Abstract Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel, highly infectious disease that is a severe danger to human life and has spawned a worldwide public health emergency. Most countries have implemented measures of isolation to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but related studies have shown that isolation increases the risk of anxiety, thereby affecting an individual’s physical and mental health. Simple and effective therapies for anxiety among quarantined populations need to be further explored. Horticultural activities can divert people's attention and alleviate negative emotions. Acupuncture is a conventional alternative therapy that has demonstrated efficacy in mood stabilization. The current study aimed to explore the clinical efficacy of combined Chinese and Western medicine therapies in alleviating anxiety among quarantined individuals during a pandemic. Methods In this prospective, randomised controlled trial (RCT), 150 patients with generalised anxiety disorder will be recruited from the Seventh Clinical College affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine. Eligible subjects will be randomly divided into the horticultural group (n = 50), intradermal acupuncture group (n = 50) and combined treatment group (n = 50). The horticulture group will engage in horticultural activity after basic treatment; the intradermal needle group will undergo intradermal needling after basic treatment; and the combined group will engage in horticultural activity and undergo intradermal needling after basic treatment. The treatments will be provided once a week for 8 weeks. The main outcome will be scores on the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA); secondary outcomes will include scores on the Self-Assessment Scale for Anxiety (SAS) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Scale (PSQI), serum indexes, and cortical excitability. All scales will be evaluated at baseline, at 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of treatment, and at follow-up; serological indicators and cortical excitability will be assessed at baseline and during week eight of treatment. Discussion The result of the experiment will help to clarify the therapeutic effects of horticultural therapy combined with intradermal needling on anxiety among isolated individuals and to elucidate the therapeutic mechanisms of this combined treatment among patients with anxiety. The purpose of this research is to eventually incorporate this combination approach into a treatment programme for anxiety, thereby significantly reducing the burden of mood disorders in the general population during public health emergencies. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov ChiCTR2200066321. Registered on December 1, 2022
Determining the haplotypes in a diploid individual is a major technical challenge in genetic studies of human complex traits. Here we report a method of molecular haplotyping by directly imaging multiple polymorphic sites on individual DNA molecules simultaneously. DNA fragments amplified by long-range PCR were labeled with fluorescent dyes at each polymorphic site using a modified gap-filled padlock probe ligation approach. The labeled DNA molecules were then stretched into linear form on a functionalized glass surface and imaged with multicolor total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. By determining the colors and positions of the fluorescent labels with respect to the backbone at polymorphic sites, the haplotype can be inferred accurately, in a manner similar to reading a barcode, even when the DNA fragments are not fully labeled. The feasibility of this technology is demonstrated by the determination of the haplotype of a 9.3-kbp DNA fragment containing four SNPs.
DNA mapping is an important analytical tool in genomic sequencing, medical diagnostics and pathogen identification.Here we report an optical DNA mapping strategy based on direct imaging of individual DNA molecules and localization of multiple sequence motifs on the molecules.Individual genomic DNA molecules were labeled with fluorescent dyes at specific sequence motifs by the action of nicking endonuclease followed by the incorporation of dye terminators with DNA polymerase.The labeled DNA molecules were then stretched into linear form on a modified glass surface and imaged using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy.By determining the positions of the fluorescent labels with respect to the DNA backbone, the distribution of the sequence motif recognized by the nicking endonuclease can be established with good accuracy, in a manner similar to reading a barcode.With this approach, we constructed a specific sequence motif map of lambda-DNA.We further demonstrated the capability of this approach to rapidly type a human adenovirus and several strains of human rhinovirus.
Stretching or aligning DNA molecules onto a surface by means of molecular combing techniques is one of the critical steps in single DNA molecule analysis. However, many of the current studies have focused on lambda-DNA, or other large DNA molecules. There are very few studies on stretching methodologies for DNA molecules generated via PCR (typically smaller than 20 kb). Here we describe a simple method of stretching DNA molecules up to 18 kb in size on a modified glass surface. The very low background fluorescence allows efficient detection of single fluorescent dye labels incorporated into the stretched DNA molecules.
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