Structure, properties, and fabric applicability of sustainable paper yarn with high washing stability.

This research provides an in-depth assessment of two paper yarn variants, examining their structural, functional, and performance characteristics. These yarns demonstrated favorable properties, including suitable linear density, twist, typical cellulosic functional groups as confirmed by Infrared spectroscopy, minimal hairiness, moisture transfer, and creditable mechanical strength. These yarns have flat layered cross-sections and grooved longitudinal surfaces. In addition, a low hairiness index (1.3-1.33) further acknowledged their smooth surface. Their remarkable evenness (15.86% and 7.08%) supported their effective wicking properties. Despite average breaking strength (0.77 cN/dTex and 1.05 cN/dTex) and moderate elongation, these yarns exhibited exceptional water-washing resistance and retained over 89% breaking strength after 15 washes. This study ranks these paper yarns as highly suitable for durable clothing fabrics, providing promising sustainable alternatives in the textile industry.

A case of chronic wounds caused by Sporothrix schenckii infection was rapidly detected by metagenomic next generation sequencing.

The dimorphic fungus Sporothrix schenckii is widely distributed in soil, vegetation, and decaying organic matter, and can cause sporotrichosis when the patient's skin trauma was exposed to contaminated material with Sporothrix spp. The cases of Sporothrix schenckii infection in chronic wounds are rarely reported. Here we reported a 53-year-old male construction worker who was admitted to our hospital on July 9, 2022, without underlying disease presented with a painless subcutaneous hard nodule on his right calf, which later ulcerated and oozed, with an enlarged wound and no fever during the course of the disease. His procalcitonin, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased, and necrotic histopathology suggested chronic granulomatous inflammation. Then his necrotic tissue and pus were sent for metagenomic next generation sequencing(mNGS), the result reported Sporothrix schenckii after 43 hours, which was consistent with the result of culture after 18 days. mNGS might be more useful and valuable in diseases such as sporotrichosis where it is difficult to see the yeast cells in the tissues.

Magnetic resonance imaging and next-generation sequencing for the diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis in the intradural spine: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus. The liver and lungs are the most common sites for infection. Infection of the intradural spine is rare. CASE PRESENTATION: A 45-year-old woman of Han ethnicity presented with a chronic history of recurrent lumbar pain. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine revealed the classical characteristic of multiple cystic lesions of variable sizes, manifesting a "bunch of grapes" appearance, localized within the spinal canal at the L4-L5 vertebral level. In the meanwhile, metagenomic next-generation sequencing identified Echinococcosis granulosa. The patient underwent surgery to remove the cyst entirely and subsequently took albendazole 400 mg orally twice daily for 6 months. CONCLUSION: Spinal CE should be suspected in patients with multiple spinal cystic lesions and zoonotic exposure. metagenomic next-generation sequencing serves as a robust diagnostic tool for atypical pathogens, particularly when conventional tests are inconclusive. Prompt and aggressive treatment for spinal cystic echinococcosis is imperative, and further research is warranted for improved diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

Spirometra mansoni sparganosis identified by metagenomic next-generation sequencing: a case report.

A 30-year-old male patient had a cyst on the left hip and progressive enlargement for more than 2 months. Combined blood tests, magnetic resonance imaging, and pathology findings, cysticercosis infection was suspected. However, the treatment for cysticercosis was ineffective. We conducted a metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) analysis on the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimen of the patient's surgically excised tissue, and the results suggested Spirometra mansoni, mNGS was further confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and phylogenetic analysis of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Based on these results, we found that mNGS provided a better method of diagnosing parasitic infections.

Bronchial Artery-Pulmonary Artery Shunt by Apiotrichum mycotoxinivorans Infection in a Recurrent Hemoptysis Case.

Background: Apiotrichum mycotoxinivorans is a rare mycotoxinivorans, and its pathogenicity is unknown. Bronchial artery shunt is a pathophysiological state following congenital or acquired chronic infection. We report a rare case of bronchial artery shunt by A. mycotoxinivorans infection in a recurrent hemoptysis patient. Case Presentation: A 45-year-old female presented with recurrent cough and hemoptysis for 4 years. Before admission, she had been treated in several hospitals for pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchiectasis and received standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment for 1 year, but it was ineffective. After admission, CTPA and bronchial arterial angiography showed left bronchial artery-left pulmonary artery shunt and right bronchial artery-right pulmonary artery shunt. Fiber-optic bronchoscopy was performed, which revealed a large amount of purulent secretions, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid fungi (1-3)-ß-d glucan: 728.06, and GM test: 3.239. Fungal hyphae and spores were observed by gram staining of BALF smear. Acid-fast bacilli were not found in BALF smear and brush smear. Two consecutive BALF fungal cultures grew A. mycotoxinivorans, the identity of which was confirmed by internal-transcribed-spacer (ITS) sequencing. Intravenous amphotericin B liposome (30mg; 0.5mg/kg, QD) was given for 2 weeks, embolization was performed, and itraconazole (voriconazole allergy) was taken orally for 9 months after operation. Hemoptysis and pulmonary lesions gradually improved after treatment. Conclusion: We report the first case of bronchial artery-pulmonary artery shunt in a patient diagnosed with A. mycotoxinivorans infection. Phagocytosis of fungi by leukocytes was observed, and the pathogenicity of the fungus was confirmed in order to heighten the awareness of these infections.

Fabrication and Performance of Phase Change Thermoregulated Fiber from Bicomponent Melt Spinning.

High thermostability of phase change materials is the critical factor for producing phase change thermoregulated fiber (PCTF) by melt spinning. To achieve the production of PCTF from melt spinning, a composite phase change material with high thermostability was developed, and a sheath-core structure of PCTF was also developed from bicomponent melt spinning. The sheath layer was polyamide 6, and the core layer was made from a composite of polyethylene and paraffin. The PCTF was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal analysis (TG), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and fiber strength tester. The results showed that the core material had a very high thermostability at a volatilization temperature of 235 °C, the PCTF had an endothermic and exothermic process in the temperature range of 20-30 °C, and the maximum latent heat of the PCTF reached 20.11 J/g. The tenacity of the PCTF gradually decreased and then reached a stable state with the increase of temperature from -25 °C to 80 °C. The PCTF had a tenacity of 343.59 MPa at 0 °C, and of 254.63 MPa at 25 °C, which fully meets the application requirements of fiber in textiles.

Serum Exosomal microRNA Profiling in AIDS Complicated with Talaromyces marneffei Infection.

INTRODUCTION: In order to find the early diagnostic markers of AIDS combined with TM infection, we detected and analyzed the serum exosomal miRNAs of AIDS patients with or without TM infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We profiled the expression levels of miRNAs via RNA sequencing in serum exosomes from the pooled samples of 17 AIDS patients combined without TM infection and 15 AIDS combined with TM infection patients. For external validation, we validated these results using real-time quantification polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in an independent cohort of 35 AIDS patients combined without TM infection and 33 AIDS combined with TM infection patients. Finally, bioinformatics was used to predict the target genes and pathways of meaningful miRNAs. RESULTS: A total of 131 serum exosomal miRNAs including 73 up-regulated and 59 down-regulated miRNAs were found to be differentially expressed (log2FC≥1 and FDR <0.01) in the two groups. A validation analysis revealed that three miRNAs (miR-192-5p, miR-194-5p and miR-1246) were upregulated in exosomes from AIDS combined with TM infection patients. ROC analyses showed that the AUC in combined diagnosis of the three miRNAs was 0.742, and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 0.568 and 0.861, respectively. In the biological process analysis, all the 3 miRNAs were involved in transcription, DNA-templated and positive regulation of transcription from RNA polymerase II promoter. At the same time, the related pathways were involved in TGF-ß signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, cGMP-PKG and cAMP signaling pathway, etc. CONCLUSION: miR-192-5p, miR-194-5p and miR-1246 in serum exosomes might be a potential biomarker for AIDS combined with TM infection patients, which may be involved in TGF-ß signaling pathway, AMPK signaling pathway, Wnt signaling pathway, MAPK signaling pathway, cGMP-PKG and cAMP signaling pathway, etc. Further research is needed on the biological functions and mechanisms of these miRNAs.

Fabrication of Manganese Oxide/PTFE Hollow Fiber Membrane and Its Catalytic Degradation of Phenol.

P-aminophenol is a hazardous environmental pollutant that can remain in water in the natural environment for long periods due to its resistance to microbiological degradation. In order to decompose p-aminophenol in water, manganese oxide/polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) hollow fiber membranes were prepared. MnO2 and Mn3O4 were synthesized and stored in PTFE hollow fiber membranes by injecting MnSO4·H2O, KMnO4, NaOH, and H2O2 solutions into the pores of the PTFE hollow fiber membrane. The resultant MnO2/PTFE and Mn3O4/PTFE hollow fiber membranes were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and thermal analysis (TG). The phenol catalytic degradation performance of the hollow fiber membranes was evaluated under various conditions, including flux, oxidant content, and pH. The results showed that a weak acid environment and a decrease in flux were beneficial to the catalytic degradation performance of manganese oxide/PTFE hollow fiber membranes. The catalytic degradation efficiencies of the MnO2/PTFE and Mn3O4/PTFE hollow fiber membranes were 70% and 37% when a certain concentration of potassium monopersulfate (PMS) was added, and the catalytic degradation efficiencies of MnO2/PTFE and Mn3O4/PTFE hollow fiber membranes were 50% and 35% when a certain concentration of H2O2 was added. Therefore, the manganese oxide/PTFE hollow fiber membranes represent a good solution for the decomposition of p-aminophenol.

Hepatitis C screening in hospitals: find the missing patients.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is one of the leading causes of liver cancer, creating enormous economic and social burdens. The Chinese government recommends routine screening of inpatients for HCV before invasive procedures to prevent iatric infections. However, the diagnosis and treatment rates for HCV remain low. The aim of this study was to use available routine screening data to understand the HCV screening of inpatients in different regions of China. METHODS: Inpatient information and HCV screening results were collected from January 2016 to December 2016 at eight tertiary hospitals in different regions of China to compare the HCV-positivity of hospitalized patients among different regions and age groups. RESULTS: The HCV screening rate of inpatients was more than 50%. A total of 467,008 inpatients were enrolled in the study (51.20% were male), and the HCV antibody (anti-HCV) -positive rate was 0.88% (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.85-0.91%) among the total population. This rate was significantly higher among all males compared with all females (0.91% vs 0.85%). Moreover, the HCV antibody-positive rate increased with age and was highest for the 60-64-year age group. Notably, 90.14% (3722/4129) of the anti-HCV seropositive patients were 40 years of age or older. HCV screening for people over 40 years old is recommended. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the key role of routine examination for HCV infection in hospitalized patients. Full use of inpatient screening results to manage HCV antibody-positive patients and a screening strategy targeting inpatients 40 years and older were found to be low-cost and effective, which will help to find the missing millions of yet unaware patients and also accelerate the elimination of HCV in China.

Chronic Mycobacterium avium skin and soft tissue infection complicated with scalp osteomyelitis possibly secondary to anti-interferon-γ autoantibody formation.

BACKGROUND: Nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) disease is commonly an opportunistic infection frequently found in immunocompromised individuals, but sometimes can also be found in the immunocompetent hosts, especially in East Asians. The NTM separation rate in China is increasing, which reminds us to focus on NTM infections in immunocompromised populations. CASE PRESENTATION: A 43-year-old woman with a recurrent fever for more than 8-month and a right forehead surgical wounds unhealed for more than 6-month was admitted to our hospital on February 22, 2018. On arrival, several elliptic ulcers were obvious on the right forehead with pus and fibrin exudation, and the skin around the lesions was tender, reddish, no sense of fluctuation. The result of HIV serology test was negative. CD4+ T cell count was normal and tuberculosis antibody was negative. CT of the chest and head showed bone destruction. Skin biopsy on the right forehead was performed on March 13, 2018, and pathological examination of the excisional biopsy specimen found inflammatory granuloma and suppurative inflammatory changes. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were treated but the effect seemed discontent. Then debridement and skin grafting were performed on the right frontal ulcer under general anesthesia on April 3, 2018. The skin tissue culture that resected on March 13, 2018 found Nontuberculous mycobacteria grown after 78 days, so clarithromycin, ethambutol, protionamide, and amoxicillin clavulanate potassium were prescribed for anti-nontuberculous mycobacteria treatment beginning on May 31, 2018. In reviewing the case, Mycobacterium avium (M. avium) was identified in the skin tissue resected on April 3, 2018 by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the serum test of anti-interferon-γ autoantibodies was positive. CONCLUSIONS: This is a case report of "Mycobacterium avium SSTI (skin and soft tissue infection) and OM (osteomyelitis) with possible secondary immunodeficiency syndrome induced by anti-interferon-γ autoantibody".

Comparative proteomic profiles indicating genetic factors may involve in hepatocellular carcinoma familial aggregation.

Familial aggregation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the third leading cause of cancer death worldwide, has shown to be a common phenomenon. We investigated the association between the genetic background and HCC familial aggregation. Serum samples were collected from HCC family members and normal control family members for screening the differentially expressed protein peaks with the approach of surface-enhanced laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Potential genetically associated protein peaks were selected and further identified by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. A panel of six protein peaks (m/z 6432.94, 8478.35, 9381.91, 17284.67, 17418.34, and 18111.04) were speculated to reflect the genetic susceptibility of HCC familial aggregation. Three of them (m/z 6432.94, 8478.35, and 9381.91) were selected to identify as the candidate proteins. Nine identified proteins, including mostly apolipoprotein family (ApoA1, ApoA2, ApoC3, ApoE) and serum amyloid A protein (SAA), were found overexpressed in the multiple HCC cases family members. The comparative proteomic profiles have suggested that genetic factors ought to be taken into account for familial aggregation of HCC.

[Correlation between serum anti-P53 and familial clustering of hepatocellular carcinoma in Guangxi].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the correlation between familial clustering of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the level of anti-P53 in human serum in Guangxi. METHODS: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect anti-P53 in 164 members from 20 HCC families and 164 members from non-cancer control families. Univariate analysis was performed to assess the correlation between seral level of P53 antibody and familial clustering of HCC. RESULTS: The level of P53 antibody was significantly higher in the members of HCC families than controls (Z=-3.04, P=0.002). After eliminating the interference of hepatitis B virus infection, this tendency still remains (P=0.011). And there was a significant difference between relatives of different degrees from HCC families (chi-square=11.593, P=0.021), with the expression of anti-P53 declining along with decrease in relationship coefficient. Furthermore, the number of individuals with high anti-P53 expression was also significantly greater in HCC families (95/164) than controls (71/164) (P=0.006). And the expression was rising along with the increasing HCC numbers (chi-square=16.068, P=0.000). Anti-P53 level was also greater in HCC families featuring sibling affection than parental affection (chi-square=12.679, P=0.002). Univariate analysis indicated that high expression of anti-P53 is a risk factor for development of HCC (OR=2.087, 95%CI: 1.270-3.431). CONCLUSION: High level of anti-P53 expression may be a factor for the clustering of HCC families in Guangxi, China.