Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis is a benign chronic inflammatory breast disease and a confused treatment plan may result in worsening of the disease, unacceptable cosmetic damage for the patient ...and even mastectomy. We report a case of a 39-year-old Chinese woman with a two-month history of painful, solid, diabrotic, left breast lesions that measured 10 × 15 cm. Misdiagnosis had led to delayed wound healing with extensive ulcerative skin lesions. The patient was successfully treated with oral corticosteroids and bromocriptine without requirement for surgery.
This study aimed to evaluate the influence of 9 Lactobacillusplantarum with broad-spectrum antibacterial activity on fermented milk, including changes to the fermentation characteristics (pH, ...titration acidity, and viable counts), texture profile, relative content of volatile compounds, and sensory evaluation during 28-d storage at 4°C. First, L. plantarum IMAU80106, IMAU10216, and IMAU70095 were selected as candidates for further study because of their excellent coagulation and proteolytic activities. Subsequently, these L. plantarum strainswere supplemented to fermented milk produced by commercial yogurt starters (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus) and a panel of parameters reflecting product quality was subsequently monitored during 28 d of postfermentation storage. The pH value and titration acidity of the fermented milk mildly fluctuated, whereas the L. plantarum viable counts remained stable along the storage period. Fourteen key volatile compounds were detected in the fermented milk by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and some flavor compounds were uniquely present in the L. plantarum-supplemented fermented milk (including 2,3-pentanedione, acetaldehyde, and acetate). No significant difference was shown in the sensory evaluation scores between samples with or without L. plantarum supplementation, but a gradual decrease was observed over storage in all samples. However, when L. plantarum was added, apparent shifts were observed in the overall quality of the fermented milk based on principal component analysis and multivariate ANOVA, particularly in the texture (adhesiveness) and volatile flavor compound profiles (acetaldehyde). Compared with L. plantarum IMAU80106 and IMAU10216, both the texture and volatile flavor profiles of IMAU70095 were closest to those of the control without adding the adjunct bacteria, suggesting that IMAU70095 might be the most suitable strain for further application in functional dairy product development. The current work has explored the potential of applying L. plantarum in fermented milk by performing thorough physical and chemical characterization. Our work is of intense interest to the dairy industry.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a newly emerging infectious disease and rapidly escalating epidemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pathogenesis ...of COVID-19 remains to be elucidated. We aimed to clarify correlation of systemic inflammation with disease severity and outcomes in COVID-19 patients.
In this retrospective study, baseline characteristics, laboratory findings, and treatments were compared among 317 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients with moderate, severe, or critically ill form of the disease. Moreover, the longitudinal changes of serum cytokines, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), and hsCRP to lymphocyte count ratio (hsCRP/L) as well as their associations with disease severity and outcomes were investigated in 68 COVID-19 patients.
Within 24 h of admission, the critically ill patients showed higher concentrations of inflammatory markers including serum soluble interleukin (IL)-2 receptor, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), ferritin, procalcitonin, LDH, hsCRP, and hsCRP/L than patients with severe or moderate disease. The severe cases displayed the similar response patterns when compared with moderate cases. The longitudinal assays showed the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, LDH, hsCRP, and hsCRP/L gradually declined within 10 days post admission in moderate, severe cases or those who survived. However, there was no significant reduction in cytokines, LDH, hsCRP, and hsCRP/L levels in critically ill or deceased patients throughout the course of illness. Compared with female patients, male cases showed higher serum concentrations of soluble IL-2R, IL-6, ferritin, procalcitonin, LDH, and hsCRP. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that IL-6 > 50 pg/mL and LDH > 400 U/L on admission were independently associated with disease severity in patients with COVID-19.
Exuberant inflammatory responses within 24 h of admission in patients with COVID-19 may correlate with disease severity. SARS-CoV-2 infection appears to elicit a sex-based differential immune response. IL-6 and LDH were independent predictive parameters for assessing the severity of COVID-19. An early decline of these inflammation markers may be associated with better outcomes.
Digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces technology and big data, enable many firms to innovate their business model. It is clearly an emotional process due to ...its complex and uncertain nature, and involves individuals' emotion regulation, yet the current research lacks an effective conversion path from emotion to digital business model innovation (BMI). Drawing on theories and research on emotion regulation and business model innovation, we investigate how emotion regulation of entrepreneurs (i.e., cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) influence digital BMI. Data from 126 new ventures show that entrepreneurs' reappraisal positively affects digital BMI, while entrepreneurs' suppression exerts opposite effects on digital BMI. Moreover, we find that environmental dynamism moderates this relationship. The findings explain the emotional complexity in digital technology empowerment, which has implications for the development and design of brain computer interface applications and the literature on emotions and business model innovation.
Abstract
Background
Follow-up study of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) survivors has rarely been reported. We aimed to investigate longitudinal changes in the characteristics of COVID-19 ...survivors after discharge.
Methods
A total of 594 COVID-19 survivors discharged from Tongji Hospital in Wuhan from February 10 to April 30, 2020 were included and followed up until May 17, 2021. Laboratory and radiological findings, pulmonary function tests, electrocardiogram, symptoms and signs were analyzed.
Results
257 (51.2%) patients had at least one symptom at 3 months post-discharge, which decreased to 169 (40.0%) and 138 (28.4%) at 6-month and 12-month visit respectively. During follow-up period, insomnia, chest tightness, and fatigue were the most prevalent symptoms. Most laboratory parameters returned to normal, whereas increased incidence of abnormal liver and renal function and cardiovascular injury was evidenced after discharge. Fibrous stripes (213; 42.4%), pleural thickening and adhesions (188; 37.5%) and enlarged lymph nodes (120; 23.9%) were the most common radiographical findings at 3 months post-discharge. The abnormalities of pulmonary function included obstructive, restrictive, and mixed, which were 5.5%, 4.0%, 0.9% at 6 months post, and 1.9%, 4.7%, 0.2% at 12 months. Electrocardiogram abnormalities occurred in 256 (51.0%) patients at 3 months post-discharge, including arrhythmia, ST-T change and conduction block, which increased to 258 (61.1%) cases at 6-month visit and were maintained at high frequency (242;49.8%) at 12-month visit.
Conclusions
Physiological, laboratory, radiological, or electrocardiogram abnormalities, particularly those related to renal, cardiovascular, and liver functions are common in patients who recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) up to 12 months post-discharge.
This prospective study investigated longitudinal changes in the characteristics of COVID-19 survivors after discharge. Physiological, laboratory, radiological or electrocardiogram abnormalities, particularly those related to renal, cardiovascular, liver functions are common in patients recovered from COVID-19 one year post-discharge.
SWI/SNF, an evolutionarily conserved ATP-dependent chromatin-remodeling complex, has an important role in transcriptional regulation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, SWI/SNF regulates the expression of ...∼6% of total genes through activation or repression. Swi1, a subunit of SWI/SNF, contains an N-terminal region rich in glutamine and asparagine, a notable feature shared by all characterized yeast prions-a group of unique proteins capable of self-perpetuating changes in conformation and function. Here we provide evidence that Swi1 can become a prion, SWI+. Swi1 aggregates in SWI+ cells but not in nonprion cells. Cells bearing SWI+ show a partial loss-of-function phenotype of SWI/SNF. SWI+ can be eliminated by guanidine hydrochloride treatment, HSP104 deletion or loss of Swi1. Moreover, we show SWI+ is dominantly and cytoplasmically transmitted. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of 'protein-only' inheritance that results in modification of chromatin-remodeling and, ultimately, global gene regulation.
Recent research shows that the annual average concentration and winter average concentration of PM2.5 in Chinese cities have exhibited a convergence trend since 2013. However, the urban air situation ...in China remains far from ideal. For an authoritative government, vertical environmental protection pressure (VEPP) may be an important mechanism to motivate cities with high PM2.5 concentration levels to reduce haze pollution more rapidly compared to cities with low PM2.5 concentrations. Thus, VEPP could be considered an institutional advantage in China's vertical air pollution allocation strategy. To investigate the impact of the VEPP of Chinese local governments on the convergence of PM2.5 concentrations, this study uses the counterfactual distribution dynamics analysis framework, which combines parametric regression analysis with the nonparametric distribution dynamics technique. The results show that the Chinese government can promote the convergence of air pollution in local cities to a “favorable” level by increasing the pressure of environmental protection. However, merely increasing VEPP will not completely solve the problem of air pollution in Chinese cities during winter months. Compared with the central and western regions, the VEPP of local governments in the eastern region can promote the convergence of the average annual and winter PM2.5 concentrations.
Using panel data from 30 provinces and cities in China over the period 2013–2019, we intend to explore the mechanism and regional heterogeneity of the influence of digital economy development on ...carbon emissions. Specifically, this relationship is analyzed by including the geographical variable coefficient model into the chain mediation effect model, taking spatial correlation and heterogeneity into account. The results indicate that the digital economy decreases carbon emissions by enhancing energy intensity, but raises carbon emissions by fostering economic expansion, making digital economy a net contribution to carbon emissions. Moreover, the effect of the digital economy on carbon emissions varies by geographic location. For instance, the total impact is the greatest in northern China, followed by the southwest and southeast, and relatively minor in the northwest and south. Our findings contribute to the existing research and offer policymakers with a theoretical reference, allowing them to customize carbon reduction plans to local conditions.
MicroRNA-mediated gene regulation is important in many physiological processes. Here we explore the roles of a microRNA, miR-941, in human evolution. We find that miR-941 emerged de novo in the human ...lineage, between six and one million years ago, from an evolutionarily volatile tandem repeat sequence. Its copy-number remains polymorphic in humans and shows a trend for decreasing copy-number with migration out of Africa. Emergence of miR-941 was accompanied by accelerated loss of miR-941-binding sites, presumably to escape regulation. We further show that miR-941 is highly expressed in pluripotent cells, repressed upon differentiation and preferentially targets genes in hedgehog- and insulin-signalling pathways, thus suggesting roles in cellular differentiation. Human-specific effects of miR-941 regulation are detectable in the brain and affect genes involved in neurotransmitter signalling. Taken together, these results implicate miR-941 in human evolution, and provide an example of rapid regulatory evolution in the human linage.
PDF
