Disruption of normal secretion or mucociliary clearance can impair airway defense mechanisms and lung function, and increase the risk of infection. Airway clearance techniques are recommended as part of a comprehensive treatment plan for patients. Among these, vibratory expectoration is an important method of airway clearance, which loosens and liquefies mucus and metabolites on the surface of the respiratory tract through chest wall oscillation, promoting ciliary movement to facilitate sputum expulsion. However, commonly used handheld vibrating head devices and vest-type vibration expectorators have several limitations in clinical practice, such as inconvenience of operation, limited treatment time, poor adaptability, and difficulty in disinfection. To address these issues, the research team from the department of critical care medicine at Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, has designed a novel belt-type vibration expectorator, which has been granted a national utility model patent (Patent No.: ZL 2023 2 1610983.1). The device is mainly composed of a chest strap assembly, a sputum clearance component, and a fixed shoulder strap component. Several pockets are placed on the outer surface of the chest strap, with corresponding inner-side openings that allow the percussion head of the percussive expectorator placed inside the pocket to make contact with the patient's chest wall. Each pocket has markings indicating the percussion position, enabling the placement of the percussive expectorator according to the location of infection, thereby achieving multi-point, precise percussive vibration expectoration in different body positions. On the inner side of the chest strap, there are diagrams illustrating postural drainage, providing guidance on the body positions patients should assume based on the location of infection. The hook-and-loop fasteners on both sides of the chest strap can be wrapped around and secured according to the patient's body shape, ensuring that the sputum clearance components adhere tightly to the chest wall, allowing the vibrations generated by percussion to be effectively transmitted to the patient's airways. Additionally, to prevent the chest strap from slipping due to changes in the patient's position, a Y-shaped fixing strap can be selectively attached to the chest strap for further stabilization. This innovation not only simplifies the operation process, improves convenience and flexibility of use, but also supports the principle of "disinfection after each use by one person," which helps to reduce the risk of nosocomial infections and improve the efficiency of patients' respiratory rehabilitation.
Humans ; Vibration ; Equipment Design ; Chest Wall Oscillation/instrumentation* ; Sputum ; Expectorants ; Mucociliary Clearance

Objective:To clarify the current status of mechanical ventilation management in critically ill patients and identify prognostic risk factors in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, thereby providing evidence for targeted training programs and quality improvement initiatives.Methods:A cohort study was conducted across multiple ICUs in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region from January 31 to February 1, 2024. Patients receiving mechanical ventilation during the study period were enrolled, with clinical outcomes followed up until February 28, 2024. Statistical analyses included demographic characteristics, therapeutic interventions, laboratory parameters, and medication regimens.Results:A total of 77 ICUs and 727 patients were screened in the study, and 253 (34.80%) patients who received mechanical ventilation were ultimately included. Among these patients, 177 patients (69.96%) were treated in tertiary hospitals, and 76 patients (30.04%) in secondary hospitals. Significant differences were observed between tertiary and secondary hospitals regarding ventilator mode selection and mechanical ventilation parameter settings (all P<0.05). No significant differences were found in the 28-day mortality rate between tertiary hospitals and secondary hospitals (33.9% vs. 43.4%, P=0.194). Compared with patients in the survival group, death group patients were older and had more severe disease severity. Multivariate Cox regression analysis demonstrated that body temperature ( HR=1.573, 95% CI: 1.173-2.110, P=0.003), white blood cell count ( HR=1.048, 95% CI: 1.012-1.084, P=0.008), pH ( HR=0.019, 95% CI: 0.001-0.349, P=0.007), age > 65 years ( HR=1.817, 95% CI: 1.086-3.041, P=0.023), and fraction of inspired oxygen ≥ 60% ( HR=2.072, 95% CI: 1.143-3.757, P=0.016) were independent influencing factors for 28-day mortality in mechanically ventilated patients. Conclusions:Mechanically ventilated patients are a major component of the ICU population in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, with the characteristics of high risk of death. The clinical practice of mechanical ventilation in this region is heterogeneous. In the future, it is urgent to strengthen the improvement of medical quality and related training to improve the success rate of patients with mechanical ventilation.

Objective:To establish a rapid pipeline for whole genome sequencing of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) by combining imbricated multiplex-PCR amplification and Illumina high-throughput sequencing platform.Methods:The primary reference sequences of CHIKV were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database, covering all genotypes of CHIKV. After multiple alignments using the Mafft software and phylogenetic analysis, the 20 CHIKV references were selected for primer design. The Primal Scheme tool and Geneious Prime software were used to design, evaluate and optimize the primer panel. Finally, seven CHIKV-positive samples were involved in the validation of the primer panel.Results:All the amplicons of the designed panel were generated successfully. The consensuses generated from the mapping results could cover 100.00% of the coding region of the CHIKV genome when the Ct-value of the sample was less than 33, as the percentage would decrease to 99.38% when the Ct-value reached 35. The mapping percentage could be increased by 5.70%-25.43% when using the stepwise correction mapping strategy.Conclusion:The multiplex-PCR amplification method for CHIKV whole genome sequencing is relatively simple and convenient, which only requires two tubes of PCR amplification and performs well on CHIKV-positive clinical samples with different concentration levels of virus.

Objective:To establish a rapid pipeline for whole genome sequencing of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) by combining imbricated multiplex-PCR amplification and Illumina high-throughput sequencing platform.Methods:The primary reference sequences of CHIKV were downloaded from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database, covering all genotypes of CHIKV. After multiple alignments using the Mafft software and phylogenetic analysis, the 20 CHIKV references were selected for primer design. The Primal Scheme tool and Geneious Prime software were used to design, evaluate and optimize the primer panel. Finally, seven CHIKV-positive samples were involved in the validation of the primer panel.Results:All the amplicons of the designed panel were generated successfully. The consensuses generated from the mapping results could cover 100.00% of the coding region of the CHIKV genome when the Ct-value of the sample was less than 33, as the percentage would decrease to 99.38% when the Ct-value reached 35. The mapping percentage could be increased by 5.70%-25.43% when using the stepwise correction mapping strategy.Conclusion:The multiplex-PCR amplification method for CHIKV whole genome sequencing is relatively simple and convenient, which only requires two tubes of PCR amplification and performs well on CHIKV-positive clinical samples with different concentration levels of virus.

Objective:To understand the epidemiological characteristics of mpox epidemic in Guangzhou and provide scientific evidence for the prevention and control of the disease.Methods:Based on the mpox surveillance system in Guangzhou, suspected mpox cases with fever and rash were reported by local hospitals at all levels to centers for disease control and prevention in Guangzhou for sampling, investigation and diagnosis. Descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on the clinical characteristics and treatment of the mpox cases and positive detection rate reported in Guangzhou as of 24:00 on June 23. Whole genome sequencing of the virus isolates was performed using Illumina Miniseq high-throughput sequencing platform.Results:The first mpox case in Guangzhou was reported on June 10 in 2023. As of 24:00 on June 23, a total of 25 confirmed mpox cases were reported. All the mpox cases were men with a M( Q1, Q3) of 32 (26, 36) years, the majority of the cases were MSM (96.0%). The main clinical features were rash (100.0%, 25/25), lymphadenectasis (100.0%, 25/25) and fever (52.0%, 13/25). Rash usually occurred near the genitals (88.0%, 22/25). The close contacts, mainly family members (40.4%, 23/57), showed no similar symptoms, such as fever or rash. The positive rate of mpox virus in household environment samples was 30.5%. The analyses on 3 complete gene sequences of mpox virus indicated that the strains belonged to West African type Ⅱb clade, B.1.3 lineage. Conclusions:Hidden transmission of mpox virus had occurred in MSM in Guangzhou. However, the size of affected population is relatively limited, and the possibility of wide spread of the virus is low.

Objective: The antibacterial properties and bonding strength of 3M orthodontic adhesive resin modified by chlorhexidine acetate (CHA) composite mesoporous silica were investigated. Methods: CHA with different mass fractions was encapsulated in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) (denoted CHA@MSNs). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the samples. The 3M Z350XT flow resin was divided into 4 groups: group A: 3M+CHA@MSNs (0%); group B: 3M+CHA@MSNs (3%); group C: 3M+CHA@MSNs (5%); and group D: 3M+CHA@MSNs (6.4%), with mass scores of 0%, 3%, 5%, and 6.4%, respectively. The shear strength of the modified adhesive was tested by a universal electronic material testing machine, the adhesive residue was observed by a 10 × magnifying glass, and the adhesive Remnant index (ARI) was calculated. The four groups of modified adhesives were cultured with Streptococcus mutans. The OD540 value of the bacterial solution was measured by a spectrophotometer, and the amount of plaque attachment was observed by scanning electron microscopy to evaluate the antibacterial performance of the adhesives. Results: Infrared spectroscopic analysis of CHA@MSNs showed that CHA was successfully loaded onto MSNs. Under scanning electron microscopy, it could be seen that, after Cha was combined with MSNs, the structure of MSNs changed, as the boundary was fuzzy and aggregated into a layered structure. A comparison of shear strength revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups containing CHA@MSNs and the groups without CHA@MSNs (P<0.05). The value of the shear strength in group D decreased the most, while there was no statistically significant difference between group B and group C (P > 0.05). There was no statistical significance across all groups (P > 0.05), suggesting that the addition of CHA@MSNs had little effect on the bracket shedding. The OD540 value of bacterial fluid indicated that the difference among groups A, B and C was statistically significant (P < 0.05), and the antibacterial effect of group C was the best; there was no statistically significant difference between group C and group D (P > 0.05). Conclusions Therefore, adding 5% CHA@MSN antibacterial agent significantly improved the antibacterial effect and did not affect the bond strength.

Image-guided radiation therapy using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new technology that has been widely studied and developed in recent years. The technology combines the advantages of MRI imaging, and can offer online real-time tracking of tumor and adjacent organs at risk, as well as real-time optimization of radiotherapy plan. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of this technology, and to grasp the international development and trends in this field, this paper reviews and summarizes related researches, so as to make the researchers and clinical personnel in this field to understand recent status of this technology, and carry out corresponding researches. This paper summarizes the advantages of MRI and the research progress of MRI linear accelerator (MR-Linac), online guidance, adaptive optimization, and dosimetry-related research. Possible development direction of these technologies in the future is also discussed. It is expected that this review can provide a certain reference value for clinician and related researchers to understand the research progress in the field.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Particle Accelerators ; Radiometry ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; Radiotherapy, Image-Guided

Objective    To explore the diagnostic value of circulating tumor cells (CTC) measured by magnetic nanoparticle method in lung cancer. Methods    (1) We measured binding capability of A549 or NCI-H1965 cell lines with recognition peptide and capture efficiency by adding tumor cells into the whole blood of healthy human. (2) We measured CTC of 34 patients suspected with lung cancer, and the counting results of CTC were compared with the following pathological results. Results    (1) The binding capability was 80.0%±6.0% for A549 and 70.1%±4.8% for H1957, while the capture efficiency was 57.3%±7.0% for A549 and 37.3%±6.1% for H1975. (2) CTCs were identified in 71.9% of patients with lung cancer. The specificity was 83.3%, and area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.792 (P=0.003). Conclusion    CTC measured by magnetic nanoparticle method has promising application in the diagnosis of lung cancer.

Paeoniflorin and its derivatives are main active compounds inGui-Zhi Fu-Ling Capsule (GZFLC). In this study, molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) was prepared by sol-gel process to obtain paeoniflorin and its derivatives in GZFLC. The static adsorption capacity of MIP was measured by scatchard equation. The results showed that the maximum apparent absorbing capacity of MIP was 52.28 mg·g-1. One-step separation of paeoniflorin from 4 g methanol samples of GZFLC was 197 mg with the purity of 89.3%. It was concluded that paeoniflorin MIP can be used to separate phaoniforin and its analogues from GZFLC.