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Background Tripartite motif 47 (TRIM47), a member of the TRIM family proteins, plays a key role in many types of cancers including colorectal cancer (CRC). We found that levels of TRIM47 mRNA and protein were increased significantly in colorectal tumors compared with nontumor tissues and the increased levels were associated with advanced tumor stage and poor outcome. Methods We used quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot to measure levels of TRIM47 mRNA and protein in human colorectal cancer and paired normal tissues. TRIM47 was knocked down and overexpressed in colorectal cancer cells, and the effects on cell proliferation, migration and growth of xenograft tumors in nude mice were assessed. The signaling pathways were examined by western blot and immunoprecipitation assays. Results TRIM47 promoted CRC proliferation and metastasis in vitro and in vivo as an oncogene. Mechanistically, TRIM47 interacted physically with SMAD4, increasing its ubiquitination and degradation. Loss of SMAD4 leaded to up-regulation of CCL15 expression and caused growth and invasion in human CRC cells through the CCL15-CCR1 signaling. Moreover, TRIM47 overexpression played a role in CRC chemoresistance in response to 5-FU therapy. Conclusions Our study demonstrated a functional role of the TRIM47-SMAD4-CCL15 axis in CRC progression and suggested a potential target for CRC therapy.

Perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.) is an important cool-season grass species that is widely cultivated in temperate regions worldwide but usually sensitive to heat stress. Jasmonates (JAs) may have a positive effect on plant tolerance under heat stress. In this study, results showed that exogenous methyl jasmonic acid (MeJA) could significantly improve heat tolerance of perennial ryegrass through alteration of osmotic adjustment, antioxidant defense, and the expression of JA-responsive genes. MeJA-induced heat tolerance was involved in the maintenance of better relative water content (RWC), the decline of chlorophyll (Chl) loss for photosynthetic maintenance, as well as maintained lower electrolyte leakage (EL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content under heat condition, so as to avoid further damage to plants. Besides, results also indicated that exogenous MeJA treatment could increase the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), thus enhancing the scavenging ability of reactive oxygen species, alleviating the oxidative damage caused by heat stress. Heat stress and exogenous MeJA upregulated transcript levels of related genes ( LpLOX2 , LpAOC , LpOPR3 , and LpJMT ) in JA biosynthetic pathway, which also could enhance the accumulation of JA and MeJA content. Furthermore, some NAC transcription factors and heat shock proteins may play a positive role in enhancing resistance of perennial ryegrass with heat stress.

Background Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are the most common illness in children, and rapid diagnosis is required for the optimal management of RTIs, especially severe infections. Methods Nasopharyngeal swab or sputum specimens were collected from children aged 19 days to 15 years who were admitted to a hospital in Shanghai and diagnosed with RTIs. The specimens were tested with the FilmArray Respiratory Panel, a multiplex PCR assay that detects 16 viruses, Mycoplasma pneumoniae ( M. pneumoniae ), Bordetella pertussis ( B. pertussis ) and Chlamydophila pneumoniae ( C. pneumoniae ). Results Among the 775 children studied, 626 (80.8%, 626/775) tested positive for at least one organism, and multiple organisms were detected in 198 (25.5%). Rhinoviruses/enteroviruses (25.5%, 198/775) were detected most often, followed by respiratory syncytial virus (19.5%, 151/775), parainfluenza virus 3 (14.8%, 115/775), influenza A or B (10.9%), adenovirus (10.8%), M. pneumoniae (10.6%) and B. pertussis (6.3%). The prevalence of organisms differed by age, and most of the viruses were more common in winter. Of the 140 children suspected of having pertussis, 35.0% (49/140) tested positive for B. pertussis . Conclusions FilmArray RP allows the rapid simultaneous detection of a wide number of respiratory organisms, with limited hands-on time, in Chinese pediatric patients with RTIs.

Background Multifaceted non-pharmaceutical interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic have not only reduced the transmission of SARS-CoV2, but have had an effect on the prevalence of other pathogens. This retrospective study aimed to compare and analyze the changes of respiratory pathogens in hospitalized children with community-acquired pneumonia. Methods From January 2019 to December 2020, children with community-acquired pneumonia were selected from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. On the first day of hospitalization, sputum, throat swabs, venous blood samples from them were collected for detection of pathogens. Results A total of 2596 children with community-acquired pneumonia were enrolled, including 1871 patients in 2019 and 725 in 2020. The detection rate in 2020 was lower than in 2019, whether single or multiple pathogens. Compared with 2019, the detection rate of virus, especially parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and respiratory syncytial virus, all decreased in 2020. On the contrary, the prevalence of human rhinovirus was much higher than that in 2019. In addition, the positivity rate for bacteria did not change much over the two years, which seemed to be less affected by COVID-19. And Mycoplasma pneumoniae which broke out in 2019 has been in low prevalence since March 2020 even following the reopening of school. Conclusions Strict public health interventions for COVID-19 in China have effectively suppressed the spread of not only SARS-CoV2 but parainfluenza virus, influenza virus and Mycoplasma pneumonia as well. However, it had a much more limited effect on bacteria and rhinovirus. Therefore, more epidemiological surveillance of respiratory pathogens will help improve early preventive measures.

Goafs are one of the main factors that endanger the safety of mining areas, leading to roadway collapse, land subsidence and other problems. Determining how to detect goafs accurately and efficiently is an important issue faced in engineering geophysical exploration research. Microtremor survey technology, used in geophysical exploration, has been developed in recent years. It has the advantages of low cost, flexible construction, low topographic impact and high efficiency. In this paper, microtremor survey technology was applied to the detection of a coal mine goaf. In the known goaf area of the Taiyuan Nanling Coal Mine, a linear observation array was arranged to conduct rolling acquisition, observe the microtremor signal records of the natural field and use the extended spatial autocorrelation method to extract the dispersion curve. Through the inversion of the extracted dispersion curve, the apparent shear wave velocity profile of the underground medium clearly showed the location of the goaf. It was roughly consistent with the goaf data obtained from the mine. The detection results reflect the advantages of micromotion exploration. The goaf of Coal Seam #2 and its affected area appear to be due to an obvious low-speed phenomenon. The boundary of the apparent shear wave velocity profile of micromotion detection was basically consistent with the boundary of the goaf, indicating that micromotion exploration technology has good technical advantages and application prospects in the detection of coal mine goafs. The rolling acquisition method of linear arrays can be used to ensure accurate detection, improve exploration efficiency and save on exploration costs.

Background Due to the lack of a sensitive, specific and rapid detection method, aetiological diagnosis of pneumonia caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae ( M. pneumoniae, MP ) is a constantly challenging issue. This retrospective study aimed to compare the diagnostic methods for Mycoplasma pneumoniae in children and evaluate their values. Methods From November 2018 to June 2019, 830 children with community-acquired pneumonia were selected from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Shanghai Children’s Medical Center. On the first day of hospitalization, sputum, throat swab and venous blood samples were collected to analyse MP-IgM (particle agglutination, PA), MP-IgM (immune colloidal gold technique, GICT), MP-DNA, MP-RNA (simultaneous amplification and testing, SAT) and MP-DNA (real-time polymerase chain reaction, RT-PCR). Results Among these 830 children, RT-PCR showed that the positive rate was 36.6% (304/830), in which the positive rate of macrolide resistance (A2063G mutation) accounted for 86.2% of cases (262/304). Using RT-PCR as the standard, MP-RNA (SAT) had the highest specificity (97.5%), and MP-IgM (PA) had the highest sensitivity (74.0%) and Youden index (53.7%). If MP-RNA (SAT) was combined with MP-IgM (PA), its Kappa value (0.602), sensitivity (84.2%), specificity (78.7%) and Youden index (62.9%) were higher than those of single M. pneumoniae detection. Conclusions Our research indicated that a combination of MP-RNA (SAT) plus MP-IgM (PA) might lead to reliable results as an early diagnostic method for children with clinical manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia.

Recent studies have deepened our understanding on gut microbiota alterations and the interaction with intestinal barrier impairments, which play a crucial role in the etiology and pathophysiology of Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The intestinal microbiota dysbiosis in IBD including the altered microbiota composition, decreased beneficial species and increased harmful species. The disturbed gut microbiota results in the aggravation of intestinal barrier dysfunction through regulation of antimicrobial substances in mucus layer, tight junction protein in mechanical layer and inflammatory response in immune layer. The therapeutic options targeted on the microbiota including antibiotics, probiotics and fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) exhibit efficacies and limitations in the treatment of IBD. Reasonable single or combined use of these treatments can restore intestinal microecological homeostasis, which further contributes to the treatment of IBD. This review analyzes the underlying mechanisms for the interaction between microbiota alterations and gut barrier dysfunction in IBD; meanwhile, it provides new insights into the microbiota-targeted therapeutic options IBD, including the benefits, risks and limitations of antibiotic and probiotic therapies, unresolved clinical application strategies for FMT, and combination administrations of antibiotics and FMT.

Objective Distinguishing between viral and bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children is crucial for guiding targeted management and antibiotic use. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of serum amyloid A protein(SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) as biomarkers to differentiate viral from bacterial CAP in children. Methods A total of 441 hospitalized children with a confirmed diagnosis of CAP were initially selected. Of these, 206 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, including 132 cases of viral pneumonia and 74 cases of bacterial pneumonia. Baseline data and clinical characteristics were collected. Respiratory pathogen detection and blood biomarker measurements, including SAA and CRP levels, were completed within 24 h of admission. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to evaluate the effectiveness of SAA, CRP, and their combination in differentiating between viral and bacterial CAP. Results Fever (body temperature ≥ 38 °C) was more frequently observed in the bacterial CAP group (95.9%) compared to the viral CAP group (75%, P  = 0.000). Wheezing was more prevalent in the viral CAP group (40.2% vs. 24.3%, P  = 0.022). CRP and SAA levels were significantly higher in the bacterial CAP group (CRP: 27.6 (6.5, 49.4) mg/L vs. 3 (0.7, 8.4) mg/L, P  = 0.000; SAA: 190.1 (70, 297.4) mg/L vs. 13.5 (1.4, 48.2) mg/L, P  = 0.000). The area under the ROC curve for CRP and SAA was 0.84 (0.78 ∼ 0.90) and 0.85 (0.79 ∼ 0.91), respectively. The cutoff points were 86.55 mg/L for SAA and 19.65 mg/L for CRP, with sensitivities of 86.9% and 94.6%, and specificities of 73.0% and 63.5%, respectively. Combining SAA and CRP detection with clinical symptoms increases specificity to 93.2% and 97.3% but reduces sensitivity to 31.3% and 22.7% in distinguishing viral from bacterial pneumonia. Multivariate regression analysis confirmed that CRP was an independent predictor of bacterial pneumonia (OR = 1.098, P  < 0.001) and was strongly correlated with SAA (Pearson r  = 0.816, P  < 0.001). Conclusion CRP and SAA are effective biomarkers for distinguishing between viral and bacterial CAP in children, with CRP demonstrating independent predictive value. The combined detection of CRP and SAA, along with clinical symptoms (such as fever or wheezing), significantly enhances diagnostic specificity but requires a trade-off with reduced sensitivity. This finding provides important evidence for the early precise classification of pediatric CAP and the rational use of antibiotics, but its clinical value still needs to be validated through larger-scale multicenter studies.

Background The aim of this study was to investigate the associations of blood phosphorus levels with the risk of developing medial arterial calcification (MAC) in lower-limb arteries and diabetic foot (DF) in diabetes patients. We sought to enhance the understanding of the pathophysiology of diabetic complications and develop strategies to mitigate diabetes-related risks. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 701 diabetic patients from the Department of Endocrinology at Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital (2019–2023). We utilized multimodel-adjusted logistic regression to investigate the associations of serum phosphorus levels and the risk of developing MAC and DF. Restricted cubic spline plots were employed to model the relationships, and threshold analysis was used to identify inflection points. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore variations across different demographics. The diagnostic utility of phosphorus concentrations was assessed via the C index, net reclassification improvement (NRI), and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results Of the 701 patients (mean age 63.9 years; 401 (57.20%) were male), 333 (47.50%) had MAC, and 329 (46.93%) had DF. After controlling for numerous confounding variables, each one-unit increase in phosphorus concentrations was associated with an increased risk of developing MAC (OR 2.65, 95% CI 1.97–3.57, p < 0.001) and DF (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.09–2.18, p = 0.014). Phosphorus levels demonstrated a linear risk association, with risk not being uniform on either side of the inflection point, which was approximately 3.28 mg/dL for MAC and varied for DF (3.26 to 3.81 mg/dL). Adding the phosphorus as an independent component to the diagnostic model for MAC and DF increased the C index, NRI, and IDI to varying degrees. Conclusions Elevated serum phosphorus levels are significantly associated with an increased risk of developing MAC and DF among diabetic people. These findings suggest that phosphorus management could be integrated into routine diagnostic processes to improve the identification and management of lower-extremity diabetic complications. Graphical abstract

Introduction Young patients with ischemic stroke often present with more complex etiologies and risk factors, making their long‐term prognosis particularly challenging. This study aims to investigate the long‐term prognosis and identify factors associated with recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events and unfavorable functional outcome in a prospective, single‐center cohort. Methods We consecutively enrolled young adults (aged 18–49) with ischemic stroke in the single‐center cohort at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from March 2017 to March 2023. Follow‐up was conducted through face‐to‐face visits or telephone interviews. Main outcomes were recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events and unfavorable functional outcome (an mRS score ≥ 2). Kaplan–Meier analysis was used to estimate the 5‐year cumulative recurrence risk, and multivariate logistic analysis was used to identify predictors of recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events and unfavorable functional outcome. Results A total of 226 patients (median (IQR) age, 35 (30–41) years; 148 male (65.5%)) were included to the final analysis. According to the TOAST classification, large‐artery atherosclerosis was identified as the most common subtype (38.1%). The 5‐year cumulative recurrence rate for ischemic cerebrovascular events was 13.5% (95% CI: 6.7%–19.9%), with no significant difference between patients with different etiologies. Low education level (OR 12.016, 95% CI: 2.805–51.469, p < 0.001), previous TIA (OR 9.594, 95% CI: 2.500–36.824, p < 0.001), previous ischemic stroke (OR 3.177, 95% CI: 1.128–8.946, p = 0.029), and mRS score at follow‐up (OR 3.339, 95% CI: 1.714–6.502, p < 0.001) were independent risk factors of ischemic cerebrovascular event recurrence after adjusting for sex and age. Baseline mRS scores was identified as an independent predictor of long‐term poor functional outcome (OR 2.264, 95%CI: 1.207–4.246, p = 0.011) after adjusting for sex, age, receiving antiplatelet treatment and having recurrent ischemic stroke or TIA. Conclusions Young patients with ischemic stroke were at risk of recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events, enhancing the need to enhance stroke prevention and treatment, particularly among young Chinese individuals with low education levels. The long‐term prognosis and identified risk factors associated with recurrent ischemic cerebrovascular events and unfavorable functional outcome in a single‐center cohort of young patients with ischemic stroke.