METHODS: This was a cross-sectional observational study. From 2013 to 2014, we recruited inhabitants aged 50 years or older in Guangzhou, China. Among 1,117 participants in the study, data from 1,015 phakic right eyes were used for analyses. Ocular parameters including axial length (AL), anterior chamber depth (ACD), and corneal curvature (K) were measured using an IOL Master.
RESULTS: The mean AL, ACD, and K were 23.48 mm [95 % confidence interval (CI), 23.40-23.55], 3.03 mm (CI, 3.01-3.05), and 44.20 mm (CI, 44.11-44.29), respectively. A mean reduction in ACD with age was observed (P = 0.002) in male subjects but not in female subjects (P = 0.558). Male subjects had significantly longer ALs (23.68 mm versus 23.23 mm, P
METHODS: Case information from 192 children was collected from outpatient and inpatient clinics using a survey questionnaire. These included 90 pediatric burn cases and 102 controls who were children without burns. A stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to determine the risk factors for pediatric burns in order to establish a model. The goodness-of-fit for the model was assessed using the Hosmer and Lemeshow test as well as receiver operating characteristic and internal calibration curves. A nomogram was then used to analyze the contribution of each influencing factor to the pediatric burns model.
RESULTS: Seven variables, including gender, age, ethnic minority, the household register, mother's employment status, mother's education and number of children, were analyzed for both groups of children. Of these, age, ethnic minority, mother's employment status and number of children in a household were found to be related to the occurrence of pediatric burns using univariate logistic regression analysis (p 0.2 and variance inflation factor <5 showed that age was a protective factor for pediatric burns [odds ratio (OR) = 0.725; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.665-0.801]. Compared with single-child parents, those with two children were at greater risk of pediatric burns (OR = 0.389; 95% CI: 0.158-0.959). The ethnic minority of the child and the mother's employment status were also risk factors (OR = 6.793; 95% CI: 2.203-20.946 and OR = 2.266; 95% CI: 1.025-5.012, respectively). Evaluation of the model used was found to be stable. A nomogram showed that the contribution in the children burns model was age > mother's employment status > number of children > ethnic minority.
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that there are several risk factors strongly correlated to pediatric burns, including age, ethnic minority, the number of children in a household and mother's employment status. Government officials should direct their preventive approach to tackling the problem of pediatric burns by promoting awareness of these findings.
METHODS: Using the Character Strengths Questionnaire, the Meaning in Life Questionnaire, the Personal Goal Scale and the Career Adaptability Scale, 1119 impoverished college students were surveyed.
RESULTS: The results revealed that character strengths can not only positively predict career adaptability, but also indirectly affect career adaptability of impoverished students through the chain mediation meaning in life and personal goal. The results showed the mechanism of character strengths on the career adaptability among impoverished students.
CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that meaning in life along with personal goal can enhance the positive impact of character strengths on career adaptability. These findings have implications for the practice of career counseling for impoverished college students.
METHODOLOGY: Literatures on RIF resistant mutations published between 2010 and 2016 were thoroughly reviewed.
RESULTS: The most commonly mutated codons in RRDR of rpoB gene are 531, 526 and 516. The possibilities of absence of mutation in RRDR of rpoB gene in MDR-TB isolates in few studies was due to existence of other rare rpoB mutations outside RRDR or different mechanism of rifampicin resistance.
CONCLUSION: Molecular methods which can identify extensive mutations associated with multiple anti-tuberculous drugs are in urgent need so that the research on drug resistant mutations should be extended.
METHODOLOGY: The literatures published after April, 2015 up to December, 2016 on k13 mutant alleles for artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum and relevant literatures were comprehensively reviewed.
RESULTS: To date, 13 non-synonymous mutations of k13 gene have been observed to have slow parasite clearance. Worldwide mapping of k13 mutant alleles have shown mutants associated with artemisinin resistance were confined to southeast Asia and China and did not invade to African countries. Although in vitro ring stage survival assay of 0-3 h was a recently developed assay, it was useful for rapid detection of artemisinin resistance associated k13 allelic marker in the parasite. Recently, dissemination of k13 mutant alleles was recommended to be investigated by identity of haplotypes. Significant characteristics of well described alleles in the reports were mentioned in this review for the benefit of future studies.
CONCLUSION: According to the updates in the review, it can be concluded artemisinin resistance does not disseminate to India and African countries within short period whereas regular tracking of these mutants is necessary.
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the genetic diversity of V.cholerae in Sabah and whether V.cholerae in Sabah belong to atypical El Tor biotype.
METHODS: ERIC-PCR, a DNA fingerprinting method for bacterial pathogens based on the enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence, was used to study the genetic diversity of 65 clinical V.cholerae O1 isolates from 3 districts (Kudat, Beluran, Sandakan) in Sabah and one environmental isolate from coastal sea water in Kudat district. In addition, we studied the biotype-specific genetic traits in these isolates to establish their biotype.
RESULTS: Different fingerprint patterns were seen in isolates from these three districts but one of the patterns was seen in more than one district. Clinical isolates and environmental isolate have different patterns. In addition, Sabah isolates harbor genetic traits specific to both classical biotype (ctxB-1, rstRCla) and El Tor biotype (rstRET, rstC, tcpAET, rtxC, VC2346).
CONCLUSION: This study revealed that V.cholerae in Sabah were genetically diverse and were atypical El Tor strains. Fingerprint patterns of these isolates will be useful in tracing the origin of this pathogen in the future.