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Abstract Background Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death worldwide and poses an immediate health threat. Despite decades of basic and clinical research, the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer patients is less than 10%.The most important drawbacks in efficient treatment of lung cancer are delayed diagnosis and absence of effective screening. Detection and study of precancerous lesions of the bronchial mucosa might be one of the turning points in understanding of neoplastic transformation. Therefore, it would be the most effective prevention and early treatment modality. We report a case of high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia of the bronchial mucosa in which a neoplastic growth in the lumen of intrinsic segment in the upper lobe of the left lung was detected on electronic bronchoscopy, and biopsy confirmed squamous papillary hyperplasia with high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. Case presentation A 74-year-old male was admitted to the hospital due to a mass lesion in his left lung. After admission, computed tomography scan of the chest showed an intraluminal mass in the intrinsic segment of the upper lobe of the left lung and an enlarged left hilum. Conclusions High-grade intraepithelial neoplasia of the bronchial mucosa is rare in the respiratory system. We report a case that can provide useful information for early diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

Abstract Background Given the critical importance of medication adherence in HIV/AIDS treatment, this study aims to compare medication adherence measured by self-report (SR) and indirect measurement among antiretroviral therapy (ART) patients, exploring the differences of adherence results measured by different tools. Methods We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library to identify all relevant literature published up to November 22, 2023, without language restrictions, reporting adherence to ART measured by both SR and indirect measurement methods, while also analyzing individual and group adherence separately. Discrepancies between SR and indirect measurement results were assessed using the Mann–Whitney U test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test, with correlations evaluated using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Following one-to-one comparisons, meta-epidemiological one-step analysis was conducted, and network meta-analysis techniques were applied to compare results obtained through specific adherence assessment tools reported in the identified articles. Results The analysis encompassed 65 original studies involving 13,667 HIV/AIDS patients, leading to 112 one-to-one comparisons between SR and indirect measurement tools. Statistically significant differences were observed between SR and indirect measurement tools regarding both individual and group adherence (P

Abstract Background HIV-tuberculosis (HIV-TB) co-infection is a significant public health concern worldwide. TB delay, consisting of patient delay, diagnostic delay, treatment delay, increases the risk of adverse anti-TB treatment (ATT) outcomes. Except for individual level variables, differences in regional levels have been shown to impact the ATT outcomes. However, few studies appropriately considered possible individual and regional level confounding variables. In this study, we aimed to assess the association of TB delay on treatment outcomes in HIV-TB co-infected patients in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (Liangshan Prefecture) of China, using a causal inference framework while taking into account individual and regional level factors. Methods We conducted a study to analyze data from 2068 patients with HIV-TB co-infection in Liangshan Prefecture from 2019 to 2022. To address potential confounding bias, we used a causal directed acyclic graph (DAG) to select appropriate confounding variables. Further, we controlled for these confounders through multilevel propensity score and inverse probability weighting (IPW). Results The successful rate of ATT for patients with HIV-TB co-infection in Liangshan Prefecture was 91.2%. Total delay (OR = 1.411, 95% CI: 1.015, 1.962), diagnostic delay (OR = 1.778, 95% CI: 1.261, 2.508), treatment delay (OR = 1.749, 95% CI: 1.146, 2.668) and health system delay (OR = 1.480 95% CI: (1.035, 2.118) were identified as risk factors for successful ATT outcome. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated the robustness of these findings. Conclusions HIV-TB co-infection prevention and control policy in Liangshan Prefecture should prioritize early treatment for diagnosed HIV-TB co-infected patients. It is urgent to improve the health system in Liangshan Prefecture to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment.

Acquired resistance to cetuximab can be mediated by generation of mutations in the EGFR ectodomain. Here the authors report a structure-guided and phage-assisted evolution approach for cetuximab evolution to reverse resistance without altering the binding epitope or undermining antibody efficacy.

Bacillus velezensis HN-Q-8, isolated in our previous study, has an antagonistic effect on Alternaria solani. After being pretreated with a fermentation liquid with HN-Q-8 bacterial cell suspensions, the potato leaves inoculated with A. solani displayed smaller lesion areas and less yellowing than the controls. Interestingly, the activity levels of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase in potato seedlings were enhanced by the addition of the fermentation liquid with bacterial cells. Additionally, the overexpression of key genes related to induced resistance in the Jasmonate/Ethylene pathway was activated by the addition of the fermentation liquid, suggesting that the HN-Q-8 strain induced resistance to potato early blight. In addition, our laboratory and field experiments showed that the HN-Q-8 strain can promote potato seedling growth and significantly increase tuber yield. The root activity and chlorophyll content of potato seedlings were significantly increased along with the levels of indole acetic acid, gibberellic acid 3, and abscisic acid upon addition of the HN-Q-8 strain. The fermentation liquid with bacterial cells was more efficient in inducing disease resistance and promoting growth than bacterial cell suspensions alone or the fermentation liquid without bacterial cells. Thus, the B. velezensis HN-Q-8 strain is an effective bacterial biocontrol agent, augmenting the options available for potato cultivation.

Potato common scab is a main soil-borne disease of potato that can significantly reduce its quality. At present, it is still a challenge to control potato common scab in the field. To address this problem, the 972 family lactococcin (Lcn972) was screened from Bacillus velezensis HN-Q-8 in this study, and an Escherichia coli overexpression system was used to obtain Lcn972, which showed a significant inhibitory effect on Streptomyces scabies, with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 10.58 μg/mL. The stability test showed that Lcn972 is stable against UV radiation and high temperature. In addition, long-term storage at room temperature and 4°C had limited effects on its activity level. The antibacterial activity of Lcn972 was enhanced by Cu2+ and Ca2+, but decreased by protease K. The protein was completely inactivated by Fe2+. Cell membrane staining showed that Lcn972 damaged the cell membrane integrity of S. scabies. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) observations revealed that the hyphae of S. scabies treated with Lcn972 were deformed and adhered, the cell membrane was incomplete, the cytoplasm distribution was uneven, and the cell appeared hollow inside, which led to the death of S. scabies. In conclusion, we used bacteriocin for controlling potato common scab for the first time in this study, and it provides theoretical support for the further application of bacteriocin in the control of plant diseases.

Abstract Background OPTION5 is a scale used to evaluate shared decision making (SDM) in health care from an observer’s perspective; however, to date, there is no simplified Chinese version of this scale. Objectives This study aims to produce a simplified Chinese version of the OPTION5 scale and to test its psychometric properties. Methods One rater observed and audio-recorded consultations between general practitioners (GPs) and chronically ill patients in a Beijing community health service center (CHSC) from May to June 2019. Meanwhile, demographic data of the patients and GPs were collected via information forms. Two raters assessed inter- and intra-rater reliability by calculating the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and weighted Cohen’s Kappa values. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach’s α value. Concurrent was calculated by Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient. Results A total of 209 consultations were recorded and evaluated. As concerns inter-rater reliability, the ICC of the OPTION5 was 0.859 on the total score level, with Cohen’s weighted k ranging from 0.376 (item 5) to 0.649 (item 2) on the single item level. With regard to intra-rater reliability, the ICC was 0.945 on the total score level, with Cohen’s weighted k ranging from 0.469 (item 5) to 0.883 (item1) on the single item level. Cronbach’s α value of all 5 items amounted to 0.746. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient between OPTION5 and OPTION12 for Chinese versions was 0.660. Conclusions The simplified Chinese version of the OPTION5 scale, developed using stringent translation procedures, demonstrated satisfactory psychometric characteristics. Specifically, inter- and intra-rater reliabilities were excellent, while criterion validity was moderate. The simplified Chinese version of the OPTION5 scale can be implemented in clinical settings to evaluate SDM of treatment during consultations between GPs and chronically ill patients.

Human echinococcosis is present worldwide but it is in China that disease prevalence is the highest. In western China, especially in the Tibetan Plateau, the burden of echinococcosis is the most important. Dogs are a major definitive host of Echinococcus and monitoring the presence of Echinococcus worms in dogs is therefore essential to efficiently control the disease. Detection kits based on three different technologies including sandwich ELISA, (indirect) ELISA, and gold immunodiffusion, are currently marketed and used in China. The objective of this work was to assess the efficacy of these kits, in particular with respect to sensitivity and specificity. Four fecal antigen detection kits for canine infection reflecting the three technologies were obtained from companies and tested in parallel on 220 fecal samples. The results indicate that the performance is lower than expected, in particular in terms of sensitivity. The best results were obtained with the sandwich ELISA technology. The gold immunofiltration yielded the poorest results. In all cases, further development is needed to improve the performance of these kits which are key components for the control of echinococcosis.

Slope ambulation is a challenge for trans-femoral amputees due to a relative lack of knee function. The assessment of prosthetic ankles on slopes is required for supporting the design, optimisation, and selection of prostheses. This study assessed two hydraulic ankle-foot devices (one of the hydraulic ankles is controlled by a micro-processor that allows real-time adjustment in ankle resistance and range of motion) used by trans-femoral amputees in ascending and descending a 5-degree slope walking, against a rigid ankle-foot device. Five experienced and active unilateral trans-femoral amputees performed ascending and descending slope tests with their usual prosthetic knee and socket fitted with a rigid ankle-foot, a hydraulic ankle-foot without a micro-processor, and a hydraulic ankle-foot with a micro-processor optimised for ascending and descending slopes. Peak values in hip, knee and ankle joint angles and moments were collected and the normalcy Trend Symmetry Index of the prosthetic ankle moments (as an indication of bio-mimicry) were calculated and assessment. Particular benefits of the hydraulic ankle-foot devices were better bio-mimicry of ankle resistance moment, greater range of motion, and improved passive prosthetic knee stability according to the greater mid-stance external knee extensor moment (especially in descending slope) compared to the rigid design. The micro-processor controlled device demonstrated optimised ankle angle and moment patterns for ascending and descending slope respectively, and was found to potentially further improve the ankle moment bio-minicry and prosthetic knee stability compared to the hydraulic device without a micro-processor. However the difference between the micro-processor controlled device and the one without a micro-processor does not reach a statistically significant level.

Improved walking comfort has been linked with better bio-mimicking of the prosthetic ankle. This study investigated if a hydraulic ankle/foot can provide enough motion in both the sagittal and frontal planes during level and camber walking and if the hydraulic ankle/foot better mimics the biological ankle moment pattern compared with a fixed ankle/foot device. Five active male unilateral trans-femoral amputees performed level ground walking at normal and fast speeds and 2.5° camber walking in both directions using their own prostheses fitted with an "Echelon" hydraulic ankle/foot and an "Esprit" fixed ankle/foot. Ankle angles and the Trend Symmetry Index of the ankle moments were compared between prostheses and walking conditions. Significant differences between prostheses were found in the stance plantarflexion and dorsiflexion peaks with a greater range of motion being reached with the Echelon foot. The Echelon foot also showed significantly improved bio-mimicry of the ankle resistance moment in all walking conditions, either compared with the intact side of the same subject or with the "normal" mean curve from non-amputees. During camber walking, both types of ankle/foot devices showed similar changes in the frontal plane ankle angles. Results from a questionnaire showed the subjects were more satisfied with Echelon foot.

Lightweight structural applications of magnesium and aluminum alloys inevitably necessitate welding and joining, especially dissimilar welding between these alloys. The objective of this study was to examine the feasibility of joining ZEK100 Mg alloy to Al6022 alloy via ultrasonic spot welding, focusing on effects of welding energy. An interface diffusion layer consisting of α-Mg and Al12Mg17 eutectic structure was observed to form, with its thickness increased from ~0.5 µm to ~30 µm with increasing welding energy from 500 J to 2000 J. The tensile lap shear peak load or strength and critical stress intensity of the welded joints first increased and then decreased with increasing welding energy, with their peak values achieved at 750 J. Fatigue life of the joints made at 750 J and 2000 J was equivalent at the lower cyclic loading levels, while it was longer for the joints made at 750 J at the higher cyclic loading levels. Fatigue fracture mode changed from interfacial failure to mainly transverse-through-thickness crack growth with decreasing cyclic loading level, which corresponded well to the bi-linear characteristic of S-N curves. Crack initiation basically occurred at the weld nugget border and at the interface between the two sheets, which can be understood via a theoretical stress analysis.

Semi-wild soybean is a unique type of soybean that retains both wild and domesticated characteristics, which provides an important intermediate type for understanding the evolution of the subgenus Soja population in the Glycine genus. In this study, a semi-wild soybean line (Maliaodou) and a wild line (Lanxi 1) collected from the lower Yangtze regions were deeply sequenced while nine other semi-wild lines were sequenced to a 3-fold genome coverage. Sequence analysis revealed that (1) no independent phylogenetic branch covering all 10 semi-wild lines was observed in the Soja phylogenetic tree; (2) besides two distinct subpopulations of wild and cultivated soybean in the Soja population structure, all semi-wild lines were mixed with some wild lines into a subpopulation rather than an independent one or an intermediate transition type of soybean domestication; (3) high heterozygous rates (0.19-0.49) were observed in several semi-wild lines; and (4) over 100 putative selective regions were identified by selective sweep analysis, including those related to the development of seed size. Our results suggested a hybridization origin for the semi-wild soybean, which makes a complex Soja population structure.

Early detection of acute kidney injury (AKI) is important, as early intervention and treatment can prevent further kidney injury and improve kidney health. Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) has emerged as the earliest and promising non-invasive biomarker of AKI in urine, and has been used as a new predictive biomarker of AKI in the bench-to-bedside journey. In this work, a nanocomplex composed of a polydopamine nanosphere (PDANS) and a fluorophore-labelled aptamer has been constructed for the detection of NGAL using a DNase I-assisted recycling amplification strategy. After the addition of NGAL, the fluorescence intensity increases linearly over the NGAL concentration range from 12.5 to 400 pg mL−1. The limit of detection of this strategy is found to be 6.25 pg mL−1, which is almost 5 times lower than that of the method that does not involve DNase I. The process can be completed within 1 h, indicating a fast fluorescence response. Furthermore, the method using the nanocomplex coupled with DNase I has been successfully utilized for the detection of NGAL in the urine from cisplatin-induced AKI and five-sixths nephrectomized mice, demonstrating its promising ability for the early prediction of AKI. This method also demonstrates the protective effect of the Huangkui capsule on AKI, and provides an effective way to screen potentially protective drugs for renal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ultrasound elastography (UE) is a novel imaging method. The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of Virtual Touch tissue imaging in the evaluation of solid breast lesions. Patients and Methods: 209 breast solid lesions in 192 patients that had been evaluated using ultrasound (US) and UE were reviewed and analyzed. Results: The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for UE, US, and US plus UE in the differentiation of malignant from benign breast lesions were 80.8, 75.6, 77.9, 73.1, and 82.8% for UE, 87.2, 86.1, 86.6, 83.7, and 89.2% for US, and 92.5, 86.9, 89.5, 85.3, and 93.4% for US plus UE. There were significant differences between UE and US plus UE (all p < 0.05). Except for accuracy, there were no significant differences between UE and US or US and US plus UE (all p > 0.05). The area under the curve obtained from the ROC curve for UE, US, and US plus UE in differentiating malignant from benign lesions was 0.845, 0.884, and 0.922, respectively. Conclusion: The UE scoring system is not superior to BI-RADS in the sonographic evaluation of solid breast lesions. Combined use may improve the performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: A growing number of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have revealed associations between single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and susceptibility to tuberculosis (TB).However, the results of these studies have been inconclusive. This study evaluated whether the SNPs rs4331426 and rs2057178, identified by GWAS, are associated with TB susceptibility. Methods: We performed meta-analyses for rs4331426, based on eight case-control studies which included a total of 4988 TB cases and 9041 controls; and rs2057178, based on five case-control studies, including a total of 9400 TB cases and 14,459 controls. Results: Our meta-analyses indicated that both rs4331426 and rs2057178 were associated with increased risk of TB (G vs. A: odds ratio [OR] = 1.15, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.22 and A vs. G: OR= 0.84, 95% CI: 0.80-0.88, respectively), especially in an African subgroup. However, no significant TB association was found with rs4331426 in an Asian subgroup. Conclusions: These meta-analyses indicate that rs4331426 and rs2057178 might play a role in the risk of developing TB, especially in Africans; however, rs4331426 might not play a significant role in the risk of developing TB in Asians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An alignment method of a 2CCD camera to build pixel-to-pixel correspondence between the infrared (IR) CCD sensor and the visible CCD sensor by using the absolute phase data is presented. Vertical and horizontal sinusoidal fringe patterns are generated by software and displayed on a liquid crystal display screen. The displayed fringe patterns are captured simultaneously by the IR sensor and the visible sensor of the 2CCD camera. The absolute phase values of each pixel at IR and visible channels are calculated from the captured fringe pattern images by using Fourier transform and the optimum three-fringe number selection method. The accurate pixel corresponding relationship between the two sensors can be determined along the vertical and the horizontal directions by comparing the obtained absolute phase data in IR and visible channels. Experimental results show the high accuracy, effectiveness, and validity of the proposed 2CCD alignment method. By using the continuous absolute phase information, this method can determine the pixel-to-pixel correspondence with high resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the anticancer effects of cisplatin (DDP) in combination with matrine on cervical cancer U14 cell tumor-bearing mice. Methods: The cell proliferation of cervical cancer U14 cells treated with DDP (25, 20, 15, 10 and 5 μg/mL); matrine (2.5, 2.0, 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5 mg/mL); or DDP (15 µg/mL) + matrine (2.5, 2.0, 1.5, 1.0 and 0.5 mg/mL) was determined with MTT assay. The anticancer effect of DDP + matrine in U14 tumorbearing mice was also investigated, based on expression of tumor suppressor lung cancer 1 (TSLC1) using quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry. Results: The inhibition of proliferation of U14 cells ranged from 26.68-70.25, 10.20-61.73, and 51.89-89.75 % for DDP, matrine and DDP + matrine, respectively. In mice with U14 solid tumors, the DDP group had 12.3 % weight loss (p < 0.05). Treatment with DDP, matrine, and DDP + matrine reduced tumor growth by 64.56, 42.22-56.67, and 67.78-81.11 %, respectively (p < 0.01). Results from RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry showed corresponding increases in expression levels of TSLC1. Conclusion: These results indicate that the anticancer activity of DDP + matrine is higher than that of a single treatment with either DPP or matrine. The likely mechanism of action might be related to promotion of TSLC1 expression. This finding provides a potential strategy for the management of cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ralstonia solanacearum is a causal agent of plant bacterial wilt with thousands of distinct strains in a heterogeneous species complex. Here we report the genome sequence of a phylotype IB strain, Y45, isolated from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) in China. Compared with the published genomes of eight strains which were isolated from other hosts and habitats, 794 specific genes and many rearrangements/inversion events were identified in the tobacco strain, demonstrating that this strain represents an important node within the R. solanacearum complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]