Management and microbial monitoring of final rinse water for flexible endoscopes in 290 hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China: a multicenter cross-sectional study.

Background: There is a lack of a universally accepted standard or guideline for the frequency of disinfection in purified water pipelines. Furthermore, there is no standardized method for detecting microorganisms in the final rinse water utilized for endoscope cleaning.This study aims to examine the current management and microbial monitoring practices concerning the final rinse water used for flexible endoscope cleaning in medical institutions.

Association of exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances with liver injury in American adults.

Epidemiological data are scarce regarding the association of exposure to mixtures of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) with liver injury in the general population. In the current study, therefore, we examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2018). The PFAS exposure levels were defined by the serum concentrations of PFASs with over 70% detection in samples, namely perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorononanoic acid, perfluorohexane sulfonic acid, perfluorodecanoic acid, and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS).

Healthy Lifestyle Is Associated with Reduced Mortality in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Background and Aims: It is unclear whether a healthy lifestyle impacts mortality in the presence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The present study aimed to examine the joint association of several modifiable lifestyle factors with mortality risk for NAFLD patients. Methods: We collected lifestyle behavior data form the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III from 1988 to 1994 and follow-up data form NHANES III-linked mortality data through 2015.

Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Polyphenols from Using Response Surface Methodology and Evaluation of Their Antioxidant Activity.

The polyphenolic extract of Ilex latifolia (PEIL) exhibits a variety of biological activities. An evaluation of the parameters influencing the ultrasonic extraction process and the assessment of PEIL antioxidant activity are presented herein. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the experimental conditions for the polyphenols ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) from the leaves of Ilex latifolia.

Weight Change across Adulthood in Relation to Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease among Non-Obese Individuals.

Background: To investigate the associations of weight change patterns across adulthood with the risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methods: Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2017-2018 cycle, we performed a retrospective cohort study with 2212 non-obese participants aged 36 years old over. Weight change patterns were categorized as "stable non-obese", "early adulthood weight gain", "middle and late adulthood weight gain" and "revert to non-obese" according to the body mass index (BMI) at age 25, 10 years prior and at baseline.

Whole exome sequencing reveals the different responsiveness to Enterovirus 71 vaccination in Chinese children.

Purpose: To explore the molecular genetic mechanisms underlying different responsiveness to Enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine.

Methods: We recruited 10,245 healthy children into a phase 3 clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of EV71 vaccine in 2012. Fifty subjects from the trial were divided into the potent immune response group (20 subjects) and the ineffective immune response group (30 subjects).

Hepatitis B virus infection and the risk of cancer among the Chinese population.

The relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) and nonhepatocellular cancers remains inconclusive. This large case-control study aimed to assess the associations between HBV infection status and multiple cancers. Cases (n = 50 392) and controls (n = 11 361) were consecutively recruited from 2008 to 2016 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University.

Identification of risk loci and a polygenic risk score for lung cancer: a large-scale prospective cohort study in Chinese populations.

Background: Genetic variation has an important role in the development of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, genetic factors for lung cancer have not been fully identified, especially in Chinese populations, which limits the use of existing polygenic risk scores (PRS) to identify subpopulations at high risk of lung cancer for prevention. We therefore aimed to identify novel loci associated with NSCLC risk, and generate a PRS and evaluate its utility and effectiveness in the prediction of lung cancer risk in Chinese populations.

Pathogenesis and pathophysiology of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: translation to human studies.

Heart failure represents the end result of different pathophysiologic processes, which culminate in functional impairment. Regardless of its aetiology, the presentation of heart failure usually involves symptoms of pump failure and congestion, which forms the basis for clinical diagnosis. Pathophysiologic descriptions of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) are being established.

Associations Between Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Risk of All Cancer Types.

Importance: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has been identified as a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. However, the associations between HBV infection and other cancer types are not well understood.

Objective: To assess the associations between chronic HBV infection and risk of all cancer types.

HBV mutations in EnhII/BCP/PC region contribute to the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: Accompanied by HBV infection, HBV mutations gradually occur because HBV polymerase appears proofread deficiencies. In our previous study, we have identified that EnhII/BCP/PC mutations and genotype C of HBV DNA were associated with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) risk. In this study, we extend our research to explore HCC prognosis associated genotype and mutations in EnhII/BCP/PC regions.

Spontaneous Seroclearance of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatitis B (HBV) infection is the leading cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in Asia. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) seroclearance is considered to be one of the most important end points of chronic HBV infection and is associated with a reduced risk of HCC.

Incidence and determinants of spontaneous hepatitis B surface antigen seroclearance and seroconversion in hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic infection patients: A population-based prospective cohort.

Seroclearance of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) has been widely studied; however, seroconversion of HBsAg and characteristics of viral load among hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)-negative chronic infection patients after HBsAg lost is not clear. We performed a large-scale study in a HBeAg-negative chronic infection cohort to evaluate spontaneous HBsAg seroclearance incidence from October 2012 to April 2017 in Jiangsu province, China. We also elucidated the characteristics of HBsAg seroconversion and hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA detectability among patients who cleared HBsAg.

Interconversion of Methyltropyl and Xylyl Radicals: A Pathway Unavailable to the Benzyl-Tropyl Rearrangement.

The products of an electrical discharge containing toluene are interrogated using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopies. A previously unreported electronic spectrum recorded at m/z = 105, with a putative origin band at 26053 cm, is assigned to methyltropyl radical, which appears to be a major product of the toluene discharge, plausibly arising from CH insertion. All three o-, m-, and p-xylyl isomers are also identified.

Expression quantitative trait loci for PAX8 contributes to the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Paired-box family member PAX8 encodes a transcription factor that has a role in cell differentiation and cell growth and may participate in the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). By bioinformatics analysis, we identified several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within a newly identified long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) AC016683.6 as expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) for PAX8.

Cardiac stem cells: translation to human studies.

The discovery of multiple classes of cardiac progenitor cells in the adult mammalian heart has generated hope for their use as a therapeutic in heart failure. However, successful results from animal models have not always yielded similar findings in human studies. Recent Phase I/II trials of c-Kit (SCIPIO) and cardiosphere-based (CADUCEUS) cardiac progenitor cells have demonstrated safety and some therapeutic efficacy.

Clinical evaluation for batch consistency of an inactivated enterovirus 71 vaccine in a large-scale phase 3 clinical trial.

The demonstration of batch-to-batch consistency to confirm the reliability of the manufacturing process has become a mandatory step in vaccine development. This is a post-hoc analysis aimed to provide more solid evidence on the immunogenicity and consistency of 3 consecutive batches of a novel inactivated enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine. In total 10 245 healthy Chinese children aged 6-35 months had been recruited and randomized to receive one of 3 batches of EV71 vaccine or placebo according to a two-dose immunization schedule in a phase 3 clinical trial.