COVID-19 prevention measures reduce dengue spread in Yunnan Province, China, but do not reduce established outbreak

The COVID-19 pandemic and measures against it provided a unique opportunity to understand the transmission of other infectious diseases and to evaluate the efficacy of COVID-19 prevention measures on them. Here we show a dengue epidemic in Yunnan, China, during the pandemic of COVID-19 was dramatically reduced compared to non-pandemic years and, importantly, spread was confined to only one city, Ruili. Three key features characterized this dengue outbreak: (i) the urban-to-suburban spread was efficiently blocked; (ii) the scale of epidemic in urban region was less affected; (iii) co-circulation of multiple strains was attenuated. These results suggested that countermeasures taken during COVID-19 pandemic are efficient to prevent dengue transmission between cities and from urban to suburban, as well to reduce the co-circulation of multiple serotypes or genotypes. Nevertheless, as revealed by the spatial analysis, once the dengue outbreak was established, its distribution was very stable and resistant to measures against COVID-19, implying the possibility to develop a precise prediction method.

[Advances in researches of serotype 2 novel oral polio vaccine]

In April 2016, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) adjusted its polio vaccination strategy, converting trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) into bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV), and withdrawing type 2 oral polio vaccine (OPV2) globally. However, after the withdrawal of OPV2, there were many outbreaks of type-2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV2) in Asia and Africa. In order to eradicate poliovirus completely, GPEI launched the research and development of the novel serotype 2 oral polio vaccine (nOPV2) in 2010 and considering whether it is necessary to reuse OPV. This paper summarizes the epidemiological situation of cVDPV2 before and after OPV2's withdrawal, the related factors affecting the reuse of OPV and the related research progress of nOPV2.

[Comparison of different critical care scoring systems in prognosis evaluation of heat stroke]

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic value of different critical care scoring systems in 28-day survival rate of patients with heat stroke. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 71 patients with heat stroke admitted to the department of emergency medicine of Beijing Luhe Hospital. Capital Medical University from July 2015 to September 2018. The general information and the worst values of vital signs and related pathophysiological indicators within 24 hours were collected and the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) , multiple organ dysfunction (MODS) , simplified acute physiological scoreⅡ (SAPS Ⅱ) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluationⅡ (APACHE Ⅱ) were calculated. The patients were divided into the survival group (n=45) and the non-survival group (n=26) according to 28-day prognosis, and the clinical data and scores of the two groups were compared.The ROC curve was drawn to analyze the evaluation value of each scoring system on the survival rate of patients at 28-day. Kaplan-Meier method was used to plot the survival curve of patients. Results: There were no significant differences in age, sex, vital signs and laboratory parameters between two groups (P>0.05) . In non-survival patients, SOFA, SAPS Ⅱ, APACHE Ⅱ scores were significantly elevated in the survival group (P<0.05) . ROC curve analysis showed that the area under ROC curve (AUC) of SOFA score for predicting 28-day survival rate was the highest, which was significantly higher than the APACHE Ⅱ, SAPS Ⅱ, MODS score. When the best cut-off value of SOFA score was 9.0, the sensitivity was 84.6%, and the specificity was 71.1%. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that 28-day survival rate after hospital discharge in patients with SOFA score<9 (n=27) was significantly higher than that in patients with SOFA score ≥9.0 (χ(2)=1.0, P<0.01) . Conclusion: SOFA, APACHE Ⅱ, SAPS Ⅱ on admission have been proved to have good prognostic ability to predict 28-day prognosis in heat stroke patients. Among them, SOFA score system has more accurate prediction value.

[Prognostic significance of combined TERT and IDH gene mutation analysis in diffusely infiltrating gliomas]

Objective: To investigate the status and prognostic significance of TERT and IDH1/2 genes mutations in diffusely infiltrating gliomas. Methods: Hot spot mutations of TERT and IDH1/2 genes were detected by DNA sequencing in 236 cases of gliomas at West China Hospital from 2012 to 2016, including pilocytic astrocytoma (WHO grade Ⅰ, 16 cases), diffuse astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma (WHO grade Ⅱ, 89 cases), anaplastic astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma (WHO grade Ⅲ, 72 cases) and glioblastoma (WHO grade Ⅳ, 59 cases). The prognostic significance of TERT and IDH1/2 hot spot mutations was evaluated. Results: No IDH or TERT mutations were detected in pilocytic gliomas. TERT promoter mutation frequency was higher in patients aged ≥40 years(60.8%, 93/153) than in patients aged <40 years (32.8%, 22/67; P<0.01). TERT promoter mutation rate was also significantly higher in oligodendroglioma (87.5% , 56/64) than that in astrocytoma(37.8%, 59/156; P<0.01). Young age (<40 years), oligodendroglioma and IDH1 mutation were favorable prognostic factors for diffusely infiltrating astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors. TERT mutation alone was not of prognostic significance. Diffusely infiltrating astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors were divided into four molecular subtypes according to TERT and IDH1 mutation status: IDH(+ )/TERT(+ ), IDH(+ )/TERT(-), IDH(-)/TERT(-) and IDH(-)/TERT(+ ). There was significant prognostic difference among the 4 subtypes. Conclusions: Combined IDH and TERT gene mutation analysis may be useful for prognostic subgrouping. Notably, IDH1 wild-type cases can be further subdivided into TERT(+ ) or (-) subgroups with significant prognostic difference.

Enhanced T-ray signal classification using wavelet preprocessing

This study demonstrates the application of one-dimensional discrete wavelet transforms in the classification of T-ray pulsed signals. Fast Fourier transforms (FFTs) are used as a feature extraction tool and a Mahalanobis distance classifier is employed for classification. Soft threshold wavelet shrinkage de-noising is used and plays an important role in de-noising and reconstruction of T-ray pulsed signals. An iterative algorithm is applied to obtain three optimal frequency components and to achieve preferred classification performance.

[Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of metoprolol enantiomers in the dog]

The PK-PD model of (+)-Met and (-)-Met was studied in anesthetized dogs. The plasma drug concentration-time profiles were most adequately described by two compartment model. Significant differences of Vd/F, CLs/F and AUC between (+)-Met and (-)-Met were observed. The peak times of plasma (+)-Met and (-)-Met concentration in dogs were 24 +/- 5 and 30 +/- 5 min, respectively. But the peak times of drug inhibitory effects on Vmax, dp/dtmax, LVSP, SBP and HR were about 90-120 min, showing the hysteresis loops. When using the effect compartment model, the counterclockwise hysteresis collapsed and the relationships between the effects and concentration in effect compartment were fit by using Sigmoid-Emax model. The Ce50 values of inhibitory effects on Vmax, dp/dtmax and HR of (+)-Met were 250 +/- 80, 450 +/- 210, 520 +/- 210 micrograms.L-1 and those of (-)-Met were 70 +/- 30, 70 +/- 40 and 82 +/- 27 micrograms.L-1, respectively. Significant differences of Ce50 of (+)-Met and (-)-Met were found. The values of Ce50+/Ce50- were 3.7, 6.8 and 6.3, indicating that the inhibitory effects on Vmax, dp/dtmax and HR of (-)-Met were stronger than those of (+)-Met in dogs.

Pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic modeling of metoprolol stereoisomers in spontaneously hypertensive rat

AIM

To study the combined pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) model of metoprolol stereoisomers, and compare their inhibitory effects on cardiovascular system in the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR).

METHODS

The drug concentration in plasma was measured by the reversed phase HPLC and the drug effects were recorded by polygraph. The pharmacokinetic parameters and the PK-PD model parameters were calculated.

RESULTS

The plasma concentration-time profiles were adequately described by two-compartment model. Differences of Vd between (+)-Met and (-)-Met were found. The relationships between effects and concentration of effect compartment were represented by the sigmoid-Emax model. The Css50 of Vmax, dp/dtmax, and HR inhibitory effects of (+)-Met were larger than those of (-)-Met.

CONCLUSION

Stereo-selective drug distribution and different potencies of the inhibitory effects of (+)-Met and (-)-Met existed in SHR.

Effects of anticholinergic drugs on rabbit efferent phrenic discharges

In conscious, vagotomized, curarized, and artificially-ventilated rabbits, the efferent phrenic discharges were recorded. When scopolamine, atropine, pirenzepine or AF-DX 116 (11-2[[2-[(diethylamino)methyl]-1-piperidinyl]acetyl]-5,11-dihydro- 6H[2,3-6] [1,4]benzodiazepine-6-one) was injected into the cerebello-medullary cistern, the frequency and voltage of phrenic discharges were decreased (P less than 0.05) by scopolamine (0.5 mg.kg-1) and pirenzepine (0.5 mg.kg-1), but were increased (P less than 0.01) by atropine (0.05 mg.kg-1) and AF-DX 116 (0.1 mg.kg-1). It is probable that scopolamine inhibits the respiratory center by blocking the M1 cholinergic receptors while atropine excites the respiratory center blocking the M2 cholinergic receptors.