Determination of Acetylamantadine by γ-Cyclodextrin-Assisted α-HL Nanopore for Potential Cancer Prediagnosis.

The high expression of Spermidine/spermine N1-acetyltransferase (SSAT-1) is an important indicator in early cancer diagnosis. Here, we developed a nanopore-based methodology with γ-cyclodextrin as an adaptor to detect and quantify acetylamantadine, the specific SSAT-1-catalyzed product from amantadine, to accordingly reflect the activity of SSAT-1. We employ γ-cyclodextrin and report that amantadine cannot cause any secondary signals in γ-cyclodextrin-assisted α-HL nanopore, while its acetylation product, acetylamantadine, does. This allows γ-cyclodextrin to practically detect acetylamantadine in the interference of excessive amantadine, superior to the previously reported ß-cyclodextrin. The quantification of acetylamantadine was not interfered with even a 50-fold amantadine and displayed no interference in artificial urine sample analysis, which indicates the good feasibility of this nanopore-based methodology in painless cancer prediagnosis. In addition, the discrimination mechanism is also explored by 2-D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and nanopore experiments with a series of adamantane derivatives with different hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups. We found that both the hydrophobic region matching effect and hydrophilic interactions play a synergistic effect in forming a host-guest complex to further generate the characteristic signals, which may provide insights for the subsequent design and study of drug-cyclodextrin complexes.

Pan-cancer prognosis, immune infiltration, and drug resistance characterization of lung squamous cell carcinoma tumor microenvironment-related genes.

Background: The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays an important role in cancer development; however, its implications in lung squamous cell carcinoma (LUSC) and pan-cancer have been poorly understood. Methods: In this study, The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Estimation of Stromal and Immune cells in Malignant Tumor tissue using Expression Data (ESTIMATE) datasets were applied to identify differentially expressed genes. Additionally, online public databases were utilized for in-depth bioinformatics analysis of pan-cancer datasets to investigate the prognostic implications of TME-related genes further. Results: Our study demonstrated a significant association between stromal scores, immune scores, and specific clinical characteristics in LUSC patients. C3AR1, CSF1R, CCL2, CCR1, and CD14 were identified as prognostic genes related to the TME. All TME-related prognostic genes demonstrated varying degrees of correlation with immune infiltration subtypes and tumor cell stemness. Moreover, our study revealed that TME-related prognostic genes, particularly C3AR1 and CCR1, might contribute to drug resistance in cancer cells. Conclusions: The identified TME-related prognostic genes, particularly C3AR1 and CCR1, have potential implications for understanding and targeting drug resistance mechanisms in cancer cells.

Optimization of Screening Strategies for COVID-19: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 screening is an effective nonpharmaceutical intervention for identifying infected individuals and interrupting viral transmission. However, questions have been raised regarding its effectiveness in controlling the spread of novel variants and its high socioeconomic costs. Therefore, the optimization of COVID-19 screening strategies has attracted great attention. OBJECTIVE: This review aims to summarize the evidence and provide a reference basis for the optimization of screening strategies for the prevention and control of COVID-19. METHODS: We applied a methodological framework for scoping reviews and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist. We conducted a scoping review of the present publications on the optimization of COVID-19 screening strategies. We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, and Elsevier ScienceDirect databases for publications up to December 31, 2022. English publications related to screening and testing strategies for COVID-19 were included. A data-charting form, jointly developed by 2 reviewers, was used for data extraction according to the optimization directions of the screening strategies. RESULTS: A total of 2770 unique publications were retrieved from the database search, and 95 abstracts were retained for full-text review. There were 62 studies included in the final review. We summarized the results in 4 major aspects: the screening population (people at various risk conditions such as different regions and occupations; 12/62, 19%), the timing of screening (when the target population is tested before travel or during an outbreak; 12/62, 19%), the frequency of screening (appropriate frequencies for outbreak prevention, outbreak response, or community transmission control; 6/62, 10%), and the screening and detection procedure (the choice of individual or pooled detection and optimization of the pooling approach; 35/62, 56%). CONCLUSIONS: This review reveals gaps in the optimization of COVID-19 screening strategies and suggests that a number of factors such as prevalence, screening accuracy, effective allocation of resources, and feasibility of strategies should be carefully considered in the development of future screening strategies.

Controlled Self-Assembly of Natural Polyphenols Driven by Multiple Molecular Interactions.

Nature has exhibited a high degree of control over the structures and functions. Supramolecules have been utilized to mimic the subtle assembly in nature. However, sophisticated synthesis of molecular skeletons or programmable design of the driving forces raises great challenges in fabricating high-level superstructures in a controlled manner. Natural polyphenols show great promises as building blocks for a diverse of assemblies with controlled structures and functionalities. The intrinsically embedded phenolic groups (i. e., catechol and galloyl groups) are readily forming multiple molecular interactions, including coordination, hydrogen bonding, and π-π interactions with various materials of inorganic particles, organic compounds, synthetic polymers, and biomacromolecules, providing the self-assembled structures or nanocoating on surfaces. Subsequent assembly occurred by further bonding of polyphenols to construct supraparticles. To gain control over the self-assembly, the key lies in the interplay among the molecular interactions with one or two being dominant. In this Perspective, we introduce the representative polyphenol-based assemblies and their derived supraparticles to exhibit the effective harness of the controlled self-assembly by polyphenols.

Influence of urbanization on schistosomiasis infection risk in Anhui Province based on sixteen year's longitudinal surveillance data: a spatio-temporal modelling study.

BACKGROUND: Urbanization greatly affects the natural and social environment of human existence and may have a multifactoral impact on parasitic diseases. Schistosomiasis, a common parasitic disease transmitted by the snail Oncomelania hupensis, is mainly found in areas with population aggregations along rivers and lakes where snails live. Previous studies have suggested that factors related to urbanization may influence the infection risk of schistosomiasis, but this association remains unclear. This study aimed to analyse the effect of urbanization on schistosomiasis infection risk from a spatial and temporal perspective in the endemic areas along the Yangtze River Basin in China. METHODS: County-level schistosomiasis surveillance data and natural environmental factor data covering the whole Anhui Province were collected. The urbanization level was characterized based on night-time light data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) and the National Polar-Orbiting Partnership's Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS). The geographically and temporally weighted regression model (GTWR) was used to quantify the influence of urbanization on schistosomiasis infection risk with the other potential risk factors controlled. The regression coefficient of urbanization was tested for significance (α = 0.05), and the influence of urbanization on schistosomiasis infection risk was analysed over time and across space based on significant regression coefficients. Variables studied included climate, soil, vegetation, hydrology and topography. RESULTS: The mean regression coefficient for urbanization (0.167) is second only to the leached soil area (0.300), which shows that the urbanization is the most important influence factors for schistosomiasis infection risk besides leached soil area. The other important variables are distance to the nearest water source (0.165), mean minimum temperature (0.130), broadleaf forest area (0.105), amount of precipitation (0.073), surface temperature (0.066), soil bulk density (0.037) and grassland area (0.031). The influence of urbanization on schistosomiasis infection risk showed a decreasing trend year by year. During the study period, the significant coefficient of urbanization level increased from - 0.205 to - 0.131. CONCLUSIONS: The influence of urbanization on schistosomiasis infection has spatio-temporal heterogeneous. The urbanization does reduce the risk of schistosomiasis infection to some extend, but the strength of this influence decreases with increasing urbanization. Additionally, the effect of urbanization on schistosomiasis infection risk was greater than previous reported natural environmental factors. This study provides scientific basis for understanding the influence of urbanization on schistosomiasis, and also provides the feasible research methods for other similar studies to answer the issue about the impact of urbanization on disease risk.

Recognition of Oligonucleotide C by Polydopamine-Coated Solid-State Nanopores.

Selective recognition of short oligonucleotides at the single-molecule level is particularly important for early disease detection and treatment. In this work, polydopamine (PDA)-coated nanopores were prepared via self-polymerization as a solid-state nanopore sensing platform for the recognition of oligonucleotide C (PolyC). The PDA coating possesses abundant active sites, such as indole, amino, carboxyl, catechol, and quinone structures, which had interactions with short oligonucleotides to slow down the translocation rate. PDA-coated nanopores selectively interact with PolyC20 by virtue of differences in hydrogen bonding forces, generating a larger blocking current, while polyA and polyT demonstrated very small blockings. At the same time, PDA-coated nanopores can sensitively distinguish PolyC with different lengths, such as 20, 14, and 10 nt. The functionalization of PDA on the solid-state nanopore provides an opportunity for the rational design of the recognition surface for biomolecules.

Solid-State Nanopore Distinguishes Ferritin and Apo-Ferritin with Identical Exteriors through Amplified Flexibility at Single-Molecule Level.

Protein identification and discrimination at the single-molecule level are big challenges. Solid-state nanopores as a sensitive biosensor have been used for protein analysis, although it is difficult to discriminate proteins with similar structures in the traditional discrimination method based on the current blockage fraction. Here, we select ferritin and apo-ferritin as the model proteins that exhibit identical exterior and different interior structures and verify the practicability of their discrimination with flexibility features by the strategy of gradually decreasing the nanopore size. We show that the larger nanopore (relative to the protein size) has no obvious effect on discriminating two proteins. Then, the comparable-sized nanopore plays a key role in discriminating two proteins based on the dwell time and fraction distribution, and the conformational changes of both proteins are also studied with this nanopore. Finally, in the smaller nanopore, the protein molecules are trapped rather than translocated, where two proteins are obviously discriminated through the current fluctuation caused by the vibration of proteins. This strategy has potential in the discrimination of other important similar proteins.

Giant pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma with potentially malignant biological behavior: a case report and literature review.

Background: Pulmonary sclerosing pneumocytoma (PSP) is a rare benign lung tumor which generally presents as a solitary pulmonary nodule in middle-aged females. However, the PSP in some patients exhibits potentially malignant biological behavior, with recurrence and lymphatic or distant metastasis being observed. Case Description: We encountered a case of a 46-year-old female with an inordinately massive tumor 9.5 cm in diameter and a relatively high Ki-67 proliferation rate. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) played a significant but limited role in the preoperative diagnosis: the computed tomography (CT)-guided lung puncture biopsy was consistent with the typical pathology of PSP; however, endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial lung biopsy (EBUS-TBLB) could not provide a definitive diagnosis. The patient ultimately underwent thoracoscopic resection and mediastinal lymph node dissection. Here, we provide a review of the literature on patients with PSP with malignant biological behavior to raise awareness of the malignant potential of PSP and describe our experience to inform future management. Conclusions: PSP lacks specificity in its clinical and radiological characteristics and has complex pathological manifestations. FNA is valuable in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of PSP but involves the risk of misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis. Additionally, we believe that the accepted benign features of PSP need to be updated and that the potential malignant features of PSP should be carefully monitored. Surgical resection is curative but strict follow-up is crucial.

Quantitative texture analysis comparison of three legumes.

A validated texture-analysis method to evaluate product quality in frozen or cooked legumes is needed to support high-quality vegetable production but is not currently established in the literature. Peas, lima beans, and edamame were investigated in this study due to similar market use as well as growth in plant-based protein consumption in the United States. These three legumes were evaluated after three different processing treatments (blanch/freeze/thaw (BFT); BFT+microwave heat (BFT+M); BF+stove-top cooking (BF+C)), using both compression and puncture analysis following an American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) texture analysis method and moisture testing following an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard method. Texture analysis results showed differences between legumes and processing methods. Compression analysis identified more differences between treatments within product type than puncture for both edamame and lima beans indicating compression might be more sensitive to texture changes in these products. Implementation of a standard texture method for legume vegetables for growers and producers would provide a consistent quality check to support efficient production of high-quality legumes. Due to the sensitivity obtained from the compression texture method in this work, compression should be considered for future research into a robust method to evaluate edamame and lima bean textures throughout the growing and production processes.

Global epidemiology of animal influenza infections with explicit virus subtypes until 2016: A spatio-temporal descriptive analysis.

Influenza virus, with a global distribution, diverse animal host range and multiple virus subtypes, has caused several pandemics. To better prepare for the emergence of new subtypes and the possible threat of the next pandemic, the global status of animal influenza must be defined and documented. We created a global database of animal influenza events by searching scientific databases and the primary literature on animal influenza-related events up to and including 2016. The temporal, spatial and host distribution of animal influenza and the diversity of influenza subtypes in different regions were analyzed. A total of 70,472 records and 4712 events of animal influenza throughout the world were identified. Events involving subtypes H5N2, H7N7 and H7N9 were relatively constant, with a slow upward trend during the past decade. Asia was the region with the most clusters of events. Poultry was the main host reported in Asia and Africa, and wild birds in Europe and North America. We found that wild birds carried a very rich array of virus subtypes, a warning for the possible generation of reassortment viruses with pandemic potential. Influenza virus subtype diversity - a risk for virus reassortment - was greatest in Asia, North America and Europe. Our database provides a comprehensive overview of the historical and current status of animal influenza events throughout the world. Influenza surveillance needs to be strengthened in some countries and regions to prevent the emergence of new subtypes. Importantly, improvement of the global influenza surveillance system and structures to enable sharing of surveillance data is very much needed to prepare for the next pandemic.

Stability of SARS-CoV-2 on inanimate surfaces: A review.

The stability of SARS-CoV-2 for varying periods on a wide range of inanimate surfaces has raised concerns about surface transmission; however, there is still no evidence to confirm this route. In the present review, three variables affecting virus stability, namely temperature, relative humidity (RH), and initial virus titer, were considered from different experimental studies. The stability of SARS-CoV-2 on the surfaces of six different contact materials, namely plastic, metal, glass, protective equipment, paper, and fabric, and the factors affecting half-life period was systematically reviewed. The results showed that the half-life of SARS-CoV-2 on different contact materials was generally 2-10 h, up to 5 d, and as short as 30 min at 22 °C, whereas the half-life of SARS-CoV-2 on non-porous surfaces was generally 5-9 h d, up to 3 d, and as short as 4 min at 22 â„ƒ. The half-life on porous surfaces was generally 1-5 h, up to 2 d, and as short as 13 min at 22 °C. Therefore, the half-life period of SARS-CoV-2 on non-porous surfaces is longer than that on porous surfaces, and thehalf-life of the virus decreases with increasing temperature, whereas RH produces a stable negative inhibitory effect only in a specific humidity range. Various disinfection precautions can be implemented in daily life depending on the stability of SARS-CoV-2 on different surfaces to interrupt virus transmission, prevent COVID-19 infections, and avoid over-disinfection. Owing to the more stringent control of conditions in laboratory studies and the lack of evidence of transmission through surfaces in the real world, it is difficult to provide strong evidence for the efficiency of transmission of the contaminant from the surface to the human body. Therefore, we suggest that future research should focus on exploring the systematic study of the entire transmission process of the virus, which will provide a theoretical basis for optimizing global outbreak prevention and control measures.

Denitrification process of Casuarina root nodule endophyte Frankia.

To examine the characteristic of denitrification in Frankia, a symbiotic nitrogen-fixing microbe associated with non-leguminous plants, and its role as a N2O source or sink, Casuarina root nodule endophyte Frankia was isolated using sectioning method, which was then purely cultured to investigate the denitrification process under NO3- addition. The results showed that after addition of NO3- to the medium under anaerobic condition, the concentration of NO3- decreased with time, while the concentrations of NO2- and N2O initially increased and then decreased over time. Key denitrification genes and nitrogenase gene were detected at 26 h, 54 h and 98 h during incubation. Abundances of these genes significantly differed among each other, and their dynamics were asynchronous. Redundancy analysis of the effect of NO3-, NO2-, N2O concentrations on abundances of denitrification genes and nitrogenase gene indicated that 81.9% of the total variation in gene abundances could be explained by the first two axes. Frankia had a denitrifying activity under anaerobic condition, with denitrification genes, including nitrous oxide reductase gene (nosZ), being identified. Our results suggested that Frankia possessed a complete denitrification pathway and the ability of N2O reduction under anaerobic condition.

The effect of ultrasound-guided acupotomy and Juanbi decoction on lumbar disc herniation: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Acupotomy as well as Juanbi decoction has been used in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. However, there is no study on ultrasound-guided acupotomy combined with Juanbi decoction in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. METHOD: This study was supported by the Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine [grant number: 2020LC0163] and the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province [grant number: 2022YFS0418]. This study was 3 center, open, randomized, controlled trial, and was carried out from December 2020 to December 2022. A total of 60 eligible patients with LDH were split into group A and group B at random. The group B received Juanbi Decoction 3 times daily for 2 weeks along with an acupotomy assisted by ultrasound. The acupotomy was administered once a week. The same protocol was used with the group A, but the Juanbi Decoction was replaced with normal saline. OBSERVATION INDEX: Visual analogue scale (VAS) score on 1 day and 1 week after treatment, VAS score, Japanese orthopedic association low back pain score(JOA) rate, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and low back outcome scale (LBOS) at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment in 2 groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in general information, VAS score before treatment, JOA, ODI, and LBOS between the 2 groups (P > .05). Intra-group comparison: VAS score, JOA rate, ODI, and LBOS were compared before and after treatment in both groups, and the differences were statistically significant (P < .05). There were significant differences in VAS and LBOS between the 2 groups at 3 and 6 months after treatment, and there were statistically significant differences in ODI and JOA rates at 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Acupotomy aided by ultrasound combined with Juanbi Decoction significantly relieves lumbar pain and can improve lumbar function in patients with LDH, and the clinical efficacy lasts for about 6 months.

Optimizing the nucleic acid screening strategy to mitigate regional outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant in China: a modeling study.

BACKGROUND: The Omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads rapidly and insidiously. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) screening is an important means of blocking community transmission in China, but the costs associated with testing are high. Quarantine capacity and medical resources are also threatened. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate different screening strategies to balance outbreak control and consumption of resources. METHODS: A community network of 2000 people, considering the heterogeneities of household size and age structure, was generated to reflect real contact networks, and a stochastic individual-based dynamic model was used to simulate SARS-CoV-2 transmission and assess different whole-area nucleic acid screening strategies. We designed a total of 87 screening strategies with different sampling methods, frequencies of screening, and timings of screening. The performance of these strategies was comprehensively evaluated by comparing the cumulative infection rates, the number of tests, and the quarantine capacity and consumption of medical resource, which were expressed as medians (95% uncertainty intervals, 95% UIs). RESULTS: To implement COVID-19 nucleic acid testing for all people (Full Screening), if the screening frequency was four times/week, the cumulative infection rate could be reduced to 13% (95% UI: 1%, 51%), the miss rate decreased to 2% (95% UI: 0%, 22%), and the quarantine and medical resource consumption was lower than higher-frequency Full Screening or sampling screening. When the frequency of Full Screening increased from five to seven times/week (which resulted in a 2581 increase in the number of tests per positive case), the cumulative infection rate was only reduced by 2%. Screening all people weekly by splitting them equally into seven batches could reduce infection rates by 73% compared to once per week, which was similar to Full Screening four times/week. Full Screening had the highest number of tests per positive case, while the miss rate, number of tests per positive case, and hotel quarantine resource consumption in Household-based Sampling Screening scenarios were lower than Random Sampling Screening. The cumulative infection rate of Household-based Sampling Screening or Random Sampling Screening seven times/week was similar to that of Full Screening four times/week. CONCLUSIONS: If hotel quarantine, hospital and shelter hospital capacity are seriously insufficient, to stop the spread of the virus as early as possible, high-frequency Full Screening would be necessary, but intermediate testing frequency may be more cost-effective in non-extreme situations. Screening in batches is recommended if the testing capacity is low. Household-based Sampling Screening is potentially a promising strategy to implement.

TREM2 and Microglia Contribute to the Synaptic Plasticity: from Physiology to Pathology.

Synapses are bridges for information transmission in the central nervous system (CNS), and synaptic plasticity is fundamental for the normal function of synapses, contributing substantially to learning and memory. Numerous studies have proven that microglia can participate in the occurrence and progression of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs), such as Alzheimer's disease (AD), by regulating synaptic plasticity. In this review, we summarize the main characteristics of synapses and synaptic plasticity under physiological and pathological conditions. We elaborate the origin and development of microglia and the two well-known microglial signaling pathways that regulate synaptic plasticity. We also highlight the unique role of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) in microglia-mediated regulation of synaptic plasticity and its relationship with AD. Finally, we propose four possible ways in which TREM2 is involved in regulating synaptic plasticity. This review will help researchers understand how NDDs develop from the perspective of synaptic plasticity.

Early warning signals for Omicron outbreaks in China: A retrospective study.

The Omicron variant has become the dominant COVID-19 variant worldwide due to its rapid and cryptic spread. Therefore, successful early warning is of great importance to be able to control epidemics in their early phase, before developing into large outbreaks. COVID-19-related Baidu search index, which reflects human behavior to a certain degree, was used to retrospectively detect the warning signs for Omicron variant outbreaks in China in 2022. The characteristics and effects of warning signs were analyzed in detail. We detected the presence of early warning signs (both high and low thresholds) and found that these occurred 4-7 days earlier than traditional epidemiological surveillance and >20 days earlier than the implementation of the local "lockdown" policy. Compared with the "high threshold" warning, the early warning effect of the "low threshold" is also vital because it indicates a negligence about epidemic prevention and control. However, there is obvious heterogeneity in the optimal threshold for detecting early warning signs and their distribution in different cities. Multi-source and multi-point early warning systems should be established via combining internet-based big data in the future to conduct effective and early real-time warning. This would create precious time for the early control of COVID-19 outbreaks.

The Photoperiod Regulates Granulosa Cell Apoptosis through the FSH-Nodal/ALK7 Signaling Pathway in Phodopus sungorus.

The photoperiod regulates the seasonal reproduction of mammals by affecting the follicle development, for which the granulosa cells provide nutrition. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) were raised under different photoperiods to study the ovarian status and explore the potential mechanism of the follicle development mediated by the FSH-Nodal/ALK7 signaling pathway. Compared with the moderate daylight (MD) group, the short daylight (SD) group exhibited a significant decrease in the ovarian weight and increase in the atretic follicle number and granulosa cell apoptosis, whereas the long daylight (LD) group showed an increase in the ovarian weight, the growing follicle number, and the antral follicle number, but a decrease in the granulosa cell apoptosis. Based on these findings, the key genes of the Nodal/ALK7 signaling pathway controlling the granulosa cell apoptosis were studied using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. In the SD group, the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentration significantly decreased and the Nodal/ALK7/Smad signaling pathways were activated, while the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3)/Akt signaling pathway was inhibited. The BAX expression was significantly increased, while the Bcl-xL expression was significantly decreased, leading to an increase in the caspase-3 activity, the granulosa cell apoptosis, and ovarian degeneration. However, in the LD group, the FSH concentration significantly increased, the Nodal/ALK7/Smad signaling pathway was inhibited, and the PIK3/Akt signaling pathway was activated. Taken together, our results indicate that the photoperiod can regulate the apoptosis of the granulosa cells by regulating the concentration of FSH, activating or inhibiting the Nodal/ALK7 signaling pathway, thereby affecting the ovarian function. Our research provides an important theoretical basis for understanding the photoperiod-regulated mechanisms of the mammalian seasonal reproduction.

Collateral circulation detected by arterial spin labeling predicts outcome in acute ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: Robust collateral circulation is strongly associated with good outcomes in acute ischemic stroke (AIS). AIMS: To determine whether collateral circulation detected by arterial spin labeling (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging could predict good clinical outcome in AIS patients with 90 days follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total 58 AIS patients with anterior circulation stroke were recruited. Collateral circulation was defined as arterial transit artifact in ASL images. Modified Rankin Scale (mRS), the Barthel Index, and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) were employed to evaluate neurological function for the baseline and 90 days follow-up. The percent changes of these scores were also calculated, respectively. Finally, a support vector classifier model of machine learning and receiver operating characteristic curve were employed to estimate the power of ASL collaterals (ASLcs) predicting the clinical outcome. RESULTS: Patients with ASLcs represented higher rate of good outcome (83.30% vs. 31.25%, p < .001) and lower follow-up mRS scores (p < .001), when compared to patients without ASLcs. There were significant differences for percent changes of mRS scores and NIHSS scores between these two groups. Further, the presence of ASLcs could predict good clinical outcome (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.10-2.16), even after controlling for baseline NIHSS scores. The SVC model incorporating baseline NIHSS scores and ASLcs had significant predictive effect (accuracy, 79.3%; AUC, 0.806) on clinical prognosis for AIS patients. DISCUSSION: We targeted on the non-invasive assessment of collateral circulation using ASL technique and found that patients with ASLcs were more likely to have a good clinical outcome after AIS. This finding is of guiding significance for treatment selection and prognostic prediction. CONCLUSIONS: Early ASLcs assessment provides a good powerful tool to predict clinical outcome for AIS patients with 90 days follow-up.

Optimization of COVID-19 prevention and control measures during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics: a model-based study.

BACKGROUND: The continuous mutation of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has made the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic complicated to predict and posed a severe challenge to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Winter Paralympics held in February and March 2022. METHODS: During the preparations for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, we established a dynamic model with pulse detection and isolation effect to evaluate the effect of epidemic prevention and control measures such as entry policies, contact reduction, nucleic acid testing, tracking, isolation, and health monitoring in a closed-loop management environment, by simulating the transmission dynamics in assumed scenarios. We also compared the importance of each parameter in the combination of intervention measures through sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: At the assumed baseline levels, the peak of the epidemic reached on the 57th day. During the simulation period (100 days), 13,382 people infected COVID-19. The mean and peak values of hospitalized cases were 2650 and 6746, respectively. The simulation and sensitivity analysis showed that: (1) the most important measures to stop COVID-19 transmission during the event were daily nucleic acid testing, reducing contact among people, and daily health monitoring, with cumulative infections at 0.04%, 0.14%, and 14.92% of baseline levels, respectively (2) strictly implementing the entry policy and reducing the number of cases entering the closed-loop system could delay the peak of the epidemic by 9 days and provide time for medical resources to be mobilized; (3) the risk of environmental transmission was low. CONCLUSIONS: Comprehensive measures under certain scenarios such as reducing contact, nucleic acid testing, health monitoring, and timely tracking and isolation could effectively prevent virus transmission. Our research results provided an important reference for formulating prevention and control measures during the Winter Olympics, and no epidemic spread in the closed-loop during the games indirectly proved the rationality of our research results.