To investigate the factors associated with the duration of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA shedding in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). A retrospective cohort of ...COVID‐19 patients admitted to a designated hospital in Beijing was analyzed to study the factors affecting the duration of viral shedding. The median duration of viral shedding was 11 days (IQR, 8‐14.3 days) as measured from illness onset. Univariate regression analysis showed that disease severity, corticosteroid therapy, fever (temperature>38.5°C), and time from onset to hospitalization were associated with prolonged duration of viral shedding (P < .05). Multivariate regression analysis showed that fever (temperature>38.5°C) (OR, 5.1, 95%CI: 1.5‐18.1), corticosteroid therapy (OR, 6.3, 95%CI: 1.5‐27.8), and time from onset to hospitalization (OR, 1.8, 95%CI: 1.19‐2.7) were associated with increased odds of prolonged duration of viral shedding. Corticosteroid treatment, fever (temperature>38.5°C), and longer time from onset to hospitalization were associated with prolonged viral shedding in COVID‐19 patients.
Highlights
Corticosteroid treatment was associated with prolonged viral shedding in COVID‐19 patients
Monodisperse Ag2S quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized via pyrolysis of Ag(DDTC) in oleic acid, octadecylamine, and 1-octadecene. The uniform alkyl-capped Ag2S QDs with a size of 10.2 nm emit near-IR ...emission at 1058 nm under 785 nm excitation.
Breast cancer (BC) poses one of the major threats to female's health worldwide. Immune infiltration in BC is a key representative of the tumor microenvironment and has been proven highly relevant for ...prognosis. The role of the FREM1 (FRAS1‐Related Extracellular Matrix 1) gene in carcinoma has not studied, moreover, the underlying mechanism remains largely unknown. This study aims to investigate the expression profile and potential action of FREM1 on BC progression. We applied series of bioinformatic methods as well as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) to analyze FREM1 expression profile, its relationship with clinicopathological characteristics, impact on clinical outcomes, relevant functions, correlation with immune infiltration in BC. The results demonstrated that FREM1 had a dramatically reduced expression in BC tissues, possessed an inverse correlation with stage, age, and metastasis, and exhibited a higher level in invasive lobular breast carcinoma than in ductal one. Furthermore, decreased FREM1 expression was often associated with estrogen receptor (ER)/progesterone receptor (PR) negative and triple negative breast carcinoma (TNBC) status while human epidermal growth factor 2 (Her‐2) positive status, and considerably correlated with a worse overall survival (OS) and recurrence‐free survival (RFS). Meanwhile, the univariate/multivariate Cox model revealed that low‐FREM1 expression can be an independent prognostic factor for BC. Additionally, FREM1 was mainly involved in the cell metabolism and immune cells infiltration. Moreover, IHC and IF demonstrated a positive correlation of its expression with the immune infiltrating levels of CD4+, CD8+ T cells, and CD86+ M1 macrophages while a negative correlation with CD68+ pan‐macrophages and CD163+ M2 macrophages. These findings suggest that FREM1 can be a potential biomarker for evaluating the immune infiltrating status, and the BC prognosis.
This study aims to investigate the expression profile and potential action of FREM1 on BC tumorigenesis. We applied series of bioinformatic and statistical methods to analyze FREM1 expression profile, its diagnostic efficiency, relationship with clinicopathological characteristics, impact on clinical outcomes, relevant functions, correlation with immune infiltration in BC. We provide the first evidence that increased FREM1 expression correlates with favorable clinical outcomes and mediates the regulation of the function and recruitment of immune cells.
ObjectivesTo investigate the temporal trends of 30-day mortality and hospitalisation in US Veterans with COVID-19 and 30-day mortality in hospitalised veterans with COVID-19 and to decompose the ...contribution of changes in the underlying characteristics of affected populations to these temporal changes.DesignObservational cohort study.SettingUS Department of Veterans Affairs.Participants49 238 US veterans with a positive COVID-19 test between 20 March 2020 and 19 September 2020; and 9428 US veterans hospitalised with a positive COVID-19 test during the same period.Outcome measures30-day mortality rate and hospitalisation rate.ResultsBetween 20 March 2020 and 19 September 2020 and in COVID-19 positive individuals, 30-day mortality rate dropped by 9.2% from 13.6% to 4.4%; hospitalisation rate dropped by 16.8% from 33.8% to 17.0%. In hospitalised COVID-19 individuals, 30-day mortality rate dropped by 12.7% from 23.5% to 10.8%. Among COVID-19 positive individuals, decomposition analyses suggested that changes in demographic, health and contextual characteristics, COVID-19 testing capacity, and hospital occupancy rates accounted for 40.2% and 33.3% of the decline in 30-day mortality and hospitalisation, respectively. Changes in the underlying characteristics of hospitalised COVID-19 individuals accounted for 29.9% of the decline in 30-day mortality.ConclusionBetween March and September 2020, changes in demographic and health characteristics of people infected with COVID-19 contributed measurably to the substantial decline in 30-day mortality and hospitalisation.
•In those with COVID-19, higher PM2.5 associated with higher hospitalization risk.•The association was present in each wave of the pandemic.•The association was present at PM2.5 concentrations below ...the national standard.•The association was higher in Black individuals and socioeconomically disadvantaged.
Ecologic analyses suggest that living in areas with higher levels of ambient fine particulate matter air pollution (PM2.5) is associated with higher risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes. Studies accounting for individual-level health characteristics are lacking.
We leveraged the breadth and depth of the US Department of Veterans Affairs national healthcare databases and built a national cohort of 169,102 COVID-19 positive United States Veterans, enrolled between March 2, 2020 and January 31, 2021, and followed them through February 15, 2021. Annual average 2018 PM2.5 exposure, at an approximately 1 km2 resolution, was linked with residential street address at the year prior to COVID-19 positive test. COVID-19 hospitalization was defined as first hospital admission between 7 days prior to, and 15 days after, the first COVID-19 positive date. Adjusted Poisson regression assessed the association of PM2.5 with risk of hospitalization.
There were 25,422 (15.0%) hospitalizations; 5,448 (11.9%), 5,056 (13.0%), 7,159 (16.1%), and 7,759 (19.4%) were in the lowest to highest PM2.5 quartile, respectively. In models adjusted for State, demographic and behavioral factors, contextual characteristics, and characteristics of the pandemic a one interquartile range increase in PM2.5 (1.9 µg/m3) was associated with a 10% (95% CI: 8%–12%) increase in risk of hospitalization. The association of PM2.5 and risk of hospitalization among COVID-19 individuals was present in each wave of the pandemic. Models of non-linear exposure–response suggested increased risk at PM2.5 concentrations below the national standard 12 µg/m3. Formal effect modification analyses suggested higher risk of hospitalization associated with PM2.5 in Black people compared to White people (p = 0.045), and in those living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods (p < 0.001).
Exposure to higher levels of PM2.5 was associated with increased risk of hospitalization among COVID-19 infected individuals. The risk was evident at PM2.5 levels below the regulatory standards. The analysis identified those of Black race and those living in disadvantaged neighborhoods as population groups that may be more susceptible to the untoward effect of PM2.5 on risk of hospitalization in the setting of COVID-19.
Understanding the temporal trend of the disease burden of stroke and its attributable risk factors in China, especially at provincial levels, is important for effective prevention strategies and ...improvement. The aim of this analysis from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) is to investigate the disease burden of stroke and its risk factors at national and provincial levels in China from 1990 to 2019.
Following the methodology in the GBD 2019, the incidence, prevalence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) of stroke cases in the Chinese population were estimated by sex, age, year, stroke subtypes (ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, and subarachnoid haemorrhage), and across 33 provincial administrative units in China from 1990 to 2019. Attributable mortality and DALYs of underlying risk factors were calculated by a comparative risk assessment.
In 2019, there were 3·94 million (95% uncertainty interval 3·43–4·58) new stroke cases in China. The incidence rate of stroke increased by 86·0% (73·2–99·0) from 1990, reaching 276·7 (241·3–322·0) per 100 000 population in 2019. The age-standardised incidence rate declined by 9·3% (3·3–15·5) from 1990 to 2019. Among 28·76 million (25·60–32·21) prevalent cases of stroke in 2019, 24·18 million (20·80–27·87) were ischaemic stroke, 4·36 million (3·69–5·05) were intracerebral haemorrhage, and 1·58 million (1·32–1·91) were subarachnoid haemorrhage. The prevalence rate increased by 106·0% (93·7–118·8) and age-standardised prevalence rate increased by 13·2% (7·7–19·1) from 1990 to 2019. In 2019, there were 2·19 million (1·89–2·51) deaths and 45·9 million (39·8–52·3) DALYs due to stroke. The mortality rate increased by 32·3% (8·6–59·0) from 1990 to 2019. Over the same period, the age-standardised mortality rate decreased by 39·8% (28·6–50·7) and the DALY rate decreased by 41·6% (30·7–50·9). High systolic blood pressure, ambient particulate matter pollution exposure, smoking, and diet high in sodium were four major risk factors for stroke burden in 2019. Moreover, we found marked differences of stroke burden and attributable risk factors across provinces in China from 1990 to 2019.
The disease burden of stroke is still severe in China, although the age-standardised incidence and mortality rates have decreased since 1990. The stroke burden in China might be reduced through blood pressure management, lifestyle interventions, and air pollution control. Moreover, because substantial heterogeneity of stroke burden existed in different provinces, improved health care is needed in provinces with heavy stroke burden.
National Key Research and Development Program of China and Taikang Yicai Public Health and Epidemic Control Fund.
Case reports suggest that children with food-triggered atopic dermatitis (AD) on elimination diets may develop immediate reactions on accidental ingestion or reintroduction of an avoided food.
The ...objective of this study was to systematically study the incidence and risk factors associated with these immediate reactions.
A retrospective chart review of 298 patients presenting to a tertiary-care allergy-immunology clinic based on concern for food-triggered AD was performed. Data regarding triggering foods, laboratory testing, and clinical reactions were collected prospectively from the initial visit. Food-triggered AD was diagnosed by an allergist-immunologist with clinical evaluation and laboratory testing. We identified immediate reactions as any reaction to a food for which there was evidence of sIgE and for which patients developed timely allergic signs and symptoms. Differences between children with and without new immediate reactions were determined by a Mann-Whitney, χ(2), or Fisher's exact test as appropriate.
A total of 19% of patients with food-triggered AD and no previous history of immediate reactions developed new immediate food reactions after initiation of an elimination diet. Seventy percent of reactions were cutaneous but 30% were anaphylaxis. Cow's milk and egg were the most common foods causing immediate-type reactions. Avoidance of a food was associated with increased risk of developing immediate reactions to that food (P < .01). Risk was not related to specific IgE level nor a specific food.
A significant number of patients with food-triggered AD may develop immediate-type reactions. Strict elimination diets need to be thoughtfully prescribed as they may lead to decreased oral tolerance.
Landscape genomics is a relatively new discipline that aims to reveal the relationship between adaptive genetic imprints in genomes and environmental heterogeneity among natural populations. Although ...the interest in landscape genomics has increased since this term was coined, studies on this topic remain scarce. Landscape genomics has become a powerful method to scan and determine the genes responsible for the complex adaptive evolution of species at population (mostly) and individual (more rarely) level. This review outlines the sampling strategies, molecular marker types and research categories in 37 articles published during the first 10 years of this field (i.e., 2007-2016). We also address major challenges and future directions for landscape genomics. This review aims to promote interest in conducting additional studies in landscape genomics.
The gas-adsorption behaviors of the pristine antimonene are investigated by first principles calculations to exploit its potential for high-performance gas sensing. The results show that the ...atmospheric gas molecules (N 2 , CO 2 , O 2 , and H 2 O) presented ubiquitously in the sensing environments weakly bind to antimonene, while the polluted gas adsorbates (NH 3 , SO 2 , NO, and NO 2 ) show stronger affinity toward antimonene with considerable adsorption energies and elevated charge transfers. Considering the susceptibility of the electronic properties of antimonene induced by the adsorbed molecules, we suggest that single-layered antimonene could be an eligible sensing material for polluted gases detection.
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•Cu2O/Bi5O7I composites were successfully synthesized via two-step method.•Cu2O/Bi5O7I composites exhibit enhanced photocatalytic reduction of Cr(VI).•The capacities of separation and ...transfer of photo-generated carriers were enhanced.
A novel Cu2O nanoparticles decorated Bi5O7I hybrid composite was prepared through precipitation transformation and in-situ co-precipitation method in this study. The phase structures, morphologies and optical properties of as-synthesized samples were characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Cu2O/Bi5O7I exhibits significantly improved photocatalytic activity in Cr(VI) reduction under visible light irradiation. When the mass percentage of Cu2O to Bi5O7I is 15 %, Cu2O/Bi5O7I composite has the best photocatalytic reduction for Cr(VI) with efficiency of 92.3 %, which is much higher than those of pure Bi5O7I and Cu2O. The photocatalysts exhibited good photocatalytic reduction stability after five recycles. BET, photoluminescence and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements demonstrate that the enhanced photoreduction activity for Cr(VI) may be ascribed to the greater visible light absorption intensity, increased specific surface areas, higher efficient charge separation and transfer of photo-generated electron-hole pairs. In addition, a possible photoreduction mechanism of Cu2O/Bi5O7I composite has been proposed according to the experimental results.
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