Postoperative laboratory testing in the era of outpatient total joint arthroplasty: Targeted patient selection and associated cost savings.

Background: With the advent of outpatient total joint arthroplasty (TJA), the days of routinely drawing postoperative labs (complete blood counts [CBCs] and metabolic panels [CMPs/BMPs]) to monitor for complications are behind us. However, there does exist a subset of at-risk patients that may benefit from diligent postoperative monitoring, though the circumstances under which labs should be ordered remains unclear and subject to surgeon discretion. A systematic review of the literature was therefore conducted to evaluate the utility of postoperative laboratory testing, approaches to targeted patient selection and associated cost-savings. Methods: The PubMed, MEDLINE, EBSCOhost, and Google Scholar electronic databases were searched on August 17, 2023, to identify all studies published since January 1, 2000, that evaluated the role of postoperative lab testing in TJA. (PROSPERO study protocol registration: CRD42023437334). Articles were included if a full-text English manuscript was available and the study assessed the utility of routine postoperative labs in TJA. 19 studies were included comprising 34,166 procedures. The mean Methodological index for Nonrandomized Studies score was 18.2 ± 1.5. Results: Abnormal postoperative lab results were common and infrequently required clinical intervention. Among several identified risk factors for patients that may benefit from postoperative laboratory monitoring, preoperative lab values proved excellent discriminators of transfusion requirement and metabolite-associated intervention. Selective testing demonstrated the ability to generate substantial cost-savings. Conclusion: Routine postoperative laboratory testing offers little clinical utility and produces unnecessary expenditures. Preoperative lab values offer the greatest predictive utility for postoperative transfusion requirement and metabolite-associated clinical intervention, with a preoperative hemoglobin threshold of 111.5 g/L offering an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.93 for predicting postoperative transfusion. Further investigations are needed for metabolic panel predictive models and should incorporate preoperative lab values. The refinement of such models can enable targeted patient selection to avoid unnecessary labs and generate substantial cost savings without compromising patient safety.

Validation of Golden Gate Assemblies Using Highly Multiplexed Nanopore Amplicon Sequencing.

Golden Gate cloning has revolutionized synthetic biology. Its concept of modular, highly characterized libraries of parts that can be combined into higher order assemblies allows engineering principles to be applied to biological systems. The basic parts, typically stored in Level 0 plasmids, are sequence validated by the method of choice and can be combined into higher order assemblies on demand. Higher order assemblies are typically transcriptional units, and multiple transcriptional units can be assembled into multi-gene constructs. Higher order Golden Gate assembly based on defined and validated parts usually does not introduce sequence changes. Therefore, simple validation of the assemblies, e.g., by colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or restriction digest pattern analysis is sufficient. However, in many experimental setups, researchers do not use defined parts, but rather part libraries, resulting in assemblies of high combinatorial complexity where sequencing again becomes mandatory. Here, we present a detailed protocol for the use of a highly multiplexed dual barcode amplicon sequencing using the Nanopore sequencing platform for in-house sequence validation. The workflow, called DuBA.flow, is a start-to-finish procedure that provides all necessary steps from a single colony to the final easy-to-interpret sequencing report.

Metrological traceable calibration of organic carbon and elemental carbon based on laboratory-generated reference materials.

Carbonaceous aerosol, including organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), has significant influence on human health, air quality and climate change. Accurate measurement of carbonaceous aerosol is essential to reduce the uncertainty of radiative forcing estimation and source apportionment. The accurate separation of OC and EC is controversial due to the charring of OC. Therefore, the development of reference materials (RM) for the validation of OC/EC separation is an important basis for further study. Previous RMs were mainly based on ambient air sampling, which could not provide traceability of OC and EC concentration. To develop traceable RMs with known OC/EC contents, our study applied an improved aerosol generation and mixing technique, providing uniform deposition of particles on quartz filters. To generate OC aerosol with similar pyrolytic property of ambient aerosol, both water soluble organic carbon (WSOC) and water insoluble organic carbon (WIOC) were used, and amorphous carbon was selected for EC surrogate. The RMs were analyzed using different protocols. The homogeneity within the filter was validated, reaching below 2%. The long-term stability of RMs has been validated with RSD ranged from 1.7%-3.2%. Good correlation was observed between nominal concentration of RMs with measured concentration by two protocols, while the difference of EC concentration was within 20%. The results indicated that the newly developed RMs were acceptable for the calibration of OC and EC, which could improve the accuracy of carbonaceous aerosol measurement. Moreover, the laboratory-generated EC-RMs could be suitable for the calibration of equivalent BC concentration by Aethalometers.

Enhancing Sensitivity in Detecting Severe Fever With Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus: Development of a Reverse Transcription-Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction.

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a highly fatal disease. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) presents unparalleled sensitivity and enables absolute quantification of viral load. In this prospective study, we enrolled 111 patients with SFTS and collected 259 continuous samples. Our findings unveil a robust reverse transcription (RT)-ddPCR method for SFTS with a limit of detection of 2.46 copies/µL (95% CI, 1.50-11.05), surpassing the sensitivity of RT-quantitative polymerase chain reaction at 103.29 copies/µL (95% CI, 79.69-216.35). Longitudinal cohort analysis revealed significantly higher RT-ddPCR detection rates at days 10 to 11, 13 to 14, and ≥15 of the disease course as compared with RT-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (P < .05). Positive RT-ddPCR results were associated with declined platelet and elevated aspartate aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase on the same day vs negative RT-ddPCR samples. RT-ddPCR exhibits commendable diagnostic efficacy in SFTS, and it remains detectable in blood samples from patients with an extended disease course. Furthermore, RT-ddPCR correlates with clinical laboratory tests, furnishing valuable reference data for clinical diagnosis.

Effects of acute smoking abstinence among people with schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of laboratory studies.

BACKGROUND: Smoking rates in schizophrenia are exceptionally high; however, cessation rates remain low with limited research on effective interventions. A critical component of intervention development is identifying the effects of abstinence that are most salient and therefore may contribute to lapse and relapse. OBJECTIVES: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled laboratory studies investigating acute smoking abstinence effects among people with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. METHODS: This review is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. OVID (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO) and PubMed databases were searched from inception until November 2023. RESULTS: We identified (k = 16) articles meeting inclusion criteria; all assessed smoking abstinence (ranging 2-120 h). Acute abstinence resulted in large increases in reward-oriented craving and moderate increases in relief-oriented craving; these effects were greater in studies with longer abstinence duration (high certainty). We also observed significant increases in negative affect and global withdrawal symptoms, as well as memory disruption (moderate certainty). Qualitative synthesis suggests restlessness, irritability, anxiety, and visuospatial working memory may be additionally impacted. Findings with respect to negative symptoms and movement were mixed. CONCLUSIONS: Reward-oriented craving may constitute a key target of smoking cessation interventions for people with schizophrenia. In addition, identification of pharmacological and psychosocial interventions that address abstinence-induced changes in relief-oriented craving, memory, negative affect, restlessness, irritability, and anxiety may strengthen treatment outcomes.

Minimizing unnecessary proBNP blood tests: an evaluation of a pop-up form implementation in general practice.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a compulsory pop-up form on the ordering pattern of proBNP blood tests by general practitioners in the Capital Region of Denmark. DESIGN: A follow-up study comparing the average number of proBNP tests ordered before and after the implementation of an intervention. SETTING AND SUBJECTS: From 2016 to 2021, the average number of proBNP tests increased by over 300%. In March 2022, a compulsory pop-up form was introduced in the electronic request system (WebReq), requiring general practitioners to select one of three indications for ordering proBNP, as recommended by the Danish Society of Cardiology. The study included 528 general practitioners in the Capital Region of Denmark, with data available from January 2020 to 2023, encompassing 83,576 proBNP results from 56,645 patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The average number of proBNP tests ordered per month and the median level of proBNP before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Following the intervention, the average number of proBNP tests per month decreased by 60% over a 22-month follow-up period. The highest reduction was seen among general practitioners who previously ordered the most tests (≥3 per 1000 biochemical tests). In this group, the median proBNP level increased from 12.1 pmol/L before the intervention to 13.5 pmol/L after the intervention (p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates a significant decrease in the number of proBNP requests from general practitioners in the Capital Region of Denmark after the introduction of a pop-up form in the requisition system containing the current guidelines.

Novel Inflammatory Markers Associated With Cutaneous Leukocytoclastic Vasculitis Etiology.

Objectives: We aimed to compare inflammatory markers and determine their potential role in distinguishing secondary leukocytoclastic vasculitis (SLV) from idiopathic leukocytoclastic vasculitis (ILV). Materials and Methods: We included in this cross-sectional study patients with cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis (CLV) diagnosed on cutaneous biopsy. We assessed clinical and laboratory data and then calculated platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP)-to-albumin ratio (CAR), and fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR). We have also defined the number of positive etiological examination (NPE) as the sum in a unique patient of the positive paraclinical examinations involved in the etiological assessment of CLV. Results: In total 77 patients were included, with 52 SLV group patients and 25 in the ILV group, mean age was 44+/-18 vs 49+/-21, and gender ratio was 29/23 vs 11/14. Comparison of PLR, NLR, CAR, and FAR showed significant differences in mean values between SLV and ILV groups with 199.1 (117.3-309.8) vs 126.8 (79-193) (P = 0.01) for PLR, 3.6 (1.9-5.1) vs 2.3 (1.7-3.4) (P = 0.048) for NLR, 1.9 mg.g-1 (0.4-3.6) vs 0.6 mg g-1 (0.2-1.9) (P = 0.043) for CAR, and 155.8 mg.g-1 (90.7-192.3) vs 108.7 mg.g-1 (82.2-148.1) (P = 0.034) for FAR. PLR, CAR, and FAR were positively correlated to NPE (r = 0.463, P < 0.001; r = 0.434, P < 0.001; and r = 0.411, P < 0.001, respectively), and there was no significant correlation between NLR and NPE (r = 0.165, P = 0.151). Conclusion: This is the first study to investigate PLR, NLR, CAR, and FAR in CLV, and it demonstrates that elevation of these ratios is associated with SLV, which leads us to suggest to exhaustively explore patients with elevated ratios.

Prevalence, impact and associated factors of abnormal preoperative investigation result in patients undergoing surgery in Dilla University referral hospital: cross-sectional study.

Background: As one domain of preoperative assessment, preoperative investigations are often ordered to evaluate patient's medical condition for risk stratification and assessing patient status to undergoing surgery. Despite the fact that laboratory testing can assist in ensuring the best possible preoperative condition, routine screening examinations have a number of drawbacks. Although there are evidence-based recommendations for which investigations should be done, the tradition of routine preoperative testing is still prevalent and clinical practice with abnormal results detected varies. Method: Institution-based cross-sectional study design was conducted from 1 November to January at Dilla University Referral Hospital. Data was collected from complete pre-anaesthesia check-up sheets, investigations already done. It was collected at the individual level by using, closed-ended self-guided questionnaire. The collected data was entered, cleaned, edited and checked using SPSS version 26 for data processing and analysis. Logistic regression was performed to examine the impacts of abnormal preoperative investigation results and summarised by using tables and figures. An Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI was computed to determine the level of significance. Result: Data of 208 patients (65.9 female) with mean±standard deviation age 30.83±15.340 years and 22.59±2.99 BMI were analysed. Patients were mostly American Society of Anaesthesiologists I and II underwent National Institute of Clinical and Health Excellence Grade 2 surgeries and surgical shape class 3. Totally, 178 (44.5%) test results were abnormal. CBC is the most detected abnormal result. Only 15 (3.75%) abnormalities had an impact in terms of delay, further investigations, and surgical technique. Comorbidity (AOR 7.982, 95% CI, P=0.041), medication history (AOR 1.463, 95% CI, P=0.013), ASA physical status II (AOR 3.287, 95% CI, P=0.029) and history of smoking (AOR 1.577, 95% CI, P=0.049) were factors which was significantly associated with abnormal preoperative investigation result. Conclusion: Only 0.6% of all tests had a significant impact in terms of changing perioperative anaesthetic management. The significant impact of abnormal investigation result noticed was delayed surgery.

Diagnostics for detection and surveillance of priority epidemic-prone diseases in Africa: an assessment of testing capacity and laboratory strengthening needs.

In 2023, Africa experienced 180 public health emergencies, of which 90% were infectious diseases and 75% were related to zoonotic diseases. Testing capacity for epidemic-prone diseases is essential to enable rapid and accurate identification of causative agents, and for action to prevent disease spread. Moreover, testing is pivotal in monitoring disease transmission, evaluating public health interventions and informing targeted resource allocation during outbreaks. An online, self-assessment survey was conducted in African Union Member States to identify major challenges in testing for epidemic-prone diseases. The survey assessed current capacity for diagnosing priority epidemic-prone diseases at different laboratory levels. It explored challenges in establishing and maintaining testing capacity to improve outbreak response and mitigate public health impact. Survey data analysed diagnostic capacity for priority infectious diseases, diagnostic technologies in use, existing surveillance programmes and challenges limiting diagnostic capacity, by country. The survey result from 15 Member States who responded to the survey, showed high variability in testing capacity and technologies across countries and diverse factors limiting testing capacity for certain priority diseases like dengue and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. At the same time diagnostic capacity is better for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), polio, and measles due to previous investments. Unfortunately, many countries are not utilizing multiplex testing, despite its potential to improve diagnostic access. The challenges of limited laboratory capacity for testing future outbreaks are indeed significant. Recent disease outbreaks in Africa have underscored the urgent need to strengthen diagnostic capacity and introduce cost-effective technologies. Small sample sizes and differing disease prioritisation within each country limited the analysis. These findings suggest the benefits of evaluating laboratory testing capacity for epidemic-prone diseases and highlight the importance of effectively addressing challenges to detect diseases and prevent future pandemics.

Biological Reference Ranges for Healthy Indian Blood Donors: Experience of a Tertiary Care Center Vis-à-Vis International Literature.

INTRODUCTION: Complete blood count is the most common, basic test requisitioned in hematology. The normal reference ranges of hematological parameters are required owing to variable socioeconomic, environmental, and genetic factors in populations. The current study determines the reference ranges of the healthy Indian donor population of a high socioeconomic group. METHODS: The study was conducted in the Department of Transfusion Medicine at a tertiary care hospital in India and included 4098 individuals, aged 18-65 years coming for voluntary blood donation from July 2021 to October 2022. Blood samples were collected in K2EDTA, analyzed on the Sysmex XN-31 hematology analyzer, and using statistical tools, the normal reference ranges were calculated. RESULTS: The reference ranges for hemoglobin (HB) (137-185 g/L), WBC (5.1-1.7 × 109/L), platelet count (115.6-370.0 × 109/L) were noted. No statistically significant changes were observed in different age groups. There were gender-wise differences noted in nearly all parameters. The HB and hematocrit (HCT) range was slightly higher in other Indian and other Asian populations with comparable values with the Chinese, Korean populations, and Western populations; RBC parameters were overall comparable with minor differences; the WBC count was higher than the other Indian and Asian populations particularly the upper limit of lymphocyte and monocyte; and the range of platelet counts had a comparable upper limit with all populations and had the lowest lower value in males in our study, which was comparable to only the Chinese population. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that reference ranges of common parameters were calculated with minor changes noted in all hematological parameters on comparing with other Indian, Asian population, and Western data.

Comparative Characteristic of the Methods of Isolation of Oocytes and Spermatozoa in Laboratory Animals (Review).

Over the past decade, there has been an increasing trend in the use of assisted reproductive technologies, which have significantly expanded the opportunities to overcome the problem of infertility. However, the problem of increasing the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization remains open. Isolation of germ cells from animals is a necessary process for various experimental studies. Animal germ cells can be used in experiments to study physical, chemical, genetic, immunological, and microbiological factors affecting reproduction efficiency and for the development of techniques that increase the effectiveness of in vitro fertilization. All of the above determines the relevance of studying existing methods of oocyte and sperm isolation for experimental in vitro studies. Here we discuss the existing methods of sperm and oocyte isolation from animals and their advantages and disadvantages, and also substantiate priority methods for use.

Identification of the genetic background of laboratory rats through amplicon-based next-generation sequencing for single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping.

BACKGROUND: Laboratory rats, as model animals, have been extensively used in the fields of life science and medicine. It is crucial to routinely monitor the genetic background of laboratory rats. The conventional approach relies on gel electrophoresis and capillary electrophoresis (CE) technologies. However, the experimental and data analysis procedures for both of these methods are time consuming and costly. RESULTS: We established a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) typing scheme using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS) to address the genetic background ambiguity in laboratory rats. This methodology involved three rounds of PCR and two rounds of magnetic bead selection to improve the quality of the sequencing data. We simultaneously analysed 100 laboratory rats (including rats of 5 inbred strains and 2 in-house closed colonies), and the sequencing depth varied from an average of 108.25 to 5189.89, with sample uniformity ranging from 82.5 to 97.5%. A total of 98.9% of the amplicons were successfully genotyped (≥ 30 reads). Genetic background analysis revealed that all 38 experimental rats from the 5 inbred strains were successfully identified (without a heterozygous allele). For the 2 in-house closed colonies, the average heterozygosity (0.162 and 0.169) deviated from the typical range of 0.5-0.7, indicating a departure from the ideal heterozygosity level. Additionally, we employed multiplex PCR-CE to validate the NGS-based method, which yielded consistent results for all the rat strains. These results demonstrated that this approach significantly improves efficiency, saves time, reduces costs and ensures accuracy. CONCLUSION: By utilizing NGS technology, our developed method leverages SNP genotyping for genetic background identification in laboratory rats, demonstrating advantages in terms of labour efficiency and cost-effectiveness, thereby rendering it well suited for projects involving extensive sample cohorts.

Clinical and laboratory pattern of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus seropositive for rheumatoid factor.

Introduction: The aim of the study was to investigate the associations between the presence and level of rheumatoid factor (RF) in the blood serum and the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Material and methods: This retrospective tricentric cross-sectional study analyzed a Ukrainian contingent of SLE patients. Medical records of 495 patients were evaluated. Rheumatoid factor serum concentration was tested in 206 of them (41.6%) using turbidimetry technique. Clinical manifestations, routine laboratory parameters, specific immunological tests, disease activity (SLEDAI-2K), and damage indices (SLICC/ACR DI) were evaluated. Results: Our study revealed that RF was elevated in 27.7% of patients. The RF-positive patients experienced a longer delay in SLE diagnosis (2.0 vs. 0.5 years, p = 0.046), less frequent kidney involvement (42.1% vs. 59.4%, p = 0.045) and fever (42.1% vs. 59.2%, p = 0.046), and more frequent lymphadenopathy (59.6% vs. 42.3%, p = 0.039) compared to RF-negative patients. Patients with RF positivity had higher levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and antinuclear antibody (ANA) titer, and were more frequently positive for antibodies to Ro/SSA and La/SSB. Rheumatoid factor concentration directly correlated with CRP (r = 0.318; p < 0.01) and ESR (r = 0.228; p = 0.04) levels. However, no associations were found between RF levels and SLEDAI-2K, joint involvement frequency, SLICC/ACR DI or drug therapy content. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that RF positivity was independently associated with lymphadenopathy, presence of anti-Ro/SSA and anti-La/SSB antibodies, and negatively associated with kidney involvement. Conclusions: In RF-seropositive SLE patients (approximately 28%), the diagnosis is established later compared to RF-seronegative ones; kidney involvement and fever are less common, while lymphadenopathy develops more frequently. Rheumatoid factor seropositivity is associated with higher levels of ESR, CRP, ANA, and the presence of antibodies to Ro/SSA and La/SSB. According to the results of univariate logistic regression analysis, an independent association with RF positivity was confirmed only for kidney involvement, lymphadenopathy, and antibodies to Ro/SSA and La/SSB.

Evaluation of the Seegene AllplexTM RV Master Assay for One-Step Simultaneous Detection of Eight Respiratory Viruses in Nasopharyngeal Specimens.

BACKGROUND: The Seegene AllplexTM RV Master (RVM) assay is a one-step multiplex real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) system for detecting eight viral respiratory pathogens from nasopharyngeal swab, aspirate, and bronchoalveolar lavage specimens. The eight RVM targets are: severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), Influenza A (Flu A), Influenza B (Flu B), Human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenovirus (AdV), rhinovirus (HRV), parainfluenza virus (PIV), and metapneumovirus (MPV). The assay is based on Seegene's multiple detection temperature (MuDT) technology and provides cycle threshold (Ct) values for each of its viral targets upon PCR completion. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of the RVM assay by calculating sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), Positive Percent Agreement (PPA), Negative Percent Agreement (NPA), and Overall Percent Agreement (OPA) compared to definite diagnosis and analogous reference assays. STUDY DESIGN: Diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, and NPV were calculated by comparing the results of the RVM assay to that of definite diagnosis assays; while PPA, NPA, and OPA were calculated by comparing results of the RVM assay to that of analogous reference products. Definite diagnosis and reference methods comprised whole genome sequencing and PCR genotyping, the AllplexTM SARS-CoV-2/FluA/FluB/RSV and Respiratory Panels 1, 2, and 3 assays (Seegene), and the Xpert® Xpress SARS-CoV-2/FluA/FluB/RSV Plus assay (Cepheid). Reproducibility of the RVM assay using fully-automated and semi-automated nucleic acid (NA) extraction workflows and as performed by independent operators was also assessed. In total, 249 positive respiratory specimens and at least 50 negative specimens for each target tested were used for this evaluation study. RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV, NPV, PPA, NPA, and OPA ranged from 95.7% to 100% for detecting all eight targets tested on the RVM assay. Reproducibility PPA, NPA, and OPA between automated and semi-automated NA extraction workflows were all >97.9%, while the reproducibility PPA, NPA and OPA between independent operators were all 100%. CONCLUSION: These results demon6strate a high level of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and diagnostic predictive value of the RVM assay and high agreement with comparable reference assays in identifying all eight of its targets. Taken together, our study underscores the diagnostic utility of the RVM assay in detecting eight viral respiratory pathogens.

Environmental DNA sheds new insight on molecular adaptation of foraminifera to temperature from laboratory-controlled culture experiment.

Foraminifera is the most important temperature proxy of the ocean on long time scales. However, the absence of temperature-controlled experiments at different water depths hinders the advancement of paleotemperature reconstruction with foraminifera from the continental shelf. For the first time, this study investigated the response of benthic foraminifera to temperature change using microcosm culture and metabarcoding. Foraminiferal communities from three continental stations at varying water depths (6.0, 9.2, and 26.0 m) were cultured under five temperature gradients (6, 12, 18, 24, and 30°C), with each treatment performed in triplicate. The foraminifera were fed with microalgae every 4 days, and the filtered seawater (through 0.22 µm pores), acting as a medium, was changed accordingly. The experiment lasted for 80 days, and 47 DNA samples were obtained and analyzed, including three in situ samples. The results showed that foraminifera adjusted its growth rate within the low-temperature range and adopted an r-strategy to cope with high-temperature stress. In addition, the foraminifera from deeper water stations exhibited a pronounced vulnerability to diminishing read counts. The read counts, operational taxonomic units (OTU) counts and Margalef index of foraminifera and the read counts of Rotaliida exhibited a remarkably positive correlation with temperature. The recommended relationships were described as read counts = 1314.75*T + 44754.51; OTU counts = 1.13*T + 44.26; Margalef index =1.13*T + 44.26. This study established the first quantitative relationship between temperature and foraminifera molecular parameters that holds significant implications for long-time paleotemperature calibration in climate change.

Comparison of different ANCA detection methods in a predominantly MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis cohort.

We compared different antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) detection methods using a predominantly myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA-associated vasculitis cohort. Stored sera from 147 patients with untreated ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), including microscopic polyangiitis and granulomatosis with polyangiitis (n = 115 and 32, respectively), and 124 disease controls were tested for P-ANCA and C-ANCA with immunofluorescence (IIF), and for MPO-ANCA and proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA with different antigen-specific immunoassays: direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA), third-generation fluorescent enzyme immunoassay (FEIA), and latex turbidimetrical immunoassay (LTIA). In addition, MPO-ANCA and PR3-ANCA titers were calibrated using certified reference materials (CRMs). The sensitivities and specificities for AAV diagnoses were 95% and 94% (IIF), 86% and 98% (ELISA), 93% and 94% (CLEIA), 92% and 96% (FEIA), and 68% and 88% (LTIA). Dual IIF/antigen-specific immunoassay testing reduced diagnostic accuracies from 94% to 93%. The quantitative agreement between ANCA levels measured using CLEIA and FEIA and calibrated using CRMs was not good. In conclusion, this study demonstrated the high performance of antigen-specific immunoassays for AAV diagnosis in a predominantly MPO-ANCA-associated vasculitis cohort and suggested that the benefit of dual IIF/antigen-specific immunoassay testing is limited. Standardizing ANCA measurements using different immunoassays was difficult, even when using CRMs.

Enhanced laboratory surveillance of respiratory infection disclosed the rapid rise of enterovirus D68 cases, northern Italy, August to September 2024.

We report a considerable increase in enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) cases since July 2024, culminating in an ongoing outbreak of acute respiratory infections in northern Italy, accounting for nearly 90% of all enterovirus infections. The outbreak was identified by community- and hospital-based surveillance systems, detecting EV-D68 in individuals with mild-to-severe respiratory infections. These strains belonged to B3 and a divergent A2 lineage. An increase in adult cases was observed. Enhanced surveillance and molecular characterisation of EV-D68 across Europe are needed.

An experimental investigation of the effect of barrier trench on vibration propagation on a laboratory scale model.

Vibration waves caused by construction or mining operations may cause damage to nearby structures or sensitive machinery and equipment. Some measures are implemented to eliminate or reduce this negative environmental effect of vibration. The barrier trench, one of these methods, aims to reduce the vibration by creating a suitable barrier between the structure and the vibration source on the ground. In this study, the effect of trench depth and distance from the source on vibration waves was simulated with a designed laboratory-scale test set-up to determine the effective parameters in barrier trench use. In addition, the effects of the superimposition of the source vibration wave with the reflected and refracted vibration waves from the trench, which has not been previously discussed in the literature, were also investigated. A laboratory scale gypsum-plaster block with dimensions of 200 cm × 90 cm x 70 cm was prepared and a Schmidt hammer was used as the impact energy source to generate vibration throughout the gypsum block. A trench barrier was opened at different depths on the test block and 588 vibration recordings were taken by the vibration monitor in different locations of the designed set-up. Statistical analyses were performed using vibration measurement results, trench source distance, and trench depths. As a result, vibration estimation equations depending on trench depth and the distance between the vibration source point and the trench were developed and how the presence of trench affects vibration propagation is revealed. It was found that vibrations increase due to the superposition of the source and reflected waves in front of the barrier trench. As the barrier depth increases, it is understood that the vibrations emanating from the near-surface vibration energy source are better blocked by the barrier. Thus, this study provides fundamental information on designing barrier trenches to avoid adverse effects of vibrations.

Biochemical markers for prediction of the first half pregnancy losses: a review.

Objective: 26% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, and up to 10% of clinically diagnosed pregnancies, and recurrent pregnancy loss is 5% among couples of childbearing ages. Although there are several known causes of pregnancy loss in the first half, including recurrent pregnancy loss, including parental chromosomal abnormalities, uterine malformations, endocrinological disorders, and immunological abnormalities, about half of the cases of pregnancy loss in its first half remain unexplained. Methods: The review includes observational controlled studies (case-control or cohort, longitudinal studies, reviews, meta-analyses), which include the study of biochemical factors for predicting pregnancy losses in the first half, in singlet pregnancy. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) was used to assess the research quality. Results: Finally, 27 studies were included in the review, which has 134904 examined patients. The results of the review include estimates of ß-human chorionic gonadotropin, progesterone, pregnancy-associated protein - A, angiogenic vascular factors, estradiol, α-fetoprotein, homocysteine and CA-125 as a predictors or markers of the first half pregnancy losses. Conclusion: It may be concluded that to date, research data indicate the unavailability of any reliable biochemical marker for predicting pregnancy losses in its first half and require either a combination of them or comparison with clinical evidence. A fairly new model shall be considered for the assessment of α-fetoprotein in vaginal blood, which may have great prospects in predicting spontaneous miscarriages.