The symptoms of expectoration, oppression in chest and sore throat are more common in positive cases, which can be used as a prompt indicator for key screening and clinical identification of elderly SARI cases.