Influencing factors of negative conversion time of nucleic acid detection in 228 patients infected with Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 in Shanghai / 中国热带医学

@#Abstract: Objective To analyze and compare the effects of different clinical characteristics on the negative conversion time of nucleic acid detection after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant infection, and to provide a scientific basis for the isolation and treatment of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods　The epidemiological and clinical data of 228 mild SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant infected patients diagnosed in Shanghai were retrospectively collected from April 27, 2022 to June 8, 2022 in Wujiaochang designated Hospital, Yangpu District, Shanghai. The negative conversion time of nucleic acid detection was used as the outcome variable, and the patients were divided into A (≤18 days) and B (>18 days). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to analyze the influencing factors of the negative conversion time of nucleic acid detection. Results　The mean nucleic acid conversion time of 228 patients was (18.7±12.1) d, with the median time of 18 (2-46) d. Among them, 120 patients in group A had an average nucleic acid conversion time of (13.2±2.0) d, and 108 cases in group B had an average nucleic acid conversion time of (20.8±1.3) d. Univariate analysis showed that there were no statistically significant differences in the effects of hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes, hypokalemia, malignant tumors, neuropsychiatric diseases, chronic digestive diseases on the negative nucleic acid conversion time (P>0.05); however, there were significant differences in the effects of combined cerebrovascular disease, leukopenia, chronic respiratory system diseases and vaccination on the negative nucleic acid conversion time (P<0.05). Further multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the combination of chronic respiratory diseases and non-vaccination were significant risk factors for prolongation of negative nucleic acid conversion time (P<0.05). Conclusions The results of this study show that gender, age and whether hypertension, coronary heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypokalemia, malignant tumor, neuropsychiatric disease and chronic digestive disease have no significant effect on the nucleic acid conversion time, whereas chronic respiratory disease and no vaccination are significantly correlated with the prolongation of nucleic acid conversion time in SARS-CoV-2 Omicron-infected patients.

Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in the treatment of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma with cataract / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To investigate the clinical efficacy of femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in the treatment of acute angle-closure glaucoma complicated with cataract.METHODS: A total of 53 patients(60 eyes)with primary acute angle closure glaucoma complicated with cataract admitted to our hospital from April 2020 to February 2021 were selected. They were divided into two groups according to the surgical method, with 28 cases(30 eyes)who were treated with femtosecond laser-assisted phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in group A, and 25 cases(30 eyes)who were treated with traditional cataract phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in group B. The effective phacoemulsification time(EPT)and cumulative dissipated energy(CDE)during surgery in two groups were recorded. Patients were followed up to 3mo after surgery, and the intraocular pressure, anterior chamber depth(ACD), best corrected visual acuity, corneal endothelial cell loss rate(ECL)and surgical complications were observed in both groups.RESULTS: The postoperative intraocular pressure was significantly decreased and ACD was significantly increased(all P&#x003C;0.05), and there was no difference between the two groups(all P&#x003E;0.05). The postoperative best corrected visual acuity of the two groups was significantly better than that before surgery(P&#x003C;0.05), and group A was significantly better than group B at 1d after surgery(P&#x003C;0.05). The EPT, CDE, ECL and incidence of complications(7% vs. 27%)in group A were significantly lower than those in group B(all P&#x003C;0.05).CONCLUSION: Femtosecond laser-assisted cataract phacoemulsification combined with goniosynechialysis in the treatment of primary acute angle-closure glaucoma combined with cataract has a significant therapeutic effect, which can effectively improve surgical safety, reduce the rate of corneal endothelial cell loss, and have fewer complications.

Effects of orientation and distance of goats on blast lung injury characteristics on a plateau above 4500-meter / 中华创伤杂志(英文版)

PURPOSE@#High explosives are used to produce blast waves to study their biological effects. The lungs are considered as the critical target organ in blast-effect studies. The degree of lung hemorrhaging is related to both the explosive power and the increased lung weight. We studied the characteristics of the biological effects from an air explosion of a thermobaric bomb in a high-altitude environment and the lethality and lung injury severity of goats in different orientations and distances.@*METHODS@#Goats were placed at 2.5, 3, 4, and 5 m from the explosion center and exposed them to an air blast at an altitude of 4700-meter. A group of them standing oriented to the right side and the other group seated facing the explosion center vertically. The lung injuries were quantified according to the percentage of surface area contused, and using the pathologic severity scale of lung blast injury (PSSLBI) to score the 4 injury categories (slight, moderate, serious and severe) as 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The lung coefficient (lung weight [g]/body weight [kg]) was the indicator of pulmonary edema and was related to lung injury severity. Blast overpressure data were collected using blast test devices placed at matching locations to represent loadings to goats. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS, version 26.0, statistical software (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).@*RESULTS@#In total, 127 goats were involved in this study. Right-side-standing goats had a significantly higher mortality rate than those seated vertical-facing (p < 0.05). At the 2.5 m distance, the goat mortality was nearly 100%, whereas at 5 m, all the goats survived. Lung injuries of the right-side-standing goats were 1 - 2 grades more serious than those of seated goats at the same distances, the scores of PSSLBI were significantly higher than the seated vertical-facing goats (p < 0.05). The lung coefficient of the right-side-standing goats were significantly higher than those of seated vertical-facing (p < 0.05). Mortality, PSSLBI, and the lung coefficient results indicated that the right-side-standing goats experienced severer injuries than the seated vertical-facing goats, and the injuries were lessened as the distance increased. The blast overpressure was consistent with these results.@*CONCLUSION@#The main killing factors of the thermobaric bomb in the high-altitude environment were blast overpressure, blast wind propulsions and burn. The orientation and distances of the goats significantly affected the blast injury severity. These results may provide a research basis for diagnosing, treating and protecting against injuries from thermobaric explosions.

Electroacupuncture for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease complicated with gastrointestinal dysfunction: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect of electroacupuncture (EA) for acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) complicated with gastrointestinal dysfunction.@*METHODS@#A total of 100 patients with AECOPD complicated with gastrointestinal dysfunction were randomly divided into an EA group (50 cases, 2 cases dropped off, 1 case excluded) and a medication group (50 cases). Both groups were treated with symptomatic and supportive treatment such as low flow oxygen, nebulized inhalation of short-acting β2 agonist (SABA) or short-acting muscarinic antagonist (SAMA) combined with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS). The EA group was treated with EA at Zusanli (ST 36), Yinlingquan (SP 9), Zhongwan (CV 12), Shuifen (CV 9), Tianshu (ST 25), Chize (LU 5) and Lieque (LU 7), with discontinuous wave, 2 Hz in frequency, 30 min each time, once a day. In the medication group, oral mosapride citrate tablets were given, 3 times a day, 5 mg each time. Both groups were treated for 5 d. Before and after treatment, the gastrointestinal symptom rating scale (GSRS) score was observe, serum procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein (CRP), and plasma oxygenation index (PaO2/FiO2) were detected, and patient satisfaction degree was evaluated in the two groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared with before treatment, except for diarrhea dimension in the medication group, the total scores and each dimension scores of GSRS were decreased (P<0.05), serum PCT and CRP were decreased (P<0.05), plasma PaO2/FiO2 was increased (P<0.05) in the two groups after treatment. After treatment, in the EA group, the total score and abdominal pain, dyspepsia, constipation and diarrhea scores of GSRS were lower than those in the medication group (P<0.05), meanwhile serum PCT and CRP were lower and plasma PaO2/FiO2 was higher than those in the medication group (P<0.05). The improvement of gastrointestinal symptoms, life quality and overall satisfaction degree in the EA group were superior to those in the medication group (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#EA could improve the symptoms of patients with AECOPD complicated with gastrointestinal dysfunction, reduce inflammatory response, improve oxygenation and patient satisfaction degree.

Protective effect of breviscapine against brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation in preterm rats and its mechanism / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To study the protective effect of breviscapine against brain injury induced by intrauterine inflammation in preterm rats and its mechanism.@*METHODS@#A preterm rat model of brain injury caused by intrauterine inflammation was prepared by intraperitoneal injections of lipopolysaccharide in pregnant rats. The pregnant rats and preterm rats were respectively randomly divided into 5 groups: control, model, low-dose breviscapine (45 mg/kg), high-dose breviscapine (90 mg/kg), and high-dose breviscapine (90 mg/kg)+ML385 [a nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) inhibitor, 30 mg/kg] (n=10 each). The number and body weight of the live offspring rats were measured for each group. Hematoxylin-eosin staining was used to observe the pathological morphology of the uterus and placenta of pregnant rats and the pathological morphology of the brain tissue of offspring rats. Immunofluorescent staining was used to measure the co-expression of ionized calcium binding adaptor molecule-1 (IBA-1) and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) in the cerebral cortex of offspring rats. ELISA was used to measure the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and interleukin-1β (IL-1β) in the brain tissue of offspring rats. Western blotting was used to measure the expression of Nrf2 pathway-related proteins in the brain tissue of offspring rats.@*RESULTS@#Pathological injury was found in the uterus, and placenta tissue of the pregnant rats and the brain tissue of the offspring rats, and severe microglia pyroptosis occurred in the cerebral cortex of the offspring rats in the model group. Compared with the control group, the model group had significant reductions in the number and body weight of the live offspring rats and the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05), but significant increases in the relative fluorescence intensity of the co-expression of IBA-1 and NLRP3, the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05). Compared with the model group, the breviscapine administration groups showed alleviated pathological injury of the uterus and placenta tissue of the pregnant rats and the brain tissue of the offspring rats, significant increases in the number and body weight of the live offspring rats and the protein expression levels of Nrf2 and HO-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05), and significant reductions in the relative fluorescence intensity of the co-expression of IBA-1 and NLRP3, the levels of the inflammatory factors IL-6, IL-8, and IL-1β, and the protein expression levels of NLRP3 and caspase-1 in the brain tissue of the offspring rats (P<0.05). The high-dose breviscapine group had a significantly better effect than the low-dose breviscapine (P<0.05). ML385 significantly inhibited the intervention effect of high-dose breviscapine (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Breviscapine can inhibit inflammatory response in brain tissue of preterm rats caused by intrauterine inflammation by activating the Nrf2 pathway, and it can also inhibit microglial pyroptosis and alleviate brain injury.

Mechanism of pulmonary artery remodeling induced by calcium overload induced by hypoxia / 药学学报

Patients with hypoxia pulmonary hypertension (HPH) are often accompanied by dyspnea, fatigue, and headache. With the development of the disease, the right ventricle gradually collapses and eventually leads to death. Hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling is an important pathological basis of HPH, and the remodeled pulmonary vessels will form permanent thickening. The mechanism of hypoxic pulmonary vascular remodeling is relatively complex. At present, there are few studies on drugs for pulmonary vascular remodeling on the market, mainly focusing on the alleviation of pulmonary vasoconstriction. It was found that hypoxia induces calcium overload in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs), resulting in the proliferation of PASMCs. The main mechanisms include: ① abnormal expression of calcium pumps; ② abnormal calcium channels in the plasma membrane of pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells; ③ overexpression of calcium-sensitive receptors in cells; ④ the expression of Na+/Ca2+ exchanger type-1 was abnormal. This review summarized several mechanisms of hypoxia induced calcium overload leading to pulmonary artery remodeling, hoping to provide a new idea for the treatment of HPH.

Research progress in lipid-drug conjugates / 药学学报

The technology of lipid-drug conjugates is developed on the basis of prodrug principle, which overcomes some drawbacks of drugs via increasing the lipophilicity of hydrophilic or poorly soluble drugs to promote the absorption of drugs and enhance the curative effect. This article sums up the research progress of lipid-drug conjugates from the chemical synthesis methods of conjugates, the types of conjugates, the influence on biological activity of drugs, the application in nanoparticles for drug delivery and the mechanism of absorption and degradation.

Changes in Cold and Hot Syndrome and Gastrointestinal Bacterial Community Structure in Mice by Intervention with Food of Different Nature / 中国结合医学杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To reveal the effect of foods with different natures on cold or hot syndrome and gastrointestinal bacterial community structure in mice.@*METHODS@#Forty-five 6-week-old male ICR Kunming mice of clean grade were divided into 5 groups, 9 per group, including the control (CK), hot nature herbs (HM), Hong Qu glutinous rice wine (RW), tea rice wine (TW), and cold nature herbs (CM) groups. Distilled water or corresponding herbs were administered to mice (0.01 mL/g body weight) in the 5 groups by gastric infusion respectively, once daily for 28 d. Appearance, behavior, and serum biochemical indicators, including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), noradrenaline (NE), cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), the hot nature index, as well as the gastrointestinal bacterial community structure were analyzed in all groups after treatment.@*RESULTS@#After supplementation for 28 d, CM and TW mice showed different degrees of cold syndrome, and HM and RW mice showed different degrees of hot syndrome. Compared with the HM and RW mice, the TSH, NE, cAMP levels and hot nature indices in the CM and TW mice were significantly decreased and 5-HT and cGMP levels were significantly increased (P<0.05). There was no obvious change in appearance or behavior in CK mice. Results of clustering analysis showed that the gastrointestinal bacterial community structures were highly similar in TW and CM mice as well as in RW and HM mice, and that they were from the same branch, respectively, when the distance was 0.02. The key microbes associated with cold syndrome were Lachnospiraceae uncultured, Lactococcus, etc., and the key microbes associated with hot syndrome were S24-7 norank, Ruminococcaceae uncultured, etc. CONCLUSION: The interventions with different nature foods could change cold or hot syndrome in mice, leading to changes in gastrointestinal bacterial community structure.

Effect of Total Alkaloids from Nandina domfestica in Attenuating Arsenic Trioxide and Its LC-MS / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective::To study the effect of total alkaloids of Nandina domestica in attenuating arsenic trioxide, and analyze chemical constituents of alkaloids extract of Nandina, in order to provide the theoretical basis for studying the effect of N. domestica in attenuating arsenic trioxide with alkaloids extract of N. domestica as effective fraction. Method::The model of acute liver injury induced by arsenic trioxide was used to compare the effects on heart and liver functions of mice between arsenic trioxide alone and total alkaloids of N. domestica combined with arsenic trioxide. The detoxification of total alkaloids on arsenic trioxide was evaluated based on biochemical parameters and pathological report. Peakview (Version1.2, AB SCIEX) software was used to process the mass spectrometry data of total alkaloids of N. domestica. The structures of determined compounds were identified by molecular weight of compound (molecular formula), secondary fragments, chromatographic peak retention and literature information. Result::Among biochemical indicators, creatine kinase(CK), lactate dehydrogenase(LDH), blood urea nitrogen(BUN), malondialdehyde(MDA), alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and amino transferase of aspartate(AST) of the arsenic trioxide group were increased, while elimination rates of Na+ -K+ -adenosine triphosphate(ATP), superoxide dismutase(SOD), catalase(CAT) and serum creatinine(SCr) were decreased, compared with those of the combination group. CK and LDH of the alkaloids extract group were more obviously increased than those of the N. domestica extract group, but with no remarkable difference. In histomorphometric examination, edema of mouse heart cells was improved, and some kidney and liver damages in rats were alleviated. Totally 25 alkaloids of alkaloid extract were identified. Among them, 18 were known, and 7 were unknown, including 3 structural types, in which apomorphine alkaloids were mostly. Conclusion::Heart, kidney and liver damage degrees of the combination group were significantly alleviated compared with the arsenic trioxide group. The total alkaloids fraction extracted and purified have a significant attenuation in arsenic trioxide toxicity. The detoxification of total alkaloids extract was equal to that of N. domestica extract. Furthermore, apomorphine alkaloids, such as nantenine and domesticine, can be used as index components to establish a quality control method for total alkaloids.

Effect of exercise-based short-term rehabilitation therapy on pulmonary function of coal workers' pneumoconiosis / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of short-term rehabilitation therapy based on exercise on lung function in coal workers' with pneumoconiosis(CWP). METHODS: A total of 74 CWP patients were divided into control group(32) and treatment group(42) by random number table method. The control group received routine treatment only. The treatment group underwent 6 months of exercise-based rehabilitation treatment on the basis of routine treatment. The lung function was assessed in two groups to evaluate the treatment efficacy. RESULTS: Before rehabilitation treatment, the vital capacity(VC) and forced vital capacity(FVC) of patients in the treatment group were lower than that in the control group(P<0.05). But there was no significant difference in forced expiratory volume in first second(FEV_(1.0)) and FEV_(1.0)% between the two groups(P>0.05). After treatment, VC and FVC in the treatment group were higher than that before treatment in the same group(P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the four lung function indexes before and after treatment in the control group(P>0.05). The difference of VC and FVC before and after treatment in the treatment group was higher than those in the control group(P<0.01). However, there was no significant difference in FEV_(1.0 )and FEV_(1.0)% between the two groups before and after treatment(P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Exercise-based short-term rehabilitation therapy can improve lung ventilation of CWP patients.

Screening of Antitumor Active Components and Key Targets of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma Based on PI3K/Akt Pathway / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Objective:Screen out the antitumor constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma base on system pharmacology with chemical constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma as study objects, in order to provide the theoretical basis for the development of antitumor and nontoxic activities of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma. Method:The small molecule ligand library of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma was built based on Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology(TCMSP), energy of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma was matched with the key protein targets of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signal pathway by molecular docking (SYBYL2.1, Tripos), the Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma-targets network model was established based on Cytoscape 3.5.1, and the physicochemical properties of the antitumor activity in Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma were predicted by using SwissADME and admetSAR. Result:There were 25 small molecule constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma. Through the energy match, key antitumor constituents of Pinelliae Rhizoma were gondoic acid, 10,13-eicosadienoic, baicalin, 12,13-epoxy-9-hydroxynonadeca-7,10-dienoic acid. Key antitumor constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata were deltoin, sitosterol, neokadsuranic acid B, 11,14-eicosadienoic acid. Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3Kα), phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome ten (PTEN), phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase 1 (PDK1) were key antitumor targets of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma. There were 8 key antitumor constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma, which had a low CYP450 inhibition and basically followed the Lipinski rule. Conclusion:Antitumor nontoxic constituents of Aconiti Lateralis Radix Praeparata-Pinelliae Rhizoma and key targets are screened out from the molecular level, which provides the new ideas for the effective use of nontoxic traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) and breaks the restrictions in using nontoxic TCM.

Epidemiological Features of Lung Cancer Mortality between 1990 and 2016 in Xuanwei City,Yunnan Province / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To describe the trend of lung cancer mortality in Xuanwei City,Yunnan Province,from 1990 to 2016 and provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of lung cancer in Xuanwei.Methods Mortality data from the 2nd(year 1990-1992)and 3rd(year 2004-2005)Retrospective Survey on Causes of Death,and the Routine Death Registration System(year 2011-2013 and 2014-2016)in Xuanwei were used in this study.We calibrated the missing report of the mortality data for the corresponding periods,calculated the crude mortality rates,standardized mortality rates and corresponding 95% of different types of lung cancers in the above four periods.Results The crude mortality rates of all lung cancers in Xuanwei for these four periods(1990-1992,2004-2005,2011-2013,and 2014-2016)were 34.0/100 000,89.8/100 000,102.3/100 000 and 87.2/100 000 respectively.The standardized morality rate of lung cancer remain high in Xuanwei although it has been decreasing since 2004.Morality rates of lung cancer for most age groups showed decreasing trends.The decrease has been statistically significant in the ≤ 40 year group since 2014.Except for Longchang,the standardized mortality rates have decreased in all other townships with high lung cancer prevalence.Conclusions Although the mortality rate of lung cancer remains high in Xuanwei,it has shown a decreasing trend since 2004.The decrease in lung cancer mortality in populations younger than 40 years is statistically significant.

Meta-analysis on efficacy of salvianolate in prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy / 中国中药杂志

To systemically evaluate the efficacy and safety of salvianolate intravenous drip in combination with hydration against contrast-induced nephropathy( CIN),and guide clinical medication. Chinese and English databases( PubMed,EMbase,the Cochrane Library,CBM,VIP,Wan Fang database,CNKI) were retrieved to collect the randomized controlled trials( RCTs) about the efficacy of salvianolate intravenous drip in combination with hydration( trial group) vs routine hydration( control group) in the prevention of contrastinduced nephropathy. The methodological quality of the RCTs was evaluated by using the Cochrane 5. 1. 0 Bias Risks Assessment Tool.The data were extracted and Meta-analysis was conducted by Reviewer Manager 5. 3. Egger's test and non-parametric clipping method were used to evaluate publication bias. A total of 9 RCTs with 2 186 participants were included. RESULTS:: of Meta-analysis showed that the incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy of trial group was significantly higher than that of control group( RR = 0. 46,95% CI[0. 35,0. 59],P<0. 001). Subgroup analysis showed that the incidences of CIN in patients with acute coronary syndrome( ACS) undergoing PCI,in patients with the average age≥65 years,in patients who received mean contrast volume ≥200 m L,in patients with serum creatinine( Scr) ≥ 80 μmol,or in patients who received intraoperative administration of salvianolate or PCI were higher than those in control group,with statistically significant differences( P<0. 05). The experimental group was superior to the control group in improving the indexes of renal function after operation,and the difference was statistically significant( P<0. 05). No study reported the incidence of adverse reactions( ADRs). The funnel plots of the incidence of CIN showed potential publication bias. The results of Egger's linear regression showed that there was certain publication bias. Sensitivity analysis,funnel plot,and " trim and fill" showed that the results of this study were stable and reliable. Salvianolate combined with routine hydration showed definite clinical efficacy in the prevention of contrast-induced nephropathy. However,exact conclusion should be further verified by additional high-quality,multi-centre,and large-scale RCT studies.

C: Consensus Cancer Driver Gene Caller / 基因组蛋白质组与生物信息学报·英文版

Next-generation sequencing has allowed identification of millions of somatic mutations in human cancer cells. A key challenge in interpreting cancer genomes is to distinguish drivers of cancer development among available genetic mutations. To address this issue, we present the first web-based application, consensus cancer driver gene caller (C), to identify the consensus driver genes using six different complementary strategies, i.e., frequency-based, machine learning-based, functional bias-based, clustering-based, statistics model-based, and network-based strategies. This application allows users to specify customized operations when calling driver genes, and provides solid statistical evaluations and interpretable visualizations on the integration results. C is implemented in Python and is freely available for public use at http://drivergene.rwebox.com/c3.

Expression of microRNA-21 in serum exosomes of patients with different severities of asthma and its diagnostic value / 第二军医大学学报

Objective To determine the expression level of microRNA-21 (miR-21) in serum exosomes of patients with different severities of asthma, and to explore the diagnostic value. Methods A total of 82 patients with asthma who did not received any treatment and 80 healthy control volunteers were enrolled in this study. The asthma cases were divided into four groups according to the severity of asthma, including intermittent group (n=20), mild sustained group (n=22), moderate sustained group (n=22), and severe sustained group (n=18). Expression levels of miR-21 were determined using qPCR and the differences were compared among the five groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used to analyze the correlation between miR-21 expression level and severity of asthma. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnosis performance of miR-21 expression level in serum exosomes for different severities of asthma. Results The expression levels of miR-21 were significantly higher in the intermittent, mild sustained, moderate sustained and severe sustained groups than that in the healthy control group (all P<0.01). The difference of miR-21 expression level was statistically significant between the intermittent, mild sustained, moderate sustained and severe sustained groups (all P<0.01). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the relative expression level of miR-21 in serum exosomes was positively correlated with the severity of asthma (r=0.974, P=0.016 7). The areas under ROC curve of exosome miR-21 for diagnosing intermittent, mild sustained, moderate sustained and severe sustained asthma were 0.657, 0.769, 0.847 and 0.916, respectively (all P<0.01). Conclusion The expression level of miR-21 in serum exosomes is effective in diagnosing different severities of asthma, and miR-21 in serum exosomes may be a new non-invasive biomarkers.

Therapeutic Observation of Abdomen-relaxation-vibration Therapy for Refractory Insomnia / 上海针灸杂志

Objective To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of abdomen-relaxation-vibration therapy in treating refractory insomnia. Method Eighty patients with refractory insomnia were randomized into a treatment group (40 cases) and a control group (40 cases). The treatment group was intervened by abdomen-relaxation-vibration therapy, while the control group was intervened by oral administration of Diazepam prior to sleep. The clinical efficacy and change of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in the two groups were observed. Result The scores of PSQI dropped significantly in both groups after the treatment (P<0.01), and the scores in the treatment group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.01,P<0.05); the markedly effective rate and total effective rate were respectively 62.5% and 87.5% in the treatment group, significantly higher than 27.5% and 62.5% in the control group, and there was a significant difference in the therapeutic efficacy between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Abdomen-relaxation-vibration therapy is effective in treating refractory insomnia, and it's easy-to-operate and safe.

Nondestructive Assessment of Glycosaminoglycans in Engineered Cartilages Using Hexabrix-Enhanced Micro-Computed Tomography

It is very useful to evaluate the content and 3D distribution of extracellular matrix non-destructively in tissue engineering. This study evaluated the feasibility of using micro-computed tomography (µCT) with Hexabrix to measure quantitatively sulfated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) of engineered cartilage. Rabbit chondrocytes at passage 2 were used to produce artificial cartilages in polyglycolic acid scaffolds in vitro. Engineered cartilages were incubated with Hexabrix 320 for 20 min and analyzed via µCT scanning. The number of voxels in the 2D and 3D scanning images were counted to estimate the amount of sulfated GAGs. The optimal threshold value for quantification was determined by regression analysis. The 2D µCT images of an engineered cartilage showed positive correlation with the histological image of Safranin-O staining. Quantitative data obtained with the 3D µCT images of 14 engineered cartilages showed strong correlation with sulfated GAGs contents obtained by biochemical analysis (R² = 0.883, p < 0.001). Repeated exposure of engineered cartilages to Hexabrix 320 and µCT scanning did not significantly affect cell viability, total DNA content, or the total content of sulfated GAGs. We conclude that µCT imaging using Hexabrix 320 provides high spatial resolution and sensitivity to assess the content and 3D distribution of sulfated GAGs in engineered cartilages. It is expected to be a valuable tool to evaluate the quality of engineered cartilage for commercial development in the future.

Research progress on the effects of the tensile strain stimulation on proliferation differention and pericellular matrix of cartilage / 中国骨伤

Mechanical stimulation widely exists in the body and participates in adjusting biological behavior of many kinds of cells. As a common stress pattern in the body, the tensile strain widely exists in many organs, such as bone and cartilage, muscle tendon, cardiac and pulmonary vessels, and so on. In recent years, with the development of the researches of biomechanics, a variety of mechanical loading devices, which are used to simulate the complex mechanical stimulation in the body to provide the tensile strain including the isometric, uniaxial and various types of mechanical waveform, came into being. This is a huge boost to biomechanical research. Many researchers have found that the tensile strain stimulation can lead to the transformation of proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis of cells and change of cell matrix. However, for the same kind of cells, different kinds of tensile strain stimulation can lead to different and even the contrary results. In this paper, the effects of the tensile strain on the proliferation, differentiation and matrix of cartilage were reviewed. Understanding these characteristics will have important implications for the mechanism of cell proliferation and differentiation under the biomechanic stimulation and the prevention and treatment of diseases.

Diagnostic value of Blumensaat angle for anterior cruciate ligament injury / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>The receiver operator characteristic(ROC) curve was used to determine the best Blumensaat angle for the diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament injury, so as to objectively evaluate the diagnostic value of Blumensaat angle for anterior cruciate ligament injury.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Total 167 patients who had knee arthroscopic treatment in a hospital from January 2015 to January 2016 were retrospectively studied, and the patients' age, gender, left and right limb condition were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups according to Blumensaat angle measured on the MRI: group A(Blumensaat angle<=0°), and group B(Blumensaat angle >0°). The ROC curve was drawn from the statistical data of the group B to get the best critical value of the anterior cruciate ligament injury when the Blumensaat angle was more than 0°. According to the best critical value obtained by ROC curve, the coincidence rate of the total sample was obtained.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>There were no significant differences in patients' age, gender, and affected limbs. There were 51 patients in group A, in which 49 patients were diagnosed as anterior cruciate injury under arthroscopy(gold standard for diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament injury), and 2 patients were diagnosed as no anterior cruciate injury under arthroscopy. When the Blumensaat angle was<0°, the coincidence rate was 96.07%. In group B(116 cases), the area under the ROC curve was 0.910, the best cutoff corresponds to 15°; the sensitivity was 70.0%, and the specificity was 95.8%. When the Blumensaat angle was >=15°, the probability of anterior cruciate ligament injury was greater. When the Blumensaat angle was 0° to 15°, the anterior cruciate ligament was more likely to be not injured. The Blumensaat angle<=0°or>=15° were used to diagnose the injury of anterior cruciate ligament. Compared with the results of arthroscopy, the coincidence rate of the total sample was 92.8%.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Blumensaat angle is helpful to diagnose the ACL injuries. When the Blumensaat angle was <=0° or >=15°, the probability of ACL injury is greater.</p>

Current therapy progress on the recurrent patellar dislocation / 中国骨伤

Patients who suffer from the recurrent patellar dislocation mainly show the recurrent dislocation of patellar, giving way, most patients have the history of trauma or dysplasia of keen joint. Traditional therapies of recurrent patellar dislocation include medical retinaculum placation, lateral retinaculum release, tibial tubercle osteotomy, femoral trochleoplasty etc. In recent years, with the development of anatomical and biomechanical researches on medial patellofemoral ligament(MPFL), more and more experts focus on the role of MPFL played in preventing the patellar dislocation. The treatment of recovering and correcting patellar tracking through MPFL reconstruction has been increasing gradually. However, till now, there was no therapy which could heal the recurrent patellar dislocation completely. The specific therapies of recurrent patellar dislocation are combination therapies, decided according to the anatomical and biomechanical conditions of patients, for recovering the stability of patients' patellar, the lower limb alignment and the function of keen-joint.