[Predictive value of N-terminal B-type natriuretic peptide on outcome of elderly hospitalized non-heart failure patients].

Objective: To investigate the predictive value of N-terminal type B natriuretic peptide（NT-proBNP) on the prognosis of elderly hospitalized patients without heart failure（non-heart failure). Method: Elderly patients aged 65 years or older, who were admitted to Beijing Hospital from September 2018 to February 2019, were enrolled in this study. Patients with clinical diagnosis of heart failure or left ventricular ejection fraction（LVEF)<50% were excluded. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the serum NT-proBNP level: low NT-proBNP group （<125 ng/L) and high NT-proBNP group（≥125 ng/L). Patients were followed up at 3, 6, and 12 months after enrollment, and the major adverse events were recorded. The composite endpoint events included all-cause mortality, readmission or Emergency Department visits. Cardiovascular events include death, readmission or emergency room treatment due to cardiogenic shock, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, arrhythmia, heart failure or stroke/transient ischemic attack. Results: A total of 600 elderly patients with non-heart failure were included in the analysis. The average age was （74.9±6.5) years, including 304（50.7%) males. The median follow-up time was 344（265, 359) days. One hundred and seventy-eight（29.7%) composite endpoint events were recorded during the follow-up, 19（3.2%) patients died, and 12（2.0%) patients were lost to follow-up. There were 286(47.7%) cases in low NT-proBNP group and 314 cases（52.3%) in high NT-proBNP group. Patients were older, prevalence of atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction was higher; MMSE scores and ADL scores, albumin and creatinine clearance rate were lower in high NT-proBNP group than in low NT-proBNP group（all P<0.05). At 1-year follow-up, the incidence of composite endpoint events was significantly higher in high NT-proBNP group than in low NT-proBNP group（33.4%（105/314) vs. 24.8%（71/286), P = 0.02). Cardiovascular events were more common in high NT-proBNP group than in low NT-proBNP group（17.5%（55/314) vs. 8.4%（24/286), P = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed both composite endpoint events（Log-rank P=0.016) and cardiovascular events（Log-rank P=0.001) were higher in high NT-proBNP group than in low NT-proBNP group. All-cause mortality was also significantly higher in highNT-proBNP group than in lowNT-proBNP group（4.8%（15/314) vs. 1.4%（4/286), P = 0.020), and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated borderline statistical significance（Log-rank P = 0.052). Cox proportional hazard regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, sex, creatinine clearance rate, myocardial infarction, and atrial fibrillation, NT-proBNP remained as an independent risk factor for composite endpoint events（HR=1.376，95%CI 1.049-1.806, P=0.021), and cardiovascular events（HR=1.777, 95%CI 1.185-2.664, P=0.005), but not for all-cause mortality（P=0.206). Conclusions: NT-proBNP level at admission has important predictive value on rehospitalization and cardiovascular events for hospitalized elderly non-heart failure patients. NT-proBNP examination is helpful for risk stratification in this patient cohort.

Attentional bias modulation by reappraisal in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: an event-related potential study

Affective states influence subsequent attention allocation. We evaluated emotional negativity bias modulation by reappraisal in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) relative to normal controls. Event-related potential (ERP) recordings were obtained, and changes in P200 and P300 amplitudes in response to negative or neutral words were noted after decreasing negative emotion or establishing a neutral condition. We found that in GAD patients only, the mean P200 amplitude after negative word presentation was much higher than after the presentation of neutral words. In normal controls, after downregulation of negative emotion, the mean P300 amplitude in response to negative words was much lower than after neutral words, and this was significant in both the left and right regions. In GAD patients, the negative bias remained prominent and was not affected by reappraisal at the early stage. Reappraisal was observed to have a lateralized effect at the late stage.

Attentional bias modulation by reappraisal in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: an event-related potential study.

Affective states influence subsequent attention allocation. We evaluated emotional negativity bias modulation by reappraisal in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) relative to normal controls. Event-related potential (ERP) recordings were obtained, and changes in P200 and P300 amplitudes in response to negative or neutral words were noted after decreasing negative emotion or establishing a neutral condition. We found that in GAD patients only, the mean P200 amplitude after negative word presentation was much higher than after the presentation of neutral words. In normal controls, after downregulation of negative emotion, the mean P300 amplitude in response to negative words was much lower than after neutral words, and this was significant in both the left and right regions. In GAD patients, the negative bias remained prominent and was not affected by reappraisal at the early stage. Reappraisal was observed to have a lateralized effect at the late stage.

Characteristics and potency of an acellular pertussis vaccine composed of pertussis toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin, and pertactin.

In an attempt to develop a safer pertussis vaccine, we successfully purified 3 pertussis protective antigens-pertussis toxin, filamentous hemagglutinin, and a 69-kDa outer membrane protein (also named pertactin), from Bordetella pertussis strain ATCC 9340. The toxicity of pertussis toxin could be effectively reduced by the treatment with formaldehyde 0.07% while preserving of a high degree of immunogenicity. By mixing purified pertussis antigens with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids (DT), we have formulated a DT acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine. Toxicity studies on body-weight gain in mouse, histamine sensitization, lymphocyte promoting, and Chinese hamster ovary cell clustering tests suggested that this DTaP vaccine is safer than a whole cell vaccine produced in France (DTP[F]). The formulated vaccine elicited high levels of anti-pertussis toxin antibodies in both mice and monkeys. In mice, a 2-fold neutralization of anti-pertussis toxin antibodies was produced by DTaP compared with DTP(F) vaccine and an acellular vaccine manufactured in Japan (DTaP[J]). More importantly, in intracerebral challenge assay in mouse, this vaccine also provided a better protection than DTaP(J).

Investigation on genetic traits and selection of interspecific somatic hybrid progenies in tobacco.

The interspecific somatic hybrid plants were produced in 1980 by protoplast fusions between N. tabacum and N. rustica, and N. tabacum and N. glauca. The results of this study on the genetic traits and selection of the hybrid progenies for seven years showed that the performances of the somatic hybrids (SH) were typical intermediate forms of the two species involved in each somatic hybridization, and that segregation began in SH3 and (SH)BC2 generations (the SH1 backcrossed to N. tabacum twice). However, stable lines and male sterile lines from SH1 until the present, were also obtained. The fertilities of the hybrid progenies were generally poor. The characteristics of the recurrent parent were accumulated, and the chromosome numbers of the hybrid plants were gradually decreased as the number of backcrossing generations increased. Some new types of tobacco with certain commercial values have been selected for used in the present study. The conclusion reached, based on our results, is that the somatic hybridization technology has now been successfully utilized to create unique breeding lines of tobacco, and represents a powerful, new tool for crop improvement.

A study on the receptive field of acupoints and the relationship between characteristics of needling sensation and groups of afferent fibres.

We have recorded the afferent unit discharges and using it as an index, measured the locations and the volumes of nine acupoints, such as Neiguan and Shaoshang, which are innervated by median nerve. We have also investigated the relationships between electric needling sensations and afferent fibres of different groups as well as manual needling sensations by means of analysing power-spectrum of the unit discharges with FFT. It has been found that the fibres of Group II and Group IV convey numbness and soreness, respectively. The fibres of Group III relates to the conduction of heaviness and distention closely.