Optimizing diagnostic strategy for novel coronavirus pneumonia, a multi-center study in Eastern China

COVID-19 caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 emerged in Wuhan, Hubei province since December 2019, and caused a rapid outbreak throughout China and globally. Cities outside Hubei are also facing great challenge and require implementing of effective and feasible strategy in precision diagnosing novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP). We described a multicenter prospective study on diagnostic strategy of suspected NCP patients from January 22nd to February 9th, 2020 in Eastern China cities. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from the patients. The epidemiological characteristics, clinical symptoms, laboratory assessments, and computed tomographic (CT) scans were obtained. Pathogen screen were performed including RT-PCR, multiplex PCR, rapid flu antigen tests and mNGS. We enrolled 53 suspected NCP patients, among whom 20 were laboratory-confirmed. Fourteen (70%) and 3 (15%) patients were positive for the first and second SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test, respectively. All NCP patients were positive for mNGS. Chest CT images and the symptoms of early stage NCP patients were similar to other viral pneumonia patients. We identified 11 of 20 co-infections in NCP cases, including regular respiratory virus, fungi and bacteria synchronously. Genomic analysis showed that 8 of 10 cases had no mutation in virus genome, while 2 cases had only one single mutation in N gene. Our study discovered that a combination of chest CT, SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR and multi-plex PCR is recommended in regions outside Hubei province. Co-infection of other pathogens with SARS-CoV-2 exists and should be acknowledged. Repeated sampling, change of specimen type or metagenomics sequencing could further facilitate during critical clinical cases.

Bioimpedance and NIR for Non-invasive Assessment of Blood Glucose.

Sixteen volunteers each drank 700 ml sugar-containing soft drink during two successive periods and the blood sugar was measured at 10 min intervals together with electrical impedance spectroscopy and near infrared spectroscopy (NIR). A maximum correlation of 0.46 was found for the electrical measurements but no clear separation between low and high blood glucose levels were found in the NIR measurements. The latter was attributed to the experimental design where the NIR probe was removed from the skin between each measurement.

Ophiopogonin D inhibits cell proliferation, causes cell cycle arrest at G2/M, and induces apoptosis in human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells / 中西医结合学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of ophiopogonin D on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Cell viability was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and colony formation experiments. Cell cycle was measured with cell cycle flow cytometry and a living cell assay. Apoptosis and terminal deoxynucleoitidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assays were performed to detect the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells induced by ophiopogonin D. Finally, Western blotting was used to explore the mechanism.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Exposure of cells to ophiopogonin D resulted in marked decreases in viable cells and colony formation with a dose-dependent manner. Treatment of these cells with ophiopogonin D also resulted in cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase, and increased apoptosis. Mechanistically, ophiopogonin D-induced G(2)/M cell cycle arrest was associated with down-regulation of cyclin B1. Furthermore, activation of caspase-8 and caspase-9 was involved in ophiopogonin D-induced apoptosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The data suggested that ophiopogonin D inhibits MCF-7 cell growth via the induction of cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M phase.</p>

Data processing and analysis of the imaging Thomson scattering diagnostic system on HT-7 tokamak.

A high spatial resolution imaging Thomson scattering diagnostic system was developed in ASIPP (Institute of Plasma Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences). After about one month trial running on the superconducting HT-7 (Hefei Tokamak-7) tokamak, the system was proved to be capable of measuring plasma electron temperature. The system setup and data calibration are described in this paper and then the instrument function is studied in detail, as well as the measurement capability, an electron temperature of 50 eV to 2 keV and density beyond 1 × 10(19) m(-3). Finally, the data processing method and experimental results are presented.

Administrative internship for training medical students of comprehensive quality / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Medical postgraduates are the future core force of clinical diagnosis and treatment,scientific research,education and sanitary administration.Therefore,to cultivate qualified professionals,the key of contemporary medical postgraduate education is to pay more attention to comprehensive quality training in order to make students adapt to the continuous development of society and medical model.The First Clinical College in Wuhan University has implemented the hospital administration internship in combination with social needs and explored the education model of contemporary medical students with comprehensive quality.

Clinical analysis of 128 patients with the fever of unknown origin / 中华传染病杂志

Objective Analysis of the etiological factors and the diagnostic methods of fever of unknown origin(FUO)in order to avoid misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis.Methods One hundred and twenty-eight patients with FUO were collected from our hospital.Results A final diagnosis was established in 118(92.2%)patients by using serological methods,bacteriological methods,body fluid test,bone marrow examination,tissue biopsy and diagnositic therapy.Infection(62.5%),connective tissue diseases(16.1%),malignancies(11.0%)were found to be the common causes of the fever in these patients while infection was the main cause of FUO in our research.The major pathogens responsible for the infec tion was bacteria,followed by virus and tuberculosis.Adult Still's disease was the most common connective tissue diseases in these patients.Lymphoma,malignant histocytosis and leukemia were the main forms of malignancy.Conclusion Infectious diseases was the most common cause of FUO while connective tissue disease and malignant tumors are also important in the pathogenesis of FUO.

Expression of anti-HBc single-chain variable fragment mediated by recombinant replication defective adenovirus in vitro / 中华肝脏病杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVES</b>To define the expression of single-chain variable fragment (ScFv) against hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc) mediated by recombinant replication defective adenovirus carrying the anti-HBc ScFv gene in vitro and to define the activity of anti-HBc ScFv combining HBcAg.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The recombinant adenoviruses carrying anti-HBc ScFv gene generated by homologous recombination in bacteria and packaged in 293 cells were transfected into HepG2 cells, and the anti-HBc ScFv was detected using SDS-PAGE and Western blot.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Green fluorescent protein (GFP) was observed in HepG2 cells after the transfection. SDS-PAGE displayed a protein strap about 2.7 x 10(4), and the result of Western blot displayed a positive reactive strap.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Anti-HBc ScFv can be expressed in cells mediated by recombinant replication defective adenovirus carrying the anti-HBc ScFv gene.</p>

The analysis of epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 112 cases patients with adult-measles / 中华传染病杂志

Objective To analyze the clinical data of 112 patients with adult-measles in the Af- filiated Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital and Third People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University from January to June in 2005,and to evaluate the epidemiologieal and clinical characteristics of adult- measles.Methods To retrospectively analyze the clinical data of 112 patients with adult-measles. Results Totally,112 measles patients were involved in this study,with male 63 and female 49 re- spectively.The gender rate was 1.3:1,average age about 32 years and the proportion of non-resi- dents was 40.18%.The peak of the incidence of disease emerged in April and May,and the positive rate of measle virus IgM antibody in serum was 96.43%.There were 97 patients(86.61%)who had the fever that beyond 39℃and 36 patients(32.14%)who had measle caused viral hepatitis.Conclu- sions There is a trend that the ages of patients that suffered from measle were postponed and the in cidences of disease are increased year by year,which maybe related to the nonstandard inoculation of measle vaccine,or the decrease of IgM antibody levels and so on.Meanwhile,serious toxemie symp- toms and liver damage can be observed.