Natural antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are promising candidates for the development of a new generation of antimicrobials to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens. They have found extensive applications in the fields of medicine, food, and agriculture. However, efficiently screening AMPs from natural sources poses several challenges, including low efficiency and high antibiotic resistance. This review focuses on the action mechanisms of AMPs, both through membrane and non-membrane routes. We thoroughly examine various highly efficient AMP screening methods, including whole-bacterial adsorption binding, cell membrane chromatography (CMC), phospholipid membrane chromatography binding, membrane-mediated capillary electrophoresis (CE), colorimetric assays, thin layer chromatography (TLC), fluorescence-based screening, genetic sequencing-based analysis, computational mining of AMP databases, and virtual screening methods. Additionally, we discuss potential developmental applications for enhancing the efficiency of AMP discovery. This review provides a comprehensive framework for identifying AMPs within complex natural product systems.

Objective Based on the national drug sampling inspection program,this study aims to comprehensively and systematically evaluate the quality of Xuanmai Ganjie preparations,analyze existing quality issues,and provide references and suggestions for quality control of this variety.Methods A total of 237 batches of Xuanmai Ganjie preparations were tested using legal standards,and methods were established for detecting adulteration of Ophiopogon japonicus with counterfeit varieties,paclobutrazol residue levels,and determining the content of platycodin D in Xuanmai Ganjie preparations.These methods were applied to the quality control and evaluation of Xuanmai Ganjie preparations.Results Through statutory inspection,one batch of Xuanmai Ganjie granules was found non-compliant.Specific batches were identified to contain the following irregularities:adulteration of Ophiopogon japonicus with counterfeit varieties,paclobutrazol residue levels exceeding proposed limits,and platycodin D content below the established threshold.Conclusion The overall quality of Xuanmai Ganjie granules was average,while the overall quality of Xuanmai Ganjie capsules and lozenges was relatively good.Manufacturing enterprises should strengthen their sense of primary responsibility and enhance control over the entire drug production process.

Natural antimicrobial peptides(AMPs)are promising candidates for the development of a new gener-ation of antimicrobials to combat antibiotic-resistant pathogens.They have found extensive applications in the fields of medicine,food,and agriculture.However,efficiently screening AMPs from natural sources poses several challenges,including low efficiency and high antibiotic resistance.This review focuses on the action mechanisms of AMPs,both through membrane and non-membrane routes.We thoroughly examine various highly efficient AMP screening methods,including whole-bacterial adsorption binding,cell membrane chromatography(CMC),phospholipid membrane chromatography binding,membrane-mediated capillary electrophoresis(CE),colorimetric assays,thin layer chromatography(TLC),fluorescence-based screening,genetic sequencing-based analysis,computational mining of AMP data-bases,and virtual screening methods.Additionally,we discuss potential developmental applications for enhancing the efficiency of AMP discovery.This review provides a comprehensive framework for identifying AMPs within complex natural product systems.

Objective Based on the national drug sampling inspection program,this study aims to comprehensively and systematically evaluate the quality of Xuanmai Ganjie preparations,analyze existing quality issues,and provide references and suggestions for quality control of this variety.Methods A total of 237 batches of Xuanmai Ganjie preparations were tested using legal standards,and methods were established for detecting adulteration of Ophiopogon japonicus with counterfeit varieties,paclobutrazol residue levels,and determining the content of platycodin D in Xuanmai Ganjie preparations.These methods were applied to the quality control and evaluation of Xuanmai Ganjie preparations.Results Through statutory inspection,one batch of Xuanmai Ganjie granules was found non-compliant.Specific batches were identified to contain the following irregularities:adulteration of Ophiopogon japonicus with counterfeit varieties,paclobutrazol residue levels exceeding proposed limits,and platycodin D content below the established threshold.Conclusion The overall quality of Xuanmai Ganjie granules was average,while the overall quality of Xuanmai Ganjie capsules and lozenges was relatively good.Manufacturing enterprises should strengthen their sense of primary responsibility and enhance control over the entire drug production process.

Objective:To evaluate the value of enhanced CT radiomics feature model for predicting 5-year overall survival (OS) of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients after radiotherapy.Methods:Clinical data of 218 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with radical chemoradiotherapy in the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from July 2016 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were randomly divided into the training group ( n=153) or a validation group ( n=65) at a 7 vs. 3 ratio. Enhanced CT radiomics features were extracted. The data in the training group was used to construct the prediction model, and the data in the validation group were utilized to validate the efficiency of this model for predicting the 5-year OS of patients. The predictive performance of this model was assessed by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, consistency index (C-index), and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results:The 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rates were 67.0%, 33.4%, 24.9%. Five radiomic features were selected from extracted features in the training group to construct the radiomic signature (RS) for predicting 5-year OS. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.760 in the training group and 0.707 in the validation group, and the C-index was 0.680 and 0.684, respectively. The radiomics nomogram, which incorporated the RS with clinical risk factors, were established to predict the 5-year OS of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients after radiotherapy. The AUC was 0.782 in the training group and 0.751 in the validation group, and the C-index was 0.708 and 0.688, respectively. According to the optimal cutoff of the model, all patients were divided into the high risk and low risk groups. The 1-, 3-, 5-year OS rates were 86.5%, 65.4%, 28.9% in the low risk group, and 58.4%, 17.8%, 5.9% in the high risk group, and the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.001). Similar conclusions were obtained in the validation group (all P<0.001). Conclusion:Enhanced CT radiomics features can be utilized to construct the prediction model for 5-year OS of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients after radiotherapy, which can be applied in clinical practice.

Perifoveal exudative vascular anomalous complex (PEVAC) are class of diseases characterized by isolated aneurysmal lesions of the perifovea with hemorrhage and hard exudates, which are found in recent years. Its pathogenesis and pathological process are not yet fully elucidated. The current consensus through multimodal imaging studies is that PEVAC is an idiopathic perifoveal retinal vascular abnormality with cystoid macular edema (CME) and hard exudate. It is not easily distinguished clinically from retinal microaneurysm due to diabetic retinopathy or retinal vein occlusion, aneurysmal telangiectasia, and type 3 macular neovascularization (stage Ⅰ). PEVAC is a partially self-healing property, and some aneurysms and CME may resolve on their own during follow-up period. Laser photocoagulation is an effective measure for the treatment of PEVAC. In the future, with the rapid development of imaging technology, the progress of research on pathogenesis and treatment strategies and the updating of theories are expected to provide more effective treatments for PEVAC.

Objective:To investigate the multilocus sequence typing feature of the virulence-associated genes of Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus) separated from the clinical specimens of a multi-center cohort children in Guangzhou area. Methods:A total number of 412 Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from 2 059 non-repeated fecal specimens of children by three groups′ researchers in Guangzhou Women and Children′s Medical Center from August 2018 to November 2018. While collecting specimens, patient clinical information is also properly collected and preserved. After extracting the DNA of the strain, the virulence-associated genes were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including the staphylococcal enterotoxin (SE) genes ( sea, seb, sec, sed, see) and the Panton-Valentine leucocidin-encoding gene ( pvl).The multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) method was performed to reveal the MLST feature of these genes and the statistical difference were examined by the the χ 2 test. Results:Among the 412 isolates of S. aureus, 256 strains (256/412, 62.1%) contains at least one SE gene. Among the enterotoxin gens, the sec (125/412, 30.3%), seb(98/412, 23.8%)and sea (66/412, 16.0%)genes were the three most prevalent members of SEs. The frequency of pvl gene in Staphylococcus aureus was 18.7%(77/412).Among them, the frequency of Staphylococcus aureus sea gene isolated from patients with gastroenteritis (58/319, 18.2%) was significantly higher than that from the non-gastroenteritis group (8/93, 8.6%)(χ2=4.912, P=0.027). The frequency of Staphylococcus aureus pvl gene isolated from the patients with pneumonia (8/21, 38.1%) was greater than that from the non-pneumonia group (6/47, 12.8%)(χ2=4.252, P=0.039). In addition, the virulence-associated gene of S. aureus was closely related to the specific ST type, 82.4% (28/34) of ST6 carried sea gene, all ST338 and ST59 carried seb gene, 96% (48/50) ST45 carried sec gene, and the pvl gene carrying rate of ST338 was 5/5. Conclusions:The SEA toxin produced by ST6 Staphylococcus aureus may be closely related to the diagnosis of gastroenteritis in children. The frequency of pvl virulence gene in Staphylococcus aureus in children with community-acquired pneumonia was higher than that in the non-pneumonia group, and closely related to the CC59.

Objective:To investigate the effects of hemophagocytic syndrome also known as hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) on the clinical features and therapeutic efficacy of patients with Epstein-Barr virus-positive T-cell lymphoma (EBV-TCL).Methods:The clinical data of patients with EBV-TCL diagnosed by pathological examination in the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from November 2015 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. According to whether they were accompanied with HLH at the time of onset, patients were divided into HLH group (10 cases) and non-HLH group (13 cases), and the clinical features and prognosis of the two groups were compared. The curative effects of different treatment methods and patients with different plasma EBV-DNA titers were compared.Results:Among 23 patients, 3 cases (13.0%) were in Ann Arbor stage Ⅰ-Ⅱ, 20 cases (87.0%) were in stage Ⅲ-Ⅳ; the International Prognostic Index (IPI) score was 1 point in 3 cases (13.0%), 2 points in 4 cases (17.4%), 3 points in 8 cases (34.8%), 4 points in 8 cases (34.8%). In the HLH group, there were 2 cases of aggressive NK-cell leukemia and 3 cases of childhood systemic EBV-TCL. There were no cases of above two pathological types in the non-HLH group. In the HLH group, the proportions of patients with fever, bone marrow invasion, IPI score > 2 points, and EBV-DNA > 10 4 copies/ml were higher than those in the non-HLH group (all P < 0.05). The objective response rate (complete remission plus partial remission) of all patients after chemotherapy was 47.8% (11/23); there were 3 cases undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in both the HLH group and the non-HLH group, and all achieved objective remission. The objective remission of 7 patients and 10 patients who did not undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in the HLH group and non-HLH group after lymphoma chemotherapy had 0 case and 5 cases, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.044). In the chemotherapy alone group, 5 of 17 patients had objective remission, 6 patients in the chemotherapy plus transplantation group had objective remission, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.039). Among 16 patients whose plasma EBV-DNA titers turned negative, 11 patients had objective remission, and 7 patients whose plasma EBV-DNA titers were continuously positive had no objective remission, and the difference was statistically significant ( P = 0.001). The 1-year overall survival rate of all patients was 69.3%, and the 2-year overall survival rate was 52.0%. In the HLH group, the 1-year and 2-year overall survival rates of 7 patients receiving chemotherapy alone and 3 patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation were 42.9% and 66.7%, respectively. In the non-HLH group, the 1-year overall survival rates of 10 patients receiving chemotherapy alone and 3 patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation were 80.0% and 100.0%, respectively; the 2-year overall survival rates were 26.7% and 100.0%,respectively. The overall survival of patients receiving chemotherapy plus transplantation was better than that of those receiving chemotherapy alone in both the HLH group and the non-HLH group, and differences were statistically significant (all P < 0.05). Conclusions:The general clinical stage of patients with EBV-TCL is later, and the prognosis of EBV-TCL patients with HLH is worse. The therapeutic efficacy may be related to plasma EBV-DNA titers. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation can improve the remission rate.

Objective:To analyze the incidence of uveal effusion observed in primary glaucoma and explore the relevant factors.Methods:In this case control study, 692 primary glaucoma patients in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from July 2016 to July 2017 were recruited, including 256 acute primary angle-closure glaucoma (APACG) patients, 368 chronic primary angle-closure glaucoma (CPACG) patients, and 68 primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients.Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) was performed to determine the presence of uveal effusion, and to grade the effusion.The incidence of uveal effusion and the degree of effusion were analyzed statistically.The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University.Results:The incidence levels of uveal effusion in the remission stage of APACG, the pre-clinical stage of APACG, and the progress stage of CPACG were 20.45% (54/264), 3.76% (8/213) and 1.45% (8/548), respectively; the incidence of uveal effusion among the three groups was statistically significant ( χ2=105.02, P<0.05). The incidence levels of uveal effusion in the pre-clinical stage of APACG and the progress stage of CPACG were obviously lower than that in the remission stage of APACG ( χ2=29.07, χ2=91.15; both at P<0.01). In the remission stage of APACG, the initial intraocular pressure was higher, and intraocular pressure fluctuation was larger in the patients with uveal effusion than that in the patients without uveal effusion, and these differences were statistically significant ( Z=-3.626, Z=-4.022; both at P<0.05). Uveal effusion was detected in 54 eyes of the 50 APACG patients in the remission stage, including Grade 3 in 16 eyes, Grade 2 in 12 eyes, and Grade 1 in 26 eyes.Uveal effusion was demostrated in eight eyes of eight patients in the preclinical stage of APACG, and all at Grade 1.In the progress stage of CPACG, uveal effusion was also revealed in eight eyes of eight patients, all at Grade 1.In the remission stage of APACG, the degree of effusion was positively correlated with the initial intraocular pressure and the fluctuation of intraocular pressure ( r s=0.912, r s=0.923; both at P<0.01). However, the degree of effusion was inversely associated with intraocular pressure after treatment ( r s=-0.269, P<0.05). Conclusions:Uveal effusion can be observed in the remission and preclinical stages of APACG, and in the progress stage of CPACG.The remission stage of APACG shows both the highest rate and the severest degree of this complication.The degree of effusion is positively correlated with the initial intraocular pressure and the decrease in intraocular pressure, but it is inversely associated with intraocular pressure after treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the geometrical matching of a new anatomical adaptive titanium mesh cage (AA-TMC) with the endplate and its effect on cervical segmental alignment reconstruction in single- and two-level anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) and compare the compressive load at the endplate between the AA-TMC and the conventional titanium mesh cage (TMC). METHODS: Twelve cervical cadaveric specimens were used to perform single- and two-level ACCF. The interbody angle (IBA), interbody height (IBH) and the interval between the AA-TMC and the endplate were evaluated by comparison of the pre- and postoperative X-ray images. The maximum load at the endplate was compared between the AA-TMC and TMC based on American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) F2267 standard. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the preoperative and postoperative IBA and IBH in either single-level ACCF (11.62°±2.67° 12.13°±0.69° and 23.90±2.18 mm 24.23±1.13 mm, respectively; > 0.05) or two-level ACCF (15.63°±5.06° 16.16°±1.05°and 42.93±3.51 mm 43.04±1.70 mm, respectively; > 0.05). The mean interval between the AA-TMC and the endplate was 0.37 ± 0.3 mm. Compared to the conventional TMC, the use of AA-TMC significantly increased the maximum load at the endplate in both single-level ACCF (719.7±5.5 N 875.8±5.2 N, < 0.05) and two-level ACCF (634.3±5.9 N 873±6.1 N, < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The use of AA-TMC in single-level and two-level ACCF can significantly increase the maximum load at the endplate to lower the possibility of implant subsidence and allows effective reconstruction of the cervical alignment.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Cervical Vertebrae ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants ; Spinal Fusion ; Surgical Mesh ; Titanium ; Treatment Outcome