Epidemiologic Features,Radiological Findings and Clinical Outcomes of 19 Patients with COVID-19 in a Single Center in Beijing,China

Objective To describe the epidemiologic, clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics and prognoses of COVID-19 confirmed patients in a single center in Beijing, China. Methods The study retrospectively included 19 patients with nucleic acid-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection at our hospital from January 20 to March 5, 2020. The final follow-up date was March 14, 2020. The epidemiologic and clinical information was obtained through direct communication with the patients or their family members. Laboratory results retrieved from medical records and radiological images were analyzed both qualitatively by two senior chest radiologists as well as quantitatively via an artificial intelligence software. Results We identified 5 family clusters (13/19, 68.4％) from the study cohort. All cases had good clinical prognoses and were either mild (3/19) or moderate (16/19) clinical types. Fever (15/19, 78.9％) and dry cough (11/19, 57.9％) were common symptoms. Two patients received negative results for more than three consecutive viral nucleic acid tests. The longest interval between an initial CT abnormal finding and a confirmed diagnosis was 30 days. One patient's nucleic acid test turned positive on the follow-up examination after discharge. The presence of radiological abnormalities was non-specific for the diagnosis of COVID-19. Conclusions COVID-19 patients with mild or no clinical symptoms are common in Beijing, China. Radiological abnormalities are mostly non-specific and massive CT examinations for COVID-19 screening should be avoided. Analyses of the contact histories of diagnosed cases in combination with clinical, radiological and laboratory findings are crucial for the early detection of COVID-19. Close monitoring after discharge is also recommended.     

Mash1 efficiently reprograms rat astrocytes into neurons简

To date, it remains poorly understood whether astrocytes can be easily reprogrammed into neurons. Mashl and Brn2 have been previously shown to cooperate to reprogram fibroblasts into neurons. In this study, we examined astrocytes from 2-month-old Sprague-Dawley rats, and found that Brn2 was expressed, but Mashl was not detectable. Thus, we hypothesized that Mashl alone could be used to reprogram astrocytes into neurons. We transfected a recombinant MSCV-MASH1 plasmid into astrocytes for 72 hours, and saw that all cells expressed Mashl. One week later, we observed the changes in morphology of astrocytes, which showed typical neuro- nal characteristics. Moreover, β-tubulin expression levels were significantly higher in astrocytes expressing Mashl than in control cells. These results indicate that Mashl alone can reprogram astrocytes into neurons.     

Development of a Valid Simplified Chinese Version of the Oxford Hip Score in Patients With Hip Osteoarthritis

Background

Although the Oxford Hip Score has been translated and validated in several languages, there is currently no Chinese version of the outcomes measurement. Our study aims to crossculturally adapt and validate the Oxford Hip Score into a simplified Chinese version.

Questions/purposes

We tested the (1) reliability; (2) validity; and (3) responsiveness of the Chinese version of the Oxford Hip Score.

Methods

First we translated the Oxford Hip Score into simplified Chinese, then back into English, then held a consensus meeting to achieve the final simplified Chinese version. Then we evaluated the psychometric properties of Chinese version of the Oxford Hip Score in patients undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA). All patients undergoing THA between July and December 2012 were invited to participate in this study; a total of 108 (79% of 136 invited) did so. To assess the test-retest validity, all participants completed the Chinese version of the Oxford Hip Score again with a 2-week interval. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the construct validity between the Chinese version of the Oxford Hip Score and visual analog scale (VAS), Harris hip score, and eight individual domains of the SF-36. Responsiveness was demonstrated by comparing the pre- and postoperative scores of the Chinese version of the Oxford Hip Score.

Results

The test-retest reliability with intraclass correlation coefficient (0.937) and internal consistency with Cronbach’s alpha (0.91) were excellent. The Chinese version of the Oxford Hip Score correlated with the Harris hip score (0.89, p < 0.01), VAS (−0.79, p < 0.01), and Physical Functioning (0.79, p < 0.01) and Bodily Pain (0.70, p < 0.01) domains of SF-36, which suggested construct validity. No floor or ceiling effects were found. The effect size and standardized response mean values were 3.52 and 3.31, respectively, indicating good responsiveness.

Conclusions

The Chinese version of the Oxford Hip Score showed good reliability, validity, and responsiveness in evaluating standard Chinese-speaking patients with hip osteoarthritis undergoing THA. It can be used by clinical surgeons as a complement to the traditional outcome measures.     

BMP signaling mediates astrocyte differentiation of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells

Oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs) can differentiate into oligodendrocytes or astrocytes, depending on cellular microenvironments. OPCs, cultured in medium supplemented with 10% (v/v) fetal bovine serum (FBS), give rise to type II astrocytes that express glial fibrillary acidic protein and a cell surface ganglioside that is recognized by A2B5 monoclonal antibody. However, the factors in FBS that direct the astrocyte differentiation are not determined. Moreover, bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been reported to be involved in astrocyte differentiation of neural progenitor cells. We therefore examined whether BMPs are responsible for the serum-mediated astrocyte differentiation from OPCs. OPCs were isolated from the spinal cords of Wistar rat embryos (at day 14) using the A2B5 antibody. We measured the concentrations of BMP-2 and BMP-4 in FBS and rat and human sera and the expression of mRNAs for three types of BMP receptors (BMPRIa, Ib and II) in OPCs by RT-PCR. The serum samples of the three species contained BMP-2 and BMP-4, as judged by ELISA with each monoclonal antibody, and the BMP receptor mRNAs are expressed in OPCs. When OPCs were cultured in the medium containing 10% FBS, cells (more than 95%) differentiated into type II astrocytes. However, when OPCs were pretreated with noggin, a soluble antagonist of BMP action, the degree of astrocyte differentiation was markedly decreased from 95.39 to 38.36%. Taken together, these results suggest that BMP signaling may be responsible for the serum-mediated astrocyte differentiation of OPCs. Our findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of differentiation of OPCs.     

颈外动脉超选择栓塞在窦旁肿瘤手术中的应用

目的 探讨颈外动脉超选择栓塞在上矢状窦旁肿瘤手术中的应用价值.方法 回顾性分析45例上矢状窦旁肿瘤患者的临床资料,根据肿瘤大小及术前是否栓塞进行分组,对各组间术中出血量、手术时间、手术切除程度进行比较.结果 ＜4 cm的窦旁肿瘤,栓塞组与未栓塞组相比,平均失血量、手术全切率及手术时间差异均无统计学意义（P＞0.05）,但对于＞4 cm的肿瘤,栓塞组较未栓塞组手术术中失血明显减少（P＜0.01）,全切率高,手术时间短.结论 术前颈外动脉超选择栓塞能明显减少窦旁肿瘤术中出血,尤其是对较大肿瘤,术前颈外动脉超选择栓塞不但能明显减少术中出血,还能有效缩短手术时间,提高手术安全性及全切率.     

Attenuation of Reserpine-Induced Pain/Depression Dyad by Gentiopicroside Through Downregulation of GluN2B Receptors in the Amygdala of Mice

Epidemiological studies demonstrate that pain frequently occurs comorbid with depression. Gentiopicroside (Gent) is a secoiridoid compound isolated from Gentiana lutea that exhibits analgesic properties and inhibits the expression of GluN2B-containing N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex of mice. However, the effects of Gent on the reserpine-induced pain/depression dyad and its underlying mechanisms are unclear. Reserpine administration (1 mg/kg subcutaneous daily for 3 days) caused a significant decrease in the nociceptive threshold as evidenced by the reduced paw withdrawal latency in response to a radiant heat source and mechanical allodynia. Behavioral detection indicated a significant increase in immobility time during a forced swim test, as well as decreased time in the central area and total travel distance in an open field test. Furthermore, reserpinized animals exhibited increased oxidative stress. Systemic Gent administration dose-dependently ameliorated the behavioral deficits associated with reserpine-induced pain/depression dyad. At the same time, the decrease in biogenic amine levels (norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin) was integrated with the increase in caspase-3 levels and GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors in the amygdala of the reserpine-injected mice. Gent significantly reversed the changes in the levels of biogenic amines, caspase-3, and GluN2B-containing NMDA receptors in amygdala. However, Gent did not affect the expression of GluN2A-containing NMDA receptors. The inhibitory effects of Gent on oxidative stress were occluded by simultaneous treatment of GluN2B receptors antagonist Ro25-6981. Our study provides strong evidence that Gent inhibits reserpine-induced pain/depression dyad by downregulating GluN2B receptors in the amygdala.     

Expression Characteristics of KAI1 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor and Their Diagnostic Value for Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background/Aims

We tried to investigate the expression characteristics of KAI1, a suppressor of wide-spectrum tumor metastasis, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the most common angiogenesis factor, and then to analyze their diagnostic value for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods

The protein and mRNA expression levels of KAI1 or VEGF in HCC tissues and in self-controlled para-carcinoma tissues were analyzed by Western blot and real-time polymerase chain reaction, respectively. Serum levels of KAI1 and VEGF in the patients with HCC, benign liver disease or in healthy controls were quantitatively detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

Results

The expression level of KAI1 was downregulated, while the expression level of VEGF was upregulated in the tissues or serum of the patients with HCC. The expression level of serum KAI1 in HCC patients was correlated with TNM staging, intrahepatic metastasis, lymph node or peritoneal metastasis, and portal vein thrombus. In addition to the factors that were correlated with KAI1 expression, VEGF expression was also closely related to the α-fetoprotein level of the patients. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the diagnosis of HCC was 0.907 for KAI1 and 0.779 for VEGF. The sensitivity of serum KAI1 levels in the diagnosis of HCC was 86.96%; the accuracy was 83.06%, while the sensitivity, the accuracy and the negative predictive value were improved to 91.86%, 84.68%, and 78.79% according to the combined detection of KAI1 and VEGF, respectively.

Conclusions

A combined detection of KAI1 and VEGF may greatly improve the efficiency of diagnosis and form a reliable panel of diagnostic markers for HCC.     

磁处理水对高胆固醇血症大鼠的影响

对饮用磁处理水和非磁处理水的两组高胆固醇血症的大鼠进行了血液流变学、血脂及心功能检测，并用扫描电镜观察其主动脉和红细胞的形态．结果表明，磁处理水有明显降低血液粘度和血清总胆固醇、甘油三酯的效应，对降低血压和改善心率具有一定作用，能增强红细胞的变形能力，对动脉硬化的发生和发展有抑制作用。     

PG消毒剂的研究

PG 消毒剂含2%强化中性戊二醛,醇类和香料.该消毒剂对细菌、真菌与 HBsAg 有良好灭活作用.以其制成消毒纸巾擦手1分钟,可将自然菌减少99%.