Tuberculosis （TB） and human immunodeficiency virus infection / acquired immune deficiency syndrome （HIV/AIDS） are both serious global public health threats. Early detection of infected persons and/or patients through TB/HIV bi-directional screening is crucial for prevention and control strategy in China and globally. In recent years， with the promotion and application of new TB and HIV detection technologies worldwide， TB/HIV bi-directional screening technologies and strategies have made remarkable changes. This expert consensus introduces the significance and challenges of TB/HIV bi-directional screening， summarizes important progress of research and applications， and makes recommendations on screening measures and procedures to further strengthen TB/HIV bi-directional screening in China.

Aim To explore a potential new target for the prevention and treatment of diabetic cardiomyopathy ( DCM) in mice. Methods The myocardial proteomics of normal and diabetic mice was studied. The GEO database GSE161931 dataset was analyzed using R language with P < 0.05 and I log

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

This study aims to investigate the expression, prognosis, and clinical significance of C5orf46 in gastric cancer and to study the interaction between the active components of C5orf46 and tarditional Chinese medicine. The ggplot2 package was utilized for differential expression analysis of C5orf46 in gastric cancer tissues and normal tissues. The survival package was used for survival analysis, univariate regression analysis, and multivariate regression analysis. Nomogram analysis was used to assess the connection between C5orf46 expression in gastric cancer and overall survival. The abundance of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes was calculated by GSVA package. Coremine database, Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform(TCMSP) database, and PubChem database were used to search the potential components corresponding to C5orf46 gene and tarditional Chinese medicine. Molecular docking was performed to explore the binding affinity of potential components to C5orf46. Cell experiments were performed to explore the expression of C5orf46 gene in cells of the blank group, model group, and drug administration groups. As compared with normal tissues, C5orf46 expression was higher in gastric cancer tissues, which had more significant predictive effects in the early stages(T2, N0, and M0). The more advanced the tumor node metastasis(TNM) stage, the higher the C5orf46 expression and the lower the probability of survival of patients with gastric cancer. The expression of C5orf46 positively correlated with the helper T cells1 in gastric cancer and the macrophage infiltration level in gastric cancer, and negatively correlated with B cells, central memory T cells, helper T cells 17, and follicular helper T cells. Seven potential components of C5orf46 were obtained, and three active components were obtained after the screening, which matched five tarditional Chinese medicines, namely, Sojae Semen Nigrum, Jujubae Fructus, Trichosanthis Fructus, Silybi Fructus, and Bambusae Concretio Silicea. Molecular docking revealed that sialic acid and adeno-sine monophosphate(AMP) had a good binding ability to C5orf46. The results of real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction(RT-qPCR) and Western blot showed that, as compared with the model group, the mRNA and protein expression levels of C5orf46 were significantly lower in the drug administration groups. The lowest expression level was found at the concentration of 40 μmol·L~(-1). The results of this study provide ideas for the clinical development of traditional Chinese medicine compounds for the treatment of gastric cancer as well as other cancers.
Humans ; Stomach Neoplasms/metabolism* ; Medicine, Chinese Traditional ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Prognosis ; Computational Biology

OBJECTIVE New inhaled formulations that act on the nose, mouth, respiratory tract, and whole body have received increasing attention. Meanwhile, the research and declaration of inhaled drugs have become hot spots amid infectious respiratory pandemic diseases worldwide. Due to the special anatomic structure of the nose, folds, grooves, and special structures may cause the specific uptake and deposition of inhaled substances. There are various epithelial tissues, glands, muscles, and cartilages in the vestibule, respiratory, and olfactory parts of the nose. Inhaled substances can generate irritating and toxic effects on various parts. The pathological diagnosis results from the preclinical safety evaluation of inhaled drugs are considered the gold standard for judging drug toxicology. The nose is composed of many bone components, and decalcification is required for the sectioning of hard bone tissues. Therefore, an efficient and high-quality decalcification method is the crucial pathological technique for evaluating inhaled drugs. METHODS In this study, 10% ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid(EDTA), 10% formic acid, and 5% nitric acid decalcification solutions were selected. Besides, the decalcification time and effect of these decalcification solutions for rat nasal tissues were compared and analyzed under static room temperature and microwave conditions. Moreover, the quality of pathological bone tissue sections prepared through different decalcification methods was comprehensively evaluated. RESULTS Compared with the decalcification method under normal temperature, the decalcification time under the treatment of KOS decreased significantly. The treatment with the EDTA decalcification solution had the longest decalcification time under normal temperature, while the treatment with the nitric acid decalcification solution had the shortest decalcification time under microwaves. During section evaluation, the EDTA decalcification solution had a higher quality score under normal temperature and microwaves, which indicated that the section quality was favorable. The nitric acid decalcification solution had a lower section quality score under microwaves, which indicated that the section quality was unfavorable. There was medium section quality for the formic acid decalcification solution under microwaves and normal temperature and for the nitric acid decalcification solution under normal temperature. The HE staining results suggested that there were incomplete nasal mucosa epithelia, fragmentation, and pink nasal bone tissues in the tissue sections treated by the nitric acid decalcification solution, presenting a peracid state. In the tissue sections treated by the formic acid decalcification solution and the EDTA decalcification solution, the nucleus of epithelial cells was blue-purple, the cytoplasm and interstitial components were pink, and the epithelial tissue structure of nasal mucosa was intact. The MASSON staining results suggested that in the tissue sections treated by the nitric acid decalcification solution, the whole section staining was red, the positive area was not obvious, and the epithelial cell differentiation was not prominent, with a fuzzy structure. In the tissue sections treated by the formic acid decalcification solution, the sections were slightly detached during staining, and slight cracks were observed in submucosa tissues. In the tissue sections treated by the EDTA decalcification solution, the structure of positive regions and epithelial mucosa regions was clear, and the nuclear and interstitial components were clearly distinguished. The immunohistochemical staining (Ki67) results suggested that in the tissue sections treated by the nitric acid decalcification solution, the staining of positive regions was uneven, and there were nonspecific negative reactions in some regions. In addition, local epithelial cells were unstained. In the tissue sections treated by the formic acid decalcification solution, the local regions were not clearly stained, and nonspecific negative and positive reactions appeared in some local regions. In the tissue sections treated by the EDTA decalcification solution, the positive regions were prominent, the boundaries between negative regions and positive ones were clear, and each region of the sections was stained evenly. CONCLUSION Among the three decalcification solutions in this study, the nitric acid decalcification solution had the shortest decalcification time while the poor section and staining quality. The decalcification time of nasal tissues through the EDTA decalcification solution combined with microwaves was significantly shorter than that through the EDTA decalcification solution at normal temperature. Furthermore, this decalcification method achieved favorable section and staining quality.

Biopharmaceuticals are formulated using a variety of excipients to maintain their storage stability.However,some excipients are prone to degradation during repeated use and/or improper storage,and the impurities generated by their degradation are easily overlooked by end users and are usually not strictly monitored,affecting the stability of biopharmaceuticals.In this study,we evaluated the degra-dation profile of polyol excipient glycerol during repeated use and improper storage and identified an unprecedented cyclic ketal impurity using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry(GC-MS).The other polyol excipient,mannitol,was much more stable than glycerol.The effects of degraded glycerol and mannitol on the stability of the model biopharmaceutical pentapeptide,thymopentin,were also evaluated.The thymopentin content was only 66.4％in the thymopentin formulations with degraded glycerol,compared to 95.8％in other formulations after the stress test.Most glycerol impurities(i.e.,aldehydes and ketones)reacted with thymopentin,affecting the stability of thymopentin formulations.In conclusion,this work suggests that more attention should be paid to the quality changes of excipients during repeated use and storage.Additional testing of excipient stability under real or accelerated conditions by manufacturers would help avoid unexpected and painful results.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

PURPOSE: The most popular surgical approach to manage Lisfranc fracture-dislocations is the double-incision approach, which frequently causes a variety of complications, such as skin necrosis, rotational malreduction of the first tarsometatarsal joint (TMTJ) and lateral column dorsoplantar malreduction of the TMTJ. We introduce a three-incision approach to treat Lisfranc fracture-dislocations with only minor postoperative complications and good foot function. METHODS: We prospectively selected 30 previously healthy patients, ranging from 18 to 60 years of age, but only 23 patients completed the follow-up and thus were finally included, with an average age of 38.1 ± 12.9 years. All patients have sustained Lisfranc fracture-dislocations involving all three-column; 13.0% (3/23) were Myerson classification type A (medial), 47.8% (11/23) were type A (lateral), and 39.1% (9/23) were type C2. All patients were treated via a three-incision approach: a long incision made along the lateral border of the second ray was used as a working incision to visualize and reduce the first three TMTJs, as well as to apply internal fixation instrumentation; a 2 cm medial incision was made at the medial side of the first TMTJ as an inspecting incision, ensuring good reduction of the first TMTJ in medial and plantar view; another 1 cm inspecting incision was made at the dorsal side of the fourth/fifth TMTJ to prevent sagittal subluxation of the lateral column. Mean ± SD was used for quantitative data such as operation time, follow-up time and foot function scores. Postoperative complications were documented, and foot function was evaluated using the American orthopaedic foot & ankle society score, foot function index and Maryland foot score at follow-up. The foot function of the injured foot and contralateral foot of the same patient was at the end of follow-up, and independent sample t-test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The median operation time was 117.9 ± 14.6 min (range 93 - 142 min). All complications occurred within three months after the operation, and included delayed wound healing (17.4%), superficial infection (8.7%), complex regional pain syndrome (4.3%) and neuroma (4.3%). There was no case of postoperative skin necrosis or malreduction. At the end of follow-up of 14.1 ± 1.2 months (range 12-16 months), the median American orthopaedic foot & ankle society score of the operated foot was 89.7 ± 5.7, the median foot function index was 21.7 ± 9.9, and the median Maryland foot score was 88.7 ± 4.8. There were no significant differences between the operated and contralateral sides, in terms of foot function, at the end of followup (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION The three-incision approach can provide adequate visualization of all TMTJs to ensure anatomical reduction and offer sufficient working space to apply internal fixation instrumentation, which is effective in treating three-column Lisfranc fracture-dislocations with minor soft tissue complications and satisfactory functional recovery.
Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Joint Dislocations/surgery* ; Fracture Dislocation ; Surgical Wound ; Postoperative Complications ; Necrosis ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of miR-203/CREB1 signaling regulation mediated by DNA methylation on the proliferation, invasion and apoptosis of multiple myeloma (MM) cells. METHODS: The methylation level of miR-203 in the RPMI 8226 cells was detected by bisulfite sequcucing polymerase chain reaction (BSP). The mRNA expression of miR-203 was measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. RPMI 8226 cells were treated with DNA methyltransferase inhibitor 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine (5-Aza-CdR). The miR-203 mimic in MM cell line RPMI 8226 was transfected to establish overexpressed miR-203 cell. The proliferation, invasion ability and apoptosis of RPMI 8226 cell was detected by CCK-8 assay, Transwell, and flow cytometry, respectively. The targeting relationship between miR-203 and CREB1 was verified by double luciferase report assay. Western blot was used to detect the expression of CREB1 protein. RESULTS: Hypermethylation of miR-203 promoter region and low expression level of miR-203 mRNA were detected in the RPMI 8226 cells, which showed that demethylation could induce the expression of miR-203. The proliferation and invasion ability of RPMI 8226 cells after treated by 5-Aza-CdR were inhibited, and showed statistical significance as compared with blank control group (both P<0.05)，while the apoptosis rate was promoted (P<0.05). The proliferation, invasion ability and apoptosis of overexpressed miR-203 were the same as the demethylation group. Double luciferase report assay confirmed that CREB1 was the direct target of miR-203. The protein level of CREB1 was inhibited by demethylation and showed statistical significance as compared with control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION MiR-203 targeting CREB1 mediated by DNA methylation leads to maintain the malignant biological behaviors of MM cells.
Apoptosis ; Azacitidine/pharmacology* ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Cell Proliferation ; Cyclic AMP Response Element-Binding Protein/pharmacology* ; DNA Methylation ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; Humans ; MicroRNAs/metabolism* ; Multiple Myeloma/genetics* ; RNA, Messenger/metabolism*

Objective: To analyze the clinical epidemiological characteristics including composition of pathogens , clinical characteristics, and disease prognosis acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) in Chinese children. Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical and laboratory data of 1 610 children <15 years of age with ABM in 33 tertiary hospitals in China from January 2019 to December 2020. Patients were divided into different groups according to age,<28 days group, 28 days to <3 months group, 3 months to <1 year group, 1-<5 years of age group, 5-<15 years of age group; etiology confirmed group and clinically diagnosed group according to etiology diagnosis. Non-numeric variables were analyzed with the Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test, while non-normal distrituction numeric variables were compared with nonparametric test. Results: Among 1 610 children with ABM, 955 were male and 650 were female (5 cases were not provided with gender information), and the age of onset was 1.5 (0.5, 5.5) months. There were 588 cases age from <28 days, 462 cases age from 28 days to <3 months, 302 cases age from 3 months to <1 year of age group, 156 cases in the 1-<5 years of age and 101 cases in the 5-<15 years of age. The detection rates were 38.8% (95/245) and 31.5% (70/222) of Escherichia coli and 27.8% (68/245) and 35.1% (78/222) of Streptococcus agalactiae in infants younger than 28 days of age and 28 days to 3 months of age; the detection rates of Streptococcus pneumonia, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus agalactiae were 34.3% (61/178), 14.0% (25/178) and 13.5% (24/178) in the 3 months of age to <1 year of age group; the dominant pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae and the detection rate were 67.9% (74/109) and 44.4% (16/36) in the 1-<5 years of age and 5-<15 years of age . There were 9.7% (19/195) strains of Escherichia coli producing ultra-broad-spectrum β-lactamases. The positive rates of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and blood culture were 32.2% (515/1 598) and 25.0% (400/1 598), while 38.2% (126/330)and 25.3% (21/83) in CSF metagenomics next generation sequencing and Streptococcus pneumoniae antigen detection. There were 4.3% (32/790) cases of which CSF white blood cell counts were normal in etiology confirmed group. Among 1 610 children with ABM, main intracranial imaging complications were subdural effusion and (or) empyema in 349 cases (21.7%), hydrocephalus in 233 cases (14.5%), brain abscess in 178 cases (11.1%), and other cerebrovascular diseases, including encephalomalacia, cerebral infarction, and encephalatrophy, in 174 cases (10.8%). Among the 166 cases (10.3%) with unfavorable outcome, 32 cases (2.0%) died among whom 24 cases died before 1 year of age, and 37 cases (2.3%) had recurrence among whom 25 cases had recurrence within 3 weeks. The incidences of subdural effusion and (or) empyema, brain abscess and ependymitis in the etiology confirmed group were significantly higher than those in the clinically diagnosed group (26.2% (207/790) vs. 17.3% (142/820), 13.0% (103/790) vs. 9.1% (75/820), 4.6% (36/790) vs. 2.7% (22/820), χ²=18.71, 6.20, 4.07, all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the unfavorable outcomes, mortility, and recurrence between these 2 groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions: The onset age of ABM in children is usually within 1 year of age, especially <3 months. The common pathogens in infants <3 months of age are Escherichia coli and Streptococcus agalactiae, and the dominant pathogen in infant ≥3 months is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Subdural effusion and (or) empyema and hydrocephalus are common complications. ABM should not be excluded even if CSF white blood cell counts is within normal range. Standardized bacteriological examination should be paid more attention to increase the pathogenic detection rate. Non-culture CSF detection methods may facilitate the pathogenic diagnosis.
Adolescent ; Brain Abscess ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Escherichia coli ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Male ; Meningitis, Bacterial/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Streptococcus agalactiae ; Streptococcus pneumoniae ; Subdural Effusion ; beta-Lactamases