There is growing evidence that the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is associated with increased risks of psychiatric sequelae. Depression, anxiety, cognitive impairments, sleep disturbance, and fatigue during and after the acute phase of COVID-19 are prevalent, long-lasting, and exerting negative consequences on well-being and imposing a huge burden on healthcare systems and society. This current review presented timely updates of clinical research findings, particularly focusing on the pathogenetic mechanisms underlying the neuropsychiatric sequelae, and identified potential key targets for developing effective treatment strategies for long COVID. In addition, we introduced the Formosa Long COVID Multicenter Study (FOCuS), which aims to apply the inflammation theory to the pathogenesis and the psychosocial and nutrition treatments of post-COVID depression and anxiety.

Background: and Purpose Mutations in the FIG4 gene have been linked to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) type 11 in Caucasian populations. The purpose of this study was to identify FIG4 variants in a cohort of 15 familial ALS (FALS) indexes and 275 sporadic ALS (SALS) patients of Han Chinese origin. Methods: All 23 exons of FIG4 were sequenced using targeted next-generation sequencing.An extensive literature review was performed to detect genotype-phenotype associations of FIG4 mutations. Results: No FIG4 variants were identified in the FALS patients. One novel heterozygous missense variant (c.352G>T [p.D118Y]) and one novel heterozygous nonsense variant (c.2158G>T [p.E720X]) in FIG4 were identified in two SALS patients. The p.E720X variant is interpreted as likely pathogenic while the p.D118Y variant is a variant of uncertain significance. The patient carrying the p.E720X mutation developed lower-limb-onset slowly progressive ALS, and survived for 11.5 years. The patient harboring the FIG4 p.D118Y variant also presented with progressive ALS, with the score on the ALS Functional Rating Scale–Revised (ALSFRS-R) decreasing by 0.4 per month. The rate of decrease in the ALSFRS-R scores from symptom onset to diagnosis seemed to be lower in the patients carrying FIG4 variants than the no-FIG4-mutation ALS patients in this study. Conclusions Our findings suggest that ALS patients carrying FIG4 mutations are not common in the Chinese population and are more likely to exhibit slow progression.

Objective: Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. Methods: A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio ( Results: Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30-6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32-5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81-7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96-28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26-3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01-11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00-26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89-12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03-11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47-32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25-9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46-29.64) within two weeks. Conclusion Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes.
Adult ; Aged ; COVID-19/virology* ; China/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Severity of Illness Index ; Treatment Outcome

Liver disease is the general term for all diseases that occur in the liver. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine has certain advantages in the treatment of liver diseases. With a high experimental study value, good clinical efficacy and less adverse reactions, it has broad prospects. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling pathway is closely related to liver diseases. Its mechanism is to activate nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) through tlr4-mediated signaling pathway, inhibit the secretion of such inflammatory factors as interleukin-1(IL-1), interleukin-6(IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), and the inflammatory damage of liver cells, so as to further inhibit the effect of IL-1,IL-6, TNF-α in activating Hepatic Stellate Cell(HSC). The ways of blocking TRL4 pathway are as follows:Inhibiting the expression of TLR4,Inhibiting the dimerization of TLR4. Blocking intracellular signal transduction:①acting on the binding protein; ②acting on the kinase IRAKs; ③acting on TLRAFst. In these ways, the TRL4 pathway is blocked, the inflammation is inhibited, and the anti-liver disease effect is achieved. Therefore, inhibiting or enhancing TLR4 signaling pathway or intervening in some links of TLR4 signaling pathway has become a new strategy for the treatment of liver diseases. Toll-like receptor 4 signaling pathway has become one of the targets of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) against liver diseases. In this paper, the recent literatures on the effect of TCM in resisting activation of TLR4 signaling pathway and the effect of anti-liver diseases through monomers and effective parts of TCM, extracts of TCM and compound prescriptions of TCM were collected and summarized to provide important guiding significance and direction for the treatment of liver diseases by TCM and WM in the next step.

OBJECTIVETo investigate effects of retinol on the expressions of epidermal growth factor (EGF), stem cell factor (SCF), colony-stimulating factor 1 (CSF1) and leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in cultured human umbilical-derived mesenchymal stem cells (UCMSCs).

METHODSHuman UCMSCs were isolated from human umbilical cord and identified for immunophenotypes. The cells were then cultured in DMEM/F12 media supplemented with 12% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 12% FBS+1 µmol/L retinol, 15% knockout serum replacement (KSR) and 15% KSR+ 1 µmol/L retinol. The expressions of the cytokines EGF, SCF, CSF1 and LIF in the cells were detected using RT-PCR and ELISA.

RESULTSThe isolated cells exhibited characteristic immunophenotypes of human UCMSCs and expressed EGF, CSF1 and SCF at both mRNA and protein levels but not LIF protein. Retinol (1 µmol/L) significantly promoted the expressions of SCF and CSF1 at both mRNA and protein levels but did not result in changes of EGF and LIF expressions in human UCMSCs.

CONCLUSIONRetinol at the concentration of 1 µmol/L can promote expression of SCF and CSF1 in human UCMSCs in vitro.

Cell Differentiation ; Cells, Cultured ; EGF Family of Proteins ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunophenotyping ; Leukemia Inhibitory Factor ; metabolism ; Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor ; metabolism ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Stem Cell Factor ; metabolism ; Umbilical Cord ; cytology ; Vitamin A ; pharmacology

The paper is aimed to establish a method of residue analysis for thiamethoxam and to study its degradation dynamic and final residue and its standard of safe application of thiamethoxam on Lonicera japonica. Samples extracted with methanol by ultrasonication were purified with dichloromethane by liquid-liquid extraction and SPE column and analysed by HPLC-UV. The results showed that average rate was 84.91%-94.44% and RSD 1.74%-4.96% with addition of thiamethoxam in respectively diverse concentration, which meets inspection requirement of pesticide residue. Two kinds of dosages of thiamethoxam were treated- varying from recommended dosage (90 g x hm(-2)) to high dosage (135 g x hm(-2)), Results of two years test showed that thiamethoxam was degraded more than 90% seven days after application and the half - life period of thiamethoxam was 1.54-1.66 d. The digestion rate of thiamethoxam was fast in the L. japonica. The recommended MRL of thiamethoxam in the L. japonica is 0.1 mg x kg(-1), the dosage of 25% thiamethoxam WDG from 90-135 g x hm(-2) is sprayed less than three times a year on L. japonica and 14 days is proposed for the safety interval of the last pesticide application's and harvest's date.
Agriculture ; methods ; standards ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; Flowers ; chemistry ; growth & development ; parasitology ; Half-Life ; Insect Control ; methods ; standards ; Insecticides ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Lonicera ; chemistry ; growth & development ; parasitology ; Neonicotinoids ; Nitro Compounds ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Oxazines ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Pesticide Residues ; adverse effects ; chemistry ; Plant Diseases ; parasitology ; prevention & control ; Thiazoles ; adverse effects ; chemistry

OBJECTIVETo investigate the inductive therapeutic effects of imatinib combined with VP low dose regiment on adult patients with Ph-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+) ALL).

METHODSFourteen newly diagnosed adult patients with Ph(+) ALL were treated with VP regimen, and imatinib (400 mg/d) was added at the 8(th) day. VP regimen would be stopped when neutropenia lasted for 1 week or complicated with infection, fever, etc. Therapeutic effects were assessed by bone marrow morphology and quantitative analysis of BCR/ABL:ABL at the 28(th) - 33(rd) day. Patients could be treated with imatinib combined with chemotherapy for consolidation and maintenance therapy or were treated with allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation after complete remission.

RESULTSFourteen cases obtained CR1 after first course of treatment, the median decline of BCR/ABA:ABL was 55.89 (10.25 -180.97) %; during the induction chemotherapy, pulmonary infection occurred in 3 patients, diarrhea in 1 patients, facial edema in 3 patients, however, all these patients were cured after symptomatic treatment, only 1 patient died of relapse after transplantation.

CONCLUSIONIn the period of tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), inductive chemotherapy combined with imatinib and low dose VP can obtaine satisfactory CR rate and decrease the toxicity of the traditional drugs. It is suggested that TKI combined with VP regimen chemotherapy can achieve CR1 and make possible for allo-HSCT, from which patients can achieve the long-term survival.

Adult ; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols ; Bone Marrow ; Cisplatin ; Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Humans ; Imatinib Mesylate ; Induction Chemotherapy ; Neutropenia ; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma ; Protein Kinase Inhibitors ; Recurrence ; Remission Induction ; Transplantation, Homologous ; Vindesine

OBJECTIVETo study the analgesic effect and safety of fentanyl in neonates receiving mechanical ventilation.

METHODSThirty neonates receiving mechanical ventilation between December 2010 and February 2011 were randomized into drug intervention group and control group (n=15 each). In addition to the conventional treatment for both groups, the drug intervention group received fentanyl as the analgesic treatment. Heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure changes, and premature infant pain profile (PIPP) score before treatment and at 30 minutes, 2 hours, and 4 hours after treatment were recorded in both groups. Follow-up visits were performed for these infants after discharge, and the CDCC intellectual development scale for infants was applied to measure mental development index (MDI) and psychomotor development index (PDI) at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age.

RESULTSThe respiratory rate and heart rate decreased in the drug intervention group after fentanyl treatment compared with the control group (P<0.05), and the PIPP scores in the drug intervention group was significantly lower than in the control group (P<0.05). The results of follow-up visits showed no significant differences in MDI and PDI at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age between the drug intervention and control groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSFentanyl can relieve the pain response in neonates receiving mechanical ventilation, with no long-term adverse effects on neurodevelopment.

Analgesics, Opioid ; pharmacology ; Child Development ; drug effects ; Female ; Fentanyl ; pharmacology ; Heart Rate ; drug effects ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Male ; Respiration ; drug effects ; Respiration, Artificial

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the clinical value of radial endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) in the assessment of preoperative staging of rectal carcinoma.

METHODSOne hundred and ten patients with rectal cancer underwent preoperative endorectal ultrasound (ERUS) examination in our hospital from February 2010 to September 2011. ERUS was performed using a Hitachi 900, Hitachi HI Vision Preirus US scanner, with a 5 - 10 MHz rigid rotating radial transducer and a focal length of 2 - 5 cm. The size, shape, echo pattern, infiltration depth, degree of circumferential involvement, extra-rectal invasion of the lesions and lymph node involvement were observed. The results of ERUS staging were compared with histopathological findings of the surgical specimens.

RESULTSThe accuracy of ERUS for T staging was 91.4%. The accuracy of ERUS in diagnosing stage T1, T2, T3, T4 cancers was 92.7%, 88.2%, 88.2% and 96.4%, respectively. The sensitivity of ERUS in diagnosing stage T1, T2, T3, T4 cancers was 92.3%, 72.7%, 85.4% and 71.4%, respectively. The specificity of ERUS in diagnosing stage T1, T2, T3, T4 cancer was 92.9%, 92.0%, 90.3% and 100.0%, respectively. Comparing the consistency of preoperative T-staging and postoperative pathological results, the Kappa value was 0.75, with a considerable consistency. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ERUS in the assessment of lymph node metastasis were 74.2%, 89.9% and 85.5%, respectively. Comparing the consistency of preoperative N-staging and postoperative pathological results, the Kappa value was 0.64, with a considerable consistency.

CONCLUSIONSERUS is a practical and accurate tool in assessment of preoperative staging of rectal tumors in regard to tumor invasion depth (T) and regional lymph node status (N), with advantages of simple operation, less pain, and high accuracy.

Adult ; Aged ; Endosonography ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Preoperative Period ; Rectal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Rectum ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery

Objective To compare plasma concentrations of biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction between patients with primary aldosteronism (PA) and essential hypertension (EH),and to determine whether elevated levels of these biomarkers could predict development of early organ damage.Methods Thirty-six PA patients and 39 EH patients matched for age,sex,blood pressure and duration of hypertension were included in this study.Plasma levels of biomarkers reflecting endothelial dysfunction (von Willebrand factor,vWF; soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1,sICAM-1; and oxidized low density lipoprotein,ox-LDL) were detected and compared between PA and EH patients. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI)determined by echocardiography,24-hour urinary protein quantitative determination and urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) were analyzed to evaluate early organ damage. Left ventricular hypertrophy was defined as LVMI ＞ 125 g/m2 in men and ＞ 120 g/m2 in women,and UAER between 20 μg/min and 200 μg/min was defined as microalbuminuria.Results vWF [(122.3 ±53.8)％ vs.(113.1 ±68.3)％],sICAM-1 [(401.0±74.1) μg/Lvs.(300.9±87.0) μg/L],ox-LDL[ (13.6±10.0) U/Lvs.( 8.1±5.9) U/L ],LVMI [ ( 124.7 ± 33.6) g/m2 vs.( 109.1 ± 25.7) g/m2 ],24-hour urinary protein quantitation [24 h UPQ,(0.17±0.10) gvs.( 0.09±0.04 ) g] and UAER [(25.9±7.7 ) μg/min vs.( 9.7±5.9) μg/min] were significantly higher in PA group than in EH group (all P ＜0.05),Elevated plasma vWF,sICAM-1 levels and plasma aldosterone concentration independently predicted microalbuminuria.Whereas,elevated plasma vWF and ox-LDL levels,plasma aldosterone concentration and systolic blood pressure independently predicted left ventricular hypertrophy.Conclusion Patients with PA have severer endothelial dysfunction reflected by multiple biomarkers and earlier organ damage than patients with EH,and plasma aldosterone concentration and multiple endothelial dysfunction biomarkers could independently predict early organ damage.