Research progress on immune regulation of rheumatoid arthritis by acupuncture and moxibustion / 国际中医中药杂志

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. It is the focus of current treatment to improve the immune disorders of RA patients and reduce the inflammatory damage. Acupuncture and moxibustion show the advantages of simple operation and safety. It has remarkable curative effect in the treatment of RA, and has a variety of intervention methods, including conventional acupuncture, moxibustion, combination of acupuncture and moxibustion, as well as innovative acupuncture and moxibustion therapies such as electroacupuncture and spinal moxibustion. The immune regulation of acupuncture and moxibustion on RA has the characteristics of bidirectional and multi-target. It can regulate Th17/Treg cell balance, Th1/Th2 cell balance, specific protein and NF-κB and other signaling pathways to regulate inflammatory immune response.

Association of liver damage with coronary artery lesion and no response to intravenous immunoglobulin in the acute stage of Kawasaki disease / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To summarize the clinical features of liver damage in children in the acute stage of Kawasaki disease (KD), and to investigate the clinical value of liver damage in predicting coronary artery lesion and no response to intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in children with KD.@*METHODS@#The medical data were collected from 925 children who were diagnosed with KD for the first time in Beijing Children's Hospital from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. According to the presence or absence of abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) level on admission, the children were divided into a liver damage group (n=284) and a non-liver damage group (n=641). A logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the clinical value of the indicators including liver damage in predicting coronary artery lesion and no response to IVIG in children with KD.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the non-liver damage group, the liver damage group had a significantly earlier admission time and significantly higher serum levels of inflammatory indicators (P<0.05). The liver damage group had a significantly higher incidence rate of coronary artery lesion on admission than the non-liver damage group (P=0.034). After initial IVIG therapy, the liver damage group had a significantly higher proportion of children with no response to IVIG than the non-liver damage group (P<0.001). In children with KD, coronary artery lesion was associated with the reduction in the hemoglobin level and the increases in platelet count, C-reactive protein, and ALT (P<0.05), and no response to IVIG was associated with limb changes, the reduction in the hemoglobin level, the increases in platelet count, C-reactive protein, and ALT, and coronary artery lesion (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Compared with those without liver damage, the children in the early stage of KD with liver damage tend to develop clinical symptoms early and have higher levels of inflammatory indicators, and they are more likely to have coronary artery lesion and show no response to IVIG treatment.

Profilin 2 is highly expressed in gastric cancer and promotes tumor cell proliferation and migration / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the expression of profilin 2 (PFN2) in gastric cancer and assess its potential value as a novel prognostic indicator and a therapeutic target.@*METHODS@#We collected gastric cancer and paired adjacent tissues from 100 patients for immunohistochemical detection of PFN2 expression. According to the expression level of PFN2, the patients were divided into two groups with high (46 cases) and low (48 cases) PNF2 expression in cancer tissues, and also into two groups with high (26 cases) and low (49 cases) PNF2 expression in adjacent tissues. Chi-square test, Spearman correlation and KaplanMeier survival analysis were used to analyze the relationship between PFN2 protein expression level and the patients' clinical parameters. We also tested the effects of PFN2 knockdown and overexpression on the proliferation and migration of MKN-45 cells using Transwell assay and CCK-8 assay.@*RESULTS@#The expression of PFN2 protein was significantly higher in gastric cancer tissues than in adjacent tissues (P < 0.01). PFN2 expression was positively correlated with M-stage of gastric cancer and VEGFR expression in the tumor tissues (P < 0.01). A high expression of PFN2 protein was significantly correlated with a poor prognosis of gastric cancer patients (P < 0.01), and was an independent predictor of the prognosis of gastric cancer. In MKN-45 cells, the cells overexpressing PFN2 showed significantly stronger proliferation and migration abilities than those with PFN2 knockdown (P < 0.001).@*CONCLUSION@#PFN2 protein is highly expressed in gastric cancer tissues to promote the proliferation and migration of the tumor cells. PFN2 may serve as a potential diagnostic marker, a prognostic indicator and a therapeutic target for gastric cancer.

Multimodal imaging analysis of the cyst like lesion of condyle in temporomandibular joint / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective: To investigate the imaging features of condylar cystic degeneration of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) by cone-beam CT (CBCT), spiral CT, MRI and radionuclide bone imaging. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2020, thirty-two patients with cyst-like lesions of condylein temporomandibular joint were examined by CBCT, spiral CT, MRI and radionuclide bone imaging at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in General Hospital of Chinese PLA. There were 12 males and 20 females involved, aged from 16 to 65 years with an average age of (33.9±12.5) years. The characteristics of CBCT, spiral CT, MRI and radionuclide bone imaging were analyzed. Condylar cyst like lesions were classified as type A and type B based on the presence or absence of surface bone defects. Condylar cyst like lesions were classified as type Ⅰ(yes) and type Ⅱ(no) according to the accompanying bone marrow edema-like lesions of the condyles. The incidence of condylar bone marrow edema, disc displacement and abnormal bone metabolism were analyzed. Results: A total of 64 joint images of 32 patients were included, including 34 sides with TMJ cyst-like lesion and 6 sides with multiple cyst-like lesions,the total cyst-like lesions were 42. The largest diameter of cyst-like lesion ranged from 1.0 to 12.4 mm, with an average length of (3.7±1.8) mm. There were 24 cases of type A TMJ cyst like lesion and 10 cases of type B cyst-like lesion. The detection rate of CBCT was 95.2% (40/42) and that of spiral CT was 100% (42/42), there was no significant difference (Calibration Chi-square=0.51, P=0.474). The detection rate of nuclear magnetic resonance was 80.1% (34/42), and the detection rate of cyst-like lesions less than 2 mm was 3/11. In the cyst like lesion side, there were 9 sides with anterior disc displacement with reduction, 20 sides with anterior disc displacement without reduction. In the non-cyst like lesion side, 10 sides with anterior disc displacement with reduction and 6 sides with anterior disc displacement without reduction. There was a significant difference in the displacement of the disc between cyst-like and non-cystic lesion side (χ²=7.80, P=0.005). MRI showed that 6 cases of cystic side[17.6% (6/34)] had bone marrow edema-like lesions (all type A), 1 case of non-cyst like lesions side [3.3% (1/30)]had bone marrow edema-like lesion, there was no significant difference between cystic and non-cystic lesions (Calibration Chi-square=2.04, P=0.153). There was a significant difference between type A and B cystic lesions (Fisher exact probability method, P= 0.024). Radionuclide bone imaging showed abnormal bone metabolism in 26 patients in the cyst-like lesion side and 5 patients in the non-cyst like lesion side (χ²=22.82, P<0.001). Conclusions Multi-slice Spiral CT could detect the cyst-like lesion of TMJ condyle in the early stage, which is different from the large joint. And the formation mechanism may vary from the different classifications.

Research progress of dental pulp stem cells for peripheral nerve injury repair / 中华口腔医学杂志

Peripheral nerve injuries are mainly related to severe trauma, fracture and tumor surgery, leading to reduced quality of life and impaired physical and mental health. The repair of peripheral nerve still faces great challenges in clinic, and the research on the regeneration and repair of peripheral nerve has become a hot issue in related disciplines. Cell therapy plays an irreplaceable role in tissue regeneration and repair. Schwann cells are ideal cells for peripheral nerve repair, but their limited sources inhibit the clinical application. Dental pulp stem cells are derived from neural crest, which provides a new cell source for nerve regeneration. The purpose of this article is to review the research progress of dental pulp stem cells for peripheral nerve repair.

Multimodal imaging analysis of the cyst like lesion of condyle in temporomandibular joint / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective: To investigate the imaging features of condylar cystic degeneration of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) by cone-beam CT (CBCT), spiral CT, MRI and radionuclide bone imaging. Methods: From January 2018 to December 2020, thirty-two patients with cyst-like lesions of condylein temporomandibular joint were examined by CBCT, spiral CT, MRI and radionuclide bone imaging at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in General Hospital of Chinese PLA. There were 12 males and 20 females involved, aged from 16 to 65 years with an average age of (33.9±12.5) years. The characteristics of CBCT, spiral CT, MRI and radionuclide bone imaging were analyzed. Condylar cyst like lesions were classified as type A and type B based on the presence or absence of surface bone defects. Condylar cyst like lesions were classified as type Ⅰ(yes) and type Ⅱ(no) according to the accompanying bone marrow edema-like lesions of the condyles. The incidence of condylar bone marrow edema, disc displacement and abnormal bone metabolism were analyzed. Results: A total of 64 joint images of 32 patients were included, including 34 sides with TMJ cyst-like lesion and 6 sides with multiple cyst-like lesions,the total cyst-like lesions were 42. The largest diameter of cyst-like lesion ranged from 1.0 to 12.4 mm, with an average length of (3.7± 1.8) mm. There were 24 cases of type A TMJ cyst like lesion and 10 cases of type B cyst-like lesion. The detection rate of CBCT was 95.2% (40/42) and that of spiral CT was 100% (42/42), there was no significant difference (Calibration Chi-square=0.51, P=0.474). The detection rate of nuclear magnetic resonance was 80.1% (34/42), and the detection rate of cyst-like lesions less than 2 mm was 3/11. In the cyst like lesion side, there were 9 sides with anterior disc displacement with reduction, 20 sides with anterior disc displacement without reduction. In the non-cyst like lesion side, 10 sides with anterior disc displacement with reduction and 6 sides with anterior disc displacement without reduction. There was a significant difference in the displacement of the disc between cyst-like and non-cystic lesion side (χ²=7.80, P=0.005). MRI showed that 6 cases of cystic side[17.6% (6/34)] had bone marrow edema-like lesions (all type A), 1 case of non-cyst like lesions side [3.3% (1/30)] had bone marrow edema-like lesion, there was no significant difference between cystic and non-cystic lesions (Calibration Chi-square=2.04, P=0.153). There was a significant difference between type A and B cystic lesions (Fisher exact probability method, P=0.024). Radionuclide bone imaging showed abnormal bone metabolism in 26 patients in the cyst-like lesion side and 5 patients in the non-cyst like lesion side (χ²=22.82, P<0.001). Conclusions Multi-slice Spiral CT could detect the cyst-like lesion of TMJ condyle in the early stage, which is different from the large joint. And the formation mechanism may vary from the different classifications.

Comparative analysis of visual quality after implantation of Symfony IOL and MF15 IOL / 国际眼科杂志(Guoji Yanke Zazhi)

AIM: To compare the visual quality in patients after implantation of extended-range-of-vision(Tecnis Symfony)intraocular lens(IOL)and zonal refractive(Lentis Comfort LS-313 MF15)IOL. METHODS: A prospective clinical study. Collecting 267 cataract patients(305 eyes)who underwent phacoemulsification combined with IOL implantation surgery in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2021,they were divided into the Symfony group(group A, 160 eyes)and MF15 group(group B, 145 eyes)according to the types of implanted IOL. Postoperative visual acuity were observed at 3mo and included uncorrected distance visual acuity(UDVA, 5m), uncorrected intermediate visual acuity(UIVA, 80 cm), uncorrected near visual acuity(UNVA, 40cm), defocus curve, modulation transfer function(MTF)and high-order aberrations(HOAs), including coma, spherical aberration and trefoil aberration, and conducted the Quality of Vision(QoV)questionnaire.RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the preoperative parameters in both groups(P>0.05). There was no significant difference between the UDVA and UNVA in groups A and B(P>0.05); The UIVA was higher in group A than in group B(P<0.05); The MTF value in group A was higher than group B at all spatial frequency, and the difference was statistical significant(P<0.05); The HOAs in group A was lower than that in group B(P<0.05); Defocus curves were plotted 3mo after the operation suggest that the visual acuity of the two groups was similar at 0D, and the visual acuity of the groups A was better than group B from -0.5D to -2.5D, and there was a statistically significant difference at -1.0D and -2.0D(P<0.05). The QoV score in group A was significantly higher than that in group B(P<0.05). The frequency of bad visual interference such as halo and starburst was higher in group A than in group B. CONCLUSION: Both the MF15 and Symfony can provide stable distance and near visual acuity. Compared with MF15, Symfony had better intermediate visual acuity, higher contrast sensitivity and lower HOAs. Compared with Symfony, MF15 IOL had less postoperative bad visual interference symptoms(halo, starburst, etc).

Effective substance and mechanism of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen extract in treatment of insomnia based on serum metabolomics and network pharmacology / 中国中药杂志

This study aims to study the effective substance and mechanism of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen extract in the treatment of insomnia based on serum metabolomics and network pharmacology. The rat insomnia model induced by p-chlorophenylalanine(PCPA) was established. After oral administration of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen extract, the general morphological observation, pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test, and histopathological evaluation were carried out. The potential biomarkers of the extract in the treatment of insomnia were screened by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry(UHPLC-MS) combined with multivariate analysis, and the related metabolic pathways were further analyzed. The "component-target-pathway" network was constructed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole-Exactive mass spectrometry(UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS) combined with network pharmacology to explore the effective substances and mechanism of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in the treatment of insomnia. The results of pentobarbital sodium-induced sleep test and histopathological evaluation(hematoxylin and eosin staining) showed that Ziziphi Spinosae Semen extract had good theraputic effect on insomnia. A total of 21 endogenous biomarkers of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen extract in the treatment of insomnia were screened out by serum metabolomics, and the metabolic pathways of phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, phenylalanine metabolism, and nicotinate and nicotinamide metabolism were obtained. A total of 34 chemical constituents were identified by UHPLC-Q-Exactive-MS/MS, including 24 flavonoids, 2 triterpenoid saponins, 4 alkaloids, 2 triterpenoid acids, and 2 fatty acids. The network pharmacological analysis showed that Ziziphi Spinosae Semen mainly acted on target proteins such as dopamine D2 receptor(DRD2), 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor 1 A(HTR1 A), and alpha-2 A adrenergic receptor(ADRA2 A) in the treatment of insomnia. It was closely related to neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, serotonergic synapse, and calcium signaling pathway. Magnoflorine, N-nornuciferine, caaverine, oleic acid, palmitic acid, coclaurine, betulinic acid, and ceanothic acid in Ziziphi Spinosae Semen may be potential effective compounds in the treatment of insomnia. This study revealed that Ziziphi Spinosae Semen extract treated insomnia through multiple metabolic pathways and the overall correction of metabolic disorder profile in a multi-component, multi-target, and multi-channel manner. Briefly, this study lays a foundation for further research on the mechanism of Ziziphi Spinosae Semen in treating insomnia and provides support for the development of innovative Chinese drugs for the treatment of insomnia.

Review of economic evaluation of lung cancer screening with low-dose computed tomography / 上海预防医学

Objective:To analyze recent economic evaluation studies of low-dose CT screening for lung cancer in order to provide recommendations for such economic evaluation in China. Methods:A systematic search and analysis was conducted to identify articles on low-dose CT screening for lung cancer published from 2015 to 2019. Results:According to the literature inclusion criteria， 15 studies were included. Most of the studies were conducted in Europe， the United States and other developed countries. The majority adopted model simulation approaches. Low-dose CT screening was suggested to be cost-effective compared with no-screening or chest radiography for lung cancer in 13 studies. Only 2 studies showed no cost-effectiveness. Conclusion:The latest evidence of economic evaluation shows that low-dose CT screening for lung cancer is cost-effective and has a more consistent result than previous reviews. Methodologically， use of microsimulation models is increasing for better economic evaluation at the individual level. However， evidence from developing countries is still insufficient. It is necessary to conduct economic evaluation in combination with the domestic practice of lung cancer screening and localized data．

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Survey of Gastroparesis in Asia by Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association

Background/Aims@#Gastroparesis is identified as a subject that is understudied in Asia. The scientific committee of the Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association performed a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices survey on gastroparesis among doctors in Asia. @*Methods@#The questionnaire was created and developed through a literature review of current gastroparesis works of literature by the scientific committee of Asian Neurogastroenterology and Motility Association. @*Results@#A total of 490 doctors from across Asia (including Bangladesh, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam) participated in the survey. Gastroparesis is a significant gastrointestinal condition. However, a substantial proportion of respondents was unable to give the correct definition and accurate diagnostic test. The main reason for lack of interest in diagnosing gastroparesis was “the lack of reliable diagnostic tests” (46.8%) or “a lack of effective treatment” (41.5%). Only 41.7% of respondents had access to gastric emptying scintigraphy. Most doctors had never diagnosed gastroparesis at all (25.2%) or diagnosed fewer than 5 patients a year (52.1%). @*Conclusions@#Gastroparesis can be challenging to diagnose due to the lack of instrument, standardized method, and paucity of research data on normative value, risk factors, and treatment studies in Asian patients. Future strategies should concentrate on how to disseminate the latest knowledge of gastroparesis in Asia. In particular, there is an urgent need to estimate the magnitude of the problems in high risk and idiopathic patients as well as a standardized diagnostic procedure in Asia.

Research progress on the antifungal mechanisms of antimicrobial peptides and its clinical applications / 中华检验医学杂志

In this review, the structure and biological characteristics of antimicrobial peptides were described, and the anti-fungal mechanisms related to membrane damage and non-membrane damage was discussed. The prospective clinical applications of antimicrobial peptides were introduced. Thus, the theoretical basis for the in-depth research on the anti-fungal mechanisms of antimicrobial peptides and the clinical development and application is provided.

Evaluation of hospital-community-family multiple maintenance chronic disease management model for people with cognitive impairment / 中华神经科杂志

Objective:To explore the construction of hospital-community-family multiple maintenance management model for Alzheimer′s disease (AD) population and its clinical intervention effect.Methods:Two hundred patients with AD admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2018 to December 2020 were selected as the research subjects, including 92 cases in control group and 108 cases in study group. The control group adopted the conventional management mode of hospital combined with family care. The study group adopted the hospital-community-family multiple maintenance management mode. The improvement of medication compliance, mental state, cognitive function and quality of life were compared between the two groups before intervention and six, nine and 12 months after intervention using neuropsychological scales.Results:Compared with before intervention (4.57±1.01 and 56.55±3.83), the scores of Morisky Medication Adherence Scale 8 (MMAS-8; 5.33±1.05, 5.84±1.17 and 5.91±1.24) and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument, Short Form (WHOQOL-BREF; 59.23±3.43, 61.47±3.56 and 62.24±3.45) in the control group increased six, nine and 12 months after intervention ( t=5.003, 7.881, 8.037, 4.795, 8.823, 10.380, all P<0.05), while the scores of Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Scale had no significant change. The scores of MMAS-8 (5.96±1.11, 7.13±1.09 and 7.15±1.11), MoCA (19.96±1.31, 20.36±1.47 and 20.42±1.52) and WHOQOL-BREF (62.76±3.52,65.25±3.43, and 65.87±3.56) in the study group increased six, nine and 12 months after intervention and were higher than those in the control group (MoCA: 19.03±1.48, 18.65±1.51 and 18.59±1.44; t=4.101, 8.064, 7.460, 4.713, 9.088, 8.693, 7.152, 7.633, 7.290, all P<0.05). There were significant differences between groups, time points and interaction between groups in the scores of MMAS-8, MoCA and WHOQOL-BREF. Conclusion:The construction of hospital-community-family multiple maintenance management model for AD patients has a positive effect on improving the quality of life and prognosis of AD patients, which is worthy of further promotion and application.

Disease composition and characteristics of elderly patients with multymorbidity in Jing′an district of Shanghai / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To analyze the disease composition and characteristics among elderly patients with multimorbidity in Jing′an district of Shanghai.Methods:A total of 68 147 patients aged 60 and above in Shanghai Jing′an district were selected in the study by stratified random sampling method, The clinical data of patients from January 2017 to December 2018 were obtained from hospital information system, the status of multimorbidity, the disease composition and characteristics were analyzed with SPSS software.Results:Among 68 147 elderly patients, 43 953 had 2 or more chronic diseases. The top five chronic diseases were hypertension, chronic ischemic heart disease, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and cerebrovascular disease. There was significant difference in prevalence of multimorbidity between male and female patients (χ 2=15.276, P<0.01); compared to males, females had higher prevalence of multimorbidity ( OR=1.152, P<0.01). There was significant difference in prevalence of multimorbidity among different age groups of patients (χ 2= 48.547, P<0.01); compared to age group 60-69, patients age 70-79 ( OR = 1.629, P<0.01) and aged 80 and above ( OR=2.686, P<0.01) had higher prevalence of multimorbidity. When 4 chronic diseases coexist, male urinary system diseases and female joint diseases rank in the top five comorbid diseases, while when 5 chronic diseases coexist, female sleep disorders rank in the top five positions. For patients aged ≥80 years, when 5 chronic diseases coexist, diabetes mellitus is no longer among in the top five comorbid diseases. Conclusions:The elderly women and older-aged patients have higher prevalence of multiomorbidity. Hypertension is still the top priority of chronic disease prevention and control for the elderly in the community. It is suggested to establish the precise prevention and control mechanism for the aging chronic disease.

Biopathway construction of plant natural products / 药学学报

Plant natural products (PNPs) are important sources of innovative drugs. They are mainly obtained by isolation or extraction from plants. Low content and with structural analogues in plants result in high production cost, which restricts the research and application of PNPs. While biopathway construction by synthetic biology provides an alternative for production of PNPs. By biosynthetic pathway analysis of PNPs and reconstructing the biopathway in microorganisms, we can produce PNPs in cell factories efficiently. Recently, several predominantly international reports about biosynthesis of PNPs and its synthetic biology production, triggered the researches of PNPs. Abundant traditional Chinese medicine resources and profound cultural heritage of Chinese medicine make biosynthesis pathway analysis of PNPs to be a research hotspot. And some of the studies have achieved significant progress. Here, recent progress in the biosynthesis of plant natural products and its synthetic biology was reviewed. In particular, the application of new methods and technologies in recent years were summarized and discussed. This will provide reference for the biopathway construction of plant natural products.

Income and Education Inequalities in Brain and Central Nervous System Cancer Incidence in Canada: Trends over Two Decades

The socioeconomic gradient of brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancer incidence in Canada is poorly understood. This study aimed to measure socioeconomic inequalities in brain and CNS cancer incidence in Canada from 1992 to 2010. Using a unique census division level dataset (n = 280) pooled from the Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR), the Canadian Census of Population and the National Household Survey, we measured brain and CNS cancer incidence in Canada. The age-adjusted concentration index (C) was used to measure income- and education-related inequalities in brain and CNS cancers in Canada, and for men and women, separately. Time trend analyses were conducted to examine the changes in socioeconomic inequalities in brain and CNS cancers in Canada over time. The results indicated that the crude brain and CNS cancer incidence increased from 7.29 to 8.17 per 100,000 (annual percentage change: 0.70) over the study period. The age-adjusted C results suggested that the brain and CNS cancer incidence was not generally significantly different for census division of different income and educational levels. There was insufficient evidence to support changes in income and education-related inequalities over time. Since the incidence of brain and CNS cancers in Canada showed no significant association with socioeconomic status, future cancer control programs should focus on other risk factors for this cancer subset.

Development of a Lateral Flow Strip-Based Recombinase Polymerase Amplification Assay for the Detection of Haemonchus contortus in Goat Feces

Haemonchosis remains a significant problem in small ruminants. In this study, the assay of recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) combined with the lateral flow strip (LFS-RPA) was established for the rapid detection of Haemonchus contortus in goat feces. The assay used primers and a probe targeting a specific sequence in the ITS-2 gene. We compared the performance of the LFS-RPA assay to a PCR assay. The LFS-RPA had a detection limit of 10 fg DNA, which was 10 times less compared to the lowest detection limit obtained by PCR. Out of 24 goat fecal samples, LFS-RPA assay detected H. contortus DNA with 95.8% sensitivity, compared to PCR, 79.1% sensitivity. LFS-RPA assay did not detect DNA from other related helminth species and demonstrated an adequate tolerance to inhibitors present in the goat feces. Taken together, our results suggest that LFS-RPA assay had a high diagnostic accuracy for the rapid detection of H. contortus and merits further evaluation.

Income and Education Inequalities in Brain and Central Nervous System Cancer Incidence in Canada: Trends over Two Decades

The socioeconomic gradient of brain and central nervous system (CNS) cancer incidence in Canada is poorly understood. This study aimed to measure socioeconomic inequalities in brain and CNS cancer incidence in Canada from 1992 to 2010. Using a unique census division level dataset (n = 280) pooled from the Canadian Cancer Registry (CCR), the Canadian Census of Population and the National Household Survey, we measured brain and CNS cancer incidence in Canada. The age-adjusted concentration index (C) was used to measure income- and education-related inequalities in brain and CNS cancers in Canada, and for men and women, separately. Time trend analyses were conducted to examine the changes in socioeconomic inequalities in brain and CNS cancers in Canada over time. The results indicated that the crude brain and CNS cancer incidence increased from 7.29 to 8.17 per 100,000 (annual percentage change: 0.70) over the study period. The age-adjusted C results suggested that the brain and CNS cancer incidence was not generally significantly different for census division of different income and educational levels. There was insufficient evidence to support changes in income and education-related inequalities over time. Since the incidence of brain and CNS cancers in Canada showed no significant association with socioeconomic status, future cancer control programs should focus on other risk factors for this cancer subset.

Evaluation of Lateral Pterygoid Muscle Contraction in Patients with Temporomandibular Disorders Based on 3D-T2 Weighted Imaging / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To evaluate lateral pterygoid muscle(LPM)contraction in the patients with temporomandibular disorders(TMD)based on 3D-T2 weighted imaging(3D-T2WI).Multiplanar reconstruction(MPR)was employed to measure the length of LPM in the images taken in closed-and open-mouth positions. Methods Seventeen TMD patients [age of(29.82±10.70)years,males/females=8/9] and 13 normal volunteers [control,age of(23.54±3.31)years,males/females=6/7] received 3D-T2WI of the temporomandibular joints in closed-and open-mouth positions from November 2019 to April 2020 in Department of Radiology,Hainan Hospital of Chinese PLA General Hospital.According to the position of the discs,the subjects were classified into the following groups:TMD with disc displacement without reduction(TMD-DDwoR),TMD with disc displacement with reduction(TMD-DDwR),TMD without disc displacement(TMDwoDD),and normal control without disc displacement(NCwoDD).MPR was employed to measure the maximal length of the superior belly of LPM.One-way analysis of variance,receiver operating characteristic curve,and permutation test were employed for the statistical analyses. Results The contraction of LPM was significantly shorter in TMD-DDwoR group [(3.36±1.96)mm] than in TMDwoDD group [(7.90±3.95)mm],NCwoDD group [(8.77±3.13)mm](

Analysis on the imported Coronavirus Disease 2019 related cluster epidemic in rural areas of Chengdu / 中华预防医学杂志

An epidemiological investigation was carried out on a local cluster of outbreak caused by imported cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in rural areas of Chengdu in December 2020, to find out the source of infection and the chain of transmission. According to

Reconstruction of Segmental Mandibular Defects Restored by Prosthesis with Support and Porous Structure: A Biomechanical Study / 医用生物力学

Objective To design a personalized titanium mandibular prosthesis with porous and support structure, and analyze its stress distribution characteristics through finite element analysis, so as to evaluate clinical value and prospect of the prosthesis. Methods The fourth mandibular premolar and molar from the right mandible of Beagle dogs were removed. The spiral CT was taken after three-month healing, and the three-dimensional (3D) model of the mandible was established. Resection of 3 cm mandible with simulated surgical procedure and reconstruction with personalized restoration were conducted. The prosthesis consisted of abutment, pillar, solid unit, porous unit and retention unit. A personalized titanium mandibular prosthesis finite element model A was established, to analyze the prosthesis stress under loading, and further study was proceeded when the maximum stress of each part constituting the prosthesis was smaller than yield strength of its material. The finite element model B with the assembly of the prosthesis, mandible and screw was constructed and loaded with the mastication force, and the stress, strain and displacement distributions of the mandible were recorded. Results When the abutment was under 100 N vertical loading, the peak stress of the prosthesis with solid structure and porous structure was 147.03 and 75.36 MPa, respectively, which was smaller than yield strength of its material; the peak stress of the cortical bone and cancellous bone was 53.713, 4.216 7 MPa, and the strain was 3.753 6, 3.562 5, respectively; the maximum displacement of the restoration was 338.3 μm. ConclusionsTaking the canine mandible as an example, the personalized prosthesis with porous and support structure shows the uniform stress distribution and good mechanical properties through finite element analysis. The results provide a new method for the design of prosthesis for repairing mandibular defects.