The incremental usefulness of circulating biomarkers from different pathological pathways for predicting mortality has not been evaluated in acute Type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) patients. We aim to ...develop a risk prediction model and investigate the impact of arch repair strategy on mortality based on distinct risk stratifications.
A total of 3771 ATAAD patients who underwent aortic surgery retrospectively included were randomly divided into training and testing cohorts at a ratio of 7:3 for the development and validation of the risk model based on multiple circulating biomarkers and conventional clinical factors. Extreme gradient boosting was used to generate the risk models. Subgroup analyses were performed by risk stratifications (low vs. middle-high risk) and arch repair strategies (proximal vs. extensive arch repair). Addition of multiple biomarkers to a model with conventional factors fitted an ABC risk model consisting of platelet-leucocyte ratio, mean arterial pressure, albumin, age, creatinine, creatine kinase-MB, haemoglobin, lactate, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension, urea nitrogen, and aspartate aminotransferase, with adequate discrimination ability {area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC): 0.930 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.906-0.954 and 0.954, 95% CI (0.930-0.977) in the derivation and validation cohort, respectively}. Compared with proximal arch repair, the extensive repair was associated with similar mortality risk among patients at low risk odds ratio (OR) 1.838, 95% CI (0.559-6.038);
= 0.316, but associated with higher mortality risk among patients at middle-high risk OR 2.007, 95% CI (1.460-2.757);
< 0.0001.
In ATAAD patients, the simultaneous addition of circulating biomarkers of inflammatory, cardiac, hepatic, renal, and metabolic abnormalities substantially improved risk stratification and individualized arch repair strategy.
The clear cell/signet-ring cell variant of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is extremely rare. Its carcinogenesis has consistently been linked to ultraviolet radiation and HPV in the ...literature. However, there is little definite information about the contribution of diabetes mellitus (DM) to cSCC.
A 78-year-old Chinese woman with type 2 DM presented with a mushroom-like lump in her right thigh. Histological findings revealed that the lesion was mainly composed of clear cells and signet-ring cells. The septa of vacuoles in cytoplasm displayed positivity for periodic acid schiff (PAS) and cytokeratins such as AE1/AE3, CK5/6, CK14, and CK19. Malignant cells did not express CK7, CK8, CK18, CK20, p16, p53, or c-erbB-2, and the Ki-67 index was less than 5 %. We further explored the etiology of clear cell/signet-ring cell cSCC using human papillomavirus (HPV) type-specific PCR and genotyping and confirmed that the patient was not infected with HPV. Nucleus positivity for p63 indicated the involvement of the p53 family in the lesion. Meanwhile, the expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor-2 (FGFR2), a downstream effector of p63, was upregulated in tumor cells.
This study provides the first report on the clear cell/signet-ring cell variant of cSCC found in the right thigh of a patient with type 2 DM. Metabolic imbalance in addition to conventional pathogens such as UV and HPV may contribute to the development of the lesion via p63/FGFR2 axis.
ObjectiveTo develop an inflammation-based risk stratification tool for operative mortality in patients with acute type A aortic dissection. MethodsBetween January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2021, 3124 ...patients from Beijing Anzhen Hospital were included for derivation, 571 patients from the same hospital were included for internal validation, and 1319 patients from other 12 hospitals were included for external validation. The primary outcome was operative mortality according to the Society of Thoracic Surgeons criteria. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression were used to identify clinical risk factors. A model was developed using different machine learning algorithms. The performance of the model was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for discrimination, calibration curves, and Brier score for calibration. The final model (5A score) was tested with respect to the existing clinical scores. ResultsExtreme gradient boosting was selected for model training (5A score) using 12 variables for prediction-the ratio of platelet to leukocyte count, creatinine level, age, hemoglobin level, prior cardiac surgery, extent of dissection extension, cerebral perfusion, aortic regurgitation, sex, pericardial effusion, shock, and coronary perfusion-which yields the highest AUC (0.873 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.845-0.901). The AUC of 5A score was 0.875 (95% CI 0.814-0.936), 0.845 (95% CI 0.811-0.878), and 0.852 (95% CI 0.821-0.883) in the internal, external, and total cohort, respectively, which outperformed the best existing risk score (German Registry for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection score AUC 0.709 95% CI 0.669-0.749). ConclusionThe 5A score is a novel, internally and externally validated inflammation-based tool for risk stratification of patients before surgical repair, potentially advancing individualized treatment. Trial Registrationclinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT04918108.
The amplification of a random single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) library by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a key step in each round of aptamer selection by systematic evolution of ligands by exponential ...enrichment (SELEX), but it can be impeded by the amplification of by-products due to the severely nonspecific hybridizations among various sequences in the PCR system. To amplify a random ssDNA library free from by-products, we developed a novel method termed single-primer-limited amplification (SPLA), which was initiated from the amplification of minus-stranded DNA (msDNA) of an ssDNA library with reverse primer limited to 5-fold molar quantity of the template, followed by the amplification of plus-stranded DNA (psDNA) of the msDNA with forward primer limited to 10-fold molar quantity of the template and recovery of psDNA by gel excision. We found that the amount of by-products increased with the increase of template amount and thermal cycle number. With the optimized template amount and thermal cycle, SPLA could amplify target ssDNA without detectable by-products and nonspecific products and could produce psDNA 16.1 times as much as that by asymmetric PCR. In conclusion, SPLA is a simple and feasible method to efficiently generate a random ssDNA sub-library for aptamer selection.
Anopheles sinensis is one of the most important malaria vectors in China and other Southeast Asian countries. High levels of resistance have been reported in this species due to the long-term use of ...insecticides, especially pyrethroids, for public health and agricultural purposes. Knockdown resistance (kdr) caused by a single base pair mutation in the gene encoding the sodium channel is strongly associated with pyrethroid insecticide resistance in many Anopheles mosquitoes. There are few methods currently available for detecting kdr mutations in An. sinensis.
A novel AllGlo probe-based qPCR (AllGlo-qPCR) method was developed to screen for the predominant kdr mutations in An. sinensis mosquitoes from the Jiangsu Province. The results from AllGlo-qPCR, allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR), and TaqMan-MGB probe-based qPCR (TaqMan-qPCR) were compared. A comparative analysis of the equipment required, ease of use and cost of the available methods was also performed. Finally, the AllGlo-qPCR method was used to detect the frequencies of kdr mutations from the other four provinces in central China.
Six kdr genotypes were detected in An. sinensis from the Jiangsu Province by DNA sequencing. The AllGlo-qPCR method detected all of the kdr genotypes with a high level of accuracy (97% sensitivity and 98% specificity). AllGlo-qPCR correctly determined the kdr genotypes of 98.73% of 158 An. sinensis samples, whereas TaqMan-qPCR and AS-PCR correctly identified 96.84% and 88.61% of mutations, respectively. Furthermore, the AllGlo-qPCR method is simpler to perform, requires less equipment, and exhibits a moderate expense cost comparing with the other tested methods of kdr mutation detection. Samples collected from four of the other provinces in central China showed a high frequency of kdr mutation in An. sinensis, as detected by the established AllGlo-qPCR method.
The novel AllGlo-qPCR method developed for kdr mutation detection in An. sinensis exhibits greater specificity and sensitivity than currently available methods and is more cost-effective; therefore, it represents a useful tool for entomological surveillance.
The accurate assessment and diagnosis of combat injuries are the basis for triage and treatment of combat casualties. A consensus on the assessment and diagnosis of combat injuries was made and ...discussed at the second annual meeting of the Professional Committee on Disaster Medicine of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). In this consensus agreement, the massive hemorrhage, airway, respiration, circulation and hypothermia (MARCH) algorithm, which is a simple triage and rapid treatment and field triage score, was recommended to assess combat casualties during the first-aid stage, whereas the abbreviated scoring method for combat casualty and the MARCH algorithm were recommended to assess combat casualties in level II facilities. In level III facilities, combined measures, including a history inquiry, thorough physical examination, laboratory examination, X-ray, and ultrasound examination, were recommended for the diagnosis of combat casualties. In addition, corresponding methods were recommended for the recognition of casualties needing massive transfusions, assessment of firearm wounds, evaluation of mangled extremities, and assessment of injury severity in this consensus.
MCM41s incorporated with bimetallic copper and titanium were first synthesized by hydrolyzed the mixed solutions of sodium metasilicate (Na
2SiO
3), cuprammonia (Cu(NH
3)
4(NO
3)
2) and ...cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) with diluted sulphuric acid containing titanium sulfate (Ti(SO
4)
2). The samples were characterized by using XRD, FT-IR, N
2 adsorption isotherms, UHRTEM, TG–DTA and ICP techniques. It was revealed an ordered hexagonal structure, a narrow pore distribution, high surface area and relatively high thermal stability of the prepared materials. Some structure parameters of the samples varied linearly with the total heteroatoms content. All the characterization results indicated that the atoms of Cu and Ti might be incorporated into the framework of MCM41.
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•Four new peptides 1–4 were isolated from Aspergillus sp. SCSIO 41501.•Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis and Marfey’s method.•Compounds 1 and 2 showed evident ...antiviral activity against HSV-1.
A new cyclic pentapeptide and three new linear peptides, namely, aspergillipeptides D–G (1–4), were isolated from a culture broth of marine gorgonian-derived fungus Aspergillus sp. SCSIO 41501. Their structures were elucidated by spectroscopic analysis, and their absolute configurations were confirmed by Marfey’s method. Compounds 1 and 2 showed evident antiviral activity against herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) with IC50 values of 9.5 and 19.8µM under their non-cytotoxic concentrations against a Vero cell line, respectively, and 1 also had antiviral activity against acyclovir-resistant clinical isolates of HSV-1.
The emergency treatment of thoracic injuries varies of general conditions and modern warfare. However, there are no unified battlefield treatment guidelines for thoracic injuries in the Chinese ...People's Liberation Army (PLA). An expert consensus has been reached based on the epidemiology of thoracic injuries and the concept of battlefield treatment combined with the existing levels of military medical care in modern warfare. Since there are no differences in the specialized treatment for thoracic injuries between general conditions and modern warfare, first aid, emergency treatment, and early treatment of thoracic injuries are introduced separately in three levels in this consensus. At Level I facilities, tension pneumothorax and open pneumothorax are recommended for initial assessment during the first aid stage. Re-evaluation and further treatment for hemothorax, flail chest, and pericardial tamponade are recommended at Level II facilities. At Level III facilities, simple surgical operations such as emergency thoracotomy and debridement surgery for open pneumothorax are recommended. The grading standard for evidence evaluation and recommendation was used to reach this expert consensus.
This study evaluated the immunogenicity of the human rotavirus (RV) vaccine (RIX4414) when co-administered with routine childhood vaccines in Chinese infants (NCT01171963). Healthy infants aged 6-16 ...weeks received 2 doses of either RIX4414 or placebo according to a 0, 1-month schedule. Infants received routine diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTPa) and oral poliovirus (OPV) vaccines either separately from or concomitantly with RIX4414/placebo (separate and co-administration cohorts, respectively). Anti-RV IgA seroconversion rates (one month post-dose-2) and seropositivity rates (at one year of age) were measured using ELISA. Immune responses against the DTPa and OPV antigens were measured one month post-DTPa dose-3 in the co-administration cohort. Solicited local and general symptoms were recorded for 8-days post-vaccination (total cohort). The according-to-protocol immunogenicity population included 511 infants in the separate cohort and 275 in the co-administration cohort. One month post-RIX4414 dose-2, anti-RV IgA seroconversion rates were 74.7% (95% confidence interval CI: 68.9-79.9) and 64.2% (95% CI: 55.4-72.3) in the separate and co-administration cohorts; seropositivity rates at one year of age were 71.5% (95% CI: 65.5-77.1) and 50.0% (95% CI: 40.9-59.1), respectively. One month post-DTPa dose-3, all infants in the co-administration cohort were seroprotected against diphtheria and tetanus, and seropositive for pertussis toxoid, pertactin and filamentous haemaglutinin. Two months post-OPV dose-3, seroprotection rates against anti-poliovirus types 1, 2 and 3 were >99% in the co-administration cohort. Reactogenicity profiles were similar in both cohorts. RIX4414 was immunogenic and well-tolerated in Chinese infants and did not appear to interfere with the immunogenicity and reactogenicity of co-administered routine childhood vaccines.