Epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcome of infective endocarditis due to Abiotrophia and Granulicatella in a Tertiary Hospital in China, 2015-2023: a retrospective study.

Background: Abiotrophia (ABI) and Granulicatella (GRA) are rare causative pathogens in infective endocarditis (IE). This study aims to describe the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, and outcome of ABI/GRA-IE. The main features of ABI/GRA-IE were compared with Viridans group streptococci (VGS) IE.

Accurate etiological diagnosis of mediastinitis in immunocompetent patients using metagenomic next-generation sequencing: a case series and literature review.

Background: As a culture-independent method, metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is widely used in microbiological diagnosis with advantages in identifying potential pathogens, guiding antibiotic therapy, and improving clinical prognosis, especially in culture-negative cases. () mediastinitis is a rare and severe disease for which etiological diagnosis is important but challenging. The application of mNGS in the etiological diagnosis of mediastinitis has seldom been studied.

Etiological diagnostic performance of probe capture-based targeted next-generation sequencing in bloodstream infection.

Background: A rapid and precise etiological diagnosis is crucial for the effective treatment of bloodstream infection (BSI). In this study, the performance of probe capture-based targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) was compared to that of blood culture and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in detecting potential pathogens in patients with BSI.

Methods: A total of 80 patients with suspected BSI were prospectively enrolled from 24 November 2023 to 30 December 2023 at Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Clinical features and diagnostic approaches for abdominal tuberculosis: five-year experience from a non-tuberculosis-designated hospital in China.

Background And Purpose: abdominal tuberculosis (TB) is a common form of extrapulmonary TB but it is still a diagnostic dilemma in clinical practice. This study aimed to highlight the clinical features and diagnostic approaches for abdominal TB.

Methods: seventy cases of diagnosed abdominal TB were retrospectively collected between August 1st, 2015 and June 30th, 2020.

The clinical value of valve metagenomic next-generation sequencing when applied to the etiological diagnosis of infective endocarditis.

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) is widely applied in the etiological diagnosis of infectious diseases. However, the clinical practice of mNGS in infective endocarditis (IE) is relatively less studied. This research aimed to assess the etiological diagnostic value of valve mNGS in IE.

The clinical value of metagenomic next-generation sequencing in the microbiological diagnosis of skin and soft tissue infections.

Background: Metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS), with its comprehensiveness, is widely applied in microbiological diagnosis. Etiological diagnosis is of paramount clinical importance in patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). However, the clinical application of mNGS in SSTIs is relatively less studied.

Inverse Relationship between Serum VEGF Levels and Late In-Stent Restenosis of Drug-Eluting Stents.

Late in-stent restenosis (ISR) has raised concerns regarding the long-term efficacy of drug-eluting stents (DES). The role of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the pathological process of ISR is controversial. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the relationship between serum VEGF levels and late ISR in patients with DES implantation.

[MicroRNA-210 mediates the protective effect of rosuvastatin on human mesenchymal stem cells apoptosis induced by tumor necrosis factor-α].

Objective: To explore the effect and mechanism of rosuvastatin on tumor necrosis factor-α induced human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) apoptosis.

Method: Human MSCs were treated as follows: (1) culture medium; (2) TNF-α (20 µg/ml) for 6 h; (3) rosuvastatin (20 µmol/L) for 24 h; (4) rosuvastatin (20 µmol/L) for 24 h followed by TNF-α (20 µg/ml) for 6 h; (5) TNF-α+rosuvastatin+50 nmol/L antago-miRNA; (6) TNF-α+rosuvastatin+100 nmol/L antago-miRNA. Cell survival and apoptosis were determined by MTT, TUNEL and caspase-3 activity assay.

Reduction of heavy metals in residues from the dismantling of waste electrical and electronic equipment before incineration.

Residues disposal from the dismantling of waste electrical and electronic equipment are challenging because of the large waste volumes, degradation-resistance, low density and high heavy metal content. Incineration is advantageous for treating these residues but high heavy metal contents may exist in incinerator input and output streams. We have developed and studied a specialized heavy metal reduction process, which includes sieving and washing for treating residues before incineration.

Flow analysis of heavy metals in a pilot-scale incinerator for residues from waste electrical and electronic equipment dismantling.

The large amount of residues generated from dismantling waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) results in a considerable environmental burden. We used material flow analysis to investigate heavy metal behavior in an incineration plant in China used exclusively to incinerate residues from WEEE dismantling. The heavy metals tested were enriched in the bottom and fly ashes after incineration.