Objective:To explore the non-bacterial pathogen distribution, epidemiological characteristics, and clinical features of acute respiratory infections in children in Sichuan Province.Methods:Using a retrospective cohort study method, this study selected hospitalized children diagnosed with acute respiratory infections at West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University from February 2019 to January 2021, and tested 13 pathogens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-fragment analysis. The children were divided into infant group (<1 year old), toddler group (1 year old ≤ age <3 years old), preschool group (3 years old ≤ age <6 years old) and school-age group (6 years old ≤ age <18 years old). The distribution of pathogen positive rates, seasonal epidemic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and some laboratory test indicators were analyzed in children. Statistical analysis was performed on the results using SPSS 22.0 software, with count data expressed as percentages and inter group comparisons using SPSS 22.0 software χ2 Inspection. Results:A total of 2 922 pediatric patients were included in this study, with 1 748 (59.8%) positive for pathogens detected. Among them, 1 391 (79.6%) were detected as a single pathogen, and 357 (20.4%) were detected as a mixture of two or more pathogens. The most commonly detected pathogens were rhinovirus (HRV) (39.7%), syncytial virus (RSV) (22.8%), and parainfluenza virus (PIV) (12.5%). Pathogen positivity is more common in children under 6 years old ( χ2=146.59, P<0.001), with a slightly higher positivity rate in male children (61.3%, 1 047/1 707) than in female children (57.7%, 701/1 215) ( χ2=3.91, P=0.048), and compared with pathogen negative children, positive children are more prone to symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath ( χ2=259.15, 366.06, 12.48, P<0.001). The distribution of different pathogens varies among children of different age groups, and HRV is more common in children aged 1-3 and 3-6 years old ( χ2=9.74, P<0.001), while RSV is more common in children under 1 year old ( χ2=178.63, P<0.001), while mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and influenza virus (InfA/B) are less common in children under 1 year old ( χ2=92.54, 12.90,22.21, P<0.01). The prevalence of multiple pathogens showed seasonal changes. HRV showed a high prevalence trend in spring and autumn, while the prevalence of RSV infection was mainly seen in autumn and winter festivals. The positive rate of different pathogens after the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia was significantly lower than that before the outbreak ( χ2=252.68, P<0.001). Conclusion:The detection rate of non-bacterial respiratory pathogens in children in Sichuan Province from 2019 to 2021 is high, which is prone to symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath, with HRV and RSV being the main types. The positive rate of respiratory pathogens varies among different age groups, genders, and seasons.

Background::Limited information exists regarding the impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection on psoriasis patients. The objective of this study was to identify clinical factors associated with the prognosis of psoriasis following SARS-CoV-2 infection.Methods::A retrospective, multicenter study was conducted between March and May 2023. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were employed to identify factors associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-related psoriasis outcomes. The study included 2371 psoriasis patients from 12 clinical centers, with 2049 of them having been infected with SARS-CoV-2.Results::Among the infected groups, lower exacerbation rates were observed in individuals treated with biologics compared to those receiving traditional systemic or nonsystemic treatments (22.3% [236/1058] vs. 39.8% [92/231] vs. 37.5% [140/373], P <0.001). Psoriasis progression with lesions (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 8.197, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 5.685–11.820, compared to no lesions), hypertension (adjusted OR = 1.582, 95% CI = 1.068–2.343), traditional systemic (adjusted OR = 1.887, 95% CI= 1.263–2.818), and nonsystemic treatment (adjusted OR= 1.602, 95% CI= 1.117–2.297) were found to be associated with exacerbation of psoriasis after SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not biologics (adjusted OR = 0.931, 95% CI = 0.680–1.274, compared to no treatment), according to multivariable logistic regression analysis. Conclusions::A reduced risk of psoriasis exacerbation after SARS-CoV-2 infection was observed with biologics compared to traditional systemic and nonsystemic treatments. Significant risk factors for exacerbation after infection were identified as existing psoriatic lesions and hypertension.

Objective:To explore the non-bacterial pathogen distribution, epidemiological characteristics, and clinical features of acute respiratory infections in children in Sichuan Province.Methods:Using a retrospective cohort study method, this study selected hospitalized children diagnosed with acute respiratory infections at West China Second Hospital of Sichuan University from February 2019 to January 2021, and tested 13 pathogens using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-fragment analysis. The children were divided into infant group (<1 year old), toddler group (1 year old ≤ age <3 years old), preschool group (3 years old ≤ age <6 years old) and school-age group (6 years old ≤ age <18 years old). The distribution of pathogen positive rates, seasonal epidemic characteristics, clinical characteristics, and some laboratory test indicators were analyzed in children. Statistical analysis was performed on the results using SPSS 22.0 software, with count data expressed as percentages and inter group comparisons using SPSS 22.0 software χ2 Inspection. Results:A total of 2 922 pediatric patients were included in this study, with 1 748 (59.8%) positive for pathogens detected. Among them, 1 391 (79.6%) were detected as a single pathogen, and 357 (20.4%) were detected as a mixture of two or more pathogens. The most commonly detected pathogens were rhinovirus (HRV) (39.7%), syncytial virus (RSV) (22.8%), and parainfluenza virus (PIV) (12.5%). Pathogen positivity is more common in children under 6 years old ( χ2=146.59, P<0.001), with a slightly higher positivity rate in male children (61.3%, 1 047/1 707) than in female children (57.7%, 701/1 215) ( χ2=3.91, P=0.048), and compared with pathogen negative children, positive children are more prone to symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath ( χ2=259.15, 366.06, 12.48, P<0.001). The distribution of different pathogens varies among children of different age groups, and HRV is more common in children aged 1-3 and 3-6 years old ( χ2=9.74, P<0.001), while RSV is more common in children under 1 year old ( χ2=178.63, P<0.001), while mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) and influenza virus (InfA/B) are less common in children under 1 year old ( χ2=92.54, 12.90,22.21, P<0.01). The prevalence of multiple pathogens showed seasonal changes. HRV showed a high prevalence trend in spring and autumn, while the prevalence of RSV infection was mainly seen in autumn and winter festivals. The positive rate of different pathogens after the outbreak of novel coronavirus pneumonia was significantly lower than that before the outbreak ( χ2=252.68, P<0.001). Conclusion:The detection rate of non-bacterial respiratory pathogens in children in Sichuan Province from 2019 to 2021 is high, which is prone to symptoms such as cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath, with HRV and RSV being the main types. The positive rate of respiratory pathogens varies among different age groups, genders, and seasons.

The morbidity and mortality of myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are primarily caused by arterial and venous complications, progression to myelofibrosis, and transformation to acute leukemia. However, identifying molecular-based biomarkers for risk stratification of patients with MPNs remains a challenge. We have previously shown that interferon regulatory factor-8 (IRF8) and IRF4 serve as tumor suppressors in myeloid cells. In this study, we evaluated the expression of IRF4 and IRF8 and the JAK2V617F mutant allele burden in patients with MPNs. Patients with decreased IRF4 expression were correlated with a more developed MPN phenotype in myelofibrosis (MF) and secondary AML (sAML) transformed from MPNs versus essential thrombocythemia (ET). Negative correlations between the JAK2V617F allele burden and the expression of IRF8 (P < 0.05) and IRF4 (P < 0.001) and between white blood cell (WBC) count and IRF4 expression (P < 0.05) were found in ET patients. IRF8 expression was negatively correlated with the JAK2V617F allele burden (P < 0.05) in polycythemia vera patients. Complete response (CR), partial response (PR), and no response (NR) were observed in 67.5%,10%, and 22.5% of ET patients treated with hydroxyurea (HU), respectively, in 12 months. At 3 months, patients in the CR group showed high IRF4 and IRF8 expression compared with patients in the PR and NR groups. In the 12-month therapy period, low IRF4 and IRF8 expression were independently associated with the unfavorable response to HU and high WBC count. Our data indicate that the expression of IRF4 and IRF8 was associated with the MPN phenotype, which may serve as biomarkers for the response to HU in ET.
Biomarkers ; Humans ; Hydroxyurea/therapeutic use* ; Interferon Regulatory Factors/genetics* ; Janus Kinase 2/genetics* ; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/genetics* ; Mutation ; Phenotype ; Primary Myelofibrosis/genetics* ; Thrombocythemia, Essential/genetics*

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors for unfavorable outcome of low-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).Methods:A retrospective study was performed. The clinical data of 273 patients with aSAH of World Federation of Neurosurgery (WNFS) grading I and II, admitted to our hospital from April 2017 to March 2021, were collected. According to modified Rankin scale (mRS) scores 3 months after treatment, these patients were divided into favorable outcome group (mRS scores of 0-2) and unfavorable outcome group (mRS scores of 3-6). Statistical methods were used to analyze the clinical and imaging data differences between the two groups and identify the independent influencing factors for unfavorable outcome. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to evaluate the predictive values of different independent factors in unfavorable outcome.Results:Among the 273 patients with low-grade aSAH, 45 patients had unfavorable outcome and 228 patients had favorable outcome. Univariate analysis showed that there was significant difference between the 2 groups in age, Fisher grading distribution, proportions of patients complicated with shunt dependent hydrocephalus, with delayed cerebral ischemia, or with intracranial hemorrhage, and WNFS grading ( P<0.05). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that concurrent shunt dependent hydrocephalus ( OR=5.075, 95%CI: 1.705-15.102, P=0.004), age ( OR=1.090, 95%CI: 1.036-1.147, P=0.004), delayed cerebral ischemia ( OR=8.282, 95%CI: 3.447-19.896, P=0.000), and postoperative intracranial hemorrhage ( OR=8.603, 95%CI: 2.332-31.745, P=0.001) were independent influencing factors for unfavorable outcome. ROC curve analysis showed that the optimal diagnostic threshold of age was 65 years, and the areas under ROC curve for delayed cerebral ischemia and age in predicting unfavorable outcome were 0.733 ( 95%CI: 0.653-0.813, P=0.000) and 0.709 ( 95%CI: 0.622-0.796, P=0.000). Conclusion:Low-grade aSAH patients with age≥65, postoperative shunt dependent hydrocephalus, delayed cerebral ischemia, and intracranial hemorrhage are more likely to have unfavorable outcome; age and complicated delayed cerebral ischemia have certain diagnostic value in low-grade aSAH patients.

Objective:To explore the effect of scenario simulation nursing in fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) examination of preschool children.Methods:From January 2017 to March 2021, 98 preschool children who underwent FFA examination in the Fluorescence Contrast Room of Shanxi Eye Hospital were selected as the research object. Children from 2017 to December 2018 were in the control group with routine nursing, and children from January 2019 to March 2021 were in the experimental group with scenario simulation nursing. The incidence of adverse reactions and satisfaction with cooperation were compared between the two groups of children.Results:The incidence of adverse reactions in children in the experimental group was 2.00%, which was lower than 16.67% in children in the control group. The satisfaction with cooperation in the experimental group was 94.0%, which was higher than 79.2% in the control group. The differences were all statistically significant ( P<0.05) . Conclusions:The application of scenario simulation nursing in FFA examination of preschool children can effectively reduce the incidence of adverse reactions in children and improve the satisfaction of children with cooperation during the examination.

Simplified outpatient service flow and higher service efficiency can save back-and-forth trips and queuing time of outpatients and better their medical experience. The authors introduced the hospital′s experience in establishing a one-stop multi-functional outpatient service center. This center integrated such departments as outpatient office service, medical insurance office service, and registration & fee payment. Such a " multifunctional post" provided a one-stop service for the patients, hence optimizing the workflow for creating a convenient and fast outpatient service.

Clinical skill competition based on objective structured clinical examination could evalu-ate students' clinical abilities effectively and fairly in a comprehensive way. The competition results not only reflected the learning effectiveness of the competitors but all the medical students. Analysis and exploration of the inspiration from the competition could promot the all-round development of students and boost the continuous growth and progress of clinical teaching.

Objective To investigate the expressions and clinical significances of breast cancer stem cell markers such as aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 (ALDH1) and transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) in patients with triple negative breast cancer.Methods Samples of 60 triple negative breast cancer tissues were investigated for the expressions of ALDH1 and TGF-β2 proteins by immunohistochemical staining.The correlation analysis,disease-free survival analysis and overall survival analysis were performed.Results The positive expressions of ALDH1 protein and TGF-β2 protein in the 60 breast cancer primary lesions were 23 cases (38.33％) and 38 cases (63.33％) respectively.The expression of ALDH1 protein was not correlated with tumor size (x2 =0.307,P =0.580),histological grade (x2 =4.244,P =0.120),clinical stage (x2 =0.982,P =0.612) or lymph node metastasis (x2 =1.111,P =0.292).The expression of TGF-β2 protein was not correlated with histological grade (x2 =4.651,P =0.098),lymph node metastasis (x2 =3.513,P =0.061),clinical stage (x2 =1.310,P =0.519) or tumor size (x2 =0.629,P =0.428).The disease-free survival time [(38.43±3.86) months vs.(53.38 ±2.58) months] and the overall survival time [(42.00±3.11) months vs.(53.84 ± 2.19) months] of ALDH1-positive patients were significantly shorter than those of ALDH1-negative patients,and the differences were statistically significant (x2 =8.490,P =0.004;x2 =11.270,P =0.001).The disease-free survival time [(42.81 ±3.32) months vs.(54.72 ±2.50) months] and the overall survival time [(44.74 ± 2.68) months vs.(57.18 ± 1.55) months] of TGF-β2 positive patients were significantly shorter than those of TGF-β2-negative patients,and the differences were statistically significant (x2 =4.300,P =0.038;x2 =8.900,P =0.003).The expression of ALDH1 protein was positively correlated with the expression of TGF-32 protein (r =0.360,P =0.005).Conclusion The ALDH1 phenotype is an independent predictor of poor prognosis.The activation of TGF-32 signaling pathway may be involved in the regulation of triple-negative breast cancer stem cells.

Background and purpose:Osteosarcoma, a highly malignant bone tumor, develops rapidly. The current medicines for osteosarcoma present some limitations with serious side effects of long-term use. Isosteviol has the structure of tetracyclic diterpene which is the starting material of many anti-cancer drugs. However, its anti-tumor activity has been rarely reported. This study investigated the effect of isosteviol on proliferation of human osteosarcoma cell line U-2OS.Methods:The effect of isosteviol on U-2OS cell proliferation was assayed by MTT method. Cellular morphologic changes were observed under an inverted phase contrast microscope. The cell condition was observed with Hoechst 33342 and PI staining. Generation of reactive oxygen species and cell membrane potential were detected as well. The cell cycles were analyzed with lfow cytometry. The expressions of apoptosis-related proteins Bcl-2 and Bax were measured by Western blot assay.Results:The result indicates that isosteviol suppressed the growth of U-2OS cells in time- and concentration-dependent manner. Isosteviol could cause S phase cell cycle arrest at 24 h and apoptosis at 48 h. With the increased drug concentration, reactive oxygen species increased significantly, and the membrane potential gradually reduced. In addition, isosteviol treatment enhanced the expression of Bax but reduced that of Bcl-2.Conclusion:The inhibition of isosteviol on cell growth of U-2OS cells was possibly caused by promoting apoptosis through regulating the apoptosis-related protein expressions, such as the enhancement of Bax and reduction of Bcl-2 expression.