Performance of multiplex PCR-based targeted next-generation sequencing in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid for the diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in non-neutropenic patients.

Background And Objective: Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based targeted next-generation sequencing (tNGS) is a promising tool for distinguishing lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in clinical practice, and its detectable pathogen spectrum can cover more than 95% of clinical cases. but there is limited information on systematic evaluation of the clinical use of multiplex PCR-based tNGS (mp-tNGS) in IPA cases. We aim to assess mp-tNGS in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) for Aspergillus detection in suspected IPA patients, and to provide a reliable basis for initiating antifungal therapy without microbiological or histopathological evidence.

Association between lymphocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome in US adults: results from NHANES 2007-2018.

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) are significant global health challenges that increase the risk of various chronic diseases. The lymphocyte-to-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (LHR) has emerged as a novel inflammatory metabolic marker. The present study focused on evaluating the association between the LHR and both IR and MetS.

Mediating effect of social support on the relationships between caregiver burden and quality of life in family caregivers of people with dementia: a cross-sectional study in Rural China.

Background: China has the largest percentage of people with dementia (PwD) around the world. And most of them are cared for by their family members. The purpose of this study was to identify the quality of life (QoL) of family caregivers of PwD in rural China and to investigate the mediating role of social support between caregiver burden and QoL under the guidance of a stress process model.

Genetic Diagnosis and Clinical Features of Fetuses With Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia.

Objective: Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a rare abnormality with highly heterogeneous genetic causes. This study investigated chromosomal and monogenic abnormalities in fetal CDH patients and evaluated the efficacy of chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and whole-exome sequencing (WES) for genetic diagnosis. The clinical features of the patients were also evaluated.

Safety and efficacy of Angong Niuhuang Pills in patients with moderate-to-severe acute ischemic stroke (ANGONG TRIAL): A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled pilot clinical trial.

Background: Preclinical studies have indicated that Angong Niuhuang Pills (ANP) reduce cerebral infarct and edema volumes. This study aimed to investigate whether ANP safely reduces cerebral infarct and edema volumes in patients with moderate to severe acute ischemic stroke.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial included patients with acute ischemic stroke with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) scores ranging from 10 to 20 in 17 centers in China between April 2021 and July 2022.

Combinatorial lipidomics and proteomics underscore erythrocyte lipid membrane aberrations in the development of adverse cardio-cerebrovascular complications in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Patients on maintenance hemodialysis exhibit a notably higher risk of cardio-cerebrovascular complications that constitute the major cause of death. Preceding studies have reported conflicting associations between traditional lipid measures and clinical outcome in dialysis patients. In this prospective longitudinal study, we utilized quantitative lipidomics to elucidate, at molecular resolution, changes in lipidome profiles of erythrocyte and plasma samples collected from maintenance hemodialysis patients followed up for 86 months (≈7 years).

Biomolecule-grafted GO enhanced the mechanical and biological properties of 3D printed PLA scaffolds with TPMS porous structure.

Graphene oxide (GO) exhibits excellent mechanical strength and modulus. However, its effectiveness in mechanically reinforcing polymer materials is limited due to issues with interfacial bonding and dispersion arising from differences in the physicochemical properties between GO and polymers. Surface modification using coupling agents is an effective method to improve the bonding problem between polymer and GO, but there may be biocompatibility issues when used in the biomedical field.

A centrifugal-driven spiral microchannel microfiltration chip for emulsion and deformable particle sorting.

Droplet sorting and enrichment, as a prominent field within microfluidic technology, represent a pivotal stage in the manipulation of droplets and particles. In recent times, droplet sorting methods based on lab-on-disk (LOD) have garnered significant interest among researchers for their inherent merits, including high throughput, ease of operation, seamless device integration, and independence from supplementary driving forces. This study introduces a centrifugal force-driven microfluidic chip comprising spiral microchannels.

Tris stabilized AuNPs based lateral flow immunochromatography for the simultaneous detection of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus and rotavirus on-site.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and rotavirus has posed a significant threat to the pig industry annually across different nations, resulting in huge economic losses. The frequent co-infection of these two viruses in clinical settings complicates the process of differential diagnoses. Rapid and accurate detection of PEDV and rotavirus is in great demand for timely diarrhea disease prevention and control.

Capillary Force-Driven Quantitative Plasma Separation Method for Application of Whole Blood Detection Microfluidic Chip.

Separating plasma or serum from blood is essential for precise testing. However, extracting precise plasma quantities outside the laboratory poses challenges. A recent study has introduced a capillary force-driven membrane filtration technique to accurately separate small plasma volumes.

Rapid Fabrication of Large-Grain Opal Films and Photonic Crystal Hydrogel Sensors by a Filter Paper-Enhanced Evaporation Chip.

Developing a rapid fabrication method for crack-free opal films is a significant challenge with broad applications. We developed a microfluidic platform known as the "filter paper-enhanced evaporation microfluidic chip" (FPEE-chip) for the fabrication of photonic crystal and inverse opal hydrogel (IOPH) films. The chip featured a thin channel formed by bonding double-sided adhesive poly(ethylene terephthalate) with a polymethyl methacrylate cover and a glass substrate.

The Shape Effect of Acoustic Micropillar Array Chips in Flexible Label-Free Separation of Cancer Cells.

The precise isolation of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from blood samples is a potent tool for cancer diagnosis and clinical prognosis. However, CTCs are present in extremely low quantities in the bloodstream, posing a significant challenge to their isolation. In this study, we propose a non-contact acoustic micropillar array (AMPA) chip based on acoustic streaming for the flexible, label-free capture of cancer cells.

Clinical values of different specimen preparation methods for the diagnosis of lung cancer by EBUS-TBNA.

Background And Objective: EBUS-TBNA has emerged as an important minimally invasive procedure for the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of different specimen preparation from aspirates on the diagnosis of lung cancer.

Methods: 181 consecutive patients with known or suspected lung cancer accompanied by hilar / mediastinal lymphadenopathy underwent EBUS-TBNA from January 2019 to December 2022.