Comparison of Intergrowth-21st and Fenton growth standards to evaluate and predict the postnatal growth in eastern Chinese preterm infants

ObjectivesThe aim of this article was to compare the differences between Intergrowth-21st (IG-21) and Fenton growth standards in the classification of intrauterine and extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) in eastern Chinese preterm infants, and detect which one can better relate to neonatal diseases and predict the physical growth outcomes at 3–5 years old.MethodsPremature infants admitted to a tertiary pediatric hospital in Shanghai, China, from 2016 to 2018 were enrolled. Prenatal information, neonatal diseases during hospitalization, and anthropometric data (weight, height, and head circumference) at birth and at discharge were collected and analyzed. Physical growth outcomes (short stature, thinness, and overweight) were examined by telephone investigations in 2021 at age 3–5 years.ResultsThe medium gestational age and birth weight of the included 1,065 preterm newborns were 33.6 weeks and 1,900 g, respectively. The IG-21 curves diagnosed more newborns with small for gestational age (SGA) (19% vs. 14.7%) and fewer newborns with longitudinal EUGR on height (25.5% vs. 27.9%) and head circumference (17.9% vs. 24.7%) compared to Fenton curves. Concordances between Fenton and IG-21 standards were substantial or almost perfect in the classification of SGA and longitudinal EUGR, but minor in cross-sectional EUGR. EUGR identified by Fenton curves was better related to neonatal diseases than IG-21 curves. There were no statistical significances in the prediction of short stature, thinness, and overweight at 3–5 years old between the two charts.ConclusionsIG-21 growth standards are not superior to Fenton in assessing preterm growth and development in the eastern Chinese population

Characteristic gene expression in the liver monocyte-macrophage-DC system is associated with the progression of fibrosis in NASH

BackgroundThe monocyte-macrophage-dendritic cell (DC) (MMD) system exerts crucial functions that may modulate fibrogenesis in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In this study, we explored the cell characteristics, distribution and developmental trajectory of the liver MMD system in NASH mice with fibrosis and clarified characteristic genes of the MMD system involved in liver fibrosis progression in NASH mice and patients.MethodsSingle cells in liver tissue samples from NASH and normal mice were quantified using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the MMD system by pseudotime analysis were validated by tyramide signal amplification (TSA)-immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and analyzed by second harmonic generation (SHG)/two-photon excitation fluorescence (TPEF).ResultsCompared with control mice, there were increased numbers of monocytes, Kupffer cells, and DCs in two NASH mouse models. From the transcriptional profiles of these single cells, we identified 8 monocyte subsets (Mono1-Mono8) with different molecular and functional properties. Furthermore, the pseudotime analysis showed that Mono5 and Mono6 were at the beginning of the trajectory path, whereas Mono2, Mono4, Kupffer cells and DCs were at a terminal state. Genes related to liver collagen production were at the late stage of this trajectory path. DEGs analysis revealed that the genes Fmnl1 and Myh9 in the MMD system were gradually upregulated during the trajectory. By TSA-IHC, the Fmnl1 and Myh9 expression levels were increased and associated with collagen production and fibrosis stage in NASH mice and patients.ConclusionsOur transcriptome data provide a novel landscape of the MMD system that is involved in advanced NASH disease status. Fmnl1 and Myh9 expression in the MMD system was associated with the progression of NASH fibrosis

Optimization on biodistribution and antitumor activity of tripterine using polymeric nanoparticles through RES saturation

Systemic delivery of tripterine (TPR) is challenged by its insoluble property and unsuitable pharmacokinetics. This work aimed to develop polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) combined with the reticuloendothelial system (RES) saturation to improve the in vivo distribution and antitumor activity of TPR. TPR-loaded nanoparticles (TPR-NPs) were prepared by the low-energy emulsification/evaporation method and characterized with particle size, entrapment efficiency, and morphology. The resulting TPR-NPs were 75 nm around in particle size and displayed a sustained drug release in pH 7.4 medium. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that TPR-NPs had the advantage in bettering the pharmacokinetic properties of TPR over the solution formulation. However, the ameliorative effect on pharmacokinetics was more significant in the case of RES saturation (i.e. preinjection of blank NPs). Preinjection of blank NPs followed by injection of TPR-NPs resulted in higher distribution of TPR into the tumor due to reduced sequestration of TPR-NPs by RES. In tumor-bearing mice (prostatic cancer model), TPR-NPs treatment with RES saturation exhibited a superior antitumor efficacy to free TPR and TPR-NPs alone. It can be concluded that formulating TPR into polymeric NPs in combination with RES saturation is an effective means to address the systemic delivery of TPR

Development of a highly sensitive icELISA to detect semicarbazide based on a monoclonal antibody

<div><p>A highly sensitive and specific monoclonal antibody was prepared to detect semicarbazide (SEM). Hapten 4-{[(aminocarbonyl)hydrazono]methyl}benzoic acid (4-CPSEM) was synthesised through the condensation reactions of SEM and 4-carboxybenzaldehyde (4-CBA). The active ester method was employed to couple the hapten to bovine serum albumin, keyhole limpet hemocyanin and ovalbumin (OVA) to obtain conjugates of immunogens and coating antigens. A novel hapten 2-[(aminocarbonyl)hydrazono]acetic acid (SEM-A) was also synthesised from SEM and oxoacetic acid to prepare a heterologous coating antigen (SEM-A-OVA). The linear ranges of inhibition curves in the optimised indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) method were in the range of 0.0071–0.056 ng mL⁻¹ and 0.018–0.209 ng mL⁻¹ for coating antigens SEM-A-OVA and 4-CPSEM-OVA, respectively. The IC₅₀ was 0.019 ng mL⁻¹ for SEM (SEM in the form of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde semicarbazone) and 0.13 ng mL⁻¹ for 2-nitrobenzaldehyde semicarbazone, both of which were well below the minimum required performance limit of 1 µg·kg⁻¹ set by the European Commission.</p></div

Comparison of alternative full and brief versions of functional status scales among older adults in China.

BACKGROUND:Brief assessments of functional status for community-dwelling older adults are needed given expanded interest in the measurement of functional decline. METHODS:As part of a 2015 prospective cohort study of older adults aged 60-89 years in Jiangsu Province, China, 1506 participants were randomly assigned to two groups; each group was administered one of two alternative 20-item versions of a scale to assess activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) drawn from multiple commonly-used scales. One version asked if they required help to perform activities (ADL-IADL-HELP-20), while the other version provided additional response options if activities could be done alone but with difficulty (ADL-IADL-DIFFICULTY-20). Item responses to both versions were compared using the binomial test for differences in proportion (with Wald 95% confidence interval [CI]). A brief 9-item scale (ADL-IADL-DIFFICULTY-9) was developed favoring items identified as difficult or requiring help by ≥4%, with low redundancy and/or residual correlations, and with significant correlations with age and other health indicators. We repeated assessment of the measurement properties of the brief scale in two subsequent samples of older adults in Hong Kong in 2016 (aged 70-79 years; n = 404) and 2017 (aged 65-82 years; n = 1854). RESULTS:Asking if an activity can be done alone but with difficulty increased the proportion of participants reporting restriction on 9 of 20 items, for which 95% CI for difference scores did not overlap with zero; the proportion with at least one limitation increased from 28.6% to 34.2% or an absolute increase of 5.6% (95% CI = 0.9-10.3%), which was a relative increase of 19.6%. The brief ADL-IADL-DIFFICULTY-9 maintained excellent internal consistency (α = 0.93) and had similar ceiling effect (68.1%), invariant item ordering (H trans = .41; medium), and correlations with age and other health measures compared with the 20-item version. The brief scale performed similarly when subsequently administered to older adults in Hong Kong. CONCLUSIONS:Asking if tasks can be done alone but with difficulty can modestly reduce ceiling effects. It's possible that the length of commonly-used scales can be reduced by over half if researchers are primarily interested in a summed indicator rather than an inventory of specific types of deficits

Enhanced fungicide resistance inIsaria fumosoroseafollowing ionizing radiation-induced mutagenesis

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