Copper-binding protein modelling by single-cell transcriptome and Bulk transcriptome to predict overall survival in lung adenocarcinoma patients.

Background: Copper and copper-binding proteins are key components of tumour progression as they play an important role in tumour invasion and migration, and abnormal accumulation of copper (Cu) may be intimately linked to with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). Methods: Data on lung adenocarcinoma were sourced from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database and the National Centre for Biotechnology Information (GEO). 10x scRNA sequencing, which is from Bischoff P et al, was used for down-sequencing clustering and subgroup identification using TSNE. The genes for Copper-binding proteins (CBP) were acquired from the MSigDB database. LASSO-Cox analysis was subsequently used to construct a model for copper-binding proteins (CBPRS), which was then compared to lung adenocarcinoma models developed by others. External validation was carried out in the GSE31210 and GSE50081 cohorts. The effectiveness of immunotherapy was evaluated using the TIDE algorithm and the IMvigor210, GSE78220, and TCIA cohorts. Furthermore, differences in mutational profiles and the immune microenvironment between different risk groups were investigated. The CBPRS's key regulatory genes were screened using ROC diagnostic and KM survival curves. The differential expression of these genes was then verified by RT-qPCR. Results: The six CBP genes were identified as highly predictive of LUAD prognosis and significantly correlated with it. Multivariate analysis showed that patients in the low-risk group had a higher overall survival rate than those in the high-risk group, indicating that the model was an independent predictor of LUAD. The CBPRS demonstrated superior predictive ability compared to 11 previously published models. We constructed a column-line graph that includes CBPRS and clinical characteristics, which exhibits high predictive performance. Additionally, we observed significant differences in biological functions, mutational landscapes, and immune cell infiltration in the tumour microenvironment between the high-risk and low-risk groups. It is noteworthy that immunotherapy was also significant in both the high- and low-risk groups. These results suggest that the model has good predictive efficacy. Conclusions: The CBP model demonstrated good predictive performance, revealing characteristics of the tumour microenvironment. This provides a new method for assessing the efficacy of pre-immunisation and offers a potential strategy for future treatment of lung adenocarcinoma.

Overview and Enlightenment of Codes of Ethics for Nurses at Home and Abroad / 中国医学伦理学

Formulating codes of ethics for nurses are not only the need of establishing nurses’ professional image and dignity, but also the demand of nursing discipline development. By combing the relevant documents of codes of ethics for nurses at home and abroad, this paper summarized the main contents and application of codes of ethics for nurses, found that codes of ethics for nurses were based on the basic principle of "patient-oriented", discussing the relationship between nurses and patients, collaborators, environment, society, specialty and personal development, and forming the constraint standard for nurses’ behavior in combination with the expectation of local cultural values for nursing industry. The codes of ethics for nurses in China need to further clarify the scope of nursing, formulate behavioral norms in various specialties, and through clinical evaluation, education, management and other aspects to promote its popularization and implementation.

Comparison of analgesic efficacy and postoperative recovery between multi-point and single-point fascia iliaca compartment block in patients with hip fracture: a randomized controlled trial / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To compare the analgesic effect and postoperative recovery between multi-point and single-point ultrasound-guided fascia iliaca compartment block (FCIB) in elderly patients with hip fracture.Methods:From June 2019 to April 2020, 96 patients aged (71.1±5.4) years undergoing elective surgery for hip fracture in Renji Hospital were randomly assigned in multi-point block group or single-point block group, and the multi-point or single-point ultrasound-guided FCIB was performed for the two groups, respectively. The primary outcomes were the success rate for block of femoral nerve, lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and obturator nerve, and the 24 hours postoperative pain visual analog scale (VAS) score at rest and passive movement. The secondary outcomes were the onset time of sensory blocks of the above three nerves, complications of FICB, the satisfaction score of pain control during 48 hours after surgery and postoperative recovery of patients.Results:The success rate for block of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve in multi-point block group was 97.9% (47/48), which was significantly higher than that in single-point block group (83.3%(40/48)) ( P=0.031). The success rate for block of obturator nerve in multi-point block group was 95.8% (46/48), which was significantly higher than that in single-point block group which was 81.3% (39/48) ( P=0.025). The success rate of femoral nerve block in both groups was 97.9% (47/48) ( P=1.000). The 24 hours postoperative VAS scores at rest and passive movement in the multi-point block group were significantly lower than those in the single-point block group ( P<0.05). The onset time for block of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve and obturator nerve in multi-point block group was shorter than that in single-point block group ( P=0.025 and P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the onset time for block of femoral nerve between the two groups ( P=0.343). The satisfaction score of patients at 48 hours after surgery in multipoint block group was higher than that in single point block group ( P=0.024). The length of hospital stay in the multi-point block group was shorter than that in the single-point block group ( P=0.042), the proportion of intravenous analgesic drugs used after surgery was lower than that in the single-point block group ( P=0.041), and the complication rate within 30 days after surgery was also lower than that in the single point block group ( P=0.026). Conclusion:Compared with single-point block, ultrasound-guided multi-point block in iliac fascia space has advantages of increasing analgesic efficacy and promoting postoperative recovery in elderly patients with hip fracture.

Quick guideline for diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus Omicron variant infection / 中华临床感染病杂志

Novel coronavirus Omicron variant infection can cause severe illness and even death in certain populations. Omicron variant infection may lead to systemic inflammatory response, coagulation disorder, multi-organ dysfunction and other pathophysiological changes, which are different from other Novel coronavirus variants to a certain extent, so therapeutic strategies should not be the same. The National Medical Center for Major Public Health Events invited experts in fields of infectious diseases, respiratory medicine, intensive care, pediatrics and fever clinic to develop this quick guideline based on the current best evidence and extensive clinical practices. This quick guideline aims to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of novel coronavirus Omicron infection, and to improve the disease management abilities of clinicians.

Determination of chemical component and quality control evaluation of Paeoniae Radix Alba / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective:To establish a method for the determination of four effective components in Paeoniae Radix Alba and evaluate its quality of Paeoniae Radix Alba by principal component analysis. Methods:The effective components of Paeoniae Radix Alba were extracted by ultrasonic extraction method with ethanol. Wondasil WR C18 chromatographic column (250 mm×4.6 mm,5 μm) was used, and the mobile phase was acetonitrile-water, the flow rate was set at 1 ml/min, the column temperature was set at 30 ℃, and the total operation time was 65 min. The mass score of active components was imported into SPSS for principal component analysis. Results:The linear ranges of Paeoniflorin, Paeoniflorin, Benzoyl Paeoniflorin and Pallyl Paeoniflorin were 0.020 1-3.820 0 μg ( r2=0.999 4), 0.015 9-2.850 0 μg ( r2=0.999 2), 0.008 2- 1.820 0 μg ( r2=0.999 1), 0.003 2-0.970 0 μg ( r2=0.999 5). The quality of the 10 batches of Paeoniae Radix Alba samples from Anhui province was the best, while that from Sichuan province was the worst. Conclusions:HPLC method was established for the determination of four effective components in Paeoniae Radix Alba, and principal component analysis and evaluation of 10 batches of Paeoniae Radix Alba. Bozhou, Anhui Province, was identified as the main production area of Paeoniae Radix Alba, which can provide reference for the quality control and preparation production of Paeoniae Radix Alba.

Intervention effect of physical exercise on silicotic mice / 环境与职业医学

Background Pneumoconiosis is the most serious occupational disease in China, and silicosis accounts for about half of it. Any intervention effect of physical exercise as the key and core of lung rehabilitation training on silicosis is still unclear. Objective To explore potential intervention effect of physical exercise on silicotic mice. Methods Forty SPF C57BL/6 male mice were randomly divided into four groups, 10 in each group, including a control group, a physical exercise group, a silicosis model group, and a silicosis model + physical exercise intervention group. Silicotic mouse model was established by using 50 μL SiO2 suspension (200 mg·mL−1). A treadmill was used to prepare mice receiving physical exercise at 0° inclination, 12.3 m·min−1, 60 min·d−1, 5 d·week−1 for 4 weeks. Pathological morphology of lung tissues was evaluated after hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining; deposition of collagen in lung tissues was evaluated after Van Gieson (VG) staining; expression of p-protein kinase R-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) was detected by immunofluorescence staining; expressions of cyclin dependent kinase inhibitors (p21) and p-p38 mitogen activated protein kinase (p38) were detected by immunohistochemistry. The protein expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress signal factors [p-inositol-requiring enzyme-1α (p-IRE-1α), p-PERK, and p-eukaryotic initiation factor-2α (p-eIF-2α)], senescence signal factors (p-p53, p21, and p16), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal factors [p-p38, p-extracellular regulated protein kinases (p-ERK), and p-stress-activated protein kinase (p-JNK)] were detected by Western blotting. Results After designed acute SiO2 exposure, the images of micro computed tomography (CT) showed high density shadows in lung tissues of the silicotic mice and less shadows in lung tissues of the physical exercise intervention mice. After HE staining, the proportions of silicotic nodule area in lung tissues was (18.67±3.89) % in the silicosis model group, and significantly decreased to (8.78±1.05) % in the silicosis model + physical exercise intervention group (P<0.05). After VG staining, the proportion of collagen fiber area of lung tissues was (10.37±2.18) % in the silicosis model group, and significantly decreased to (4.35±0.89) % in the silicosis model + physical exercise intervention group (P<0.05). The results of immunofluorescence staining showed that in the silicosis model group, the expression of p-PERK increased at the location of silicotic nodules, while in the silicotic model + physical exercise intervention group, the expression of p-PERK decreased. The immunohistochemical staining results showed that the expression of p21 and p-p38 increased in the lung tissues of the silicosis model group; the expression of p21 and p-p38 decreased in the lung tissues of the silicosis model + physical exercise intervention group. The results of Western blotting showed that compared with the control group, the expression levels of p-IRE-1α (0.11±0.03), p-PERK (0.95±0.40), p-eIF-2α (3.53±0.91), p-p53 (1.78±0.07), p21 (1.98±0.10), p16 (1.26±0.17), p-p38 (0.41±0.09), p-ERK (0.42±0.05), and p-JNK (3.20±1.23) of the silicosis model group were all upregulated (P<0.05). Compared with the silicosis model group, the expression levels of p-IRE-1α (0.03±0.01), p-PERK (0.31±0.12), p-eIF-2α (0.30±0.06), p-p53 (0.76±0.08), p21 (0.18±0.11), p16 (0.70±0.24), p-p38 (0.03±0.00), p-ERK (0.19±0.03), and p-JNK (0.46±0.21) of the silicosis model + physical exercise intervention group were downregulated (P<0.05). Conclusion Physical exercise may alleviate pulmonary fibrosis in silicotic mice, and inhibit abnormal expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress signal, MAPK signal, and senescent signal.

Fine-tuning pharmacological properties of mirtazapine antidepressant drug: a theoretical study.

It has become obvious that fluorinated drugs have a significant role in medicinal applications. In this study, the fluorination of mirtazapine antidepressant drug was investigated using density functional theory calculations. We found that the intramolecular hydrogen bonding and charge transfers of the mirtazapine drug were influenced by fluorine substitution. Our results also reveal that the fluorination altered the stability, solubility, and molecular polarity of the mirtazapine antidepressant drug. Moreover, our results show that the electronic spectra of fluorinated derivatives of the mirtazapine exhibit a red shift toward higher wavelengths compared to the original antidepressant drug. Our calculations show that the difference between G value of the gas and water (ΔG) of fluorinated derivatives of the mirtazapine drug was negative. We also found that the fluorination can increases the first hyperpolarizability of the mirtazapine antidepressant drug. Our results present an efficient strategy to improve the nonlinear optical responses of the antidepressant drugs. Consequently, the results of present study show that the fluorination of mirtazapine could be considered as a promising strategy to design antidepressant drugs with better pharmacological properties.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Ionizing radiation promotes epithelial-mesenchymal transition of cervical cancer cell line Siha through increasing the secretion of exosomes / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To observe the occurrence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cervical cancer cell line Siha irradiated by X-rays with clinical conventional fraction radiotherapy model and investigate the role of exosomes in this process.Methods:Siha cells were irradiated by 6 MV-X rays with 50 Gy in 25 fractions. EMT was evaluated by cell morphology, EMT biomarkers and cell migration and invasion ability. Exosomes released from cells were detected by transmission electron microscopy and nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), and its function in EMT was explored by using an exosome inhibitor GW4869 (10 μmol/L).Results:After irradiation, EMT phenomenon was induced in the survived Siha cells, including the incidence of mesenchymal phenotype, upregulation of epithelial marker E-cadherin ( t=9.66, P<0.05), downregulation of mesenchymal marker N-cadherin ( t=41.61, P<0.05), and increase of cell migration and invasion abilities ( t=6.11, 13.22; P<0.05). Meanwhile, the secretion of exosomes was also increased after irradiation ( t=7.51, P<0.05). When the cells were pre-treated with GW4869, radiation-induced exosome secretion was reduced ( t=7.28, P<0.05), so that radiation-induced EMT was reversed. Conclusions:Ionizing radiation with clinical conventional fraction radiotherapy model promotes EMT of cervical cancer cells through increasing the secretion of exosomes.

Expert consensus on diagnosis and treatment of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome / 中华临床感染病杂志

Since 2010, the incidence of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) has been increased. Owing the progress in diagnosis and treatment, the overall mortality of SFTS in China has decreased, while the mortality in critical SFTS patients is still high. In order to provide guidance and working procedures for clinicians to diagnose and treat critical SFTS, the National Medical Center for Major Public Health Events invited experts to discuss and formulate this consensus based on their experience and up-to-date knowledge on SFTS.

Trend of maternal mortality ratio and death causes in Tianjin from 2011 to 2020 / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the trend of maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and death causes in Tianjin from 2011 to 2020 and to guide the management of maternal health.Methods:All the reviews data of 89 maternal death cases in Tianjin from 2011 to 2020 were retrospectively collected to analyze the trend of MMR, rank order of death causes, and death review results using Chi-square test. Results:(1) The average MMR in Tianjin was 7.97/100 000 during the study period, showing an overall fluctuating decline. The highest MMR was 12.61/100 000 in 2014 and the lowest was 3.85/100 000 in 2019. (2) Among the dead pregnant women and parturients, non-registered residents had higher proportion of women with advanced age, no steady occupation/unemployment, below junior college education, multipara, or without maternal health manual compared with the registered residents [33.33% (8/24) vs 20.00% (13/65), χ2=46.18; 100.00%(24/24) vs 69.23%(45/65), χ2=9.53; 87.50% (21/24) vs 64.62% (42/65), χ2=4.44; 79.17% (19/24) vs 44.62% (29/65), χ2=8.42; 75.00%(18/24) vs 13.85% (9/65), χ2=31.02; all P<0.05]. (3) Direct obstetric factors and indirect factors that caused death were accounted for 57.30% (51/89) and 42.70% (38/89). The top five death causes were postpartum hemorrhage, hypertensive disease during pregnancy, sudden death, venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and amniotic fluid embolism. (4) In terms of the maternal death review results, 39.33% (35/89) of maternal deaths were avoidable, among which 94.29% (33/35) were caused by direct obstetric factors and 5.71% (2/35) were indirect. (5) The main influencing factors of avoidable death causes were knowledge and skills inadequacy in the health care system (62.86%, 22/35), of which 86.36% (19/22) happened in health facilities at and below the district/county level. Conclusion:It is suggested to strengthen the medical care of health facilities at and below the district/county level and the maternal health management of the non-permanent residents to ensure maternal and infant safety and to further reduce the MMR.

Mechanism of 3-arylcoumarin derivatives inhibiting vascular calcification / 中国药科大学学报

@#To reveal the pharmacological mechanism of 3-arylcoumarin derivative 3-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-6-hydroxycoumarin (SJ-6) against vascular calcification, advanced glycation end products (AGEs) were used to induce the calcification of human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HCASMCs), and calcification was identified by alizarin red staining and quantification.The effects of SJ-6 on alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, cell proliferation rate, calcium content, and total reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), AGEs, and tetra methylethlene diamine proteinase factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (1L-6), interleukin-β (1L-β), runt-related transcription factor 2 mRNA (Runx2 mRNA), the receptor of advanced glycation endproducts (RAGE), nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB), napdh oxidase-1 (NoX-1), protein kinase C(PKC), protein kinase b(AKT), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and smooth muscle actin-α (SMA-α) protein expression were determined.According to our results, SJ-6 significantly decreased AGEs content, ALP activity, intracellular calcium content, ROS content, Runx2 mRNA and inflammatory factors TNF-α, 1L-6 and 1L-β (P < 0.05) and increased SOD content (P < 0.01), with similar to those of the positive control drug aminoguanidine hydrochloride (AGH).Therefore, we investigated the pharmacological mechanism of compound SJ-6, which was found to significantly inhibit the expression of RAGE, NF-κB, NoX-1, PKC, Akt, p-p38 and other essential signaling proteins in the calcified cell model (P < 0.01) and increas the expression of smooth actin SMA-α (P < 0.01).SJ-6 inhibits vascular calcification by inhibiting oxidative stress and the expression of AGEs/RAGE, Akt/PKC and NF-κB signaling pathways, suggesting that it may be a novel drug for the treatment of vascular calcification.

Correlation between sensory characteristics and behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder / 中国学校卫生

Objective@#To understand sensory characteristics and its correlation with behavioral problems among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), so as to provide reference basis for early diagnosis and comprehensive intervention of ASD children.@*Methods@#Using cross sectional survey, 193 ASD children trained by Nantong rehabilitation institutions were recruited from September 2021 to February 2022. All children were investigated with the Short Sensory Profile (SSP) and Parent Symptom Questionnaire (PSQ).@*Results@#Among the 193 ASD children, 106 (54.9%) children had abnormal sensory characteristics, including 45 (23.3%) with possible abnormalities and 61 (31.6%) with obvious abnormalities. The abnormal rate of auditory filtering was the highest in the seven dimensions, reaching 85.0%, followed by low strength/weakness, motor sensitivity, taste/smell sensitivity, low response/seeking sensation, vision/hearing sensitivity and tactile sensitivity. The total incidence of sensory abnormalities was 93.3%. There were significant differences in six dimensions of PSQ scale scores of ASD children with different degrees of sensory abnormalities, including conduct problems, learning problems, psychosomatic disorders, impulsive hyperactivity, anxiety and hyperactivity index ( H =38.89, 38.90, 19.53, 46.34, 34.54, 54.90, P <0.01). With the aggravation of sensory abnormalities in children with ASD, the scores of all dimensions of the PSQ scale increased significantly. The total score of SSP was negatively correlated with the six dimensions of conduct problems, learning problems, psychosomatic disorders, impulsive hyperactivity, anxiety and hyperactivity index in PSQ ( r =-0.53, -0.50, -0.32, -0.55, -0.43, -0.61, P <0.01).@*Conclusion@#ASD children generally have sensory abnormalities, which coincide with severity of behavioral problems. There is a positive correlation between sensory abnormalities and behavioral problems in ASD children. More attention should be paid to the abnormal sensory characteristics of children with ASD in the future diagnosis and treatment process.

Expert consensus on early childhood caries management / 国际口腔科学杂志·英文版

Early childhood caries (ECC) is a significant chronic disease of childhood and a rising public health burden worldwide. ECC may cause a higher risk of new caries lesions in both primary and permanent dentition, affecting lifelong oral health. The occurrence of ECC has been closely related to the core microbiome change in the oral cavity, which may be influenced by diet habits, oral health management, fluoride use, and dental manipulations. So, it is essential to improve parental oral health and awareness of health care, to establish a dental home at the early stage of childhood, and make an individualized caries management plan. Dental interventions according to the minimally invasive concept should be carried out to treat dental caries. This expert consensus mainly discusses the etiology of ECC, caries-risk assessment of children, prevention and treatment plan of ECC, aiming to achieve lifelong oral health.

SIRT5 functions as a tumor suppressor in renal cell carcinoma by reversing the Warburg effect.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the biological functions and underlying mechanisms of SIRT5 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). METHODS: SIRT5 expression data in The Cancer Genome Atlas Kidney Clear Cell Carcinoma (TCGA-KIRC) were selected, and the correlations between SIRT5 expression and various clinicopathological parameters were analysed. SIRT5 expression in ccRCC tissues was examined using immunohistochemistry. Stable cell lines with SIRT5 knockdown were established. In vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted to investigate the functional roles of SIRT5 in the cellular biology of ccRCC, including cell viability assays, wound healing assays, soft agar colony formation assays, Transwell invasion assays, qRT-PCR, and Western blotting. In addition, microarrays, rescue experiments and Western blotting were used to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying SIRT5 functions. RESULTS: SIRT5 expression was downregulated in ccRCC compared with normal tissues, which correlated with a poor prognosis of ccRCC. SIRT5 knockdown significantly increased cell proliferation, migration and invasion in vitro. In vivo experiments revealed that SIRT5 knockdown promoted ccRCC tumorigenesis and metastasis. Mechanistically, SIRT5 deglycosylated PDHA1 at K351 and increased PDC activity, thereby altering the metabolic crosstalk with the TCA cycle and inhibiting the Warburg effect. SIRT5 overexpression was related to low succinylation of PDHA1. CONCLUSIONS: Downregulated SIRT5 expression in ccRCC accelerated the Warburg effect through PDHA1 hypersuccinylation and induced tumorigenesis and progression, indicating that SIRT5 may become a potential target for ccRCC therapy.

Tocilizumab in patients with moderate or severe COVID-19: a randomized, controlled, open-label, multicenter trial / 医学前沿

Tocilizumab has been reported to attenuate the "cytokine storm" in COVID-19 patients. We attempted to verify the effectiveness and safety of tocilizumab therapy in COVID-19 and identify patients most likely to benefit from this treatment. We conducted a randomized, controlled, open-label multicenter trial among COVID-19 patients. The patients were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive either tocilizumab in addition to standard care or standard care alone. The cure rate, changes of oxygen saturation and interference, and inflammation biomarkers were observed. Thirty-three patients were randomized to the tocilizumab group, and 32 patients to the control group. The cure rate in the tocilizumab group was higher than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (94.12% vs. 87.10%, rate difference 95% CI-7.19%-21.23%, P = 0.4133). The improvement in hypoxia for the tocilizumab group was higher from day 4 onward and statistically significant from day 12 (P = 0.0359). In moderate disease patients with bilateral pulmonary lesions, the hypoxia ameliorated earlier after tocilizumab treatment, and less patients (1/12, 8.33%) needed an increase of inhaled oxygen concentration compared with the controls (4/6, 66.67%; rate difference 95% CI-99.17% to-17.50%, P = 0.0217). No severe adverse events occurred. More mild temporary adverse events were recorded in tocilizumab recipients (20/34, 58.82%) than the controls (4/31, 12.90%). Tocilizumab can improve hypoxia without unacceptable side effect profile and significant influences on the time virus load becomes negative. For patients with bilateral pulmonary lesions and elevated IL-6 levels, tocilizumab could be recommended to improve outcome.

Application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with thyroid imaging reporting and data system classification in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) classification in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods:The clinical data of 157 thyroid nodules from 122 participants who underwent conventional ultrasound and CEUS examination from January 2016 to January 2017 in the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, China were collected. The image features were analyzed for conventional ultrasound and TI-RADS classification. According to CEUS results, the thyroid nodules were classified by TI-RADS. Based on pathological results, the efficacy of CEUS combined with TI-RADS classification versus conventional ultrasound combined with TI-RADS classification in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules was investigated. Results:The area under the curve of CEUS combined with TI-RADS classification (AUC = 0.900) was greater than that of conventional ultrasound combined with TI-RADS classification (AUC = 0.808). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive and negative predictive values of conventional ultrasound combined with TI-RADS classification in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules were 81.6% (80/98), 67.8% (40/59), 76.4% (120/157), 80.8% (80/99), 68.9% (40/58), respectively. They were 98.0% (96/98), 78.0% (34/59), 90.4% (142/157), 88.1% (96/109), 95.8% (46/48), respectively for CEUS combined with TI-RADS classification. The sensitivity of CEUS combined with TI-RADS classification in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules was significantly higher than that of conventional ultrasound combined with TI-RADS classification ( χ2 = 12.50, P < 0.001). Conclusion:CEUS combined with TI-RADS classification is more effective in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules than conventional ultrasound combined with TI-RADS classification.

The correlation of sleep with cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment / 中华老年医学杂志

Objective:To explore whether sleep quality suffers in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease(AD)and mild cognitive impairment(MCI), and to further investigate the correlation between sleep disorders and cognitive function in these patients.Methods:In this study, 30 mild AD patients, 39 MCI patients and 43 demographically matched healthy controls were enrolled.Sleep quality was assessed by the Pittsburgh sleep quality index(PSQI), and cognitive function was assessed by the mini-mental state examination(MMSE), the Montreal cognitive assessment(MoCA)and a set of neuropsychological scales.The correlation of sleep quality with cognitive function was analyzed for the three groups.Results:Differences were significant in sleep time score[0.0(1.0), 1.0(2.0) vs.1.0(1.0), F=8.18, P=0.02]and daytime function score[1.0(1.0), 1.0(1.0) vs.0.0(1.0), F=8.73, P=0.01]between mild AD, MCI and health control groups.Spearman correlation analysis suggested that scores of sleep disorders were negatively correlated with DSB( r=-0.43, P=0.02)and scores of daytime function were positively correlated with ADL( r=0.39, P=0.03)in patients with mild AD.In addition, scores of sleep quality were negatively correlated with the DSB score( r=-0.40, P=0.01), scores of sleep disorders were positively correlated with ADL( r=0.45, P<0.01), scores of daytime function were negatively correlated with DSF( r=-0.42, P=0.01), DSB( r=-0.62, P<0.01)and VFT-S( r=-0.33, P=0.04), and the total PSQI score was negatively correlated with DSF( r=-0.45, P=0.01)and DSB( r=-0.44, P=0.01)in the MCI group. Conclusions:Patients with mild AD and MCI have longer sleep time and impaired daytime function than healthy people, and sleep quality is correlated with memory, attention and daily living ability in patients with mild AD and MCI.

Generation of a human induced pluripotent stem cell line (SDUBMSi001-A) from a hereditary spastic paraplegia patient carrying kif1a c.773C>T missense mutation.

KIF1A gene encodes the kinesin 1a protein, an axonal motor protein participating in axonal transport. Variants in KIF1A were identified in different forms of neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a Chinese hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) patient carrying a compound heterozygous c.773C>T(p.T258M) mutation in KIF1A gene by reprogramming peripheral blood cells with non-integrative vectors. The generated iPSC line (SDUBMSi001-A) had a normal karyotype, expressed pluripotency markers and could be differentiated into three germ layers in vitro.

Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio Predicts Severe Illness Patients with 2019 Novel Coronavirus in the Early Stage

BackgroundSevere ill patients with 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection progressed rapidly to acute respiratory failure. We aimed to select the most useful prognostic factor for severe illness incidence. MethodsThe study prospectively included 61 patients with 2019-nCoV infection treated at Beijing Ditan Hospital from January 13, 2020 to January 31, 2020. Prognostic factor of severe illness was selected by the LASSO COX regression analyses, to predict the severe illness probability of 2019-CoV pneumonia. The predictive accuracy was evaluated by concordance index, calibration curve, decision curve and clinical impact curve. ResultsThe neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was identified as the independent risk factor for severe illness in patients with 2019-nCoV infection. The NLR had a c-index of 0.807 (95% confidence interval, 0.676-0.38), the calibration curves fitted well, and the decision curve and clinical impact curve showed that the NLR had superior standardized net benefit. In addition, the incidence of severe illness was 9.1% in age [≥] 50 and NLR < 3.13 patients, and half of patients with age [≥] 50 and NLR [≥] 3.13 would develop severe illness. Based on the risk stratification of NLR with age, the study developed a 2019-nCoV pneumonia management process. ConclusionsThe NLR was the early identification of risk factors for 2019-nCoV severe illness. Patients with age [≥] 50 and NLR [≥] 3.13 facilitated severe illness, and they should rapidly access to intensive care unit if necessary.

Correlation of plasma N-acetyl-neuraminic acid level with TIMI risk stratification and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the correlation of plasma N-acetyl-neuraminic acid level with Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk score and clinical outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS).@*METHODS@#We consecutively enrolled 708 consecutive patients (401 male and 307 female, mean age 63.6±10.6 years) undergoing coronary angiography in our hospital between October, 2018 and July, 2019, including 597 patients with ACS and 111 without ACS (control group). The patients with ACS group were divided into high (=104), moderate (=425) and low (=68) risk groups according to their TIMI risk scores. All the participants were examined for plasma Neu5Ac level using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and underwent coronary angiography with their Gensini scores calculated. The patients with ACS were followed up after discharge for a mean of 15 months for the occurrence of major adverse cardiac events (Mace). Binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors of Mace in these patients.@*RESULTS@#Plasma Neu5Ac levels were significantly higher in ACS group than in the control group ( < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that plasma Neu5Ac level could assist in the diagnosis of ACS (0.648 [0.597-0.699]) with a sensitivity of 39.2% and a specificity of 86.5% at the cutoff value of 288.50 ng/mL. In the ACS patients, plasma Neu5Ac level was significantly higher in the high-risk group than in the moderate-risk and low-risk groups ( < 0.05) and could assist in the diagnosis of a high risk (0.645 [0.588-0.703]) with a sensitivity of 42.3% and a specificity of 80.1% at the cutoff value of 327.50 ng/ mL. Plasma Neu5Ac was positively correlated with age, serum uric acid, creatinine, lipoprotein a, Ddimer, C-reactive protein, MB isoform of creatine kinase and Gensini score and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein level. During the followup, 80 ACS patients experienced Mace, who had significantly higher plasma Neu5Ac level than those without Mace (=517). Logistic regression analysis showed that plasma Neu5Ac level and a history of previous stroke were independent risk factors for the occurrence of Mace.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Plasma Neu5Ac level can provide assistance in the diagnosis and risk stratification of ACS and is an independent risk factor for prognosis of ACS patients.