Protection of White Leghorn chickens by recombinant fowlpox vector vaccine with an updated H5 insert against Mexican H5N2 avian influenza viruses

Despite decades of vaccination, surveillance, and biosecurity measures, H5N2 low pathogenicity avian influenza (LPAI) virus infections continue in Mexico and neighboring countries. One explanation for tenacity of H5N2 LPAI in Mexico is the antigenic divergence of circulating field viruses compared to licensed vaccines due to antigenic drift. Our phylogenetic analysis indicates that the H5N2 LPAI viruses circulating in Mexico and neighboring countries since 1994 have undergone antigenic drift away from vaccine seed strains. Here we evaluated the efficacy of a new recombinant fowlpox virus vector containing an updated H5 insert (rFPV-H5/2016), more relevant to the current strains circulating in Mexico. We tested the vaccine efficacy against a closely related subcluster 4 Mexican H5N2 LPAI (2010 H5/LP) virus and the historic H5N2 HPAI (1995 H5/HP) virus in White Leghorn chickens. The rFPV-H5/2016 vaccine provided hemagglutinin inhibition (HI) titers pre-challenge against viral antigens from both challenge viruses in almost 100% of the immunized birds, with no differences in number of birds seroconverting or HI titers among all tested doses (1.5, 2.0, and 3.1 log₁₀ mean tissue culture infectious doses/bird). The vaccine conferred 100% clinical protection and a significant decrease in oral and cloacal virus shedding from 1995 H5/HP virus challenged birds when compared to the sham controls at all tested doses. Virus shedding titers from vaccinated 2010 H5/LP virus challenged birds significantly decreased compared to sham birds especially at earlier time points. Our results confirm the efficacy of the new rFPV-H5/2016 against antigenic drift of LPAI virus in Mexico and suggest that this vaccine would be a good candidate, likely as a primer in a prime-boost vaccination program.     

Validation of the Eighth Edition TNM Lung Cancer Staging System

IntroductionWe performed a validation study at our institution, the International Union Against Cancer (Union for International Cancer Control latest version of TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors Eighth Edition).MethodsData were collected from the Queensland Oncology Online registry of NSCLC or SCLC cases between 2000 and 2015 and validated against the Queensland Integrated Lung Cancer Outcomes Project registry using case identification number, first name, last name, and date of birth. Where data were available, cases were classified according to the Union for International Cancer Control TNM seventh edition stage groupings and then compared with the eighth edition groupings. Kaplan-Meier curves were plotted, and the log-rank test of survival differences was performed with SPSS version 25 (IBM Corp, Armonk, NY).ResultsOf the 3636 cases, 3352 and 1031 had complete clinical and pathologic staging, respectively. Median survival time was found to reduce with increasing clinical stage: seventh edition (IA: 88, IB: 44, IIA: 31, IIB: 18, IIIA: 15, IIIB: 8, and IV: 5 mo) versus eighth edition TNM stage (IA1: not reached, IA2: 88, IA3: 53, IB: 56, IIA: 36, IIB: 22, IIIA: 14, IIIB: 9, IIIC: 8, IVA: 6, and IVB: 3 mo). A similar overall pattern was reflected in the pathologic stage: seventh edition (IA: 124, IB: 110, IIA: 48, IIB: 42, IIIA: 26, IIIB: 31, and IV: 27 mo) versus eighth edition (IA1: not reached, IA2: 122, IA3: 125, IB: 144, IIA: 98, IIB: 57, IIIA: 31, IIIB: 24, and IVA: 7 mo). The log-rank test for survival curves was significant at p < 0.001.ConclusionsOur external validation study confirms the prognostic accuracy of the eighth edition TNM lung cancer classification. Our analyses also indicated that IIIB, IIIC, and IVA stage groups had similar survival outcomes and suggest further research for refinement.     

Brief relaxation versus music distraction in the treatment of dental anxiety: a randomized controlled clinical trial

BACKGROUND: Dental anxiety is a significant cause of poor dental health. Because patients often prefer nonpharmacological interventions, the clinical effectiveness of clearly structured approaches is of particular interest. METHODS: This prospective randomized controlled study compares a brief relaxation method (BR) with music distraction (MD) and with a control group (C). The authors randomly assigned 90 patients with dental anxiety to BR, MD or C groups. They assessed the outcomes by means of the state anxiety subscale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS: Both BR and MD reduced dental anxiety significantly. In contrast, patients in the C group did not exhibit a significant change in their anxiety level. BR was significantly superior to MD. Stratification according to the patient's general level of dental anxiety revealed that BR also was particularly effective in highly anxious subjects, whereas MD did not have a clinically relevant effect on these subjects. CONCLUSIONS: BR appears to be a safe, economically sound and effective nonpharmacological approach to the short-term reduction of dental anxiety. Additional investigations are needed to validate these findings in a larger clinical trial and to determine the long-term effects of this intervention. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Relaxation techniques are a pragmatic, effective and cost-saving method of facilitating dental treatment in anxious patients.     

MMSE和MoCA测试对颅脑损伤患者行为记忆障碍的预测价值

目的： 研究分析认知筛查量表在颅脑损伤患者中对行为记忆障碍的预测功效。 方法： 58名颅脑损伤患者接受简易智力状况检查量表（mini-mental state examination,MMSE）、蒙特利尔认知评估量表（Montreal cognitive assessment scale,MoCA）及Rivermead行为记忆测验（第三版）（Rivermead behavioural memory test-third edition,RBMT-3）3种认知量表测试,对测试结果进行分析比较。 结果： 行为记忆（RBMT-3得分）与MMSE子项目中注意力和计算（MMSE-AC：P=0.007,β=0.371）以及回忆（MMSE-Re：P=0.016,β=0.352）显著相关,MMSE两个子项目得分之和以及MMSE总分对行为记忆障碍均具备中间预测价值（AUC=0.845、0.793）。行为记忆与MoCA子项目中视空间/执行（MoCA-VE：P=0.004,β=0.278）、语言（MoCA-L：P=0.003,β=0.250）、延迟回忆（MoCA-DR：P<0.001,β=0.479）和定向（MoCA-O：P=0.002,β=0.240）存在显着相关性,MoCA四个子项目得分之和以及MoCA总分对于行为记忆障碍具有高预测值（AUC=0.953、0.938）,当MoCA四个子项目得分低于13.5,或总分低于24.5提示患者行为记忆障碍可能。 结论： 可以根据颅脑损伤患者MMSE或MoCA得分预判行为记忆障碍,其中MoCA的诊断价值更高。     

Female breast cancer statistics of 2010 in China: estimates based on data from 145 population-based cancer registries

Background

The aim of the study is to provide incidence and mortality data of female breast cancer at national level of China in 2010.

Methods

A total of 145 population-based cancer registries submitted qualified cancer incidence and mortality data to National Cancer Registration Center of China. Based on the qualified cancer registries’ data, we estimated the overall breast cancer incidence and mortality data of China in 2010 and reported breast cancer statistics by age and geographical area.

Results

The estimated number of female breast cancer cases was about 208 thousand. The crude incidence rate, age-standardized rate by China and World population were 32.43 per 100,000, 25.89 per 100,000 and 24.20 per 100,000, respectively. The incidence rates were higher in urban area than in rural area. And the incidence rates in Eastern area and Middle area were similar and higher that those in Western areas. The estimated number of female breast cancer death in 2010 of China was about 55.5 thousand. The crude, age-standardized mortalities by China population and World population were 8.65 per 100,000, 6.56 per 100,000 and 6.36 per 100,000, respectively. The mortality rates by geographical area had similar pattern to the incidence rates.

Conclusions

Breast cancer is still a major health burden for Chinese women especially in urban area. Prevention strategies such as weight control, high-quality screening and diagnosis may help control the disease.     

宋校本《千金要方》增补文献初考

本文通过《千金要方》宋校本与《新雕孙真人千金方》的对校研究,发现宋人整理《千金要方》时增补了大量新文献,其中有些与宋校《重广补注〈黄帝内经素问〉》、《金匮要略方论》、《脉经》、《针灸甲乙经》等书中的相关内容相合,推断宋人校订这5本医书的时间虽异,但其内容是相互关联的,推测是宋人搜集了大量相关文献资料,用以修订、补充其所校之医书,此为考察宋人整理中医古籍的原则与方法提供一定的参考.