The effect of a pattern in palmar interdigital II on a-b ridge count in black and white Down syndrome cases and controls

An unconfirmed study by Fang (Ph.D. thesis, Univ. of London, 1950) in Britain showed that individuals with Down syndrome had lower total a-b ridge counts in palmar Interdigital area II (ID II) than a group of controls. This study compares 603 white Down syndrome cases and 93 black Down syndrome cases with 668 white and 402 black controls. Our results confirm those of Fang in that the Down syndrome cases in both racial groups had lower total a-b ridge counts than their respective controls. In addition, the black controls and Down syndrome cases had lower a-b ridge counts than their white counterparts. The mean a-b ridge count was significantly lower in individuals with a pattern in ID II compared to individuals without a pattern in ID II in both the Down syndrome and control groups. Some of the lower a-b ridge counts in the Down syndrome samples can be accounted for by the fact that there is an increased frequency of a pattern in ID II in Down syndrome cases. Both Down syndrome and normal individuals who had a pattern unilaterally had a lower than expected a-b ridge count on the contralateral hand that did not have a pattern. There was a tendency also for increased asymmetry in Down syndrome cases with a pattern in ID II.     

黄臀鹎禁食和夜间能量物质消耗的研究

本文报道分布于昆明地区的黄臀鹎Pycnonotus xanthorrhous在禁食和四季夜间能量物质——脂肪、蛋白质和糖的消耗情况。结果表明,在人为禁食条件下黄臀鹎的存活时间仅19小时,死亡时躯脂降低79％,去脂飞翔肌干重降低46％,肝糖降低96％。在夜间黄臀鹎消耗大量的储存脂肪,并以冬季的消耗量最大。肝糖提供的能量极少。在繁殖期和换羽期,储存的飞翔肌蛋白质在夜间大量分解以提供鸟体的需要。     

ICU呼吸机相关性肺炎患者病原菌分布及NLR、血清磷、PCT联合检测对死亡风险的预测价值探讨

摘要 目的：研究重症监护室（ICU）呼吸机相关性肺炎（VAP）患者病原菌分布及中性粒细胞与淋巴细胞计数比值（NLR）、血清磷、降钙素原（PCT）联合检测对死亡风险的预测价值。方法：选取上海市第一人民医院于2020年1月～2022年1月收治的60例VAP患者。采集所有患者呼吸道分泌物并进行细菌培养。此外,将其按照预后的不同分为死亡组21例以及存活组39例,比较两组NLR、血清磷及PCT水平。以单因素及多因素Logistic分析VAP患者死亡的危险因素,并通过受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析NLR、血清磷及PCT预测死亡的效能。结果：60例VAP患者呼吸道分泌物检出病原菌共82株,以革兰阴性菌占比最高,共检出革兰阴性菌75.61%、革兰阳性菌21.95%、真菌2.44%。按照占比从高到低的顺序分别为鲍氏不动杆菌20.73%,铜绿假单胞菌18.29%,肺炎克雷伯菌17.07%,金黄色葡萄球菌13.41%,大肠埃希菌12.20%,其他革兰阴性菌7.32%,表皮葡萄球菌4.88%,肠球菌属3.66%,真菌2.44%。死亡组NLR及PCT水平均高于存活组,而血清磷水平低于存活组（P＜0.05）。单因素分析结果显示：急性生理与慢性健康评分（APACHEⅡ）评分及有创机械通气时间均和VAP患者死亡有关（P＜0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示：APACHEⅡ评分较高、有创机械通气时间较长与NLR、PCT水平较高均是VAP患者死亡危险因素,血清磷水平较高是VAP患者死亡的保护因素（P＜0.05）。ROC曲线分析显示：NLR、血清磷及PCT联合预测VAP患者死亡的效能优于上述三项指标单独预测。结论：VAP患者主要病原菌为革兰阴性菌,临床应合理选用抗菌药物治疗,NLR、血清磷及PCT均和患者死亡有关,联合检测对死亡风险的预测价值较高。     

Sex and side differences and correlations between quantitative palmar characteristics in a sample Sardinian population

Differences between the sexes and between the sides and the correlations between four quantitative characteristics of palmar dermatoglyphics in a sample population of 809 individuals (418 males and 391 females) from the city of Cagliari, Sardinia, are tested. Males have a greater number of ridges than females, shown by a greater a-b ridge count and A-d ridge count, and a more transverse slope of the main lines, shown by a greater main line index and papillary number. The left palm shows a greater number of ridges than the right palm between the A line and the triradius d and between the triradii a and b, with a lower main line index and papillary number. The a-b ridge count has a negative correlation with the main line index and with the papillary number and a positive one with the A-d ridge count; these correlations are greater in the left palms, especially in the males.     

Twelve-Hour Night Shifts of Healthcare Workers: A Risk to the Patients?

We assessed the impact of 12h fixed night shift (19:00–07:00h) work, followed by 36h of off-time, on the sleep–wake cycle, sleep duration, self-perceived sleep quality, and work-time alertness on a group composed of 5 registered and 15 practical nurses. Wrist actigraphy (Ambulatory Monitoring, Inc.), with data analysis by the Cole-Kripke algorithm, was applied to determine sleep/wake episodes and their duration. The sleep episodes were divided into six categories: sleep during the night shift (x¯=208.6; SD±90.6mins), sleep after the night shift (x¯=138.7; SD±79.6min), sleep during the first night after the night work (x¯=318.5; SD±134.6min), sleep before the night work (x¯=104.3; SD±44.1min), diurnal sleep during the rest day (x¯=70.5; SD±43.0min), and nocturnal sleep during the rest day (x¯=310.4; SD±188.9mins). A significant difference (p<.0001; T-test for dependent samples) was detected between the perceived quality of sleep of the three diurnal sleep categories compared to the three nocturnal sleep categories. Even thought the nurses slept (napped) during the night shift, their self-perceived alertness systematically decreased during it. Statistically significant differences were documented by one-way ANOVA (F=40.534 p<.0001) among the alertness measurements done during the night shift. In particular, there was significant difference in the level of perceived alertness (p<.0001) between the 7^th and 10^thh of the 12h night shift. These findings of decreased alertness during the terminal hours of the night shift are of concern, since they suggest risk of comprised patient care.     

烧伤早期伴发脓毒症患者血清PCT、hs-CRP、COR及WBC的动态变化及临床意义

目的:探讨烧伤早期伴发脓毒症患者血清降钙素原(PCT)、超敏C反应蛋白(hs-CRP)、皮质醇(COR)和白细胞计数(WBC)水平并分析其临床价值。方法:回顾性分析2014年12月至2018年1月本院收治的63例烧伤早期患者的临床资料,其中19例患者伴发脓毒症(脓毒症组),44例患者未伴发脓毒症(无脓毒症组),另选取30例于本院进行体检的志愿者作为健康对照组,依据病情严重程度将脓毒症患者分为脓毒症休克组(n=4)、严重脓毒症组(n=7)、一般脓毒症组(n=8),依据预后情况分为预后良好组(n=13)和预后不良组(n=6)。动态检测并对比所有研究对象血清PCT、hs-CRP、COR和WBC水平。结果:无脓毒症组、脓毒症组血清PCT、hs-CRP、COR和WBC水平高于健康对照组,且脓毒症组高于无脓毒症组(P<0.05)。烧伤后7 d、11 d、15 d,脓毒症组血清PCT、hs-CRP、COR和WBC水平均高于无脓毒症组(P<0.05)。脓毒症休克组血清PCT、hs-CRP、COR和WBC水平高于严重脓毒症组、一般脓毒症组,且严重脓毒症组患者高于一般脓毒症组患者(P<0.05)。预后不良组血清PCT、hs-CRP、COR和WBC水平高于预后良好组(P<0.05)。结论:血清PCT、hs-CRP、COR和WBC水平在烧伤早期伴发脓毒症患者中水平异常升高,与病情严重程度有关,上述指标对预后判断有一定的临床参考价值。     

A Prognostic Model to Predict Recovery of COVID-19 Patients Based on Longitudinal Laboratory Findings

Virologica Sinica - The temporal change patterns of laboratory data may provide insightful clues into the whole course of COVID-19. This study aimed to evaluate longitudinal change patterns of key...     

2种调查方法对四川黑竹沟国家级自然保护区3种雉类种群密度调查的比较

种群数量是物种的重要生态学基础资料,合适的密度调查方法是数量估算的基础。2016年4-5月,采用广泛应用于鸡形目Galliformes鸟类种群密度调查的样线法和样点法,调查了四川黑竹沟国家级自然保护区3种鸡形目鸟类(白腹锦鸡Chrysolophus amherstiae、红腹角雉Tragopan temminckii和血雉Ithaginis cruentus)的种群密度。样线法和样点法估算的雄体密度分别是:白腹锦鸡1.20只/km^2和(6.31±0.98)只/km^2,红腹角雉5.41只/km^2和(0.39±0.17)只/km^2,血雉3.01只/km^2和(5.97±2.70)只/km^2。除红腹角雉外,样点法估算的白腹锦鸡、血雉种群密度均大于样线法。建议针对不同鸡形目鸟类采用不同的调查方法,并尽量扩大样本数量,从而提高调查结果的准确性。     

链球菌病类活疫苗活菌计数参考品的研制

研制链球菌病类活疫苗活菌计数参考品,可以更加科学地评价活菌计数结果的准确性和有效性。首先,制备了一批链球菌病类活疫苗活菌计数参考品,对其物理性状、纯粹性、真空度、剩余水分进行检验,并对其均一性、运输稳定性、热稳定性进行测定,另组织3家单位通过协作标定的方式对参考品活菌数进行赋值,用协作标定法统计参考品在12个月内的保存期。参考品的性状检查、纯粹检验、真空度测定和剩余水分测定结果均符合《中国兽药典》的规定;均一性试验结果显示,参考品计数结果的变异系数小于10%,均一性良好;运输稳定性试验证明,参考品在夏季和冬季用泡沫盒加冰袋的方式运输3日内数值仍能保持稳定;加速热稳定性试验验证,参考品在–20 ℃条件下保存3个月、4 ℃条件下保存21 d内均可活菌数稳定;通过协作标定,统计出参考品活菌数的赋值范围为 (8.5–12.1)×107 CFU/支;保存期试验结果证实,参考品在–70 ℃以下保存一年内活菌数可维持稳定状态。链球菌病类活疫苗活菌计数参考品,不仅可以为链球菌病类活疫苗的活菌计数实验提供参照物,而且可以用于评价马丁琼脂培养基的质量,为兽用生物制品质量控制提供保障。     

Sulindac modulates secreted protein expression from LIM1215 colon carcinoma cells prior to apoptosis

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of mortality in Western populations. Growing evidence from human and rodent studies indicate that nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) cause regression of existing colon tumors and act as effective chemopreventive agents in sporadic colon tumor formation. Although much is known about the action of the NSAID sulindac, especially its role in inducing apoptosis, mechanisms underlying these effects is poorly understood. In previous secretome-based proteomic studies using 2D-DIGE/MS and cytokine arrays we identified over 150 proteins released from the CRC cell line LIM1215 whose expression levels were dysregulated by treatment with 1 mM sulindac over 16 h; many of these proteins are implicated in molecular and cellular functions such as cell proliferation, differentiation, adhesion, angiogenesis and apoptosis (Ji et al., Proteomics Clin. Appl. 2009, 3, 433–451). We have extended these studies and describe here an improved protein/peptide separation strategy that facilitated the identification of 987 proteins and peptides released from LIM1215 cells following 1 mM sulindac treatment for 8 h preceding the onset of apoptosis. This peptidome separation strategy involved fractional centrifugal ultrafiltration of concentrated cell culture media (CM) using nominal molecular weight membrane filters (NMWL 30 K, 3 K and 1 K). Proteins isolated in the > 30 K and 3–30 K fractions were electrophoretically separated by SDS-PAGE and endogenous peptides in the 1–3 K membrane filter were fractioned by RP-HPLC; isolated proteins and peptides were identified by nanoLC-MS–MS. Collectively, our data show that LIM1215 cells treated with 1 mM sulindac for 8 h secrete decreased levels of proteins associated with extracellular matrix remodeling (e.g., collagens, perlecan, syndecans, filamins, dyneins, metalloproteinases and endopeptidases), cell adhesion (e.g., cadherins, integrins, laminins) and mucosal maintenance (e.g., glycoprotein 340 and mucins 5 AC, 6, and 13). A salient finding of this study was the increased proteolysis of cell surface proteins following treatment with sulindac for 8 h (40% higher than from untreated LIM1215 cells); several of these endogenous peptides contained C-terminal amino acids from transmembrane domains indicative of regulated intramembrane proteolysis (RIP). Taken together these results indicate that during the early-stage onset of sulindac-induced apoptosis (evidenced by increased annexin V binding, dephosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK), and cleavage of caspase-3), 1 mM sulindac treatment of LIM1215 cells results in decreased expression of secreted proteins implicated in ECM remodeling, mucosal maintenance and cell–cell-adhesion. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: An Updated Secretome.