Effects of Lianhuaqingwen Capsules in adults with mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease 2019: an international, multicenter, double-blind, randomized controlled trial.

Background: In a randomized trial, Lianhuaqingwen (LHQW) capsule was effective for accelerating symptom recovery among patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, the lack of blinding and limited sample sizes decreased the level of clinical evidence.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of LHQW capsule in adults with mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Bioinformatics-led discovery of ferroptosis-associated diagnostic biomarkers and molecule subtypes for tuberculosis patients.

Background: Ferroptosis is closely associated with the pathophysiological processes of many diseases, such as infection, and is characterized by the accumulation of excess lipid peroxides on the cell membranes. However, studies on the ferroptosis-related diagnostic markers in tuberculosis (TB) is still lacking. Our study aimed to explore the role of ferroptosis-related biomarkers and molecular subtypes in TB.

Benzo(a)pyrene-induced mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis disturbance in human neuroblastoma cells.

Mammalian cells generate ATP through mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis. Mitochondria not only play a key role in cell energy metabolism but also in cell cycle regulation. As a neurotoxic pollutant, benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) can trigger neuronal oxidative damage and apoptosis.

PM induces autophagy-dependent ferroptosis by endoplasmic reticulum stress in SH-SY5Y cells.

Fine particulate matter (PM ) has been a global environmental problem threatening public health in recent years. PM exposure was associated with an increased risk of neurodegenerative diseases related to neuronal apoptosis. Ferroptosis is a nonapoptotic form of programmed the cell death, characterized by excess iron-dependent lipid peroxidation products.

The role of reactive astrocytes in neurotoxicity induced by ultrafine particulate matter.

Epidemiological studies have shown that ambient fine particulate matter (PM) can cause various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Reactive astrocytes are strongly induced by ambient fine PM, although their role is poorly understood. Herein, we show that A1 reactive astrocytes (A1s) were induced by neuroinflammatory microglia activated by PM with an aerodynamic diameter ≤ 0.

Organic extracts in PM2.5 are the major triggers to induce ferroptosis in SH-SY5Y cells.

As a major air pollutant, PM2.5 can induce apoptosis of nerve cells, causing impairment of the learning and memory capabilities of humans and animals. Ferroptosis is a newly discovered way of programmed cell death.

Benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-dihydrodiol-9,10-epoxide induces ferroptosis in neuroblastoma cells through redox imbalance.

As a widespread environmental pollutant, benzo(a)pyrene-7,8-diol-9,10-epoxide (BPDE)-induced neurotoxicity has received increasing attention. Studies have shown that BPDE-induced neurodegeneration is due partly to neuronal apoptosis. Unlike apoptosis, ferroptosis is a non-apoptotic form of programmed cell death, but its specific role in the neurotoxicity of BPDE remains unclear.

Nano-Calcium Carbonate Affect the Respiratory and Function Through Inducing Oxidative Stress: A Cross-sectional Study Among Occupational Exposure of Workers and a Further Research for Underlying Mechanisms.

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate whether nano-calcium carbonate (nano-CaCO 3 ) occupational exposure could induce adverse health effects in workers.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a nano-CaCO 3 manufacturing plant in China. Then, we have studied the dynamic distribution of nano-CaCO 3 in nude mice and examined the oxidative damage biomarkers of subchronic administrated nano-CaCO 3 on Sprague-Dawley rats.

PK/PD modelling of enrofloxacin against Glaesserella parasuis infection in pigs.

A pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) model was developed to optimize the dosing regimen of enrofloxacin (EN) against Glaesserella parasuis in pigs. EN (2.5 mg/kg) was administered intramuscularly to eight healthy pigs and eight pigs that were experimentally infected with G.

Earlier diagnosis improves COVID-19 prognosis: a nationwide retrospective cohort analysis.

Background: Risk of adverse outcomes in COVID-19 patients by stratifying by the time from symptom onset to confirmed diagnosis status is still uncertain.

Methods: We included 1,590 hospitalized COVID-19 patients confirmed by real-time RT-PCR assay or high-throughput sequencing of pharyngeal and nasal swab specimens from 575 hospitals across China between 11 December 2019 and 31 January 2020. Times from symptom onset to confirmed diagnosis, from symptom onset to first medical visit and from first medical visit to confirmed diagnosis were described and turned into binary variables by the maximally selected rank statistics method.

Recessive/dominant model: Alternative choice in case-control-based genome-wide association studies.

An additive genetic model is usually employed in case-control-based genome-wide association studies. The model usually encodes "AA", "Aa" and "aa" ("a" represents the minor allele) as three different numbers, implying the contribution of genotype "Aa" to the phenotype is different from "AA" and "aa". From the perspective of biological phenomena, the coding is reasonable since the phenotypes of lives are not "black and white".

Reference values of respiratory impedance with impulse oscillometry in healthy Chinese adults.

Background: Impulse oscillometry (IO) is a non-invasive pulmonary function test for measuring respiratory impedance. Available reference equations of IO indices for adults are limited. The aim of this study was to develop reference equations of IO indices for Chinese adults.

The effect of low-dose corticosteroids and theophylline on the risk of acute exacerbations of COPD: the TASCS randomised controlled trial.

Background: The highest burden of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) occurs in low- and middle-income countries. Low-cost oral medications, if effective, could enable affordable, accessible COPD treatment.

Methods: In this randomised, three-arm, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled study conducted in 37 centres in China, symptomatic patients with moderate to very severe COPD were randomised 1:1:1 to placebo twice daily plus placebo once daily, low-dose theophylline 100 mg twice daily plus placebo once daily or low-dose theophylline 100 mg twice daily plus low-dose oral prednisone 5 mg once daily for 48 weeks.

Prevalence and Population-Attributable Risk for Chronic Airflow Obstruction in a Large Multinational Study.

The Global Burden of Disease program identified smoking and ambient and household air pollution as the main drivers of death and disability from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). To estimate the attributable risk of chronic airflow obstruction (CAO), a quantifiable characteristic of COPD, due to several risk factors. The Burden of Obstructive Lung Disease study is a cross-sectional study of adults, aged ≥40, in a globally distributed sample of 41 urban and rural sites.

One-Step High-Throughput Telomerase Activity Measurement of Cell Populations, Single Cells, and Single-Enzyme Complexes.

Telomerase, a key enzyme involved in telomere homeostasis, is a major player involved in or required for sustained cell proliferation. It is expressed in ∼90% tumor but rarely in normal somatic cells. Therefore, telomerase serves as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target of cancers.

coPLINK: A complementary tool to PLINK.

In genome-wide association studies (GWAS), a wide variety of analysis tools have been designed, leading to various formats of GWAS data. How to convert a dataset in non-PLINK format into PLINK format to use its powerful analysis performance, or to convert a dataset in PLINK format into the format of other analysis tools, is a problem that needs to be faced and solved. To address this issue, we developed a tool called coPLINK, a complementary tool to PLINK, to cooperate with PLINK to implement the conversions of GWAS data formats and to provide some additional functions, such as data files comparison.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospitalised patients with COVID-19 treated in Hubei (epicentre) and outside Hubei (non-epicentre): a nationwide analysis of China.

Background: During the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), consistent and considerable differences in disease severity and mortality rate of patients treated in Hubei province compared to those in other parts of China have been observed. We sought to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients being treated inside and outside Hubei province, and explore the factors underlying these differences.

Methods: Collaborating with the National Health Commission, we established a retrospective cohort to study hospitalised COVID-19 cases in China.

Sub-chronic administration of benzo[a]pyrene disrupts hippocampal long-term potentiation via inhibiting CaMK II/PKC/PKA-ERK-CREB signaling in rats.

Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) is recognized as a neurotoxic pollutant to mammals, which could impair learning and memory function. Although there is some evidence to suggest that N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR), a glutamate receptor and ion channel protein in nerve cells, is involved into the B[a]P induced neurotoxicity, the exact molecular mechanisms remain to be elucidated, particularly the effects of B[a]P on the NMDAR downstream signaling transduction pathways. In the present study, we examined the neurotoxicity of sub-chronic administrated B[a]P on male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Comorbidity and its impact on 1590 patients with COVID-19 in China: a nationwide analysis.

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak is evolving rapidly worldwide.

Objective: To evaluate the risk of serious adverse outcomes in patients with COVID-19 by stratifying the comorbidity status.

Methods: We analysed data from 1590 laboratory confirmed hospitalised patients from 575 hospitals in 31 provinces/autonomous regions/provincial municipalities across mainland China between 11 December 2019 and 31 January 2020.

Clinical Outcomes Of Using Nebulized Budesonide As The Initial Treatment For Acute Exacerbations Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Post-Hoc Analysis.

Purpose: The current guidelines recommend the use of systemic corticosteroids (SCS) as the optimal treatment for acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD). The aim of this real-world study was to evaluate whether nebulized budesonide (NBS) could also be used as an initial treatment for AECOPD.

Patients And Methods: AECOPD patients initially treated with NBS or SCS (oral/intravenous) were enrolled.

Inhibitory Effect of Two Traditional Chinese Medicine Monomers, Berberine and Matrine, on the Quorum Sensing System of Antimicrobial-Resistant .

The quorum sensing (QS) system controls bacterial biofilm formation, which is highly related to the virulence and resistance of pathogens. In the present study, the effect of two traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) monomers, berberine and matrine, on biofilm formation and QS-related gene expression of antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) strains was investigated by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) observation and real-time PCR. The results indicated a roughly positive relationship between biofilm formation ability and antimicrobial resistance.

Methacholine bronchial provocation test for assessment of bronchial hyperresponsiveness in preschool children.

Background: Bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) has not been extensively performed in preschool children, possibly because of the difficulty in cooperating with the tests. We sought to determine the usefulness and safety of methacholine bronchial provocation test (MCh-BPT) for BHR assessment in preschool children.

Methods: We recruited 252 preschool children (190 healthy and 62 with wheezing) who underwent MCh-BPT at baseline.