Geographical and epidemiological characteristics of sporadic coronavirus disease 2019 outbreaks from June to December 2020 in China: an overview of environment-to-human transmission events

China quickly brought the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 under control during the early stage of 2020; thus, this generated sufficient confidence among the public, which enabled them to respond to several sporadic coronavirus disease 2019 outbreaks. This article presents geographical and epidemiological characteristics of several sporadic coronavirus disease 2019 outbreaks from June to December 2020 in China. The data show that the coronavirus disease may be transmitted by imported cold-chain food and international exchange, and this viewpoint deserves our great attention

The impact of novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 among healthcare workers in hospitals: An aerial overview

The ongoing outbreak of COVID-19, caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, places healthcare workers at an increased risk of infection as they are in close contact with patients. In this article, we report an overview of cases of infected healthcare workers in China and Italy during the early periods of the COVID-19 epidemic. China’s coronavirus response highlights the importance of implementing effective public health strategies. The authorities worldwide therefore, need to be extremely cautious when they implement stringent protective measures that safeguard healthcare workers in hospitals and counteract the threats created by the pandemic. Key Words: COVID-19 disease, Medical staff, Protective measures, Severe acute respiratory syndrome, coronavirus 2, Person-to-person transmissio

Superior cervical ganglionectomy alters gut microbiota in rats

The diversity and complexity of sympathetic function highlight the importance of fundamental research. Little is known about the interaction of superior cervical sympathetic ganglion (SCG) and gut microbiota. In this study, the engagement of the sympathetic ganglia with gut microbiota was investigated. Bilateral superior cervical ganglionectomy (SCGx) significantly altered the microbiota composition in rats 14 days post-surgery, and these microbiotas may participate in several biological pathways in the host, suggesting the vital role of the cervical sympathetic ganglion in regulating the microbiome-brain axis, and further confirming that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) regulates the microbiome-brain axis

Sporadic lymphangioleiomyomatosis with multiple atypical features: A case report and literature review

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is a rare, genetically determined, progressive interstitial lung disease, which almost exclusively affects women, especially at the childbearing age. The initial symptoms and radiographic changes in a patient with LAM are always associated with the respiratory system. Here, we present a case of mediastinal and abdominal LAM of a 22-year-old male, where LAM cells are negative for human melanoma black-45 ( HMB-45). The report of this uncharacterized LAM case will make a significant contribution to the realization of LAM associated clinical features, diagnostic approaches, and its afterward treatments

A novel CpG-methylation-based nomogram predicts survival in colorectal cancer

Aberrant DNA methylation is significantly associated with the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop a CpG-methylation-based nomogram for prognostic prediction in CRC. First, 378 CRC patients with methylation data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were randomly divided into training cohort (n = 249) and test cohort (n = 129). A multistep screening strategy was performed to identify six CpG sites that were significantly associated with overall survival in the training cohort. Then, Cox regression modelling was performed to construct a prognostic signature based on the candidate CpG sites. The six-CpG signature successfully separated patients into high-risk and low-risk groups in both training and test cohorts, and its performance was superior to that of previously published methylation markers (P < 0.05). Furthermore, we established a prognostic nomogram incorporating this signature, TNM stage, and age. The nomogram exhibited better prediction for overall survival in comparison with the three independent prognostic factors in the training cohort (C-index: 0.798 vs 0.620 to 0.737; P < 0.001). In the test cohort, the performance of nomogram was also superior to that of the three independent prognostic factors (C-index: 0.715 vs 0.590 to 0.665; P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the calibration curves for survival probability showed good agreement between prediction by nomogram and actual observation in both training and test cohorts. Together, the present study provides a novel CpG-methylation-based nomogram as a promising predictor for overall survival of CRC patients, which may help improve decision-making regarding the personalized treatments of patients with CRC

Nerve regeneration in transplanted organs and tracer imaging studies: a review

The technique of organ transplantation is well established and after transplantation the patient might be faced with the problem of nerve regeneration of the transplanted organ. Transplanted organs are innervated by the sympathetic, parasympathetic, and visceral sensory plexuses, but there is a lack of clarity regarding the neural influences on the heart, liver and kidneys and the mechanisms of their innervation. Although there has been considerable recent work exploring the potential mechanisms of nerve regeneration in organ transplantation, there remains much that is unknown about the heterogeneity and individual variability in the reinnervation of organ transplantation. The widespread availability of radioactive nerve tracers has also made a significant contribution to organ transplantation and has helped to investigate nerve recovery after transplantation, as well as providing a direction for future organ transplantation research. In this review we focused on neural tracer imaging techniques in humans and provide some conceptual insights into theories that can effectively support our choice of radionuclide tracers. This also facilitates the development of nuclear medicine techniques and promotes the development of modern medical technologies and computer tools. We described the knowledge of neural regeneration after heart transplantation, liver transplantation and kidney transplantation and apply them to various imaging techniques to quantify the uptake of radionuclide tracers to assess the prognosis of organ transplantation. We noted that the aim of this review is both to provide clinicians and nuclear medicine researchers with theories and insights into nerve regeneration in organ transplantation and to advance imaging techniques and radiotracers as a major step forward in clinical research. Moreover, we aimed to further promote the clinical and research applications of imaging techniques and provide clinicians and research technology developers with the theory and knowledge of the nerve

The connectome from the cerebral cortex to skeletal muscle using viral transneuronal tracers: a review

Connectomics has developed from an initial observation under an electron microscope to the present wellknown medical imaging research approach. The emergence of the most popular transneuronal tracers has further advanced connectomics research. Researchers use the virus trans-nerve tracing method to trace the whole brain, mark the brain nerve circuit and nerve connection structure, and construct a complete nerve conduction pathway. This review assesses current methods of studying cortical to muscle connections using viral neuronal tracers and demonstrates their application in disease diagnosis and prognosis

Association between the APC gene D1822V variant and the genetic susceptibility of colorectal cancer

Adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) gene polymorphisms are believed to contribute to tumor susceptibility. However, the association between genetic variants (A/T) in the APC gene D1822V polymorphism and colorectal cancer (CRC) susceptibility remains unknown. To determine this association, a case-control study was performed.. The genotype of the APC gene D1822V variants was analyzed by DNA sequencing in blood samples collected from 196 patients with CRC and 279 healthy subjects. There were no significant associations between the case and control groups in the distribution of AT [odds ratio (OR), 0.604; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.355-1.029) and TT genotypes (OR, 0.438; 95% CI, 0.045-4.247) relative to the AA genotype. The ratio of the T allele was significantly lower (P=0.047) in the case group compared with the control group (OR, 0.611; 95% CI, 0.374-0.997), indicating that the T allele conferred a protective effect in CRC. The frequency of the AT genotype among the subjects diagnosed at >45 years of age was lower than those diagnosed at a younger age (P<0.05). The present study demonstrates that the T allele of the D1822V polymorphism may exert a protective effect against CRC, however, these findings require further validation in a larger sample size

Experience and coping strategies of bowel dysfunction in postoperative patients with rectal cancer: a systematic review of qualitative evidence

Aim Due to the changes of bowel physiological structure and functional disorders after rectal cancer surgery, patients will face many bowel dysfunction for a long time, which will greatly affect their quality of life. The purpose of this review is to integrate the qualitative research on the experience of bowel dysfunction and coping strategies in postoperative patients with rectal cancer. Methods Systematic retrieval of PubMed, EMbase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Web of Sciences, PsycINFO, Willey and other databases was carried out by using the method of subject words and keywords. The Critical Appraisal Skill Programme (CASP) Qualitative Studies Checklist was used for Qualitative assessment. The findings were extracted from the included study and synthesized into the final themes, which was evaluated strictly in accordance with the ConQual process. Results Nine studies involving 345 participants were included and two main themes were extracted: “Experience a series of changes caused by bowel dysfunction” and “nmet needs and coping strategies facing bowel dysfunction”. The changes of rectal cancer patients who experience bowel dysfunction after operation mainly include three parts: bowel dysfunction is more than just a bowel reaction, which covers the bowel symptoms themselves and the subsequent body-related symptoms. The interruption of a normal life, mainly reflected in personal, family, and social life. Complex psychological reactions to bowel dysfunction, psychological changes have a dual nature, showing a positive and negative intertwined. There are two main aspects of unmet needs and coping strategies: the demand is mainly manifested in the need for information and support from medical professionals, while the coping strategy mainly includes diet, activity and drug management. Conclusion Rectal cancer patient often experience persistent bowel dysfunction after operation, which has a certain physical and mental effects. A series of new needs of postoperative patients are often not fully met, and patients often rely on their own empirical attempts to seek balance, less can get professional support. Future studies need to focus on how to provide continuous information support for postoperative rectal cancer patients, especially professional care from health care staff