Pregnancy ; Female ; Humans ; Mucolipidoses ; Placenta

OBJECTIVE To establish the fingerprint of Tibetan medicine Adhatoda vasica ，and determine the contents of vasicine and vasicinone ，so as to comprehensively evaluate its quality combined with chemical pattern recognition. METHODS Using vasicine as control ，HPLC fingerprints of 11 batches of A. vasica were established with Similarity Evaluation System for Chromatographic Fingerprints of TCM （2012 edition）. The common peaks were identified and their similarities were evaluated. Cluster analysis （CA），principal component analysis （PCA）and orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis （OPLS-DA） were performed by using SPSS 25 software and SIMCA 14.1 software. The variable importance in the projection （VIP）value＞1.0 was used as the standard to screen the differential components affecting the quality of A. vasica ；the contents of vasicine and vasicinone were determined by HPLC simultaneously. RESULTS A total of 23 common peaks were found ，and peak 2 was identified as vasicine ，and peak 4 was identified as vasicinone. Their similarities ranged 0.920-0.994. The results of CA showed that 11 batches of samples were clustered into 3 categories（distance was 14）：S1-S8 as one category （origin：Yunnan，Tibet），S9 as one category （origin：Yunnan），S10-S11 as one category （origin：Sichuan）；the results of P CA and OPLS-DA showed that S 9 and S10-S11 were divided into one category respectively ，and S1-S8 were further divided into 2 categories：S1，S4 as one category，S2-S3，S5-S8 as one category ；the common peaks with VIP value ＞1.0 included peak 2，peak 16，peak 21，peak 17，peak 1 and peak 13. Among 11 batches of samples ， contents of vasicine and vasicinone were 4.12-10.22 and 0.60-3.26 mg/g， respectively. CONCLUSIONS Established edu.cn HPLC fi ngerprint and content determination method are simple and accurate ，and can be used for the quality evaluation of Tibetan medicine A. vasica ，by combining with chemical pattern recognition. Vasicine and other components may be the differential components that affect the quality of the drug.

The larvae of Echinococcus (hydatidcyst) can parasitize humans and animals, causing a serious zoonotic disease-echinococcosis. The life history of Echinococcus is complicated, and as the disease progresses slowly after infection, early diagnosis is difficult to establish. Due to the limitations of imaging and immunological diagnosis in this respect, domestic and foreign scholars have established a variety of molecular detection techniques for the pathogen Echinococcus over recent years, mainly including nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), multiplex PCR, real-time quantitative PCR, and nucleic acid isothermal amplification technology. In this article, the research progress of molecular detection technology for Echinococcus infection currently was reviewed and the significance of these methods in the detection and diagnosis of hydatid and hydatid diseases was also discussed.

COVID-19 ; Exercise ; Humans

INTRODUCTION: Hospital-at-home programmes are well described in the literature but not in Asia. We describe a home-based inpatient substitutive care programme in Singapore, with clinical and patient-reported outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients admitted to a hospital-at-home programme from September 2020 to September 2021. Suitable patients, who otherwise required hospitalisation, were admitted to the programme. They were from inpatient wards, emergency department and community nursing teams in the western part of Singapore, where a multidisciplinary team provided hospital-level care at home. Electronic health record data were extracted from all patients admitted to the programme. Patient satisfaction surveys were conducted post-discharge. RESULTS: A total of 108 patients enrolled. Mean age was 67.9 (standard deviation 16.7) years, and 46% were male. The main diagnoses were skin and soft tissue infections (35%), urinary tract infections (29%) and fluid overload (18%). Median length of stay was 4 (interquartile range 3-7) days. Seven patients were escalated back to the hospital, of whom 2 died after escalation. One patient died at home. There was 1 case of adverse drug reaction and 1 fall at home, and no cases of hospital-acquired infections. Patient satisfaction rates were high and 94% of contactable patients would choose to participate again. CONCLUSION Hospital-at-home programmes appear to be safe and feasible alternatives to inpatient care in Singapore. Further studies are warranted to compare clinical outcomes and cost to conventional inpatient care.
Aftercare ; Aged ; Female ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Patient Discharge ; Retrospective Studies ; Singapore

Air pollution, climate change, and reduced biodiversity are major threats to human health with detrimental effects on a variety of chronic noncommunicable diseases in particular respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The extent of air pollution both outdoor and indoor air pollution and climate change including global warming is increasing-to alarming proportions particularly in the developing world especially rapidly industrializing countries worldwide. In recent years, Asia has experienced rapid economic growth and a deteriorating environment and increase in allergic diseases to epidemic proportions. Air pollutant levels in many Asian countries especially in China and India are substantially higher than are those in developed countries. Moreover, industrial, traffic-related, and household biomass combustion, indoor pollutants from chemicals and tobacco are major sources of air pollutants, with increasing burden on respiratory allergies. Here we highlight the major components of outdoor and indoor air pollutants and their impacts on respiratory allergies associated with asthma and allergic rhinitis in the Asia-Pacific region. With Asia-Pacific comprising more than half of the world's population there is an urgent need to increase public awareness, highlight targets for interventions, public advocacy and a call to action to policy makers to implement policy changes towards reducing air pollution with interventions at a population-based level.
Administrative Personnel ; Air Pollutants ; Air Pollution ; Air Pollution, Indoor ; Allergy and Immunology ; Asia ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Asthma ; Biodiversity ; Biomass ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; China ; Climate Change ; Climate ; Consumer Advocacy ; Developed Countries ; Economic Development ; Family Characteristics ; Global Warming ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; India ; Rhinitis, Allergic ; Tobacco

Animals ; Antibodies, Monoclonal ; pharmacokinetics ; therapeutic use ; Antibodies, Viral ; therapeutic use ; Hepatitis B virus ; immunology ; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I ; metabolism ; Humans ; Macaca fascicularis ; Mice ; Protein Binding ; Protein Engineering ; Receptors, Fc ; metabolism

Objective: To explore the features of distribution on HIV-1 gene subtypes among newly reported HIV/AIDS cases in the border areas of Yunnan province. Methods: A total of 233 newly reported HIV/AIDS cases aged 18 or more were consecutively included in the border counties of Dehong Dai and Jingpo autonomous prefecture (Dehong prefecture), Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture (Honghe prefecture) of Yunnan province from November 2015 to October 2016. HIV-1 RNA was extracted with pol and env genes amplified. HIV-1 gene subtypes were determined through phylogenetic analysis. Results: A total of 146 out of 233 specimens were genotyped successfully. HIV-1 was found to have had 8 gene subtypes in Dehong prefecture, with the unique recombinant forms (URFs) as the predominant (52.8%, 57/108) type, including 56.8% (21/37) of the cases with Chinese ethnicity and another 50.7% (36/71) were Myanmar citizens. Four HIV-1 gene subtypes were detected in Honghe prefecture, with CRF01_AE as predominant (71.1%, 27/38), including 81.0% (17/21) Vietnamese and 58.8% (10/17) Chinese. Differences on the distribution of HIV-1 gene subtypes were seen statistically significant between Dehong prefecture and Honghe prefecture (χ(2)=61.072, P<0.001). Conclusions: The distribution of HIV-1 gene subtypes showed big difference in the two border areas of Yunnan province, suggesting that both Chinese or non- Chinese citizens living in the area should be taken good care of, in terms of HIV/AIDS prevention and control.
Adolescent ; Adult ; China/epidemiology* ; Female ; Genotype ; HIV Infections/virology* ; HIV-1/genetics* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Myanmar/ethnology* ; Phylogeny ; RNA, Viral/genetics* ; Young Adult

Objective: To understand the dynamic variation of BMI and influencing factors among HIV/AIDS patients receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) in Liuzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (Guangxi). Methods: HIV/AIDS patients receiving HAART for the first time since 1 January 2013 were selected. Data on BMI was analyzed among patients receiving HAART at baseline,6 months and 12 months after treatment. By using the general linear model repeated measures of analysis of variance, BMI dynamic variations and influencing factors were described and analyzed. Results: The average BMI of 2 871 patients at baseline, 6th months and 12th months appeared as (20.65±3.32), (20.87±3.22) and (21.18±3.20), respectively, with differences all statistically significant (F=18.86, P<0.001). BMI were increasing over time with treatments (F=37.25, P<0.001). Main influencing factors were noticed as: age, sex, marital status, baseline data of CD(4)(+)T cells and the WHO classification on clinical stages. Conclusions: Higher proportion of BMI malnutrition counts was seen among patients before receiving HAART in Liuzhou. BMI of the patients that were on HAART seemed being influenced by many factors. It is necessary to select appropriate treatment protocols on different patients so as to improve the nutritional status of the patients.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ; Antiretroviral Therapy, Highly Active ; Body Mass Index ; CD4 Lymphocyte Count ; China/epidemiology* ; HIV Infections/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Linear Models ; Marital Status ; Nutritional Status ; T-Lymphocytes

Objective: To evaluate the serological diagnostic value of Mycobacterium (M.) tuberculosis four new antigens Rv0432, Rv0674, Rv1566c and Rv1547. Methods:Rv0432, Rv0674, Rv1566c and Rv1547 were amplified from M. tuberculosis strain H37Rv genomic DNA by using PCR, among which Rv1547 was divided into two segments for amplification (Rv1547-1 and Rv1547-2). The segments were cloned into expression vector PET-32a while the recombinant proteins were purified by affinity chromatography. Serums were incubated with BL21 (DE3) proteins. Antibodies IgG against M. tuberculosis were tested with 151 serum samples (41 healthy people and 110 TB patients) by using ELISA. The diagnostic efficiency of antigens was analyzed by means of receiver operating characteristic curve. Difference of the objective proteins in TB patients and healthy controls was compared by t-test. Results: Recombinant antigens Rv0432, Rv0674, Rv1566c, Rv1547-1 and Rv1547-2 were successfully expressed and purified. Results from ELISA showed that the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden index and area under the curve of Rv0432, Rv0674, Rv1566c, Rv1547-1 and Rv1547-2, as 43.64%-92.73%, 80.49%-92.68%, 0.92-0.94, 0.38-0.80, 0.363-0.732 and 0.649-0.915. All the objective proteins showed significantly higher antibody levels in TB patients, when compared to the healthy controls (P<0.000 1). Conclusion: The newly identified antigens Rv0432, Rv0674, Rv1566c, Rv1547-1 and Rv1547-2 all performed well when being used for TB serological diagnosis, thus were expected to be new candidate antigens used for TB diagnosis.
Antigens, Bacterial/genetics* ; Cloning, Molecular ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin G ; Mycobacterium tuberculosis/metabolism* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; ROC Curve ; Recombinant Proteins ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Serologic Tests/methods* ; Tuberculosis/genetics*