Diagnostic efficiency of [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 in differentiating periprosthetic hip joint infection and aseptic failure.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficiency of [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 in diagnosing periprosthetic hip joint infection and establish a diagnostic standard of clinical significance based on uptake pattern. METHODS: [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT was performed in patients with symptomatic hip arthroplasty from December 2019 to July 2022. The reference standard was based on the 2018 Evidence-Based and Validation Criteria. Two diagnostic criteria, SUVmax and uptake pattern, were used to diagnose PJI. Meanwhile, original data were imported into IKT-snap to draw the view of interest, A.K. was used to extract features of clinical cases, and unsupervised clustering analysis was applied according to the groups. RESULTS: A total of 103 patients were included, 28 of whom had PJI. The area under the curve of SUVmax was 0.898, which was better than that of all of the serological tests. The cutoff value of SUVmax was 7.53, and the sensitivity and specificity were 100 and 72%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the uptake pattern were 100, 93.1 and 95%, respectively. In radiomics analysis, the features of PJI were significantly different from those of aseptic failure. CONCLUSION: The efficiency of [68 Ga]Ga-DOTA-FAPI-04 PET/CT in diagnosing PJI showed promising results, and the diagnostic criteria of the uptake pattern were more clinically instructive. Radiomics also showed certain application prospects in the field of PJI. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Trial registration: ChiCTR2000041204. Registered 24 September 2019.

UGDAS: Unsupervised graph-network based denoiser for abstractive summarization in biomedical domain.

Abstractive summarization models can generate summary auto-regressively, but the quality is often impacted by the noise in the text. Learning cross-sentence relations is a crucial step in this task and the graph-based network is more effective to capture the sentence relationship. Moreover, knowledge is very important to distinguish the noise of the text in special domain. A novel model structure called UGDAS is proposed in this paper, which combines a sentence-level denoiser based on an unsupervised graph-network and an auto-regressive generator. It utilizes domain knowledge and sentence position information to denoise the original text and further improve the quality of generated summaries. We use the recently-introduced dataset CORD-19 (COVID-19 Open Research Dataset) on text summarization task, which contains large-scale data on coronaviruses. The experimental results show that our model achieves the SOTA (state-of-the-art) result on CORD-19 dataset and outperforms the related baseline models on the PubMed Abstract dataset.

Orange Pomace and Peel Extraction Processes towards Sustainable Utilization: A Short Review.

More than 58 million metric tonnes of oranges were produced in 2021, and the peels, which account for around one-fifth of the fruit weight, are often discarded as waste in the orange juice industry. Orange pomace and peels as wastes are used as a sustainable raw material to make valuable products for nutraceuticals. The orange peels and pomace contain pectin, phenolics, and limonene, which have been linked to various health benefits. Various green extraction methods, including supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2) extraction, subcritical water extraction (SWE), ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), are applied to valorize the orange peels and pomace. Therefore, this short review will give insight into the valorization of orange peels/pomace extraction using different extraction methods for health and wellness. This review extracts information from articles written in English and published from 2004 to 2022. The review also discusses orange production, bioactive compounds in orange peels/pomaces, green extractions, and potential uses in the food industry. Based on this review, the valorization of orange peels and pomaces can be carried out using green extraction methods with high quantities and qualities of extracts. Therefore, the extract can be used for health and wellness products.

How Important Is Temptation Spending? Maybe Less than We Thought.

Temptation plays a key role in theoretical work on spending and saving in developing countries. The limited empirical evidence on its importance, however, suggests that cash transfers do not induce increases in temptation spending. This paper expands the evidence base by studying the effect of randomized exposure to temptation on spending decisions in rural Malawi. Consistent with the cash transfer literature, a more tempting environment does not induce significant changes in temptation spending. However, the magnitudes of both temptation spending levels and the treatment effects are somewhat sensitive to the definition of temptation spending used. This paper examines the potential factors that may be driving these null results, and suggests that future research may find a limited role for temptation in the economic decisions of the poor.

Cigarette smoking as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes in women compared with men: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated the effect of smoking on type 2 diabetes in women compared with men, even though several epidemiological studies provided a clear picture of the risk among the entire population. METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed and Embase up to August 2017 for prospective studies that were stratified by sex with measures of the relative risk (RR) for type 2 diabetes and current smoking compared with non-smoking. The sex-specific RRs and their ratios (RRRs), comparing women with man, were pooled using random-effects models. RESULTS: Seventeen articles were identified including 20 prospective cohorts with 5 077 289 participants and 223 084 incident cases of type 2 diabetes. The pooled RRR suggested a similar risk of type 2 diabetes associated with smoking in women compared with men (RRR: 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.96-1.01). Furthermore, no significant sex difference in the RR was found between former smokers and those who had never smoked (RRR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.92-1.04). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this meta-analysis indicate that female smokers had similar risk of type 2 diabetes with male smokers.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Attenuates the Obesity Risk in Chinese Children Who Have Parents with Overweight/Obesity.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of parental weight status and offspring cardiorespiratory fitness on the risk of obesity among Chinese children. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Wuhan, China from May to June 2010. Children's height, weight, and waist circumference were measured for assessing their total and central obesity. Their cardiorespiratory fitness was determined by the 20-m shuttle-run test. We calculated parental body mass index according to self-reported height and weight, and divided it into normal weight or overweight/obesity. Multivariable logistic regression model was applied to estimate the combined relationships of cardiorespiratory fitness and parental weight status with the risk of obesity of children. RESULTS: A total of 587 Chinese children (343 boys and 244 girls) aged 9.6 (0.7) years participated in this study. Compared with those who had low cardiorespiratory fitness and at least 1 parent with overweight/obesity, children who had high cardiorespiratory fitness and at least 1 parent with overweight/obesity reported lower risks of total obesity (OR 0.12, 95% CI .05-0.30) and central obesity (OR .09, 95% CI .04-0.20), and children who had high cardiorespiratory fitness and no parent with overweight/obesity were 89% (OR 0.11, 95% CI .05-0.24) less likely to have total obesity and 92% (OR .08, 95% CI .04-0.16) less likely to have central obesity (all P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: High level of cardiorespiratory fitness among children could attenuate the influence of parental obesity on their offspring's weight status.

Effects of pyrene exposure on immune response and oxidative stress in the pearl oyster, Pinctada martensii.

Pyrene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) commonly observed in aquatic ecosystems, which originates primarily from the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels and the use of petroleum compounds. Pyrene can cause the immune disturbance and oxidative stress, result in immunotoxicity, DNA damage, reduce reproduction significantly, and induce behavioral changes. Marine bivalves are commonly used as bioindicators for marine pollution, and hemolymph is a metabolite transfer medium for PAH pollutant. However, the vital immune indicator responses of pearl oyster Pinctada martensii hemolymph exposed to pyrene is still unclear. Thus, the immunotoxic responses of pyrene on the hemolymph of the Pinctada martensii were investigated in this study. After exposure to pyrene for 7 days, the total number of hemocytes (THC), cell membrane stability (CMS), phagocytic activity (PA) and total glutathione (GSHT) all decreased significantly. Pyrene also caused a significant increase in lipid peroxidation (LPO). Median effective concentrations (EC50) of pyrene on THC (4.5 µg L-1) and LPO (5.2 µg L-1) were lower than those for CMS (13.8 µg L-1), PA (12.1 µg L-1) and GSHT (7.2 µg L-1), which indicates that THC and LPO were more sensitive. Additionally, a clear dose-effect relationship indicated that pyrene stimulated a marked immune response, as well as oxidative stress in P. martensii, which demonstrates the subtle effects of pyrene exposure on marine invertebrates and the potential associated risk.

Comparison of 18F-FDG PET/CT and 18F-DOTATATE PET/CT in the diagnosis of multiple metastases in rectal neuroendocrine neoplasms.

This case report describes a 62-year-old male with a notable medical history, including surgically treated bladder cancer and the suspicion of metastatic disease. He underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging as part of the initial diagnostic workup, which identified several marginally hypodense hepatic lesions. These lesions exhibited metabolic activity that was slightly lower than the surrounding hepatic parenchyma, raising concerns for metastatic involvement. Subsequent 18F-DOTATATE PET/CT imaging significantly expanded the diagnostic perspective by identifying multiple somatostatin receptor (SSTR)-positive lesions, not only in the liver but also in lymph nodes and bones. This marked an important diagnostic advancement over the initial FDG PET/CT findings, showcasing the superior sensitivity of 18F-DOTATATE PET/CT in detecting SSTR-expressing tumors. Pathological evaluation after these imaging studies confirmed the diagnosis of a rectal neuroendocrine tumor (NET) with extensive hepatic metastasis, altering the clinical management and therapeutic approach for the patient. This case underscores the pivotal role of integrating 18F-DOTATATE and FDG PET/CT in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of neuroendocrine tumors, highlighting the complementary nature of these imaging modalities. The findings advocate for the use of 18F-DOTATATE PET/CT in cases where NETs are suspected, particularly for its enhanced sensitivity in detecting SSTR-positive lesions across various sites, thereby facilitating a more comprehensive disease assessment and informed therapeutic planning.

Efficacy, safety and mechanism of Simiaoyongan decoction in the treatment of carotid atherosclerotic plaque: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic inflammation is the major pathological feature of Atherosclerosis(As). Inflammation may accelerate plaque to develop, which is a key factor resulting in the thinning of the fibrous cap and the vulnerable rupture of plaque. Presently, clinical treatments are still lacking. It is necessary to find a safe and effective treatment for As inflammation. Simiaoyongan Decoction (SMYA) has potential anti-inflammatory and plaque protection effects. This protocol aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and mechanism of SMYA for patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaque. METHODS/DESIGN: The assessment of SMYA clinical trial is designed as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The sample size is 86 cases in total, with 43 participants in the intervention group and the control group respectively. The intervention group takes SMYA, while the control group takes SMYA placebo. The medication lasts for 14 days every 10 weeks, with a total of 50 weeks. We will use carotid artery high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) to measure plaque. The plaque minimum fiber cap thickness (PMFCT) is adopted as the primary outcome. The secondary outcomes include plaque fiber cap volume, volume percentage of fiber cap, lipid-rich necrotic core (LRNC) volume, volume percentage of LRNC, internal bleeding volume of plaque, internal bleeding volume percentage of plaque, plaque calcification volume, volume percentage of plaque calcification, lumen stenosis rate, average and a maximum of vessel wall thickness, vessel wall volume, total vessel wall load, carotid atherosclerosis score, hs-CRP, IL-1ß and IL-6, the level of lipid profiles and blood glucose, blood pressure, and body weight. DISCUSSION: We anticipate that patients with As plaque will be improved from SMYA by inhibiting inflammation to enhance plaque stability. This study analyzes plaque by using HR-MRI to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of SMYA. Moreover, we conduct transcriptome analysis, proteomic analysis, and metagenomic analysis of blood and stool of participants to study the mechanism of SMYA against As plaque. This is the first prospective TCM trial to observe and treat As plaque by inhibiting inflammatory reaction directly. If successful, the finding will be valuable in the treatment of As plaque and drug development, especially in the "statin era". TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: This trial is registered on Chinese Clinical Trials.gov with number ChiCTR2000039062 on October 15, 2020 ( http://www.chictr.org.cn ).

The role of exogenous hydrogen sulfide in mitigating cadmium toxicity in plants: A comprehensive meta-analysis.

Reducing the accumulation of cadmium (Cd) and mitigating its toxicity are pivotal strategies for addressing Cd pollution's threats to agriculture and human health. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) serves as a signaling molecule, playing a crucial role in plant stress defense mechanisms. Nevertheless, a comprehensive assessment of the impact of exogenous H2S on plant growth, antioxidant properties, and gene expression under Cd stress remains lacking. In this meta-analysis, we synthesized 575 observations from 27 articles, revealing that exogenous H2S significantly alleviates Cd-induced growth inhibition in plants. Specifically, it enhances root length (by 8.71%), plant height (by 15.67%), fresh weight (by 15.15%), dry weight (by 22.54%), and chlorophyll content (by 27.99%) under Cd stress conditions. H2S boosts antioxidant enzyme activity, particularly catalase (CAT), by 39.51%, thereby reducing Cd-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation. Moreover, it impedes Cd translocation from roots to shoots, resulting in a substantial 40.19% reduction in stem Cd content. Additionally, H2S influences gene expression in pathways associated with antioxidant enzymes, metal transport, heavy metal tolerance, H2S biosynthesis, and energy metabolism. However, the efficacy of exogenous H2S in alleviating Cd toxicity varies depending on factors such as plant species, concentration of the H2S donor sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), application method, and cultivation techniques. Notably, NaHS concentrations exceeding 200 µM may adversely affect plants. Overall, our study underscores the role of exogenous H2S in mitigating Cd toxicity and elucidates its mechanism, providing insights for utilizing H2S to combat Cd pollution in agriculture.

Insulin attenuates LPS-induced cognitive impairment and ferroptosis through regulation of glucose metabolism in hippocampus.

AIMS: Neuroinflammation is a recognized contributor to cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease, with ferroptosis emerging as a novel mechanism underlying cognitive dysfunction associated with neuroinflammation. Insulin, pivotal in the central nervous system, holds promise for cognitive function enhancement. This study aimed to establish a cognitive impairment model through intracerebroventricular injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and explore the impact of intracerebroventricular insulin injection on cognitive function in mice. METHODS: We employed diverse experimental techniques, including animal behavior testing, molecular assays, targeted metabolomics, nuclear medicine, and electron microscopy, to assess neurodegenerative changes, brain insulin resistance (IR), glucose uptake and metabolism, and ferroptosis. The model of cognitive impairment was induced via intracerebroventricular injection of LPS, followed by intracerebroventricular administration of insulin to evaluate its effects. RESULTS: Insulin treatment effectively mitigated LPS-induced cognitive decline and safeguarded against neuronal degeneration. Furthermore, insulin alleviated LPS-induced insulin resistance, enhanced glucose uptake in the hippocampus, and promoted the Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) production. Additionally, insulin activated the glutathione (GSH)-glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) pathway, reducing lipid peroxidation, and mitochondrial damage characteristic of LPS-induced ferroptosis in the hippocampus. CONCLUSION: Our findings underscore the therapeutic potential of insulin in alleviating LPS-induced cognitive impairment and ferroptosis by modulating glucose metabolism. This study offers a promising avenue for future interventions targeting cognitive decline.

Comparative efficacy of Chinese patent medicines in patients with carotid atherosclerotic plaque: a Bayesian network meta- analysis.

BACKGROUND: Traditional Chinese patent medicines (TCPMs) have been widely used to treat carotid atherosclerotic plaque (CAP) in China. However, systematic evaluation of the clinical efficacy of TCPMs for CAP is still unknown, and the comparative efficacy of different TCPMs is unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to compare and rank the effectiveness and safety of different TCPMs in treating CAP using a Bayesian network meta- analysis (NMA). METHODS: This NMA was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta- Analyses (PRISMA) Extension Statement. Eight databases were searched from their inception to August 2023 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The articles regarding eligibility and extracted data were screened independently by two authors. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to evaluate quality and bias. The change of carotid artery intimal- medial thickness (IMT), carotid maximal plaque area, carotid atherosclerotic plaque Course score, serum lipid levels, CRP, and adverse events rate (AER) were used as outcomes. Data from each RCTs were first pooled using random- effect pairwise meta- analyses and illustrated as odds ratios (ORs) or standardized mean differences (SMDs) with 95% confidence interval (CI). NMAs were performed using Stata17.0 software and the GeMTC package of R software to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of TCPMs, and displayed as ORs or SMDs with 95% CI. A Bayesian hierarchical random- effects model was used to conduct NMAs using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm. The GRADE partially contextualised framework was applied for NMA result interpretation. RESULTS: NMA included 27 RCT trials with 4131 patients and nine types of TCPMs. Pairwise meta- analyses indicated that Conventional Western medicine (CWM) + TCPM was superior to CWM in reducing the IMT (SMD: - 1.26; 95% CI - 1.59 to - 0.93), the carotid maximal plaque area (SMD - 1.27; 95% CI - 1.71, - 0.82) and the carotid atherosclerotic plaque Course score (SMD - 0.72; 95% CI 95% CI - 1.20, - 0.25). NMAs demonstrated that CWM + Jiangzhiling pill (JZL) with SUCRA 70.6% exhibited the highest effective intervention for reducing IMT. CWM + SXBX (Shexiang baoxin pill) was superior to other TCPMs in reducing the carotid maximal plaque area (83.0%), the atherosclerotic plaque Course score (92.5%), TC (95.6%) and LDL (92.6%) levels. CWM + NXT (Naoxintong capsule), CWM + XS (Xiaoshuang granules/enteric capsule), and CWM + ZBT (Zhibitai) were superior to other CPMs in improving TG (90.1%), HDL (86.1%), and CRP (92.6%), respectively. No serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSIONS: For CAP patients, CWM + XSBX was among the most effective in reducing carotid maximal plaque area, atherosclerotic plaque Course score, TC and LDL levels, and CWM + JZL was the most effective in reducing IMT. Overall, CWM + XSBX may be considered an effective intervention for the treatment of CAP. This study provides reference and evidence for the clinical optimization of TCPM selection in CAP treatment. More adequately powered, well- designed clinical trials to increase the quality of the available evidence are still needed in the future due to several limitations.

Insulin alleviates lipopolysaccharide-induced cognitive impairment via inhibiting neuroinflammation and ferroptosis.

Neuroinflammation is regarded to be a key mediator in cerebral diseases with attendant cognitive decline. Ferroptosis, characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, participates in neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment. Recent studies have revealed insulin's neuroprotective effects and involvement in the regulation of numerous central functions. But the effect of insulin on cognitive impairment induced by neuroinflammation has been rarely explored. In this study, we constructed a cognitive impairment model by intracerebroventricular injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and a single dosage of insulin was mixed in the LPS solution to explore the potential mechanisms through which insulin treatment could improve LPS-induced cognitive dysfunction. At 24 h after treatment, we found that insulin treatment significantly improved LPS-induced cognitive decline, neuronal injuries, and blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Insulin treatment could also inhibit the LPS-induced activation of microglia and astrocytes, and the release of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) in the hippocampus. Furthermore, insulin treatment inhibited LPS-induced ferroptosis in the hippocampus by decreasing iron accumulation levels, regulating ferroptosis-related proteins including transferrin, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4), ferritin heavy chin 1 (FTH1) and cystine/glutamate antiporter (xCT), inhibiting oxidative stress injuries and lipid peroxidation in the hippocampus. In conclusion, our finding that insulin treatment could alleviate LPS-induced cognitive impairment by inhibiting neuroinflammation and ferroptosis provides a new potential therapeutic method to ameliorate cognitive decline.

Concentration ciguatoxins in fillet of fish: A global systematic review and meta-analysis.

In the current study, an attempt was made to meta-analyze and discuss the concentration of ciguatoxins (CTXs) in fillets of fish based on country and water resources subgroups. The search was conducted in Scopus and PubMed, Embase and Web of Science to retrieve papers about the concentration of CTXs in fillet fish until July 2022. Meta-analysis concentration of CTXs was conducted based on countries and water resources subgroups in the random effects model (REM). The sort of countries based on the pooled concentration of CTXs was Kiribati (3.904 µg/kg) > Vietnam (1.880 µg/kg) > Macaronesia (1.400 µg/kg) > French (1.261 µg/kg) > China (0.674 µg/kg) > Japan (0.572 µg/kg) > USA (0.463 µg/kg) > Spain (0.224 µg/kg) > UK (0.170 µg/kg) > Fiji (0.162 µg/kg) > Mexico (0.150 µg/kg) > Australia (0.138 µg/kg) > Portugal (0.011 µg/kg). CTXs concentrations in all countries are higher than the safe limits of CTX1C (0.1 µg/kg). However, based on the safe limits of CTX1P, the concentrations of CTXs in just Portugal meet the regulation level (0.01 µg/kg). The minimum and maximum concentrations of CTXs were as observed in Selvagens Islands (0.011 µg/kg) and St Barthelemy (7.875 µg/kg) respectively. CTXs concentrations in all water resources are higher than safe limits of CTX1C (0.1 µg/kg) and CTX1B (0.01 µg/kg). Therefore, it is recommended to carry out continuous control pans of CTXs concentration in fish in different countries and water sources.

Cottonseed oil alleviates ischemic stroke injury by inhibiting ferroptosis.

INTRODUCTION: Ferroptosis has recently been recognized as a new cause of ischemia reperfusion injury due to blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption followed by secondary iron-loaded transferrin (TF) influx. As a novel and independent cell death pathway, ferroptosis was characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, decline of GSH, GPX4, and shrinking mitochondria. Cottonseed oil (CSO), a liposoluble solvent, can alleviate ischemia stroke injuries and oxidative stress. However, the effect of CSO on ischemic stroke-induced ferroptosis has not been explored. In this study, we investigated the effect of CSO on ferroptosis caused by cerebral ischemic injury in rats. METHODS: We conducted the subcutaneous injection of 1.3 mL/kg CSO every other day for 3 weeks on rats with middle cerebral artery occlusion-reperfusion (MCAO-R) injury. We used Garcia Test, TTC staining, HE, Nissl and NeuN staining, Evans blue test, 68 Ga-citrate PET, Western blot, immunofluorescence staining, Elisa kits, and transmission electron microscopy to detect the infarct volume, neural injuries, and ferroptosis-related indexes. RESULTS: CSO treatment could significantly ameliorate MCAO-R-induced neurological dysfunction in a male rat model. Furthermore, it reduced infarct volume and neuronal injuries; protected BBB integrity; reduced the influx of iron ion, TF, and TF receptors; up-regulated anti-ferroptosis proteins (GPX4, xCT, HO1, FTH1), while down-regulating ferroptosis-related protein ACSL4; increased the activity of GSH and SOD; and decreased MDA and LPO levels. Mitochondrial destruction induced by ischemic stroke was also alleviated by CSO treatment. CONCLUSION: CSO treatment can alleviate ischemic stroke injury via ferroptosis inhibition, which provides a new potential therapeutic mechanism for CSO neuroprotection against ischemic stroke.

Development of indirect competitive fluorescence immunoassay for 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether using DNA/dye conjugate as antibody multiple labels.

An indirect competitive fluorescence immunoassay using a DNA/dye conjugate as antibody multiple labels was developed on 96-well plates for the identification and quantification of 2,2',4,4'-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) in aqueous samples. A hapten, 2,4,2'-tribromodiphenyl ether-4'-aldehyde, was synthesized, and was conjugated to bovine serum albumin to form a coating antigen. Specific recognition of the antigen by anti-PBDE antiserum was confirmed by a surface plasmon resonance measurement. In the immunoassay, the coating antigen was adsorbed on a 96-well plate first, and a sample, antiserum and biotinylated goat anti-rabbit secondary antibody were then added and reacted sequentially. A biotinylated, double-stranded DNA with 219 base pairs was attached to the secondary antibody by using streptavidin as a molecular bridge. In situ multiple labeling of the antibody was accomplished after addition of a DNA-binding fluorescent dye, SYBR Green I. The working range of the immunoassay for the BDE-47 standard was 3.1-390 microg/L, with an IC50 value of 15.6 microg/L. The calculated LOD of the immunoassay is 0.73 microg/L. The immunoassay demonstrated relatively high selectivity for BDE-47, showing very low cross-reactivity (< 3%) with BDE-15, BDE-153 and BDE-209. With a spiked river water sample containing 50 microg/L BDE-47, quantification by the immunoassay was 41.9 microg/L, which compared well with the standard GC-ECD method (45.7 microg/L). The developed immunoassay provides a rapid screening tool for polybrominated diphenyl ethers in environmental samples.

Using 18F-flurodeoxyglucose and 68Ga-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor PET/CT to evaluate a new periprosthetic joint infection model of rabbit due to Staphylococcus aureus.

PURPOSE: The existing periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) models have obvious limitations, and studies of PJI on animal models using PET/computed tomography (CT) for diagnosis are still lacking. Thus, the aim of this study was to establish a new PJI model and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and 68Ga-fibroblast activation protein inhibitor (FAPI) were employed to study their performance. METHODS: A novel PJI model of rabbit was developed by placing two screws in the tibia and femur. Based on bacteria concentration, the animals were divided into five groups, control, 104, 105, 106 and 107. 18F-FDG and 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT were performed continuously in next 2 weeks and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUVmean), metabolic target volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis/total lesion fibrosis were calculated as the metrics. RESULTS: As for SUVmax, all data of 18F-FDG were larger than that of 68Ga-FAPI in the same group for both weeks. For the performance of 18F-FDG, no definitive conclusion could be drawn for SUVmax and SUVmean. As for 68Ga-FAPI, the 104 group was significantly larger than 105, 106 and 107 groups for SUVmax and SUVmean in both weeks (P < 0.05). MTV of 68Ga-FAPI was found to be almost always larger than that of 18F-FDG in the same group. CONCLUSION: The mechanism of 68Ga-FAPI is totally different from 18F-FDG and this unique property of 68Ga-FAPI shows a promising prospect in detecting infection boundary and may even distinguish a small number or a large number of bacterial infections.

Different uptake patterns of 68Ga-FAPI in aseptic loosening and periprosthetic joint infection of hip arthroplasty: A case series and literature review.

Background: The diagnosis of a periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is always a difficult point in research on the surgery of joints. The current diagnostic criteria include a comprehensive analysis of multiple tests; however, there are no effective visual examinations yet that can differentiate between aseptic loosening and the PJI. Case presentation: This case report describes four patients with symptomatic total hip arthroplasty (THA), two cases of loosening and two cases of infection. Although the four cases were correctly diagnosed by the tissue culture, preoperative tests and pathological examination could not effectively distinguish an infection from a non-infection. Based on a preclinical study and theoretical feasibility, gallium-68 (68Ga)-labeled fibroblast activation protein inhibitor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (68Ga-FAPI PET/CT) was performed. Through 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT scanning, not only were the causes diagnosed correctly but the lesions were also located. Conclusion: When the lesion is located between the bone and the prosthesis, 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT could differentiate aseptic loosening from periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). 68Ga-FAPI PET/CT has clear advantages over routine examinations and has a prospective application in detecting PJI.

Performance characteristics of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose in non-infected hip replacement.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to retrospectively analyze 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/ computed tomography (CT) images of non-infected hip arthroplasty patients and summarize findings that may be useful for clinical practice. Methods: 18F-FDG PET/CT images of non-infected hip arthroplasty patients were collected from September 2009 to August 2021. The region of interest was independently delineated by two physicians and maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) were recorded and compared. Serologic data were also collected and the correlation between SUVmax and serologic parameters was analyzed, while the images were classified based on the 18F-FDG uptake pattern in the images using the diagnostic criteria proposed by Reinartz et al. (9). The interval between hip replacement and PET/CT was classified by year and the characteristics of the two groups were compared. The images of patients who underwent PET/CT multiple times were analyzed dynamically. Results: A total of 121 examinations were included; six patients underwent PET/CT twice and two patients had three scans. There were no significant correlations between SUVmax and serologic results. The interobserver agreement between the two physicians in the classification according to the criteria of Reinartz et al. (9) was 0.957 (P < 0.005). Although there was non-specific uptake in cases with an arthroplasty-to-PET/CT interval this was non-significant. Additionally, 18F-FDG showed potential utility for dynamic observation of the condition of the hip. Conclusion: SUVmax provided information independent of serologic results, meanwhile 18F-FDG showed potential applicability to the dynamic monitoring of hip arthroplasty-related diseases. However, the presence of blood vessels and muscles affected image interpretation and the specificity of 18F-FDG was not optimal. A more specific radionuclide is needed to maximize the benefits of using PET/CT for the assessment of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI).