Brucellosis is a global public health issue that severely affects human health,Brucella melitensis is currently the predominant species in China.Brucella spondylitis is the primary cause of the debilitating and disabl...Brucellosis is a global public health issue that severely affects human health,Brucella melitensis is currently the predominant species in China.Brucella spondylitis is the primary cause of the debilitating and disabling complications[1].The lumbar vertebra was the most commonly affected site,followed by the thoracic,cervical,thoracolumbar,and lumbosacral segments,and back pain,fever,sweating,and fatigue were the most common symptoms[2].However,the diagnosis of Brucella spondylitis is challenging owing to its wide spectrum of clinical presentations,cross-reactions with other bacteria,and low strain isolation rate.Therefore,a timely and accurate diagnosis of spinal brucellosis is crucial for implementing an effective therapeutic plan and improving treatment outcomes.Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction(ddPCR)is widely used for low-abundance nucleic acid detection and is useful for diagnosing infectious diseases[3].Therefore,this study aimed to evaluate the ddPCR approach for the diagnosis of brucellosis with spondylitis to improve its clinical diagnostic capacity.展开更多
Hand,foot and mouth disease(HFMD)is a major public health problem among children in the Asia-Pacific region.The optimal specimen for HFMD virological diagnosis remains unclear.Enterovirus A71(EV-A71)neutralizing antib...Hand,foot and mouth disease(HFMD)is a major public health problem among children in the Asia-Pacific region.The optimal specimen for HFMD virological diagnosis remains unclear.Enterovirus A71(EV-A71)neutralizing antibody titres detected in paired sera were considered the reference standard for calculating the sensitivity,specificity,positive and negative predictive value of throat swabs,rectal swabs,stool,blood samples and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)by RT-PCR or ELISA assay.In this study,clinical samples from 276 HFMD patients were collected for analysing the sensitivity of different kind of specimens.Our results showed that stool had the highest sensitivity(88%,95%CI:74%–96%)and agreement with the reference standard(91%).The order of diagnostic yield for EV-A71 infection was stool samplerectal swab>throat swab>blood sample>CSF sample,and using a combination of clinical samples improved sensitivity for enterovirus detection.The sensitivity of ELISA for IgM antibody detection in sterile-site specimens was significantly higher than that of RT-PCR(serum/plasma:62%vs.2%,CSF:47%vs.0%)(P<0.002).In conclusion,our results suggest that stool has the highest diagnostic yield for EV-A71-infected HFMD.If stool is unavailable,rectal swabs can be collected to achieve a similar diagnostic yield.Otherwise,throat swabs may be useful in detecting positive samples.Although IgM in blood or CSF is diagnostically accurate,it lacks sensitivity,missing 40%–50%of cases.The higher proportion of severe cases and shorter interval between onset and sampling contributed to the increase in congruency between clinical testing and the serological reference standard.展开更多
BACKGROUND Over 90%of rectal cancer patients develop low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)after sphincter-preserving resection.The current globally recognized evaluation method has many drawbacks and its subjectivity ...BACKGROUND Over 90%of rectal cancer patients develop low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)after sphincter-preserving resection.The current globally recognized evaluation method has many drawbacks and its subjectivity is too strong,which hinders the research and treatment of LARS.AIM To evaluate the anorectal function after colorectal cancer surgery by quantifying the index of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)defecography,and pathogenesis of LARS.METHODS We evaluated 34 patients using the standard LARS score,and a new LARS evaluation index was established using the dynamic images of MRI defecography to verify the LARS score.RESULTS In the LARS score model,there were 10(29.41%)mild and 24(70.58%)severe cases of LARS.The comparison of defecation rate between the two groups was 29.36±14.17%versus 46.83±18.62%(P=0.004);and MRI-rectal compliance(MRI-RC)score was 3.63±1.96 versus 7.0±3.21(P=0.001).Severe and mild LARS had significant differences using the two evaluation methods.There was a significant negative correlation between LARS and MRI-RC score(P<0.001),and they had a negative correlation with defecation rate(P=0.028).CONCLUSION MRI defecography and standard LARS score can both be used as an evaluation index to study the pathogenesis of LARS.展开更多
Objective To study the value of the subjective visual vertical(SVV)in the diagnosis of vestibular migraine(VM).Methods This study recruited 128 VM patients and 64 age-matched normal subjects.We detected the SVV during...Objective To study the value of the subjective visual vertical(SVV)in the diagnosis of vestibular migraine(VM).Methods This study recruited 128 VM patients and 64 age-matched normal subjects.We detected the SVV during the interval between attacks in both groups,in sitting upright,and the head tilted at 45°to the left or right.We then examined the correlation between the SVV results with the vestibular evoked myogenic potential(VEMP)and canal paresis(CP).Results It was found there was a significant difference in SVV at the upright position between VM patients and normal controls(P=0.006)and no significant difference was found at the tilts of 45°to the left or right between the two groups.The SVV results at the upright position were significantly correlated with cervical VEMP(P=0.042)whereas not significantly correlated with CP and VEMP.There existed no significant difference in the conformity to the Müller effect(M effect)between the two groups.ROC analysis exhibited that the sensitivity,specificity of SVVs at the upright were 67.200%and 62.500%respectively.The diagnostic value of SVV at the upright position was significantly higher than that at tilts of 45°to the left and right(P=0.006).Nonetheless the diagnostic accuracy was relatively low.Conclusion Abnormality in SVV possibly stems from the lasting functional disorder of cerebellar or high-level cortical centers in VM patients or is linked to the vestibular compensation.The SVV is of low diagnostic value for VM and the value of SVV in VM warrants further study.展开更多
Local ageing defects are the main causes of cross-linked polyethylene(XLPE)power cable faults.This research aims at assessing the severity level of typical cable local ageing defects based on the high-voltage frequenc...Local ageing defects are the main causes of cross-linked polyethylene(XLPE)power cable faults.This research aims at assessing the severity level of typical cable local ageing defects based on the high-voltage frequency domain spectroscopy(FDS)non-linearity.Experimentally,typical XLPE cables ageing defect conditions are simulated,with different ageing types,degrees,and local proportions.Then,the high-voltage FDS detection is conducted and the results have been analysed.It has been found that the high-voltage FDS non-linearity is only related to the detection voltage and ageing degree.Especially,it is more sensitive to changes in the ageing severity.Thus,the local ageing defect severity assessment method based on non-linearity has been established.Additionally,the sensitivity has been compared between two diagnostic evaluation methods:the high-voltage FDS and the widely used very-low frequency method(VLF,0.1 Hz).It can be concluded from the comparison result that the proposed assessment method has higher sensitivity than that of the traditional methods.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed method for evaluating the on-site long cables has been validated.The result demonstrates that the proposed method can assess on-site long cables and has the potential to be formed as quantitative standards.展开更多
基金supported by the Key Research and Development Projects of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region(Grant no.2022BEG03161)。
文摘Brucellosis is a global public health issue that severely affects human health,Brucella melitensis is currently the predominant species in China.Brucella spondylitis is the primary cause of the debilitating and disabling complications[1].The lumbar vertebra was the most commonly affected site,followed by the thoracic,cervical,thoracolumbar,and lumbosacral segments,and back pain,fever,sweating,and fatigue were the most common symptoms[2].However,the diagnosis of Brucella spondylitis is challenging owing to its wide spectrum of clinical presentations,cross-reactions with other bacteria,and low strain isolation rate.Therefore,a timely and accurate diagnosis of spinal brucellosis is crucial for implementing an effective therapeutic plan and improving treatment outcomes.Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction(ddPCR)is widely used for low-abundance nucleic acid detection and is useful for diagnosing infectious diseases[3].Therefore,this study aimed to evaluate the ddPCR approach for the diagnosis of brucellosis with spondylitis to improve its clinical diagnostic capacity.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China(No.81525023)in whole or in part,by a Wellcome Trust fellowship awarded to LT[205228/Z/16/Z]supported by the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections(grant no.NIHR200907)at University of Liverpool in partnership with Public Health England(PHE),in collaboration with Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the University of Oxford.LT is based at the University of Liverpool.
文摘Hand,foot and mouth disease(HFMD)is a major public health problem among children in the Asia-Pacific region.The optimal specimen for HFMD virological diagnosis remains unclear.Enterovirus A71(EV-A71)neutralizing antibody titres detected in paired sera were considered the reference standard for calculating the sensitivity,specificity,positive and negative predictive value of throat swabs,rectal swabs,stool,blood samples and cerebrospinal fluid(CSF)by RT-PCR or ELISA assay.In this study,clinical samples from 276 HFMD patients were collected for analysing the sensitivity of different kind of specimens.Our results showed that stool had the highest sensitivity(88%,95%CI:74%–96%)and agreement with the reference standard(91%).The order of diagnostic yield for EV-A71 infection was stool samplerectal swab>throat swab>blood sample>CSF sample,and using a combination of clinical samples improved sensitivity for enterovirus detection.The sensitivity of ELISA for IgM antibody detection in sterile-site specimens was significantly higher than that of RT-PCR(serum/plasma:62%vs.2%,CSF:47%vs.0%)(P<0.002).In conclusion,our results suggest that stool has the highest diagnostic yield for EV-A71-infected HFMD.If stool is unavailable,rectal swabs can be collected to achieve a similar diagnostic yield.Otherwise,throat swabs may be useful in detecting positive samples.Although IgM in blood or CSF is diagnostically accurate,it lacks sensitivity,missing 40%–50%of cases.The higher proportion of severe cases and shorter interval between onset and sampling contributed to the increase in congruency between clinical testing and the serological reference standard.
文摘BACKGROUND Over 90%of rectal cancer patients develop low anterior resection syndrome(LARS)after sphincter-preserving resection.The current globally recognized evaluation method has many drawbacks and its subjectivity is too strong,which hinders the research and treatment of LARS.AIM To evaluate the anorectal function after colorectal cancer surgery by quantifying the index of magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)defecography,and pathogenesis of LARS.METHODS We evaluated 34 patients using the standard LARS score,and a new LARS evaluation index was established using the dynamic images of MRI defecography to verify the LARS score.RESULTS In the LARS score model,there were 10(29.41%)mild and 24(70.58%)severe cases of LARS.The comparison of defecation rate between the two groups was 29.36±14.17%versus 46.83±18.62%(P=0.004);and MRI-rectal compliance(MRI-RC)score was 3.63±1.96 versus 7.0±3.21(P=0.001).Severe and mild LARS had significant differences using the two evaluation methods.There was a significant negative correlation between LARS and MRI-RC score(P<0.001),and they had a negative correlation with defecation rate(P=0.028).CONCLUSION MRI defecography and standard LARS score can both be used as an evaluation index to study the pathogenesis of LARS.
基金funded by grants from the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission(No.18ZR1439200)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81873701)+1 种基金the Innovation Items in the Military Service Field of Changzheng Hospital(No.2019CZJS102,No.2020CZWJFW10)the National Twelfth Five-Year Research Program of China(No.2012BAI12B02).
文摘Objective To study the value of the subjective visual vertical(SVV)in the diagnosis of vestibular migraine(VM).Methods This study recruited 128 VM patients and 64 age-matched normal subjects.We detected the SVV during the interval between attacks in both groups,in sitting upright,and the head tilted at 45°to the left or right.We then examined the correlation between the SVV results with the vestibular evoked myogenic potential(VEMP)and canal paresis(CP).Results It was found there was a significant difference in SVV at the upright position between VM patients and normal controls(P=0.006)and no significant difference was found at the tilts of 45°to the left or right between the two groups.The SVV results at the upright position were significantly correlated with cervical VEMP(P=0.042)whereas not significantly correlated with CP and VEMP.There existed no significant difference in the conformity to the Müller effect(M effect)between the two groups.ROC analysis exhibited that the sensitivity,specificity of SVVs at the upright were 67.200%and 62.500%respectively.The diagnostic value of SVV at the upright position was significantly higher than that at tilts of 45°to the left and right(P=0.006).Nonetheless the diagnostic accuracy was relatively low.Conclusion Abnormality in SVV possibly stems from the lasting functional disorder of cerebellar or high-level cortical centers in VM patients or is linked to the vestibular compensation.The SVV is of low diagnostic value for VM and the value of SVV in VM warrants further study.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China,Grant/Award Number:2023YFB2406900。
文摘Local ageing defects are the main causes of cross-linked polyethylene(XLPE)power cable faults.This research aims at assessing the severity level of typical cable local ageing defects based on the high-voltage frequency domain spectroscopy(FDS)non-linearity.Experimentally,typical XLPE cables ageing defect conditions are simulated,with different ageing types,degrees,and local proportions.Then,the high-voltage FDS detection is conducted and the results have been analysed.It has been found that the high-voltage FDS non-linearity is only related to the detection voltage and ageing degree.Especially,it is more sensitive to changes in the ageing severity.Thus,the local ageing defect severity assessment method based on non-linearity has been established.Additionally,the sensitivity has been compared between two diagnostic evaluation methods:the high-voltage FDS and the widely used very-low frequency method(VLF,0.1 Hz).It can be concluded from the comparison result that the proposed assessment method has higher sensitivity than that of the traditional methods.Finally,the effectiveness of the proposed method for evaluating the on-site long cables has been validated.The result demonstrates that the proposed method can assess on-site long cables and has the potential to be formed as quantitative standards.
