Improving the diagnosis of active tuberculosis: a novel approach using magnetic particle-based chemiluminescence LAM assay.

OBJECTIVES: Tuberculosis (TB) is a significant global health concern, given its high rates of morbidity and mortality. The diagnosis using urine lipoarabinomannan (LAM) primarily benefits HIV co-infected TB patients with low CD4 counts. The focus of this study was to develop an ultra-sensitive LAM assay intended for diagnosing tuberculosis across a wider spectrum of TB patients. DESIGN & METHODS: To heighten the sensitivity of the LAM assay, we employed high-affinity rabbit monoclonal antibodies and selected a highly sensitive chemiluminescence LAM assay (CLIA-LAM) for development. The clinical diagnostic criteria for active TB (ATB) were used as a control. A two-step sample collection process was implemented, with the cutoff determined initially through a ROC curve. Subsequently, additional clinical samples were utilized for the validation of the assay. RESULTS: In the assay validation phase, a total of 87 confirmed active TB patients, 19 latent TB infection (LTBI) patients, and 104 healthy control samples were included. Applying a cutoff of 1.043 (pg/mL), the CLIA-LAM assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 55.2% [95%CI (44.13%~65.85%)], and a specificity of 100% [95%CI (96.52%~100.00%)], validated against clinical diagnostic results using the Mann-Whitney U test. Among 11 hematogenous disseminated TB patients, the positive rate was 81.8%. Importantly, the CLIA-LAM assay consistently yielded negative results in the 19 LTBI patients. CONCLUSION: Overall, the combination of high-affinity antibodies and the CLIA method significantly improved the sensitivity and specificity of the LAM assay. It can be used for the diagnosis of active TB, particularly hematogenous disseminated TB.

Portable paper-based electrochemiluminescence test incorporating lateral-flow immunosensors for detection of interferon-γ levels.

Tuberculosis (TB) poses a serious threat to human health and social development. Accurate diagnosis of mycobacterium tuberculosis infection plays a critical role in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis. Interferon-γ (INF-γ) release assay (IGRA) is currently the only quantitative tuberculosis infection diagnosis method. An accurate, fast, and easily handled INF-γ detection method is the key to obtaining accurate results. Herein, we report a novel paper-based electrochemiluminescence (ECL) method based on lateral flow immunosensors that combines the easy handling characteristics of immunochromatography and the high sensitivity of electrochemiluminescence to detect IFN-γ. To our knowledge this is the first INF-γ detection method that combines immunochromatography with electrochemiluminescence. The paper-based ECL-LFI test consists of a sample pad, conjugation pad (with binding antibody IFN-γ-Ab1 conjugated with ruthenium tripyridine), detection pad (with capture antibody IFN-γ-Ab2 immobilized on nanospheres), absorbent pad, and electrode for signal activation. The ECL signal is obtained by cyclic voltammetry scanning at a speed of 0.1 V/s in the detection area of the paper-based ECL-LFI test. In our experiments, the paper-based ECL-LFI test exhibited a minimum detection limit of 2.57 pg/mL within 12 min, and a broad detection range of 2.57-5,000 pg/mL, with repeatability of 8.10% and stability of 4.97%. With the advantage of high accuracy and sensitivity, easy handling, and low user training requirements, this ECL-LFI test might be used as point-of-care testing (POCT) in the IGRA for tuberculosis diagnosis.

How Does Self-Sacrificial Leadership Foster Knowledge Sharing Behavior in Employees? Moral Ownership, Felt Obligation and Supervisor-Subordinate Guanxi.

Recent trends in the academic literature indicate growing interest in leadership for fostering employees' knowledge sharing. In this research, we integrate social cognitive theory and social exchange theory to explain how and when self-sacrificial leaders promote employee knowledge sharing. It is found that self-sacrificial leaders influences employees' knowledge sharing by nurturing employee moral ownership and a sense of obligation to the organization. We also found the moderating effect of supervisor-subordinate guanxi on the self-sacrificial leadership-employees' knowledge sharing link. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding and promoting self-sacrificial leaders and employees' knowledge sharing behaviors in the workplace.

An Assessment of Social Media Usage Patterns and Social Capital: Empirical Evidence From the Agricultural Systems of China.

This research offers a theoretical model to measure the impact of social media usage on social capital in the agricultural system of China. Furthermore, this research also investigates the relationship between agricultural policies related to entrepreneurship training and social media usage. A total of 589 questionnaires were distributed in the training courses of Fujian Agricultural Vocational Technology College, and, Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Jianning, and Liancheng counties and cities in Fujian during winter and summer vacations to target new vocational farmers. The results show that social use, hedonic use, and cognitive use of social media significantly impacted both bridging and bonding social capital. Furthermore, the results of the study suggest that entrepreneurs who have participated in the training have significantly higher levels of social use and cognitive use than those who have not been trained. The findings of this paper have implications for the digital transformation by agricultural entrepreneurs in recognition of the role of sustainable education and learning in entrepreneurial activities and the utilization of social and cognitive functions of social media to acquire and accumulate social capital and provide support for sustainable agriculture and rural development. Furthermore, the concepts of sustainability-driven agriculture in the digital transformational framework were also studied and it was indicated that transformed agriculture can effectively deal with the present challenges.

Shear Strengthening of Deep T-Section RC Beams with CFRP Bars.

Deep T-section beams have been widely used in engineering structures due to their high bearing capacity, high construction efficiency and economic benefits, while the current beam design theory can hardly interpret reasonably the mechanical behaviors of deep beams. The performance features of the deep T-beam were investigated, involving in strain distribution and principal stress trace using experimental tests. Different near surface mounted (NSM) reinforcement schemes were proposed for deep T-beams aiming at improving the shear capacity. The results show that the behaviors of deep T-beams dissatisfy the assumption of plane cross-section, and the 'strut-and-tie' model is applicable in such structures. The reinforcement systems can significantly relieve the strain concentration, mid-span deflection and crack width in deep T-beams, consequently improving the shear capacity range from 45 to 65%. The scheme is preferential for the reinforcement of deep T-beams when the applied angles, positions and lengths of CFRP bars are optimized based on the 'strut-and-tie' model.

Understanding the Impact of Social Capital on Entrepreneurship Performance: The Moderation Effects of Opportunity Recognition and Operational Competency.

Social capital, which is derived from psychological research, has an important value in the construction of network relationships in enterprises. It influences the direction and tendency of network connections in start-up enterprises and has gradually become an important factor in the study of entrepreneurship by scholars. However, the relationship between this and the effectiveness of innovation is unclear. In this study, the social capital is divided into bonding social capital and bridging social capital, and specific data of agricultural entrepreneurs are collected through questionnaire surveys. The results show that both bonding and bridging social capital have a significant positive effect on agricultural entrepreneurship performance. The entrepreneurial capacity of agricultural entrepreneurs regulates the relationship between social capital and creative performance. In the relationship between integrated social capital and creative performance, operational competency plays a positive role and opportunity recognition plays a negative role. On the other hand, in the relationship between bridging social capital and creative performance, the opportunity recognition plays a positive role and the operational competency plays a negative role. Finally, based on the above findings, this study proposes theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for follow-up research.

Evaluation of the algorithm of Anticlot Assistant: an anticoagulant management system based on mobile health technology.

The purpose is to evaluate the algorithm of Anticlot Assistant, a novel anticoagulant management system based on mobile health technology which was developed to facilitate patient self-management. The eligible patients managed warfarin therapy with usual care, following the prescriptions of the doctors. The actual prescriptions of doctors and the virtual recommendations by Anticlot Assistant were compared and analyzed. There were no significant differences between the next test dates recommended by Anticlot Assistant and those prescribed by doctors. The mean warfarin dosage prescribed by doctors was lower than that recommended by Anticlot Assistant (2.74 ±â€Š1.17 vs. 2.79 ±â€Š1.21 mg, 95% confidence interval for the difference: -0.01--0.09, P = 0.019, n = 139), resulting in the international normalized ratio a high time below the therapeutic range (TTR) (29.9 ±â€Š17.9%), and a low time above TTR [0.0% (0.0-18.7%)]. A mixed linear model revealed that 'the variations of the dosages prescribed by doctors from those recommended by Anticlot Assistant' were positively correlated with 'variations of next international normalized ratios from TTR' after controlling for other factors (estimate of the effect = 0.231, 95% confidence interval: 0.034-0.428, P = 0.022). Anticlot Assistant can mimic the doctors' prescriptions for the next test date and the warfarin dosages recommended by Anticlot Assistant might be more reasonable than those prescribed by doctors, which indicated that the algorithm was reliable and it was possible for the patients to manage warfarin therapy themselves with the aid of Anticlot Assistant.

Rural Panel Surveys in Developing Countries: A Selective Review.

Rural panel surveys are the most appropriate means to provide data for studying the unprecedented rapid migration and urbanization currently taking place in China and other developing countries. To maximize heterogeneity in urbanization and development over the last three decades, we selected rural panel surveys from five Asian countries, including India, Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, and China. This paper provides a selective review, focusing on their panel survey methodology, which is organized based on our proposed four basics of panel surveys - representativeness, retrospect-prospect, multilevel tracking, and temporality. We analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of the selected panel surveys to provide directions for designing future rural panel studies in China and elsewhere in the developing world.

[The study of 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 imaging in experimental nasopharyngeal carcinoma mice models].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the validity of 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 imaging in nasopharyngeal carcinoma mice model compared with 99mTc-MIBI imaging. METHOD: Biodistribution of 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 were performed on Kunmin mice. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma BALb/c nude mice models were replicated by subcutaneous injection of CNE cells. After intravenous injection of 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 or 99mTc-MIBI images were acquired with SPECT, regions of interesting (ROI) were drawn to evaluate the uptake of 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 or 99mTc-MIBI in tumor imaging. Tumor to non-tumor ratios (T/N) were used as index of evaluation. RESULT: Biodistribution study indicated most of 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 was accumulated in liver, kidney, lung and heart. The T/N values had no significant difference between 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 and 99mTc-MIBI at 30 min post injection. The peak T/N value of 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 reached at 120 min post injection. The best time for imaging was 120 min post injection. The T/N ratio was significantly higher in the group of 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 than that of 99mTc-MIBI at 120 min. CONCLUSION: 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 can be used for nasopharyngeal carcinoma mice model imaging. The best time of imaging is 120 min. 99mTc-N(NOEt)2 is a potential imaging agent for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.