[Related factors of urinary tract infections in inpatients based on real world data]

To analyze the risk factors for urinary tract infection (UTI) among inpatients. The case data of 1 875 inpatients receiving urinary bacterial culture in Beijing Haidian Hospital from October 2019 to May 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. According to the etiological diagnostic criteria of UTI, they were divided into infection group and non-infection group. The species and distribution of pathogens in the infection group were analyzed, and the case data and laboratory indexes were subjected to univariate analysis. The variables with statistical significance were selected for binary logistic regression to analyze the risk factors of urinary tract infection and establish a prediction model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn for each parameter included in the model, and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. The diagnostic and predictive efficacy of each parameter alone and their combination for UTI were evaluated. So, a total of 1 162 patients with non-infection group and 713 patients with UTI were detected. Among the cultured pathogens, the constituent ratio of Gram-negative bacteria, Gram-positive bacteria and fungi was 57.2%(408/713), 35.9%(256/713) and 6.9%(49/713) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that, Age, duration of urinary catheterization>7 d, stroke and orthopedic surgery were the risk factors of UTI among inpatients. The use of antibiotics is a protective factor for urinary tract infections. The prediction model of UTI was established by the risk factors, age, duration of urinary catheterization>7 d, stroke, orthopedic surgery, urinary leukocyte esterase, urinary nitrite and Coefficient of variability of red blood cell volume distribution width (RDW-CV). The AUC of the combination of the eight parameters in diagnosing and predicting UTI was 0.835 (95%CI: 0.816-0.855), with the sensitivity of 70.7% and the specificity of 82.8%. In conclusion,the combination of the eight parameters can better assist in the diagnosis and prediction of UTI, and provide an experimental basis for clinicians to judge UTI.

The long road to recovery: at six months since the first COVID-19 wave, elective orthopedic care has still not fully recovered in Belgium

PURPOSE

The primary aim of our study was to investigate elective orthopaedic care during the first wave government-imposed COVID-19 lockdown and at four weeks and 21 weeks after resuming elective care. The secondary aim of our study was to evaluate the implementation of the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) COVID-19 Guidelines and Recommendations for Resuming Elective Surgery in the clinical practice of Belgian knee surgeons.

METHODS

We sent three anonymous online surveys to 102 Belgian Knee Society members (BKS) at times mentioned above. Addressed topics were: (1) participant demographics, (2) elective surgeries, (3) outpatient visits, (4) ESSKA Guidelines, (5) patient and surgeon safety.

RESULTS

During the COVID-19 lockdown, there was a decrease of 97% in elective knee surgeries and 91% in outpatient visits. At four and 21 weeks after resuming elective care, volumes were respectively 67% and 89% for elective surgeries and 81% and 91% for outpatient visits. Regarding ESSKA guidelines, 91% of surgeons had no COVID-19 testing prior to resuming elective care. Ninety-two per cent reported preoperative (< 72 h) patient PCR testing, and 45% gave preference to young patients without comorbidities. Seventy-two per cent did not use additional personal protective equipment (PPE) if a patient PCR test was negative. Forty-nine per cent continued to give preference to general anaesthesia.

CONCLUSION

Our study shows that elective surgeries and outpatient visits were almost completely interrupted during the COVID-19 lockdown and were still below normal at four and 21 weeks after resuming elective care. Regarding ESSKA COVID-19 guidelines, our study observes good compliance in preoperative patient COVID-19 testing, but lower compliance for preoperative health care personnel testing, patient selection, use of PPE, and locoregional anaesthesia.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

V.

Poly(ferrocenylsilane) electrolytes as a gold nanoparticle foundry: "two-in-one" redox synthesis and electrosteric stabilization, and sensing applications

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) coated with responsive polymers gained considerable interest due to their controllable size, good stability, and fast environmental response suitable for biological applications and sensing. Here we report on a simple and efficient method for the synthesis of stable and redox responsive AuNPs using organometallic polyelectrolytes in aqueous solutions of HAuCl₄. In the redox reaction, positively or negatively charged poly(ferrocenylsilanes) (PFS⁺/PFS^-) served as reducing agents, and also as stabilizing polymers. Due to their unique tunable electrostatic and electrosteric protection, AuNPs coated with PFS^-, (PFS⁺)@AuNPs, possess high redox sensitivity, with reversible, repetitive, sustainable color switching between the assembled (purple color) and disassembled (red color) states as evidenced by UV-Vis absorption and TEM measurements. Feasibility studies reported here indicate that the particles described can be applied as a colorimetric probe for the detection of redox molecules, e.g. vitamin C, in a controlled and facile manner.

Food allergy and allergic rhinitis in 435 asian patients - A descriptive review

OBJECTIVE

To describe the prevalence of food allergy in Asian patients with allergic rhinitis.

STUDY DESIGN

A non-randomized prospectively collected patients over a three year period, with complaints of nose congestion, rhinorrhea and/or nasal discharge.

RESULTS

There were 435 patients enrolled, 213 children and 222 adults. The children group had a high prevalence of allergen specific IgE to Dermatophagoides pteryonysinus (70%), Dermatophagoides farina (69%), and Blomia tropicalis (55%); followed by dogs (32%), cats (19%) and cockroaches (19%). In the children food allergy category, the top three allergens were egg white (54%), milk (31%) and soya bean (13%). The adult group had results of Dermatophagoides pteryonysinus (71%), Dermatophagoides farina (72%), and Blomia tropicalis (59%); the adult food allergy category, the top 3 allergens were egg white (13%), milk (6%) and soya bean (5%). There was a statistically significant difference in the child and adult group for Dust, D. pteryonysinus, D. farina, B.tropicalis, egg white, wheat, gluten and soya bean. In the age specific child groups, there was an increased in egg food allergy levels, with a peak at the age of five-nine years old and decreasing thereafter (p=0.04). In the children group, the mean Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) was 10.3 (range of 7 to 13); the adult group was similar, with a mean TNSS of 9.8 (range 5 to 12).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of food allergy in paediatric patients with allergic rhinitis is fairly high and should be considered when treating these children.

Effects of encapsulation on the viability of potential probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum exposed to high acidity condition and presence of bile salts

This study investigated the survival of encapsulated potential probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum which isolated from fermented cocoa beans. κ-Carrageenan was used to encapsulate the probiotic. Encapsulation techniques such as emulsification, freeze-drying or extrusion were adopted to encapsulate the probiotic. Freeze-drying and extrusion methods showed higher (p < 0.05) efficiency (89.48 ± 3.21 and 92.26 ± 1.45%, respectively) in encapsulating the probiotic compared to the emulsification method (82.19 ± 0.71% efficiency). Freeze-dried encapsulated probiotic L. plantarum was selected for further survival analysis as greater amount of beads were produced compared to the extrusion method. Freeze-dried probiotic was found to have significantly (p < 0.05) higher tolerance to acid at pH 2 with higher survival percentage compared to non-encapsulated probiotic. However, freeze-drying encapsulation was proven not to enhance the resistance of the probiotic to bile salt as evidenced by the one log colony reduction as for the non-encapsulated probiotic. Further modification of freeze-drying encapsulation technique is needed to enhance the survival of the encapsulated potential probiotic L. plantarum toward bile salt in the future.

[Cloning of the recombinant human hepatocyte growth factor gene]

The full length of HGF cDNA gene(2,184 bp) was amplified successfully from human placental tissue using RT-PCR technique, and then cloned into pGEM-T vector, which was identified and confirmed by restriction endonuclease mapping using Nde I, Bg1 II, Hind III, BamH I and Xho I, as well as DNA sequencing. The above clone of HGF cDNA gene was successfully subcloned into the retrovirus vector(pLNL-XHC), which may be used for further studies of gene expression and gene therapy.