Objective To explore the clinical utility of metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) in diagnosing invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) among patients with acute exacerbation of chronic ...obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) in the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with AECOPD admitted to the ICU of Xinxiang Central Hospital in Henan Province, China, between March 2020 and September 2023, suspected of having IPA. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) samples were collected for fungal culture, the galactomannan (GM) test, and mNGS. Based on host factors, clinical features, and microbiological test results, patients were categorized into 62 cases of IPA and 64 cases of non-IPA. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of fungal culture, the serum and BALF GM test, and mNGS detection for IPA in patients with AECOPD. Results 1. The sensitivity and specificity of mNGS in diagnosing IPA were 70.9% and 71.8% respectively, with the sensitivity of mNGS surpassing that of fungal culture (29.0%, P <0.01), serum GM test (35.4%, P <0.01), and BALF GM test (41.9%, P <0.05), albeit with slightly lower specificity compared to fungal culture (90.6%, P > 0.05), serum GM test (87.5%, P > 0.05), and BALF GM test (85.9%, P > 0.05).Combining fungal culture with the GM test and mNGS resulted in a sensitivity of 80.6% and a specificity of 92.2%, underscoring a superior diagnostic rate compared to any single detection method. 2.mNGS accurately distinguished strains of the Aspergillus genus. 3.The area under the ROC curves of mNGS was 0.73, indicating good diagnostic performance. 4.The detection duration for mNGS is shorter than that of traditional fungal culture and GM testing. Conclusion mNGS presents a pragmatic and highly sensitive approach, serving as a valuable complementary tool to conventional microbiological tests (CMT). Our research demonstrated that, compared to fungal culture and GM testing, mNGS exhibits superior diagnostic capability for IPA among patients with AECOPD. Integration of mNGS with established conventional methods holds promise for improving the diagnosis rate of IPA.
In this study, chalcopyrite was oxidized in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solutions of different concentrations to simulate different degrees of oxidation in real ores, and the effects of H2O2 treatment ...on chalcopyrite surface properties and flotation performance were investigated by surface analysis techniques and floatation experiments, which implied the reason for the poor grade and recovery of oxidized chalcopyrite concentrate in the production process of the ore. Flotation results showed that when the concentration of H2O2 increased from 0% (by weight) to 5%, the flotation recovery of chalcopyrite decreased sharply. However, with increasing H2O2 concentration from 5% to 30%, chalcopyrite recovery improved relatively to different degrees with different collector concentrations. Analyses of X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic optical emission spectrophotometry (ICP-OES) results indicated that the pretreatment with H2O2 caused that hydrophilic substance formed on chalcopyrite surface with the dissolution of copper ions, and the dissolution amount of copper increased with the increase of H2O2 concentration. UV–visible spectrophotometer and Fourier transform infrared spectrum (FTIR) studies indicated that the pretreatment of chalcopyrite with H2O2 had little effect on the adsorption amount of potassium butyl xanthate (PBX) on chalcopyrite surface. However, due to the dissolution of copper ions, PBX interacted with chalcopyrite mainly as buthyl dixanthogen (BX)2.
Expansive soil exhibits remarkable characteristics of water absorption expansion and water loss shrinkage, rendering it susceptible to cracking under the alternating dry-wet environments of nature. ...The generation and development of cracks in expansive soil can result in catastrophic engineering accidents such as landslides. Vegetation protection is an important approach to stabilizing expansive soil slopes and fulfilling ecological protection requirements. In this study, through indoor experiments and theoretical analysis methods, the effects of Cynodon dactylon roots on the crack development and shear strength of expansive soil subjected to dry-wet cycles were analyzed, and the relationship between the crack development and shear strength decay in root-doped expansive soil was explored. Furthermore, the mechanism of vegetative root system action was elucidated. The results show that the Cynodon dactylon root system exerts a significant inhibitory effect on crack development in expansive soil. The crack indexes of root-doped expansive soil exhibit significant phase characteristics during the process of dry-wet cycles. The crack-blocking and reinforcing effect of the root system becomes pronounced as the root-to-soil mass ratio increases and the root diameter decreased. Moreover, the process of crack development in expansive soil is accompanied by a decrease in soil shear strength. The quantitative relationship between crack development and shear strength decay can serve as a basis for predicting the stability of slope soil. Overall, the results highlight the potential of vegetation-based approaches in protecting slopes with expansive soils and have practical implications for ecological protection and engineering design in areas with expansive soils.
Background The trajectory of ischemic stroke patients attributable to large vessel occlusion is fundamentally altered by endovascular thrombectomy. This study aimed to develop a nomogram for ...predicting 3-month mortality risk in patients with ischemic stroke attributed to artery occlusion in anterior circulation who received successful endovascular thrombectomy treatment. Methods and Results Patients with successful endovascular thrombectomy (modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction IIb or III) were enrolled from a multicenter registry as the training cohort. Step-wise logistic regression with Akaike information criterion was utilized to establish the best-fit nomogram. The discriminative value of the nomogram was tested by concordance index. An additional 224 patients from 2 comprehensive stroke centers were prospectively recruited as the test cohort for validating the new nomogram. Altogether, 417 patients were enrolled in the training cohort. Age (odds ratio OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.10), poor pretreatment collateral status (OR, 2.13; 95% CI, 1.18-3.85), baseline blood glucose level (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.04-1.21), symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (OR, 9.51; 95% CI, 4.54-19.92), and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.03-1.12) were associated with mortality and were incorporated in the nomogram. The c-index of the nomogram was 0.835 (95% CI, 0.785-0.885) in the training cohort and 0.758 (95% CI, 0.667-0.849) in the test cohort. Conclusions The nomogram, composed of age, pretreatment collateral status, baseline blood glucose level, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, and baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score, may predict risk of mortality in patients with ischemic stroke and treated successfully with endovascular thrombectomy.
Bioimaging guided photothermal therapy possesses great promise for lesion diagnosis and effective treatment. However, distinguishing lesion from normal tissues for precise cancer therapy remains a ...great challenge. Herein, a stimulation‐responsive assembled Ag2S vesicle (Ag2S Ve) is proposed by self‐assembly of Ag2S quantum dots (QDs) coated with pH‐sensitive copolymer thiolated polystyrene‐co‐poly(4‐vinylpyridine). The Ag2S Ve shows significant absorption enhancement in the near‐infrared (NIR) region and strong fluorescence inhibition in the second near infrared (NIR‐II) region. Triggered by the acidic environment, the release of Ag2S QDs promptly mediates the quenched NIR‐II fluorescence from “off” to “on.” In vivo studies reveal that the theranostic Ag2S Ve can be specifically activated in acidic tumor tissues, whereas it exhibits nonfunctional in normal tissues. Larger sizes endow vesicles a higher tumor accumulation efficiency and controllable disassembly shows illuminating characteristics toward lesion tissues, which provides an innovative therapeutic strategy for activated NIR‐II fluorescence imaging guided cancer therapy.
A kind of self‐assembled Ag2S‐quantum dot vesicle with interesting features, including specific stimulation‐activated second near infrared (NIR‐II) fluorescence and enhanced photothermal conversion efficiency is developed, which can be successfully applied to the in situ pH‐activated NIR‐II fluorescence imaging guided NIR‐II photothermal therapy. This work provides a new insight on the effective design of specific stimulation‐responsive nanoprobes for targeting cancer theranostics.
The recent outbreak of mpox epidemic, caused by monkeypox virus (MPXV), poses a new threat to global public health. Here, we initially assessed the preexisting antibody level to the MPXV B6 protein ...in vaccinia vaccinees born before the end of the immunization program and then identified two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), hMB621 and hMB668, targeting distinct epitopes on B6, from one vaccinee. Binding assays demonstrate that both MAbs exhibit broad binding abilities to B6 and its orthologs in vaccinia (VACV), variola (VARV) and cowpox viruses (CPXV). Neutralizing assays reveal that the two MAbs showed potent neutralization against VACV. Animal experiments using a BALB/c female mouse model indicate that the two MAbs showed effective protection against VACV via intraperitoneal injection. Additionally, we determined the complex structure of B6 and hMB668, revealing the structural feature of B6 and the epitope of hMB668. Collectively, our study provides two promising antibody candidates for the treatment of orthopoxvirus infections, including mpox.
The morbidity and mortality of sepsis are increasing year by year. Statistically, 40–50% of patients with sepsis have concomitant myocardial injury, and its mortality rate is higher than that of ...patients with sepsis only. Therefore, it is of great significance to elucidate the mechanism of sepsis-induced myocardial injury.
Human monocytes (THP-1) were used to induce M0 macrophages, followed by treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Cardiomyocytes (AC16) were co-cultured with the conditioned medium of LPS-induced macrophages to induce injury. Quantitative real-time PCR was employed to detect the mRNA levels of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARA) and dual specificity phosphatase 1 (DUSP1). Protein levels of PPARA, macrophage polarization-related markers, apoptosis-related markers, mitochondria-related proteins, and DUSP1 were analyzed by Western blot. Flow cytometry was used to assess M1/M2 cell rates and apoptosis. Low PPARA expression could serve as a biomarker for patients with sepsis. PPARA overexpression enhanced M2 polarization and suppressed M1 polarization in LPS-induced macrophages, and it could alleviate cardiomyocyte injury in co-cultured system. PPARA bound to the DUSP1 promoter region and facilitated its expression. DUSP1 knockdown reversed the effect of PPARA overexpression on M2 polarization and cardiomyocyte injury.
PPARA attenuated cardiomyocyte injury by promoting macrophage M2 polarization through increasing DUSP1 expression, suggesting that PPARA might be a therapy target for sepsis-induced myocardial injury.
Background
In‐stent restenosis (ISR) is the major concern of vertebral artery stenting (VAS). We aimed to investigate the feasibility and outcome of redo angioplasty for ISR of vertebral artery.
...Method
The patients were retrospectively reviewed for the significant ISR (>50%). Redo angioplasty including balloon angioplasty and stenting was performed for symptomatic ISR (>50%) or asymptomatic ISR (≥70%). The clinical follow‐up was performed on the 1, 3, 6, and 12 months and then yearly in the clinic or by telephone. The angiographic follow‐up was performed at 6–12 months after redo angioplasty.
Result
A total of 72 patients had significant ISR and 48 redo angioplasty (92.3%, 48/52) were successfully achieved with 13 located in the V4 and 35 in the ostium of vertebral artery. Twenty‐six lesions were implanted by the second stent and the others received balloon angioplasty. No stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) occurred in the perioperative time. One patient died 2 months after redo angioplasty due to nonstroke cause. Redo angioplasty nonsignificantly decreased the stroke or TIA compared with medical treatment. Sixteen patients developed the binary restenosis, which was lower in the patients receiving stent implantation than balloon angioplasty.
Conclusion
Redo angioplasty was a feasible method for the ISR of VAS and redo stenting might be the first choice.
Many studies have investigated the association between the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism and risk of ischemic stroke. However, the evidence is ...inadequate to draw robust conclusions because most studies were generally small and conducted in heterogeneous populations. To shed light on these inconclusive findings, we conducted a large meta-analysis of studies relating the ACE I/D polymorphism to the risk of ischemic stroke.
Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed and Embase through February 2012 and by reviewing the references of retrieved articles. We included studies that reported odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between this polymorphism and ischemic stroke risk.
Fifty independent publications, with 10 070 stroke cases and 22 103 controls, were included. The results indicated that the DD homozygote carriers had a 37% higher risk of ischemic stroke when compared with the homozygotes II and heterozygote ID odds ratio (OR) = 1.37, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.22-1.53. Subgroup analyses indicated that this higher risk was more pronounced among Asians, hospital-based studies, and small vessel disease (SVD). Potential publication bias may exist, but correction for this bias using a formal statistical method did not materially alter the combined risk estimate.
The results of our meta-analysis indicate that the D allele of ACE I/D polymorphism is a low-penetrance susceptibility marker of ischemic stroke.
This paper presents a new practical formula to calculate the critical value of interphase reactor (IPR) in a six-phase diode rectifier with tap-changer. In addition, a mathematical model of the ...double-tap IPR has been established by equivalent circuit method. Simulation and experimental results verify the validity of the formula and mathematical model. On the basis of the above achievements, a simple and effective approach is provided to design the IPR and to analyze the performance of the whole system
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