Objective:To analyze the bacteria spectrum and antimicrobial resistance profile of bacterial meningitis among children in Baoji.Methods:Based on the acute meningeal and encephalitis syndrome surveillance project, cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected from 774 cases of bacterial meningitis in Baoji Municipal Maternal and Health Hospital from January 2016 to December 2023. Bacterial culture and drug sensitivity test were carried out.Results:A total of 105 positive strains were isolated with the detection rate of 13.57% (105/774). Among them, gram-positive strains accounted for 80.00% (84/105), mainly including Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus hominis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae. Gram-negative bacteria accounted for 20.00% (21/105), and the predominant strain was Escherichia coli. Pathogenic bacteria were detected in every month of the year, with two peaks in March and September (26.67%, 28/105). The youngest was infected 20 min after birth, and the oldest was nine years old. There were statistical differences in the detection rates among different age groups (χ 2=35.91, P<0.05). The positive rate in the toddler group was lower than that in the infant group, the pre-school age group and the school age group, respectively (χ 2=15.01, 7.09, and 10.08; all P<0.05). There was no statistical difference between the toddler group and the neonate group (χ 2=1.60, P>0.05). The strains detected in the neonate group accounted for 44.76% (47/105), mainly including Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis; the strains in the infant group accounted for 26.67% (28/105), mainly including Streptococcus pneumoniae; the strains in the toddler group accounted for 3.81% (4/105), mainly including Staphylococcus epidermidis; the strains in the pre-school age accounted for 11.43% (12/105), mainly including Staphylococcus epidermidis; the strains in the school age group accounted for 13.33% (14/105), mainly including Streptococcus pneumoniae. The results of drug sensitivity test showed that the resistance rates of Staphylococcus epidermidis to ampicillin/sulbactam, clindamycin, and levofloxacin were 47.06% (8/17), 41.18% (7/17), and 23.53% (4/17), respectively. Staphylococcus epidermidis strains were sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid. All of the Streptococcus pneumoniae strains were resistant to erythromycin and clindamycin, but sensitive to vancomycin and linezolid. The resistance rate of Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicillin was 69.23% (9/13). The resistance rates of Escherichia coli to ampicillin, levofloxacin, ceftriaxone, and cefotaxime were 66.67% (8/12), 41.67% (5/12), 33.33% (4/12), and 41.67% (5/12), respectively, but they were sensitive to ampicillin/sulbactam, cefoperazone/sulbactam, amikacin, and meropenem. Streptococcus agalactis strains were sensitive to penicillin, linezolid, and vancomycin, but resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, ampicillin, and levofloxacin. Conclusions:The main pathogens causing bacterial meningitis in Baoji city are Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli. The distribution of bacteria is varied in different age groups. The diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis should be made based on the bacterial spectrum characteristics and the results of antimicrobial resistance profile.

ObjectiveTo study the brain network during balance control tasks in older adults. MethodsFrom January to April, 2022, 22 healthy young adults and 20 healthy older adults were recruited from the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University and communities. They were asked to finish standing tasks on the plantar pressure plate with eyes opening and closing, while the functional connectivities (FC) of prefrontal cortex (PFC) and primary motor cortex (PMC) were measured with functional near-infrared spectroscopy. ResultsCompared with the young adults, the area of the ellipse (Z = -2.884, P < 0.01) and the maximum swing (Z = -2.481, P < 0.05) increased in the older adults as eyes closing. During the standing task, the intra-FC of left (t = 2.978, P < 0.01) and right (Z = -3.123, P < 0.01) PFC decreased in the older adults, and the inter-FC of right PMC to left PFC (t = 2.087, P < 0.05) and right PFC to left PFC (t = 3.471, P < 0.001) decreased, too. ConclusionThe FC of PFC decreased in healthy older adults during balance control tasks, which may be a indicator for aging brain.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of interleukin-17A (IL-17A) on liver and kidney injury and prognosis in septic mice. METHODS: A total of 84 SPF male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into sham operation group (Sham group), cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) induced sepsis model group (CLP group), and IL-17A intervention group. IL-17A intervention group were then divided into five subgroups according to the dose of IL-17A (0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 4 μg). Mice in the IL-17A intervention group were intraperitoneally injected with the corresponding dose of IL-17A 100 μL immediately after surgery. The other groups were intraperitoneally injected with 100 μL phosphate buffer solution (PBS). The survival rate of mice was observed at 7 days, and peripheral blood and liver, kidney and spleen tissues were collected. According to the 7-day survival, another 18 mice were randomly divided into Sham group, CLP group, and 1 μg IL-17A intervention group. Peripheral blood samples were collected at 12 hours and 24 hours after CLP, and the mice were sacrificed to obtain liver, kidney, and spleen tissues. The behavior and abdominal cavity of each group were observed. The levels of peripheral blood liver and kidney function indexes and inflammatory factors were detected. The histopathological changes of liver and kidney were observed under light microscope. The peripheral blood and spleen tissues were inoculated in the medium, the number of bacterial colonies was calculated, and the bacterial migration of each group was evaluated in vitro. RESULTS: Except for the Sham group, the 7-day survival rate of mice in the 1 μg IL-17A intervention group was the highest (75.0%), so this condition was selected as the intervention condition for the subsequent study. Compared with Sham group, the liver and kidney functions of CLP group were significantly damaged at each time point after operation. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and serum creatinine (SCr) reached the peak at 24 hours after operation, and the liver and kidney pathological scores reached the peak at 7 days after operation, the levels of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL-17A, IL-6, IL-10) reached the peak at 12 hours after operation, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) reached the peak at 24 hours after operation. In addition, a large number of bacteria proliferated in the peripheral blood and spleen, which reached the peak on day 7. Compared with the CLP group, exogenous administration of 1 μg IL-17A significantly delayed the rising trend of each index in the early stage of sepsis [24-hour ALT (U/L): 166.95±5.20 vs. 271.30±6.11, 24-hour AST (U/L): 599.42±7.25 vs. 1 013.27±3.37, 24-hour BUN (mg/L): 815.4±26.3 vs. 1 191.2±39.4, 24-hour SCr (μmol/L): 29.34±0.87 vs. 60.75±3.83, 7-day liver pathological score: 2.50 (2.00, 3.00) vs. 9.00 (8.50, 9.00), 7-day kidney pathological score: 1.00 (1.00, 2.00) vs. 5.00 (4.50, 5.00), 12-hour IL-17A (ng/L): 105.21±0.31 vs. 111.28±1.37, 12-hour IL-6 (ng/L): 83.22±1.01 vs. 108.88±0.99, 12-hour IL-10 (ng/L): 731.54±3.04 vs. 790.25±2.54, 24-hour TNF-α (μg/L): 454.67±0.66 vs. 576.18±0.76, 7-day peripheral blood colony count (CFU/mL): 600 (400, 600) vs. 4 200 (4 200, 4 300), 7-day spleen tissue colony count (CFU/g): 4 600 (4 400, 4 600) vs. 23 400 (23 200, 23 500), all P < 0.05]. CONCLUSIONS Appropriate dose (1 μg) of exogenous IL-17A can reduce the lethal inflammatory response induced by CLP and improve the ability of bacterial clearance, thereby alleviating liver and kidney injury and improving the 7-day survival rate of septic mice.
Animals ; Male ; Mice ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-17/pharmacology* ; Interleukin-6 ; Kidney/physiopathology* ; Liver/physiopathology* ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Prognosis ; Sepsis ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

Objective To investigate the effectiveness and safety of EVT in mild stroke patients with ALVO.Methods A total of 124 mild stroke patients with ALVO treated in our hospital were enrolled and randomly divided into control group(n=64)and observation group(n=60).The control group was given routine treatment,while the observation group received EVT treat-ment besides routine treatment.NIHSS score,BI score,and mRS score were compared between the two groups to evaluate the postoperative safety of EVT treatment.Results The NIHSS scores on the 7th and 14th days,and at discharge were significantly lower in the observation group and control group than those at admission(P＜0.05),and those of the former group were obvi-ously decreased than those of the latter group at the corresponding time points(P＜0.01).On the 7th,14th,and discharge days,the BI score of both groups were significantly increased compared to those at admission(P＜0.05),with the scores in the observation group higher than those of the control group at above time points(P＜0.01).The ratio of the patients having mRS score ≤2 point was larger in the observation group than the control group(96.67％vs 84.38％,P＜0.05).One case in the observation group experienced asymptomatic intracranial hemorrhage,and no oth-er adverse events were observed.Conclusion EVT can improve the prognosis of mild stroke pa-tients with ALVO,but does not significantly increases the incidence of adverse events.

Objective:To explore any effect of brain aging on the brain′s walking network and its mechanism.Methods:Twenty healthy elderly people and 22 healthy young adults formed an elderly group and a youth group. All were evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Timed Up and Go test (TUGT), the 10-metre walk test (10MWT), the functional near infrared spectroscopy walking synchrony test and GaitRite gait parameters. The intensity of functional connections and the gait parameters of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the primary motor cortex (MC) were compared between the two groups.Results:Compared with the youth group, the average cadence of the elderly group was significantly faster. The FC value of the RPFC in the homologous ROI, as well as those of the RMC-RPFC and RPFC-LPFC in the heterologous ROI of the elderly group were significantly lower than in the youth group.Conclusions:Lower FC values in the RPFC and its associated brain regions in the elderly during normal walking may be what activates the brain′s walking network in the early stage of brain aging.

Objective:To analyze the clinical efficacy and safety of stent implantation combined with drug therapy and drug therapy alone in patients with vertebral artery initial stenosis.Methods:A total of 112 patients with vertebral artery initial stenosis who were treated in Wuzhou Workers′ Hospital from January 2016 to June 2018 were selected and divided into drug group and stent + drug group according to random number table method, with 56 patients in each group. The drug group received drug therapy alone, and stent + drug group received stent implantation combined with drug therapy. The incidence of ischemic events in posterior circulation, the improvement of vascular stenosis rate and the improvement of neurological function injury were observed in the two groups after 12 months of treatment.Results:The success rate in the stent + drug group was 100.0%(56/56). The rate of vascular stenosis in the stent + drug group was lower than that in the drug group: (15.21 ± 3.74)% vs. (18.62 ± 4.27)% ; but the incidence of restenosis was higher than that in the drug group:26.79%(15/56) vs. 7.14%(4/56), the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). The total incidence of ischemic events in the posterior circulation after treatment in the stent + drug group was lower than that in the drug group: 8.93%(5/56) vs. 28.57%(16/56), and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2 = 7.092, P = 0.008). After treatment, the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and Modified Rankin Scale (MRS) in the stent + drug group were lower than those in the drug group: (2.30 ± 0.36) scores vs. (3.75 ± 0.52) scores, (4.11 ± 0.51) scores vs.(6.14 ± 0.57) scores, and the differences were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The application of stent implantation combined with drug regimen in the treatment of patients with vertebral artery initial stenosis can effectively reduce the neurological damage of patients, andimprove the total effective rate, which is conductive to the improvement of patients′ quality of life, but the rate of stent restenosis is high.

Objective:To preliminarily study the effect of Q self-traction endoscopic submucosal dissection (Q-ESD) on treatment of large early esophageal cancer (EEC).Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on the data of 82 cases of large EEC (single lesion>1/2 cross-section diameter or longitudinal diameter length >5 cm) who underwent ESD on Fujian Provincial Hospital between January 2015 and December 2018. According to the treatment schedule, patients were divided into the conventional ESD group (n=44) and the Q-ESD group (n=38). The procedural area, time, and speed, en bloc resection rate, complete resection rate and complications of the two groups were analyzed.Results:All of the 82 lesions were resected completely under endoscope. There was no statistical difference in the procedural area [779.8 (329.9-2 552.5)mm 2 VS 875.7 (417.8-1 914.8)mm 2, U=155, P=0.636], procedural time [63 (41-177)min VS 59 (42-169)min, U=171, P=0.167] and complete resection rate [94.7% (36/38) VS 93.2% (41/44), χ2=0.086, P=0.769] between the Q-ESD group and the conventional ESD group. Compared with the conventional ESD group, the Q-ESD group had a faster dissection speed [14.9 (5.4-20.8) mm 2/min VS 9.0 (5.0-19.5) mm 2/min, U=142, P=0.035], lower muscularis propria injury rate [7.9% (3/38) VS 27.3% (12/44), χ2=5.123, P=0.023], and a lower stricture rate [5.3% (2/38) VS 20.5% (9/44), χ2=4.051, P=0.044]. No other adverse events occurred except for one case of perforation in the conventional ESD group. Conclusion:The new traction technique of Q-ESD is a safe and effective treatment for large EEC.

This study was performed to investigate a potential marker for the presence of spermatozoa in the ejaculate following varicocelectomy in Chinese men with nonobstructive azoospermia and varicoceles. The micro-RNA (miR)-192a levels in seminal plasma and testicular tissue were evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction from 60 men with nonobstructive azoospermia and varicoceles (Group A: 27 men with spermatozoa found in the ejaculate after surgery; Group B: 33 men without spermatozoa found in the ejaculate after surgery) and 30 controls. The seminal plasma and testicular tissue miR-192a levels were higher in Group B than in Group A and the controls (P < 0.001), and there was no significant difference between Group A and the controls (P > 0.05). Apoptosis and proliferation assays with miR mimics and inhibitors showed that miR-192a induced GC-2 cell apoptosis through the activation of Caspase-3 protein. Thus, seminal plasma miR-192a appears to be a potential marker for successfully indicating spermatozoa in the ejaculate following microsurgical varicocelectomy in men with nonobstructive azoospermia and varicoceles. Seminal plasma miR-192a may be a useful clinical marker for prescreening to determine which patients with nonobstructive azoospermia and varicoceles would benefit from varicocelectomy.
Adult ; Apoptosis ; Asian People ; Azoospermia/surgery* ; Biomarkers/analysis* ; Caspase 3/analysis* ; Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Infertility, Male/etiology* ; Male ; MicroRNAs/biosynthesis* ; Microsurgery ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Semen/metabolism* ; Testis/metabolism* ; Treatment Outcome ; Varicocele/surgery*

Objective To explore the value of OTSC( over-the-scope-clip) for upper digestive tract perforation. Methods Thirteen patients with old and fresh upper digestive tract perforation, treated with an OTSC clip at the Department of Digestive Endoscopy from May 2015 to June 2016, were enrolled. All OTSCs were 11/6t, and all procedures were performed by experienced endoscopists. Results Seven cases of fresh perforation were iatrogenic after treatment for gastric submucosal tumor. Six cases of old perforation included 2 cases of spontaneous esophageal rupture, 2 fistula after operations for esophageal foreign body, 1 fistula after the operation for gastric stromal tumor, and 1 anastomotic fistula after esophagectomy. Eight cases of perforation occurred in stomach and 5 in esophageal. Fresh lesion sizes were from 4 to 30 mm ( average 15. 3 mm), old lesion sizes from 5 to 10 mm(average 7. 8 mm). OTSC′s release time in fresh lesions was 6-27 min(average 15. 1 min), that in old 15-80 min(average 42. 3 min) with significant difference. Technical success rate was 100％(13/13),clinical success rate in fresh lesions was 100％(7/7),and 50％ (3/6) in old lesions. No patient had special treatment or complication. Conclusion OTSC is useful and safe for the treatment of upper digestive tract perforation, which is superior for fresh perforation than for the old. The perfect time to release OTSC for old perforation is when there is no obvious fibrosis caused by inflammation. The success rate is higher when the lesion size is smaller than 30 mm. Self-releasing of OTSC is rare. The necessity and the timing to take them out still needs further study.

OBJECTIVE:To optimize the purification process of the extract from Yiqi guben granules. METHODS:The purifi-cation effect of the process was investigated with transfer rate of polysaccharide,calycosin glucoside and dry paste as evaluation in-dexes,using ZTC1+1 type Ⅱ,and shell poly sugar and 95% ethanol as clarifying agents. The purification process of the extract from Yiqi guben granules was optimized by orthogonal test using the ratio of material to liquid,the amount of clarifying agent and standing time as factor. The validation test was conducted. RESULTS:Selecting ZTC1+1 type Ⅱ as a clarifying agent,the best trans-fer rate of effective component had been obtained;optimal purification process was as follows as the ratio of material to liquid 1:2, the ratio of ZTC1+1 type Ⅱ A liquid 5%,the ratio of B liquid 10%,standing time of 5 h. The results of verification test showed transfer rates of dry paste in 3 tests were 71.54%,70.98%,69.21%,respectively;those of polysaccharide were 82.55%, 81.78%,82.15%,respectively;those of calycosin glucoside were 91.92%,92.34%,91.58%,respectively (all RSD≤1.72%, n=3). CONCLUSIONS:The optimized purification process is effective,stable and practical,and can be used for the purification of the extract from Yiqi guben granules.