Ultra-High-Resolution CT Follow-Up in Patients with Imported Early-Stage Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Related Pneumonia

BackgroundAn ongoing outbreak of mystery pneumonia in Wuhan was caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The infectious disease has spread globally and become a major threat to public health. PurposeWe aim to investigate the ultra-high-resolution CT (UHR-CT) findings of imported COVID-19 related pneumonia from the initial diagnosis to early-phase follow-up. MethodsThis retrospective study included confirmed cases with early-stage COVID-19 related pneumonia imported from the epicenter. Initial and early-phase follow-up UHR-CT scans (within 5 days) were reviewed for characterizing the radiological findings. The normalized total volumes of ground-glass opacities (GGOs) and consolidations were calculated and compared during the radiological follow-up by artificial-intelligence-based methods. ResultsEleven patients (3 males and 8 females, aged 32-74 years) with confirmed COVID-19 were evaluated. Subpleural GGOs with inter/intralobular septal thickening were typical imaging findings. Other diagnostic CT features included distinct margins (8/11, 73%), pleural retraction or thickening (7/11, 64%), intralesional vasodilatation (6/11, 55%). Normalized volumes of pulmonary GGOs (p=0.003) and consolidations (p=0.003) significantly increased during the CT follow-up. ConclusionsThe abnormalities of GGOs with peripleural distribution, consolidated areas, septal thickening, pleural involvement and intralesional vasodilatation on UHR-CT indicate the diagnosis of COVID-19. COVID-19 cases could manifest significantly progressed GGOs and consolidations with increased volume during the early-phase CT follow-up.

Pharmacodynamic study of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate in HBV transgenic mouse model / 中国药科大学学报

@#This study aims to discuss the therapeutic effect of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate on hepatitis B virus(HBV)transgenic mouse and its effect on cellular immunity and liver inflammation. The changes of serum aspartate aminotransferase(AST)and alanine aminotransferase(ALT)activity, the difference of serum hepatitis B surface antigen(HBsAg), liver tissue HBsAg mRNA, and the pathological morphological changes of liver tissue were detected to investigate the hepatic inflammatory lesions and the efficacy of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate in HBV transgenic mouse. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were classified by flow cytometry, and serum cytokines were detected by cytometric bead array(CBA)to explore the mechanism of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate to reduce hepatic inflammatory lesions in HBV transgenic mouse. After grouping HBV transgenic mouse with serum transaminase activity and 35 days of continuous administration, serum transaminases level in magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate ［15 mg/(kg ·d)］ group was significantly lower than that in control group(P< 0. 05), serum HBsAg protein and liver tissue HBsAg mRNA increased with time, but there was no significant difference between the two groups. The main pathological changes of liver were liver cell swelling, necrosis and focal inflammatory cell infiltration, and the pathological changes of liver in magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate group were lighter than those in control group. The number of CD8+ cells in the blood of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate group was significantly less than that in the control group(P< 0. 05)and the CD4+/CD8+ cell ratio was significantly higher than that in the control group(P< 0. 05). The content of inflammatory cytokines in serum of magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate group decreased significantly(P< 0. 05). Magnesium isoglycyrrhizinate can regulate the immune function of HBV transgenic mouse, decrease the infiltration of inflammatory cells in hepatic tissue and hepatocyte injury, but do not affect the expression of hepatocyte HBsAg.

Advances in the application of duck hepatitis B animal model in pharmaceutical field / 中国药科大学学报

@#The genome, replication mode and nosogenesis of duck hepatitis B virus are similar to those of human hepatitis B virus. In addition, the natural host of duck hepatitis B virus is readily available, cheap and has a high success rate of infection. Therefore, duck hepatitis B virus-infected models have been widely used for drug screening, pharmacological and pathological studies. For drug screening, the model is easy to obtain with high infection success rate and good stability. In the pharmacological research, the model can maintain high levels of viral DNA replication in the hepatocytes and exhibit significant damaged liver phenotypes which can reflect the pharmacological effects of drugs with different mechanisms. Also in the pathologic mechanisms research, the model has entire virus life cycle and maintains a pool of covalent closed-loop DNA in the hepatocytes, which can help scientific researchers better understand human hepatitis B virus. This article reviews the applications of duck hepatitis B animal model in drug screening, pharmacological and pathological studies, also outlooks the application prospect of this model.

The Effect of Sub-glottal Convergence Angle on the Degree of Glottal Closure / 听力学及言语疾病杂志

Objective To study the effect of sub-glottal convergence angle on the degree of glottal closure, and to analyze the potential mechanism of dysphonia by the incomplete glottal closure.Methods Three vocal fold positions (adduction, intermediate and abduction) were evaluated by the degree of glottal closure, and divided into three groups.The neck CT images of the subjects were gathered.The vocal folds were adduction group when the normal subjects made a sustaining phonation /i:/ during CT scanning;the vocal folds were abduction group when the normal subjects made a deep breathing during CT scanning, and the unilateral vocal folds were incomplete closing group when the unilateral vocal fold paralysis subjects made a deep breathing during CT scanning.3D models of the vocal folds and the airway were reconstructed using Mimics software, through which the sub-glottal convergence angle was measured.Using one-way factor analysis of variance, we compared the angle among three groups.Results The angle changed with degree of glottal closure, with statistically significant differences among the three groups(P<0.01).The means of the angle in three groups were 33.49°±3.75°, 55.03°±2.61° and 75.02°±7.32°.Conclusion The 3D model generation from CT data is an effective method of measuring the sub-glottal convergence angle, while the angle changes with the degree of glottis closure.The angle may affect sub-glottal pressure distribution in the sub-glottal shear or normal direction and influence vocal fold vibration, which would make vibration and vocal fold mucosal wave generation more difficult, and might cause dysphonia.

Mental health, personality, and parental rearing styles of adolescents with Internet addiction disorder.

The objectives of this study were to compare the personality profiles of adolescent males with and without Internet addiction disorder (IAD), and to determine if IAD is associated with specific parental rearing behaviors. A total of 304 subjects (204 IAD positive and 100 IAD negative controls) completed three instruments: Symptom Checklist-90-revision (SCL-90-R), Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised (EPQ-R), and Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran--'My Memories of Upbringing' (EMBU). SCL-90-R profiles of adolescents with IAD revealed comparatively higher mean scores for all of the nine domains, and significantly higher scores for obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, and paranoid ideation; the mean global symptom index of adolescents with IAD was also significantly higher by approximately 10%. EPQ profiles of adolescents with IAD showed that Internet-dependent individuals tended to exhibit a significantly lower degree of extraversion and a significantly higher degree of psychoticism when compared with the control group. EMBU profiles revealed that adolescents with IAD generally rated both maternal and paternal rearing practices as lacking in emotional warmth, being over-involved, rejecting, and punitive (mothers only). The results of this study confirm that IAD often occurs concurrently with mental symptoms and personality traits such as introversion and psychoticism. Adolescents with IAD consistently rated parental rearing behaviors as being over-intrusive, punitive, and lacking in responsiveness. These findings suggest that the influences of parenting style and family function are important factors in the development of Internet dependency.

A proposed criterion for clinical diagnosis of internet addiction / 解放军医学杂志

Objective To establish a clinical diagnostic criterion(referred as criterion hereinafter) for patients with social dysfunction and abnormal mental behaviors caused by internet addiction,so as to provide guidance in future mechanism study,treatment and prevention for such disorder.Methods A rough draft of symptom parameters was used to evaluate the symptoms among the patients with a chief complaint of wallowing in internet which caused damned influence on study,work and interpersonal communication.The 1st draft of the criteria was drawn up according to the incidence and correlation of the symptoms.408 patients with internet addiction(IA) diagnosed according to the 1st draft were followed up for 12 months after being discharged from hospital,and the diagnostic coincidence and recurrence rate were calculated and analyzed,based on which the 1st draft was then revised and the 2nd draft was established.Clinical tests were performed on 150 patients with the same chief complaints by psychiatrists from many mental hospitals in China.Descriptions in the 2nd draft were not modified based on the test findings and the final draft was formulated.Results The proposed criterion for IA symptom included the following 7 items: ① craving for using internet;② withdrawal reactions after internet use reduced or stopped;③ tolerance;④ unable to control the intention of using internet;⑤ regardless of hazardous consequences;⑥ pay no attention to other activities;and ⑦ avoidance or alleviation of unhealthy emotions.Items ① and ② combined with any one of the remains made the final diagnosis of IA.The criterion for illness duration was suggested as greater than or equal to 6 hours of continuous internet use one day in average and 3 months at least after meeting the criteria for IA symptom.It was found by following-up that one year recurrence rate among the discharged patients from hospital was 70.6%,and the diagnostic coincidence was 96.1%.The diagnostic consistency on symptom evaluation between two psychiatric raters was 89.3%-98.0%(Kappa 0.73-0.87,P