Diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT in elderly patients with colon cancer / 中国现代医生

Objective To analyze diagnostic value of 18F-fluorode-oxyglucose(18F-FDG)positron emission tomography and computed tomography(PET/CT)in elderly patients with colon cancer.Methods A total of 102 patients with colon cancer admitted to Jingdezhen Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2021 to December 2022 were retrospectively selected to analyze the relationship between 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging and clinical features and its diagnostic value.Results The typical 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging of colon cancer was mainly concentrated in ascending colon,transverse colon,descending colon,and sigmoid colon.The glucose metabolism of each part increased,the intestinal wall thickened,and standardized uptake value(SUV)increased.There were statistically significant differences in SUV among colon cancer patients with different vertical thickness of the lesion,gender and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).SUV was positively correlated with vertical thickness of the lesion and lymph node metastasis(P<0.05).Receiver operating characteristic curve results showed that the area under the curve of 18F-FDG PET/CT for diagnosis of colon cancer lymph node metastasis was 0.993,the sensitivity was 97.2%,and the specificity was 100%.Conclusion 18F-FDG PET/CT for the diagnosis of elderly patients with colon cancer has a high clinical application value.

Psychosocial characteristics pattern correlated with HIV-related risky sexual behavior among HIV-negative men who have sex with men: a latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND@#Men who have sex with men (MSM) have become a high risk population of HIV infection due to their risky sexual behaviors. The latent pattern of psychosocial characteristics plays an important effect in HIV-related risky behaviors among HIV-negative MSM.@*METHOD@#Participants were recruited from Wuhan, Nanchang, and Changsha city from September 2017 to January 2018. Social support was assessed by the multidimensional scale of social support, Connor-Davidson Resilience scale-10 items for reliance, the assessment of Stigma towards Homosexuality for sexual minority stigma, the Likert subscale of nondisclosure for identity concealment, the ACE questionnaire-Kaiser-CDC for adverse childhood experience, the Centers for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for depression. Latent profile analysis (LPA) and multivariate regression were used to analyze the data.@*RESULTS@#Three psychosocial characteristic patterns were revealed by the LPA. "Social support and resilience group" (SR group), "Identity concealment group" (IC group) and "Adverse childhood experience" (ACE group) were identified, respectively. In comparison with "SR group", "IC group" have a higher likelihood of one-night male partners (AOR = 2.74, 95%CI = [1.54, 4.90]), both fixed and one-night male partners (AOR = 2.01, 95%CI = [1.34, 3.01]) and HIV-unsure male partner (AOR = 2.12, 95%CI = [1.44, 3.13]). Similarly, "ACE group" were more likely having inconsistent condom use (AOR = 2.58, 95%CI = [1.41, 4.73]), and having sex with HIV-positive male partner (AOR = 4.90, 95%CI = [1.95, 12.30]) with comparison of "SR group". In addition, we further revealed that "ACE group" had a higher ratio (90.0%) of inconsistent condom use among MSM whose male partners were HIV-positive.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Six important psychosocial factors were divided into three latent pattern classes. Compared with "SR group", "IC group" and "ACE group" were more likely to engage in HIV-related risky sexual behaviors. Further research may pay more attention to "IC group" and "ACE group" for targeted intervention.

Returning to society with a new life: A parallel chart of a HIV-positive patient / 中华临床感染病杂志

The parallel chart records a HIV-positive patient，who initially declined treatment due to psychological reasons，however，with the support and care provided by both the medical team and his family members，he eventually accepted treatment actively and successfully reintegrated into society. The case indicates that healthcare professionals should not only treat the physical conditions of patients，but also give them the warm humanistic concern and care.

Effect of soil moisture on efficacy to eliminate dampness and relieve jaundice and flavonoid content of Sedum sarmentosum / 中国中药杂志

The growth environment of medicinal plants plays an important role in the formation of their medicinal quality. However, there is a lack of combined analysis studying the close relationship between the growth environment, chemical components, and related biological activities of medicinal plants. Therefore, this study investigated the effect of different soil moisture treatments on the efficacy to eliminate dampness and relieve jaundice and the flavonoid content of Sedum sarmentosum, and explored their correlation. The flavonoid content in the decoction of S. sarmentosum growing under field conditions with soil moisture levels of 35%-40%(T1), 55%-60%(T2), 75%-80%(T3), and 95%-100%(T4) was compared. The effects of these treatments on liver function parameters, liver inflammation, and oxidative damage in mice with dampness-heat jaundice were evaluated, and the correlation between pharmacological indicators and flavonoid content was analyzed. The results showed that the total flavonoid and total phenolic acid content in the decoction of S. sarmentosum were highest in the T1 treatment, followed by the T3 treatment. The content of quercetin, kaempferol, and isorhamnetin was highest in the T2, T1, and T3 treatments, respectively. Among the different moisture treatments, the T3 group of S. sarmentosum effectively reduced the levels of serum ALT, AKP, TBIL, DBIL, TBA, as well as hepatic TNF-α and IL-6 in mice with jaundice, followed by T2 treatment, especially in reducing AST level. The T4 treatment had the poorest effect. Correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between AST, ALT, AKP levels in mice and the total content of quercetin and the three flavonoids. MDA showed a significant negative correlation with the total flavonoid content and kaempferol. TNF-α exhibited a significant negative correlation with the content of isorhamnetin. In conclusion, S. sarmentosum growing under field conditions with a soil moisture level of 75%-80% exhibited the best efficacy to eliminate dampness and relieve jaundice. This study provides insights for optimizing the cultivation mode of medicinal plants guided by pharmacological experiments.

Analysis of sentinel surveillance of influenza in Anhui province from 2018 to 2023 / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective @# To analyze the epidemiological characteristics of influenza in Anhui province from 2018 to 2023 , and to explore the change rule of influenza etiology , so as to provide reference for the prevention and control of influenza. @*Methods @#Sentinel hospital surveillance data and network laboratory etiological surveillance data of influenza⁃like cases (ILI) in Anhui province from 2018 to 2023 were collected by " China influenza surveillance information system" , and the data were analyzed using Excel 2019 and SPSS 25. 0.@*Results @#From 2018 to 2023 , ILI% in Anhui province were 3. 74% , 4. 26% , 3. 53% , 4. 34% , 6. 80% , respectively. The positive rates of influenza virus were 14. 87% , 19. 98% , 0. 12% , 12. 39% and 24. 72% , respectively. There were significant differences in time distribution and age distribution of ILI% and influenza virus positive rates (P < 0. 001) . Influenza mainly occurred from December to March and from June to August in Anhui province. The positive rate of influenza virus detection was the highest among children under 15 years old , which was the main population of influenza cases. The outbreaks had mainly occurred in primary and secondary schools and childcare facilities.@*Conclusion@#There are two incidence peaks of influenza each year, one is in winter and spring , another one is in summer. From December to March , from June to August are the critical periods of influenza control and prevention. Children under 15 years old are the key groups and schools are the key places of influenza control and prevention. Continuous influenza surveillance can provide scientific basis for the prevention and control of influenza in Anhui province.

Associations between adverse childhood experiences and adulthood substance use among lesbians / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To investigate the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACE) and substance use behaviors among lesbians to provide a scientific basis for high-risk population identification and formulation of targeted intervention measures. Methods: Lesbians who participated in routine AIDS voluntary counseling, testing services, activities, and peer recommendations were recruited from July to December 2018, with the help of LesPark in Beijing. Convenient sampling method was used. Demographic characteristics, ACE, and substance use behaviors of subjects were investigated using an online platform powered by www.wjx.cn. Subsequently, the associations between ACE and adulthood substance use behaviors were evaluated using the logistic regression model. The SPSS 22.0 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 294 lesbians were recruited in the study, 81.3% (239/294) of them were lesbians, and 18.7% (55/294) were bisexuals. Besides, 55.8% (164/294) of subjects reported they had had ACE, with proportions of lesbians experiencing abuse, neglect, and family dysfunction as 33.3% (98/294), 24.5% (72/294), and 32.7% (96/294), respectively. 55.1% (162/294) of the lesbians reported they had smoked in the past 30 days, 11.2% (33/294) reported having drug-use behavior in the past three months, and 22.8% (67/294) claimed drinking alcohol weekly. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that lesbians with ACE were at high risks to smoke (OR=1.87, 95%CI: 1.13-3.08), drink (OR=2.13, 95%CI: 1.18-3.84), and use drugs (OR=3.33, 95%CI: 1.29-8.61) in adulthood. Moreover, lesbians with childhood family dysfunction were at higher risk of smoking cigarettes (OR=2.60, 95%CI: 1.46-4.62) and drinking alcohol (OR=2.65, 95%CI: 1.44-4.87). At the same time, those with abuse experience were at higher risk of drug use (OR=3.17, 95%CI: 1.26-7.96). Conclusions: Substance use behaviors, including cigarette smoking, drinking alcohol, and drugs use, were common among lesbians. Positive associations were found between ACE and adulthood substance use behaviors.

Clinical characteristics and prognosis of AIDS related lymphoma: An analysis of 84 cases / 中华临床感染病杂志

Objective:To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with AIDS-related lymphoma (ARL).Methods:The clinical data of 84 patients with ARL admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine from March 2013 to October 2021 were retrospectively reviewed, and the influencing factors for prognosis of patients were analyzed by Cox proportional risk regression model.Results:Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma accounted for 95.2% (80/84) of all cases; 52.3% (44/84) of the patients presented with B symptoms of lymphoma such as fever, night sweats, and weight loss, and 84.5% (71/84) of them were classified as stage Ⅲ~Ⅳ by Ann Arbor staging; 58.0% (47/81) patients had CD4 + T cell count ≤200/μL at baseline; 30 (35.7%) patients had pulmonary infection, 11 (13.1%) patients had digestive tract infection, and 21.4% (18/84) patients had sepsis. The 1-year survival rate of 84 patients was 70.2% (59/84). Multivariate Cox survival analysis showed that International prognostic index (IPI) score >3 ( HR=5.094, 95% CI 1.877-13.824, P=0.001) was an independent risk factors and rituximab treatment ( HR=0.354, 95% CI 0.152-0.823, P=0.016) was an independent protective factor for the prognosis of patients with ARL. Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of ARL are diverse, and it is often diagnosed in the late stage of the disease with adverse prognosis. IPI score and Rituximab treatment are key prognostic factors in patients with ARL.

CiteSpace-Based Visualization Analysis of Forensic Research in China from 2010 to 2019 / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To analyze the research status of forensic medicine in China from 2010 to 2019, obtain the development trend of forensic medicine and explore the hotspots and research frontiers.@*METHODS@#The forensic medical academic papers published on China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database from 2010 to 2019 were collected. CiteSpace 5.7.R1, an information visualization analysis software, was used to analyze publication organizations, authors, keywords, and other elements.@*RESULTS@#The majority of the research institutions were universities, provincial and ministerial scientific research and forensic institutions. Forensic pathology was still an important branch of forensic medicine and a popular research direction. The "polymorphism" and "Y chromosome" had been the research hotspots in recent years. "Medical damage" and "standard" were the most novel studies.@*CONCLUSIONS@#In order to provide scientific basis and research direction for forensic research, this paper analyzes the cooperation network, research hotspots and research innovation in forensic research.

Effects of sorafenib on hypoxia inducible factor-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor levels and recurrence in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with microvascular invasion / 中国基层医药

Objective:To investigate the effects of sorafenib on hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and recurrence in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with microvascular invasion.Methods:Ninety-two patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma who received treatment in Yiwu Central Hospital between November 2013 and November 2019 were included in this study. They were randomly assigned to undergo either conventional basic treatment (control group, n = 46) or conventional basic treatment and sorafenib treatment (study group, n = 46). Clinical efficacy, the incidence of adverse reactions and recurrence rate were compared between the two groups. Before and after treatment, HIF-1, alpha fetoprotein (AFP) and VEGF levels were also compared between the two groups. Results:After treatment, total effective rate in the study group was significantly higher than that in the control group [63.04% (29 /46) vs. 28.26% (13/46), χ2 = 11.215, P < 0.05]. After treatment, HIF-1, AFP and VEGF levels in each group were significantly lower than those before treatment (all P > 0.05). After treatment, HIF-1 [(165.23 ± 39.67) pg/mL], AFP [(109.16 ± 67.31) ng/mL] and VEGF [(297.28 ± 42.41) pg/mL] levels in the study group were significantly lower than those in the control group [(205.56 ± 40.23) pg/mL, (235.17 ± 106.41) ng/mL, (365.16 ± 40.91) pg/mL, t = 4.841, 6.788, 7.813, all P < 0.05]. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reactions between the two groups ( P > 0.05). Six-month follow-up revealed that the incidence of recurrence in the study group was significantly lower than that in the control group ( χ2 = 4.792, P < 0.05). Conclusion:Sorafenib can reduce the HIF-1, AFP and VEGF levels in patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma with microvascular invasion, improve the clinical efficacy, decrease the incidence of recurrence, but cannot increase the incidence of adverse reactions.

Research progress on HIV latency-reversing agents and its mechanism / 中华临床感染病杂志

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection causes severe systemic immune system damage and ultimately leads to patient death. Despite the success of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), which can effectively supress viral replication, there is currently no cure for HIV infection, which requires lifelong treatment. Due to the presence of HIV latent reservoir, the virus persists during antiretroviral treatment. "Shock and Kill" is currently one of the most recognized strategies for removing HIV latent reservoir. The solution is mainly to reactivate viral transcription by using latency-reversing agents (LRAs), which triggers cell lysis or immune-mediated clearance to kill the reactivated HIV infected cells and achieve functional cure. This article gives an overview of current research progress on HIV LRAs and their mechanism of action.

Selection and validation of reference genes for quantitative Real-time PCR analysis in Amana edulis / 中国中药杂志

Amana edulis is a traditional Chinese medicinal plant with low propagation coefficient. In recent years, the increasing demands of A. edulis lead to a shortage of its wild resources. In order to analyze the expression of related functional genes in A. edulis, the selection of suitable internal reference genes is crucial to improve the accuracy of experimental results. Eight genes(ACT, TUA, CYP, GAPDH, UBQ, UBI, EF1a, UBC)were chosen as candidate reference genes based on the RNA-Seq. Real-time fluorescence quantitative technique was used to detect the expression level of candidate internal reference genes in different organs(bulb, leaf, flo-wer) and stolons at different development stages of A. edulis. Then GeNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper softwares and RefFinder website were used for a comprehensive analysis of the expression stability of the candidate genes.The results showed that among the 8 candidate reference genes, the variation range of Ct value of UBC was the smallest, and the expression level was stable, which was suitable for an reference gene. GeNorm and NormFinder software analysis showed that UBC and UBI were the optimal reference genes. BestKeeper analysis showed that CYP and UBC expression were relatively stable. Comprehensive evaluation of RefFinder website showed that UBC and UBI were the most stable genes, and ACT displayed the lowest stability in all software evaluation, indicating UBC and UBI were suitable for reference genes. Additionally, the most stable UBC, UBI and the most unstable ACT were used as internal reference genes to detect the expression of GBSS gene in A. edulis, and expression pattern of GBSS gene was the same under the calibration of UBC and UBI. The expression data of GBSS gene confirmed that UBC and UBI genes were reliable for A. edulis qRT-PCR as internal reference genes. The results would benefit future studies on related gene expression of A. edulis.

Protective effects of aqueous extracts from Sedum sarmentosum growing under different light intensity on CCl_4-induced damage in HepG2 cells / 中国中药杂志

To explore the effect of light intensity in cultivating environment on the hepetoprotective activity of Sedum sarmentosum, S. sarmentosum were planted under five water treatments for 60 days, namely 100% full sunlight(G1), 77% full sunlight(G2), 60% full sunlight(G3), 38% full sunlight(G4), and 16% full sunlight(G5) and CCl_4 drug-induced liver injury model in vitro was used. Cell viability, cell cycle, and cell apoptosis were individually detected by MTT, PI single staining, and Annexin-V FITC/PI double staining assays. Additionally, ALT, AST and antioxidant index in supernatant were determined by colorimetry. And the relationship among the protective effects, chemical composition and antioxidant activity were also analyzed. The results showed that S. sarmentosum aqueous extract could significantly improve the HepG2 cell viability. Among the five S. sarmentosum groups, the cell viability of G1(100% full sunlight) treatment was the highest, and the cell apoptosis was the least. Meanwhile, the level of ALT, AST, and MDA in G1 was the lowest, but it achieved the highest level of SOD and GSH. Moderate light shading(60% full light) also improved the effect of protecting liver and reducing the enzyme. It was found that cell viability was positively correlated with ferricion reducing capacity. ALT activity was positively correlated with isorhamnetin content. Taken together, different light intensity had great influence on hepatoprotective effect of S. sarmentosum, which may be related to its antioxidant capacity. From the perspective of hepetoprotective activity, S. sarmentosum should be planted under full light.

The therapeutics and management of cryptococcus-related immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome in AIDS patients / 中华临床感染病杂志

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) can cause various opportunistic infections clinically due to severe defects in the body’s cellular immune function. Cryptococcosis is a common serious opportunistic infection in AIDS patients. With the promotion and popularization of high activity antiretroviral therapy (HAART) programs worldwide, the mortality rate of AIDS-related cryptococcosis has been significantly decreased. After initiating antiviral therapy, some patients experienced recurrence and aggravation of clinical symptoms during anti-cryptococcal treatment. The body has an inflammatory response to the excessive immune regulation of cryptococcal antigens, which is called cryptococcus-related immune reconstitution inflammatory syndrome (C-IRIS). C-IRIS seriously affects the quality of life and prognosis of patients. This article reviews the clinical features, pathogenesis and the latest treatment and management strategies of C-IRIS in AIDS patients.

Effect of alogliptin on bone loss in ovariectomized mice / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

Objective:To investigate the effect of alogliptin on bone loss in ovariectomized(OVX)mice.Methods:For animal experiments, thirty 8-week-old C57BL/6J female mice were divided into Sham group, OVX group, and OVX+ alogliptin group. OVX+ alogliptin group were administered with alogliptin in a dosage of 20 mg·kg -1·d -1 by gavage, Sham and OVX groups with equivalent saline. After 12 weeks intervention, serum bone anabolism indicators were detected, and Micro CT and HE staining were used to observe and analyze the bone trabecular structure of femur and tibia in mice. For in vitro experiments, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs)were incubated with 100 μmol/L alogliptin for osteoblast differentiation. Alkaline phosphatase(ALP)and alizarin red S staining were used to determine the ALP activity and mineralization after osteogenic induction and culture. Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and Western blot were used to detect mRNA and protein expressions of osteoblast related genes. Results:Alogliptin intervention improved the biochemical indexes of bone anabolism and protected against bone microstructure deterioration to alleviate bone loss in OVX mice. Alogliptin stimulated osteoblast differentiation and elevated expression levels of Runt-related transcription factor 2(Runx2), ALP, osteocalcin, and osterix in in vitro experiments. Conclusion:Alogliptin can alleviate bone loss in OVX mice.

Cloning and expression of AeMYB4 gene related to stolon development of Amana edulis / 中国中药杂志

Stolon is an important organ for reproduction and regeneration of Amana edulis. Previous analysis of transcriptome showed that MYB was one of the most active transcription factor families during the development of A. edulis stolon. In order to study the possible role of MYB transcription factors in stolon development, the authors screened out an up-regulated MYB gene named AeMYB4 was by analyzing the expression profile of MYB transcription factors. In the present study, sequence analysis demonstrated that AeMYB4 contained an open reading frame of 756 bp encoding 251 amino acids, and domain analysis revealed that the predicted amino acids sequence contained two highly conserved SANT domains and binding sites for cold stress factor CBF. By multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis, it is indicated that AeMYB4 clustered with AtMYB15 from Arabidopsis thaliana, belonging to subgroup S2 of R2 R3-MYB. And most of the transcription factors in this subfamily are related to low temperature stress. The GFP-AeMYB4 fusion protein expression vector for subcellular localization was constructed and transferred into Agrobacterium tumefaciens to infect the leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana, and the results showed the protein was located in the nucleus. To investigate the transcriptional activation, the constructed pGBKT7-AeMYB4 fusion expression vector was transferred into Y2 H Gold yeast cells, which proved that AeMYB4 was a transcription activator with strong transcriptional activity. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to detect the expression of AeMYB4 gene in three different development stages of stolon and in leaves, flowers, and bulbs of A. edulis, which indicated that AeMYB4 transcription factor was tissue-specific in expression, mainly in the stolon development stage, and that the expression was the most active in the middle stage of stolon development, suggesting that AeMYB4 gene may play an important role in stolon development. This study contributes to the further research on the function of AeMYB4 transcription factor in stolon development of A. edulis.

Clinical significance of changes of inflammatory cytokines level in trauma patients / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical significance and underlying mechanism of changes in serum IL - 18 and IL - 1 beta after trauma.Methods:Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the levels of IL-18 and IL-1β in trauma patients and healthy controls. The differences in serum IL-18 and IL-1β levels were compared between the two groups, and the levels of IL-18 and IL-1β in the traumatic subgroups were further compared.Results:The serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 of trauma patients were 80±2.0 pg/mL and 27±3.0 pg/mL, respectively, which were significantly higher than those in healthy controls ( P < 0.01). Serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18 showed an upward trend on the 3rd day after trauma. There were also statistically significant differences within the trauma subgroups ( P < 0.01). Conclusions:The serum levels of IL-18 and IL-1β of post-traumatic patients are increased, indicating that NLRP3 inflammasomes are activated in peripheral blood cells in the early stage of trauma, which aggravates the inflammatory response. The AIS-ISS score is positively correlated with the expression levels of IL-18 and IL-1β in serum, indicating that the more severe the injury, the more severe the inflammatory response.

Efficacy and safety of the long-acting fusion inhibitor albuvirtide in antiretroviral-experienced adults with human immunodeficiency virus-1: interim analysis of the randomized, controlled, phase 3, non-inferiority TALENT study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Albuvirtide is a once-weekly injectable human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-1 fusion inhibitor. We present interim data for a phase 3 trial assessing the safety and efficacy of albuvirtide plus lopinavir-ritonavir in HIV-1-infected adults already treated with antiretroviral drugs.@*METHODS@#We carried out a 48-week, randomized, controlled, open-label non-inferiority trial at 12 sites in China. Adults on the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended first-line treatment for >6 months with a plasma viral load >1000 copies/mL were enrolled and randomly assigned (1:1) to receive albuvirtide (once weekly) plus ritonavir-boosted lopinavir (ABT group) or the WHO-recommended second-line treatment (NRTI group). The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients with a plasma viral load below 50 copies/mL at 48 weeks. Non-inferiority was prespecified with a margin of 12%.@*RESULTS@#At the time of analysis, week 24 data were available for 83 and 92 patients, and week 48 data were available for 46 and 50 patients in the albuvirtide and NRTI groups, respectively. At 48 weeks, 80.4% of patients in the ABT group and 66.0% of those in the NRTI group had HIV-1 RNA levels below 50 copies/mL, meeting the criteria for non-inferiority. For the per-protocol population, the superiority of albuvirtide over NRTI was demonstrated. The frequency of grade 3 to 4 adverse events was similar in the two groups; the most common adverse events were diarrhea, upper respiratory tract infections, and grade 3 to 4 increases in triglyceride concentration. Renal function was significantly more impaired at 12 weeks in the patients of the NRTI group who received tenofovir disoproxil fumarate than in those of the ABT group.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The TALENT study is the first phase 3 trial of an injectable long-acting HIV drug. This interim analysis indicates that once-weekly albuvirtide in combination with ritonavir-boosted lopinavir is well tolerated and non-inferior to the WHO-recommended second-line regimen in patients with first-line treatment failure.@*TRIAL REGISTRATION@#ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02369965; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov.Chinese Clinical Trial Registry No. ChiCTR-TRC-14004276; http://www.chictr.org.cn/enindex.aspx.

Safety of protease inhibitors and Arbidol for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Zhejiang Province, China / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety of an antiviral regimen of protease inhibitors combined with Arbidol (umifenovir) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pneumonia patients. The genomic sequence of SARS-CoV-2 is highly homologous to that of SARS-CoV (Zhou et al., 2020). Previously published basic and clinical research on anti-SARS-CoV treatment found that lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) could improve the prognosis of SARS patients (Chan et al., 2003; Chu et al., 2004). Darunavir (DRV) is another protease inhibitor that blocks the binding of SARS-CoV-2 to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (Omotuyi et al., 2020). The broad-spectrum antiviral drug Arbidol (umifenovir) also shows in vitro anti-SARS-CoV activity (Khamitov et al., 2008).

Diagnostic value and prognostic evaluation of presepsin for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) / 复旦学报（医学版）

Objective To assess the diagnostic and prognostic value of measuring presepsin in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).Methods Plasma prsepsin was collected from 81 patients with ARDS,27 patients with cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE) and 20 healthy volunteers at enrollment.Levels of presepsin were measured using the PATHFAST(R) analysis system based on a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA).The differences of plasma prsepsin were compared between different groups.The 28-day mortality were followed in ARDS patients,and the characteristics of the surviors and non-surviors were compared.Results ARDS patients had significantly higher median levels of presepsin compared to CPE patients [926.89 (485.41-2 662.32)pg/mL vs.376.21 (247.16-568.52) pg/mL,P＜0.001] at enrollment.The difference between infected and non-infected ARDS patients did not showed statistical significance [(934.74 (456.44-3 322.51) pg/mL vs.798.12 (485.41-2 561.40) pg/mL,P--0.079).In ARDS patients,the presepsin levels of non-survivors was significantly higher than that of survivors [3 158.3 (963.91-4 489.33) pg/mL vs.729.09 (398.05-1 467.24) pg/mL,P＜0.001],and multivariate Logistic regression showed that presepsin (OR =1.51,P =0.027) was the independent predictor for 28-day mortality in ARDS patients with acute lung injury (ALI).Conclusions Presepsin was an effective indicator in diagnosing ARDS,and it also was a strong prognostic marker for short-term mortality in ARDS.

Application of ITS2 secondary structure phylogenetic information in DNA barcode identification of Chrysanthemum indicum and its related plants / 中国中药杂志

By exploring additional phylogenetic information hidden in ITS2 secondary structure,the possibility of identifying Chrysanthemum indicum and its related species with DNA barcode of ITS2 nucleic acid sequence and its structure information were discussed.The genomic DNA was extracted from 12 samples. The ITS2 fragments were amplified by PCR and sequenced bidirectionally to obtain ITS2 sequence information. 28 sequences of related species for Ch. indicum were downloaded from Gen Bank. Until all 40 ITS2 sequences were aligned,ITS2 secondary structure prediction and structure comparison were finished. Then ITS2 secondary structure information was coded. After comparing ITS2 structure information and nucleic acid information,MP phylogenetic trees were built. The results showed that the secondary structures of ITS2 shared the same structure model--a four-fingered hand. They not only have the common characteristics of ITS2 secondary structures in plants,but also have many other conservative sequences,and their overall conservativeness is high. Among all species used in this study,their ITS2 secondary structures had obvious difference. In addition,the number of mutation sites in the joint matrix compared with the nucleic acid sequences increased by nearly 90%,which greatly enriched the number of mutation sites. This method of information analysis distinguished Ch. indicum from its related species. At the same time,the support rate of the branches of evolutionary trees and the identification rate of species were significantly improved. Although there was no distinction between Ch. zawadskii and Ch. morifolium,it effectively distinguished the three species,namely,Ch. hypargyrum,Ch.oreastrum,and Ch. dichrum. Therefore,the authors suggest that the ITS2 sequence combined with its structural data information should be applied to the identification of Ch. indicum and its related species,and be widely applied to DNA barcode research.