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Objective To estimate the economic cost of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) in 31 provincial-level administrative regions and in total, in China. Methods We used data from government reports, clinical guidelines and other publications to estimate the main cost components of COVID-19 during 1 January-31 March 2020. These components were: identification and diagnosis of close contacts; suspected cases and confirmed cases of COVID-19; treatment of COVID-19 cases; compulsory quarantine of close contacts and suspected cases; and productivity losses for all affected residents. Primary outcomes were total health-care and societal costs. Findings The total estimated health-care and societal costs associated with COVID-19 were 4.26 billion Chinese yuan ([yen]; 0.62 billion United States dollars, US$) and 2646.70 billion [yen] (US$ 383.02 billion), respectively. Inpatient care accounted for 44.2% (0.95 billion [yen]/2.15 billion [yen]) of routine health-care costs followed by medicines, accounting for 32.5% (0.70 billion [yen]/2.15 billion [yen]). Productivity losses accounted for 99.8% (2641.61 billion [yen]/2646.70 billion [yen]) of societal costs, which were mostly attributable to the effect of movement-restriction policies on people who did not have COVID-19. Societal costs were most sensitive to salary costs and number of working days lost due to movement-restriction policies. Hubei province had the highest health-care cost while Guangdong province had the highest societal cost. Conclusion Our results highlight the high economic burden of the COVID-19 outbreak in China. The control measures to prevent the spread of disease resulted in substantial costs from productivity losses amounting to 2.7% (US$ 382.29 billion/US$ 14.14 trillion) of China's annual gross domestic product. [phrase omitted] Objectif Estimer l'impact economique de la maladie a coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) dans 31 regions administratives de niveau provincial ainsi que dans l'ensemble de la Chine. Methodes Nous avons utilise les donnees issues des rapports officiels, des directives cliniques et d'autres publications pour evaluer les principales composantes de cout de la COVID-19 durant la periode comprise entre le 1er janvier et le 31 mars 2020. Ces composantes etaient les suivantes: identification et diagnostic des contacts rapproches; cas suspects et confirmes de COVID-19; traitement des cas de COVID-19; quarantaine obligatoire des contacts rapproches et cas suspects; et enfin, perte de productivite pour toutes les personnes concernees. Le cout total des soins de sante et le cout total pour la societe constituaient les resultats primaires. Resultats Nous avons estime que le cout total des soins de sante et le cout total pour la societe induits par la COVID-19 s'elevaient a 4,26 milliards de yuans (0,62 milliard de dollars americains) dans le premier cas et a 2646,70 milliards de yuans (383,02 milliards de dollars americains) dans le second. Lhospitalisation des patients a represente 44,2% (0,95 milliard de yuans/2,15 milliards de yuans) des frais de soins de sante courants, suivie par les medicaments avec 32,5% (0,70 milliard de yuans/2,15 milliards de yuans). La perte de productivite a represente 99,8% (2641,61 milliards de yuans/2646,70 milliards de yuans) du cout pour la societe, principalement lie a l'impact des politiques de restriction des deplacements sur les personnes ne souffrant pas de la COVID-19. Le cout pour la societe dependait majoritairement des depenses salariales et du nombre de jours de travail perdus a cause des politiques de restriction des deplacements. C'est la province du Hubei qui a debourse le plus pour les soins de sante, tandis que celle du Guangdong a ete la plus durement touchee en termes de cout pour la societe. Conclusion Nos resultats mettent en lumiere le lourd fardeau economique de l'epidemie de COVID-19 en Chine. Les mesures de lutte contre la propagation du virus ont entraine des pertes considerables en raison d'une baisse de productivite equivalant a 2,7% (382,29 milliards de dollars americains/14,14 billions de dollars americains) du produit interieur brut annuel de la Chine. [phrase omitted] Objetivo Estimar el coste economico de la enfermedad coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) en 31 regiones administrativas a nivel provincial y en su totalidad en China. Metodos Utilizamos los datos de los informes del gobierno, las guias clinicas y otras publicaciones para estimar los principales componentes del coste de la COVID-19 desde el 1 de enero al 31 de marzo de 2020. Estos componentes fueron: identificacion y diagnostico de contactos cercanos; casos sospechosos y casos confirmados de COVID-19; tratamiento de los casos de COVID-19; cuarentena obligatoria de contactos cercanos y casos sospechosos; y perdidas de productividad para todos los residentes afectados. El principal resultado fue los costes totales de la atencion sanitaria y de la sociedad. Resultados El total estimado de los costes de atencion sanitaria y de la sociedad asociados con la COVID-19 fue de 4.260 millones de yuanes chinos ([yen]; 0,62 mil millones de dolares estadounidenses) y 2.646,70 mil millones de yuanes (383,02 mil millones de dolares estadounidenses), respectivamente. La atencion hospitalaria represento el 44,2% (0,95 mil millones/2,15 mil millones de yenes) de los costes de la atencion sanitaria rutinaria, seguida de los medicamentos, que representaron el 32,5% (0,70 mil millones/2,15 mil millones de yenes). Las perdidas de productividad representaron el 99,8% (2.641,61 mil millones/2.646,70 mil millones de yenes) de los costes de la sociedad, que se atribuyeron principalmente al efecto de las politicas de restriccion de movimientos en las personas que no tenian COVID-19. Los costes sociales fueron mas sensibles a los costes salariales y al numero de dias de trabajo perdidos debido a las politicas de restriccion de movimiento. La provincia de Hubei tenia el mayor coste de atencion sanitaria, mientras que la provincia de Guangdong tenia el mayor coste social. Conclusion Nuestros resultados destacan la alta carga economica del brote de COVID-19 en China. Las medidas de control para evitar la propagacion de la enfermedad dieron lugar a costes sustanciales por perdidas de productividad que ascendieron al 2,7% (382,29 mil millones de dolares estadounidenses/14,14 millones de millones de dolares estadounidenses) del producto interno bruto anual de China., Introduction Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease which results in substantial morbidity and mortality in some population groups. By September 2020, over 32.7 million cases of COVID-19 had [...]

Importance: Innovative nuclear medicine services offer substantial clinical value to patients. However, these advancements often come with high costs. Traditional payment strategies do not incentivize medical institutes to provide new services nor determine the fair price for payers. A shift towards a value-based pricing strategy is imperative to address these challenges. Such a strategy would reconcile the cost of innovation with incentives, foster transparent allocation of healthcare resources, and expedite the accessibility of essential medical services. Objective: This study aims to develop and present a comprehensive, value-based pricing model for new nuclear medicine services, illustrated explicitly through a case study of the radium [223Ra] treatment for bone metastases. In constructing the pricing model, we have considered three primary value determinants: the cost of the new service, associated service risk, and the difficulty of the service provision. Our research can help healthcare leaders design an evidence-based Fee-For-Service (FFS) payment reference pricing with nuclear medicine services and price adjustments. Design, setting and participants: This multi-center study was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022 (including consultation meetings) and employed both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. We organized focus group consultations with physicians from nuclear medicine departments in Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai to standardize the treatment process for radium [223Ra] bone metastases. We used a specially designed 'Radium Nuclide [223Ra] Bone Metastasis Data Collection Form' to gather nationwide resource consumption data to extract information from local databases. Four interviews with groups of experts were conducted to determine the add-up ratio, based on service risk and difficulty. The study organized consultation meeting with key stakeholders, including policymakers, service providers, clinical researchers, and health economists, to finalize the pricing equation and the pricing result of radium [223Ra] bone metastases service. Main outcomes and measures: We developed and detailed a pricing equation tailored for innovative services in the nuclear medicine department, illustrating its application through a step-by-step guide. A standardized service process was established to ensure consistency and accuracy. Adhering to best practice guidelines for health cost data analysis, we emphasized the importance of cross-validation of data, where validated data demonstrated less variation. However, it required a more advanced health information system to manage and analyze the data inputs effectively. Results: The standardized service of radium [223Ra] bone metastases includes: pre-injection assessment, treatment plan, administration, post-administration monitoring, waste disposal and monitoring. The average duration for each stage is 104 min, 39 min, 25 min, 72 min and 56 min. A standardized monetary value for medical consumables is 54.94 yuan ($7.6), and the standardised monetary value (medical consumables cost plus human input) is 763.68 yuan ($109.9). Applying an agreed value add-up ratio of 1.065, the standardized value is 810.19 yuan ($116.9). Feedback from a consultation meeting with policymakers and health economics researchers indicates a consensus that the pricing equation developed was reasonable and well-grounded. Conclusion: This research is the first study in the field of nuclear medicine department pricing methodology. We introduce a comprehensive value-based nuclear medical service pricing method and use radium[223Ra] bone metastases treatment pricing in China as a case study. This study establishes a novel pricing framework and provides practical instructions on its implementation in a real-world healthcare setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In light of the limited availability of healthcare resources, providing universal access to healthcare is a challenging task. As a result, prioritizing healthcare services has emerged as a crucial issue. This study aims to explore the preferences of the public regarding healthcare prioritization for rare and common diseases. By examining public attitudes, this study seeks to inform government decisions concerning resource allocation and distribution within healthcare.Methods: "Social preference" and "rare disease" were searched as MeSH terms in the electronic databases of Ovid Medline, Web of Science, Embase, and Econlit for articles published since their establishment, and the information on the characteristics of the articles and the results of social preferences for rare diseases were analyzed and summarized.Results: The public held predominantly neutral views on the setting of healthcare priorities for rare and common diseases. The results of the included studies showed that with all else being equal, no social preference for rarity was found, but when the public considered the proportional advantage of rare diseases or when the respondents were young, a social preference for rarity existed. In addition, the public weighed attributes such as the health benefits of treatments, the effectiveness of treatment options, the safety of treatment, equity, unmet needs, and disease severity in the process of setting of treatment priorities for rare diseases. Furthermore, in consideration of equity, the public showed a willingness to pay for rare diseases in spite of the high medical costs.Conclusion: International studies on social preferences provide some evidence for the setting of healthcare priorities for rare diseases, and health policymakers should consider social preferences in an integrated manner in order to set healthcare priorities appropriately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to systematically review the studies on the cost-effectiveness of stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) in the treatment of non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). A systematic literature search was performed in databases from 2000 through April 2021. The search terms included 'economics,' 'cost,' 'cost effectiveness,' 'SBRT,' and all names for NSCLC. Two reviewers independently screened the titles, abstracts and full texts to determine the studies for the final sample. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Quality of Health Economic Studies checklist. Eleven studies were identified and included in our final review. SBRT was reported to be a cost-effective (5 of 5) option compared to conventional radiotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, and best supportive care for medically inoperable, early-stage NSCLC. However, the identified studies revealed that no single treatment was found to be more cost-effective than others between SBRT and surgical interventions. The key drivers of this cost-effectiveness were the cost of the treatment, utility value, and the rate of surgical mortality. SBRT may be considered a more cost-effective strategy for medically inoperable, early-stage NSCLC. Considering the limited studies available, more related research should be conducted to further validate these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the process of virulence acquisition in a Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli O104:H4 strain, TY-2482, by comparing the sequence of stx2 (Shiga toxin 2) prophage with the sequences of 1421 complete bacterial genomes and analyzing the evolutionary relationships of the stx2 prophage-like regions identified. The results showed a strong positive correlation between the evolutionary distance and the distance to switch sites of GC skew, suggesting that the loci near these sites are 'hotspots' for insertions. These findings represent a potential new method to identify virulence factors in bacterial genomes. Key words: stx2 prophage, switch sites, GC skew, hotspots, insertions. Dans ce travail, les auteurs ont investigue le processus d'acquisition de la virulence chez la souche TY-2482, une souche de l'Escherichia coli O104 : H4 productrice de la toxine Shiga, en comparant la sequence du prophage stx2 (<< Shiga toxin 2>>) avec 1421 sequences genomiques bacteriennes completes et en analysant les relations evolutives entre les regions de type prophage stx2 qui ont ete identifiees. Les resultats ont montre une forte correlation positive entre la distance evolutive et la distance entre des sites de transition brusque du biais en GC, ce qui suggere que les locus le plus proches de tels sites seraient plus sujets (<>) a des insertions. Ces observations representent potentiellement une nouvelle approche pour identifier des facteurs de virulence au sein des genomes bacteriens. Mots-cles : prophage stx2, sites de transition, biais en GC, hotspots, insertions. [Traduit par la Redaction], In early May 2011, an outbreak of diarrhea with associated hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) began in Germany. It became the largest outbreak of the disease identified worldwide within a few months, [...]

Background: The maintenance treatment of ESRD puts a great burden on individual patients, society, and the country of China as a whole. Hemoperfusion plus hemodialysis (HP + HD) in ESRD patients can yield modified outcomes such as prolonged life expectancy and improved dialysis quality and quality of life. This study aimed to systematically analyze the effect of HP + HD on the overall survival (OS) rates of ESRD patients and to provide support for clinical decision-making. Methods: A computerized search was performed in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, WanFang Data and SinoMed databases for relevant original research articles. Studies were included or excluded based on their compliance with predefined selection criteria. Results: Twelve studies were included in the qualitative synthesis and quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis). The meta-analysis showed that the 1-year OS rate (odds ratio [OR]: 3.35, 95% CI: 1.89, 5.91, p < 0.05), 2-year OS rate (OR: 2.88, 95% CI: 1.84, 4.53, p < 0.05), and 5-year OS rate (χ2 = 4.3092, p < 0.05) of patients with ESRD treated with HP + HD were better than those treated with HD, but there was no significant difference in 3-year OS rate (OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 0.76, 5.06, p > 0.05). Subgroup analysis showed the same outcomes in different study designs (1-year OS rate: randomized controlled trials [RCTs]: OR: 4.38, 95% CI: 1.61, 11.88, p < 0.05; cohort studies: OR: 2.90, 95% CI: 1.44, 5.85, p < 0.05; 2-year OS rate: RCTs: OR: 2.99, 95% CI: 1.84, 4.84, p < 0.05) and different age-groups (1-year OS rate: 45–50 years: OR: 3.19, 95% CI: 1.55, 6.57, p < 0.05; 55–60 years: OR: 3.37, 95% CI: 1.07, 10.61, p < 0.05; 2-year OS rate: 50–55 years: OR: 2.86, 95% CI: 1.59, 5.16, p < 0.05: 60–65 years: OR: 4.41, 95% CI: 1.19, 16.30, p < 0.05). Conclusions: This meta-analysis suggests that the OS rates of ESRD patients treated with HP + HD were better than those of patients treated with HD. A speculative hypothesis for why this is the case may be that HP + HD can achieve the complementary elimination of metabolites, effectively preventing and treating complications caused by long-term dialysis and prolonging life expectancy. Therefore, HP + HD should be widely used in ESRD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The molecular configuration, molecular weight distribution and thermal transition enthalpy (Δ H) of grass carp skin ( GCS) collagens after heat treatment under different conditions were measured using circular dichroism, gel filtration chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry ( DSC). The enzymatic stability of collagen was evaluated using different enzymes, while the ability to form fibrils in vitro was assessed by morphological observation of collagen fibrils and turbidity testing. RESULTS The Δ H values, in-solution molecular aggregation and the stability to enzymatic hydrolysis of GCS collagen decreased irreversibly and progressively with the duration of heat treatment at 33 °C, which was the onset endothermic temperature obtained from the DSC curve. A strong positive linear correlation between the enzymatic sensitivity of collagen and the degree of thermal denaturation was found. A decrease in fibril diameter and D-periodicity length with denaturation could also be observed in the SEM and TEM images. CONCLUSION The onset endothermic temperature ( To) rather than the denaturation temperature ( Td) is the threshold temperature for configurational stability of GCS collagen in acidic solution, and the biological properties would obviously change if the collagen was heat treated at this temperature. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Host immune pressure and associated parasite immune evasion are key features of host-pathogen co-evolution. A previous study showed that human T cell epitopes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are evolutionarily hyperconserved and thus it was deduced that M. tuberculosis lacks antigenic variation and immune evasion. Here, we selected 162 clinical M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates from China, amplified gene encoding Rv3878 and compared the sequences. The results showed that Rv3878, a conserved hypothetical alanine rich protein, is not conserved in M. tuberculosis strains and there are polymorphisms existing in the protein. The large number of amino acid changes in its T cell epitopes may reflect ongoing immune evasion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to study the similarities and differences of physical-chemical properties of collagens from different parts of the fish body, acid-soluble collagens and pepsin-soluble collagens were isolated from skin, scale, and bone of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus), with yields ranging from 0.7 to 25.5% on the basis of dry weight. The content of acid-soluble collagen in skin and scale was much higher than that in bone according to the data of extraction yield. Collagens from grass carp have similar amino acid composition, protein patterns, and sequences of primary structure. Thermal transition temperatures of collagens from different parts of grass carp body decreased in the order of bone > skin > scale. The pepsin-soluble collagens showed more resistance to collagenase, compared to acid-soluble collagens extracted from the same part of the grass carp body. All grass carp collagens did not induce a significant cytotoxic effect according to the results ofin vitrocytotoxicity test. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Host immune pressure and associated immune evasion of pathogenic bacteria are key features of host-pathogen co-evolution. A previous study showed that human T-cell epitopes of Mycobacterium tuberculosis are evolutionarily hyperconserved and thus it was deduced that M. tuberculosis lacks antigenic variation and immune evasion. Here, we selected 173 clinical M. tuberculosis complex (MTBC) isolates from China, amplified the genes encoding Rv2945c and Rv0309, and compared the sequences. The results showed that genetic diversity existed in these two genes among the MTBC strains and two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) presented higher polymorphisms. Antigen Rv2945c harbored a higher number of amino acid substitutions of its T-cell epitopes, which may reflect ongoing immune evasion. In addition, the high dN/ dS value of Rv0309 suggested antigen Rv0309 might be involved in diversifying selection to evade host immunity. Finally, a small group of strains were identified based on the genetic diversity of these two genes, which might indicate that they interact differently with human T cells compared with other strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The mycobacterial antigen PstS1 is a highly immunogenic and immunostimulatory component of the mycobacterial cell membrane and a good candidate for the diagnosis and vaccination against tuberculosis. Here we selected 180 clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in China and 11 different Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG) strains, amplified the gene of the PstS1 antigen and compared the sequences with those of four other Mycobacterium bovis and BCG strains from the NCBI genome website. Some of the mutations, especially 2 frameshift mutations, occurred in the PstS1antigen, which may have resulted in the protein function alteration and ongoing immune evasion. A unique single nucleotide polymorphism of the M. bovis and BCG strains was found in this antigen and may be useful for differentiating M. bovis and BCG strains from M. tuberculosis strains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Escherichia coli O157:H7 is an important food-borne pathogen that can cause hemorrhagic colitis and hemolytic-uremic syndrome in humans. pO157_Sal, a novel conjugative plasmid is present in a Chinese O157:H7 outbreak strain Xuzhou21. Here we investigated the phenotypic and transcriptional differences between the wild type strain Xuzhou21 and the pO157_Sal cured mutant strain Xuzhou21m. RNA-Seq analysis found that all 52 ORFs encoded on pO157_Sal were transcribed. One hundred and sixty eight chromosomal and pO157 genes were differentially expressed (≥2 fold difference) between Xuzhou21 and Xuzhou21m. Sixty-seven and 101 genes were up-regulated and down-regulated respectively by pO157_Sal including genes related to stress response, adaption and virulence. The plasmid-cured mutant Xuzhou21m grew slower than wild type Xuzhou21 and pO157_Sal plasmid complemented strain Xuzhou21c in M9 medium under the condition of high NaCl or presence of sodium deoxycholate (NaDC), corroborating with the RNA-Seq data. Seven differentially expressed genes are associated with NaDC resistance, including the adenine-specific DNA-methyltransferase gene (dam), multidrug efflux system subunit gene mdtA, hyperosmotically inducible periplasmic protein gene osmY and oxidation-reduction related genes while two differentially expressed genes (osmY and pspD) are likely to be related to resistance to osmotic pressure. A number of differentially expressed genes were virulence associated including four genes encoding T3SS effectors from the chromosome and ehxD from pO157. Through complementation of Xuzhou21m with a plasmid construct carrying the pO157_Sal hha homolog we further showed that the pO157_Sal hha represses the expression of T3SS effectors. These findings demonstrated that the plasmid pO157_Sal affects the transcription of the chromosomal and pO157 plasmid genes and contributes to the enhanced ability to resist stress. We conclude that pO157_Sal plays an important role in regulating global gene expression and affects the virulence and adaptation of E. coli O157:H7. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new strontium tin hydroxy polyselenides [Sr2Sn(OH)6(H2O)6]Se4 ( 1) and [Sr2Sn(OH)6(H2O)5]Se3 ·H2O ( 2) were synthesized from hydrothermal reactions. Their structures were determined from single-crystal X-ray data measured at 218 K. Compound 1 crystallized in the space group P $\bar{1}$ with a = 5.935(1), b = 8.440(1), c = 9.464(2) Å, α = 97.292(2)°, β = 104.957(2)°, γ = 110.328(2)°. Compound 2 crystallized also in the space group P $\bar{1}$ with a = 10.658(2), b = 11.082(2), c = 15.797(2) Å, α = 73.303(4)°, β = 74.942(4)°, γ = 64.627(3)°. Both compounds have structures containing infinite cationic layers of hydrated metal hydroxides built from Sn(OH)6 octahedra and Sr(OH, H2O) n polyhedra. Molecular Se42- and Se32- anions are located in the interlayer spaces of 1 and 2, respectively. The Se42- anions of 1 adopt a flat zigzag conformation with a torsion angle of 0°. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an analysis combining the orthogonal expansion method and Galerkin method for the higher order Eigenmodes in a circular-rectangular waveguide. Cross section of the coaxial waveguide; Propagation coefficient; Imaginary boundary.

The massive urban social management data with geographical coordinates from the inspectors, volunteers, and citizens of the city are a new source of spatio-temporal data, which can be used for the data mining of city management and the evolution of hot events to improve urban comprehensive governance. This paper proposes spatio-temporal data mining of urban social management events (USMEs) based on ontology semantic approach. First, an ontology model for USMEs is presented to accurately extract effective social management events from non-structured UMSEs. Second, an explorer spatial data analysis method based on “event-event” and “event-place” from spatial and time aspects is presented to mine the information from UMSEs for the urban social comprehensive governance. The data mining results are visualized as a thermal chart and a scatter diagram for the optimization of the management resources configuration, which can improve the efficiency of municipal service management and municipal departments for decision-making. Finally, the USMEs of Qingdao City in August 2016 are taken as a case study with the proposed approach. The proposed method can effectively mine the management of social hot events and their spatial distribution patterns, which can guide city governance and enhance the city’s comprehensive management level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new compound [Sr2Sn(OH)6(H2O)6]Se4 (I) is synthesized by hydrothermal reaction of Sn, Se, Sr(OH)2, and LiOH·H2O in water (autoclave, 220 °C, 2 d; 40% yield). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, fibrillogenesis and thermal dissociation of pepsin-soluble collagen ( PSC ), extracted from snakehead ( Channa argus ) skin, were monitored by fluorescence method based on thioflavin T (Th-T), where the accuracy and sensitivity were evaluated and compared with those of turbidity assay. The fluorescence method revealed the fibrillogenesis dynamics of collagen with better sensitivity, especially at nucleation and plateau stages. The melting temperature ( T m ) of PSC was estimated to be 47 °C by circular dichroism spectroscopy; below this temperature, the triple-helical structure should be intact. After that, the dynamic process of collagen dissociation was explored by the fluorescence method, and verified by morphological analysis of the fibrils and the proportion of retained fibrils. The thermal dissociation critical temperature (TDCT) of PSC fibrils was confirmed to be 39 °C. The fluorescence intensity of fibril-incorporated Th-T gradually decreases in the dissociation process, and the decrease rate can be accelerated by increasing temperature. Finally, the thermal stability of triple-helical structures of free-, assembled- and dissociated- PSC was compared. Thus, we demonstrated the formation and thermal dissociation of collagen fibrils in vitro by a fluorescence method based on Th-T. This approach may advance the understanding of fibril formation and inverse dissociation of fish-sourced collagen in vitro . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling the fibril-formation process of collagen in vitro to fabricate novel biomaterials is a new area in the field of collagen research. This study aimed to determine the effect of ultrasonication on collagen fibril formation and the properties of the resulting collagen gels. Native collagen, extracted from the skin of grass carp, self-assembled under ultrasonic conditions (at different ultrasonic power and duration). The self-assembly kinetics, fibrillar morphology, and physical and cell growth-promoting properties of the collagen gels were analyzed and compared. The results showed that the self-assembly rate of collagen was increased by ultrasonication at the nucleation stage. The resulting fibrils exhibited smaller diameters and D-periodicity lengths than that of the untreated collagen samples ( p < 0.05). The viscoelasticity and textural properties of collagen gels also changed after ultrasonication at the nucleation stage. Texture profile analysis and cell proliferation assays showed that ultrasonication produced softer collagen gel colloids, which were more suitable for cell proliferation than the untreated collagen gels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capsule null locus ( cnl ) strains, one type of specific unencapsulated Neisseria spp., only have regions D and E of the capsule gene cluster which encodes the genes for capsule biosynthesis, modification, and transportation. Compared with encapsulated strains, regions A and C of cnl strains have been replaced by 113 or 114 bp conserved non-coding sequences. Cnl strains include multiple clonal complexes (CC). According to previous studies, CC198 is the major clonal lineage in both cnl patients and healthy cnl carriers. We hypothesized that CC198 possesses different genome characteristics compared with other cnl strains. In this study, we obtained the draft genomes of two CC198 strains from healthy carriers. Using 75071 single nucleotide polymorphisms located in 1163 core genes, we constructed the phylogenetic relationships between a batch of representative Neisseria meningitidis genomes. CC198 and CC1136 clustered together, but apart from other N. meningitidis strains including CC53. We also aligned the sequences of genes located in regions D and E of the capsule gene locus from encapsulated and unencapsulated strains. A number of possible recombination events were identified in the galE and tex genes between different serogroups of encapsulated N. meningitidis and CC53 strains, especially in tex . In contrast, there is almost no recombination in N. meningitidis CC198 strains. These results showed that CC198 belongs to a phylogenetically distinct group within the species N. meningitidis , which may be directly derived from the cnl -type ancestor of N. meningitidis . The encapsulated strains may acquire other necessary genes for capsule formation by horizontal transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extreme environment of space could affect microbial behavior and may increase the risk of infectious disease during spaceflight. However, the molecular genetic changes of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in response to the spaceflight environment have not been fully clarified. In the present study, we determined the draft genome sequences for an ancestral S. aureus strain (LCT-SAO) isolated from a clinical sample and three derivative strains, LCT-SAS, LCT-SAM and LCT-SAG, cultured in parallel during the spaceflight Shenzhou-X, under simulated microgravity and on the ground, respectively. To evaluate the impact of short-term spaceflight on the MRSA strains, comparative genomic analysis was implemented. Genome-based mapping of toxin genes and antibiotic resistance genes confirmed that these strains have the conventional pathogenicity and resistance to drugs, as none of the strains showed significant changes in these regions after culturing in the three different environments; this result suggests that spaceflight may not change bacterial virulence or drug resistance. Thirty-nine strain-specific sequence variants (SVs) were identified throughout the genomes, and the three derivatives exhibited almost the same mutation rates. Fifty-nine percent of SVs were located in the intergenic regions of the genomes, indicating that S. aureus may have an extremely robust repair mechanism responsible for recognizing and repairing DNA replication mismatches. It is noteworthy that strain LCT-SAS, cultured in space, presented the most unique SVs ( n = 9) and shared the fewest SVs with LCT-SAM ( n = 5) and LCT-SAG ( n = 4). Furthermore, we identified 10 potential deletion regions and 2 potential insertion regions, with LCT-SAS appearing more fragile than other strains by this measure. These results suggest that the environment of space is inherently complicated, with multiple variables, and cannot be simulated in a simple manner. Our results represent the first analysis of nucleotide structure variation of S. aureus strains in a spaceflight environment and also provide a valuable insight for understanding the mutation strategies of MRSA on earth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chromosomal integron (CI) arrays in Vibrio spp. are generally large and display great variation. Here we determined the sequence of CI array in a toxigenic O139 V ibrio cholerae strain and compared it with the arrays from the genome of different O1 biotypes available in GenBank. Then PCR scanning was used to determine the CI array variations in 83 epidemic O139 strains and subsequently these variations were compared with that found in toxigenic O1 El Tor strains in our previous work. Few differences were observed in the cohort of toxigenic O139 strains compared to the toxigenic O1 El Tor strains. On the basis of CI arrays, the toxigenic O1 El Tor and O139 strains isolated concurrently in recent years appear to be more similar to each other than to the O1 strains isolated in previous decades, suggesting a closer evolutionary relationship between them. Comparison of CI arrays in toxigenic O1 El Tor and O139 V. cholerae strains isolated between 1961 and 2009 revealed a purifying trend in the CI arrays in the chronological order during the seventh pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] 64 SNPs were used to type 325 Chinese O157:H7 isolates into 5 SNP genotypes (SGs). [•] SG-1 was further divided into 2 subtypes with SG-1.1 subtype associated with the 1999 Xuzhou outbreak. [•] The most potent stx 2 subtype, stx 2a , is only carried by SG-1 which caused the Xuzhou outbreak. [•] Parallel spread of a limited number of SGs in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Drinking water quality for children should be higher than adults due to both behavioral and physiological factors. Thus, to provide enough, safe, and easily accessible drinking water for children at schools, the Shanghai Municipal Government initiated a direct-drinking water project in 2013. However, there has been no study so far to assess the quality of direct-drinking water or to investigate its risk factors in Shanghai elementary and middle schools.Methods: In the present study, we selected direct-drinking water equipment from 183 elementary and middle schools (17% of total) in Shanghai to detect the colony-forming units (CFU), residual chlorine, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and turbidity of water samples, and analyzed the risk factors of its quality using both simple and multiple linear regression analysis.Results: Results showed that the CFU, residual chlorine, COD, and turbidity of direct-drinking water in Shanghai elementary and middle schools ranged from 300 cfu/mL, Conclusions: In order to improve the quality of direct-drinking water, the equipment should be as far away from toilet as possible and direct-drinking water should be kept at room temperature or heated at high temperature (over 60 °C). Furthermore, sanitary standards of direct-drinking water quality and relevant laws and regulations should be established and implemented as soon as possible. Our study demonstrates that it is critical to improve direct-drinking water quality and ensure the safety of drinking water in elementary and middle schools in Shanghai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadmium (Cd) is a widely distributed toxic metal, which is mainly exposed to humans through diet. The impact of dietary guidelines on the Chinese diet structure has indirectly led to changes in dietary Cd exposure. The Chinese Dietary Guidelines were issued in 1997 and revised in 2007. Based on the time between issuance and revision, this study examined the Cd contamination levels in Shanghai foods from 1988 to 2018 and evaluated cancer risk and disease burden of dietary Cd exposure accordingly. Over the time periods of 1988–1997, 1998–2007, and 2008–2018, it was found that Cd dietary exposure of Shanghai residents showed a trend of increasing and then decreasing (39.7, 44.7, and 36.4 μg/day, respectively). In contrast to cereals, the contribution rates of meat and vegetables to Cd exposure have gradually increased over time, and aquatic foods have become the main source of Cd exposure (40.6%). Although the non-cancer risk hazard quotients of dietary Cd exposure and the excess lifetime cancer risks (ELCR) are relatively low (HQ < 1, ELCR < 10−4), 26.6% of Shanghai residents had a potential risk of kidney injury calculated by toxicokinetic model (TK model), and the disability adjusted life years (DALYs) have been rising (from 41.6 to 58.2). Results indicated that in the past three decades, changes of Cd contamination in food due to both limit standards and changes in dietary structure have influenced cancer risk and disease burden from Cd exposure in Shanghai residents. In summary, our study suggested that while regulating the contamination in foods, attention should also be paid to the potential impacts of dietary structure and guidelines on the exposure of pollutants. Unlabelled Image • This study systematically analyzes the dietary Cd exposure of Shanghai residents from 1988 to 2018. • This study explored cancer risk and disease burden caused by changes of diet structure and Cd contamination levels. • In addition to contamination in foods, dietary structure and guidelines also pose effects on the exposure of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing application of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine and healthcare, AI technologies have the potential to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of rare diseases. Presently, existing research predominantly focuses on the areas of diagnosis and prognosis, with relatively fewer studies dedicated to the domain of treatment. The purpose of this review is to systematically analyze the existing literature on the application of AI in the treatment of rare diseases. We searched three databases for related studies, and established criteria for the selection of retrieved articles. From the 407 unique articles identified across the three databases, 13 articles from 8 countries were selected, which investigated 10 different rare diseases. The most frequently studied rare disease group was rare neurologic diseases ( n = 5/13, 38.46%). Among the four identified therapeutic domains, 7 articles (53.85%) focused on drug research, with 5 specifically focused on drug discovery (drug repurposing, the discovery of drug targets and small-molecule inhibitors), 1 on pre-clinical studies (drug interactions), and 1 on clinical studies (information strength assessment of clinical parameters). Across the selected 13 articles, we identified total 32 different algorithms, with random forest (RF) being the most commonly used ( n = 4/32, 12.50%). The predominant purpose of AI in the treatment of rare diseases in these articles was to enhance the performance of analytical tasks (53.33%). The most common data source was database data (35.29%), with 5 of these studies being in the field of drug research, utilizing classic databases such as RCSB, PDB and NCBI. Additionally, 47.37% of the articles highlighted the existing challenge of data scarcity or small sample sizes., Competing Interests: None.The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (2024, International Research and Cooperation Association for Bio & Socio - Sciences Advancement.)

One important challenge for global development is aging. China is one of the world's countries with the highest elderly population and the most rapid aging; in 2022, the percentage of the population over 65 was 14.9%; by 2050, it is expected to rise to 26.1%. China's health security, elderly care, and healthcare services are facing serious challenges as a result of this aging trend. With 80% of provinces including medical and elderly care in national basic public health care programs, China has adopted a proactive national plan to combat population aging. Moreover, geriatric departments have been established at 69.3% of public general hospitals at secondary and higher tiers, 48% of provinces have devises preventive interventions for disability and dementia in the elderly, 48 percent of provinces are serving as test regions for medical care related to rehabilitation, and 49 cities are involved in long-term care insurance (LTCI) trials that encompass 170 million people. There are 4,259 medical and health care facilities that provide hospice care services, 152 hospice care pilot regions, and 87,000 pairs of contracts between medical and health care facilities and elderly care providers. These developments provide a strong basis, but there are still major obstacles to overcome. The Chinese Government is urged to adopt early preventive measures, offer more ongoing, practical, and cost-effective diagnostic and treatment services, allocate resources equitably, and use intelligent technologies to enhance elderly care. The ultimate goals are to lessen the financial burden, enhance the health of the elderly, and offer a vital global resource.