Using signal-to-cutoff ratios of HIV screening assay to predict HIV infection.

Background: The sensitivity of HIV screening assays often leads to a high rate of false-positive results, requiring retests and confirmatory tests. This study aimed to analyze the capability of signal-to-cutoff (S/CO) ratios of HIV screening assay to predict HIV infection.

Methods: A retrospective study on the HIV screening-positive population was performed at Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University, the correlation between HIV screening assay S/CO ratios and HIV infection was assessed, and plotted Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to establish the optimal cutoff value for predicting HIV infection.

Unspecific reactivity must be excluded in COVID-19 epidemiological analyses or virus tracing based on serologic testing: Analysis of 46,777 post-pandemic samples and 1,114 pre-pandemic samples.

Background: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Serologic testing is complementary to nucleic acid screening to identify SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to evaluate unspecific reactivity in SARS-CoV-2 serologic tests.

Structural, Electronic, and Physical Properties of a New Layered Cr-Based Oxyarsenide SrCrAsO.

We report synthesis, crystal structure, and physical properties of Sr2Cr2AsO3. The new compound crystallizes in a Sr2GaO3CuS-type structure with two distinct Cr sites, Cr(1) in the perovskite-like block layers of "Sr3Cr2O6" and Cr(2) in the ThCr2Si2-type layers of "SrCr2As2". An inter-block-layer charge transfer is explicitly evidenced, which dopes electrons in the CrO2 planes and simultaneously dopes holes into the CrAs layers.

Analysis of the characteristics of patients with false-positive HIV screening assay results.

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with false-positive human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) screening test results and provide a theoretical basis to interpret the results of HIV screening tests.

Methods: This retrospective study evaluated the incidence of false-positive results for HIV screening tests and characterized false-positive reactions during HIV screening in a large-scale study at Zhongshan Hospital, Xiamen University.

Results: False-positive HIV test results occurred for 264 of 275,263 (0.

CXCL13 chemokine as a promising biomarker to diagnose neurosyphilis in HIV-negative patients.

Background: Chemokine ligand 13 (CXCL13) is believed to play a role in the recruitment of B cells in the central nervous system during neuroinflammation. Neurosyphilis is a group of clinical syndromes of the central nervous system caused by Treponema pallidum (T. pallidum) infection.