Animal adaptation to environmental challenges is a complex process involving intricate interactions between the host genotype and gut microbiome composition.The gut microbiome,highly responsive to external environment...Animal adaptation to environmental challenges is a complex process involving intricate interactions between the host genotype and gut microbiome composition.The gut microbiome,highly responsive to external environmental factors,plays a crucial role in host adaptability and may facilitate local adaptation within species.Concurrently,the genetic background of host populations influences gut microbiome composition,highlighting the bidirectional relationship between host and microbiome.Despite this,our understanding of gut microbiome plasticity and its role in host adaptability remains limited,particularly in reptiles.To clarify this issue,we conducted a reciprocal translocation experiment with gravid females of the Qinghai toad-headed lizards(Phrynocephalus vlangalii)between high-altitude(2?600 m a.s.l.)and superhigh-altitude(3?600 m a.s.l.)environments on Dangjin Mountain of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,China.One year later,we assessed the phenotypes and gut microbiomes of their offspring.Results revealed significant plasticity in gut microbiome diversity and structure in response to contrasting elevations.Highaltitude conditions increased diversity,and maternal effects appeared to enable high-altitude lizards to maintain elevated diversity when exposed to superhigh-altitude environments.Additionally,superhigh-altitude lizards displayed distinct gut microbiome structures with notable host specificity,potentially linked to their lower growth rates.Overall,these findings underscore the importance of the gut microbiome in facilitating reptilian adaptation to rapid environmental changes across altitudinal gradients.Furthermore,this study provides critical insights into microbial mechanisms underpinning local adaptation and adaptative plasticity,offering a foundation for future research on host-microbiome interactions in evolutionary and ecological contexts.展开更多
Automatic extraction of key data from design specifications is an important means to assist in engineering design automation.Considering the characteristics of diverse data types,small scale,insufficient character inf...Automatic extraction of key data from design specifications is an important means to assist in engineering design automation.Considering the characteristics of diverse data types,small scale,insufficient character information content and strong contextual relevance of design specification,a named entity recognition model integrated with high-quality topic and attention mechanism,namely Quality Topic-Char Embedding-BiLSTMAttention-CRF,was proposed to automatically identify entities in design specification.Based on the topic model,an improved algorithm for high-quality topic extraction was proposed first,and then the high-quality topic information obtained was added into the distributed representation of Chinese characters to better enrich character features.Next,the attention mechanism was used in parallel on the basis of the BiLSTM-CRF model to fully mine the contextual semantic information.Finally,the experiment was performed on the collected corpus of Chinese ship design specification,and the model was compared with multiple sets of models.The results show that F-score(harmonic mean of precision and recall)of the model is 80.24%.The model performs better than other models in design specification,and is expected to provide an automatic means for engineering design.展开更多
This study investigates the identity of English for Specific Purposes(ESP)teachers within the dynamic landscape of shifts in public English teaching positioning.Adopting a mixed-methods approach,qualitative and quanti...This study investigates the identity of English for Specific Purposes(ESP)teachers within the dynamic landscape of shifts in public English teaching positioning.Adopting a mixed-methods approach,qualitative and quantitative analyses were employed to explore the complexities of ESP teacher identity construction and adaptation.Qualitative findings revealed key themes including strong professional identity grounded in specialized expertise,the impact of changing educational policies and curriculum reforms,and the importance of cultural competence and intercultural communication.Quantitative analysis of survey data indicated high levels of job satisfaction among ESP teachers,with significant correlations between variables such as professional development participation,perceived efficacy in technology integration,and self-perceptions of identity as ESP educators.展开更多
Four kinds of SiC fibers with different specific resistivities were prepared by the pyrolysis of cured polycarbosilane fiber. The results show that SiC fibers with different specific resistivities can be obtained by c...Four kinds of SiC fibers with different specific resistivities were prepared by the pyrolysis of cured polycarbosilane fiber. The results show that SiC fibers with different specific resistivities can be obtained by changing the curing and pyrolysis conditions. And the free carbon content and the ability to crystallize no longer affect the specific resistivities notably with the time when the fiber is covered with an excess carbon layer, and the fiber has a low specific resistivity. The excess carbon layer in the circular outer part is originated from the re-pyrolysis and deposition of hydrocarbon volatiles. The removal of the carbon by oxidative treatment may affect the surface property and also promote the magnitude of specific resistivity. The influence of the surface property on the specific resistivity can be considerable and should not be neglected.展开更多
HLA-C,HLA-DP and HLA-DQ are thought to be benign due to low expression and few initial negative studies.Historically,most allocation programs used HLA-A,HLA-B and HLA-DR antigens for matching.With the advent and use o...HLA-C,HLA-DP and HLA-DQ are thought to be benign due to low expression and few initial negative studies.Historically,most allocation programs used HLA-A,HLA-B and HLA-DR antigens for matching.With the advent and use of single-bead antigen assays,more was learned about donor-specific antibodies(DSAs)against these antigens.Interest in these antigens and antibodies grew when cases of acute antibody-mediated rejection(AMR),mixed rejections,chronic AMR,and reduced graft survival were reported with DSAs against these antigens.Although the deleterious effects of these DSAs are more pronounced in retransplants,harmful effects have also been observed in first-time recipients.DSAs against each of these antigens can trigger rejection alone.Their combination with DSAs against HLA-A,HLA-B and HLA-DR can cause more damage.It has been shown that strategies that reduce mismatches for these antigen lead to fewer rejections and better graft survival.There is a need for greater consensus on the universal typing of these antigens prior to transplantation for better patient and graft outcomes.This review focuses on the interaction of these antigens with lymphocytes and killer immunoglobulin receptors,arguments for not typing them,detailed analyses of the literature about their harmful effects,potential strategies moving forward,and recommendations for the future.展开更多
In this work,four samples of TiO_(2) powder materials with different structures(rutile,anatase),surface coatings and morphologies(rod,pseudo-spherical)were characterized by four partners involving complementary method...In this work,four samples of TiO_(2) powder materials with different structures(rutile,anatase),surface coatings and morphologies(rod,pseudo-spherical)were characterized by four partners involving complementary methods.With the aim of producing inter-laboratory reproducibility data,the specific surface-area,bulk density,and number size distribution were measured,yielding a satisfying agreement between partners.The equivalent diameter of constituent particles was determined from the sample volume specific surface area(VSSA)–accounting for polydispersion–and compared to electron microscopy(EM).Constituent particle diameters ranged from 15 to 225 nm according to EM analyses.The relative discrepancies between VSSA-based and EM-based diameters were found within±20%.Out of the four samples under study,TiO_(2)μ-rutile leads to a larger deviation,which was attributed to surface coating thanks to complementary analysis.Assuming that the sample is pure,an equivalent diameter based on the VSSA can be determined,provided that the shape of constituent particles is known or supposed.展开更多
With the increasing global demand for Chinese language,the teaching of Chinese for Specific Purposes(CSP)has occupied an increasingly important position in the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language.However,traditi...With the increasing global demand for Chinese language,the teaching of Chinese for Specific Purposes(CSP)has occupied an increasingly important position in the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language.However,traditional teaching methods often neglect the role of non-verbal symbols in language comprehension and communication.The multimodal discourse theory provides a new perspective for CSP teaching,which can effectively enhance students’understanding and mastery of specialized terminology and language application skills by integrating multisensory symbol systems such as language,vision,hearing,and touch.This paper starts from the current situation of teaching CSP and analyzes the adaptability between multimodal discourse and CSP teaching,aiming to provide theoretical support and practical suggestions for the innovation of the teaching mode of CSP.展开更多
The present study monitored bacterial succession,physicochemical properties,and volatile organic compounds(VOCs)changes in smoked chicken legs with modified atmosphere packaging(MAP,60% CO_(2) and 40%N_(2))during a 25...The present study monitored bacterial succession,physicochemical properties,and volatile organic compounds(VOCs)changes in smoked chicken legs with modified atmosphere packaging(MAP,60% CO_(2) and 40%N_(2))during a 25-day storage period at 4℃.After 15 days of storage,S erratia proteamaculans and Pseudomonas fragi became the predominant bacteria.Furthermore,physicochemical properties changed significantly,as evidenced by an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and b*(yellowness)value,and a decrease in hardness.A total of 65 VOCs were identified during storage.Correlation between bacterial succession and quality indicators(including VOCs and physicochemical properties)allowed the identification of 26 core dominant bacteria,including S.proteamaculans,Psychrobacter alimentarius,Pseudomonas putida,and Pseudomonas poae,which were positively related to spoilage VOCs(e.g.,1-octen-3-ol,1-pentanol,and 3-methyl-1-butanol)and could be defined as specific spoilage organisms(SSOs).The results of this study provide a systematic approach to predict SSOs in smoked chicken legs during storage,which can also provide a basis for product safety.展开更多
Expanding the specific surface area of substrates and carrying out precise surface engineering of imprinted nanocavities are crucial methods for enhancing the identification efficiency of molecularly imprinted polymer...Expanding the specific surface area of substrates and carrying out precise surface engineering of imprinted nanocavities are crucial methods for enhancing the identification efficiency of molecularly imprinted polymers(MIPs).To implement this synergistic strategy,bioinspired surface engineering was used to incorporate dual covalent receptors via precise post-imprinting modifications(PIMs)onto mesoporous silica nanosheets.The prepared sorbents(denoted as‘‘D-PMIPs”)were utilized to improve the specific identification of adenosine 5-monophosphate(AMP).Significantly,the mesoporous silica nanosheets possess a high surface area of approximately 498.73 m^(2)·g^(-1),which facilitates the formation of abundant specific recognition sites in the D-PMIPs.The dual covalent receptors are valuable for estab-lishing the spatial orientation and arrangement of AMP through multiple cooperative interactions.PIMs enable precise site-specific functionalization within the imprinted cavities,leading to the tailor-made formation of complementary binding sites.The maximum number of high-affinity binding sites(Nmax)of the D-PMIPs is 39.99 lmol·g^(-1),which is significantly higher than that of imprinted sorbents with a sin-gle receptor(i.e.,S-BMIPs or S-PMIPs).The kinetic data of the D-PMIPs can be effectively described by a pseudo-second-order model,indicating that the main binding mechanism involves synergistic chemisorption from boronate affinity and the pyrimidine base.This study suggests that using dual cova-lent receptors and PIMs is a reliable approach for creating imprinted sorbents with high selectivity,allow-ing for the controlled engineering of imprinted sites.展开更多
With increasing incidence of diabetes, use of diabetes specific nutrition supplements (DSNS) is common for better management of the disease. To study effect of 12-week DSNS supplementation on glycemic markers, anthrop...With increasing incidence of diabetes, use of diabetes specific nutrition supplements (DSNS) is common for better management of the disease. To study effect of 12-week DSNS supplementation on glycemic markers, anthropometry, lipid profile, SCFAs, and gut microbiome in individuals with diabetes. Markers studied were glycemic [Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), Post Prandial Glucose (PPG), HbA1c, Incremental Area under curve (iAUC), Mean Amplitude of Glycemic Excursions (MAGE), Time in/above Range (TIR/TAR)], anthropometry [weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC)], lipid profile, diet and gut health [plasma short chain fatty acids (SCFAs)]. N = 210 adults were randomized to receive either DSNS with standard care (DSNS + SC;n = 105) or standard care alone (SC alone;n = 105). After 12 weeks, significant differences between DSNS + SC versus SC alone was observed in FBG [−3 ± 6 vs 14 ± 6 mg/dl;p = 0.03], PPG [−35 ± 9 vs −3 ± 9 mg/dl;p = 0.01], weight [−0.6 ± 0.1 vs 0.2 ± 0.1 kg;p = 0.0001], BMI [−0.3 ± 0.1 vs 0.1 ± 0.1 kg/m2;p = 0.0001] and WC [−0.3 ± 0.2 vs 0.2 ± 0.2 cm;p = 0.01]. HbA1C and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were significantly reduced in DSNS + SC [−0.2 ± 0.9;p = 0.04 and −5 mg/dl;p = 0.03] respectively with no change in control. Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) reported significant differences between DSNS + SC versus SC alone for mean glucose [−12 ± 65 vs 28 ± 93 mg/dl;p < 0.01], TAR 180 [−9 ± 42 vs 7 ± 45 mg/dl;p = 0.04], TAR 250 [−3 ± 27 vs 9 ± 38 mg/dl;p = 0.05], iAUC [−192 (1.1) vs −48 (1.1) mg/dl;p = 0.03]. MAGE was significantly reduced for both DSNS + SC (−19 ± 67;p < 0.001) and SC alone (−8 ± 70;p = 0.04), with reduction being more pronounced for DSNS + SC. DSNS + SC reported a decrease in carbohydrate energy % [−9.4 (−11.3, −7.6) %;p < 0.0001] and amount [−47.4 (−67.1, −27.7) g;p < 0.0001], increased dietary fiber [9.5 (7.2, 11.8) g;p < 0.0001] and protein energy % [0.9 (0.5, 1.3) %;p < 0.0001] versus SC alone. DSNS + SC reported significant increases versus SC alone in total (0.3 ng/ml;p = 0.03) and individual plasma SCFAs. The consumption of DSNS significantly improves the glycemic, anthropometric, dietary, and gut health markers in diabetes.展开更多
BACKGROUND Currently,only tumors classified as LR-5 are considered definitive hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and no further pathologic confirmation is required to initiate therapy.Previous studies have shown that the s...BACKGROUND Currently,only tumors classified as LR-5 are considered definitive hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and no further pathologic confirmation is required to initiate therapy.Previous studies have shown that the sensitivity of LR-5 is modest,and lesions enhanced by gadoxetic acid(Gd-EOB-DTPA)may exhibit lower sensitivity than those enhanced by Gd-DTPA.AIM To identify malignant ancillary features(AFs)that can independently and significantly predict HCC in Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2018,and to develop modified LR-5 criteria to improve diagnostic performance on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.METHODS Imaging data from patients with HCC risk factors who underwent abdominal Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging were collected.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine AFs that could independently and significantly predict HCC.The modified LR-5 criteria involved reclassifying LR-4/LR-3 lesions based on major features combined with independently significant AFs for HCC,or by substituting threshold growth with significant AFs.McNemar's test was used to compare the diagnostic performance of the modified LR-5 criteria.RESULTS A total of 244 lesions from 216 patients were included.Transitional phase hypointensity,mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity,and fat in mass(more than adjacent liver)were identified as significant independent predictors of HCC.Using the modified LR-5 criteria(e.g.,LR-5-M1:LR-4+transitional phase hypointensity;LR-5-M4:LR-5 by transitional phase hypointensity instead of threshold growth;LR-5-M5:LR-5 by mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity instead of threshold growth;LR-5-M8:LR-3/LR-4+any two features of transitional phase hypointensity/mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity/fat in mass),sensitivities were significantly increased(88.5%-89.1%)compared to the standard LR-5(60.6%;all P values<0.05),while specificities(84.8%-89.9%)remained largely unchanged(93.7%;all P values>0.05).The LR-5-M8 criterion achieved the highest sensitivity.CONCLUSION Mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity,transitional phase hypointensity,and fat in mass are independent and significant predictors of HCC malignant AFs.The modified LR-5 criteria can improve sensitivity without significantly reducing specificity.展开更多
It is well known that Diabetes Specific Nutritional Supplements (DSNSs) are linked to improved glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. However, data on efficacy of DSNSs in prediabetics is limited. This was a t...It is well known that Diabetes Specific Nutritional Supplements (DSNSs) are linked to improved glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. However, data on efficacy of DSNSs in prediabetics is limited. This was a two-armed, open-labelled, randomized controlled six-week study on 199 prediabetics [30 - 65 years;Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) 5.7% - 6.4% and/or Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) 100-125 mg/dl]. Two parallel phases were conducted: Acute Blood Glucose Response (ABGR) and Intervention phase. Prediabetic participants were randomized into test (n = 100) and control (n = 99). The primary objective was to assess the ABGR of DSNS versus an isocaloric snack, measured by incremental Area under the Curve (iAUC). Test and control received 60 g of DSNS and 56 g of isocaloric snack (cornflakes) respectively, both in 250 ml double-toned milk on visit days 1, 15, 29 and 43. Postprandial Blood Glucose (PPG) was estimated at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes. During the 4 weeks intervention phase, the test group received DSNS with lifestyle counselling (DSNS + LC) and was compared with the control receiving lifestyle counselling alone (LC alone). Impact was studied on FBG, HbA1C, anthropometry, body composition, blood pressure, nutrient intake, and physical activity. The impact of DSNS was also studied using CGM between two 14-day phases: CGM1 baseline (days 1 - 14) and CGM2 endline (days 28 - 42). DSNS showed significantly lower PPG versus isocaloric snack at 30 (p 12, and chromium were reported by DSNS + LC versus LC alone. No other significant changes were reported between groups. It may be concluded that DSNS may be considered as a snack for prediabetic or hyperglycemic individuals requiring nutritional support for improved glycemic control.展开更多
Chinese medicated bath is one of the external therapies in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM),which has been widely used clinically.The“International Standard of Traditional Chinese Medicine Techniques:The Operating S...Chinese medicated bath is one of the external therapies in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM),which has been widely used clinically.The“International Standard of Traditional Chinese Medicine Techniques:The Operating Specifications for Chinese Medicated Bath”is drawn up by the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Third Affiliated Hospital and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Xiamen Hospital in collaboration with domestic TCM universities and hospitals.The specification includes definition,operating process,points for attention and contraindications.It is targeted to provide reference for TCM providers at home and abroad with TCM background in clinical decision-making.展开更多
Acute mastitis is one of the common diseases of postpartum lactating women,also known as lactational mastitis,which can occur during breastfeeding,especially in the postpartum 3–4 weeks.Acute mastitis can lead to the...Acute mastitis is one of the common diseases of postpartum lactating women,also known as lactational mastitis,which can occur during breastfeeding,especially in the postpartum 3–4 weeks.Acute mastitis can lead to the cessation of breastfeeding.Improving breastfeeding behavior and extending breastfeeding duration have become a global strategy to promote maternal and child health.Manual lactation traditional Chinese medicine technology is one of the important measures to improve the rate of breastfeeding,which can solve the problems of breast swelling,pain,and reduction of milk production.This article introduces the definition,indications,standard operating procedures,precautions,and treatment of adverse events of manual lactation in traditional Chinese medicine technology,so as to provide more comprehensive guidance for clinical workers to carry out manual lactation operations.展开更多
The present study was designed to investigate possible relationships between the genotypes of hepatitis B virus(HBV) and the HBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL) responses.HBV genotypes,HBV specific CTL HBV DNA an...The present study was designed to investigate possible relationships between the genotypes of hepatitis B virus(HBV) and the HBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL) responses.HBV genotypes,HBV specific CTL HBV DNA and other markers of HBV infection were determined in 138 patients with chronic hepatitis B.The results showed that the patients infected with genotype C(n=62) had a significantly lower HBV-specific CTL response than those who were infected with HBV genotype B(P<0.01).HBV DNA titer was higher in patients infected with HBV genotype C than in those infected with HBV geno-type B(P<0.01).Both alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and total bilirubin(TBIL) were higher in HBV genotype C infected patients than in those infected with genotype B(P<0.01 and <0.05,respectively).These results suggest that compared with CHB patients infected with HBV genotype B,the higher HBV DNA level and more severe liver damages in the patients infected with genotype C of HBV may be associated with genotype C of the virus.展开更多
Nucleotide variants in cell type-specific gene regulatory elements in the human brain are risk factors for human disease.We measured chromatin accessibility in 1932 aliquots of sorted neurons and non-neurons from 616 ...Nucleotide variants in cell type-specific gene regulatory elements in the human brain are risk factors for human disease.We measured chromatin accessibility in 1932 aliquots of sorted neurons and non-neurons from 616 human postmortem brains and identified 34,539 open chromatin regions with chromatin accessibility quantitative trait loci(caQTLs).Only 10.4%of caQTLs are shared between neurons and non-neurons,which supports cell type-specific genetic regulation of the brain regulome.Incorporating allele-specific chromatin accessibility improves statistical fine-mapping and refines molecular mechanisms that underlie disease risk.Using massively parallel reporter assays in induced excitatory neurons,we screened 19,893 brain QTLs and identified the functional impact of 476 regulatory variants.Combined,this comprehensive resource captures variation in the human brain regulome and provides insights into disease etiology.展开更多
Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) are a series of signals about visual occipital cortex in response to visual stimuli and can be used as one of ob-jective non-invasive neuro-physiological pa-rameters to reflect the visu...Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) are a series of signals about visual occipital cortex in response to visual stimuli and can be used as one of ob-jective non-invasive neuro-physiological pa-rameters to reflect the visual organs and central visual pathway’s functional integrity. Previous studies have shown that acute and chronic ex-ercise could affect VEPs independent from body temperature and other physiological parameters. VEPs may well be used as neuro-physiological criteria in defining the performances of the ath-letes. Different sports training have different effects on VEPs, but the results are not consis-tent. P100 latency is the representative compo-nent of VEPs and it is of high, steady amplitude and of slight intra- and inter-individual variabil-ity so that the index is most commonly used. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specificity and sensitivity of P100 latency to dif-ferent physical activities. The neural electricity device of NDI-200 was used to measure the pattern reversal VEPs of all subjects, including the values of the resting state before and after different events exercise. Different events exer-cise contained an aerobic cycloergometric ex-ercise (7 subjects were conducted to a Bruce Graded Exercise Test on the Monark Ergomedic 839E cycloergometer, THR (target heart rate) = 85% HRmax, 3 times/week, about 10 minutes once time, 6 weeks), tennis training (16 volun-teers, 2 hours/day, 3 days/week, 8 weeks), aerobic Latin exercise (7 subjects, 1 hour/day, 3 days/week, 6 weeks) and the Baduanjin of Health Qigong training (6 subjects, 1 hour/day, 3 days/week, 6 weeks). The VEPs recordings of the control groups obtained synchronized with the experimental groups. SPSS 11.5 for win-dows was used for statistical analysis. A level of P﹤0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. The VEPs P100 latency of post-exercise of all experimental groups except Baduanjin group became shorter significantly compared with those of pre-exercise (P﹤0.05). No significant difference was found between pre-and post- exercise for the control groups. This study showed that exercise could shorten the P100 la-tency significantly. Moreover, it also indicated that VEPs were sensitive to exercise to a certain extent. We concluded that VEPs might well be used as neuro-physiological criteria in defining the performances of the athletes. It was found that the VEPs P100 latency became shorter after most training programs;furthermore, it demon-strated that P100 latency of VEPs had little specificity to different events.展开更多
Introduction: Reports indicate that fluorescent staining of smears increases sensitivity of direct microscopy;so ZN staining is being replaced with fluorescent microscopy in RNTCP in India. Chemical processing and spu...Introduction: Reports indicate that fluorescent staining of smears increases sensitivity of direct microscopy;so ZN staining is being replaced with fluorescent microscopy in RNTCP in India. Chemical processing and sputum concentration may also improve sensitivity of microscopy. Objective: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of microscopy for AFB using ZN and fluorescent stains in direct and concentrated specimen with culture as gold standard. Methods: Morning sputum specimen of patients, suspected of having pulmonary tuberculosis, over a period of 6 months was subjected to direct microscopy using fluorescent stain;the same slide was over-stained with ZN stain. Same sputum sample was concentrated by Petroff’s method and subjected to fluorescent microscopy followed by ZN microscopy and finally to culture for AFB. Results: Sensitivity of fluorescent stained concentrated sputum samples was maximum and of ZN stained unprocessed sputum samples was minimum. Specificity of three of the methods was equal at 0.96 but of ZN stained concentrated sputum smears was 0.97. Sensitivity of total fluorescent stains was 0.85 (Specificity 0.96) and sensitivity of total ZN stained smears was 0.80 (Specificity 0.96). Discussion: We used same smear for fluorescent and ZN stains, so smear related variability is decreased. Blinding for microscopy was practically complete. Conclusion: The sensitivity of sputum microscopy for AFB can be increased by concentrating the sputum and using fluorescent microscopy. The specificity remains high in all the methods.展开更多
Diagnostic tests are usually based on some quantitative biomarkers.Two key parameters used to characterise the quality of a test are test sensitivity and specificity.Predictive values of the disease status based on te...Diagnostic tests are usually based on some quantitative biomarkers.Two key parameters used to characterise the quality of a test are test sensitivity and specificity.Predictive values of the disease status based on test results are also of interest in medical research and public health management.In this paper,we study the relations among sensitivity,specificity and predictive values of the test.The core concept is risk function,which is assumed to be an increasing function of the biomarker.Our results show that test sensitivity and specificity change in opposite directions.The positive predictive value and the sensitivity also change in opposite directions.Likewise,the negative predictive value and the specificity change in opposite directions.展开更多
Mutations in the liver/bone/kidney alkaline phosphatase(Alpl) gene cause hypophosphatasia(HPP) and early-onset bone dysplasia,suggesting that this gene is a key factor in human bone development. However, how and where...Mutations in the liver/bone/kidney alkaline phosphatase(Alpl) gene cause hypophosphatasia(HPP) and early-onset bone dysplasia,suggesting that this gene is a key factor in human bone development. However, how and where Alpl acts in bone ageing is largely unknown. Here, we determined that ablation of Alpl induces prototypical premature bone ageing characteristics, including bone mass loss and marrow fat gain coupled with elevated expression of p16INK4A(p16) and p53 due to senescence and impaired differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs). Mechanistically, Alpl deficiency in MSCs enhances ATP release and reduces ATP hydrolysis. Then, the excessive extracellular ATP is, in turn, internalized by MSCs and causes an elevation in the intracellular ATP level, which consequently inactivates the AMPKα pathway and contributes to the cell fate switch of MSCs. Reactivating AMPKα by metformin treatment successfully prevents premature bone ageing in Alpl+/-mice by improving the function of endogenous MSCs.These results identify a previously unknown role of Alpl in the regulation of ATP-mediated AMPKα alterations that maintain MSC stemness and prevent bone ageing and show that metformin offers a potential therapeutic option.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31861143023,31872252)Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (XDA20050201)。
文摘Animal adaptation to environmental challenges is a complex process involving intricate interactions between the host genotype and gut microbiome composition.The gut microbiome,highly responsive to external environmental factors,plays a crucial role in host adaptability and may facilitate local adaptation within species.Concurrently,the genetic background of host populations influences gut microbiome composition,highlighting the bidirectional relationship between host and microbiome.Despite this,our understanding of gut microbiome plasticity and its role in host adaptability remains limited,particularly in reptiles.To clarify this issue,we conducted a reciprocal translocation experiment with gravid females of the Qinghai toad-headed lizards(Phrynocephalus vlangalii)between high-altitude(2?600 m a.s.l.)and superhigh-altitude(3?600 m a.s.l.)environments on Dangjin Mountain of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau,China.One year later,we assessed the phenotypes and gut microbiomes of their offspring.Results revealed significant plasticity in gut microbiome diversity and structure in response to contrasting elevations.Highaltitude conditions increased diversity,and maternal effects appeared to enable high-altitude lizards to maintain elevated diversity when exposed to superhigh-altitude environments.Additionally,superhigh-altitude lizards displayed distinct gut microbiome structures with notable host specificity,potentially linked to their lower growth rates.Overall,these findings underscore the importance of the gut microbiome in facilitating reptilian adaptation to rapid environmental changes across altitudinal gradients.Furthermore,this study provides critical insights into microbial mechanisms underpinning local adaptation and adaptative plasticity,offering a foundation for future research on host-microbiome interactions in evolutionary and ecological contexts.
基金the High Tech Ship Project of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology(No.[2019]331)。
文摘Automatic extraction of key data from design specifications is an important means to assist in engineering design automation.Considering the characteristics of diverse data types,small scale,insufficient character information content and strong contextual relevance of design specification,a named entity recognition model integrated with high-quality topic and attention mechanism,namely Quality Topic-Char Embedding-BiLSTMAttention-CRF,was proposed to automatically identify entities in design specification.Based on the topic model,an improved algorithm for high-quality topic extraction was proposed first,and then the high-quality topic information obtained was added into the distributed representation of Chinese characters to better enrich character features.Next,the attention mechanism was used in parallel on the basis of the BiLSTM-CRF model to fully mine the contextual semantic information.Finally,the experiment was performed on the collected corpus of Chinese ship design specification,and the model was compared with multiple sets of models.The results show that F-score(harmonic mean of precision and recall)of the model is 80.24%.The model performs better than other models in design specification,and is expected to provide an automatic means for engineering design.
基金China Association for Non-Government Education’s 2023 Annual Planned Project(School Development Category)“Identity Study of ESP Teachers in the Context of Shifts in Public English Teaching Positioning”(CANFZG23039)。
文摘This study investigates the identity of English for Specific Purposes(ESP)teachers within the dynamic landscape of shifts in public English teaching positioning.Adopting a mixed-methods approach,qualitative and quantitative analyses were employed to explore the complexities of ESP teacher identity construction and adaptation.Qualitative findings revealed key themes including strong professional identity grounded in specialized expertise,the impact of changing educational policies and curriculum reforms,and the importance of cultural competence and intercultural communication.Quantitative analysis of survey data indicated high levels of job satisfaction among ESP teachers,with significant correlations between variables such as professional development participation,perceived efficacy in technology integration,and self-perceptions of identity as ESP educators.
文摘Four kinds of SiC fibers with different specific resistivities were prepared by the pyrolysis of cured polycarbosilane fiber. The results show that SiC fibers with different specific resistivities can be obtained by changing the curing and pyrolysis conditions. And the free carbon content and the ability to crystallize no longer affect the specific resistivities notably with the time when the fiber is covered with an excess carbon layer, and the fiber has a low specific resistivity. The excess carbon layer in the circular outer part is originated from the re-pyrolysis and deposition of hydrocarbon volatiles. The removal of the carbon by oxidative treatment may affect the surface property and also promote the magnitude of specific resistivity. The influence of the surface property on the specific resistivity can be considerable and should not be neglected.
文摘HLA-C,HLA-DP and HLA-DQ are thought to be benign due to low expression and few initial negative studies.Historically,most allocation programs used HLA-A,HLA-B and HLA-DR antigens for matching.With the advent and use of single-bead antigen assays,more was learned about donor-specific antibodies(DSAs)against these antigens.Interest in these antigens and antibodies grew when cases of acute antibody-mediated rejection(AMR),mixed rejections,chronic AMR,and reduced graft survival were reported with DSAs against these antigens.Although the deleterious effects of these DSAs are more pronounced in retransplants,harmful effects have also been observed in first-time recipients.DSAs against each of these antigens can trigger rejection alone.Their combination with DSAs against HLA-A,HLA-B and HLA-DR can cause more damage.It has been shown that strategies that reduce mismatches for these antigen lead to fewer rejections and better graft survival.There is a need for greater consensus on the universal typing of these antigens prior to transplantation for better patient and graft outcomes.This review focuses on the interaction of these antigens with lymphocytes and killer immunoglobulin receptors,arguments for not typing them,detailed analyses of the literature about their harmful effects,potential strategies moving forward,and recommendations for the future.
文摘In this work,four samples of TiO_(2) powder materials with different structures(rutile,anatase),surface coatings and morphologies(rod,pseudo-spherical)were characterized by four partners involving complementary methods.With the aim of producing inter-laboratory reproducibility data,the specific surface-area,bulk density,and number size distribution were measured,yielding a satisfying agreement between partners.The equivalent diameter of constituent particles was determined from the sample volume specific surface area(VSSA)–accounting for polydispersion–and compared to electron microscopy(EM).Constituent particle diameters ranged from 15 to 225 nm according to EM analyses.The relative discrepancies between VSSA-based and EM-based diameters were found within±20%.Out of the four samples under study,TiO_(2)μ-rutile leads to a larger deviation,which was attributed to surface coating thanks to complementary analysis.Assuming that the sample is pure,an equivalent diameter based on the VSSA can be determined,provided that the shape of constituent particles is known or supposed.
文摘With the increasing global demand for Chinese language,the teaching of Chinese for Specific Purposes(CSP)has occupied an increasingly important position in the teaching of Chinese as a foreign language.However,traditional teaching methods often neglect the role of non-verbal symbols in language comprehension and communication.The multimodal discourse theory provides a new perspective for CSP teaching,which can effectively enhance students’understanding and mastery of specialized terminology and language application skills by integrating multisensory symbol systems such as language,vision,hearing,and touch.This paper starts from the current situation of teaching CSP and analyzes the adaptability between multimodal discourse and CSP teaching,aiming to provide theoretical support and practical suggestions for the innovation of the teaching mode of CSP.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U22A20547)the Major Science and Technology Projects of Heilongjiang Province(2021ZX12B05 and 2020ZX07B02)。
文摘The present study monitored bacterial succession,physicochemical properties,and volatile organic compounds(VOCs)changes in smoked chicken legs with modified atmosphere packaging(MAP,60% CO_(2) and 40%N_(2))during a 25-day storage period at 4℃.After 15 days of storage,S erratia proteamaculans and Pseudomonas fragi became the predominant bacteria.Furthermore,physicochemical properties changed significantly,as evidenced by an increase in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and b*(yellowness)value,and a decrease in hardness.A total of 65 VOCs were identified during storage.Correlation between bacterial succession and quality indicators(including VOCs and physicochemical properties)allowed the identification of 26 core dominant bacteria,including S.proteamaculans,Psychrobacter alimentarius,Pseudomonas putida,and Pseudomonas poae,which were positively related to spoilage VOCs(e.g.,1-octen-3-ol,1-pentanol,and 3-methyl-1-butanol)and could be defined as specific spoilage organisms(SSOs).The results of this study provide a systematic approach to predict SSOs in smoked chicken legs during storage,which can also provide a basis for product safety.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(22078132,22108103,and U22A20413)the Open Funding Project of the National Key Labora-tory of Biochemical Engineering(2021KF-02)+3 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2021M691301)Jiangsu Key Research and Development Program(BE2022356)the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(CPSF)(GZ20230989)Jiangsu Agricultural Independent Innovation Fund Project(CX(21)3079).
文摘Expanding the specific surface area of substrates and carrying out precise surface engineering of imprinted nanocavities are crucial methods for enhancing the identification efficiency of molecularly imprinted polymers(MIPs).To implement this synergistic strategy,bioinspired surface engineering was used to incorporate dual covalent receptors via precise post-imprinting modifications(PIMs)onto mesoporous silica nanosheets.The prepared sorbents(denoted as‘‘D-PMIPs”)were utilized to improve the specific identification of adenosine 5-monophosphate(AMP).Significantly,the mesoporous silica nanosheets possess a high surface area of approximately 498.73 m^(2)·g^(-1),which facilitates the formation of abundant specific recognition sites in the D-PMIPs.The dual covalent receptors are valuable for estab-lishing the spatial orientation and arrangement of AMP through multiple cooperative interactions.PIMs enable precise site-specific functionalization within the imprinted cavities,leading to the tailor-made formation of complementary binding sites.The maximum number of high-affinity binding sites(Nmax)of the D-PMIPs is 39.99 lmol·g^(-1),which is significantly higher than that of imprinted sorbents with a sin-gle receptor(i.e.,S-BMIPs or S-PMIPs).The kinetic data of the D-PMIPs can be effectively described by a pseudo-second-order model,indicating that the main binding mechanism involves synergistic chemisorption from boronate affinity and the pyrimidine base.This study suggests that using dual cova-lent receptors and PIMs is a reliable approach for creating imprinted sorbents with high selectivity,allow-ing for the controlled engineering of imprinted sites.
文摘With increasing incidence of diabetes, use of diabetes specific nutrition supplements (DSNS) is common for better management of the disease. To study effect of 12-week DSNS supplementation on glycemic markers, anthropometry, lipid profile, SCFAs, and gut microbiome in individuals with diabetes. Markers studied were glycemic [Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG), Post Prandial Glucose (PPG), HbA1c, Incremental Area under curve (iAUC), Mean Amplitude of Glycemic Excursions (MAGE), Time in/above Range (TIR/TAR)], anthropometry [weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC)], lipid profile, diet and gut health [plasma short chain fatty acids (SCFAs)]. N = 210 adults were randomized to receive either DSNS with standard care (DSNS + SC;n = 105) or standard care alone (SC alone;n = 105). After 12 weeks, significant differences between DSNS + SC versus SC alone was observed in FBG [−3 ± 6 vs 14 ± 6 mg/dl;p = 0.03], PPG [−35 ± 9 vs −3 ± 9 mg/dl;p = 0.01], weight [−0.6 ± 0.1 vs 0.2 ± 0.1 kg;p = 0.0001], BMI [−0.3 ± 0.1 vs 0.1 ± 0.1 kg/m2;p = 0.0001] and WC [−0.3 ± 0.2 vs 0.2 ± 0.2 cm;p = 0.01]. HbA1C and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) were significantly reduced in DSNS + SC [−0.2 ± 0.9;p = 0.04 and −5 mg/dl;p = 0.03] respectively with no change in control. Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) reported significant differences between DSNS + SC versus SC alone for mean glucose [−12 ± 65 vs 28 ± 93 mg/dl;p < 0.01], TAR 180 [−9 ± 42 vs 7 ± 45 mg/dl;p = 0.04], TAR 250 [−3 ± 27 vs 9 ± 38 mg/dl;p = 0.05], iAUC [−192 (1.1) vs −48 (1.1) mg/dl;p = 0.03]. MAGE was significantly reduced for both DSNS + SC (−19 ± 67;p < 0.001) and SC alone (−8 ± 70;p = 0.04), with reduction being more pronounced for DSNS + SC. DSNS + SC reported a decrease in carbohydrate energy % [−9.4 (−11.3, −7.6) %;p < 0.0001] and amount [−47.4 (−67.1, −27.7) g;p < 0.0001], increased dietary fiber [9.5 (7.2, 11.8) g;p < 0.0001] and protein energy % [0.9 (0.5, 1.3) %;p < 0.0001] versus SC alone. DSNS + SC reported significant increases versus SC alone in total (0.3 ng/ml;p = 0.03) and individual plasma SCFAs. The consumption of DSNS significantly improves the glycemic, anthropometric, dietary, and gut health markers in diabetes.
基金This study was approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Jieshou City People's Hospital,approval No.[2022]21.
文摘BACKGROUND Currently,only tumors classified as LR-5 are considered definitive hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC),and no further pathologic confirmation is required to initiate therapy.Previous studies have shown that the sensitivity of LR-5 is modest,and lesions enhanced by gadoxetic acid(Gd-EOB-DTPA)may exhibit lower sensitivity than those enhanced by Gd-DTPA.AIM To identify malignant ancillary features(AFs)that can independently and significantly predict HCC in Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2018,and to develop modified LR-5 criteria to improve diagnostic performance on Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.METHODS Imaging data from patients with HCC risk factors who underwent abdominal Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging were collected.Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine AFs that could independently and significantly predict HCC.The modified LR-5 criteria involved reclassifying LR-4/LR-3 lesions based on major features combined with independently significant AFs for HCC,or by substituting threshold growth with significant AFs.McNemar's test was used to compare the diagnostic performance of the modified LR-5 criteria.RESULTS A total of 244 lesions from 216 patients were included.Transitional phase hypointensity,mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity,and fat in mass(more than adjacent liver)were identified as significant independent predictors of HCC.Using the modified LR-5 criteria(e.g.,LR-5-M1:LR-4+transitional phase hypointensity;LR-5-M4:LR-5 by transitional phase hypointensity instead of threshold growth;LR-5-M5:LR-5 by mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity instead of threshold growth;LR-5-M8:LR-3/LR-4+any two features of transitional phase hypointensity/mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity/fat in mass),sensitivities were significantly increased(88.5%-89.1%)compared to the standard LR-5(60.6%;all P values<0.05),while specificities(84.8%-89.9%)remained largely unchanged(93.7%;all P values>0.05).The LR-5-M8 criterion achieved the highest sensitivity.CONCLUSION Mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity,transitional phase hypointensity,and fat in mass are independent and significant predictors of HCC malignant AFs.The modified LR-5 criteria can improve sensitivity without significantly reducing specificity.
文摘It is well known that Diabetes Specific Nutritional Supplements (DSNSs) are linked to improved glycemic control in individuals with diabetes. However, data on efficacy of DSNSs in prediabetics is limited. This was a two-armed, open-labelled, randomized controlled six-week study on 199 prediabetics [30 - 65 years;Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) 5.7% - 6.4% and/or Fasting Blood Glucose (FBG) 100-125 mg/dl]. Two parallel phases were conducted: Acute Blood Glucose Response (ABGR) and Intervention phase. Prediabetic participants were randomized into test (n = 100) and control (n = 99). The primary objective was to assess the ABGR of DSNS versus an isocaloric snack, measured by incremental Area under the Curve (iAUC). Test and control received 60 g of DSNS and 56 g of isocaloric snack (cornflakes) respectively, both in 250 ml double-toned milk on visit days 1, 15, 29 and 43. Postprandial Blood Glucose (PPG) was estimated at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes. During the 4 weeks intervention phase, the test group received DSNS with lifestyle counselling (DSNS + LC) and was compared with the control receiving lifestyle counselling alone (LC alone). Impact was studied on FBG, HbA1C, anthropometry, body composition, blood pressure, nutrient intake, and physical activity. The impact of DSNS was also studied using CGM between two 14-day phases: CGM1 baseline (days 1 - 14) and CGM2 endline (days 28 - 42). DSNS showed significantly lower PPG versus isocaloric snack at 30 (p 12, and chromium were reported by DSNS + LC versus LC alone. No other significant changes were reported between groups. It may be concluded that DSNS may be considered as a snack for prediabetic or hyperglycemic individuals requiring nutritional support for improved glycemic control.
基金National Key R&D Plan:Development of International Standards for Traditional Chinese Medicine Technology(No.2019YFC1712003)。
文摘Chinese medicated bath is one of the external therapies in Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM),which has been widely used clinically.The“International Standard of Traditional Chinese Medicine Techniques:The Operating Specifications for Chinese Medicated Bath”is drawn up by the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Third Affiliated Hospital and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine Xiamen Hospital in collaboration with domestic TCM universities and hospitals.The specification includes definition,operating process,points for attention and contraindications.It is targeted to provide reference for TCM providers at home and abroad with TCM background in clinical decision-making.
基金This work was sponsored by 2022 Capital’s Funds for Health Improvement and Research(CFH)(2022-2-4202).
文摘Acute mastitis is one of the common diseases of postpartum lactating women,also known as lactational mastitis,which can occur during breastfeeding,especially in the postpartum 3–4 weeks.Acute mastitis can lead to the cessation of breastfeeding.Improving breastfeeding behavior and extending breastfeeding duration have become a global strategy to promote maternal and child health.Manual lactation traditional Chinese medicine technology is one of the important measures to improve the rate of breastfeeding,which can solve the problems of breast swelling,pain,and reduction of milk production.This article introduces the definition,indications,standard operating procedures,precautions,and treatment of adverse events of manual lactation in traditional Chinese medicine technology,so as to provide more comprehensive guidance for clinical workers to carry out manual lactation operations.
文摘The present study was designed to investigate possible relationships between the genotypes of hepatitis B virus(HBV) and the HBV-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte(CTL) responses.HBV genotypes,HBV specific CTL HBV DNA and other markers of HBV infection were determined in 138 patients with chronic hepatitis B.The results showed that the patients infected with genotype C(n=62) had a significantly lower HBV-specific CTL response than those who were infected with HBV genotype B(P<0.01).HBV DNA titer was higher in patients infected with HBV genotype C than in those infected with HBV geno-type B(P<0.01).Both alanine aminotransferase(ALT) and total bilirubin(TBIL) were higher in HBV genotype C infected patients than in those infected with genotype B(P<0.01 and <0.05,respectively).These results suggest that compared with CHB patients infected with HBV genotype B,the higher HBV DNA level and more severe liver damages in the patients infected with genotype C of HBV may be associated with genotype C of the virus.
文摘Nucleotide variants in cell type-specific gene regulatory elements in the human brain are risk factors for human disease.We measured chromatin accessibility in 1932 aliquots of sorted neurons and non-neurons from 616 human postmortem brains and identified 34,539 open chromatin regions with chromatin accessibility quantitative trait loci(caQTLs).Only 10.4%of caQTLs are shared between neurons and non-neurons,which supports cell type-specific genetic regulation of the brain regulome.Incorporating allele-specific chromatin accessibility improves statistical fine-mapping and refines molecular mechanisms that underlie disease risk.Using massively parallel reporter assays in induced excitatory neurons,we screened 19,893 brain QTLs and identified the functional impact of 476 regulatory variants.Combined,this comprehensive resource captures variation in the human brain regulome and provides insights into disease etiology.
文摘Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) are a series of signals about visual occipital cortex in response to visual stimuli and can be used as one of ob-jective non-invasive neuro-physiological pa-rameters to reflect the visual organs and central visual pathway’s functional integrity. Previous studies have shown that acute and chronic ex-ercise could affect VEPs independent from body temperature and other physiological parameters. VEPs may well be used as neuro-physiological criteria in defining the performances of the ath-letes. Different sports training have different effects on VEPs, but the results are not consis-tent. P100 latency is the representative compo-nent of VEPs and it is of high, steady amplitude and of slight intra- and inter-individual variabil-ity so that the index is most commonly used. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specificity and sensitivity of P100 latency to dif-ferent physical activities. The neural electricity device of NDI-200 was used to measure the pattern reversal VEPs of all subjects, including the values of the resting state before and after different events exercise. Different events exer-cise contained an aerobic cycloergometric ex-ercise (7 subjects were conducted to a Bruce Graded Exercise Test on the Monark Ergomedic 839E cycloergometer, THR (target heart rate) = 85% HRmax, 3 times/week, about 10 minutes once time, 6 weeks), tennis training (16 volun-teers, 2 hours/day, 3 days/week, 8 weeks), aerobic Latin exercise (7 subjects, 1 hour/day, 3 days/week, 6 weeks) and the Baduanjin of Health Qigong training (6 subjects, 1 hour/day, 3 days/week, 6 weeks). The VEPs recordings of the control groups obtained synchronized with the experimental groups. SPSS 11.5 for win-dows was used for statistical analysis. A level of P﹤0.05 was accepted as statistically significant. The VEPs P100 latency of post-exercise of all experimental groups except Baduanjin group became shorter significantly compared with those of pre-exercise (P﹤0.05). No significant difference was found between pre-and post- exercise for the control groups. This study showed that exercise could shorten the P100 la-tency significantly. Moreover, it also indicated that VEPs were sensitive to exercise to a certain extent. We concluded that VEPs might well be used as neuro-physiological criteria in defining the performances of the athletes. It was found that the VEPs P100 latency became shorter after most training programs;furthermore, it demon-strated that P100 latency of VEPs had little specificity to different events.
文摘Introduction: Reports indicate that fluorescent staining of smears increases sensitivity of direct microscopy;so ZN staining is being replaced with fluorescent microscopy in RNTCP in India. Chemical processing and sputum concentration may also improve sensitivity of microscopy. Objective: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of microscopy for AFB using ZN and fluorescent stains in direct and concentrated specimen with culture as gold standard. Methods: Morning sputum specimen of patients, suspected of having pulmonary tuberculosis, over a period of 6 months was subjected to direct microscopy using fluorescent stain;the same slide was over-stained with ZN stain. Same sputum sample was concentrated by Petroff’s method and subjected to fluorescent microscopy followed by ZN microscopy and finally to culture for AFB. Results: Sensitivity of fluorescent stained concentrated sputum samples was maximum and of ZN stained unprocessed sputum samples was minimum. Specificity of three of the methods was equal at 0.96 but of ZN stained concentrated sputum smears was 0.97. Sensitivity of total fluorescent stains was 0.85 (Specificity 0.96) and sensitivity of total ZN stained smears was 0.80 (Specificity 0.96). Discussion: We used same smear for fluorescent and ZN stains, so smear related variability is decreased. Blinding for microscopy was practically complete. Conclusion: The sensitivity of sputum microscopy for AFB can be increased by concentrating the sputum and using fluorescent microscopy. The specificity remains high in all the methods.
文摘Diagnostic tests are usually based on some quantitative biomarkers.Two key parameters used to characterise the quality of a test are test sensitivity and specificity.Predictive values of the disease status based on test results are also of interest in medical research and public health management.In this paper,we study the relations among sensitivity,specificity and predictive values of the test.The core concept is risk function,which is assumed to be an increasing function of the biomarker.Our results show that test sensitivity and specificity change in opposite directions.The positive predictive value and the sensitivity also change in opposite directions.Likewise,the negative predictive value and the specificity change in opposite directions.
基金financially supported by grants from the Nature Science Foundation of China (81620108007)National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFC1101400)+1 种基金Nature Science Foundation of China (31571532, 31601099)National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services (R01DE017449 to S.S.)
文摘Mutations in the liver/bone/kidney alkaline phosphatase(Alpl) gene cause hypophosphatasia(HPP) and early-onset bone dysplasia,suggesting that this gene is a key factor in human bone development. However, how and where Alpl acts in bone ageing is largely unknown. Here, we determined that ablation of Alpl induces prototypical premature bone ageing characteristics, including bone mass loss and marrow fat gain coupled with elevated expression of p16INK4A(p16) and p53 due to senescence and impaired differentiation in mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs). Mechanistically, Alpl deficiency in MSCs enhances ATP release and reduces ATP hydrolysis. Then, the excessive extracellular ATP is, in turn, internalized by MSCs and causes an elevation in the intracellular ATP level, which consequently inactivates the AMPKα pathway and contributes to the cell fate switch of MSCs. Reactivating AMPKα by metformin treatment successfully prevents premature bone ageing in Alpl+/-mice by improving the function of endogenous MSCs.These results identify a previously unknown role of Alpl in the regulation of ATP-mediated AMPKα alterations that maintain MSC stemness and prevent bone ageing and show that metformin offers a potential therapeutic option.
