Generation mechanism and empirical model of eddy current force and torque in drum-type eddy current separation.

Enhancing the recovery efficiency of non-ferrous metals in eddy current separation is of great significance. In this study, the accuracy of the simulation model was verified by comparing the eddy current force. The transformation mechanism of the Lorentz forces into the eddy current force and torque in non-ferrous metal particles was revealed by analyzing various physical fields. Then, the influence of magnetic field parameters on eddy current, eddy current force, and torque was studied. It shows that the eddy current force and torque are affected by the vector gradient of the magnetic field and the magnetic flux density, respectively. Additionally, the time derivative of the magnetic field impacts the magnitude of the eddy current force and torque by controlling the eddy current. On this basis, the empirical models of eddy current force and torque were established by similarity theory. The results obtained can improve and expand the application of eddy current separation.

Map of benzoapyrene metabolites-DNA adducts in human bronchial epithelial-like cells: Based on chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing technology / 环境与职业医学

Background The active metabolite of benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), 7,8-dihydroxy-9,10-epoxybenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE), can form adducts with DNA, but the spectrum of BPDE-DNA adducts is unclear. Objective To identify the distribution of BPDE adduct sites and associated genes at the whole-genome level by chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-Seq), and serve as a basis for further exploring the toxicological mechanisms of BaP. Methods Human bronchial epithelial-like cells (16HBE) were cultured to the fourth generation inthe logarithmic growth phase. Cells were harvested and added to chromatin immunoprecipitation lysis buffer. The lysate was divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received a final concentration of 20 μmol·L−1 BPDE solution, while the control group received an equivalent volume of dimethyl sulfoxide solution. The cells were then incubated at 37 °C for 24 h. Chromatin fragments of 100-500 bp were obtained through sonication. BPDE-specific antibody (anti-BPDE 8E11) was used to enrich DNA fragments with BPDE adducts. High-throughput sequencing was conducted to detect BPDE adduct sites. The top 1000 peak sequences were subjected to motif analysis using MEME and DREME software. BPDE adduct target genes at the whole-genome level were annotated, and Gene Ontology (GO) functional analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis of BPDE adduct target genes were conducted using bioinformatics techniques. Results The high-throughput sequencing detected a total of 842 BPDE binding sites, distributed across various chromosomes. BPDE covalently bound to both coding and non-coding regions of genes, with 73.9% binding sites located in intergenic regions, 19.6% in intronic regions, and smaller proportions in upstream 2 kilobase, exonic, downstream 2 kilobase, and 5' untranslated regions. Regarding the top 1000 peak sequences, four reliable motifs were identified, revealing that sites rich in adenine (A) and guanine (G) were prone to binding. Through the enrichment analysis of binding sites, a total of 199 BPDE-adduct target genes were identified, with the majority located on chromosomes 1, 5, 7, 12, 17, and X. The GO analysis indicated that these target genes were mainly enriched in nucleic acid and protein binding, participating in the regulation of catalytic activity, transport activity, translation elongation factor activity, and playing important roles in cell division, differentiation, motility, substance transport, and information transfer. The KEGG analysis revealed that these target genes were primarily enriched in pathways related to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and immune-inflammatory responses. Conclusion Using ChIP-Seq, 199 BPDE adduct target genes at genome-wide level are identified, impacting biological functions such as cell division, differentiation, motility, substance transport, and information transfer. These genes are closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, tumors, and immune-inflammatory responses.

Quercetin Alleviates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Cardiac Inflammation via Inhibiting Autophagy and Programmed Cell Death / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#The aim of this study is to explore the potential modulatory role of quercetin against Endotoxin or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced septic cardiac dysfunction.@*METHODS@#Specific pathogen-free chicken embryos ( n = 120) were allocated untreated control, phosphate buffer solution (PBS) vehicle, PBS with ethanol vehicle, LPS (500 ng/egg), LPS with quercetin treatment (10, 20, or 40 nmol/egg, respectively), Quercetin groups (10, 20, or 40 nmol/egg). Fifteen-day-old embryonated eggs were inoculated with abovementioned solutions via the allantoic cavity. At embryonic day 19, the hearts of the embryos were collected for histopathological examination, RNA extraction, real-time polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical investigations, and Western blotting.@*RESULTS@#They demonstrated that the heart presented inflammatory responses after LPS induction. The LPS-induced higher mRNA expressions of inflammation-related factors (TLR4, TNFα, MYD88, NF-κB1, IFNγ, IL-1β, IL-8, IL-6, IL-10, p38, MMP3, and MMP9) were blocked by quercetin with three dosages. Quercetin significantly decreased immunopositivity to TLR4 and MMP9 in the treatment group when compared with the LPS group. Quercetin significantly decreased protein expressions of TLR4, IFNγ, MMP3, and MMP9 when compared with the LPS group. Quercetin treatment prevented LPS-induced increase in the mRNA expression of Claudin 1 and ZO-1, and significantly decreased protein expression of claudin 1 when compared with the LPS group. Quercetin significantly downregulated autophagy-related gene expressions (PPARα, SGLT1, APOA4, AMPKα1, AMPKα2, ATG5, ATG7, Beclin-1, and LC3B) and programmed cell death (Fas, Bcl-2, CASP1, CASP12, CASP3, and RIPK1) after LPS induction. Quercetin significantly decreased immunopositivity to APOA4, AMPKα2, and LC3-II/LC3-I in the treatment group when compared with the LPS group. Quercetin significantly decreased protein expressions of AMPKα1, LC3-I, and LC3-II. Quercetin significantly decreased the protein expression to CASP1 and CASP3 by immunohistochemical investigation or Western blotting in treatment group when compared with LPS group.@*CONCLUSION@#Quercetin alleviates cardiac inflammation induced by LPS through modulating autophagy, programmed cell death, and myocardiocytes permeability.

Analysis of bacterial spectrum and variability of drug resistance of bile in patients with common bile duct stones and biliary tract infections / 中华消化杂志

Objective:To analyze the distribution of pathogenic bacteria in bile culture in patients with common bile duct stones and biliary tract infections, in order to guide clinical optimization of antibiotics application.Methods:From March 30, 2017 to December 31, 2021, at Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, 753 patients with common bile duct stones and biliary tract infections and received endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were selected. Bile samples were obtained for bacterial culture, strain type identification and drug sensitivity test in order to analyze bile pathogenic bacteria distribution, change trend and drug resistance. Chi-square test was used for statistical analysis.Results:From 2017 to 2021, the total positive rate of bile culture in 753 patients with choledocholithiasis complicated with biliary tract infection was 90.17% (679/753). From 2017 to 2021, the positive rates of bile culture were 82.05% (64/78), 88.81% (119/134), 88.03% (125/142), 93.87% (199/212), and 91.98% (172/187), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=10.78, P=0.029). The positive rate of bile culture in 2017 was lower than those in 2020 and 2021, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=9.43 and 5.57, P=0.002 and 0.018). There were no significant differences in the positive rates of bile culture among the other years (all P>0.05). A total of 1 033 pathogenic bacteria were detected in the 679 bile specimens with positive bile culture results. Among which the total proportion of Gram-negative bacilli was 57.02% (589/1 033), and from 2017 to 2021 the proportions were 66.38% (77/116), 66.47% (111/167), 59.43% (104/175), 54.75% (173/316), and 47.88% (124/259), respectively. The total proportion of Gram-positive cocci was 41.05% (424/1 033), and from 2017 to 2021 the proportions were 31.90% (37/116), 31.74% (53/167), 38.86% (68/175), 44.30% (140/316), and 48.65% (126/259), respectively. The total proportion of fungus was 1.94% (20/1 033), and from 2017 to 2021 the proportions were 1.72% (2/116), 1.80% (3/167), 1.71% (3/175), 0.95% (3/316), and 3.47% (9/259), respectively. From 2017 to 2021, the proportion of Gram-negative bacilli gradually decreased, while the proportion of Gram-positive cocci gradually increased, and the differences were statistically significant ( χ2=20.14 and 17.91, P<0.001 and =0.001). From 2017 to 2021, the change in the proportion of fungus was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The main Gram-negative bacilli in the bile culture were Escherichia coli (31.36%, 324/1 033) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (12.68%, 131/1 033); the main Gram-positive cocci were Enterococcus faecalis (14.04%, 145/1 033) and Streptococcus salivarius (4.36%, 45/1 033). From 2017 to 2021, the proportions of Escherichia coli were 39.66% (46/116), 38.92% (65/167), 33.14% (58/175), 28.48% (90/316), and 25.10% (65/259), respectively, with gradual decrease and the difference was statistically significant ( χ2=14.34, P=0.006). From 2017 to 2021 the detection rates of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) in Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae were 30.43% (14/46), 26.15% (17/65), 29.31% (17/58), 38.89% (35/90), 40.00% (26/65), and 4/15, 20.00% (5/25), 20% (5/25), 24.32% (9/37), and 31.03% (9/29), and there were no significant differences in the detection rates of ESBL between different years (both P>0.05). Conclusions:From 2017 to 2021, the positive rate of bile culture in patients with choledocholithiasis complicated with biliary tract infection showed an overall increasing trend. Gram-negative bacilli were still dominated in bile pathogenic bacteria, while the proportion of Gram-positive cocci remarkably increased, and the bile bacterial spectrum significantly changed. Clinicians should adjust the antibiotic dosing regimens according to the variation of bacterial spectrum and drug resistance.

Preliminary immunological evaluation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis multicomponent protein vaccine candidates EPDPA015f and EPDPA015m / 中华微生物学和免疫学杂志

Objective:To preliminarily evaluate the immunogenicity and efficacy of two novel tuberculosis vaccine candidates (a fusion multicomponent protein EPDPA015f and a mixed multicomponent protein EPDPA015m) and to provide a new antigen combination for the development of tuberculosis vaccines.Methods:Recombinant plasmids for the expression of EPDPA015f and EPDPA015m proteins were constructed. Six-week-old BALB/c mice were immunized with EPDPA015f or EPDPA015m in combination with aluminium adjuvant (50 μg/mouse) for three times with an interval of 10 d. The mice were sacrificed 10 d after the last immunization to collect blood and spleen samples. Serum antibody titers and cytokine levels were measured by ELISA, Luminex technique and enzyme-linked immunospot assay (ELISPOT). Mycobacterial growth inhibition assay (MGIA) was used to detect the ability of mouse splenocytes to inhibit the growth of Mtb in vitro. One-way analysis of variance and t-test were used for statistical analysis. Results:Both EPDPA015f and EPDPA015m could induce the production of various cytokines and IgG antibodies at a high level. The levels of cytokines related to Th1 (IL-2, TNF-α, IFN-γ), Th2 (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) and Th17 (IL-17) as well as other proinflammatory cytokines (GM-CSF, IL-12) were higher in the EPDPA015f group than in the adjuvant group ( P<0.05). The titer of IgG antibody induced by EPDPA015f was as high as 1∶4×10 6. The results of MGIA showed that the numbers of Mtb (lgCFU) in the PBS, adjuvant, EPDPA015f and EPDPA015m groups were 3.46±0.11, 3.51±0.06, 2.98±0.09 and 3.19±0.08, respectively. The number of colonies in the EPDPA015f group was the least as compared with that in the other three groups ( P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.01). Conclusions:The vaccine candidate EPDPA015f could elicit more comprehensive and high-level cellular and humoral immune responses, and exhibited superior in vitro inhibitory activity against the growth of Mtb. EPDPA015f had the potential to be used as a preventive vaccine or a booster vaccine

Two new phenylpropanoids from wine-processed Corni Fructus / 中国中药杂志

Six compounds were isolated from aqueous extract of wine-processed Corni Fructus through silica gel, ODS column chromatography, Sephadex LH-20 gel column chromatography, reverse phase preparative HPLC and other chromatographic separation technologies. Their structures were identified with multiple spectroscopical methods including HR-ESI-MS, UV, IR, NMR and ECD and so on. Their structures were established as pinoresinoside B(1), cornusgallicacid A(2),(+)-isolariciresinol-9'-O-β-glucopyranoside(3),(-)-isolariciresinol 3α-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(4),(7R,8S)-dihydrodehydrodiconiferyl alcohol 9-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(5), and(-)-seco isolariciresinol-9'-O-β-D-glucopyranoside(6). Among them, compounds 1 and 2 were two new compounds. The biological activity evaluation results showed that compounds 2 and 6 had strong DPPH free radical scavenging ability, with EC_(50) values of(4.18±1.96) and(21.45±1.19) μmol·L~(-1), respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 had protective effects on H_2O_2-induced oxidative damage in NRK-52E cells in a dose-dependent manner, and the cell survival rate of compound 2 at 100 μmol·L~(-1) was 96.09%±1.77%.

Guidelines for the prevention and management of children and adolescents with COVID-19

Children are the future of the world, but their health and future are facing great uncertainty because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In order to improve the management of children with COVID-19, an international, multidisciplinary panel of experts developed a rapid advice guideline at the beginning of the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020. After publishing the first version of the rapid advice guideline, the panel has updated the guideline by including additional stakeholders in the panel and a comprehensive search of the latest evidence. All recommendations were supported by systematic reviews and graded using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. Expert judgment was used to develop good practice statements supplementary to the graded evidence-based recommendations. The updated guideline comprises nine recommendations and one good practice statement. It focuses on the key recommendations pertinent to the following issues: identification of prognostic factors for death or pediatric intensive care unit admission; the use of remdesivir, systemic glucocorticoids and antipyretics, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) for multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children, and high-flow oxygen by nasal cannula or non-invasive ventilation for acute hypoxemic respiratory failure; breastfeeding; vaccination; and the management of pediatric mental health. Conclusion: This updated evidence-based guideline intends to provide clinicians, pediatricians, patients and other stakeholders with evidence-based recommendations for the prevention and management of COVID-19 in children and adolescents. Larger studies with longer follow-up to determine the effectiveness and safety of systemic glucocorticoids, IVIG, noninvasive ventilation, and the vaccines for COVID-19 in children and adolescents are encouraged.

Clinical factors associated with composition of lung microbiota and important taxa predicting clinical prognosis in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia / 医学前沿

Few studies have described the key features and prognostic roles of lung microbiota in patients with severe community-acquired pneumonia (SCAP). We prospectively enrolled consecutive SCAP patients admitted to ICU. Bronchoscopy was performed at bedside within 48 h of ICU admission, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing was applied to the collected bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. The primary outcome was clinical improvements defined as a decrease of 2 categories and above on a 7-category ordinal scale within 14 days following bronchoscopy. Sixty-seven patients were included. Multivariable permutational multivariate analysis of variance found that positive bacteria lab test results had the strongest independent association with lung microbiota (R2 = 0.033; P = 0.018), followed by acute kidney injury (AKI; R2 = 0.032; P = 0.011) and plasma MIP-1β level (R2 = 0.027; P = 0.044). Random forest identified that the families Prevotellaceae, Moraxellaceae, and Staphylococcaceae were the biomarkers related to the positive bacteria lab test results. Multivariable Cox regression showed that the increase in α-diversity and the abundance of the families Prevotellaceae and Actinomycetaceae were associated with clinical improvements. The positive bacteria lab test results, AKI, and plasma MIP-1β level were associated with patients' lung microbiota composition on ICU admission. The families Prevotellaceae and Actinomycetaceae on admission predicted clinical improvements.

Total Flavones of Spatholobi Caulis Regulate Hippocampal Neuroplasticity in Depressed Rats Through CREB/BDNF Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of total flavones of Spatholobi Caulis （TFSC） against depression in rats. MethodThe fifty KM mice were randomly divided into the normal group and high-， medium-， and low-dose （1， 0.5， 0.25 g·kg-1） TFSC groups and gavaged with the corresponding drugs for 12 successive days. One hour after the last administration， the immobility time in forced swimming test and tail suspension test was recorded. The SD rats were randomly divided into the normal group， model group， fluoxetine （5 mg·kg-1） group， and high- and low-dose （1， 0.25 g·kg-1） TFSC groups. Following the exposure of rats to two different kinds of stimuli daily for inducing chronic unpredictable stress， they were administered with the corresponding drugs for 21 d. After the experiment， the levels of serum neurotransmitters and inflammatory factors in rats were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. The changes in hippocampal neurons of rats were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE） and Nissl staining. The mRNA expression levels of nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） and tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） in the hippocampus of rats were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction （Real-time PCR）， and the protein expression levels of cAMP-response element binding protein （CREB）， phosphorylated CREB （p-CREB）， and brain-derived neurotrophic factor （BDNF） in hippocampal tissues by Western blot. ResultCompared with the normal group， TFSC significantly shortened the immobility time of mice in tail suspension and swimming tests （P<0.05）. Compared with the normal group， the model group exhibited reduced sucrose intake and wilderness activity （P<0.01）， decreased 5-HT， DA， NE （P<0.05， P<0.01）， MAO， IL-6， TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01）， damaged neurons， increased mRNA levels of TNF-α and NF-κB （P<0.01）， and down-regulated BDNF and CREB protein expression （P<0.05）. Compared with the model group， TFSC significantly enhanced sucrose intake and wilderness activity of rats （P<0.05）， increased the serum 5-HT， DA and NE （P<0.05， P<0.01）， and decreased the serum MAO， IL-6， and TNF-α （P<0.05， P<0.01） as well as NF-κB and TNF-α mRNA expression （P<0.01）， up-regulated the protein expression levels of BDNF and CREB （P<0.01）， and improved the pathological symptoms of hippocampus. ConclusionTFSC improved the hippocampal neurons of rats via CREB/BDNF signaling pathway and reduced depressive pathological damage， thus relieving depression.

Applications of functional genomics in research of benzo[a]pyrenetoxicity：a review / 预防医学

Abstract@#Benzo [a] pyrene ( B [a] P ) is a well-recognized environmental pollutant. Exposure to B[a]P elicits many adverse biological effects, including tumorigenesis, immunosuppression, teratogenicity, and hormonal effects. In addition to B [a] P exposure-induced genetic damages, a growing number of studies demonstrate that epigenetic changes play an important role in chemically induced carcinogenesis. In order to provide better understanding of epigenetic changes of B [a] P and their potential association with genotoxic endpoints, this review summarizes the advances in the applications of functional genomics in the research of B [a] P toxicity, including functional genomics techniques, regulation of human genome expression, DNA sequence variability, model organisms research, and bioinformatics studies, so as to provide insights into the management of B [a] P exposure-induced health injuries and use of genomics techniques to unravel the mechanisms underlying the toxicity of other environmental pollutants.

A retrospective analysis of the funding of respiratory projects supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China from 2009 to 2019 / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective:To understand the status quo of basic research projects on respiratory diseases in China.Methods:Descriptive statistical methods were used to review the project number, funding input, funding categories and distribution of National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) respiratory disease funding projects from 2009 to 2019.Results:according to the research, the number of NSFC respiratory projects and funding increased significantly, which promoted the development of respiratory science. However, due to the heavy burden of respiratory diseases, it is still necessary to increase the investment in respiratory diseases.Conclusions:taking into account of the importance of respiratory science, this paper suggests that NSFC should increase investment and support for respiratory diseases projects, strengthen the development of existing respiratory advantages, encourage cross-cutting and frontier research on respiration, cultivate a group of internationally influential scientists and research teams, and promote academic innovation in respiratory science.

Analysis of antibiotic usage for viral community-acquired pneumonia in adults / 医学前沿

The rationale for the antibiotic treatment of viral community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults was analyzed to develop a clinical reference standard for this condition. Clinical data from 166 patients diagnosed with viral pneumonia across 14 hospitals in Beijing from November 2010 to December 2017 were collected. The indications for medications were evaluated, and the rationale for the use of antibiotics was analyzed. A total of 163 (98.3%) patients with viral pneumonia were treated with antibiotics. A combination of C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) was used as markers to analyze the possible indications for antibiotic use. With threshold levels set at 0.25 µg/L for PCT and 20 mg/L for CRP, the rate of unreasonable use of antibiotics was 55.2%. By contrast, at a CRP level threshold of 60 mg/L, the rate of antibiotic misuse was 77.3%. A total of 39 of the 163 (23.9%) patients did not meet the guidelines for drug selection for viral CAP in adults. The unreasonable use of antibacterial drugs for the treatment of viral CAP in adults is a serious concern. Clinicians must reduce the unnecessary use of antibiotics.

Aetiology and prognostic risk factors of mortality in patients with pneumonia receiving glucocorticoids alone or glucocorticoids and other immunosuppressants: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: Long-term use of high-dose glucocorticoids can lead to severe immunosuppression and increased risk of treatment-resistant pneumonia and mortality. We investigated the aetiology and prognostic risk factors of mortality in hospitalised patients who developed pneumonia while receiving glucocorticoid therapy alone or glucocorticoid and other immunosuppressant therapies. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Six secondary and tertiary academic hospitals in China. PARTICIPANTS: Patients receiving glucocorticoids who were hospitalised with pneumonia between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2019. MAIN OUTCOMES: We analysed the prevalence of comorbidities, microbiology, antibiotic susceptibility patterns, 30-day and 90-day mortality and prognostic risk factors. RESULTS: CONCLUSIONS: A total of 716 patients were included, with pneumonia pathogens identified in 69.8% of patients. Significant morbidities occurred, including respiratory failure (50.8%), intensive care unit transfer (40.8%) and mechanical ventilation (36%), with a 90-day mortality of 26.0%. Diagnosis of pneumonia occurred within 6 months of glucocorticoid initiation for 69.7% of patients with Cytomegalovirus (CMV) pneumonia and 79.0% of patients with Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia (PCP). Pathogens, including Pneumocystis, CMV and multidrug-resistant bacteria, were identified more frequently in patients with persistent lymphocytopenia and high-dose glucocorticoid treatment (≥30 mg/day of prednisolone or equivalent within 30 days before admission). The 90-day mortality was significantly lower for non-CMV viral pneumonias than for PCP (p<0.05), with a similar mortality as CMV pneumonias (24.2% vs 38.1% vs 27.4%, respectively). Cox regression analysis indicated several independent negative predictors for mortality in this patient population, including septic shock, respiratory failure, persistent lymphocytopenia, interstitial lung disease and high-dose glucocorticoid use.Patients who developed pneumonia while receiving glucocorticoid therapy experienced high rates of opportunistic infections, with significant morbidity and mortality. These findings should be carefully considered when determining treatment strategies for this patient population.

Augmentation of anti-MDA5 antibody implies severe disease in COVID-19 patients

OBJECTIVETo identify the anti-melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) antibody (Ab) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and its relationship with the severity and clinical outcomes of COVID-19. DESIGNRetrospective cohort study. SETTINGThree hospitals in China. PARTICIPANTS274 adult inpatients diagnosed with COVID-19 according to the Protocol for Prevention and Control of COVID-19 (Edition 7) of China and confirmed by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) RNA testing, were included from three hospitals from Wuhan, Harbin and Beijing, China from 1 December 2019 to 19 April 2020. The Biobank of Myositis Registry Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, provided the plasma of five patients with anti-MDA5 Ab-related dermatomyositis as positive control group. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected from medical records. The anti-MDA5 Ab was determined by an ELISA assay and was verified by immunoblotting analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURESIn hospital death of all cause. RESULTSThe positive rate of anti-MDA5 Ab in patients with COVID-19 was 48.2% (132/274) and the anti-MDA5 Ab positive patients tended to represent with severe disease (88.6% vs 66.9%, P<0.0001). The titer of anti-MDA5 Ab was significantly elevated in the non-survivals (5.95{+/-}5.16 vs 8.22{+/-}6.64, P=0.030) and the positive rate was also higher than that in the survivals (23.5% vs 12.0%, P=0.012). Regarding to severe COVID-19 patients, we found that high titer of anti-MDA5 Ab ([≥]10.0 U/mL) was more prevalent in the non-survivals (31.2% vs 14.0%, P=0.006). Moreover, early profiling of anti-MDA5 Ab could distinguish severe patients from those with non-severe ones. CONCLUSIONAnti-MDA5 Ab was prevalent in the COVID-19 patients and high titer of this antibody is correlated with severe disease and unfavorable outcomes. Early screening and serially monitoring of anti-MDA5 Ab titer have the potential to predict the disease progression of COVID-19.

Household transmission of COVID-19, Shenzhen, January-February 2020

Coronavirus disease 2019 has led to more than three million cases globally. Since the first family cluster of COVID-19 cases identified in Shenzhen in early January, most of the local transmission occurred within household contacts. Identifying the factors associated with household transmission is of great importance to guide preventive measures.

Correlation of parameters of lordosis type cervical spine saggitai plane in asymptomatic adults / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Normal sagittal balance of cervical spine is the key to cervical spine orthopedic surgery. As the complexity of the anatomical structure and physiological function of the cervical spine, accurate measurement of sagittal balance parameters and correlation between parameters become an important reference for preoperative planning and postoperative evaluation of curative effect. Current research focuses on patients with clinical symptoms of cervical syondylosis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of parameters of lordosis type cervical spine saggitai plane in asymptomatic adults. METHODS: Cervical anteroposterior and lateral DR images of 120 adult patients with asymptomatic lordosis type cervical spine were retrospectively analyzed. The subjects were divided into three groups according to age: Group A (21-40 years), group B (41-60 years), and group C (61-80 years). The sagittal parameters of the cervical spine were measured, including C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (C2-C7SVA), central of gravity to C7 sagittal vertical axis (CG-C7 SVA), T1 slope, C0-C2 Cobb angle and C2-C7 Cobb angle. The correlation between different imaging parameters and age was analyzed. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee, First Hospital of Shijiazhuang and Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University. All subjects signed the informed consent. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) C2-C7 SVA (F=11.188, P < 0.001), CG-C7 SVA (F=6.132, P=0.003) and T, slope (F=11.682, P < 0.001) were significantly different among different groups. There was no significant difference in C0-C2 Cobb angle (F=1.178, P=0.311) and C2-C7 Cobb angle (F=0. 860, P=0. 426). (2) T1 slope was (51,63±5.85)°, (54.66±5.58)° and (57.48±4.74)° in groups A, B and C, respectively. Linear correlation analysis showed that T1 slope was positively correlated with age (r=0. 533, P < 0. 001). T1 slope was positively correlated with C2-C7 Cobb angle (r=0. 561, P< 0.001). These results indicated that T1 slope increased with age in asymptomatic cervical lordosis adults. Moreover, T1 slope was positively correlated with age.

Identification of a novel coronavirus causing severe pneumonia in human: a descriptive study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Human infections with zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs), including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, have raised great public health concern globally. Here, we report a novel bat-origin CoV causing severe and fatal pneumonia in humans.@*METHODS@#We collected clinical data and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens from five patients with severe pneumonia from Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Hubei province, China. Nucleic acids of the BAL were extracted and subjected to next-generation sequencing. Virus isolation was carried out, and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed.@*RESULTS@#Five patients hospitalized from December 18 to December 29, 2019 presented with fever, cough, and dyspnea accompanied by complications of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Chest radiography revealed diffuse opacities and consolidation. One of these patients died. Sequence results revealed the presence of a previously unknown β-CoV strain in all five patients, with 99.8% to 99.9% nucleotide identities among the isolates. These isolates showed 79.0% nucleotide identity with the sequence of SARS-CoV (GenBank NC_004718) and 51.8% identity with the sequence of MERS-CoV (GenBank NC_019843). The virus is phylogenetically closest to a bat SARS-like CoV (SL-ZC45, GenBank MG772933) with 87.6% to 87.7% nucleotide identity, but is in a separate clade. Moreover, these viruses have a single intact open reading frame gene 8, as a further indicator of bat-origin CoVs. However, the amino acid sequence of the tentative receptor-binding domain resembles that of SARS-CoV, indicating that these viruses might use the same receptor.@*CONCLUSION@#A novel bat-borne CoV was identified that is associated with severe and fatal respiratory disease in humans.

Analysis of curative effects of Tolterodine combined with Desmopressin acetate in the treatment of overactive bladder in children with diurnal urinary incontinence / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tolterodine combined with Desmopressin acetate in the treatment of overactive bladder in children with diurnal urinary incontinence.Methods:Clinical data of 55 overactive bladder children with diurnal urinary incontinence in Wuhan Children′s Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January 2016 to December 2018 were collected.The urodynamic examination on all patients excluded factors such as neurogenic bladder and spinal cord trauma from the causes of urinary incontinence.Twenty-eight patients underwent Tolterodine plus Desmopressin acetate, and the remaining 27 patients were treated with Tolterodine alone.The course of medication was determined according to whether the clinical symptoms disappeared or not.According to the ratings of overactive bladder, the treatment effects of all children were evaluated and divided into complete improvement, obvious improvement, and little or no improvement.The effectivity was defined as complete and obvious improvement, while the ineffectiveness was defined as little or no improvement.Meanwhile, adverse effects like dry mouth, blushing and constipation were observed.Results:In the Tolterodine+ Desmopressin acetate group, 15 cases were improved completely (53.6%, 15/28 cases), 11 cases were obviously improved (39.3%, 11/28 cases), 2 cases were slightly or not improved (7.1%, 2/28 cases). The effective rate was 92.9% (26/28 cases). In the Tolterodine group, 9 cases were improved completely (33.3%, 9/27 cases), 11 cases were obviously improved (40.7%, 11/27 cases), and 7 cases (25.9%, 7/27 cases) were not or slightly improved.The effective rate was 74.1% (20/27 cases). The difference of the effective rate between the 2 groups was statistically significant ( χ2=9.61, P<0.05). Six cases (21.4%, 6/28 cases) in the Tolterodine+ Desmopressin acetate group presented adverse reactions, and that number was 5 (18.5%, 5/27 cases) in the Tolterodine group.There was no significant difference in the proportion of adverse reaction events between the 2 groups. Conclusions:Tolterodine combined with Desmopressin acetate can significantly improve symptoms and reduce urinary incontinence events in children with overactive bladder and diurnal urinary incontinence.The combined use of Tolterodine and Desmopressin acetate is safe and well tolerated, with better efficacy than Tolterodine alone.Therefore, it is recommended as a new treatment for overactive bladder in children with diurnal urinary incontinence.

Identification of a novel coronavirus causing severe pneumonia in human: a descriptive study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background: Human infections with zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs), including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, have raised great public health concern globally. Here, we report a novel bat-origin CoV causing severe and fatal pneumonia in humans. Methods: We collected clinical data and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) specimens from five patients with severe pneumonia from Jin Yin-tan Hospital, Wuhan, Hubei province, China. Nucleic acids of the BAL were extracted and subjected to next-generation sequencing. Virus isolation was carried out, and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic trees were constructed. Results: Five patients hospitalized from December 18 to December 29, 2019 presented with fever, cough, and dyspnea accompanied by complications of acute respiratory distress syndrome. Chest radiography revealed diffuse opacities and consolidation. One of these patients died. Sequence results revealed the presence of a previously unknown β-CoV strain in all five patients, with 99.8–99.9% nucleotide identities among the isolates. These isolates showed 79.0% nucleotide identity with the sequence of SARS-CoV (GenBank NC_004718) and 51.8% identity with the sequence of MERS-CoV (GenBank NC_019843). The virus is phylogenetically closest to a bat SARS-like CoV (SL-ZC45, GenBank MG772933) with 87.6–87.7% nucleotide identity, but is in a separate clade. Moreover, these viruses have a single intact open reading frame gene 8, as a further indicator of bat-origin CoVs. However, the amino acid sequence of the tentative receptor-binding domain resembles that of SARS-CoV, indicating that these viruses might use the same receptor. Conclusion: A novel bat-borne CoV was identified that is associated with severe and fatal respiratory disease in humans.

Mechanisms for establishment of the placental defensive barrier / 生理学报

Placenta serves as a temporary fetal organ, which mediates maternal-fetal crosstalk and intrauterine fetal growth. Placental defensive barrier is a fundamental physiological function, which balances maternal immune tolerance to the fetus and resistance to pathogens. This review summarizes the latest research progress on the mechanisms of placental barrier formation from the view of placental development. Recent discoveries have shed light on the cellular and molecular properties of placental defensive mechanisms in syncytiotrophoblast, including autophagy, exosome mediated anti-pathogenic pathways, cell-cell junctions and cytoskeleton networks. We also present an overview of placental barrier dysfunction and its implications in intrauterine TORCH infections.