Establishment and preliminary application of quantitative real-time PCR assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic nucleocapsid RNA / 中华预防医学杂志

Objective: To establish a rapid and specific quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) method for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic nucleocapsid RNA (SgN) in patients with COVID-19 or environmental samples. Methods: The qPCR assay was established by designing specific primers and TaqMan probe based on the SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequence in Global Initiative of Sharing All Influenza Data (GISAID) database. The reaction conditions were optimized by using different annealing temperature, different primers and probe concentrations and the standard curve was established. Further, the specificity, sensitivity and repeatability were also assessed. The established SgN and genomic RNA (gRNA) qPCR assays were both applied to detect 21 environmental samples and 351 clinical samples containing 48 recovered patients. In the specimens with both positive gRNA and positive SgN, 25 specimens were inoculated on cells. Results: The primers and probes of SgN had good specificity for SARS-CoV-2. The minimum detection limit of the preliminarily established qPCR detection method for SgN was 1.5×102 copies/ml, with a coefficient of variation less than 1%. The positive rate of gRNA in 372 samples was 97.04% (361/372). The positive rates of SgN in positive environmental samples and positive clinical samples were 36.84% (7/19) and 49.42% (169/342), respectively. The positive rate and copy number of SgN in Wild strain were lower than those of SARS-CoV-2 Delta strain. Among the 25 SgN positive samples, 12 samples within 5 days of sampling time were all isolated with virus; 13 samples sampled for more than 12 days had no cytopathic effect. Conclusion: A qPCR method for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 SgN has been successfully established. The sensitivity, specificity and repeatability of this method are good.

Dermatomyositis with kidney neoplasm: two cases report and literature review / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and treatment of dermatomyositis with kidney neoplasm.Methods:The data of two patients with dermatomyositis complicated with kidney neoplasm in Tongji Hospital from January to February 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. The first case was a 55-year-old female, who was admitted with the chief complaints of recurrent erythema of upper extremities for 2 months and facial erythema for 1 month. Physical examination: erythema can be seen on upper limbs and face, no tenderness or percussion pain in kidney area. Myositis enzyme profile test showed that anti-Mi-2 antibody and anti-SSA /Ro-52 antibody were positive. Contrast CT showed nodular uneven enhancement in the right kidney with a size of 50 mm×41 mm. The second case was a 58-year-old female, who was admitted with the chief complaints of kidney occupying for a month. Physical examination: flaky erythema on face, no tenderness or percussion pain in kidney area. Myositis enzyme profile test showed that anti-Ro-52 antibody and anti-MDA5 antibody were positive. Contrast CT showed a significantly uneven enhanced mass with a size of about 50 mm×41 mm on left kidney. Both patients were diagnosed with kidney neoplasm before surgery and underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy in Tongji Hospital.Results:Both patients received regular oral prednisone after surgery. The pathological presentation of case 1 was papillary renal cell carcinoma, the facial erythema subsided 1 month after surgery, and there was no tumor recurrence for 13 months. The pathological presentation of case 2 was clear cell renal cell carcinoma, facial erythema subsided 2 weeks after surgery, and there was no tumor recurrence for 12 months.Conclusions:The diagnosis of dermatomyositis should be combined with clinical manifestations and laboratory examination, and the possibility of malignant tumor should be excluded due to the high likelihood of concomitant malignancy. For patients with dermatomyositis with kidney neoplasm, the main treatment is still surgery, and supplemented with glucocorticoid therapy.

Research progress in 2023 ASCO-GU prostate cancer / 现代泌尿外科杂志

The 2023 American Society of Clinical Oncology Genitourinary Cancers Symposium unveiled numerous research advances which provide meaningful insights into the selection of treatment regimens of prostate cancer. Precision multi-treatment based on patients’ characteristics has become the predominant approach, including the use of a three-drug combination therapy for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, and poly adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase inhibitor therapy for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Nuclear medicine therapy and radiotherapy are also receiving significant attention. Integrated nuclear medicine diagnosis and therapy show immense potential for non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Additionally, for localized prostate cancer, stereotactic body radiotherapy is a preferred alternative to surgery. This article sheds light on several key studies presented at the conference, focuses on prostate cancer treatment at different stages, and intends to enhance the therapeutic outcome for prostate cancer patients.

[Temporal and Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Difference Analysis of Chromophoric Dissolved Organic Matter in Sediment Interstitial Water from Gangnan Reservoir].

The chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), the main component of dissolved organic matter, affects the morphological characteristics, migration, and conversion of pollutants in water. Based on UV-vis spectra and excitation emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMs) combined with the parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), the spatial distribution and spectral characteristics were investigated and source analysis of CDOM was performed. Thus, the spatiotemporal differences in the CDOM in Gangnan Reservoir were analyzed. Results showed that a254, a260, a280, and a355 exhibited significant seasonal differences in Gangnan Reservoir, and the order of CDOM concentrations was summer > spring > autumn > winter. There are significant seasonal differences in the E2/E3, E3/E4, E4/E6, and SR of interstitial water CDOM. The concentrations of E2/E3, E3/E4, E4/E6, and SR were high in winter and low in summer. E2/E3 and E3/E4 in autumn and winter were significantly higher than those in spring and summer, and the E3/E4 in autumn and winter was greater than 3.5, which indicates that the CDOM of the autumn and winter sediments has a smaller molecular weight and a lower degree of humification. Protein-like substances (C1), short-wave fulvic acid (C2), and degraded humic substances (C3) were identified by the PARAFAC model, and there was a significant positive correlation among the three fluorescent components (P<0.001). The total fluorescence intensity of CDOM and the fluorescence intensity of each fluorescent component show significant seasonal differences. The total fluorescence intensity and the fluorescence intensity of each component show the highest levels in spring, followed by autumn and winter, and the lowest levels in summer. The proportion of each fluorescent component in autumn and winter and that of each fluorescent component in spring and summer showed no significant difference. There was a significant difference in the proportion of each fluorescent component between autumn/winter and spring/summer. The BIX and FI of CDOM for autumn and winter were higher than those for spring and summer, indicating that the autogenous source of CDOM in autumn and winter is stronger than that in spring and summer, which was consistent with the result of HIX. PCA and Adonis analysis showed that the spectral characteristics of CDOM exhibited obvious seasonal differences (P<0.001). Moreover, the C1, C2, and C3 and water quality parameters (NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, TDN, and TDP) exhibited significant correlation based on linear regression. The results could provide technical support for the control of organic carbon pollution sources and water quality management in Gangnan Reservoir.

[Spatial Distribution Characteristics and Driving Factors of Aerobic Denitrification Bacterial Community Structure from Baiyangdian Lake in Xiong'an New Area During the Winter Freezing Period].

To isolate the aerobic denitrification bacteria suitable for water quality in the low-temperature period of Baiyangdian Lake, a water quality investigation and bioinformatics analysis of the aerobic denitrification bacterial community were carried out using a MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technique based on napA. Moreover, α-diversity, ß-diversity, and network analyses were also carried out. The results showed significant differences in the water quality of different sampling sites in Baiyangdian Lake, and the estuary area exhibited the highest nitrogen concentration. α-diversity exhibited significant differences (P<0.05), and the abundance and diversity of ZZD and BH were the lowest. The operational taxonomic units of the water body mainly belonged to Proteobacteria (α-Proteobacteria, ß-Proteobacteria, and γ-Proteobacteria). Meanwhile, Venn diagram analysis indicated the community of aerobic denitrification bacteria exhibited significant differences, and variance inflation factor and redundancy analysis showed that temperature, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, nitrate, dissolved total phosphorus, and redox potential were the main environmental factors. Network analysis showed that symbiotic relationships accounted for a major proportion of the microbial network. Mantel test analysis shows that temperature, redox potential, nitrate, ammonia, dissolved total phosphorus, and iron and manganese are the key factors affecting the evolution of modular community structure. From all the results, the MiSeq high-throughput sequencing technique based on the napA gene was an effective tool to explore the changes of aerobic denitrification bacterial community structure, which could supply a reference to isolate the "directional-accurate-efficient" aerobic denitrification bacterial agent in the future.

Analytical capabilities of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) and its potential applications in medicinal plants / 药学学报

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI), as a label-free imaging technique with high coverage and sensitivity is widely used for visualizing the spatial distribution of proteins, peptides and small metabolites in tissues. With the development of MALDI technique, MALDI-MSI is also employed to monitor the spatial distribution of phytochemical constituents of medicinal plants. In this review, we first briefly introduce MALDI-MSI technique, and we focus on its application in the spatial distribution and accumulation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. The ultimate advantage of using MALDI-MSI for spatial distribution analysis at the molecular level, offers crucial evidence of synthesis, transfer and accumulation of bioactive molecules in medicinal plants.

Assessment of the ABC/2 Method of Epidural Hematoma Volume Measurement as Compared to Computer-Assisted Planimetric Analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Epidural hematoma volume (EDHV) is an independent predictor of prognosis in patients with epidural hematoma (EDH) and plays a central role in treatment decision making. This study's objective was to determine the accuracy and reliability of the widely used volume measurement method ABC/2 in estimating EDHV by comparing it to the computer-assisted planimetric method. METHODS: A data set of computerized tomography (CT) scans of 35 patients with EDH was evaluated to determine the accuracy of ABC/2 method, using computer-assisted planimetric technique to establish the reference criterion of EDHV for each patient. Another data set was constructed by randomly selecting 5 patients then replicating each case twice to yield 15 patients. Intra- and interobserver reliability were evaluated by asking four observers to independently estimate EDHV for the latter data set using the ABC/2 method. RESULTS: Estimation of EDHV using the ABC/2 method showed high intra- and interobserver reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient = .99). These estimates were closely correlated with planimetric measures (r = .99). But the ABC/2 method generally overestimated EDHV, especially in the nonellipsoid-like group. The difference between the ABC/2 measures and planimetric measures was statistically significant (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The ABC/2 method could be used for EDHV measurement, which would contribute to treatment decision making as well as clinical outcome prediction. However, clinicians should be aware that the ABC/2 method results in a general volume overestimation. Future studies focusing on justification of the technique to improve its accuracy would be of practical value.

Recent advances in study of long β2-adrenoceptor agonist / 药学学报

β2-Adrenoceptor agonists are highly effective bronchodilators and are widely used in the treatment of both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. In the last 15 years, there has been great interest within the pharmaceutical industry in the discovery of a long β2-adrenoceptor agonist for a mono-therapy or combination therapy. The search for new long-acting β2-adrenoreceptor agonists (LABA's), for the treatment of asthma and COPD, has become a very active area of drug discovery. This article reviews the mechanisms, potential candidates and research advances of long β2-adrenoceptor agonists.

Analysis of Drug Repercussion in Outpatient Pharmacy in West Branch of One Hospital during 2013-2015 / 中国药师

Objective:To summarize the drug repercussion data in outpatient pharmacy and analyze the reasons to provide sugges-tions for the improvement. Methods: The information was collected from the hospital information system ( HIS) during January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015, including drug name, category, quantity, amount, reasons for drug repercussion and the other statisti-cal data. Results:During the three years, the number of prescription drugs, amount of money and varieties of drug repercussion were increased. The most common reasons for drug repercussion were the other reasons, withdrawn by doctors and the request of patients. The sum of drug repercussion was positively correlated with the drug price and the amount of drug repercussion. Conclusion:The op-tion simplicity for drug repercussion in HIS is the main reason for drug repercussion bythe other reasons. The occurrence of drug re-percussion should be intervened by such methods as gradually improving the HIS, establishing intervention measures, enhancing the professional quality of pharmacists and so on.

The Interaction Between MiR-141 and lncRNA-H19 in Regulating Cell Proliferation and Migration in Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Non-coding RNAs including miRNA and lncRNA had been reported to regulate gene expression and were both related to cancer progression. MicroRNA-141 (miR-141) has been reported to play a role in the epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) process and H19 has also been demonstrated to promote malignancy in various cancers. We aimed to determine the correlation between miR-141 and H19 and their roles in gastric cancer in this study. METHODS: H19 and miR-141 expression were detected by qRT-PCR. By bioinformatic analysis and luciferase assay we examined the correlation between H19 and miR-141 in vitro. RESULTS: H19 expression was found to be inversely correlated to miR-141 expression in gastric cancer cells and tissues. H19 promotes malignancy including proliferation and invasion whereas miR-141 suppresses malignancy in human cancer cells. MiR-141 binds to H19 in a sequence specific manner, and suppresses H19 expression and functions including proliferation and invasion. MiR-141 could also regulate H19 target genes and miR-141 inhibitor restores H19 siRNA function, while H19 regulates miR-141 target gene ZEB1. CONCLUSION: These results were the first to demonstrate that H19 and miR-141 could compete with each other and affect their target genes in gastric cancer, which provide important clues for understanding the key roles of lncRNA-miRNA functional network in cancer.

Research progress in mitochondria-targeted antioxidants / 药学实践杂志

Mitochondria are the main places of cellular respiration as well as the citric acid cycle and oxidative phospho‐rylation .It plays an important role in controlling the life and death of cells .Mitochondrial dysfunction leads to a series of human diseases such as ischemia‐reperfusion injury ,sepsis and diabetes .Mitochondrial become an attractive target for drug transporters strategy and therapeutic targets for neurodegeneration .Although the molecular mechanisms responsible for mitochondria media‐ted disease processes are not fully elucidated yet ,the oxidative stress appears to be critical .Accordingly ,strategies are being de‐veloped for the targeted delivery of antioxidants to mitochondria .The prospect of development of mitochondrial targeted drugs with anti‐oxidative stress protection is tempting .Mitochondrial targeting antioxidants were the antioxidant drugs which took mi‐tochondria as the target site .In this review ,weintroduced the conception and classification of mitochondrial targeted antioxidants and the research progress of disease treatment by mitochondrial targeted antioxidants .

Improvement Effect of Smart Drug Shelves on Service Process in Outpatient Pharmacy of West Hospital of Our Hospital / 中国药师

Objective:To analyze the improvement effect of smart drugs shelves on the service process in the outpatient pharmacy and to provide supporting data for the new service process. Methods:The dispensing time of pharmacists and the waiting time of pa-tients were studied and compared before and after the use of smart drugs shelves. Results: After the use of smart drugs shelves, 71. 52% of dispensing time was in 5min, and more than 95% was in 10min. In the 9 periods, the medians of patient waiting time on Oct 21, 2013 were all shorter than those on Oct 18, 2010. Conclusion:The use of smart drugs shelves can improve service efficiency, shorten patient waiting time and enhance service level of outpatient pharmacy.