Immunogenicity and safety of a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) co-administered with an inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine: A randomized, open-label, controlled study in healthy adults aged 18 to 59 years in China.

BACKGROUND: Studies are needed for evidence of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine co-administered with influenza vaccine. METHODS: A randomized, open-label, controlled study was conducted in Zhejiang Province, China. Eligible healthy adults aged 18-59 years underwent randomization at a ratio of 1:1:2 to receive inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine (IIV4) either concomitantly with the first (C1 subgroup) or the second (C2 subgroup) dose of CoronaVac, or 14 days after the first dose of CoronaVac (S group). The primary purpose of the study was to prove the non-inferiority in seroconversion rate of antibody against SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Overall, 480 participants were enrolled, with 120, 120, and 240 randomly assigned to the C1, C2, and S groups, respectively. As lower bound of the two-sided 95% confidence interval (CI) of the difference for the seroconversion rate of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 was over -10%, the immune response for CoronaVac in the C group (93.1% [89.0, 96.0]) was non-inferior to that in the S group (95.2% [91.5, 97.6]) in the per-protocol set. A lower GMT of antibody against SARS-CoV-2 was observed in the C group as compared to the S group (27.5 vs. 38.1, P = 0.0001). Decrease of immune response to CoronaVac was mainly observed in participants received IIV4 concomitantly with their second dose of CoronaVac (C2 subgroup), with a seroconversion rate of 89.7% (95CI: 82.6%-94.5%) and a GMT of 23.3. The occurrences of vaccine related adverse reactions were no more than 20% and comparable among different groups. Most of the adverse reactions were mild and moderate. CONCLUSION: Co-administration of inactivated COVID-19 vaccine and seasonal influenza vaccine, especially the administration regimen that the seasonal influenza vaccine co-administered with the first dose of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, would be feasible.

Humoral and cellular response induced by a second booster of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in adults

The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has challenged the control of the COVID-19 pandemic even in highly vaccinated countries. While a second booster of mRNA vaccines improved the immunity against SARS-CoV-2, the humoral and cellular responses induced by a second booster of an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine have not been studied. In the context of a phase 3 clinical study, we report that a second booster of CoronaVac(R) increased the neutralizing response against the ancestral virus yet showed poor neutralization against the Omicron variant. Additionally, isolated PBMCs displayed equivalent activation of specific CD4+ T cells and IFN-{gamma} production when stimulated with a mega-pool of peptides derived from the spike protein of the ancestral virus or the Omicron variant. In conclusion, a second booster dose of CoronaVac(R) does not improve the neutralizing response against the Omicron variant compared with the first booster dose, yet it helps maintaining a robust spike-specific CD4+ T cell response.

Differential immune response induced by two immunization schedules with an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in a randomized phase 3 clinical trial

BackgroundThe development of vaccines to control the COVID-19 pandemic progression is a worldwide priority. CoronaVac(R) is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine approved for emergency use with robust efficacy and immunogenicity data reported in trials in China, Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, and Chile. MethodsThis study is a randomized, multicenter, and controlled phase 3 trial in healthy Chilean adults aged [≥]18 years. Volunteers received two doses of CoronaVac(R) separated by two (0-14 schedule) or four weeks (0-28 schedule). 2,302 volunteers were enrolled, 440 were part of the immunogenicity arm, and blood samples were obtained at different times. Samples from a single center are reported. Humoral immune responses were evaluated by measuring the neutralizing capacities of circulating antibodies. Cellular immune responses were assessed by ELISPOT and flow cytometry. Correlation matrixes were performed to evaluate correlations in the data measured. ResultsBoth schedules exhibited robust neutralizing capacities with the response induced by the 0-28 schedule being better. No differences were found in the concentration of antibodies against the virus and different variants of concern between schedules. Stimulation of PBMCs with MPs induced the secretion of IFN-{gamma} and the expression of activation induced markers for both schedules. Correlation matrixes showed strong correlations between neutralizing antibodies and IFN-{gamma} secretion. ConclusionsImmunization with CoronaVac(R) in Chilean adults promotes robust cellular and humoral immune responses. The 0-28 schedule induced a stronger humoral immune response than the 0-14 schedule. FundingMinistry of Health, Government of Chile, Confederation of Production and Commerce & Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Chile. Clinical trial numberNCT04651790. summaryTwo immunization schedules were evaluated for the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, Coronavac(R), with two doses of the vaccine separated by two or four weeks. We compared humoral and cellular immune responses, showing they are mostly similar, with differences in neutralization capacities.

Leaf epidermal micromorphology defining the clades in Cinnamomum (Lauraceae).

In this study, we sampled 48 species of Asian Cinnamomum covering the species groups that were identified in recent phylogenetic studies and conducted leaf micromorphological observations using both light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Synapomorphies were determined by means of mapping micromorphological characters on a phylogenetic tree. The results indicate that Cinnamomum exhibits two different types of leaf upper epidermis: Type I has smooth/non-reticulate periclinal walls whereas Type II has reticulate periclinal walls and is unusual in the family Lauraceae. We found that the two types of micromorphological characters are clade-specific, sect. Camphora s.s. possesses Type I leaf upper epidermis, and sect. Cinnamomum s.l. has Type II leaf upper epidermis. Our study also reveals that C.saxatile, a member of sect. Camphora s.l. in the traditional classification, actually has Type II leaf upper epidermis, thus reinforcing the result of a recent molecular phylogeny that has this species in a clade consisting mainly of species of sect. Cinnamomum.

A booster dose of an inactivated vaccine increases neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2

BackgroundCoronaVac(R) is an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine approved by the World Health Organization. Previous studies reported increased levels of neutralizing antibodies and specific T cells two- and four-weeks after two doses of CoronaVac(R), but the levels of neutralizing antibodies are reduced at six to eight months after two doses. Here we report the effect of a booster dose of CoronaVac(R) on the anti-SARS-CoV-2 immune response generated against variants of concern (VOC) Delta and Omicron in adults participating in a phase 3 clinical trial in Chile. MethodsVolunteers immunized with two doses of CoronaVac(R) in a four-week interval received a booster dose of the same vaccine between twenty-four and thirty weeks after the 2nd dose. Four weeks after the booster dose, neutralizing antibodies and T cell responses were measured. Neutralization capacities and T cell activation against VOC Delta and Omicron were detected at four weeks after the booster dose. FindingsWe observed a significant increase in neutralizing antibodies at four weeks after the booster dose. We also observed an increase in CD4+ T cells numbers over time, reaching a peak at four weeks after the booster dose. Furthermore, neutralizing antibodies and SARS-CoV-2 specific T cells induced by the booster showed activity against VOC Delta and Omicron. InterpretationOur results show that a booster dose of CoronaVac(R) increases the anti-SARS-CoV-2 humoral and cellular immune responses in adults. Immunity induced by a booster dose of CoronaVac(R) is active against VOC, suggesting an effective protection.

Interim Report: Safety And Immunogenicity Of An Inactivated Vaccine Against Sars-Cov-2 In Healthy Chilean Adults In A Phase 3 Clinical Trial

BackgroundThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact worldwide, with an incommensurable social and economic burden. The rapid development of safe and protective vaccines against this disease is a global priority. CoronaVac is a vaccine prototype based on inactivated SARS-CoV-2, which has shown promising safety and immunogenicity profiles in pre-clinical studies and phase 1/2 trials in China. To this day, four phase 3 clinical trials are ongoing with CoronaVac in Brazil, Indonesia, Turkey, and Chile. This article reports the safety and immunogenicity results obtained in a subgroup of participants aged 18 years and older enrolled in the phase 3 Clinical Trial held in Chile. MethodsThis is a multicenter phase 3 clinical trial. Healthcare workers aged 18 years and older were randomly assigned to receive two doses of CoronaVac or placebo separated by two weeks (0-14). We report preliminary safety results obtained for a subset of 434 participants, and antibody and cell-mediated immunity results obtained in a subset of participants assigned to the immunogenicity arm. The primary and secondary aims of the study include the evaluation of safety parameters and immunogenicity against SARS-CoV-2 after immunization, respectively. This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04651790). FindingsThe recruitment of participants occurred between November 27th, 2020, until January 9th, 2021. 434 participants were enrolled, 397 were 18-59 years old, and 37 were [≥]60 years old. Of these, 270 were immunized with CoronaVac, and the remaining 164 participants were inoculated with the corresponding placebo. The primary adverse reaction was pain at the injection site, with a higher incidence in the vaccine arm (55.6%) than in the placebo arm (40.0%). Moreover, the incidence of pain at the injection site in the 18-59 years old group was 58.4% as compared to 32.0% in the [≥]60 years old group. The seroconversion rate for specific anti-S1-RBD IgG was 47.8% for the 18-59 years old group 14 days post immunization (p.i.) and 95.6% 28 and 42 days p.i. For the [≥]60 years old group, the seroconversion rate was 18.1%, 100%, and 87.5% at 14, 28, and 42 days p.i., respectively. Importantly, we observed a 95.7% seroconversion rate in neutralizing antibodies for the 18-59 years old group 28 and 42 days p.i. The [≥]60 years old group exhibited seroconversion rates of 90.0% and 100% at 28 and 42 days p.i. Interestingly, we did not observe a significant seroconversion rate of anti-N-SARS-CoV-2 IgG for the 18-59 years old group. For the participants [≥]60 years old, a modest rate of seroconversion at 42 days p.i. was observed (37.5%). We observed a significant induction of a T cell response characterized by the secretion of IFN-{gamma} upon stimulation with Mega Pools of peptides derived from SARS-CoV-2 proteins. No significant differences between the two age groups were observed for cell-mediated immunity. InterpretationImmunization with CoronaVac in a 0-14 schedule in adults of 18 years and older in the Chilean population is safe and induces specific IgG production against the S1-RBD with neutralizing capacity, as well as the activation of T cells secreting IFN-{gamma}, upon recognition of SARS-CoV-2 antigens. FundingMinistry of Health of the Chilean Government; Confederation of Production and Commerce, Chile; Consortium of Universities for Vaccines and Therapies against COVID-19, Chile; Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy.

Application Advantages of Nanoemulsion in Field of Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation：A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

As a new technology with unique drug delivery advantages， nanoemulsion has been widely used in the field of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） preparations. By searching， classifying and sorting out the literature reports at home and abroad in recent years， this paper systematically expounded the application advantages and production mechanism of nanoemulsion in delivering effective components of TCM from three aspects of improving oral bioavailability， enhancing targeting effect and delaying drug release. The current formulation optimization strategies， preparation processes and quality evaluation indicators commonly used in TCM nanoemulsion were summarized. Based on the research status of TCM nanoemulsion with different active components， the common problems and possible solutions in the development of TCM nanoemulsion were discussed， and the future research hotspots and directions of TCM nanoemulsion were prospected. This article clarifies the feasibility of nanoemulsion for enriching the selection of TCM dosage forms， which can provide reference for the subsequent rational design and improvement of TCM preparations. At the same time， it is revealed that the research focus of TCM nanoemulsion in the future lies in the integrated research of TCM compounds， and shows a trend of multi-disciplinary joint and targeted research.

Immunogenicity and Safety of a SARS-CoV-2 Inactivated Vaccine in Healthy Adults Aged 18-59 years: Report of the Randomized, Double-blind, and Placebo-controlled Phase 2 Clinical Trial

BACKGROUNDThe top priority for the control of COVID-19 pandemic currently is the development of a vaccine. A phase 2 trial conducted to further evaluate the immunogenicity and safety of a SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac). METHODSWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the optimal dose, immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac. A total of 600 healthy adults aged 18-59 years were randomly assigned to receive 2 injections of the trial vaccine at a dose of 3 g/0.5 mL or 6 g /0.5mL, or placebo on Day 0,14 schedule or Day 0,28 schedule. For safety evaluation, solicited and unsolicited adverse events were collected after each vaccination within 7 days and 28 days, respectively. Blood samples were taken for antibody assay. RESULTSCoronaVac was well tolerated, and no dose-related safety concerns were observed. Most of the adverse reactions fell in the solicited category and were mild in severity. Pain at injection site was the most frequently reported symptoms. No Grade 3 adverse reaction or vaccine related SAEs were reported. CoronaVac showed good immunogenicity with the lower 3 g dose eliciting 92.4% seroconversion under Day 0,14 schedule and 97.4% under Day 0,28 schedule. 28 days after two-dose vaccination, the Nab levels of individual schedules range from 23.8 to 65.4 among different dosage and vaccination schedules. CONCLUSIONSFavorable safety and immunogenicity of CoronaVac was demonstrated on both schedules and both dosages, which support the conduction of phase 3 trial with optimum schedule/dosage per different scenarios.

Behavior management of children with autism spectrum disorder / 中国实用儿科杂志

Autism spectrum disorder(ASD)is a neurodevelopmental disability that occurs in childhood,characterized by two core disabilities in social interaction and communication,and the presence of repetitive behavior and restricted interest.Thus,the intervention of ASD focuses on improving behavioral disturbances by effective behavior management. Applied behavior analysis(ABA)is a science,which has been applied to the intervention of ASD and has been proved to be evidencebased. In the behavior management of ASD,instructors should master the basic principle of behavior,and apply the evidencebased strategies and treatments to carry out the work under guidelines of theory.

Post-marketing multi-center safety surveillance of inactivated enterovirus A71 vaccine (Vero cell) / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective@#To evaluate the post-marketing safety profiles of the inactivated enterovirus type 71 (EV-A71) vaccine (Vero cell) after routine inoculation.@*Methods@#Eleven cities of Zhejiang Province, Fengtai district of Beijing, Qinnan district, two counties as Pingle and Pingguo of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Dongtai city of Jiangsu Province were selected as the field sites. A total of 45 239 subjects were enrolled in this study from children who seeked the vaccination of EV-A71 vaccine during the period from July, 2016 to June, 2018. Different sampling method were adopted in different sites. All vaccinated children were invited to participate in the study in Fengtai and Dongtai, however, systematic sampling method were adopted in other sites. Active surveillance was conducted and information about adverse reactions (ARs) occurred in 30 min, 3 d and 30 d following each dose of EV-A71 immunization was collected by field observation, phone-call or face-to-face interview. The incidence of ARs in different types, symptoms and grades were described.@*Results@#In total, there were 45 239 children who received 71 243 doses EV-A71 vaccine. The overall incidence of ARs was 1.079% (769 doses), with the highest incidence of 1.182% (177/14 973) in 5-11 month group and the lowest incidence of 0.849% (18/2 119) in ≥ 36 month group among different age groups. There was a higher incidence in solicited ARs, which was 1.047% (746 doses). The incidences of grade 1 and grade 2 ARs were also higher, which were 0.404% (288 doses) and 0.554% (395 doses), respectively. No grade 4 ARs occurred. The doses of the first and the second vaccination was 40 736 and 30 507, respectively, and the incidences of ARs were 1.281% (522 doses) and 0.810% (247 doses). Also, the incidences of ARs were 0.091% (37 doses) and 0.043% (13 doses) in local, and 1.168% (476 doses) and 0.760% (232 doses) in system. The symptoms of ARs after the two doses of vaccination were basically the same. Redness at the injection site was the most common local ARs after each dose vaccination, with doses of 24 and 11, while fever was the most common systemic ARs, with doses of 362 and 190. Moreover, ARs mainly occurred in 30 min to 3 d after each dose vaccination, with incidence of 1.016% (414 doses) and 0.698% (213 doses) in the first and second dose, respectively.@*Conclusion@#The ARs had a low incidence after vaccination in children and most were mild or moderate. EV-A71 vaccine with good safety is suitable for inoculation in a large scale.

Macrophages depletion impairs skeletal muscle regeneration by regulating inflammation and oxidative stress levels / 生理学报

The objective of this study was to explore the roles of macrophages in the regeneration of injured skeletal muscle and the mechanisms involved. Mice were randomly divided into the following groups: muscle contusion (S), muscle contusion control (S), macrophages depleted (T) and macrophages depleted control (T) groups. Muscle contusion model was created by high-energy blunt injury. Macrophages depletion model was constructed by injection of clodronate-liposomes. Their gastrocnemius muscles were harvested at the time points of 1, 3, 7 and 14 d post-injury. The changes in skeletal muscle morphology were assessed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and Masson's trichrome staining. The mRNA and protein levels of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and oxidative stress factors were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RCR) and Western blotting, respectively. HE staining results showed that a small amount of regenerating myofibers were observed in the S group (14 d post-injury), whereas a large number of regenerating muscle fibers were observed in the T group. Quantitative analyses showed that the sizes of regenerating myofibers were significantly smaller in the T group as compared with the S group at 14 d post-injury (P < 0.05). At the same time, Masson staining results showed that macrophage depletion significantly increased the area of fibrosis as compared with the S group at 14 d post-injury (P < 0.01). The expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and oxidative stress factors were increased significantly after muscle injury. Moreover, macrophage depletion increased the expressions of inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and oxidative stress factors as compared with the S group during the later stage of injury (7-14 d post-injury). These results suggest that macrophages depletion can aggravate fibrosis and impair muscle regeneration, and inflammatory cytokines, chemokines and oxidative stress factors may be involved in this process.

Protective effects of spirulina on hippocampal injury in exercise-fatigue mice and its mechanism / 中国应用生理学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the roles of BDNF/TrkB neurotrophic signaling in hippocampal injury for fatigue rats induced by incremental load exercise and the protective effects and mechanism of spirulina supplement.@*METHODS@#Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into normal control group (NC), normal plus spirulina group(NS), exercise model group (EM), exercise plus spirulina group (ES), and positive control group (PC), 12 rats in each group.Group EM, Group ES and Group PC were applied by treadmill running with high-intensity increasing for three weeks, and Group NC had not any intervention measures.Group ES and Group NS were treated with spirulina at a dose of 300 mg/kg.bw.by intragastric administration.Group PC was gavaged at the same volume of ginseng extract of 1.92 g/kg for three weeks.The expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tyrosine kinase recptor (TrkB), phospho-tyrosine kinase recptor (p-TrkB) were tested by Western blot and immunohistochemical method, and micromorphology changes of hippocampal CA1 were observed by light microscope at the end of the experiment.The general situations of rats such as body weights were recorded during the experiment.@*RESULTS@#Compared with Group NC, Group EM showed significantly decrease in body weight and hippocampal CA1 neurons of the group loosely arrayed and disarrayed and some neurons were shrinked, and even some neurons disappeared.The expressions of BDNF, TrkB and p-TrkB in group EM were increased significantly(<0.01).Compared with Group EM, body weight of Group ES was increased significantly, and the above mentioned injuries of neurons were improved significantly:the number of neurons and nissl bodies were significantly increased and the neurons arrayed regularly and its morphology was more complete.The expressions of BDNF, TrkB and p-TrkB in the group were increased significantly(<0.05 or <0.01).And there was no difference between Group ES and Group PC.@*CONCLUSIONS@#BDNF/TrkB neurotrophic signal pathway could be involved in the repair process of hippocampal nervous damage caused by incremental load exercise for fatigue rats.Spirulina supplement had a protective effect on the damaged nervous through increasing the expressions of BDNF, TrkB and p-TrkB.

Three-dimensional architecture of intraosseous vascular anatomy of the hamate: a micro-computed tomography study / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To obtain three-dimensional intraosseous artery of the hamate and to provide the vascular anatomy basis of hamate fracture fixation.@*METHODS@#PbO (lead monoxide, Sinopharm Chemical Reagent Beijing Co. Ltd) was ground into particles less than 40 μm and suspended in turpentine oil (Chemical Reagent Beijing Co. Ltd) at ratios of 1 g : 1.5 mL, 1 g : 1 mL and 1 g : 0.5 mL. Three specimens were investigated. Brachial arteries were cannulated and perfused with lead-based contrast agent. Hamates were harvested and scanned using micro-computed tomography (microCT). The acquisition protocols were as follows: CT scan setup: total rotation [Degrees], 360; rotation steps, 360; X-ray detector setup: transaxial, 2048; axial, 2048; exposure time, 1 500 ms, Binning, 1; system magnification: high-med. X-ray tube setup: 80 kV, 500 mA current. The down-sampling factor used in the reconstruction was 2. The effective voxel size of the final image was 27.30 μm. The three-dimensional model of the hamate was generated and the distribution and pattern of vessels were evaluated.@*RESULTS@#There were abundant extraosseous vessels around the hamate. They were mainly running in the tendons and ligaments around the hamate. Four vascular zones were identified on the hamate surface. They were on the palmar platform of the hamate body, on the dorsal side, on the ulnar side and on the tip of hamulus, namely. There were anastomoses among 4 vascular zones. We did not observe any vessels penetrating through the articular cartilage. The extraosseous vessels of the vascular zones gave a number of intraosseous branches into the hamate. The hamate body received intraosseous blood supply from the dorsal, palmar and ulnar while the hamulus from the palmar, ulnar and hamulus tip. There were some intraosseous branches anastomosing with each other.@*CONCLUSION@#The extraosseous and intraosseous vessels of the hamate were more than what used to be considered. The hamate body and hamulus received blood supply from multiple directions and arteries anastomosed extensively both outside and inside the hamate, making it possible that the intraosseous perfusion survived after fracture. It is likely that the nonunion after the hamate fracture is not caused by the vascular damage but the malalignment of the fragments.

Bone mineral density of cancellous bone in edentulous areas: quantitative CT measurement / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:The bone mineral density (BMD) in unit volume can be accurately measured with the theory of quantitative CT.After tooth loss,bone resorption certainly exists in the alveolar bone healing.Therefore,it is important to accurately evaluate the BMD of cancellous bone in the plantation area before implantation.OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the changes in BMD of alveolar cancellous bone after the loss of tooth,and explore whether the BMD shows the differences in different genders,ages and dental sites.METHODS:Corrected voxel values were obtained from the cone-beam CT with the theory of quantitative CT.Ninety patients underwent cone-beam CT,and their BMD (mg/cm3) in dentulous areas and control areas (homonymous region of the same jaw) was obtained.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The BMD of alveolar cancellous bone reduced after the loss of tooth (P ＜ 0.001).The BMD reduction of the edentulous cancellous bone,normal cancellous bone and the cancellous bone after tooth loss had no correlation with gender.The BMD reduction of the edentulous cancellous bone and the cance Ilous bone after tooth loss was not associated with age (P ＞ 0.05),while the BMD of the control area decreased with increasing age (P ＜ 0.05).The order of the BMD of cancellous bone was as follows:mandibular posterior region ＞ mandibular anterior region ＞ maxillary anterior region ＞ maxillary posterior region.To conclude,quantitative CT is a available method for detecting the changes in the BMD of alveolar cancellous bone after tooth loss.

Comparative analysis of chemical constituents, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of ethylacetate extracts of Polygonum cuspidatum and its endophytic actinomycete, Streptomyces sp. A0916 / 中国天然药物

The present study investigated the chemical composition of ethylacetate extracts from an endophytic actinomycete Streptomyces sp. A0916 and its host Polygonum cuspidatum. A comparative analysis of the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of the extracts was also conducted. 32 compounds of P. cuspidatum and 23 compounds of Streptomyces sp. A0916 were isolated and identified by GC/MS. Antimicrobial activities of the extracts were evaluated using eight microbial strains (3 Gram-positive bacteria, 3 Gram-negative bacteria, and 2 fungi). The Streptomyces sp. A0916 extracts showed a wide range of antimicrobial activities and presented greater antimicrobial effectiveness than the P. cuspidatum extracts. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Streptomyces sp. A0916 extracts against the ampicillin-resistant strain Enterococcus faecium SIIA843 was 32 μg·mL(-1). Furthermore, the extracts had greater antimicrobial effect against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. Finally, the antioxidant activity of the Streptomyces sp. A0916 extracts was equal to that of the P. cuspidatum extracts. In conclusion, our results suggest that the endophytic actinomycetes of the medicinal plants are an important source of bioactive substances.

Prevalence of HIV infection and syphilis, sexual behaviors and awareness of HIV/AIDS related knowledge among men who have sex with men in China: a Meta-analysis of data collected from 2010 to 2013 / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To understand the time and area specific prevalence of HIV infection and syphilis, sexual behaviors and awareness of HIV/AIDS related knowledge among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the mainland of China during 2010-2013.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>All the published academic papers on the prevalence of HIV infection and syphilis among MSM in the mainland of China from 2010 to 2013 were collected from CNKI, Wanfang and PubMed databases. Meta-analysis was performed by using software Stata 12.0.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Sixty six papers were selected. From 2010 to 2013 the pooled prevalence of HIV infection were 7.7% among the MSM (95% CI: 7.2%-8.3% ) and increased year by year, but the pooled prevalence of HIV infection was highest in southwestern China (12.0%). The pooled prevalence of syphilis were 10.9% among the MSM (95% CI: 9.8%-12.1%), and the pooled prevalence of syphilis was highest in southern China (14.4%). The incidence of anal sex was high (84.2%) in the past 6 months, but the consistent condom use rate was low (44.8%). The AIDS related knowledge awareness was high in the MSM (88.4%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The prevalence of HIV infection and syphilis were high among the MSM in the mainland of China during 2010-2013. It is necessary to explore the comprehensive intervention measures to promote condom use among MSM although they have high awareness of AIDS related knowledge.</p>

Diversity, bioactivities, and metabolic potentials of endophytic actinomycetes isolated from traditional medicinal plants in Sichuan, China / 中国天然药物

The present study was designed to determine the taxonomic diversity and metabolic activity of the actinomycetes community, including 13 traditional medicinal plants collected in Sichuan province, China, using multiple approaches such as morphological and molecular identification methods, bioactivity assays, and PCR screening for genes involved in antibiotics biosynthesis. 119 endophytic actinomycetes were recovered; 80 representative strains were chosen for 16S rRNA gene partial sequence analyses, with 66 of them being affiliated to genus Streptomyces and the remaining 14 strains being rare actinomycetes. Antimicrobial tests showed that 12 (15%) of the 80 endophytic actinomycetes displayed inhibitory effects against at least one indicator pathogens, which were all assigned to the genus Streptomyces. In addition, 87.5% and 58.8% of the isolates showed anticancer and anti-diabetic activities, respectively. Meanwhile, the anticancer activities of the isolates negatively correlated with their anti-diabetic activities. Based on the results of PCR screening, five genes, PKS-I, PKS-II, NRPS, ANSA, and oxyB, were detected in 55.0%, 58.8%, 90.0%, 18.8% and 8.8% of the 80 actinomycetes, respectively. In conclusion, the PCR screening method employed in the present study was conducive for screening and selection of potential actinomycetes and predicting potential secondary metabolites, which could overcome the limitations of traditional activity screening models.

Needs analysis of caregivers of patients with schizophrenia for mental health knowledge / 现代临床护理

Objective To investigate needs of caregivers of patients with schizophrenia for mental health knowledge and provide the scientific evidence for formulating the general intervention to improve the caregivers′mental health knowledge and skills . Methods Sixty-five caregivers of the patients with schizophrenia participated in the survey by a general state questionnaire and the requirement to mental health knowledge and skill questionnaire using the convenience sampling method. The survey included mental illness knowledge drug, knowledge rehabilitative therapy and self-adjustment. Results Among all the items of the questionnaire, the 3 items they needed most was mental illness knowledge, the preventing method and the symptoms of the recurrent diseases. The 3 items they needed most in respect of drug knowledge were what examinations are needed when taking special drugs, the adverse reactions of the antipsychotic drugs and the importance of persisting in taking drugs. The 3 they needed most in respect of rehabilitative therapy were the relationship between psychology and disease rehabilitation, the role of mental treatment and the role of work-entertainment therapy. The 3 items they needed most in respect of self-adjustment included sleep adjustment, self-adjustment of affects and self-management of daily life and instructions on dieting. Conclusions The caregivers′mental health knowledge and skills are not enough. Therefore, their mental health knowledge and skills should be strengthened so that they can take better care of the patients to realize comprehensive rehabilitation of patients.

Bioinformatics Analysis on Proteomics of Rat Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Intervened by Active Principle Region of Yang-Xin Tong-Mai Formula / 世界科学技术-中医药现代化

This study was aimed to analyze the bioinformatics of proteomics of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) intervened by active principle region of Yang-Xin Tong-Mai Formula (apr-YTF). The latest versions of bioinformatics tools including DAVID (http://david.abcc.ncifcrf.gov/) and GO (http://www.geneontology.org/) were combined to assign a precise function to rat bone marrow MSCs intervened by apr-YTF. KEGG and VISANT were assigned with a precise function to rat bone marrow MSCs intervened by apr-YTF. The results showed that a total of 102 biological processes were mainly involved, with 35 cellular components and 6 molecular functions. These proteins interacted in 3 signal transduction pathways. It was concluded that the following proteins and signal transduction pathways played an important role in the process of apr-YTF inducing BMSCs differentiation into cardiomyocytes. Presenilin-1 and Presenilin-2 were in the Notch signaling pathway. And syntaxin-4 protein was in soluble N-ethylmaleimide sensitive fusion protein attachment protein (SNARE). The apr-YTF played a role on MSCs from multiple sites, with multiple links through different biological processes. The bioinformatics of proteomics can predict action mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from the holism concept. The validation in combination with molecularbiology was a good way for TCM modernization.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of HIV testing strategy in hospitals from 2006 to 2010 in Guangzhou / 中华预防医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the cost effectiveness of HIV testing strategy in hospitals from 2006 to 2010 in Guangzhou.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>According to the HIV test strategy costs and the number of HIV patients found in Guangzhou, following aspects were calculated as the total cost of HIV testing strategy in hospitals from 2006 to 2010 of Guangzhou, the cost of finding each HIV patient, and the cost of obtaining one quality adjusted life year (QALY) using Markov model.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The total HIV test strategy costs increased from 11 106.98 thousand Yuan to 25 105.58 thousand Yuan, and 4599 HIV positive patients were found due to this strategy. The cost-effectiveness of HIV testing were different in hospitals from 2006 to 2010 in Guangzhou. The lowest cost-effectiveness ratio of HIV testing strategy was 11 810 Yuan per HIV positive patient, the highest was 23 510 Yuan, and the average was 16 070 Yuan. According to the Markov model result, 7.2855 QALYs could be gained per HIV patient on average via HIV testing strategy in 113 hospitals in Guangzhou, and the cost of obtaining one QALY was 2210 Yuan.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The cost effectiveness ratio of HIV testing strategy in hospitals in Guangzhou was significantly lower than the standard of WHO recommended, and it was cost-effective to carry out the HIV testing strategy in Guangzhou.</p>