Significant Difference In Sensitivity Research Articles

The Challenges of Implementing and Documenting Ottawa Ankle Rules in the Pediatric Emergency Department: A Retrospective Study

INTRODUCTION Acute ankle sprains account for nearly 2% of visits to the pediatric emergency department (PED). The Ottawa Ankle Rules (OAR) were developed as a safe and effective clinical decision-making tool for detecting the need for radiographs in adults with acute ankle pain. OAR state radiographs are required with at least one of the following: 1. Inability to bear weight immediately following the injury and for four steps in the ED 2. Bony tenderness at the posterior edge of the lateral or medial malleolus OBJECTIVE Few prospective cohort studies have attempted to assess OAR pediatric populations. This study investigates the validity and documentation of OAR within a single academic institution’s PED. METHODS This retrospective chart review included previously healthy patients aged 2-19 years who presented to the PED with a traumatic ankle injury between 2019 and 2021. Exclusion criteria were met with documented parental insistence for imaging studies. We compared calculated OAR predictive values to those in literature using Chi-squared tests and WINPEPI. RESULTS A total of 295 subjects were included. When only considering clinically significant fractures in the data analysis, 247 patients received X-rays and 42 clinically significant fractures were found. OAR were 100% sensitive (95% confidence interval 93.1–100.0), 12.2% specific (95% CI 8.2–17.2), with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 18.9% (95% CI 16.6–26.5), and negative predictive value (NPV) of 100% (95% CI 88.7–100.0). When comparing this study’s findings to those with similar design protocol, specificity was lower (p<0.05) and there was no significant difference in sensitivity, PPV, or NPV. CONCLUSION Implementing the highly sensitive OAR yielded zero missed fractures. Their poor specificity results in unnecessary radiation exposure, which also increases expense and wait time. Excess imaging may be attributed to ambiguous OAR criteria, their dependence on pediatric cooperation, and parental expectations for imaging studies.

Comparison of Visual Field Fluctuation Between Myopic and Emmetropic Glaucoma Patients

Background: Conflicting epidemiologic studies suggest that myopia may both increase and decrease the risk of glaucomatous visual field loss. To provide appropriate treatment to glaucoma patients, it is important to detect meaningful changes in the visual field, which requires distinguishing between visual field fluctuation and progression. Visual field fluctuation is defined as the variability between two visual field tests performed on separate days or months on the same eye that cannot be attributed to a pathologic change. We hypothesize that glaucoma patients with myopia will demonstrate more visual field fluctuation compared to emmetropic patients.
 Methods: Four or more 24-2 or 30-2 Humphrey visual field tests over several visits will be analyzed per patient. Data including the VFI plot, mean deviation, and threshold sensitivity on the glaucoma progression analysis will be collected to measure fluctuation. The sample is divided into two groups: 1. emmetropic glaucoma patients with a spherical equivalent refraction between +2 to -2 diopters and 2. high myopic glaucoma patients with a spherical equivalent refraction over -5 diopters. Bland-Altman plots, Mann-Whitney U tests, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), intraclass correlation coefficients, and generalized estimating equation models for ordinal data will be used to analyze the collected data.
 Results: Thus far, 2,979 charts have been reviewed with data collected from 27 emmetropes and myopes who met the inclusion criteria. The recruitment goal is 78 per group and 156 total. Preliminary results for RMSE found a statistically significant p-value for mean deviation (0.0320), and no statistically significant difference for threshold sensitivity (0.5179) and VFI (0.0904).
 Conclusion and Potential Impact: This ongoing study will help establish if glaucoma patients with high myopia demonstrate greater visual field fluctuation. It is important for clinicians to have this information so that these patients can be examined carefully to prevent misdiagnoses or delayed glaucoma treatment.

Adenoma location, size, and morphology are risk factors for FOBT false-negative results in inpatients with advanced colorectal adenoma

Recently, advanced adenoma (AA) has been recognized as a target for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. However, the fecal occult blood test (FOBT), the primary non-invasive screening method, shows limited sensitivity in detecting AA. This study investigates the relationship between adenoma characteristics and FOBT false-negative results. In a retrospective cohort study conducted from 2015 to 2022, we examined 342 inpatients with AA who underwent colonoscopy and received qualitative FOBT. FOBT sensitivity was analyzed about various adenoma characteristics, and logistic regression models were employed to investigate the relationship between adenoma features and FOBT false-negative outcomes. FOBT sensitivity in AA inpatients was 52.63%. Significant differences in sensitivity were observed based on adenoma location (left vs. right), morphology (with or without pedunculation), and size (≤ 10 mm vs. > 10 mm). After adjusting for several potential confounders, FOBT showed a reduced false-negative rate in AA with large-sized (OR, 0.49; 95% CI 0.31–0.77), left-sided location (OR, 0.53; 95% CI 0.31–0.89), and pedunculated morphology (OR, 0.73; 95% CI 0.43–1.24). AA with large size, left-sided location, and pedunculated morphology independently contribute to a decreased rate of FOBT false-negative results. However, these adenoma characteristics are not actively modifiable. Therefore, novel non-invasive methods are needed to improve AA detection accuracy.

Characterization of residual cancer by comparison of a pair of organoids established from a patient with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma before and after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) followed by surgery is a standard approach for management of locally advanced esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Patients who do not respond well to NAC have a poor prognosis. Despite extensive research, the mechanisms of chemoresistance in ESCC remain largely unknown. Here, we established paired tumor organoids-designated as PreNAC-O and PostNAC-O-from one ESCC patient before and after NAC, respectively. Although the two organoids did not exhibit significant differences in proliferation, morphology or drug sensitivity in vitro, the tumorigenicity of PostNAC-O in vivo was significantly higher than that of PreNAC-O. Xenografts from PreNAC-O tended to exhibit keratinization, while those from PostNAC-O displayed conspicuous necrotic areas. The tumorigenicity of PostNAC-O xenografts during the chemotherapy was comparable to that of PreNAC-O without treatment. Furthermore, the gene expression profiles of the xenografts suggested that expression of genes involved in the EMT and/or hypoxia response might be related to the tumorigenicity of PostNAC-O. Our data suggested that the tumorigenicity of residual cancer had been enhanced, outweighing the effects of chemotherapy, rather than being attributable to intrinsic chemoresistance. Further studies are required to clarify the extent to which residual cancers share a common mechanism similar to that revealed here.

The accuracy of point-of-care C-Reactive Protein as a screening test for tuberculosis in children.

Systematic screening for TB in children, especially among those at high risk of TB, can promote early diagnosis and treatment of TB. The World Health Organization (WHO) recently recommended C-Reactive Protein as a TB screening tool in adults and adolescents living with HIV (PLHIV). Thus, we aimed to assess the performance of point-of-care (POC) CRP as a screening tool for TB in children. A cross-sectional study was conducted at 2 primary health care facilities in Lusaka, Zambia between September 2020 -August 2021. Consecutive children (aged 5-14 years) presenting for TB services were enrolled irrespective of TB symptoms. All participants were screened for the presence of TB symptoms and signs, asked about TB contact history, and undertook a POC CRP test, chest X-ray, and sputum Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra test. The accuracy of CRP (≥10 mg/L cutoff) was determined using a microbiological reference standard (MRS) and a composite reference standard (CRS). Of 280 children enrolled and with complete results available, the median age was 10 years (IQR 7-12), 56 (20.0%) were HIV positive, 228 (81.4%) had a positive WHO symptom screen for TB, 62 (22.1%) had a close TB contact, and 79 (28.2%) had a positive CRP POC test. Five (1.8%) participants had confirmed TB, 71 (25.4%) had unconfirmed TB, and 204 (72.3%) had unlikely TB. When the MRS was used, the sensitivity of CRP was 80.0% (95%CI: 28.4-99.5%) and the specificity was 72.7% (95%CI: 67.1-77.9%). When the CRS was used, the sensitivity of CRP was 32.0% (95%CI: 23.3% - 42.5%), while the specificity was 74.0% (95%CI: 67.0% - 80.3%). Using the CRS, there were no statistically significant differences in sensitivity and specificity of CRP in the HIV positive and HIV negative individuals. Among children in Zambia, POC CRP had limited utility as a screening tool for TB. There remains a continued urgent need for better tools and strategies to improve TB detection in children.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Cerebrospinal Fluid Procalcitonin and Serum Procalcitonin in Adult Patients with Bacterial Meningitis: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Bacterial Meningitis (BM) is a serious health problem worldwide with high mortality and permanent longterm neurological sequelae. Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) analysis is the cornerstone for diagnosing BM, but the lack of specificity creates a difficult clinical scenario for initiating proper treatment. Empiric antibiotic use in patients with suspected meningitis at primary care settings decreases the yield of CSF culture and alters CSF cytological and biochemical findings, making it further difficult to diagnose BM. To overcome this difficulty, there is a need for other biochemical markers with higher sensitivity and specificity. Aim: To determine the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of Procalcitonin (PCT) in serum and CSF in patients with BM and compare its diagnostic accuracy in both sample types. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Internal Medicine at a tertiary care centre in eastern India from September 2018 to August 2020. A total of 82 adult patients with meningitis were recruited as per the protocol, and CSF analysis was done along with estimation of PCT in serum and CSF. Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve analysis of serum and CSF PCT was used to determine sensitivity and specificity with a 95% confidence interval. Results: Out of the 82 patients recruited, 30 (36.6%) had BM. CSF PCT with a cut-off value of >0.45 ng/mL had a sensitivity of 86.7% and specificity of 92.3%. The sensitivity of serum PCT with a cut-off value of >0.6 ng/mL was 83.3%, and specificity was 86.5%. There was no statistically significant difference in sensitivity and specificity between CSF and serum PCT in patients with BM (p-value=0.7988). Conclusion: Both serum and CSF PCT were found to have high sensitivity and specificity as markers for diagnosing BM without any statistically significant difference between them.

High-Frequency Linear Array (20 MHz) Based on Lead-Free BCTZ Crystal.

Centimeter-sized BaTiO3-based crystals grown by top-seeded solution growth from the BaTiO3-CaTiO3-BaZrO3 system were used to process a high-frequency (HF) lead-free linear array. Piezoelectric plates with (110)pc cut within 1° accuracy were used to manufacture two 1-3 piezo-composites with thicknesses of 270 and [Formula: see text] for resonant frequencies in air of 10 and 30 MHz, respectively. The electromechanical characterization of the BCTZ crystal plates and the 10-MHz piezocomposite yielded the thickness coupling factors of 40% and 50%, respectively. We quantified the electromechanical performance of the second piezocomposite (30 MHz) according to the reduction in the pillar sizes during the fabrication process. The dimensions of the piezocomposite at 30 MHz were sufficient for a 128-element array with a 70- [Formula: see text] element pitch and a 1.5-mm elevation aperture. The transducer stack (backing, matching layers, lens, and electrical components) was tuned with the characteristics of the lead-free materials to deliver optimal bandwidth and sensitivity. The probe was connected to a real-time HF 128-channel echographic system for acoustic characterization (electroacoustic response and radiation pattern) and to acquire high-resolution in vivo images of human skin. The center frequency of the experimental probe was 20 MHz, and the fractional bandwidth at -6 dB was 41%. Skin images were compared against those obtained with a lead-based 20-MHz commercial imaging probe. Despite significant differences in sensitivity between elements, in vivo images obtained with a BCTZ-based probe convincingly demonstrated the potential of integrating this piezoelectric material in an imaging probe.

A combination of risk stratification systems for thyroid nodules and cervical lymph nodes may improve the diagnosis and management of thyroid nodules.

To assess the performance of the European Thyroid Association Thyroid Imaging and Reporting Data System (EU-TIRADS) and the Korean Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (K-TIRADS), which combine risk stratification systems for thyroid nodules (TN-RSS) and cervical lymph nodes (LN-RSS) in diagnosing malignant and metastatic thyroid cancer in a single referral center. We retrospectively analyzed 2,055 consecutive patients who underwent thyroidectomy or fine-needle aspiration (FNA) from January 2021 to December 2022. TNs and LNs were categorized according to the ultrasonography (US) features of EU-TIRADS and K-TIRADS, respectively. The diagnostic performance and postponed malignancy rate (PMR) were compared with those of EU-TIRADS and K-TIRADS. PMR was defined as the number of patients with malignant nodules not recommended for biopsy among patients with cervical LN metastasis. According to the EU-TIRADS and K-TIRADS, for TN-RSS alone, there were no significant differences in sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, unnecessary FNA rate (UFR), missed malignancy rate (MMR), and PMR between the two TIRADSs (29.0% vs. 28.8%, 50.5% vs. 51.1%, 32.3% vs. 32.2%, 23.6% vs. 23.5%, 88.6% vs. 88.5%, and 54.2% vs. 54.5%, P > 0.05 for all). Combining the LN-RSS increased the diagnostic accuracy (42.7% vs. 32.3% in EU-TIRADS; 38.8% vs. 32.2% in K-TIRADS) and decreased the PMR (54.2% vs. 33.9% in EU-TIRADS; 54.5% vs. 39.3% in K-TIRADS). EU-TIRADS had higher sensitivity and accuracy and lower PMR than K-TIRADS (41.3% vs. 36.7%, 42.7% vs. 38.8%,33.9% vs. 39.3%, P < 0.05 for all). A combination of TN-RSS and LN-RSS for the management of thyroid nodules may be associated with a reduction in PMR, with enhanced sensitivity and accuracy for thyroid cancers in EU-TIRADS and K-TIRADS. These results may offer a new direction for the detection of aggressive thyroid cancers.

Dual energy CT for the diagnosis of gout: Evaluating the optimal Hounsfield unit setting for dual energy processing

Rationale and objectivesDual-energy CT (DECT) plays an important role in the evaluation of gout based on its ability to identify monosodium urate (MSU) crystals. Post-processing of DECT includes selection of a minimum Hounsfield unit (HU) threshold, currently set at 150 HU. Adjustments to this setting will affect the amount of MSU that is identified, with lower thresholds identifying more true and false positive MSU. The purpose of this study is to assess the performance of several HU thresholds. Materials and methods134 DECTs were reprocessed with minimum HU thresholds set to 150, 140, 130, and 120 HU. Volume of MSU detected was compared across thresholds. Subsequently, readers reviewed 3D axial images from 109 cases at 150, 130, and 120 HU thresholds. For each case, the reader made a diagnosis of gout, rated their confidence, and reported the location of MSU deposits. ResultsMean MSU volume detected was as follows: 0.160 at 150, 0.205 at 140, 0.276 at 130, and 0.444 at 120 HU. Based on reader diagnosis, there was no significant difference in sensitivity for the diagnosis of gout between the 150 (68.8%), 130 (71.8%), and 120 (69.7%) HU thresholds (p = 0.653). Specificity was higher at 150 HU (65.4%) than at 130 (58.4%) and 120 (52.2%), (p < 0.001). Mean reader confidence was 90.1 for 150 HU, 79.9 for 130 HU, and 74.0 for 120 HU (p < 0.001). ConclusionBetween the 150, 130, and 120 HU thresholds, 150 HU performed best overall for making the diagnosis of gout on DECT. Further research is needed to determine if there is utility for utilizing lower threshold settings for certain clinical scenarios.

Comparison of the recommendation of international autoimmune hepatitis pathology group 2022 and the simplified criteria for autoimmune hepatitis 2008: A preliminary study.

The histological diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is challenging. A new consensus recommendation was provided by the International AIH Pathology Group to address the problems in the histological diagnosis. The purpose of this study is to compare the 2008 'simplified' criteria for AIH with the 'consensus recommendation' of 2022 in terms of diagnostic sensitivity. A retrospective analysis was conducted on pathological specimens of patients diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis (AIH) between 2010 and 2022. Out of 188 patients enlisted, 88 were selected based on exclusion criteria. The specimens were examined by two experienced hepatopathologists and a resident pathologist. All specimens were analyzed using both the "simplified" criteria and the new consensus recommendations. Out of a total of 78 patients, the 2022 consensus recommendations raised the diagnostic category of 16 patients (20.5%) to a higher level. Six patients who were previously diagnosed as "atypical" were now considered "possible AIH", while 10 patients with a "compatible" diagnosis were elevated to "likely AIH" category. No patients were found to fall into a lower diagnostic category according to the new recommendations. A significant difference in diagnostic sensitivity was observed between the 2008 criteria and the 2022 consensus report (p<0.001). The 2022 consensus recommendation may be more sensitive in the diagnosis of AIH in comparison to the 2008 'simplified' histological criteria. More studies are needed both for the validation of the sensitivity of the new consensus recommendation and for the determination of the specificity.

ЗАБОЛЕВАЕМОСТЬ ИКСОДОВЫМ КЛЕЩЕВЫМ БОРРЕЛИОЗОМ У ЖИТЕЛЕЙ КРАСНОЯРСКОГО КРАЯ, ПЕРЕНЕСШИХ COVID-19

A retrospective epidemiological analysis of the incidence of natural focal zoonotic infections among the human population in the Krasnoyarsk Kray showed that the increase in the incidence of ixodid tick-borne borreliosis in 2022 could be caused by an increase in the number of people with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, who probably have dysregulation of the immune response and increased sensitivity to various pathogens. There were no significant gender differences in infectious sensitivity to Borrelia in people who underwent COVID-19. At the same time, among people diagnosed with borreliosis, the proportion of women who have previously had COVID-19 is increased. The same happens with tick-borne encephalitis: a higher infectious sensitivity of women to the encephalitis virus is a statistically justified fact in people who have undergone COVID-19. Key words: COVID-19, ixodid tick-borne borreliosis, Krasnoyarsk Kray

Structurally enhanced perimetric examination

Aims/Purpose: To assess the use of structural data to guide perimetric examination.Methods: Two perimetric strategies were tested on ten healthy participants: standard ZEST with population‐based prior distributions and Structural‐ZEST (S‐ZEST), enhanced with OCT data to determine the starting parameters. Both strategies were tested twice, in random order. The Compass Automated Perimeter (CMP, iCare) was used to collect the perimetric data through the Open Perimetry Interface and bespoke Shiny user interface (UI). The UI was used to import the Spectralis SD‐OCT scans (Heidelberg Engineering, Germany) and align the OCT data with the fundus image captured by the CMP. A 10–2 grid was centred on the fovea of each participant, aligned with the fovea‐disc axis. The UI calculated the Ganglion Cell Layer (GCL) thickness corresponding to each test location, after accounting for ganglion cell displacement. The starting priors for S‐ZEST were modelled using an independent dataset of glaucoma and healthy subjects. Bland–Altman plots were used to quantify test–retest variability. Bootstrap was used to calculate confidence intervals (CIs) and p‐values to compare the widths of the 95%‐Limits of Repeatability (LoR). Correlation between GCL thickness and sensitivity (dB) and the difference in test duration was calculated using linear mixed effect models. Agreement was quantified with the mean difference between the results of the two strategies.Results: 95%‐LoRs for S‐ZEST of the two devices were similar (p = 0.829). The structure–function correlation was significant for both (p &lt; 0.001), and very similar between S‐ZEST (R2 = 0.24) and ZEST (R2 = 0.23). There was a small but statistically significant mean difference in sensitivity between S‐ZEST and ZEST (0.56 [0.35, 0.77] dB, p = 0.034). S‐ZEST was 2.7 [1.2, 3.5] min faster than ZEST (p &lt; 0.001).Conclusions: S‐ZEST significantly shortened testing time without reducing repeatability in healthy observers.

Clinical Comparison of Three Indirect Pulp Capping Restorative Protocols: A Randomized Controlled Prospective Study.

The objective of this prospective double-blind clinical trial was to compare clinical outcomes of indirect pulp capping restorative protocols on permanent teeth over a 12-month period. Deep carious lesions in permanent teeth (90) were randomly assigned to three indirect pulp capping protocols (n=30: TheraCal LC, Dycal, and no liner). All teeth were restored with resin composite. The outcome measures were pain (VAS scale) and success rate (pulp vitality based on percussion, palpation, cold test, and radiographic findings), collected at screening, intervention, and 24-hour, 7-day, 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-up visits. There was no statistically significant difference in tooth sensitivity among the three indirect pulp capping protocols nor in success rates among the restorative protocols after 1 year of follow-up (p>0.1).The respective success rates, as defined by the tooth remaining vital, after 1 year were: 96.2% for TheraCal LC, 100% for Dycal, and 100% for no liner. After 12-month evaluation, the success rate of indirect pulp capping therapy on permanent teeth was not affected by the pulp capping restorative protocol.

Second-order calibration high-resolution continuum source graphite furnace molecular absorption spectrometry-based determination of bromine and fluorine

In this study, we report the simultaneous determination of bromine and fluorine using Second-Order Calibration High-Resolution Continuum Source Graphite Furnace Molecular Absorption Spectrometry (HR CS MAS). The instrumental data acquired correspond to the time versus wavelength matrix per sample that were analyzed using Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC), along with Unfold and N-way Partial Least Squares combined with a post-calibration step known as Residual Bilinearization (U and N PLS/RBL). Despite the significant difference in sensitivity between bromine and fluorine, all approaches provided reasonably accurate results when predicting both analytes in synthetic mixtures within a controlled environment. The relative prediction error (REP) values for bromine were 29.8 % (PARAFAC), 23.6 % (N-PLS/RBL), and 13.1 % (U-PLS/RBL), while for fluorine, the REP values were 3.4 % (PARAFAC), 3.5 % (N-PLS/RBL), and 3.2 % (U-PLS/RBL). When applying this approach to predict unknown samples, a comparison was made between the estimated nominal concentrations of fluorine and bromine obtained using either a reference method or based on labeled values or spiked mass, and those obtained using the proposed method. It was observed that PARAFAC was unable to predict the samples accurately, whereas the REP values for the prediction of bromine and fluorine using N-PLS/RBL and U-PLS/RBL methods were 19.3 %/19.2 % and 13.6 %/13.1 %, respectively.

Clinical evaluation of a multiplex droplet digital PCR for pathogen detection in critically ill COVID-19 patients with bloodstream infections

BackgroundNosocomial bloodstream infections (nBSI) have emerged as a clinical concern for physicians treating COVID-19 patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a multiplex ddPCR in detecting bacterial pathogens in the blood of COVID-19 critically ill patients.MethodsThis prospective diagnostic study included RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients admitted to our hospital from December 2022 to February 2023. A multiplex ddPCR assay was used to detect common bacterial pathogens and AMR genes in blood samples of the patients, along with antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). The diagnostic performance of the ddPCR assay was evaluated by comparing the results with those obtained through blood culture and clinical diagnosis. Additionally, the ability of ddPCR in detecting bacterial resistance was compared with the AST results.ResultsOf the 200 blood samples collected from 184 patients, 45 (22.5%) were positive using blood culture, while 113 (56.5%) were positive for bacterial targets using the ddPCR assay. The ddPCR assay outperformed blood culture in pathogen detection rate, mixed infection detection rate, and fungal detection rate. Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most commonly detected pathogens in COVID-19 critically ill patients, followed by Enterococcus and Streptococcus. Compared to blood culture, ddPCR achieved a sensitivity of 75.5%, specificity of 51.0%, PPV of 30.9%, and NPV of 87.8%, respectively. However, there were significant differences in sensitivity among different bacterial species, where Gram-negative bacteria have the highest sensitivity of 90.3%. When evaluated on the ground of clinical diagnosis, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of ddPCR were 78.1%, 90.5%, 94.7%, and 65.5%, respectively. In addition, the ddPCR assay detected 23 cases of blaKPC, which shown a better consistent with clinical test results than other detected AMR genes. Compared to blaKPC, there were few other AMR genes detected, indicating that the application of other AMR gene detection in the COVID-19 critically ill patients was limited.ConclusionThe multiplex ddPCR assay had a significantly higher pathogen detection positivity than the blood culture, which could be an effective diagnostic tool for BSIs in COVID-19 patients and to improve patient outcomes and reduce the burden of sepsis on the healthcare system, though there is room for optimization of the panels used.- Adjusting the targets to include E. faecalis and E. faecium as well as Candida albicans and Candida glabrata could improve the ddPCR' s effectiveness. However, further research is needed to explore the potential of ddPCR in predicting bacterial resistance through AMR gene detection.

Evaluation of a Point-of-Need Molecular Diagnostic Tool Coupled with Rapid DNA Extraction Methods for Visceral Leishmaniasis.

A rapid, cost-effective, and simple nucleic acid isolation technique coupled with a point-of-need DNA amplification assay is a desirable goal for programmatic use. For diagnosis of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) rapid tests for the detection of Leishmania DNA are versatile and have operational advantages over qPCR. To facilitate the delivery of the RPA test at point-of-need for VL diagnosis, we compared two rapid DNA extraction methods, SwiftDx (SX) and an in-house Boil and Spin (BS) method, coupled with RPA amplification, versus more widely used methods for DNA extraction and amplification, namely Qiagen (Q) kits and qPCR, respectively. A total of 50 confirmed VL patients and 50 controls, matched for age and gender, were recruited from Mymensingh, Bangladesh, a region highly endemic for VL. Blood samples were collected from each participant and DNA was extracted using Q, SX and BS methods. Following DNA extraction, qPCR and RPA assays were performed to detect L. donovani in downstream analysis. No significant differences in sensitivity of the RPA assay were observed between DNA extraction methods, 94.00% (95% CI: 83.45-98.75%), 90% (95% CI: 78.19-96.67%), and 88% (95% CI: 75.69-95.47%) when using Q, SX, and BS, respectively. Similarly, using qPCR, no significant differences in sensitivity were obtained when using Q or SX for DNA extraction, 94.00% (95% CI: 83.45-98.75%) and 92.00% (80.77-97.78%), respectively. It is encouraging that RPA and qPCR showed excellent agreement (k: 0.919-0.980) when different extraction methods were used and that the DNA impurities using BS had no inhibitory effect on the RPA assay. Furthermore, significantly higher DNA yields were obtained using SX and BS versus Q; however, a significantly higher parasite load was detected using qPCR when DNA was extracted using Q versus SX. Considering the cost, execution time, feasibility, and performance of RPA assay, rapid extraction methods such as the Boil and Spin technique appear to have the potential for implementation in resource-limited endemic settings. Further clinical research is warranted prior to broader application.

Novel molecular classification and prognosis of papillary renal cell carcinoma based on a large-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screening and machine learning

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is a highly heterogeneous cancer, and PRCC patients with advanced/metastatic subgroup showed obviously shorter survival compared to other kinds of renal cell carcinomas. However, the molecular mechanism and prognostic predictors of PRCC remain unclear and are worth deep studying. The aim of this study is to identify novel molecular classification and construct a reliable prognostic model for PRCC. The expression data were retrieved from TCGA, GEO, GTEx and TARGET databases. CRISPR data was obtained from Depmap database. The key genes were selected by the intersection of CRISPR-Cas9 screening genes, differentially expressed genes, and genes with prognostic capacity in PRCC. The molecular classification was identified based on the key genes. Drug sensitivity, tumor microenvironment, somatic mutation, and survival were compared among the novel classification. A prognostic model utilizing multiple machine learning algorithms based on the key genes was developed and tested by independent external validation set. Our study identified three clusters (C1, C2 and C3) in PRCC based on 41 key genes. C2 had obviously higher expression of the key genes and lower survival than C1 and C3. Significant differences in drug sensitivity, tumor microenvironment, and mutation landscape have been observed among the three clusters. By utilizing 21 combinations of 9 machine learning algorithms, 9 out of 41 genes were chosen to construct a robust prognostic signature, which exhibited good prognostic ability. SERPINH1 was identified as a critical gene for its strong prognostic ability in PRCC by univariate and multiple Cox regression analyses. Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot demonstrated that SERPINH1 mRNA and protein were highly expressed in PRCC cells compared with normal human renal cells. This study exhibited a new molecular classification and prognostic signature for PRCC, which may provide a potential biomarker and therapy target for PRCC patients.

Polymorphism in ADAM33 gene associated with asthmatics in West Bengal, India - An investigation by in-silico analysis

IntroductionAsthma is one of the common chronic polygenic inflammatory diseases. Genome wide association studies have identified ADAM33 as an asthma candidate gene. The present study investigated possible association of rs2280090 (T1), rs2280091 (T2) and rs3918396 (S1) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of ADAM33 with aeroallergen induced asthma in West Bengal population, India. In addition, in-silico analysis was performed to find out changes in protein function. MethodsForced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1)/Forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) were assessed using spirometry in 1039 participants. Allergic sensitivity of 619 spirometry positive asthma patients was assessed by skin prick test (SPT) against 22 aeroallergens. For genotyping of T1, T2, and S1 SNPs in 540 allergic asthma patient and 420 control subjects, polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism was performed. Total Immunoglobulin-E (IgE) level was measured in both patients and controls. ADAM333 haplotype blocks were constructed using Haploview software v.4.2. Structural model of transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains of ADAM33 was generated using RaptorX. Protein-protein interaction was analysed using the STRING server. ResultsHighest number of patient sensitivity was observed towards Cocos nusifera (n = 215) and Dermatophagoides farinae (n = 229). Significant difference in sensitivity was observed between child and late adult (P = 0.03), child and early adult (P = 0.02), adolescent and late adult (P = 0.02) and adolescent and early adult (P = 0.01). Genotypic frequencies differed significantly between patients and controls (P < 0.05). rs2280090 GG, rs2280091GG and AG genotype, and rs3918396 AA carried significant risk for asthma (P = 0.02, P = 0.008, P = 0.04, P = 0.01 respectively). ADAM33 T1, T2, and S1 polymorphisms were in high Linkage Disequilibrium (D = 0.98). Haplotype consisting of rs2280090G, rs2280091G and rs3918396A alleles were found significantly higher in patient population in comparison with controls (OR = 2.03). IgE level differed significantly among different genotypes for T1, T2, and S1 SNPs analysed in pair (P < 0.0001). FEV1/FVC ratio differed significantly among different genotypes for T1, T2 and S1 SNPs analysed in pair (P < 0.0001). Significant difference of FEV1/FVC was also found between GGA and AAG haplotype (P < 0.0001). In-silico analysis revealed T1 and T2 polymorphisms are located in cytoplasmic domain of ADAM33 may cause bronchial smooth muscle cell mobility and cellular hyperplasia as well as cytoskeletal remodelling by altered interaction with different cytoplasmic proteins found by string analysis. ConclusionPresent study showed significant association of T1, T2, and S1 polymorphisms of ADAM33 with aeroallergen-induced asthma in West Bengal, India. These polymorphisms may be used as prognostic markers and possible targets for therapeutics in future.

Diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with shear wave elastography in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), shear wave elastography (SWE) and their combination in the diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions have not been systematically evaluated. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of CEUS combined with SWE in benign and malignant breast lesions. We searched six electronic databases for literature to evaluate the value of CEUS combined with SWE in the diagnosis of benign and malignant breast lesions from inception to May 2023. Review Manager 5.4 (Cochrane), Meta-DiSc 1.4, and Stata 14.0 (StataCorp) were used for meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and the area under the curve (AUC) were calculated to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Ultimately, 17 studies were analyzed including 1,962 lesions in total. The overall quality of the included literature was acceptable, and no significant publication bias was found among the included studies. The pooled diagnostic performance measures for CEUS were as follows: SEN: 0.86 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.84-0.88], SPE: 0.78 (95% CI: 0.75-0.80), PLR: 4.10 (95% CI: 2.86-5.90), NLR: 0.20 (95% CI: 0.15-0.25), DOR: 23.68 (95% CI: 16.77-33.44), and AUC: 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87-0.93); while, for SWE, SEN: 0.83 (95% CI: 0.81-0.86), SPE: 0.81 (95% CI: 0.78-0.83), PLR: 4.36 (95% CI: 3.18-5.97), NLR: 0.22 (95% CI: 0.17-0.29), DOR: 23.13 (95% CI: 14.70-36.40), and AUC: 0.90 (95% CI: 0.87-0.92). The measures for the pooled diagnostic performance of CEUS combined with SWE were as follows: SEN: 0.92 (95% CI: 0.90-0.94), SPE: 0.87 (95% CI: 0.85-0.89), PLR: 7.10 (95% CI: 5.24-9.61), NLR: 0.11 (95% CI: 0.07-0.16), DOR: 83.51 (95% CI: 49.67-140.39), and AUC: 0.96 (95% CI: 0.94-0.98). There was no statistically significant difference in SEN, SPE, and accuracy (ACC) between CEUS and SWE (P>0.05), but they were significantly lower than those of CEUS combined with SWE (P<0.001). The diagnostic performance of CEUS combined with SWE is higher than that of using CEUS or SWE alone and can further improve the diagnosis of breast lesions.

A multiplex real-time RT-PCR system to simultaneously diagnose 16 pathogens associated with swine respiratory disease.

Swine respiratory disease (SRD) is a major disease complex in pigs that causes severe economic losses. SRD is associated with several intrinsic and extrinsic factors such as host health status, viruses, bacteria, and environmental factors. Particularly, it is known that many pathogens are associated with SRD to date, but most of the test to detect those pathogens can be normally investigated only one pathogen while taking time and labor. Therefore, it is desirable to develop rapidly and efficiently detectable methods those pathogens to minimize the damage caused by SRD. We designed a multiplex real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) system to diagnose simultaneously 16 pathogens, including nine viruses and seven bacteria associated with SRD, on the basis of single qPCR and RT-qPCR assays reported in previous studies. Multiplex RT-qPCR system we designed had the same ability to single RT-qPCR without significant differences in detection sensitivity for all target pathogens at minimum to maximum genomic levels. Moreover, the primers and probes used in this system had highly specificity because the sets had not been detected pathogens other than the target and its taxonomically related pathogens. Furthermore, our data demonstrated that this system would be useful to detect a causative pathogen in the diagnosis using oral fluid from healthy pigs and lung tissue from pigs with respiratory disorders collected in the field. The rapid detection of infected animals from the herd using our system will contribute to infection control and prompt treatment in the field.