Applications of geospatial analyses in health research among homeless people: A systematic scoping review of available evidence

BackgroundUnequal housing access resulted in more than 150 million homeless people worldwide, with millions more expected to be added every year due to the ongoing climate-related crises. Homeless population has a counterproductive effect on the social, psychological integration efforts by the community and exposure to other severe health-related issues. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have long been applied in urban planning and policy, housing and homelessness, and health-related research.MethodsWe used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) method to systematically review 24 articles collected from multiple databases (n = 10) that focused on health-related issues among homeless people and used geospatial analysis techniques in their research.ResultsOur findings indicated a geographic clustering of case study locations– 26 out of the 31 case study sites are from the USA and Canada. Studies used spatial analysis techniques to identify hotspots, clusters and patterns of patient location and population distribution. Studies also reported relationships among the location of homeless shelters and substance use, discarded needles, different infectious and non-infectious disease clusters.ConclusionMost studies were restricted in analyzing and visualizing the patterns and disease clusters; however, geospatial analyses techniques are useful and offer diverse techniques for a more sophisticated understanding of the spatial characteristics of the health issues among homeless people. Better integration of GIS in health research among the homeless would help formulate sensible policies to counter health inequities among this vulnerable population group.     

脂肪细胞新蛋白My027原核表达、纯化及生物活性研究

目的通过原核表达获得大量脂肪新蛋白质My027,并在体外初步研究其生物活性。方法RT-PCR法扩增出My027片段,插入原核表达载体pGEX-4T-2,构建质粒pGEX-My027。转化BL-21菌,IPTG低温诱导表达融合蛋白,经亲和层析法获得融合蛋白,利用SDS-PAGE、Western印迹及质谱进行鉴定。在还原性谷胱甘肽存在的条件下,将纯化得到的融合蛋白作用于乙二醛酶Ⅰ的底物甲基乙二醛,通过分光光度法检测产物乳酸谷胱甘肽的生成。结果融合蛋白以水溶形式分泌于大肠埃希菌BL-21胞浆中,纯化后的目的蛋白SDS-PAGE、Western印迹及质谱证实高效表达,氨基酸序列正确。结论人脂肪细胞新蛋白质My027在pGEX-4T-2原核表达载体中可获高效表达,所纯化蛋白具有类似于乙二醛酶Ⅰ的作用。     

《推求师意》作者考证

《推求师意》一书,历代目录书对于作者记载不一,有提汪机著,有提戴原礼著,现代的出版物与目录书均提为戴原礼著。《推求师意·序》中指明此书提名戴原礼为当时人的推测。《四库全书总目·推求师意》认为此书为戴原礼《证治要诀》《证治类方》《类证用药》之一。而经对比发现,《推求师意》一书与现存《秘传证治要诀及类方》相似处较少,并且此书为汪机托名之作的可能性也不大,认为《推求师意》的作者有待进一步考证。     

Genetic polymorphisms in the Toll-like receptor signalling pathway in Helicobacter pylori infection and related gastric cancer

Background

Gastric cancer (GC) is a progressive process initiated by Helicobacter pylori-induced inflammation. Initial recognition of H. pylori involves Toll-like receptors (TLRs), central molecules in the host inflammatory response. Here, we investigated the association between novel polymorphisms in genes involved in the TLR signalling pathway, including TLR2, TLR4, LBP, MD-2, CD14 and TIRAP, and risk of H. pylori infection and related GC.

Methods

A case-control study comprising 310 ethnic Chinese individuals (87 non-cardia GC cases and 223 controls with functional dyspepsia) was conducted. Twenty-five polymorphisms were detected by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, PCR, PCR–RFLP and real-time PCR.

Results

Seven polymorphisms showed significant associations with GC (TLR4 rs11536889, TLR4 rs10759931, TLR4 rs1927911, TLR4 rs10116253, TLR4 rs10759932, TLR4 rs2149356 and CD14 −260 C/T). In multivariate analyses, TLR4 rs11536889 remained a risk factor for GC (OR: 3.58, 95% CI: 1.20–10.65). TLR4 rs10759932 decreased the risk of H. pylori infection (OR: 0.59, 95% CI: 0.41–0.86). Statistical analyses assessing the joint effect of H. pylori infection and the selected polymorphisms revealed strong associations with GC (TLR2, TLR4, MD-2, LBP and TIRAP polymorphisms).

Conclusions

Novel polymorphisms in TLR2, TLR4, MD-2, LBP, CD14 and TIRAP, genes encoding important molecules of the TLR signalling pathway, showed clear associations with H. pylori-related GC in Chinese.     

PubMed新的检索工具--NCBI Search Toolbar及其应用

NCBI Search Toolbar是美国国立医学图书馆（NLM）新近推出的专用搜索工具,本文介绍该工具的特点、使用方法等.     

托泊替康为主的联合化疗方案治疗恶性血液病21例分析

目的 探讨治疗难治或复发恶性血液病的联合化疗方案,评价托泊替康治疗恶性血液病的有效性和毒性。方法 以托泊替康为主,联合阿糖胞苷、安吖啶或环磷酰胺治疗2l例难治或复发的急性白血病、非霍奇金淋巴瘤(NHL)和高危骨髓增生异常综合征(MDS)患者。所有患者均接受1个疗程的拯救化疗。结果 完全缓解9例(42．9％),部分缓解4例(19．0％),1个疗程总有效率达61．9％。所有患者均出现严重的骨髓抑制,急性白血病粒细胞缺乏持续中位时间为12．6d,NHL为7．5d。有16例应用粒细胞集落刺激因子(G-CSF)治疗。全部患者均需成分输血支持治疗。有15例患者出现发热及感染,脏器毒性反应轻微。结论 以托泊替康组成的联合化疗对难治或复发恶性血液病的治疗有显著效应,毒性反应轻微。     

适用于青少年与年轻成人的预立医疗照护计划文件的汉化研究：《说出我的选择》

目的将适用于青少年与年轻成人的预立医疗照护计划(advance care planning, ACP)文件Voicing My CHOiCES进行汉化,为在我国该人群中进行ACP实践提供基础。方法汉化流程包括背对背翻译、译本整合、医务人员评审、患者评审、背对背回译、回译本整合、原文件作者修订、定稿。医务人员评审的参与者为ACP实践中涉及的各类医务工作者,包括医生、护士、社工等。审评内容为文件整体结构合理性,以及各个主题的重要性、适用性和语言本土化水平。医务人员评审包括3轮评审过程,每轮评审后对文件进行修订,形成文件初稿。文件初稿再经患有致命性疾病的年轻患者及其家属进行评审,审评内容包括各个主题的适宜程度、帮助程度、压力程度,在此基础上对文件进一步修订,形成文件终稿,经原作者修订后定稿。结果因中美在语言、文化、医疗和法律体系上的差异,汉化过程针对文件中的部分主题进行本土化调适。中文版文件包括13个主题,涉及医疗与护理决策、日常生活规划、后事规划等内容。91.67%的患者和80%的患者父母认为所有主题均与患者的年龄和文化相适宜,符合年轻人需求和中国文化特征。75%的患者和70%的患者父母认为所有主题均是有帮助的。在压力程度评价中,死亡相关主题会为患者及其家属带来较大压力。结论《说出我的选择》是我国首个适用于青少年和年轻成人的ACP文件。该文件可帮助中国年轻患者思考和表达自己的偏好、意愿和价值观,确定未来医疗和护理的目标以及生活规划,并与亲属和医务人员讨论此类问题。     

Effect of the herbicide pendimethalin on rat uterine weight and gene expression and in silico receptor binding analysis

The endocrine disrupting potential of the herbicide pendimethalin was investigated in vivo on the uterotrophic response and on the expression of estrogen-regulated genes examined by quantitative real-time RT PCR. Receptor binding characteristics of pendimethalin were analyzed by an in silico method. Pendimethalin (150, 225, 300 and 600 mg/kg/day) was administered by oral gavage to immature female rats for 3 days, with ethinylestradiol (0.001 mg/kg/day) as positive control. Pendimethalin caused a small but significant increase in absolute uterine weight at and above 300 mg/kg/day and in relative uterine weight at 600 mg/kg/day. Estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha mRNA levels were not affected, whereas ER-beta mRNA was up-regulated at the highest dose. Progesterone receptor mRNA level was not significantly changed, while insulin-like growth factor-I mRNA was reduced, significantly at 225 mg/kg/day to 65% of control. Androgen receptor (AR) mRNA showed a marked down-regulation at doses of 225 mg/kg/day and above. The expression pattern differed from that of ethinylestradiol. In silico analysis revealed potential binding of pendimethalin to ER-beta and AR, but virtually no binding to ER-alpha. These data demonstrate that pendimethalin exhibits estrogenic activity also in vivo. However, its uterotrophic effect, which is an ER-alpha-mediated response, is very small, and it appears that in vivo actions should rather be sought in ER-beta-regulated functions.