Case Report: A rare infection of multidrug-resistant Aeromonas caviae in a pediatric case with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and review of the literature

Aeromonas caviae infection of the bloodstream and intestine is a rare and severe opportunistic infection in immunocompromised people. In Southwest China, we first reported a case of bloodstream and intestinal infection with multidrug-resistant (MDR) Aeromonas caviae in a 4-year-old child with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Blood and stool cultures were used to identify the infection. The selection of antibiotics was based on clinical expertise and medication sensitivity tests. We used linezolid, levofloxacin, and polymyxin B to treat the patient aggressively. Aeromonas caviae infection is uncommon in juvenile acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Doctors should be aware of the likelihood of opportunistic infection during the post-chemotherapy bone marrow suppression period. We further conducted a review of the literature and performed a detailed analysis of Aeromonas infection in pediatric leukemia. It is becoming increasingly apparent that antibiotic is abused domestically and abroad, resulting in the sharp increase of MDR bacteria. In general, most of the Aeromonas isolates are susceptible to third- or fourth-generation cephalosporins, aminoglycosides, quinolones, and carbapenem, but drug-resistant strains are being reported increasingly. We summarized the drug resistance rate of Aeromonas caviae and Aeromonas hydrophila in China in the last 10 years. Early recognition and effective treatment will improve prognosis and reduce mortality

Evaluations of 5-fluorourcil treated lung cancer cells by atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) can be used to obtain the physical information of single live cancer cells; however, the physical changes in live cells with time based on AFM remain to be studied, which play a key role in the evaluation of the efficacy and side effects of drugs. Herein, the treatment of the A549 cell line with the anticarcinogen 5-fluorouracil has been discussed based on the AFM analysis of their continuous physical changes, including their surface morphology, height, adhesion and Young's modulus, with time. In comparison, the African green monkey kidney (Vero) cell line was tested as normal cells to determine the side effects of 5-fluorouracil. The results show that the optimal concentration of 5-fluorouracil is about 500 μM, which presents the best anticancer effect and mild side effects

Effect of extract from ginseng rust rot on the inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells in vitro

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of major leading causes of cancer death worldwide. As a traditional medicine, the anti-cancer function of ginseng is being growingly recognized and investigated. However, the effect of ginseng rust rot on human HCC is unknown yet. In this study, the HCC cells were treated with different parts of mountain cultivated ginseng rust rot and compared with human normal liver cells. The morphology, survival rate and β-actin expression of the cells were changed by introducing the ginseng epidermis during the incubation process. Notably, the results reveal that the ginseng epidermis can induce apoptosis by altering the morphologies of cells, indicating the practical implication for the HCC treatment and drug development

Efficacy and safety of triazavirin therapy for coronavirus disease 2019 : A pilot randomized controlled trial

Acknowledgements: We are deeply grateful to the front-line clinicians who participated in the study while directly fighting the epidemic. This study was supported by the Chinese Academy of Engineering Projects for COVID-19 (2020-KYGG-01-04) and Heilongjiang Province Urgent Project-6 for COVID-19. Data and safety monitoring board members of this trial included Kang Li, Yong Zhang, Songjiang Liu, and Yaohui Shi.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Fstl1 Antagonizes BMP Signaling and Regulates Ureter Development

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathway plays important roles in urinary tract development although the detailed regulation of its activity in this process remains unclear. Here we report that follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1), encoding a secreted extracellular glycoprotein, is expressed in developing ureter and antagonizes BMP signaling activity. Mouse embryos carrying disrupted Fstl1 gene displayed prominent hydroureter arising from proximal segment and ureterovesical junction defects. These defects were associated with significant reduction in ureteric epithelial cell proliferation at E15.5 and E16.5 as well as absence of subepithelial ureteral mesenchymal cells in the urinary tract at E16.5 and E18.5. At the molecular level, increased BMP signaling was found in Fstl1 deficient ureters, indicated by elevated pSmad1/5/8 activity. In vitro study also indicated that Fstl1 can directly bind to ALK6 which is specifically expressed in ureteric epithelial cells in developing ureter. Furthermore, Sonic hedgehog (SHH) signaling, which is crucial for differentiation of ureteral subepithelial cell proliferation, was also impaired in Fstl1-/- ureter. Altogether, our data suggest that Fstl1 is essential in maintaining normal ureter development by antagonizing BMP signaling

EventShop: An Information Engine for Processing Massive Heterogeneous Spatio-Temporal Data Streams

With the proliferation of diverse mobile devices and development of platforms like the Web and social networks, the data world is clearly moving away from its original underpinning in cyberspace and merging into the physical space. Enormous amounts of data pertaining to different characteristics across space and time are being generated and shared. These heterogeneous spatio-temporal data streams can be used to detect real-world situations and help people in taking appropriate actions in time for saving lives and resources. To allow such applications, a generic information engine that is able to process massive heterogeneous spatio-temporal data streams could be very useful. Building such an engine requires creating effective data models to represent spatio-temporal data streams and designing convenient operators and an efficient query system to combine and process a massive number of streams. In this dissertation, we propose an information engine, named EventShop, for handling massive heterogeneous spatio-temporal data streams. First, we present the E-mage algebra, which consists of models for effectively representing spatial data and a set of expressive operators for processing streams, both based on a data representation called E-mage. Based on this algebra, we introduce the general system architecture and detailed component design in EventShop. In the context of the query system, we describe a cost-based multi-query optimization algorithm which allows discovery and sharing of re-usable computations and data sources among queries, based on computation and memory costs. We present the prototype system and demonstrate real-life and simulated applications, and we evaluate the efficiency of proposed multi-query optimization algorithms through extensive experiments. These applications and experiments show the efficacy of our work in processing spatio-temporal data streams about the physical world to satisfy various real needs in human life

Clinical and genetic study of 20 patients from China with Cornelia de Lange syndrome

Abstract Background Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) is a rare congenital syndrome with no racial difference. The objective of this study is to report the clinical characteristics and genetic study of 20 CdLS cases from China. Methods This is an observational study. Suspected patients were referred for further confirmation, clinical treatment, and genetic testing under voluntary condition. Demographic data and family history, data of clinical manifestations including facial dysmorphism and developmental delay of each patient were collected. Chromosomal analysis and NIPBL/SMC1A/SMC3 gene mutational analysis were carried out by PCR, reverse transcription PCR direct sequencing in the probands, and SNP array to detect the genome-wide copy number variations. Results Twenty CdLS cases from China were included in this study. Facial dysmorphisms, feeding difficulties, and developmental delay were the major clinical manifestations. Seven patients underwent gene mutation tests. Both the SMC1A and SMC3 gene mutation tests were negative in all. A heterozygous mutation in exon 20 of the NIPBL gene in proband 2, and a heterozygous mutation in intron 38 of the NIPBL gene in proband 3 were found in 1 patient, and RT-PCR revealed a splicing mutation in exon 38, generating both normal transcript and an aberrant alternatively spliced transcript with exon 38 deletion. Conclusions Clinical manifestations of CdLS patients from China are similar to those in the other countries. Heterozygous mutations of NIPBL gene were found

Situation detection and control using spatio-temporal analysis of microblogs

Large volumes of spatio-temporal-thematic data being created using sites like Twitter and Jaiku, can potentially be combined to detect events, and understand various ‘situations ’ as they are evolving at different spatio-temporal granularity across the world. Taking inspiration from traditional image pixels which represent aggregation of photon energies at a location, we consider aggregation of user interest levels at different geo-locations as social pixels. Combining such pixels spatio-temporally allows for creation of social images and video. Here, we describe how the use of relevant (media processing inspired) situation detection operators upon such ‘images’, and domain based rules can be used to decide relevant control actions. The ideas are showcased using a Swine flu monitoring application which uses Twitter data

Comprehensive Evaluation of Different Heating Modes in Northeast China

Given the freezing temperatures and extended winters, heating is essential for residents living in Northeast China. When selecting the optimum heating mode for the region, various factors are taken into consideration, such as the impact on the environment, financial cost and energy consumption. However, it is uncertain which heating mode can fulfill all conditions and requirements. In this study, seven heating modes were selected from the national and northeastern heating strategies. A comprehensive index system based on the life cycle theory was developed from the perspectives of energy, the environment, the economy, technology and society. Additionally, a comprehensive evaluation of the seven heating modes was performed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and gray relation analysis. The results of this research showed that, from a complete standpoint, the ground-source heat pump heating mode (HMg) had the best comprehensive benefit, with a correlation of 0.8173, followed by the coal-fired cogeneration heating mode (HMcc), which had the highest correlation degree among the centralized heating modes at 0.6111. Based on the findings of our thorough examination, a recommended scheme made up of HMg, HMcc, the electro-thermal membrane heating mode (HMef), the natural gas boiler room regional central heating mode (HMgrc) and the natural gas boiler room decentralized heating mode (HMgrd) was established. The recommended scheme can provide a theoretical basis for the implementation of clean heating policies in Northeast China