CagA-positive Helicobacter pylori may promote and aggravate scrub typhus

Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection may alter the host’s resistance to tsutsugamushi disease pathogens through the Th1 immune response, leading to potential synergistic pathogenic effects. A total of 117 scrub typhus cases at Beihai People’s Hospital and affiliated hospitals of Youjiang University for Nationalities and Medical Sciences were studied from January to December 2022, alongside 130 healthy individuals forming the control group. All participants underwent serum H. pylori antibody testing. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was significantly higher among scrub typhus patients (89.7%) compared to healthy individuals (54.6%) (p < 0.05). Moreover, type I H. pylori infection was notably more prevalent in scrub typhus cases (67.5%) compared to healthy individuals (30%) (p < 0.05). Multifactorial analysis demonstrated type I H. pylori infection as an independent risk factor for scrub typhus (adjusted odds ratio: 2.407, 95% confidence interval: 1.249–4.64, p = 0.009). Among scrub typhus patients with multiple organ damage, the prevalence of type I H. pylori infection was significantly higher (50.6%) than type II H. pylori infection (15.4%) (χ2 = 4.735, p = 0.030). These results highlight a higher incidence of H. pylori infection in scrub typhus patients compared to the healthy population. Additionally, type I H. pylori strain emerged as an independent risk factor for scrub typhus development. Moreover, individuals infected with type I H. pylori are more susceptible to multiple organ damage. These findings suggest a potential role of H. pylori carrying the CagA gene in promoting and exacerbating scrub typhus

A global assessment of the impact of school closure in reducing COVID-19 spread.

Prolonged school closure has been adopted worldwide to control COVID-19. Indeed, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization figures show that two-thirds of an academic year was lost on average worldwide due to COVID-19 school closures. Such pre-emptive implementation was predicated on the premise that school children are a core group for COVID-19 transmission. Using surveillance data from the Chinese cities of Shenzhen and Anqing together, we inferred that compared with the elderly aged 60 and over, children aged 18 and under and adults aged 19-59 were 75% and 32% less susceptible to infection, respectively. Using transmission models parametrized with synthetic contact matrices for 177 jurisdictions around the world, we showed that the lower susceptibility of school children substantially limited the effectiveness of school closure in reducing COVID-19 transmissibility. Our results, together with recent findings that clinical severity of COVID-19 in children is lower, suggest that school closure may not be ideal as a sustained, primary intervention for controlling COVID-19. This article is part of the theme issue 'Data science approach to infectious disease surveillance'

Identification of drought-responsive microRNAs in Medicago truncatula by genome-wide high-throughput sequencing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, endogenous RNAs that play important regulatory roles in development and stress response in plants by negatively affecting gene expression post-transcriptionally. Identification of miRNAs at the global genome-level by high-throughout sequencing is essential to functionally characterize miRNAs in plants. Drought is one of the common environmental stresses limiting plant growth and development. To understand the role of miRNAs in response of plants to drought stress, drought-responsive miRNAs were identified by high-throughput sequencing in a legume model plant, <it>Medicago truncatula</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two hundreds eighty three and 293 known miRNAs were identified from the control and drought stress libraries, respectively. In addition, 238 potential candidate miRNAs were identified, and among them 14 new miRNAs and 15 new members of known miRNA families whose complementary miRNA*s were also detected. Both high-throughput sequencing and RT-qPCR confirmed that 22 members of 4 miRNA families were up-regulated and 10 members of 6 miRNA families were down-regulated in response to drought stress. Among the 29 new miRNAs/new members of known miRNA families, 8 miRNAs were responsive to drought stress with both 4 miRNAs being up- and down-regulated, respectively. The known and predicted targets of the drought-responsive miRNAs were found to be involved in diverse cellular processes in plants, including development, transcription, protein degradation, detoxification, nutrient status and cross adaptation.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>We identified 32 known members of 10 miRNA families and 8 new miRNAs/new members of known miRNA families that were responsive to drought stress by high-throughput sequencing of small RNAs from <it>M. truncatula</it>. These findings are of importance for our understanding of the roles played by miRNAs in response of plants to abiotic stress in general and drought stress in particular.</p

Effects of Gallic Acid by Ultrasound on Physicochemical Properties of Lateolabrax Japonicas Myofibrillar Protein

The effects of different concentrations of gallic acid (0 mg/g, 1 mg/g, 2 mg/g, 4 mg/g, and 6 mg/g) on the physicochemical properties of Lateolabrax japonicas myofibrillar protein were studied with 400 W ultrasound. The results showed that gallic acid decreased the particle size, total sulfhydryl group, carbonyl and dimer tyrosine content and Ca2+-ATPase activity (P<0.05) of myofibrillar protein, however, increased the zeta potential. Ultrasonic wave could cooperate with gallic acid to slow down protein oxidation and make the protein solution system more stable. When the concentration of gallic acid was 2 mg/g, the indicators of protein solution were most favorable, which improved the properties of protein

Tigecycline Therapy for Nosocomial Pneumonia due to Carbapenem-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria in Critically Ill Patients Who Received Inappropriate Initial Antibiotic Treatment: A Retrospective Case Study

Background. Nosocomial pneumonia due to carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CRGNB) is a growing concern because treatment options are limited and the mortality rate is high. The effect of tigecycline (TGC) on nosocomial pneumonia due to CRGNB in patients who have received inappropriate initial empiric antibiotic treatment (IIAT) is unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of TGC on nosocomial pneumonia due to CRGNB in critically ill patients who had received IIAT. Methods. A retrospective study was conducted in an adult respiratory intensive care unit. Data were obtained and analyzed for all patients who were treated with TGC ≥ 3 days for microbiologically confirmed nosocomial pneumonia due to CRGNB and had experienced initial antibiotic failure. Clinical and microbiological outcomes were investigated. Results. Thirty-one patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia or ventilator-associated pneumonia were included in the study. The majority of the responsible organisms were carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (67.7%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (16.1%) and Escherichia coli (9.7%). Twenty patients were treated with high-dose TGC therapy (100 mg every 12 h after a 200 mg loading dose), and the others received a standard-dose therapy (50 mg every 12 h after a 100 mg loading dose). The duration of TGC therapy was 14.3±2.8 days. The global clinical cure rate and the microbiological eradication rate were 48.4% and 61.3%, respectively. The overall ICU mortality rate was 45.2%. A higher score on the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II and a longer duration of IIAT were associated with clinical failure. High-dose TGC therapy had a higher clinical success rate [65.0% (13/20) versus 18.2% (2/11), P=0.023] and a lower ICU mortality rate [30.0% (6/20) versus 72.7% (8/11), P=0.031] than the standard-dose therapy. Conclusions. TGC, especially a high-dose regimen, might be a justifiable option for critically ill patients with nosocomial pneumonia due to CRGNB who have received IIAT when the options for these patients are limited

Acute and persistent symptoms of COVID-19 infection in school-aged children: a retrospective study from China

Abstract Background The long-term sequelae of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in children are unclear. We investigated COVID-19 symptoms in school-aged children to determine their impact on patients and their families. Methods This cross-sectional study, conducted on February 25–28, 2023, selected a representative kindergarten and 9-year school from Shenzhen, China. There were randomly two classes each for the 12 grades from kindergarten to junior high school. The school-aged children were aged 3–16 years. Literate parents completed an online questionnaire related to their children’s COVID-19 symptoms since December 1, 2022. Descriptive statistics were computed as necessary. Univariate and multivariable linear regression analyses were performed, and variables with a p-value < 0.05 were considered to have a significant association with the subjective feeling scores for COVID-19 infection. Results We included 936 school-aged children, with a COVID-19 infection rate of 68.5%. The prevalence of LC 28 (illness with symptoms lasting for 28 days) was 3.4%. During acute infection, the median number of the 641 children’s symptoms was 3.0 (IQR: 1.0–5.0) and the median score of subjective feelings was 15.0 (IQR: 11.0–24.5). The top three symptoms were fever, cough/expectoration, and rhinobyon. Age of 13–16 years (adjusted beta: 3.60, 95% CI: 0.32–6.88) and comorbidities (adjusted beta: 3.47, 95% CI: 1.20–5.73) were independently associated with higher subjective feelings (p < 0.05). The top three characteristics associated with LC 28 were alopecia (33.3%, 5/15), cognitive dysfunction (29.2%, 7/24), and emotional problem (28.6%, 6/21). Conclusions Children with COVID-19 have a short duration of symptoms and milder symptoms, so they can self-medicate to minimize hospital crowding. Children with basic diseases require prompt attention. Although LC 28 is uncommon in children, mental and psychological problems after COVID-19 recovery should not be ignored

Peripheral T-cell subsets in radiofrequency ablation for tumors from different origins

Backgrounds: Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is known to destroy tumoral tissue and activate immune cells. This study aimed to investigate the impact of RFA on peripheral T-cell responses and its relationship with tumor origin and hepatitis status. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 62 patients with various types of tumors, including hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, and others, who underwent RFA treatment between June 2017 and December 2018. Blood samples were collected before and one day after RFA treatment. The peripheral T-cell subsets were measured by flow cytometry, and their changes were analyzed. Results: The study found a decrease in the CD4+CD8-and CD4-CD8+ T-cell subsets after RFA, but no significant changes were observed in the populations of CD4+CD8+ and the CD4+CD8-/CD4-CD8+ ratio. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in peripheral T-cell subsets concerning tumor type or hepatitis status. Conclusions: The study suggests that RFA treatment may have a short-term impact on peripheral T-cell responses, characterized by a decrease in certain T-cell subsets. However, these changes do not seem to be related to the tumor type or hepatitis status of the patients

Short-Term Effects of Meteorological Factors and Air Pollutants on Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease among Children in Shenzhen, China, 2009–2017

Background: A few studies have explored the association between meteorological factors and hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) with inconsistent results. Besides, studies about the effects of air pollutants on HFMD are very limited. Methods: Daily HFMD cases among children aged 0&ndash;14 years in Shenzhen were collected from 2009 to 2017. A distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM) model was fitted to simultaneously assess the nonlinear and lagged effects of meteorological factors and air pollutants on HFMD incidence, and to further examine the differences of the effect across different subgroups stratified by gender, age and childcare patterns. Results: The cumulative relative risk (cRR) (median as reference) of HFMD rose with the increase of daily temperature and leveled off at about 30 &deg;C (cRR: 1.40, 95%CI: 1.29, 1.51). There was a facilitating effect on HFMD when relative humidity was 46.0% to 88.8% (cRR at 95th percentile: 1.18, 95%CI: 1.11, 1.27). Short daily sunshine duration (5th vs. 50th) promoted HFMD (cRR: 1.07, 95%CI: 1.02, 1.11). The positive correlation between rainfall and HFMD reversed when it exceeded 78.3 mm (cRR: 1.41, 95% CI: 1.22, 1.63). Ozone suppressed HFMD when it exceeded 104 &micro;g /m3 (cRR at 99th percentile: 0.85, 95%CI: 0.76, 0.94). NO2 promoted HFMD among infants and the cRR peaked at lag 9 day (cRR: 1.47, 95%CI: 1.02, 2.13) (99th vs. 50th). Besides, children aged below one year, males and scattered children were more vulnerable to high temperature, high relative humidity, and short sunshine duration. Conclusions: Temperature, relative humidity, sunshine duration, rainfall, ozone and NO2 were significantly associated with HFMD, and such effects varied with gender age and childcare patterns. These findings highlight the need for more prevention effort to the vulnerable populations and may be helpful for developing an early environment-based warning system for HFMD