Future directions in managing aniridia-associated keratopathy

Congenital aniridia is a panocular disorder that is typically characterized by iris hypoplasia and aniridia-associated keratopathy (AAK). AAK results in the progressive loss of corneal transparency and thereby loss of vision. Currently, there is no approved therapy to delay or prevent its progression, and clinical management is challenging because of phenotypic variability and high risk of complications after interventions; however, new insights into the molecular pathogenesis of AAK may help improve its management. Here, we review the current understanding about the pathogenesis and management of AAK. We highlight the biological mechanisms involved in AAK development with the aim to develop future treatment options, including surgical, pharmacological, cell therapies, and gene therapies.     

医学期刊编辑对生物医学研究伦理问题的处理方式调研及建议

【目的】 探讨医学期刊编辑处理生物医学研究伦理问题的方式,为推动确立医学期刊伦理审查规范提供参考。【方法】 通过问卷星向国内医学期刊编辑发放调查问卷,对审稿时和论文出版后处理医学伦理相关问题的方式展开调研。【结果】 共回收问卷230份。调查显示:在审稿阶段,在保护患者隐私方面,英文期刊、中英双语期刊的编辑更注重要求作者提供授权同意相关证明材料;中、英文期刊以及中英双语期刊的编辑对涉及人体试验伦理问题的处理方式都比较规范。但是,对于研究是否获得患者知情同意、动物实验研究是否经过伦理委员会审查、回顾性研究是否需要伦理审查、涉及人的研究是否在临床试验注册中心注册等问题,编辑还需要进一步重视。在论文出版后,编辑发现的医学伦理问题主要是“涉及人的研究未说明是否经过伦理委员会审查”。对论文出版后发现的没有保护患者隐私和没有在临床试验注册中心注册的问题,大部分期刊缺乏相关处理方案。【结论】 编辑应加强对论文知情同意、动物实验伦理、回顾性研究伦理的审查,并审查涉及人的研究是否在临床试验注册中心注册,以推动我国医学期刊的高质量发展。     

Public Preferences for Policies to Promote COVID-19 Vaccination Uptake: A Discrete Choice Experiment in The Netherlands

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic forms an unprecedented public health, economic, and social crisis. Uptake of vaccination is critical for controlling the pandemic. Nevertheless, vaccination hesitancy is considerable, requiring policies to promote uptake. We investigate Dutch citizens’ preferences for policies that aim to promote vaccination through facilitating choice of vaccination, profiling it as the norm, making vaccination more attractive through rewards, or punishing people who reject vaccination.MethodsWe conducted a discrete choice experiment in which 747 respondents were asked to choose between policies to promote vaccination uptake and their impacts on the number of deaths, people with permanent health problems, households with income loss, and a tax increase.ResultsRespondents generally had a negative preference for policies that promote vaccination. They particularly disliked policies that punish those who reject the vaccine and were more favorable toward policies that reward vaccination, such as awarding additional rights to vaccinated individuals through vaccination passports. Respondents who reject vaccination were in general much more negative about the policy options than respondents who consider accepting the vaccine. Nevertheless, vaccination passports are supported by both respondents who accept the vaccine, those who reject vaccination, and those who are unsure about vaccination.ConclusionsThis study provides concrete directions for governments attempting to increase the vaccination uptake in ways that are supported by the public. Our results could encourage policy makers to focus on policy options that make vaccination easier and reward people who take the vaccine, as especially the implementation of vaccination passports was supported.     

p53基因突变与骨髓增殖性肿瘤临床特征及预后关系

探究p53 基因突变与骨髓增殖性肿瘤（MPN）临床特征及预后的关系。方法 选取2017年1月～2020年1月本院收治的MPN患者126例，二代测序法检测患者p53 基因突变情况。对患者进行随访，统计患者总生存（OS）时间和累计生存率；分析p53 基因突变对患者临床特征、预后的影响。结果 126例MPN患者中12例（9.52%）检出p53基因突变，突变主要位于4~8号外显子上，不同类型患者的p53 基因突变检出率比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）。p53突变组患者年龄大于p53 非突变组，WBC水平低于p53 非突变组（P＜0.05），两组患者的染色体核型、IPSS预后分层比较差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）；p53 非突变组患者的OS时间、累计生存率均明显高于p53突变组患者（P＜0.05）。结论 MPN患者p53 基因突变发生率较高，与患者年龄、WBC水平、异常核型及IPSS预后分层相关，p53 基因突变会影响患者的预后，可作为临床筛查预后不良高风险人群的客观指标。     

Left ventricular noncompaction associated with a pathogenic mutation in the MYH7 gene: Known mutation,different phenotype

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a genetically heterogeneous cardiomyopathy, with familial and sporadic forms, but genetic testing only identifies a pathogenic mutation in a minority of cases. The main complications are heart failure, embolism and dysrhythmias. Herein we report a familial case of LVNC associated with a mutation in the MYH7 gene and review the literature regarding controversies in LVNC. A 50-year-old woman was referred to the cardiology clinic for palpitations. She underwent echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging that revealed mild left ventricular systolic dysfunction and LVNC criteria. She had several episodes of non-sustained ventricular tachycardia and received an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD). Genetic testing revealed the c.1003G>C (p.Ala335Pro) mutation in the MYH7 gene. Familial screening showed clear genotype-phenotype cosegregation, which provided strong evidence for the pathogenic role of this mutation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of LVNC associated with the p.Ala335Pro mutation in the MYH7 gene. This mutation has been described in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, suggesting that the same pathogenic sarcomere mutation may be associated with different cardiomyopathies. This case also highlights the current difficulties regarding decisions on ICD implantation for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in LVNC.     

基于正交试验的肾造瘘管固定方案研究

目的 探讨基于正交试验的肾造瘘管不同固定方案的比较效果。方法 将14Fr硅胶肾造瘘管固定在聚乙烯展板和拉力显示器上，以固定材料、固定方法、面积为3个影响因素，每个因素3个水平，每组进行3次试验再求平均值作为最后拉力值F，共进行9个固定方案共27次试验。利用L9（33）正交试验矩阵研究不同材料（医用橡皮膏、医用透气胶带、医用无纺布胶带）、固定方法（交叉固定法、“工”字固定法和改良“工”字固定法）及面积(16 cm2、24 cm2、32 cm2）对肾造瘘管固定强度的影响。结果 正交试验所选的3种影响因素中，对拉力值影响显著性排序为：材料＞方法＞面积；3种固定材料中，医用橡皮膏固定强度最大。结论 肾造瘘管固定方案中，最佳固定组合为以医用橡皮膏结合改良“工”字法固定，可为临床管道固定方案的选择提供参考。     

菊花脑芳樟醇合酶基因CnTPS1的克隆与原核表达分析＊

目的 克隆菊花脑芳樟醇合酶基因CnTPS1的全长编码序列，利用原核系统表达融合蛋白，为进一步研究该基因在菊花脑萜类合成中的功能提供理论依据。方法 以菊花脑基因组数据为基础，设计特异性引物，PCR扩增CnTPS1的全长编码序列，利用生物信息学分析软件分析序列特征。利用qRT-PCR技术分析CnTPS1基因在不同组织中的基因表达量。构建原核表达载体，体外诱导目的蛋白表达。结果 CnTPS1编码序列全长1749bp，编码582个氨基酸；基因表达模式分析表明该基因在茎和管状花中表达量较高；原核表达系统能诱导出67.58kDa大小的蛋白。结论 首次从菊花脑中克隆得到一个芳樟醇合酶基因CnTPS1，运用生物信息学方法对其编码蛋白的理化性质、结构特征等进行了分析预测，分析了该基因的组织表达模式，并在原核表达系统中成功诱导表达出目标蛋白，这些结果将为菊花脑萜类合酶基因的功能以及萜类物质生物合成途径的解析提供理论依据。     

A Discrete Choice Experiment to Elicit General Population Preferences Around the Factors Influencing the Choice to Make Clinical Negligence Claims

ObjectivesThis article determines public stated preferences around different factors that influence the choice to make clinical negligence claims against a national healthcare system.MethodsA large online survey was conducted using a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with the UK general population (N = 1013). DCE tasks involved a single profile and participants chose whether to make a claim for compensation (yes/no) after one of 3 randomly allocated patient safety incident (PSI) “scenarios” of different severities (mild, moderate, severe). DCE attributes described the actions of the healthcare system after a PSI and characteristics of the clinical negligence claims process. The data were modeled separately for each scenario (mild, moderate, severe) using logistic regression. Marginal effects and the probability of making a claim in a baseline case were estimated.ResultsProbability of choosing to claim was reduced by receipt of an apology, investigation and prevention of recurrence of the PSI, and longer time until claim decision and increased by an easy and straightforward claims process and high chance of compensation and for the mild scenario higher compensation amounts. Marginal effects and baseline case probabilities differed by scenario severity.ConclusionsThe results suggest the actions of the healthcare system after a PSI and characteristics of the claims process have a larger impact on the probability of making a claim for milder PSIs. For more severe PSIs, a larger probability of making a claim was observed, and the choice was less influenced by the actions of the healthcare system after the PSI and characteristics of the claims process.