Demonstration of Physicochemical and Functional Similarity of the Biosimilar BAT1806/BIIB800 to Reference Tocilizumab.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Tocilizumab is an immunoglobulin G1 monoclonal antibody targeting the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R). BAT1806/BIIB800 (tocilizumab-bavi) has been developed as a biosimilar to the reference product tocilizumab (TCZ). The objective of this study was to demonstrate physicochemical and functional similarity between BAT1806/BIIB800 and TCZ in a comprehensive comparability exercise. METHODS: A comprehensive panel of over 20 methods was used to generate datasets comparing critical and non-critical product quality attributes for 10 BAT1806/BIIB800 lots and 44 TCZ lots (16 sourced from China, 16 from the EU, and 12 from the US). Primary structure, higher-order structure, and physicochemical properties were assessed using liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, various spectroscopy techniques/methods, capillary electrophoresis, and thermoanalytical techniques. Fragment antigen-binding (Fab)- and fragment crystallizable (Fc)-mediated biological properties were assessed using cell-based assays, immunoassays, flow cytometry, and kinetic binding assays. RESULTS: BAT1806/BIIB800 and TCZ (irrespective of source) were shown to be similar in terms of structural and functional properties. No differences were observed in terms of the most critical quality attributes, that is, soluble-IL-6R binding and inhibition of IL-6-mediated cell proliferation. BAT1806/BIIB800 and TCZ demonstrated similarity in terms of Fab- and Fc-mediated binding and biological activity. Minor differences were observed in glycosylation (afucosylation and sialylation), glycation, aggregation, and charge variants, which were demonstrated to be not clinically relevant. CONCLUSION: BAT1806/BIIB800 and TCZ were highly similar for all critical quality attributes. Where differences were observed in less critical quality attributes, additional analytical assessments and clinical study results determined these to be not clinically meaningful.

Large Polarization Near 50 µC/cm2 in a Single Unit Cell Layer SrTiO3.

The generally nonpolar SrTiO3 has attracted more attention recently because of its possibly induced novel polar states and related paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transitions. By using controlled pulsed laser deposition, high-quality, ultrathin, and strained SrTiO3 layers were obtained. Here, transmission electron microscopy and theoretical simulations have unveiled highly polar states in SrTiO3 films even down to one unit cell at room temperature, which were stabilized in the PbTiO3/SrTiO3/PbTiO3 sandwich structures by in-plane tensile strain and interfacial coupling, as evidenced by large tetragonality (∼1.05), notable polar ion displacement (0.019 nm), and thus ultrahigh spontaneous polarization (up to ∼50 µC/cm2). These values are nearly comparable to those of the strong ferroelectrics as the PbZrxTi1-xO3 family. Our findings provide an effective and practical approach for integrating large strain states into oxide films and inducing polarization in nonpolar materials, which may broaden the functionality of nonpolar oxides and pave the way for the discovery of new electronic materials.

BAT6026, a novel anti-OX40 antibody with enhanced antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity effect for cancer immunotherapy.

OX40 (CD134), a member of the TNF receptor superfamily, is a widely studied costimulatory immune checkpoint. Several OX40 agonistic antibodies are in the clinical stage for cancer treatment, among which PF-04518600 is the leader and currently in phase II trial. It has been recognized that one potential mode of action for anti-OX40 antibodies is the deletion of intratumoral Tregs. Thus, a novel human anti-OX40 antibody, BAT6026, was generated with enhanced antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) via fucose deletion to strengthen its Treg depletion activity. This characteristic of BAT6026 differentiates it from other previously reported anti-OX40 antibodies in the field of tumor therapy. The affinity of BT6026 to OX40 was 0.28nM, approximately 8 times stronger than that of PF-04518600. BAT6026 effectively competed for the binding of ligand OX40L to OX40, whereas PF-04518600 only partially competed. Moreover, compared to PF-04518600, BAT6026 activated T cells more effectively when clustered by FcγRs engagement and stimulated SEB-pretreated PBMCs to secrete IL-2 cytokines in vitro. In addition, BAT6026 demonstrated stronger anti-tumor activity than PF-04518600 in an OX40-humanized mouse MC38 tumor model. BAT6026 also showed a significantly synergistic effect on tumor inhibition when combined treatment with PD-1 antibody. Analysis of tumor-infiltrating T cells revealed that BAT6026 treatment significantly reduced Treg cells and increased CD8+ T cells in tumor. Preclinical safety assessment in non-human primates demonstrated a good safety profile for BAT6026. Together these data warrant further development of BAT6026 into clinical trials for patients with cancer.

Physicochemical and Functional Similarity Assessment Between Proposed Bevacizumab Biosimilar BAT1706 and Reference Bevacizumab.

BACKGROUND: BAT1706 is a proposed biosimilar of bevacizumab, a vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A)-targeting biologic used to treat several different cancers, including metastatic colorectal cancer. A comprehensive physicochemical and functional similarity assessment is a key component of demonstrating biosimilarity between a reference biologic and a proposed biosimilar. Here we report the physicochemical and functional similarity of BAT1706 and reference bevacizumab sourced from both the United States (US-bevacizumab) and the European Union (EU-bevacizumab). METHOD: A large range of product attributes, including primary and higher order structure, post-translational modifications, purity, stability, and potency, were characterized for BAT1706 and EU/US-bevacizumab using sensitive state-of-the-art analytical techniques. Up to 18 lots of US- and 29 lots of EU-bevacizumab, and 10 unique drug substance lots of BAT1706, were assessed. RESULT: BAT1706 was shown to have an identical amino acid sequence and an indistinguishable higher-order structure compared with EU/US-bevacizumab. BAT1706 and EU/US-bevacizumab also exhibited similar post-translational modifications, glycan profiles, and charge variants. Potency, assessed using a wide range of bioassays, was also shown to be comparable between BAT1706 and EU/US-bevacizumab, with statistical equivalence demonstrated for VEGF-A binding and neutralizing activity. CONCLUSION: Overall, this extensive comparability exercise demonstrated BAT1706 to match EU/US-bevacizumab in terms of all physicochemical and functional attributes assessed.

Atomic Insight into the Successive Antiferroelectric-Ferroelectric Phase Transition in Antiferroelectric Oxides.

Antiferroelectrics characterized by voltage-driven reversible transitions between antiparallel and parallel polarity are promising for cutting-edge electronic and electrical power applications. Wide-ranging explorations revealing the macroscopic performances and microstructural characteristics of typical antiferroelectric systems have been conducted. However, the underlying mechanism has not yet been fully unraveled, which depends largely on the atomistic processes. Herein, based on atomic-resolution transmission electron microscopy, the deterministic phase transition pathway along with the underlying lattice-by-lattice details in lead zirconate thin films was elucidated. Specifically, we identified a new type of ferrielectric-like dipole configuration with both angular and amplitude modulations, which plays the role of a precursor for a subsequent antiferroelectric to ferroelectric transformation. With the participation of the ferrielectric-like phase, the phase transition pathways driven by the phase boundary have been revealed. We provide new insights into the consecutive phase transformation in low-dimensional lead zirconate, which thus would promote potential antiferroelectric-based multifunctional devices.

Effects of group mindfulness yoga training on sleep quality in college students / 四川精神卫生

ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness of mindfulness yoga training on sleep quality in college students， so as to provide references for the intervention of sleep problems in college students. MethodsFrom March 28， 2021 to April 20， 2021， A sample of 45 college students with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index （PSQI） score ≥8 was recruited. Participants were randomly divided into study group （n=22） and control group （n=23）. Participants in the intervention group received mindfulness yoga training twice a week for 4 weeks. The control group did not receive mindfulness yoga training during the trial， but the same training would be given after the trial. Before and after the intervention， PSQI and the N-back training tasks were used to evaluate the sleep quality and working memory ability of the two groups. ResultsThe main effects of time on the PSQI total score， the accuracy and reaction time of N-back training task were statistically significant （F=37.240， 6.898， 10.775， P<0.05 or 0.01）. The main effects of grouping factors on PSQI total score and the accuracy of N-back training task were statistically significant （F=8.057， 11.093， P<0.05 or 0.01）. The interaction of time and group had statistical significance on PSQI total score and the response time of the N-back training task（F=32.730， 17.578， P<0.01）. After intervention， the PSQI total score of the study group was lower than that before intervention （F=69.898， P<0.01）， and the response time of N-back training task was shorter than that before intervention （F=27.939， P<0.01）， the differences were statistically significant. ConclusionGroup mindfulness yoga training may help improve the sleep quality of college students.

BDH2 promotes apoptosis and autophagy of lung adenocarcinoma cells via Akt/mTOR pathway.

Cytoprotective autophagy induces tumor cell apoptosis or autophagic programmed cell death. Autophagy and apoptosis are implicated in the pathogenesis of lung cancer, especially lung adenocarcinoma. 3-Hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase type 2 (BDH2), a rate-limiting catalyzer in the regulation of intracellular iron metabolism and siderophore biogenesis, has been shown to be a tumor suppressor through promotion of cell apoptosis and autophagy. However, the biological role of BDH2 on lung adenocarcinoma cell apoptosis and autophagy remains unclear. Data from Western blot and qRT-PCR showed that BDH2 was down-regulated in lung adenocarcinoma cells (A549, NCI-H1975, PC9) compared to normal human lung cells (BEAS-2B). Functional assays demonstrated that pcDNA-mediated over-expression of BDH2 reduced cell viability of lung adenocarcinoma cells, and repressed the proliferation. Cell apoptosis of lung adenocarcinoma was promoted by BDH2 over-expression with up-regulation of Bax and cleaved caspase-3. Over-expression of BDH2 reduced protein expression of p62 in lung adenocarcinoma cells, enhanced LC3 and Beclin-1. Phosphorylation of AKT and mTOR in lung adenocarcinoma cells were reduced by BDH2 over-expression. In conclusion, BDH2 functioned as a tumor suppressor in lung adenocarcinoma through promotion of Akt/mTOR-mediated cell apoptosis and autophagy.

Predicting indoor particle dispersion under dynamic ventilation modes with high-order Markov chain model.

Mechanical and natural ventilations are effective measures to remove indoor airborne contaminants, thereby creating improved indoor air quality (IAQ). Among various simulation techniques, Markov chain model is a relatively new and efficient method in predicting indoor airborne pollutants. The existing Markov chain model (for indoor airborne pollutants) is basically assumed as first-order, which however is difficult to deal with airborne particles with non-negligible inertial. In this study, a novel weight-factor-based high-order (second-order and third-order) Markov chain model is developed to simulate particle dispersion and deposition indoors under fixed and dynamic ventilation modes. Flow fields under various ventilation modes are solved by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools in advance, and then the basic first-order Markov chain model is implemented and validated by both simulation results and experimental data from literature. Furthermore, different groups of weight factors are tested to estimate appropriate weight factors for both second-order and third-order Markov chain models. Finally, the calculation process is properly designed and controlled, so that the proposed high-order (second-order) Markov chain model can be used to perform particle-phase simulation under consecutively changed ventilation modes. Results indicate that the proposed second-order model does well in predicting particle dispersion and deposition under fixed ventilation mode as well as consecutively changed ventilation modes. Compared with traditional first-order Markov chain model, the proposed high-order model performs with more reasonable accuracy but without significant computing cost increment. The most suitable weight factors of the simulation case in this study are found to be (λ1 = 0.7, λ2 = 0.3, λ3 = 0) for second-order Markov chain model, and (λ1 = 0.8, λ2 = 0.1, λ3 = 0.1) for third-order Markov chain model in terms of reducing errors in particle deposition and escape prediction. With the improvements of the efficiency of state transfer matrix construction and flow field data acquisition/processing, the proposed high-order Markov chain model is expected to provide an alternative choice for fast prediction of indoor airborne particulate (as well as gaseous) pollutants under transient flows.

Levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E and their influencing factors in children with obesity / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and E in children with obesity and their influencing factors.@*METHODS@#A total of 273 children with obesity who attended the Department of Clinical Nutrition, Xi'an Children's Hospital, from January 2019 to April 2021 were enrolled as the obesity group. A total of 226 children with normal body weight who underwent physical examination during the same period were enrolled as the control group. Anthropometric parameters and body composition were measured for both groups, and the serum concentrations of vitamins A, D, and E were also measured.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the control group, the obesity group had significantly higher serum levels of vitamin A [(1.32±0.21) μmol/L vs (1.16±0.21) μmol/L, P<0.001] and vitamin E [(9.3±1.4) mg/L vs (8.3±1.2) mg/L, P<0.001] and a significant reduction in the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [(49±22) nmol/L vs (62±24) nmol/L, P<0.001]. In the obesity group, the prevalence rates of marginal vitamin A deficiency, vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, and vitamin E insufficiency were 5.5% (15/273), 56.8% (155/273), and 4.0% (11/273), respectively. After adjustment for body mass index Z-score and waist-to-height ratio, serum vitamin A level was positively correlated with age (P<0.001), while vitamins E and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were negatively correlated with age in children with obesity (P<0.001). After adjustment for age, the serum levels of vitamin A, vitamin E and 25-hydroxyvitamin D were not correlated with degree of obesity, percentage of body fat, and duration of obesity in children with obesity, while the serum levels of vitamins A and E were positively correlated with waist-to-height ratio (P<0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There are higher serum levels of vitamins A and E in children with obesity, especially in those with abdominal obesity, while serum vitamin D nutritional status is poor and worsens with age. Therefore, vitamin D nutritional status should be taken seriously for children with obesity, and vitamin D supplementation should be performed when necessary.

Congenital disorder of glycosylation caused by mutation of ATP6AP1 gene (c.1036G>A) in a Chinese infant: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The ATP6AP1 gene coding for the accessory protein Ac45 of the vacuolar-type adenosine triphosphatases (V-ATPase) is located on chromosome Xq28. Defects in certain subunits or accessory subunits of the V-ATPase can lead to congenital disorders of glycosylation (CDG). CDG is a group of metabolic disorders in which defective protein and lipid glycosylation processes affect multiple tissues and organs. Therefore, the clinical presentation of patients with ATP6AP1-CDG varies widely. In this report, we present a case of ATP6AP1-CDG in a Chinese infant, with clinical features and genotype. CASE SUMMARY: An 8-mo-old boy was admitted to our hospital because unexplained hepatosplenomegaly and elevated transaminases that had been noted while he was being treated for a cough at a local hospital. A post-admission examination at our hospital revealed abnormalities in the infant's liver, brain, and immune system. Trio-based whole exome gene analysis identified a hemizygous pathogenic mutation c.1036G>A (p.E346K) in exon 9 of the ATP6AP1 gene. This variant of the ATP6AP1 gene has not been reported in East Asian countries until now. CONCLUSION: Based on the infant's clinical manifestations and the results of genetic detection, he was clearly diagnosed with ATP6AP1-CDG. The clinical manifestations of children with CDG vary widely. Genetic testing analysis helps in the clinical diagnosis of children with CDG.

Endovascular Intervention with a Low-profile Visualized Intraluminal Support Stent Versus Surgical Clipping for Blood Blister-like Aneurysms : A Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: Blood blister-like aneurysms (BBAs) have a high risk of early recurrence and postoperative rebleeding. This study compared the clinical outcomes and complications between endovascular intervention with low-profile visualized intraluminal support (LVIS) stent-assisted coiling and the surgical clipping in patients with BBAs. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 39 patients with BBAs who underwent endovascular intervention with LVIS stent-assisted coiling (n = 21) or surgical clipping (n = 18) between January 2013 and July 2018. Primary outcomes were mortality and modified Rankin scale (mRS). Secondary outcomes were hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) stay and operation parameters. Complications were also retrospectively collated. RESULTS: At baseline, the two groups were well balanced in patient characteristics. The hospital stays, ICU stays, operation time and intraoperative infusion volume were all significantly lower in LVIS group than that in clipping group (p < 0.05). A second operation was performed in 6 cases in the clipping group but none in the LVIS group (p = 0.006). The mean mRS score in the LVIS group was significantly lower than that of the clipping group both at hospital discharge and final follow-up (p < 0.001). Adverse outcomes occurred in 1 case in LVIS group and 7 in clipping group, with significant difference (p = 0.015). Complications were reported in 8 cases in LVIS group and 16 cases in clipping group, with significant difference (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The endovascular intervention with LVIS stent-assisted coiling has better prognosis than surgical clipping. It decreased the risk of a second operation and procedure-related complications compared with surgical clipping.

Utilization of hospital service and its influencing factors among patients with occupational pneumoconiosis / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the utilization of hospital service and its related influencing factors among patients with occupational pneumoconiosis. METHODS: A total of 178 patients with occupational pneumoconiosis were selected as the study subjects using the convenience sampling method. The utilization of hospital service and health-related quality of life of patients with pneumoconiosis and its complications were investigated using the Questionnaire on Pneumoconiosis Patients′ Medical Consultation Behavior and its Influencing Factors and the European Quality of Life Inventory.RESULTS: The one-year hospitalization rate of patients with pneumoconiosis was 57.3%(102/178), and 88.2% of the patients were hospitalized once a year. The median number of hospitalization time in a year was 20.0 days. Visual health scale(VAS) score was(58±15) points. The multiple logistic regression analysis results showed that the utilization of hospital service among patients with employment injury insurance and fund reimbursement provided by the local governmentwere higher than those without employment injury insurancea nd without fund reimbursement provided by the local government(all P<0.05). The utilization of hospital service of patients with problems in usual activities and those unable to perform usual activities were higher than those without any problems(P<0.05). The utilization hospital service of patients with VAS scores <60 was higher than those with VAS scores of 60-<75(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The patients with pneumoconiosis have a relatively overall high level of utilization of hospital service. The employment injury insurance, fund reimbursement provided by the local government, VAS score, and status of physical health are important influencing factors of utilization of hospital service.

Effects of ampelopsin on proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of human cervical cancer SiHa cells / 中国药理学通报

Aim To investigate the effects of ampelopsin (AMP) on proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis of human cervical cancer SiHa cells, and its possible mechanism of action. Methods MTT assay was used to detect the inhibitory effect of AMP with different concentrations (10, 20, 40, 80, 160, 320 μmol • L

Current status of initial diagnosis of speech sound disorder in a child healthcare clinic / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the understanding of speech sound disorder (SSD) among child health practitioners.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of 506 children with an initial diagnosis of SSD from January 2017 to May 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.@*RESULTS@#Of the 506 SSD children, 90.5% had a description of developmental behavior in their medical records; 97.6% received a developmental-behavioral evaluation, mostly intellectual and developmental screening tests, which were given to 95.8% (485/506) of the total children. A total of 116 (22.9%) children also had neurodevelopmental disorders, commonly presenting with language disorder, global developmental delay, and intellectual disability; however, 53 (45.7%) of the 116 children had no history records of such abnormal developmental behavior. The incidence of neurodevelopmental disorders was significantly higher in the children with abnormal hearing reported by their families than in the children with normal hearing reported by their families (P<0.001). The children with abnormal response to sound stimulation on physical examination had significantly more frequent neurodevelopmental disorders than those with normal response to sound stimulation (P<0.05). Among the 506 children with SSD, hearing condition was ignored in 33.2% in history records, and in 31.2% on physical examination. Ninety-two children (18.2%) completed the diagnostic hearing test, 12% (11/92) of whom were diagnosed with hearing loss. Of the 11 children with hearing loss, three had passed a hearing screening, three had family-reported normal hearing, and seven had normal response to sound stimulation on physical examination.@*CONCLUSIONS@#SSD is frequently comorbid with neurodevelopmental disorders in children. Children's communication performance is a key to the diagnosis of neurodevelop-mental disorders. It's necessary to the diagnosis of SSD to perform a medical history collection about neuropsychological development and a developmental-behavior evaluation. There is a high proportion of children with SSD receiving the developmental-behavioral evaluation, suggesting that child health practitioners pay close attention to the neuropsychological development of SSD children, but mostly, the evaluation merely involves intellectual developmental screening tests. The detection rate of hearing loss in children with SSD is high. However, child health practitioners underestimate this problem, and have an insufficient understanding of the importance of the diagnostic hearing test. The diagnostic hearing test should be the preferred recommendation for assessing hearing ability rather than past hearing screening results or children's response to sound stimulation in life scenes.

Mediating and moderating effects of resilience on frailty and depression in the community-dwelling old adults / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective:To investigate the mediating and moderating effects of resilience on frailty and depression in the community-dwelling old adults.Methods:Totally 871 community-dwelling old adults chosen from different communities were investigated by the geriatric depression scale, Tilburg frailty indicator and 10-item Connor-Davidson resilience scale.SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 24.0 were used for data analysis, including descriptive analysis, correlation analysis, structural equation modeling and hierarchical regression analysis.Results:(1)The score of frailty (3.72±2.89)was positively correlated with the score of depression (2.63±2.57, r=0.16-0.58, P<0.01). The score of resilience(28.24±6.80) was negatively correlated with the score of frailty and depression ( r=-0.10~-0.49, both P<0.01), and frailty predicted 35% of the total variation of depression in the elderly.(2)The mediating effect of resilience was significant and the indirect effect was 0.10, accounting for 12.66% of the total variance.(3) Resilience moderated the relationship between frailty and depression ( β=-0.12, t=-4.11, R2=0.41, P<0.001). The frailty of old adults with lower resilience played a stronger predictive role in depression (simple slope=0.50, t=14.73, R2=0.01, P<0.001). Conclusion:There is a close relationship between frailty and depression in the community-dwelling older adults, and resilience plays both mediating and moderating role in the relationship.

Clinical Efficacy of Postmenopausal Knee Osteoarthritis with Liver and Kidney Deficiencies Based on Theory of Syndrome Differentiation and Treatment of Kidney / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To discuss the clinical efficacy of modified Zuoguiwan on postmenopausal osteoarthritis of knee (KOA) with deficiency of liver and kidney based on theory of syndrome differentiation and treatment of kidney, and its effect on endocrine hormone and cartilage metabolism.Method:One hundred and forty patients of KOA were randomly divided into control group (70 cases) and observation group (70 cases) by random number table. Patients in two group got glucosamine hydrochloride capsule for 12 weeks, 1 capsule/time, 2 times/day, and those with obvious pain was added celecoxib capsules for 4 weeks, 0.2 g/time, 1 time/day. The control group took Kang Zengsheng pills orally. patients in observation group was also added with modified Zuoguiwan for 12 weeks, 1 dose/day. Before and after treatment, pain level during activity and rest by visual simulation of pain (VAS) were scored. And visual scale of osteoarthritis index (WOMAC) of Western Ontario and McMaster University, knee osteoarthritis severity index (ISOA), deficiency of liver and kidney, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were scored. And levels of serum estradiol (E2), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were scored.Result:Scores of VAS during activity and rest in observation group were lower than those in control group (P<0.01). The total score of WOMAC, scores of pain, stiffness, joint function, deficiency of liver and kidney, SAS and SDS were all lower than those in control group (P<0.01). Total score of ISOA, symptoms and signs, maximum walking distance, daily life were lower than those in control group (P<0.01). Levels of E2, FSH, LH, TNF-α, IL-1β and MMP-3 were lower than those in control group (P<0.01). Level of TGF-β was higher than that in control group (P<0.01). And total clinical effective rate in observation group was 89.23%(58/65), which was higher than 74.60%(47/63) in control group (χ2=4.793, P<0.05).Conclusion:Modified Zuoguiwan can obviously alleviate symptoms, improve joint function, regulate the level of endocrine hormone, relieve anxiety and depression, regulate the environment of cartilage metabolism, inhibit inflammatory reaction, and improve the patients' ability of daily life and clinical efficacy.

Effects of Zinc Combined with Probiotics on Antibiotic-associated Diarrhea Secondary to Childhood Pneumonia.

AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of zinc combined with probiotics (Bifico) on antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) secondary to pneumonia. METHODS: A total of 50 patients with AAD secondary to pneumonia were randomly divided into a probiotics group (Bifico) and a combined group (zinc combined with Bifico) and 25 pneumonia patients without AAD as the control group. Serum levels of zinc, diamine oxidase (DAO) activity, D-lactate and intestinal flora [Bifidobacterium, Escherichia coli and Bifidobacterium/E. coli (B/E) ratio] were detected before and after intervention. RESULTS: The results showed that zinc combined with Bifico had significantly higher overall efficiency than Bifico alone for treatment of AAD secondary to pneumonia. Notably, the combined treatment increased the population of Bifidobacterium, while the number of E. coli was reduced, the B/E value was improved and DAO activity and D-lactate levels were markedly reduced. CONCLUSION: Patients with AAD secondary to pneumonia benefit from zinc supplementation of probiotic treatment.

Cloning and Sequence Analysis of Cellulose Synthase-like Gene from Ampelopsis megalophylla / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:To clone cellulose synthase-like(Csl)gene from ethnic medicinal plant Ampelopsis megalophylla,and analyze its sequence by bioinformatics. Method:Specific primers were designed for AmCsl gene sequences obtained from A. megalophylla transcriptome sequencing data. The full-length cDNA of AmCsl gene was amplified by PCR using cDNA of young leaves as template,and TA clone and sequencing was performed. The sequence was analyzed by bioinformatics. Result:The full length cDNA was 1 438 bp,containing a 561 bp open reading frame(ORF),and encoding 186 amino acids,the molecular formula of protein was C1011H1547N233O257S10,the theoretical relative molecular weight was 22.40 kDa,the theory isoelectric point(PI)was 7.59,and the aliphatic index(AI)was 116.88.There was a transmembrane region and no signal peptide,which may be located in the endoplasmic reticulum,the average hydrophobic coefficient was 0.670,and the instability index was 42.56.It belonged to a hydrophobic unstable protein. The conserved domain contained a cellulose synthase,and the secondary structure mainly was dominated by α-helix. Amino acid sequence alignment and phylogenetic tree analysis showed that AmCsl had a high homology with Vitis vinifera. Conclusion:The full length of AmCsl gene was obtained for preliminary bioinformatics analysis,which laid a necessary foundation for further study on the accumulation of polysaccharides and the regulation of biosynthesis.

The current status and influencing factors of frailty among community-dwelling old adults / 中华行为医学与脑科学杂志

Objective@#To explore the current status and predictive factors of frailty among community-dwelling old adults.@*Methods@#A total of 1 012 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and above in Sichuan Province were enrolled and investigated by self-made general condition scale, Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), Short Physical Performance Battery(SPPB), 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale(CD-RISC-10), Mini-Mental State Examination(MMSE) and Geriatric Depression Scale Short-form(GDS-15).@*Results@#(1) The prevalence of frailty was 30.73%.(2) There were significant differences in the frailty scores of community-dwelling older adults in terms of gender, education, marital status, living condition, spouse support, children support, family economic conditions, self-perceived health status, number of chronic diseases, body mass index, number of falls in the past year, exercise state and sleep time at night(all P<0.05). (3) The frailty (3.72±2.88) was significantly positively correlated with depression (2.69±2.58; r=0.58, P<0.01), and negatively correlated with the scores of balance ability(3.28±1.01), walking speed(2.92±1.05), chair rise test(2.92±1.27), strength of resilience(13.99±3.57) and MMSE(23.71±5.55) (r=-0.33-0.43, P<0.01). (4) Depression (β=0.416, P<0.001), the number of chronic diseases(β=0.219, P<0.001), balance ability(β=-0.166, P<0.001), spousal support(β=-0.089, P<0.01), strength of resilience(β =-0.097, P<0.01), family economic status(β=0.093, P<0.01) and gender(β=0.082, P<0.01) significantly influenced frailty, with a combined explanation variance of 45.9%.@*Conclusions@#The rate of frailty of community-dwelling old adults is high, which is influenced by physiological, psychological and social factors.Therefore, it is necessary to adopt a comprehensive model of multi-disciplinary cooperation to carry out frailty intervention in community.

Research progress on general practitioners-specialists joint consultation service / 中华医院管理杂志

At present, general practitioners in China lack both specialist knowledge and ability, which calls for close cooperation between general practitioners and specialists to better guarantee medical quality and patient safety. The authors reviewed the connotation, research status, development trend, problems and suggestions of general practitioners-specialists joint consultation service. Based on such, they pointed out that such a general practitioner-specialist joint clinic is quite new in the country, but numerous literature has confirmed that it can not only make up for services fragmentation, but also reduce referral rate.Furthermore, it can improve the quality of people′s lives, improve the general practitioner′s professional knowledge and skills, standardize general practitioner′s rational drug use. All these prove the reform an effective measure and deserves further promotion and greater supervision.