Objective To analyze the predictive value of serum levels of procalcitonin(PCT)and cytokines on the prognosis of patients with COVID-19 at admission.Methods From November 2022 to February 2023,patients diagnosed with COVID-19 who were admitted to Beijing Chest Hospital were enrolled.Chemiluminescence was used to detect serum PCT levels,and flow microsphere array was used to detect serum cytokines IL-1β,IL-2,IL-4,IL-5,IL-6,IL-8,IL-10,IL-12p70,IL-17A,IL-17F,IL-22,TNF-α,TNF-β,IFN-γ level.ICU admission,mechanical ventilation and in-hospital death were defined as poor prognosis.After excluding patients with bacterial infection,the relationship between serum PCT and cytokine levels at admission and the prognosis of COVID-19 patients was analyzed.After excluding patients with bacterial infection,the relationship between serum PCT and cytokine levels at admission and the prognosis of COVID-19 patients was analyzed.Results A total of 176 patients with complete data were included,including 134 in the PCT-normal group and 42 in the PCT-elevated group,with a median age of 71.50 years and 71.59%males.Patients in the PCT elevated-group had significantly higher rates of ICU admission(38.41%vs.13.11%,P<0.05),mechanical ventilation(76.92%vs.24.59%,P<0.001)and in-hospital mortality(38.46%vs.6.56%,P<0.001)were significantly higher than those in the PCT-normal group.Serum levels of cytokines IL-6(7.40 pg/mL vs.4.78 pg/mL,P = 0.033 4)and IL-8(10.97 pg/mL vs.5.92 pg/mL,P<0.001)were significantly higher in patients with poor prognosis than in those with good prognosis.The area under the curve for PCT,IL-6,and IL-8 to predict poor prognosis in COVID-19 patients was 0.687,0.660,and 0.746,respectively;sensitivity was 52.78%,55.17%,and 72.41%,respectively;and specificity was 81.58%,74.19%,and 74.19%,respectively,as calculated from the ROC curve.When PCT,IL-6 and IL-8 jointly predict the prognosis of COVID-19 patients,the area under the curve is 0.764,the sensitivity is 70.00%,and the specificity is 80.00%.Conclusion Serum PCT and cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 could be used as predictive markers for poor prognosis in patients with COVID-19.

An elderly female melanoma patient who experienced severe liver injury after treatment with pembrolizumab and axitinib,which improved with glucocorticoid therapy.Through medication analysis and adverse reaction scale evaluated,it was considered that severe liver injury was more closely related to the immune checkpoint inhibitor,pembrolizumab.After a comprehensive analysis of the relationship between liver injury and immunotherapy,as well as the benefits and risks of immunotherapy for patients,immunotherapy was rechallenged 40 days after discontinuation of pembrolizumab.Restarting treatment with pembrolizumab after immune-mediated hepatitis poses a risk of recurrence of hepatotoxicity.After reviewing related literature,it had been found that the incidence of severe hepatotoxicity caused by rechallenging treatment was low,and the overall safety was controllable.Pembrolizumab had brought therapeutic benefits to patients,with no further immune-mediated liver injury of 5 cycles medication.This case can provide a reference for rechallenging immunotherapy after immune-mediated hepatitis.

Objective:To investigate the intelligence status of children aged 10 - 12 in rural areas of Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture (referred to as Linxia) in Gansu Province.Methods:From September to November 2019, a cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the intelligence status of children aged 10 to 12 in 8 counties (cities) of Linxia. Chinese Raven's Progressive Matrices (rural version) was used for intelligence test and children's intelligence quotient (IQ) was calculated by regular mold to evaluate children's intelligence level.Results:A total of 1 721 children in Linxia were tested for intelligence, with an average IQ of 103.2. Among them, low intelligence (≤69) accounted for 1.0% (18/1 721), borderline (70 - 79) accounted for 3.0% (52/1 721), middle and lower (80 - 89) accounted for 8.4% (144/1 721), moderate (90 - 109) accounted for 56.6% (974/1 721), middle and upper (110 - 119) accounted for 21.9% (377/1 721), excellent (120 - 129) accounted for 7.8% (135/1 721), extremely excellent (≥130) accounted for 1.2% (21/1 721). There were 635, 598 and 488 children aged 10, 11 and 12, respectively, with an average IQ of 106.1, 103.3 and 99.2. There were 919 males and 802 females, with an average IQ of 102.9 and 103.4, respectively.Conclusion:In 2019, the intelligence of children aged 10 to 12 in rural areas of Linxia has reached the moderate level.

Objective To explore the process and main behavior characteristics of behavioral characteristics of patients with recurrent hypoglycemia in the degeneracy of blood glucose management.Methods A mixed-method convergent design was used to collect data.From June 2022 to April 2023,382 patients with recurrent hypoglycemia were admitted to the endocrine department of a tertiary hospital in Jiangsu were recruited to score of ego depletion.K-means clustering was conducted to analyze the distribution characteristics of patients'characteristics in blood glucose management.At the same time,19 patients who were selected from the participants of the quantitative study were recruited to attend semi-structured interviews.Results Quantitative results analysis:the average score of blood glucose management loss was(49.20±6.58),and the average scores of cognitive control,behavioral control and emotional control were(17.90±4.12),(15.49±3.64)and(15.81±3.58),respectively.The results of cluster analysis showed that behavioral characteristics could be divided into 3 groups:a cognitive depletion group,an emotional depletion group and a self-control group.Qualitative data analysis:the process of deterioration of management in patients included 3 major themes,including the antecedents of ego depletion,the process of ego depletion and the aftereffects of ego depletion.Analysis of the mixed results showed that the status of ego depletion is serious;patients ignore the behavioral elements of active participation in blood glucose management,show many irrational decision-making behaviors,and the degradation behavior characteristics of patients'blood glucose management are different.Conclusion The degeneration behavior of blood glucose management was serious and affected by single or multiple factors,continuously consuming self-control energy and causing ego depletion.To promote the long-term maintenance of blood glucose management,priority should be given to take actions to enhance patients'perceptions,emotion and behaviors,help them learn about the possible blood glucose changes,improve their understanding and recognition of the value of scientific management.

Wound infections, secondary to acute and chronic wounds caused by mechanical, thermal, chemical factors, etc, not only delay wound healing but also may lead to mortality. The prolonged or inappropriate use of antibiotics lead to the growth of drug-resistant bacteria, resulting in refractory wound infections and poor treatment outcomes, which highlights the urgent need for effective therapies. Bacteriophages show great promise in treating drug-resistant wound infections due to their effectiveness in killing drug-resistant bacteria, their good resistance against bacterial biofilm (BBF) and their absence of cytotoxicity to eukaryotic cells. However, the mechanisms underlying bacteriophages′ resistance against BBF remain incompletely understood and their antibacterial efficacy for wound infections may also vary. For this purpose, the authors reviewed the biological characteristics and mechanisms of bacteriophages and their application in antibacterial therapies for wound infections, aiming to provide a reference for further research and application of bacteriophages in the treatment of wound infections.

ObjectiveTo investigate whether Jiedu Huoxue prescription can induce macrophage autophagy and inhibit inflammatory response to stabilize vulnerable plaques of atherosclerosis （AS） by regulating phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）/mammalian target of rapamycin （mTOR） signaling pathway. MethodThirty ApoE^-/- mice fed with high-fat diet were randomly assigned into model， low-， medium-， and high-dose （5.35， 10.7， and 21.4 g·kg^-1·d^-1， respectively） Jiedu Huoxue prescription （Chinese medicine）， and rapamycin （2 mg·kg^-1·d^-1） groups. Six ApoE^-/- mice fed with common diet were used as the control group， and 6 C57BL/6J mice fed with common diet as the blank group. The drugs or equal volume of normal saline were administrated by gavage after 7 weeks of modeling， and the treatment lasted for 4 weeks. The serum levels of lipids and inflammatory cytokines ［monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 （MCP-1） and interleukin-6 （IL-6）］ were measured. Hematoxylin-eosin （HE） staining was employed to observe the pathological changes of the vascular wall of the aortic root. Immunohistochemistry was employed to detect the expression of macrophages/monocytes monoclonal antibody （MOMA-2） and α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to count the autophagosomes in the aorta， and Western blot to determine the protein levels of Beclin-1， LC3， PI3K， Akt， and mTOR. ResultCompared with the control group， the model group showed elevated serum levels of lipids， MCP-1， and IL-6 （P<0.05）， inhibited expression of MOMA-2 and α-SMA （P<0.05， P<0.01）， up-regulated protein level of Beclin-1 （P<0.05）， and down-regulated protein levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR （P<0.05， P<0.01）. The model group presented obvious atherosclerotic plaques on the inner wall of the aorta， infiltration of inflammatory cells in the plaque， thickened and disarranged vascular intima where the plaque was attached， decreased autophagosomes and mitochondria， and destroyed mitochondrial structure. Chinese medicine and rapamycin groups showed lower levels of total cholesterol， triglycerides， low-density lipoprotein cholesterol， MCP-1， and IL-6 （P<0.05）， higher level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol （P<0.05）， inhibited expression of MOMA-2 and α-SMA （P<0.05， P<0.01）， higher protein levels of Beclin-1 and LC3Ⅱ （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and lower protein levels of PI3K， Akt， and mTOR （P<0.05， P<0.01） than the model group. Moreover， Chinese medicine and rapamycin groups showed only a small number of atherosclerotic plaques on the inner wall of the aorta， reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells and thickness of the blood vessel wall， and increased autophagosomes and autophagic lysosomes. ConclusionJiedu Huoxue prescription can improve lipid metabolism， enhance macrophage autophagy， and reduce AS-induced inflammation to improve the stability of vulnerable plaques in AS mice by inhibiting the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway.

Zn²⁺ is required for the activity of many mitochondrial proteins, which regulate mitochondrial dynamics, apoptosis and mitophagy. However, it is not understood how the proper mitochondrial Zn²⁺ level is achieved to maintain mitochondrial homeostasis. Using Caenorhabditis elegans, we reveal here that a pair of mitochondrion-localized transporters controls the mitochondrial level of Zn²⁺. We demonstrate that SLC-30A9/ZnT9 is a mitochondrial Zn²⁺ exporter. Loss of SLC-30A9 leads to mitochondrial Zn²⁺ accumulation, which damages mitochondria, impairs animal development and shortens the life span. We further identify SLC-25A25/SCaMC-2 as an important regulator of mitochondrial Zn²⁺ import. Loss of SLC-25A25 suppresses the abnormal mitochondrial Zn²⁺ accumulation and defective mitochondrial structure and functions caused by loss of SLC-30A9. Moreover, we reveal that the endoplasmic reticulum contains the Zn²⁺ pool from which mitochondrial Zn²⁺ is imported. These findings establish the molecular basis for controlling the correct mitochondrial Zn²⁺ levels for normal mitochondrial structure and functions.
Animals ; Caenorhabditis elegans/metabolism* ; Cation Transport Proteins/genetics* ; Homeostasis ; Mitochondria/metabolism* ; Zinc/metabolism*

Objective To assess the imported risk of COVID-19 in Guangdong province and its cities, and conduct early warning. Methods Data of reported COVID-19 cases and Baidu Migration Index of 21 cities in Guangdong province and other provinces of China as of February 25, 2020 were collected. The imported risk index of each city in Guangdong province were calculated, and then correlation analysis was performed between reported cases and the imported risk index to identify lag time. Finally, we classified the early warming levels of epidemic by imported risk index. Results A total of 1 347 confirmed cases were reported in Guangdong province, and 90.0% of the cases were clustered in the Pearl River Delta region. The average daily imported risk index of Guangdong was 44.03. Among the imported risk sources of each city, the highest risk of almost all cities came from Hubei province, except for Zhanjiang from Hainan province. In addition, the neighboring provinces of Guangdong province also had a greater impact. The correlation between the imported risk index with a lag of 4 days and the daily reported cases was the strongest (correlation coefficient: 0.73). The early warning base on cumulative 4-day risk of each city showed that Dongguan, Shenzhen, Zhongshan, Guangzhou, Foshan and Huizhou have high imported risks in the next 4 days, with imported risk indexes of 38.85, 21.59, 11.67, 11.25, 6.19 and 5.92, and the highest risk still comes from Hubei province. Conclusions Cities with a large number of migrants in Guangdong province have a higher risk of import. Hubei province and neighboring provinces in Guangdong province are the main source of the imported risk. Each city must strengthen the health management of migrants in high-risk provinces and reduce the imported risk of Guangdong province.

Objective:To investigate the association of single nucleotide polymorphism at the estrogen receptor 1(ESR1) gene rs1801132 with the risk of brick-tea type skeletal fluorosis.Methods:The typical brick-tea type fluorosis areas in Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Inner Mongolia were selected as the survey sites for a cross-sectional study. An epidemiological questionnaire was conducted by the staffs on the sites for participants older than 16 years, and physical examination and X-ray diagnosis were performed. Brick tea, blood, and urine samples were collected at the same time. The diagnosis of skeletal fluorosis through X-ray was based on the "Diagnostic Criteria for Endemic Skeletal Fluorosis" (WS/T 192-2008); The determination of tea's fluoride and urinary fluoride was performed by fluoride ion-selective electrode method; gene sequencing analysis of rs1801132 locus of ESR1 gene was done by Sequenom MassARRAY flight mass spectrometry system.Results:A total of 994 patients were included in this study. The total prevalence of skeletal fluorosis was 23.9% (238/994). The prevalence of skeletal fluorosis in Tibetans(39.9%, 123/308) was higher than those of Mongolian and Han nationality [22.2% (58/261), 13.4% (57/425), χ 2=20.435, 67.811, P < 0.05]. Based on binary logistic analysis, the daily tea fluoride intake ≤ 3.5 mg, urinary fluoride content ≤1.6 mg/L, and age ≤45 years were used as the reference groups, and then, when the daily tea fluoride intake > 7.0 mg ( OR=2.865, 95% CI: 1.923-4.268), urinary fluoride content > 1.6-3.2 mg/L ( OR=2.368, 95% CI: 1.686-3.326) and > 3.2 mg/L ( OR=3.559, 95% CI: 2.401-5.276), the age > 45-65 years old ( OR=2.361, 95% CI: 1.603-3.477) and > 65 years old ( OR=4.556, 95% CI: 2.845-7.296), the risk of fluorosis was higher than that of the reference group, respectively. When the daily tea fluoride intake was > 3.5-7.0 mg and the level of urinary fluoride was > 1.6-3.2 mg/L, G allele had a protective effect on skeletal fluorosis in Mongolian population (adjusted OR=0.207, 95% CI: 0.044-0.974); when the daily tea fluoride intake was > 3.5-7.0 mg, gender was male group, G allele had a protective effect on skeletal fluorosis in Han population (adjusted OR=0.315, 95% CI: 0.112-0.887). Conclusion:The single nucleotide polymorphism of the rs1801132 locus at the ESR1 gene may be associated with the risk of susceptibility to brick-tea type skeletal fluorosis in Mongolian and Han nationality.

Recently, targeted therapy has achieved great success in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. Mesenchymal to epithelial transition factor (MET) is considered to be another important molecular target for NSCLC since epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Accumulating clinical trials and case reports have confirmed that MET inhibitors exhibited a potential prospect in treating patients with MET 14 exon skipping alterations, suggesting that MET 14 exon skipping mutation might be an effective biomarker for MET inhibitors, which remains to be confirmed by more clinical data. This review summarizes current research about the molecular mechanism, clinicopathological characterization, treatment strategies and drug resistance mechanisms of MET 14 exon skipping alterations in NSCLC.
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Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Exons ; genetics ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; drug therapy ; genetics ; Molecular Targeted Therapy ; Mutation ; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met ; genetics