Despite evidence suggesting the utility of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) markers to stratify individuals with respect to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) risk in NPC high‐risk regions, no validated NPC risk ...prediction model exists. We aimed to validate an EBV‐based NPC risk score in an endemic population undergoing screening for NPC. This prospective study was embedded within an ongoing NPC screening trial in southern China initiated in 2008, with 51 235 adult participants. We assessed the score's discriminatory ability (area under the receiver‐operator‐characteristics curve, AUC). A new model incorporating the EBV score, sex and family history was developed using logistic regression and internally validated using cross‐validation. AUCs were compared. We also calculated absolute NPC risk combining the risk score with population incidence and competing mortality data. A total of 151 NPC cases were detected in 2008 to 2016. The EBV‐based score was highly discriminating, with AUC = 0.95 (95% CI = 0.93‐0.97). For 90% specificity, the score had 87.4% sensitivity (95% CI = 81.0‐92.3%). As specificity increased from 90% to 99%, the positive predictive value increased from 2.4% (95% CI = 1.9‐3.0%) to 12.5% (9.9‐15.5%). Correspondingly, the number of positive tests per detected NPC case decreased from 272 (95% CI = 255‐290) to 50 (41‐59). Combining the score with other risk factors (sex, first‐degree family history of NPC) did not improve AUC. Men aged 55 to 59 years with the highest risk profile had the highest 5‐year absolute NPC risk of 6.5%. We externally validated the discriminatory accuracy of a previously developed EBV score in a high‐risk population. Adding nonviral risk factors did not improve NPC prediction.
What's new?
Evidence suggests that markers of Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) infection are useful in screening for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Few prospective studies, however, have validated the performance of EBV‐based risk scores for NPC. In this prospective validation study with data for more than 51 000 participants, EBV‐based risk score based on the combination of IgA antibodies against viral capsid antigen and EBV nuclear antigen 1 was found to be highly discriminating for NPC over follow‐up periods lasting five years. The findings indicate that EBV‐based scores could be valuable risk‐prediction tools for early NPC diagnosis, leading to improved clinical outcomes.
A nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) mass screening trial using a combination of immunoglobulin A antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen and nuclear antigen-1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent ...assay in addition to indirect mirror examination in the nasopharynx and/or lymphatic palpation (IMLP) was conducted in southern China. Cantonese aged 30-59 years residing in 2 cities randomly selected by cluster sampling, Sihui and Zhongshan, were invited to participate in this screening from May 2008 through May 2010. Participants were offered fiberoptic endoscopy examination and/or pathologic biopsy if their serologic tests reached our predefined level of high risk or if results from the physical examination indicated possible cancer (i.e., were IMLP positive). A total of 28,688 individuals were voluntarily screened in the initial round. The overall NPC detection rate was 0.14% (41/28,688) with an early diagnosis rate of 68.3% (28/41) during the first year of follow-up. Thirty-eight of 41 cases (92.7%) were detected among the high-risk group, and 7 of 41 cases (17.1%) were detected among the IMLP-positive group. The 2 Epstein-Barr virus serologic tests by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay could be a feasible alternative for NPC screening in endemic areas. Further follow-up is needed to examine whether screening has an effect on decreasing mortality from NPC in these areas.
To evaluate the utility of tumor content in circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) for monitoring hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) throughout its natural history.
We included 67 hepatitis B virus ...(HBV)-related HCC patients, of whom 17 had paired pre- and post-treatment samples, and 90 controls. Additionally, in a prospective cohort with HBV surface antigen-positive participants recruited in 2012 and followed up biannually with blood sample collections until 2019, we included 270 repeated samples before diagnosis from 63 participants who later developed HCC (pre-HCC samples). Shallow whole-genome sequencing and the ichorCNA method were used to analyze genome-wide copy number and tumor content in ccfDNA.
High tumor content was associated with advanced tumor stage (P < 0.001) and a poor survival after HCC diagnosis (HR=12.35; 95% confidence interval CI=1.413-107.9; P = 0.023). Tumor content turned negative after surgery (P = 0.027), while remained positive after transarterial chemoembolization treatment (P = 0.578). In non-HCC samples, the mean tumor content (±SD) was 0.011 (±0.007) and had a specificity of 97.8% (95%CI=92.2%-99.7%). In pre-HCC samples, tumor content increased from 0.014 in 4 years before diagnosis to 0.026 in 1 year before diagnosis. The sensitivity of tumor content in detecting HCC increased from 22.7% (95%CI=11.5%-37.8%) within one year before diagnosis to 30.4% (95%CI=13.2%-52.9%) at BCLC stage 0/A, 81.8% (95%CI=59.7%-94.8%) at stage B, and 95.5% (95%CI=77.2%-99.9%) at stage C.
The tumor content in ccfDNA is correlated with tumor burden and may help in monitoring HCC one year earlier than clinical diagnosis and in predicting patient prognosis.
A nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) mass screening trial using a combination of immunoglobulin A antibodies to Epstein-Barr virus capsid antigen and nuclear antigen-1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent ...assay in addition to indirect mirror examination in the nasopharynx and/or lymphatic palpation (IMLP) was conducted in southern China. Cantonese aged 30-59 years residing in 2 cities randomly selected by cluster sampling, Sihui and Zhongshan, were invited to participate in this screening from May 2008 through May 2010. Participants were offered fiberoptic endoscopy examination and/or pathologic biopsy if their serologic tests reached our predefined level of high risk or if results from the physical examination indicated possible cancer (i.e., were IMLP positive). A total of 28,688 individuals were voluntarily screened in the initial round. The overall NPC detection rate was 0.14% (41/28,688) with an early diagnosis rate of 68.3% (28/41) during the first year of follow-up. Thirty-eight of 41 cases (92.7%) were detected among the high-risk group, and 7 of 41 cases (17.1%) were detected among the IMLP-positive group. The 2 Epstein-Barr virus serologic tests by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay could be a feasible alternative for NPC screening in endemic areas. Further follow-up is needed to examine whether screening has an effect on decreasing mortality from NPC in these areas. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Measurements of elemental carbon (EC), water‐insoluble organic carbon (WIOC), and inorganic ions from a very high resolution snow/firn core retrieved from a glacier on the southeastern Tibetan ...Plateau reveal increasing concentrations associated with deposition of anthropogenic aerosols during the period 1998–2005. EC, WIOC, and SO42− concentrations in the core were 4.7, 56.0, and 4.2 ng g−1 in 1998, but increased to 16.8, 144.4, and 162.1 ng g−1 in 2005, respectively. Comparison of EC to SO42− and K+ concentrations indicates a relatively greater impact of fossil fuel burning on EC deposition compared to biomass burning. Significant contribution of secondary OC production is apparent from the low EC/WIOC ratios. EC concentrations show large seasonal variability, with nonmonsoon precipitation containing more than double the concentrations found in monsoon snowfall. Since snow cover on the Tibetan Plateau extends to its maximum aerial extent during the nonmonsoon season, the high EC concentrations in snowfall during this time can cause advanced snowmelt and enhanced radiative forcing.
Background
Femoral head collapse and coxa vara lead to internal fixator failure in elderly patients with hip fracture. External fixator application is an optimal choice; however, the existing methods ...have many disadvantages.
Methods
Type 31-A1.3 hip fracture models were developed in nine pairs of 1-year-old fresh bovine corpse femur specimens. Each left femur specimen was fixed by a dynamic hip screw (control group), and each right femur specimen was fixed by the slide-poking external fixator (experimental group). Vertical loading and torsion tests were then performed in both groups.
Results
In the vertical loading experiment, a 1000-N load was implemented. The mean vertical downward displacement of the femoral head in the experimental and control groups was 1.49322 ± 0.116280 and 2.13656 ± 0.166374 mm, respectively. In the torsion experiment, when the torsion was increased to 10.0 Nm, the mean torsion angle in the experimental and control groups was 7.9733° ± 1.65704° and 15.4889° ± 0.73228°, respectively. The slide-poking external fixator was significantly more resistant to compression and rotation than the dynamic hip screw.
Conclusion
The slide-poking external fixator for hip fractures that was designed and developed in this study can provide sufficient stability to resist compression and rotation in hip fractures.
The selection of a correct level in lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) remains a common problem and is critically important to the effectiveness of this surgical treatment. Surgery is invasive, and ...extended laminectomy may lead to secondary surgical complications. The application of diffuse tensor imagining (DTI) and paraspinal mapping (PM) in addition to conventional magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI) may be helpful in this respect. However, the superiority of cMRI + DTI over cMRI+ (DTI or PM) in reducing decompression has not yet been established.
We compared the surgical levels, determined by cMRI + DTI and cMRI+ (DTI or PM) (self-control). Treatment outcome measurements were performed at two weeks, three months, six months, and twelve months postoperatively.
The surgical levels determined by cMRI ± DTI showed less than that determined by cMRI± (DTI or PM) with statistically significant differences (p value = 0.0199) and cMRI ± PM with no statistically significant differences (p value = 0.5503).
The effectiveness of cMRI ± DTI in the reduction of the surgical levels in degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis is superior than that of cMRI± (DTI or PM).
The cracking reactions of linear C
4–C
10 α-olefins over zeolites have been studied by using density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level. The obtained results reveal that the β-scission ...processes of C
4–C
10 olefins have the same reaction mechanism. Every pathway only involves a transition state corresponding to the rupture of the C–C bond, while the intrinsic reaction coordinate analysis indicates that the protonated intermediate species is formed during the reaction process. Furthermore, it is found that this intermediate species is not usually highly stable alkoxy group but adsorbed short-lifetime carbocation. This phenomenon can well explain why the carbocations are seldom observed inside the zeolite's cavities. The calculated real activation energy for this pathway is lower than the experimental value for corresponding alkane cracking contrary to the previously reported pathway via an alkoxide intermediate. Therefore, the reaction pathway via a carbocation intermediate species is energetically much more favorable. In addition, the study also shows that the real activation energies of olefin cracking are nearly independent of the olefin chain length, which is in agreement with the existing experimental results of alkane cracking.
SCR controller is one of the components of the SCR system, which should pass the test pulse 5b. The features and test requirements of pulse 5b are introduced. Its energy is very large, so passing the ...test is difficult. Two surge voltage suppression circuits are designed. The first design utilized a surge stopper-LT4356, its work process includes fault timer period, warning period and cooling period. During the cooling period, the SCR controller cannot work normally. So connecting a capacitor in parallel to the output of the surge voltage suppression circuit is used to improving its performance. The second design utilized two pieces of TVS, since the test pulse is continuous, steady state power dissipation must be considered when choose TVS. Finally, it verifies the feasibility of the two design schemes by experiments and leads to a selection criteria for them.
To analyze the expression of mecp2 gene at mRNA and protein;Cerebral cortex level in the cerebral cortex of the normal Wistar rat throughout development.
We chose the 15th day (E15), 17th day (E17), ...19th day (E19) of embryo period, the day of birth (P0), the 7th day (P7), the 14th day (P14), the 28th day (P28) of postnatal period, and adulthood as analyzing time points. The expression of mecp2 gene at mRNA level was analyzed by real-time PCR and Northern blot. The expression of MeCP2 protein was analyzed by Western blot.
There was one type of mecp2 mRNA transcript (approximately 10 kb) expressed in the cerebral cortex of the normal Wistar rat. The expression level of mecp2 mRNA varied subtly during the development. There was one type of MeCP2 protein (75 000) expressed in the cerebral cortex of the normal Wistar rat. The expression level of MeCP2 protein remained the lowest on E15, from E19 to adulthood the expression levels of MeCP2 protein increased dramatically compared with that on E15. From P7 to adultho
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