[Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Soil and Crops Selenium Content in Eastern Sanjiang Plain].

Too identify seleniut（Se） content characteristics and influencing factors in soil and crops of Shengli Farm in eastern Sanjiang Plain, statistical analysis and correlation analysis were comprehensively used to analyze the test results of 83 groups of surface soil samples and 34 groups of crop seed samples. The results showed that the Se content in the study area ranged from 0.12 to 0.95 mg·kg-1, with an average value of 0.37 mg·kg-1, and the enrichment degree was stronger with an enrichment coefficient of 3.18. Oxidizable Se was the main Se fraction, accounting for 81%, 79%, 79%, and 80% of T-Se in marsh soil, white soil, dry land, and paddy field, respectively. The content of reducible Se was the lowest, accounting for less than 5%. The effects of soil physicochemical indexes on Se content differences mainly showed that Se was negatively correlated with pH and total potassium （TK） and significantly positively correlated with cation exchange capacity （CEC）, soil organic matter （SOM）, humus （HS）, total nitrogen （TN）, and total phosphorus （TP）. The average content of Se in different land use types was as follows： dryland > irrigated land > grassland > forest land, as the dryland soil with low pH and high SOM was more likely to enrich Se. Among different soil types, the average Se content in gleysols was the highest at 0.45 mg·kg-1, which was higher than the average value in the study area. The average content of Se in the quaternary alluvial layer was the highest at 0.43 mg·kg-1, and its parent material mainly consisted of lacustrine sediments rich in organic matter, which was one of the important factors in forming Se rich soil. The Se content in crops and root soil showed a negative correlation. Se in low pH or high SOM soil was not easily absorbed by crops, and its Se content was also controlled by the form of soil Se, which was positively correlated with available Se content and negatively correlated with oxidizable Se content. Therefore, it is suggested to reduce the amount of artificial fertilizer used in cultivated land as a means of increasing Se bioavailability to change the current situation of crop Se levels in this area.

Neighborhood attention transformer multiple instance learning for whole slide image classification.

Introduction: Pathologists rely on whole slide images (WSIs) to diagnose cancer by identifying tumor cells and subtypes. Deep learning models, particularly weakly supervised ones, classify WSIs using image tiles but may overlook false positives and negatives due to the heterogeneous nature of tumors. Both cancerous and healthy cells can proliferate in patterns that extend beyond individual tiles, leading to errors at the tile level that result in inaccurate tumor-level classifications. Methods: To address this limitation, we introduce NATMIL (Neighborhood Attention Transformer Multiple Instance Learning), which utilizes the Neighborhood Attention Transformer to incorporate contextual dependencies among WSI tiles. NATMIL enhances multiple instance learning by integrating a broader tissue context into the model. Our approach enhances the accuracy of tumor classification by considering the broader tissue context, thus reducing errors associated with isolated tile analysis. Results: We conducted a quantitative analysis to evaluate NATMIL's performance against other weakly supervised algorithms. When applied to subtyping non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and lymph node (LN) tumors, NATMIL demonstrated superior accuracy. Specifically, NATMIL achieved accuracy values of 89.6% on the Camelyon dataset and 88.1% on the TCGA-LUSC dataset, outperforming existing methods. These results underscore NATMIL's potential as a robust tool for improving the precision of cancer diagnosis using WSIs. Discussion: Our findings demonstrate that NATMIL significantly improves tumor classification accuracy by reducing errors associated with isolated tile analysis. The integration of contextual dependencies enhances the precision of cancer diagnosis using WSIs, highlighting NATMILs´ potential as a robust tool in pathology.

[Hydrochemical Characteristics and Variation in Karst Groundwater in the Baiquan Spring Area of Xingtai Over the Last 30 Years].

To elucidate the variation patterns in the hydrochemical characteristics of karst groundwater in the Baiquan Spring area of Xingtai over the past 30 years, an integrated approach utilizing mathematical statistics, Piper trilinear diagrams, Gibbs diagrams, and ion ratio analyses was employed. Comparative analysis was conducted on 62 sets of karst water samples collected during the dry seasons of 1991 and 2020. The findings indicated that the groundwater in the spring area was generally weakly alkaline with a low salinization degree, predominantly characterized by Ca2+ and HCO3- as the dominant ions. Compared to that in 1991, the alkalinity of groundwater in 2020 had intensified, with a general increase in the concentration of various indicators. The hydrochemical types had shifted from the relatively concentrated HCO3-Ca and HCO3-Ca·Mg types to a broader spectrum of types, gradually exhibiting a salinization trend. The distribution characteristics of exceeding components such as TDS, Na++K+, SO42-, and F- showed significant spatial differences. Rock weathering played a pivotal role in the changes observed in the hydrochemical components of groundwater, with enhanced cation exchange and evaporation processes further influencing the hydrochemical characteristics and their spatial distribution.

Protective effect of naringin against radiation-induced heart disease in rats via Sirt1/NF-κB signaling pathway and endoplasmic reticulum stress.

This study was designed to explore the protective effect and mechanism of naringin (NG) on radiation-induced heart disease (RIHD) in rats. Rats were divided into four x-ray (XR) irradiation groups with different absorbed doses (0/10/15/20 Gy), or into three groups (control, XR, and XR + NG groups). Subsequently, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus was adopted to assess and compare the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), left ventricular internal diameter at end diastole (LVIDd), and left ventricular internal diameter at end systole (LVIDs) in rats. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining and Masson staining were applied to detect the pathological damage and fibrosis of heart tissue. Western blot was used to measure the expression levels of myocardial fibrosis-related proteins, endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins, and Sirt1 (silent information regulator 1)/NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-B) signaling pathway-related proteins in cardiac tissues. Additionally, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was utilized to detect the activities of pro-inflammatory cytokines, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) in cardiac tissue. The results showed that NG treatment significantly attenuated the 20 Gy XR-induced decline of LVEF and LVFS and the elevation of LVIDs. Cardiac tissue damage and fibrosis caused by 20 Gy XR were significant improved after NG treatment. Meanwhile, in rats irradiated by XR, marked downregulation was identified in the expressions of fibrosis-related proteins (Col I, collagen type I; α-SMA, α-smooth muscle actin; and TGF-ß1, transforming growth factor-beta 1) and endoplasmic reticulum stress-related proteins (GRP78, glucose regulatory protein 78; CHOP, C/EBP homologous protein; ATF6, activating transcription factor 6; and caspase 12) after NG treatment. Moreover, NG treatment also inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin-6, interleukin-1ß, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1)], reduced the expression of MDA, and promoted the activities of SOD and CAT. Also, NG treatment promoted Sirt1 expression and inhibited p65 phosphorylation. Collectively, XR irradiation induced cardiac injury in rats in a dose-dependent manner. NG could improve the cardiac injury induced by XR irradiation by inhibiting endoplasmic reticulum stress and activating Sirt1/NF-κB signaling pathway.

Tailoring the Use of Central Pancreatectomy Through Prediction Models for Major Morbidity and Postoperative Diabetes: International Retrospective Multicenter Study.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a prediction model for major morbidity and endocrine dysfunction after CP which could help in tailoring the use of this procedure. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Central pancreatectomy (CP) is a parenchyma-sparing alternative to distal pancreatectomy for symptomatic benign and pre-malignant tumors in body and neck of the pancreas CP lowers the risk of new-onset diabetes and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency compared to distal pancreatectomy but it is thought to increase the risk of short-term complications including postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF). METHODS: International multicenter retrospective cohort study including patients from 51 centers in 19 countries (2010-2021). Primary endpoint was major morbidity. Secondary endpoints included POPF grade B/C, endocrine dysfunction, and the use of pancreatic enzymes. Two risk model were designed for major morbidity and endocrine dysfunction utilizing multivariable logistic regression and internal and external validation. RESULTS: 838 patients after CP were included (301 (36%) minimally invasive) and major morbidity occurred in 248 (30%) patients, POPF B/C in 365 (44%), and 30-day mortality in 4 (1%). Endocrine dysfunction in 91 patients (11%) and use of pancreatic enzymes in 108 (12%). The risk model for major morbidity included male sex, age, BMI, and ASA score≥3. The model performed acceptable with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.72(CI:0.68-0.76). The risk model for endocrine dysfunction included higher BMI and male sex and performed well (AUC:0.83 (CI:0.77-0.89)). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed risk models help in tailoring the use of CP in patients with symptomatic benign and premalignant lesions in the body and neck of the pancreas and are readily available via www.pancreascalculator.com.

Prenatal DEHP Exposure Induces Premature Testicular Aging by Promoting Leydig Cell Senescence through the MAPK Signaling Pathways.

Previous studies show that prenatal di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure induces premature testicular aging. However, the evidence is weak, and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. p38/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)/c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase (JNK) MAPK pathways participate in aging. Leydig cell (LC) senescence results in testicular aging. Whether prenatal DEHP exposure induces premature testicular aging by promoting LC senescence warrants further study. Here, male mice undergo prenatal exposure to 500 mg per kg per day DEHP, and TM3 LCs are treated with 200 µm mono (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP). MAPK pathways, testicular toxicity, and senescent phenotypes (ß-gal activity, p21, p16, and cell cycle) of male mice and LCs are explored. Prenatal DEHP exposure induces premature testicular aging in middle-aged mice (poor genital development, reduced testosterone synthesis, poor semen quality, increased ß-gal activity, and upregulated expression of p21 and p16). MEHP induces LCs senescence (cell cycle arrest, increased ß-gal activity, and upregulated expression of p21). p38 and JNK pathways are activated, and the ERK pathway is inactivated. In conclusion, prenatal DEHP exposure induces premature testicular aging by promoting LC senescence through MAPK signaling pathways.

EphA2 is a functional entry receptor for HCMV infection of glioblastoma cells.

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection is associated with human glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor, but the underlying infection mechanism has not been fully demonstrated. Here, we show that EphA2 was upregulated in glioblastoma and correlated with the poor prognosis of the patients. EphA2 silencing inhibits, whereas overexpression promotes HCMV infection, establishing EphA2 as a crucial cell factor for HCMV infection of glioblastoma cells. Mechanistically, EphA2 binds to HCMV gH/gL complex to mediate membrane fusion. Importantly, the HCMV infection was inhibited by the treatment of inhibitor or antibody targeting EphA2 in glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, HCMV infection was also impaired in optimal glioblastoma organoids by EphA2 inhibitor. Taken together, we propose EphA2 as a crucial cell factor for HCMV infection in glioblastoma cells and a potential target for intervention.

Predicting glioblastoma molecular subtypes and prognosis with a multimodal model integrating convolutional neural network, radiomics, and semantics.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to build a convolutional neural network (CNN)-based prediction model of glioblastoma (GBM) molecular subtype diagnosis and prognosis with multimodal features. METHODS: In total, 222 GBM patients were included in the training set from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center (SYSUCC) and 107 GBM patients were included in the validation set from SYSUCC, Xuanwu Hospital Capital Medical University, and the First Hospital of Jilin University. The multimodal model was trained with MR images (pre- and postcontrast T1-weighted images and T2-weighted images), corresponding MRI impression, and clinical patient information. First, the original images were segmented using the Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation Benchmark toolkit. Convolutional features were extracted using 3D residual deep neural network (ResNet50) and convolutional 3D (C3D). Radiomic features were extracted using pyradiomics. Report texts were converted to word embedding using word2vec. These three types of features were then integrated to train neural networks. Accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score were used to evaluate the model performance. RESULTS: The C3D-based model yielded the highest accuracy of 91.11% in the prediction of IDH1 mutation status. Importantly, the addition of semantics improved precision by 11.21% and recall in MGMT promoter methylation status prediction by 14.28%. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of the C3D-based model in the IDH1, ATRX, MGMT, and 1-year prognosis groups were 0.976, 0.953, 0.955, and 0.976, respectively. In external validation, the C3D-based model showed significant improvement in accuracy in the IDH1, ATRX, MGMT, and 1-year prognosis groups, which were 88.30%, 76.67%, 85.71%, and 85.71%, respectively (compared with 3D ResNet50: 83.51%, 66.67%, 82.14%, and 70.79%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The authors propose a novel multimodal model integrating C3D, radiomics, and semantics, which had a great performance in predicting IDH1, ATRX, and MGMT molecular subtypes and the 1-year prognosis of GBM.

Impact of acute pancreatitis during pregnancy in Chinese women: a meta-analysis.

A random-effects meta-analysis was performed in English and Chinese databases since its inception to August 2020 to assess the incidence, causes and severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) at various stages of pregnancy, maternal and foetal mortality. A total of 154 articles representing 4034 patients with AP during pregnancy in China were included for the analysis. The incidence of AP during pregnancy was 0.0469 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.0349; 0.0627) in the first trimester, whereas it was 0.2518 (95% CI, 0.2210; 0.2854) and 0.6323 (95% CI, 0.5870; 0.6753) in the second and third trimester, respectively. The major causes of AP were hypertriglyceridaemia (0.351 [95% CI, 0.3202; 0.3834]) and biliary pancreatitis (0.424 [95% CI, 0.4094; 0.5002]). The severity of AP was mild in majority of the patients. The incidence of AP at maternal mortality was 0.0184 (95% CI, 0.0126; 0.0269) and foetal mortality was 0.1018 (95% CI, 0.0867; 0.1192). Our meta-analysis revealed that hypertriglyceridaemia and biliary pancreatitis remain the major causes of AP during pregnancy. Foetal mortality requires further investigation. IMPACT STATEMENTWhat is already known on this subject? Acute pancreatitis (AP) in pregnant women is characterised by acute onset and delay in understanding the interaction of the metabolic changes with pancreatic pathophysiology, and thus becomes difficult to diagnose the disease and provide timely treatment to the patients. This poses a greater health risk among women and their foetus by increasing their chances of mortality.What the results of this study add? We performed an exhaustive, random-effects meta-analysis involving 154 articles representing 4034 patients to assess the incidence of AP at various stages of pregnancy, the causes of AP and the severity of AP during pregnancy, maternal and foetal mortality.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Our meta-analysis revealed that hypertriglyceridaemia and biliary pancreatitis remain the major causes of AP during pregnancy. Although the rates of maternal mortality have decreased in the recent years, foetal mortality still remains high and requires further investigation.

The application of fluorescein sodium for the resection of medulloblastoma.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical resection of medulloblastoma (MB) remains a challenge. At present, a variety of tracers have been used for intraoperative tumor visualization. However, there are few reports on the intraoperative visualization of MB. Hence, we reported our experience of applying fluorescein sodium (FS) in MB surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical information of patients with MB confirmed by surgery and pathology from January 2016 to December 2020 from Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. A total of 62 patients were enrolled, of which 27 received intraoperative FS and 35 did not. The intraoperative dose of FS was 3 mg/kg. RESULTS: Among the 62 patients, 42 were males, and twenty were females. The age of onset in the FS group was 9.588 ± 7.322, which in the non-fluorescein sodium group was 13.469 ± 10.968, p = 0.198. We did not find significant differences in tumor location, tumor size, tumor resection, tumor histology, and preoperative symptoms (hydrocephalus, headache, vomit, balance disorder) between the groups. There was no significant difference in the postoperative symptoms (hydrocephalus, headache, vomiting, balance disorder, and cerebellar mutism). However, patients in the FS group had a relatively low incidence of balance disorder and cerebellar mutism. There was definite fluorescence of tumor in all cases of the FS group, and even the tiny metastatic lesion was visible. No case had side effects related to the use of FS. CONCLUSIONS: FS is safe and effective in MB surgery. Whether the application of FS for surgery can reduce complications remains to be studied in the future.

Survival Benefit from Surgical Resection in Lung Cancer Patients with Brain Metastases: a Single-Center, Propensity-Matched Analysis Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Brain metastases (BMs) are the most serious complication of lung cancer, affecting the prognosis of lung cancer patients, and pose distinct clinical challenges. This study was designed to explore the prognostic factors related to lung cancer BM and the value of surgical resection in BMs from lung cancer. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 714 patients with lung cancer BMs screened between January 2010 and January 2018 at the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. A 1:1 propensity score matching analysis was performed to reduce the potential bias between the surgery and the nonsurgery group. In both the raw and the propensity-score matched dataset, univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were used to evaluate risk factors for survival. RESULTS: After matching, 258 patients (129 surgery, 129 no surgery) were analyzed. Multivariate analyses after propensity score matching demonstrated that surgical resection was an independent protective factor for overall survival (OS), and older age, lower Karnofsky Performance Scale (KPS) score, and extracranial metastases were independent risk factors for worse OS. Patients without extracranial metastases, without synchronous BM and with a single BM had a better prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: The findings showed that surgical resection, age, KPS score, and extracranial metastases are independent prognostic factors for predicting the OS of patients with lung cancer BMs, and surgical resection for brain metastatic lesions could significantly improve the OS. However, only certain groups of patients with BMs can benefit from intracranial lesion resection, such as no extracranial metastases and metachronous metastases.

Immunogenomic Profiling Demonstrate AC003092.1 as an Immune-Related eRNA in Glioblastoma Multiforme.

Enhancer RNAs, a type of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), play a critical role in the occurrence and development of glioma. RNA-seq data from 161 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) samples were acquired from The Cancer Genome Atlas database. Then, 70 eRNAs were identified as prognosis-related genes, which had significant relations with overall survival (log-rank test, p < 0.05). AC003092.1 was demonstrated as an immune-related eRNA by functional enrichment analysis. We divided samples into two groups based on AC003092.1 expression: AC003092.1 High (AC003092.1_H) and AC003092.1 Low (AC003092.1_L) and systematically analyzed the influence of AC003092.1 on the immune microenvironment by single-sample gene-set enrichment analysis and CIBERSORTx. We quantified AC003092.1 and TFPI2 levels in 11 high-grade gliomas, 5 low-grade gliomas, and 7 GBM cell lines. Our study indicates that AC003092.1 is related to glioma-immunosuppressive microenvironment, and these results offer innovative sights into GBM immune therapy.

A novel Foxp3-related immune prognostic signature for glioblastoma multiforme based on immunogenomic profiling.

Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg) play an important part in the glioma immunosuppressive microenvironment. This study analyzed the effect of Foxsp3 on the immune microenvironment and constructed a Foxp3-related immune prognostic signature (IPS)for predicting prognosis in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining for Foxp3 was performed in 72 high-grade glioma specimens. RNA-seq data from 152 GBM samples were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas database (TCGA) and divided into two groups, Foxp3 High (Foxp3_H) and Foxp3 Low (Foxp3_L), based on Foxp3 expression. We systematically analyzed the influence of Foxp3 on the immune microenvironment. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) Cox analysis was conducted for immune-related genes that were differentially expressed between Foxp3_H and Foxp3_L GBM patients. We found a differential expression of Foxp3 in high-grade glioma tissues. The presence of Foxp3 was significantly associated with poor OS. From the four-gene IPS developed, GBM patients were stratified into low-risk and high-risk groups in both the training set and validation sets. Furthermore, we developed a novel nomogram to evaluate the overall survival in GBM patients. This study offers innovative insights into the GBM immune microenvironment and these findings contribute to individualized treatment and improvement in the prognosis for GBM patients.

Assessment of circulating tumor DNA in cerebrospinal fluid by whole exome sequencing to detect genomic alterations of glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) has been demonstrated as a better source of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) than plasma for brain tumors. However, it is unclear whether whole exome sequencing (WES) is qualified for detection of ctDNA in CSF. The aim of this study was to determine if assessment of ctDNA in CSF by WES is a feasible approach to detect genomic alterations of glioblastoma. METHODS: CSFs of ten glioblastoma patients were collected pre-operatively at the Department of Neurosurgery, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center. ctDNA in CSF and genome DNA in the resected tumor were extracted and subjected to WES. The identified glioblastoma-associated mutations from ctDNA in CSF and genome DNA in the resected tumor were compared. RESULTS: Due to the ctDNA in CSF was unqualified for exome sequencing for one patient, nine patients were included into the final analysis. More glioblastoma-associated mutations tended to be detected in CSF compared with the corresponding tumor tissue samples (3.56 ±â€Š0.75 vs. 2.22 ±â€Š0.32, P = 0.097), while the statistical significance was limited by the small sample size. The average mutation frequencies were similar in CSF and tumor tissue samples (74.1% ±â€Š6.0% vs. 73.8% ±â€Š6.0%, P = 0.924). The R132H mutation of isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and the G34V mutation of H3 histone, family 3A (H3F3A) which had been reported in the pathological diagnoses were also detected from ctDNA in CSF by WES. Patients who received temozolomide chemotherapy previously or those whose tumor involved subventricular zone tended to harbor more mutations in their CSF. CONCLUSION: Assessment of ctDNA in CSF by WES is a feasible approach to detect genomic alterations of glioblastoma, which may provide useful information for the decision of treatment strategy.

The utility of 3-dimensional-printed models for skull base meningioma surgery.

BACKGROUND: Skull base meningioma surgery is often difficult and complicated to perform. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effectiveness of 3-dimensional (3D)-printed models of skull base meningioma in the representation of anatomical structures, the simulation of surgical plans, and patient education on surgical outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective study of 35 patients (3D group: 19 patients and non-3D group: 16 patients) with skull base meningioma was conducted. Mimics software was used to create 3D reconstructions (with the skull, blood vessels, nerves, and tumors set to different colors), and 3D solid models were printed to determine the surgical protocols and communication pathways with the patient. RESULTS: The 3D-printed model can visually display the relationship of different structures, including the skull, blood vessels, cranial nerves, and tumors. The surgeon should select the proper surgical approaches before surgery through the model and pay attention to protecting the important structures during the operation. According to the models, the surgeon should cut off the blood supply to the tumor to reduce intraoperative bleeding. For patients with skull base bone destruction, the skull base repair should be prepared in advance. Patients and their families should have a thorough understanding of the disease through the model, and there should be effective communication between doctors and patients. CONCLUSIONS: The 3D-printed model of a skull base meningioma can present the structures in a detailed manner and facilitate in helping the surgeon to develop a surgical plan. At the same time, it helps patients and their families to understand the condition and the surgical plan, which is conducive to better patient education.

Evaluation of the auxiliary diagnostic value of antibody assays for the detection of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).

The spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has taken on pandemic proportions, affecting over 100 countries in a matter of weeks. The goal of this study was to assess the diagnostic values of different methods of detecting and estimating the SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the auxiliary diagnostic potential of antibody assays. By retrospectively analyzing the data of viral RNAs and serum immunoglobulin M-immunoglobulin G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 from 38 cases with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 in the Second People's Hospital of Fuyang, we found that, in the early phase of the illness, the viral RNA was most abundant in the sputum specimens, followed by that in the throat swabs, while the antibody assays identified fewer positive cases at this stage. However, the sensitivity of the antibody assays overtook that of RNA test from the eighth day of disease onset. Simultaneous use of antibody assay and reverse transcription-quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction improved the sensitivity of the diagnoses. Moreover, we found that most of these cases with no detectable viral RNA load during the early stages were able to be seropositive after 7 days. Our findings indicate that the antibody detection could be used as an effective supplementary indicator of SARS-CoV-2 infection in suspected cases with no detectable viral RNA, and in conjunction with nucleic acid detection in confirming the infection.

A novel cholesterol conjugated fluorescence probe for Cu2+ detection and bioimaging in living cells.

A cholesterol conjugated fluorescence probe T was designed and synthesized. The probe T can be used for recognition of Cu2+ by the absorption spectrum, fluorescence spectrum, and naked eyes respectively in aqueous solution. The cell imaging experiments showed that the probe has good membrane permeability and a huge potentiality for the detection of Cu2+ in living cells.

Assessment of ctDNA in CSF may be a more rapid means of assessing surgical outcomes than plasma ctDNA in glioblastoma.

We aimed to develop a high-throughput deep DNA sequencing assay of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to identify clinically relevant oncogenic mutations that contribute to the development of glioblastoma (GBM) and serve as biomarkers to predict patients' responses to surgery. For this purpose, we recruited five patients diagnosed with highly suspicious GBM according to preoperative magnet resonance imaging. Subsequently, patients were histologically diagnosed with GBM. CSF was obtained through routine lumbar puncture, and plasma from peripheral blood was collected before surgery and 7 days after. Fresh tumor samples were collected using routine surgical procedures. Targeted deep sequencing was used to characterize the genomic landscape and identify mutational profile that differed between pre-surgical and post-surgical samples. Sequence analysis was designed to detect protein-coding exons, exon-intron boundaries, and the untranslated regions of 50 genes associated with cancers of the central nervous system. Circulating tumor DNAs (ctDNAs) were prepared from the CSF and plasma from peripheral blood. For comparison, DNA was isolated from fresh tumor tissues. Non-silent coding variants were detected in CSF and plasma ctDNAs, and the overall minor allele frequency (MAF) of the former corresponded to an earlier disease stage compared with that of plasma when the tumor burden was released (surgical removal). Gene mutation loads of GBMs significantly correlated with overall survival (OS, days) (Pearson correlation = -0.95, P = 0.01). We conclude that CSF ctDNAs better reflected the sequential mutational changes of driver genes compared with those of plasma ctDNAs. Deep sequencing of the CSF of patients with GBM may therefore serve as an alternative clinical assay to improve patients' outcomes.

Chinese Trauma Surgeon Association for management guidelines of vacuum sealing drainage application in abdominal surgeries-Update and systematic review.

Vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) is frequently used in abdominal surgeries. However, relevant guidelines are rare. Chinese Trauma Surgeon Association organized a committee composed of 28 experts across China in July 2017, aiming to provide an evidence-based recommendation for the application of VSD in abdominal surgeries. Eleven questions regarding the use of VSD in abdominal surgeries were addressed: (1) which type of materials should be respectively chosen for the intraperitoneal cavity, retroperitoneal cavity and superficial incisions? (2) Can VSD be preventively used for a high-risk abdominal incision with primary suture? (3) Can VSD be used in severely contaminated/infected abdominal surgical sites? (4) Can VSD be used for temporary abdominal cavity closure under some special conditions such as severe abdominal trauma, infection, liver transplantation and intra-abdominal volume increment in abdominal compartment syndrome? (5) Can VSD be used in abdominal organ inflammation, injury, or postoperative drainage? (6) Can VSD be used in the treatment of intestinal fistula and pancreatic fistula? (7) Can VSD be used in the treatment of intra-abdominal and extra-peritoneal abscess? (8) Can VSD be used in the treatment of abdominal wall wounds, wound cavity, and defects? (9) Does VSD increase the risk of bleeding? (10) Does VSD increase the risk of intestinal wall injury? (11) Does VSD increase the risk of peritoneal adhesion? Focusing on these questions, evidence-based recommendations were given accordingly. VSD was strongly recommended regarding the questions 2-4. Weak recommendations were made regarding questions 1 and 5-11. Proper use of VSD in abdominal surgeries can lower the risk of infection in abdominal incisions with primary suture, treat severely contaminated/infected surgical sites and facilitate temporary abdominal cavity closure.