It is an urgent demand worldwide to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus. The 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CL^pro) and papain-like protease (PL^pro) are key targets to discover SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors. After screening 12 Chinese herbal medicines and 125 compounds from licorice, we found that a popular natural product schaftoside inhibited 3CL^pro and PL^pro with IC₅₀ values of 1.73 ± 0.22 and 3.91 ± 0.19 μmol/L, respectively, and inhibited SARS-CoV-2 virus in Vero E6 cells with EC₅₀ of 11.83 ± 3.23 μmol/L. Hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry analysis, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics calculations, together with site-directed mutagenesis indicated the antiviral activities of schaftoside were related with non-covalent interactions with H41, G143 and R188 of 3CL^pro, and K157, E167 and A246 of PL^pro. Moreover, proteomics analysis and cytokine assay revealed that schaftoside also regulated immune response and inflammation of the host cells. The anti-inflammatory activities of schaftoside were confirmed on lipopolysaccharide-induced acute lung injury mice. Schaftoside showed good safety and pharmacokinetic property, and could be a promising drug candidate for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19.

To investigate the effects of maternal exposure to 13 chemicals mixture (CM) during pregnancy on pregnancy outcome and health status of maternal/offspring mice. C57BL/6 pregnant mice were given drinking water containing carbaryl dimethoate glyphosate methomyl methyl parathion triadimefon aspartame sodium benzoate calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetra-acetate ethylparaben butylparaben bisphenol A and acacia gum The effects of CM exposure on pregnancy outcome, health status of dams/offspring, levels of circulating inflammatory cytokines in dams/offspring and emotional related behaviors of offspring were evaluated. CM exposure during pregnancy had no significant effect on pregnancy outcome, liver function, body weight of the dams in late pregnancy and uterine/ovarian weight after delivery, however, it led to an increase in maternal serum IFN-γ level （<0.05）. CM exposure during pregnancy had no significant effect on the liver function of offspring, but increased the serum IFN-γ, prefrontal cortex IFN-γ, and TNF-α and hippocampus IFN-γ levels in the offspring（all <0.01）. In addition, the offspring of CM group showed significant abnormal emotion-related (autism-like) behaviors in adulthood, especially in male offspring. Low dose CM exposure during pregnancy may induce inflammation status in dams/offspring, and lead to autism-like behaviors in offspring, indicating the potential effects of low dose CM exposure on human maternal and infant health.
Adult ; Animals ; Autistic Disorder/chemically induced* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Maternal Exposure/adverse effects* ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Phenotype ; Pregnancy ; Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects/chemically induced*

Objective: To explore the value of chest CT features and clinical indexes in the differential diagnosis between suspected COVID-19 with two or more negative nucleic acid tests and confirmed COVID-19. Methods: The clinical data and chest CT images of 105 cases withconfirmedCOVID-19 (55 males and 50 females, aged from 2 month to 88 years) and 97 cases with suspected COVID-19(59 males and 38 females, aged from 1 month to 93 years) were analyzed retrospectively in Shiyan Taihe Hospital from January 21 to February 10, 2020. χ²test and two independent sample t test were used to analyze the clinical data and CT signs of the two cases, with P<0.05 for the difference statistically significant. Results: Compared with the suspected patients, the average age of diagnosis of covid-19 was higher (t = 2.460, P = 0.01). The main pathological changes were pure ground glass (68 cases) and mixed ground glass density (53 cases) (χ² = 50.016, P< 0.01). Interstitial thickening (83 cases) (χ² = 55.395, P< 0.01), vascular thickening (73 cases) (χ² = 57.527, P< 0.01), air bronchoscopic sign or bronchiectasis Zhang (67 cases) (χ² = 17.899, P< 0.01), cord focus (54 cases) (χ² = 5.500, P = 0.02), easily distributed under the pleura and the long axis of the lesion was parallel to the pleura (89 cases) (χ² = 23.597, P< 0.01), most of them had no pleural effusion (χ² = 7.017, P< 0.01); both lesions were mainly distributed in patches (89 cases were confirmed, 87 suspected) (χ² = 19.573, P< 0.01). In addition, the lesions of patients with confirmed covid-19 showed progress in short term (72 / 87, 82.76%), and those with suspected covid-19 showed remission in short term (63 / 89, 70.78%). The difference was statistically significant (χ² = 51.114, P< 0.01). There was no significant difference in gender and distribution of pulmonary lobes (χ² = 1.462, P= 0.23; χ² = 7.381, P= 0.19). The number of white blood cells (χ² = 17.891, P< 0.01) and the percentage of lymphocytes (χ² = 11.151,P< 0.01) of covid-19 were mostly normal or decreased, creatine kinase (χ² = 9.589, P< 0.01) were mostly normal, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate was mostly normal or increased (χ² = 4.240, P= 0.04). Conclusions The imaging features and biochemical indexes of diagnosed COVID-19 are different from those of suspected COVID-19. The comparative analysis of imaging features, clinical indexes and reexamination are helpful for the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 and suspected COVID-19.

In the past ten years, the research and application of microbiome has continued to increase. The microbiome has gradually become the research focus in the fields of life science, environmental science, and medicine. Meanwhile, many countries and organizations around the world are launching their own microbiome projects and conducting a multi-faceted layout, striving to gain a strategic position in this promising field. In addition, whether it is scientific research or industrial applications, there has been a climax of research and a wave of investment and financing, accordingly, products and services related to the microbiome are constantly emerging. However, due to the rapid development of microbiome sequencing and analysis related technologies and methods, the research and application from various countries have not yet unified on the standards of technology, programs, and data. Domestic industry participants also have insufficient understanding of the microbiome. New methods, technologies, and theories have not yet been fully accepted and used. In addition, some of the existing standards and guidelines are too general with poor practicality. This not only causes obstacles in the integration of scientific research data and waste of resources, but also gives related companies unfair competition opportunity. More importantly, China still lacks national standards related to the microbiome, and the national microbiome project is still in the process of preparation. In this context, the experts and practitioners of the microbiome worked together and developed the consensus of experts. It can not only guide domestic scientific research and industrial institutions to regulate the production, learning and research of the microbiome, the application can also provide reference technical basis for the relevant national functional departments, protect the scale and standardized corporate company's interests, strengthen industry self-discipline, avoid unregulated enterprises from disrupting the market, and ultimately promote the benign development of microbiome-related industries.
China ; Consensus ; Humans ; Industry ; Microbiota

Objective: To verify the safety and efficacy of IONTRIS particle therapy system (IONTRIS) in clinical implementation. Methods: Between 6.2014 and 8.2014, a total of 35 patients were enrolled into this trial: 31 males and 4 females with a median age of 69 yrs (range 39-80). Ten patients had locally recurrent head and neck tumors after surgery, 4 cases with thoracic malignancies, 1 case with hepatocellular carcinoma, 1 case with retroperitoneal sarcoma, and 19 cases with non-metastatic prostate carcinomas. Phantom dose verification was mandatory for each field before the start of radiation. Results: Twenty-two patients received carbon ion and 13 had proton irradiation. With a median follow-up time of 1 year, all patients were alive. Among the 16 patients with head and neck, thoracic, and abdominal/pelvic tumors, 2, 1, 12, and 1 cases developed complete response, partial response, stable disease, or disease progression, respectively. Progression-free survival rate was 93.8% (15/16). Among the 19 patients with prostate cancer, biological-recurrence free survival was 100%. Particle therapy was well tolerated in all 35 patients. Twenty-five patients (71.4%) experienced 33 grade 1 acute adverse effects, which subsided at 1 year follow-up. Six (17.1%) patients developed grade 1 late adverse effects. No significant change in ECOG or body weight was observed. Conclusions IONTRIS is safe and effective for clinical use. However, long term follow-up is needed to observe the late toxicity and long term result.

Objective To verify the safety and efficacy of IONTRIS particle therapy system ( IONTRIS) in clinical implementation. Methods Between 6.2014 and 8.2014, a total of 35 patients were enrolled into this trial:31 males and 4 females with a median age of 69 yrs ( range 39?80) . Ten patients had locally recurrent head and neck tumors after surgery, 4 cases with thoracic malignancies, 1 case with hepatocellular carcinoma, 1 case with retroperitoneal sarcoma, and 19 cases with non?metastatic prostate carcinomas. Phantom dose verification was mandatory for each field before the start of radiation. Results Twenty?two patients received carbon ion and 13 had proton irradiation. With a median follow?up time of 1 year, all patients were alive. Among the 16 patients with head and neck, thoracic, and abdominal/pelvic tumors, 2, 1, 12, and 1 cases developed complete response, partial response, stable disease, or disease progression, respectively. Progression?free survival rate was 93.8％ (15/16). Among the 19 patients with prostate cancer, biological?recurrence free survival was 100％. Particle therapy was well tolerated in all 35 patients. Twenty?five patients (71.4％) experienced 33 grade 1 acute adverse effects, which subsided at 1 year follow?up. Six ( 17.1％) patients developed grade 1 late adverse effects. No significant change in ECOG or body weight was observed. Conclusions IONTRIS is safe and effective for clinical use. However, long term follow?up is needed to observe the late toxicity and long term result.

Objective To verify the safety and efficacy of IONTRIS particle therapy system ( IONTRIS) in clinical implementation. Methods Between 6.2014 and 8.2014, a total of 35 patients were enrolled into this trial:31 males and 4 females with a median age of 69 yrs ( range 39?80) . Ten patients had locally recurrent head and neck tumors after surgery, 4 cases with thoracic malignancies, 1 case with hepatocellular carcinoma, 1 case with retroperitoneal sarcoma, and 19 cases with non?metastatic prostate carcinomas. Phantom dose verification was mandatory for each field before the start of radiation. Results Twenty?two patients received carbon ion and 13 had proton irradiation. With a median follow?up time of 1 year, all patients were alive. Among the 16 patients with head and neck, thoracic, and abdominal/pelvic tumors, 2, 1, 12, and 1 cases developed complete response, partial response, stable disease, or disease progression, respectively. Progression?free survival rate was 93.8％ (15/16). Among the 19 patients with prostate cancer, biological?recurrence free survival was 100％. Particle therapy was well tolerated in all 35 patients. Twenty?five patients (71.4％) experienced 33 grade 1 acute adverse effects, which subsided at 1 year follow?up. Six ( 17.1％) patients developed grade 1 late adverse effects. No significant change in ECOG or body weight was observed. Conclusions IONTRIS is safe and effective for clinical use. However, long term follow?up is needed to observe the late toxicity and long term result.

Objective To investigate the antimicrobial resistance of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from multiple medical institutions across Hebei Province in 2015.Methods The bacterial data were collected from 53 member hospitals of Hebei Antimicrobial Resistance Investigation Net (HEBARIN) according to the unified surveillance program in Hebei province.WHONET 5.6 was used to review,analyze and summarize the surveillance data.The results were interpreted according to CLSI guideline 2014.Results A total of 2 408 strains of S.pneumoniae were included in this analysis.S.pneumoniae was the third most frequently isolated gram positive bacteria.More than 95％ of these S.pneumoniae strains were susceptible to vancomycin and moxifloxacin.However,96.4％,89.3％ and 67.4％ of these strains were resistant to erythromycin,clindamycin,and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole,respectively.The antimicrobial susceptibility profile was similar between the strains isolated from adults and those isolates from children.Conclusions The antimicrobial resistance profile ofS.pneumoniae isolates in Hebei Province is generally consistent with the nation-wide data,except higher resistance level to a few antimicrobial agents.We should be alert to and control the emergence of resistant S.pneumoniae.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-related progressive neurodegenerative disease.As the most common type of senile dementia disease,AD has no effective methods for early diagnoses.AD is characterized by the deposition of intracellular amyloid β (Aβ) plaques and extracellular neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) in the brain.In addition to allomnesia and cognitive disorder,ocular manifestation such as cataracts exists in AD patients.Studies have shown that amyloid-β (Aβ) is deposited not only in the brain but also in crystalline lens.For its structure and special location,crystalline len is more accessible for imaging than the brain,which can provide a simple,convenient and early diagnosis method for AD.Hence,it is worth investigating the relationship between Alzheimer's disease and cataracts.

An aerosol formulation containing 7.5 mg of R-salbutamol sulfate was developed. The aerosol was nebulized with an air-jet nebulizer, and further assessed according to the new European Medicines Agency (EMA) guidelines. A breath simulator was used for studies of delivery rate and total amount of the active ingredient at volume of 3 mL. A next generation impactor (NGI) with a cooler was used for analysis of the particle size and in vitro lung deposition rate of the active ingredient at 5 °C. The anti-asthmatic efficacy of the aerosol formulation was assessed in guinea pigs with asthma evoked by intravenous injection of histamine compared with racemic salbutamol. Our results show that this aerosol formulation of R-salbutamol sulfate met all the requirements of the new EMA guidelines for nebulizer. The efficacy of a half-dose of R-salbutamol equaled that of a normal dose of racemic salbutamol.