Advances in vaccinia virus-based vaccine vectors,with applications in flavivirus vaccine development

Historically, virulent variola virus infection caused hundreds of millions of deaths. The smallpox pandemic in human beings has spread for centuries until the advent of the attenuated vaccinia virus (VV) vaccine, which played a crucial role in eradicating the deadly contagious disease. Decades of exploration and utilization have validated the attenuated VV as a promising vaccine vehicle against various lethal viruses. In this review, we focus on the advances in VV-based vaccine vector studies, including construction approaches of recombinant VV, the impact of VV-specific pre-existing immunity on subsequent VV-based vaccines, and antigen-specific immune responses. More specifically, the recombinant VV-based flaviviruses are intensively discussed. Based on the publication data, this review aims to provide valuable insights and guidance for future VV-based vaccine development.     

乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者症状评估量表的编制和信效度检验

目的 根据乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者的症状特征,编制适用于我国乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者的症状评估量表,并检验其信效度。方法 在文献回顾及参照现有症状评估量表的基础上编制量表初始条目池;通过2轮德尔菲专家函询,形成初始版量表;通过对11例患者的认知性访谈,对量表条目进一步修订,形成临床测试版量表。便利选取2020年7月—9月在浙江省某三级甲等肿瘤医院门诊或住院的325例乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者进行问卷调查,检验量表信效度。 结果 形成的最终版乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者症状评估量表包括33个条目,探索性因子分析提取7个公因子,累计方差贡献率为68.76%;各条目内容效度指数为0.78~1.00,量表内容效度指数为0.91;内在相关性检验结果显示,量表各维度与总量表相关系数为0.58~0.79（P<0.05）;维度间相关系数为0.26~0.52（P<0.05）;总量表Cronbach’s α系数为0.94,重测信度为0.95,折半信度为0.84。结论 编制的乳腺癌内分泌治疗患者症状评估量表具有良好的信效度,适用于相关人群的症状测评。     

Innovating medication reviews through a technology-enabled process

Medication reviews are effective in improving the quality of medication use among older people. However, they are conducted to various standards resulting in a wide range of outcomes which limit generalisability of findings arising from research studies. There also appear to be funding and time constraints, lack of data storage for quality improvement purposes, and non-standardised reporting of outcomes, especially clinically relevant outcomes. Furthermore, the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has restricted many face-to-face activities, including medication reviews. This article introduces a technology-enabled approach to medication reviews that may overcome some limitations with current medication review processes, and also make it possible to conduct medication reviews during the COVID-19 pandemic by providing an alternate platform. The possible advantages of this technology-enabled approach, legislative considerations and possible implementation in practice are discussed.     

预印本学术交流生态中的参与主体及作用

【目的】 探究预印本学术生态的参与主体,以及参与主体发挥的具体作用,以期为我国预印本学术生态的建设提供借鉴。【方法】 通过生态角色分析的方法,调研并梳理arXiv、bioRxiv和SSRN 3个典型预印本平台的学术交流生态。根据梳理结果对预印本学术交流生态中具体的参与主体以及主体承担的生态角色进行分析,归纳预印本学术交流生态模型,结合该模型对每类主体所发挥的作用作出具体阐述。【结果】 预印本学术交流生态中有5类常见的参与主体和8种生态角色。不同参与主体承担不同的生态角色,并在预印本学术交流生态中发挥不同的作用。【结论】 预印本学术交流是一个由科学界主导的学术交流方式,各类参与主体对预印本学术交流生态建设发挥着重要作用。我国预印本学术交流的发展尚未成熟,各类参与主体需要通过承担各自的角色积极参与预印本学术交流,以推动我国学术信息交流新生态的建设和发展。     

28例原发性卵黄囊瘤患者的CT表现分析

目的分析28例原发性卵黄囊瘤(YST)患者的CT表现。方法选择2015年2月至2019年12月收治的28例YST患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析,8例YST患者入院后均予以CT检查,然后对患者的CT影像学特征和临床资料数据进行分析比较。结果本研究中28例YST患者肿瘤位于性腺的有17例(60.71%),其中位于睾丸、卵巢处的分别有7例、10例,占比分别为60.71%、41.18%,均为单侧发病;9例(39.29%)位于性腺外,其中位于骶尾部、前纵隔、阴道的分别有6例、2例、1例,占比分别为66.67%、22.22%、11.11%。CT检测可见肿瘤"浅分叶",且呈"椭网形",18例(64.29%)肿瘤边界较为清晰,9例(32.14%)呈"深分叶状"形态不规则;8例(28.57%)边界模糊,肿瘤大小分析可见,肿瘤位于前纵隔、卵巢的相对较大,位于阴道、睾丸、骶尾部的相对较小。28例YST患者中,单纯型21例YST(75.00%),混合型7例(25.00%)。结论原发性卵黄囊瘤进行CT检测尤为重要,其CT表现具有一定特征性,可为临床治疗提供一定的依据。     

Valuing height: diagnosis,valuation and the case of idiopathic short stature

This paper proposes a ‘valuographic’ approach to diagnosis, exploring how values and valuation practices are implicated in the contested diagnostic category of idiopathic short stature (ISS). ISS describes children who are ‘abnormally’ short but do not have any other detectable pathology. In the USA growth‐promoting hormone therapy has been approved for ISS children, since 2003. However, no other jurisdiction has approved this treatment and the value of ISS as a diagnostic category remains disputed among healthcare professionals. Drawing on qualitative interviews with paediatric endocrinologists in the UK and the US, this study presents a historical snapshot illustrating how the problematisation of ISS as a diagnosis involved multiple registers of value including epistemic, economic and moral calculations of worth. Contestation of the diagnosis was not just about what counts but about what ought to be counted, as respondents’ accounts of ISS gave differential weight to a range of types of evidence and methods of assessment. Ultimately what was at stake was not just the value of increased height for short patients, but what it meant to properly practice paediatric endocrinology. Consideration is then given to how a valuographic approach can be applied to sociological studies of diagnosis more broadly.     

In silico repurposing the Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 for treating PTTG1-high expressing clear cell renal carcinoma

The pituitary tumor-transforming gene 1 (PTTG1), also known as Securin, is considered an oncogene. This study aimed to investigate the role of PTTG1 in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) using in silico bioinformatics approaches. A pan-cancer analysis using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) data indicated that among all cancer types copy number amplification of PTTG1 gene was most frequently found in ccRCC. However, amplification of PTTG1 gene copy number did not correlate with the increase of mRNA level in ccRCC, and did not predict the patients' overall survival. Instead, ccRCC was correlated with overexpression of PTTG1 mRNA, and its expression level was stage-dependent increased in cancer patients. An outlier analysis using the Oncomine database suggested that PTTG1 mRNA expression served as a good biomarker for ccRCC. Pathway analysis for upregulated genes enriched in PTTG1-high expressing ccRCC patients found that PTTG1 overexpression was associated with mitotic defects. Mining drug sensitivity data using the Cancer Therapeutics Response Portal (CTRP) discovered that PTTG1-high expressing ccRCC cell lines were susceptible to a Rac1 (Ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1) inhibitor NSC23766. Therefore, this study provides an in silico insight into the role of PTTG1 in ccRCC, and repurposes the Rac1 inhibitor NSC23766 for treating PTTG1-high expressing ccRCC.     

New evidence supporting lung cancer screening with low dose CT & surgical implications

IntroductionLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-death worldwide. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPTSF) approved screening for current or former smokers aged 55–80 based on the results of the National Lung Screening trial (NLST). Following the NLST, new evidence has emerged from clinical trials and updates to previous trials prior to the anticipated update to the USPSTF guideline. We review the new evidence on lung cancer screening with low dose computed tomography (LDCT) and the surgical implications.MethodsA review of new literature was performed pertaining to lung cancer screening since implementation of UPSTF guidelines. Articles for inclusion were identified by both authors’, then search of the Pubmed and Cochrane database was performed from January 1st, 2013 through February 4th, 2020 using the MeSH search terms: “lung cancer”; “screening”; “low dose CT”. The results of these studies are summarized.ResultsWe identified multiple prospective randomized control trials and meta-analysis since the NLST supporting lung cancer-specific mortality with screening. We identified new nodule classification systems and the development of risk-models which may reduce false positive rates and identify high risk patients not currently eligible for screening. Finally, we discussed the surgical implications of screening.ConclusionNew data supports NLST findings and show ongoing benefit to LDCT for lung cancer screening. Standardized LDCT screening classification has been shown to reduce harm and lower false positive rates. Further study is needed regarding use of risk-modeling. Screening will require an increase in the thoracic workforce to accommodate the amount of surgically operable cancers.     

Engaging Students with Visual Stories: Using Infographics in Nursing Education

Infographics represent visual stories which engage and guide audiences to the realization of patterns, relationships, and conclusions. Infographics help capture attention and make complex knowledge understandable, making them a useful teaching-learning strategy. Although infographics can be effective to engage students, they are infrequently used because of educator inexperience with this technology. This article provides an overview for incorporating infographics in nursing education including evidence-informed step-by-step guidelines and resources for designing and sharing infographics.