High-performance electrosorption of lanthanum ion by Mn3O4-loaded phosphorus-doped porous carbon electrodes via capacitive deionization.

Transition-metal-oxide@heteroatom doped porous carbon composites have attracted considerable research interest because of their large theoretical adsorption capacity, excellent electrical conductivity and well-developed pore structure. Herein, Mn3O4-loaded phosphorus-doped porous carbon composites (Mn3O4@PC-900) were designed and fabricated for the electrosorption of La3+ in aqueous solutions. Due to the synergistic effect between Mn3O4 and PC-900, and the active sites provided by Mn-O-Mn, C/PO, C-P-O and Mn-OH, Mn3O4@PC-900 exhibits high electrosorption performance. The electrosorption value of Mn3O4@PC-900 was 45.34% higher than that of PC-900, reaching 93.02 mg g-1. Moreover, the adsorption selectivity reached 87.93% and 89.27% in La3+/Ca2+ and La3+/Na+ coexistence system, respectively. After 15 adsorption-desorption cycles, its adsorption capacity and retention rate were 50.34 mg g-1 and 54.12%, respectively. The electrosorption process is that La3+ first accesses the pores of Mn3O4@PC-900 to generate an electric double layer (EDL), and then undergoes further Faradaic reaction with Mn3O4 and phosphorus-containing functional groups through intercalation, surface adsorption and complexation. This work is hoped to offer a new idea for exploring transition-metal-oxide @ heteroatom doped porous carbon composites for separation and recovery of rare earth elements (REEs) by capacitive deionization.

Ten-year trends in surgical management of 1207 congenital scoliosis.

PURPOSE: To report and analyze development trends in the surgical treatment of congenital scoliosis (CS) in a large CS cohort over a 10-year period. METHODS: We retrospectively searched and extracted medical records of CS inpatients receiving posterior instrumented fusion surgery at our institute from January 2010 to December 2019. We analyzed information on demographics and surgical information, including the surgical approach, number of fused segments, use of osteotomy and titanium cage implantation, length of stay, intraoperative blood loss, and rates of complications and readmission. RESULTS: 1207 CS inpatients were included. In the past decade, the proportion of patients younger than 5 years increased from 15.5 to 26.9%. The average number of fused segments decreased from 9.24 to 7.48, and the proportion of patients treated with short-segment fusion increased from 13.4 to 30.3%. The proportion of patients treated with osteotomy and titanium cage implantation increased from 55.65% and 12.03% to 76.5% and 40.22%. The average length of stay and blood loss decreased from 16.5 days and 816.1 ml to 13.5 days and 501.7 ml. The complication and readmission rates also decreased during these ten years. CONCLUSION: During this ten-year period, the surgical treatment of CS at our institute showed trends toward a younger age at fusion, lower number of fused segments, higher rate of osteotomy and titanium cage implantation, reduced blood loss, shorter length of stay and lower rate complications and readmission. These results suggest performing osteotomy combined with titanium cage implantation at an earlier age can achieve fewer fused segments and complications.

Diagnostic yield and clinical impact of exome sequencing in early-onset scoliosis (EOS).

BACKGROUND: Early-onset scoliosis (EOS), defined by an onset age of scoliosis less than 10 years, conveys significant health risk to affected children. Identification of the molecular aetiology underlying patients with EOS could provide valuable information for both clinical management and prenatal screening. METHODS: In this study, we consecutively recruited a cohort of 447 Chinese patients with operative EOS. We performed exome sequencing (ES) screening on these individuals and their available family members (totaling 670 subjects). Another cohort of 13 patients with idiopathic early-onset scoliosis (IEOS) from the USA who underwent ES was also recruited. RESULTS: After ES data processing and variant interpretation, we detected molecular diagnostic variants in 92 out of 447 (20.6%) Chinese patients with EOS, including 8 patients with molecular confirmation of their clinical diagnosis and 84 patients with molecular diagnoses of previously unrecognised diseases underlying scoliosis. One out of 13 patients with IEOS from the US cohort was molecularly diagnosed. The age at presentation, the number of organ systems involved and the Cobb angle were the three top features predictive of a molecular diagnosis. CONCLUSION: ES enabled the molecular diagnosis/classification of patients with EOS. Specific clinical features/feature pairs are able to indicate the likelihood of gaining a molecular diagnosis through ES.

Cross-sectional analysis of associated anomalies and vertebral anomaly location in 1289 surgical congenital scoliosis.

PURPOSE: This study systematically analyzed and assessed the interrelationships among vertebral anomaly location, congenital scoliosis (CS) type and associated abnormality prevalence. METHODS: We retrospectively extracted medical records of 1289 CS inpatients surgically treated in our institute from January 2010-December 2019. All patients underwent spinal X-ray, CT, MRI, echocardiogram, urogenital ultrasound and systemic physical examination. We analyzed information on demographics, CS type, associated anomalies and vertebral anomaly location. RESULTS: Cervical, thoracic and lumbar vertebral anomalies were found in 5.7%, 78.1% and 33.6% of patients, respectively. 82.7% had one region involved. 59.5% with cervical malformations had mixed defects and 61.1% with lumbar malformations exhibited failure of formation. The musculoskeletal defect prevalence was 28.4%, 19.1% and 9.0% in patients with cervical, thoracic and lumbar anomalies. The intraspinal defect prevalence was 33.4% and 20.7% for thoracic and lumbar anomalies. 86.5% of patients with cervical anomalies had more than one region involved, while 78.1% and 62.2% with thoracic and lumbar anomalies, respectively, had only one region involved. CONCLUSIONS: Cervical malformations had higher prevalence of mixed defects, musculoskeletal and intraspinal defects and multi-region involved. Thoracic malformations had higher prevalence of intraspinal and musculoskeletal defects and more involvement of only one vertebral region. Lumbar vertebral malformation patients had much lower prevalence of intraspinal and musculoskeletal defects and more involvement of only one vertebral region. Cervical malformation was a risk factor for more associated anomalies and more severe vertebral anomalies, which deserves more attention from surgeons in outpatient clinic.

Older fusion-surgery age in congenital scoliosis patients is a risk factor for extended length of stay, more estimated blood loss, longer fused segments and higher medical costs: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Contradictory opinions about whether early correction and fusion surgeries should be performed for congenital scoliosis (CS) patients at a young age exist. The objectives of this study were to analyze the association between patient characteristics and fusion-surgery outcomes in CS patients treated with spinal correction and fusion surgeries and to report risk factors for extended length of stay (LOS), more estimated blood loss (EBL), longer fused segments and higher medical costs. METHODS: We analyzed data of 1,207 CS inpatients treated with fusion surgeries in our institute from January 2010 - December 2019. All patients underwent spinal X-ray, CT, MRI, echocardiogram and urogenital ultrasound. We analyzed demographic and clinical information and outcome measures, including LOS, EBL, fused segments and medical costs. RESULTS: Age at fusion (OR = 1.053; p < 0.001), musculoskeletal defects (OR = 1.670; p = 0.004) and thoracic deformity (OR = 1.519; p = 0.03) were risk factors for extended LOS. Age at fusion (OR = 1.117; p < 0.001), male sex (OR = 1.813; p < 0.001), mixed defects (OR = 1.662; p = 0.027) and failure of formation (OR = 1.718; p = 0.021) were risk factors for more EBL. Age at fusion (OR = 1.213; p < 0.001) was a risk factor for longer fused segments. Age at fusion (OR = 1.091; p < 0.001) and thoracic deformity (OR = 1.853; p = 0.004) were risk factors for higher medical costs. CONCLUSIONS: We found that older age at fusion in CS patients is a risk factor for extended LOS, more EBL, longer fused segments and higher medical costs with the risk increasing by 5-21 % for each year of age. Other identified risk factors include thoracic deformity for extended LOS; longer fused segments, higher medical costs, and musculoskeletal defects for extended LOS; and CS type (FF and MD) and sex (male) for more EBL.

The effect of pedicle subtraction osteotomy for the correction of severe Scheuermann thoracolumbar kyphosis on sagittal spinopelvic alignment.

PURPOSE: To analyze how pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) treatment of severe Scheuermann thoracolumbar kyphosis (STLK) using pedicle screw instrumentation affects sagittal spinopelvic parameters. BACKGROUND: The medical literature on the post-surgical effects of treatments such as Ponte osteotomy is limited, but suggests few effects on spinopelvic profiles. Currently, there is no research regarding changes in sagittal spinopelvic alignment upon PSO treatment in STLK patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study on 11 patients with severe STLK. These patients underwent posterior-only correction surgeries with PSO and pedicle screw instrumentation between 2012 to 2017 in a single institute. Patients were measured for the following spinopelvic parameters: global kyphosis (GK), thoracic kyphosis (TK), thoracolumbar kyphosis (TL), lumbar lordosis (LL), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tile (PT), sacral slope (SS), and administered a Scoliosis Research Society-22 questionnaire (SRS-22) pre-operation, post-operation and at final follow-up. RESULTS: GK improved from a median of 74.1° to 40.0° after surgery, achieving a correction rate of 48.8% with a median correction loss of 0.8°. TK, TL and LL all showed significant difference (P < 0.05) and SVA improved 22.7 (11.6, 30.9) mm post operation. No significant difference was found in pelvic parameters (PI, PT, SS, all P < 0.05). The absolute value of LL- PI significantly improved from a median of 26.5° pre-operation to 6.1° at the final follow-up. 72.7% in this series showed an evident trend of thoracic and lumbar apices migrating closer to ideal physiological segments after surgery. Self-reported scores of pain, self-image, and mental health from SRS-22 revealed significant improvement at final follow-up (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PSO treatment of severe STLK with pedicle screw instrumentation can improve spine alignment and help obtain a proper alignment of the spine and the pelvis.

Cross-sectional analysis and trend of vertebral and associated anomalies in Chinese congenital scoliosis population: a retrospective study of one thousand, two hundred and eighty nine surgical cases from 2010 to 2019.

PURPOSE: The objective of this article is to report associated anomaly incidences of a large CS cohort and analyze interrelationships among vertebral anomaly types and associated abnormalities. METHODS: We retrospectively searched and extracted medical records of 1289 CS inpatients surgically treated in our institute from January 2010 to December 2019. All patients have taken spine X-ray, CT, MRI, echocardiogram, urogenital ultrasound, and systemic physical examination. We analyzed information on demographics, CS types, and associated anomalies. RESULTS: CS type was found to be 49.1% for failure of formation (FF), 19.5% for failure of segmentation (FS), and 31.4% for mixed defects (MD). Intraspinal defects were found in 29.4% patients (16.0% for FF, 45.4% for FS, 40.5% for MD), cardiac in 13.7% (12.3% for FF, 14.3% for FS, 15.6% for MD), genitourinary in 5.8% (4.1% for FF, 6.0% for FS, 8.4% for MD), gastrointestinal in 3.6% (4.7% for FF, 1.6% for FS, 3.0% for MD), and musculoskeletal in 16.4% (10.3% for FF, 19.9% for FS, 23.7% for MD). The intraspinal and musculoskeletal defect incidences were significantly higher in patients with failure of segmentation and mixed defects. We also observed a decreasing trend for intraspinal and musculoskeletal defect incidences as well as a tendency for more failure of formation and less failure of segmentation from 2010 to 2019. CONCLUSIONS: The intraspinal and musculoskeletal defect incidences were higher in patients with failure of segmentation and mixed defects. Strong interrelationships were found between intraspinal and musculoskeletal defects and among cardiovascular, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal defects. From 2010 to 2019, the proportion of patients with failure of formation increased significantly, causing a decrease in the intraspinal and musculoskeletal defect incidences over time. Female sex, failure of segmentation, and mixed defects could be considered risk factors for more associated anomalies in CS individuals, which would help surgeons in medical management and prenatal consultation.

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG, Using Lanthanide-Doped Nanoparticles-Based Lateral Flow Immunoassay.

The outbreak of 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has been a challenge for hospital laboratories because of the huge number of samples that must be tested for the presence of the causative pathogen, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Simple and rapid immunodiagnostic methods are urgently needed to identify positive cases. Here we report the development of a rapid and sensitive lateral flow immunoassay (LFIA) that uses lanthanide-doped polysterene nanoparticles (LNPs) to detect anti-SARV-CoV-2 IgG in human serum. A recombinant nucleocapsid phosphoprotein of SARS-CoV-2 was dispensed onto a nitrocellulose membrane to capture specific IgG. Mouse anti-human IgG antibody was labeled with self-assembled LNPs that served as a fluorescent reporter. A 100-µL aliquot of serum samples (1:1000 dilution) was used for this assay and the whole detection process took 10 min. The results of the validation experiment met the requirements for clinical diagnostic reagents. A value of 0.0666 was defined as the cutoff value by assaying 51 normal samples. We tested 7 samples that were positive by reverse-transcription (RT-)PCR and 12 that were negative but clinically suspicious for the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG. One of the negative samples was determined to be SARS-CoV-2 IgG positive, while the results for the other samples were consistent with those obtained by RT-PCR. Thus, this assay can achieve rapid and sensitive detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG in human serum and allow positive identification in suspicious cases; it can also be useful for monitoring the progression COVID-19 and evaluating patients' response to treatment.

A time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for assessing rabies antibody titers in the sera of vaccinated human subjects.

Several studies have investigated the use of simple in vitro tests for the assessment of rabies antibody titers in serum samples from vaccinated human subjects, which would allow the effectiveness of rabies vaccination to be conveniently evaluated. To this end, a novel time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) for the assessment of rabies antibody titers was established in this study for evaluating the effectiveness of protection against rabies. The TRFIA had a satisfactory limit of detection value (0.035 IU/mL) under optimal conditions. Additionally, the application of the TRFIA was demonstrated in 68 serum samples with satisfactory results. The coefficient variations (CVs) were all <10%, and the recoveries were in the range of 90-110%. The correlation coefficient of titer values obtained using the present TRFIA and the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT) was 0.733, with a coincidence rate regarding the evaluation results (protected or not protected by vaccination) of 100%. The preliminary results confirmed that the TRFIA had a higher performance than an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and could potentially replace the ELISA. Based on these results, the novel TRFIA appears to be a convenient tool for the evaluation of rabies vaccination results based on serum samples from vaccinated human subjects.

Ultrasensitive Sensor Using Quantum Dots-Doped Polystyrene Nanospheres for Clinical Diagnostics of Low-Volume Serum Samples.

Development of sensitive homogeneous assays is a high-priority research target for clinical diagnostics. Quantum dots (QDs) present favorable photophysical properties, which implies their potential as an exceptional dye in fluorescence detection. QDs-based biosensors have been described in the literature; however, few of them have truly progressed to widespread clinical usage. In this work, a chemiluminescent homogeneous detecting biosensor is fabricated using QDs-doped polystyrene nanospheres to sensitively detect biomarkers in low-volume serum samples. Phthalocyanine-dyed and QDs-encapsulated carboxylate-functionalized polystyrene nanospheres with surface carboxyl groups (PPs and QPs, respectively) were fabricated and served as triggers and fluorescent probes, respectively, in this biosensing system. In this sandwich-format immunoassay, the PPs produced singlet oxygen once sensitized by 680 nm diode lasers, and the QPs, conjugated with antibodies, and then reacted with the singlet oxygen in the presence of specific antigens and emitted anti-Stokes fluorescence with wavelengths around 605 nm, as a result of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) within the QPs. We demonstrated the determination of carcinoembryonic antigen as a model protein target in 25 µL of serum samples with an unprecedented detection limit of 2.56 × 10-13 M (46 pg/mL) using this biosensor. Furthermore, excellent correlations ( R2 = 0.99718, n = 107) were obtained between utilizing this biosensor and commercialized chemiluminescence immunoassay kits in clinical serum detection. These results demonstrate that our flexible and reliable biosensor is suitable for direct integration into clinical diagnostics, and it is expected to be a promising diagnostic tool for early detection and screening tests as well as prognosis evaluation for patients.

Radiographic evaluation of posterior selective thoracolumbar or lumbar fusion for moderate Lenke 5C curves.

INTRODUCTION: Posterior selective thoracolumbar or lumbar (TL/L) fusion with pedicle screw constructs for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) has been studied in a few researches. However, few studies have discussed the indication for selective TL/L fusion and the behaviors of its adjacent disc angle. The present study aims to discuss the indication for posterior selective TL/L fusion and the behavior of the adjacent disc angle. METHODS: 45 consecutive cases of AIS undergoing posterior selective TL/L fusion were retrospectively evaluated, with an average follow-up of 36 months. Radiographs were reviewed to determine the coronal curve magnitude and the sagittal alignment preoperatively, postoperatively and at final follow-up. Thoracic curves in groups A had a correction loss of more than 5°, while thoracic curves in group B had a correction loss of not more than 5°. RESULTS: The coronal curve magnitude of the TL/L curve averaged 44° preoperatively and it was corrected to 6° immediately with a correction rate of 84.8 %. At final follow-up it was 9° with a correction loss of 3°. The minor thoracic curve was 26° preoperatively, and the convex side bending curve magnitude averaged 8° with a flexibility of 72.7 %. It was corrected to 13° immediately with a spontaneous correction of 48.5 %. At final follow-up it was 14° with a correction loss of 1°. UIVA decreased from 4° to 2° after surgery, and it was 2° at final follow-up. LIVA decreased from 7° to 4° after surgery, and it was 5° at final follow-up. Maximal correction of TL/L curves in group A is significantly less than that in group B. 1 patient received revision surgery to fuse the progressive thoracic curve. CONCLUSION: Posterior selective TL/L fusion with pedicle screw constructs allows for spontaneous thoracic correction and maintains coronal and sagittal balance during the follow-up. Maximal correction instead of undercorrection was recommended for moderate Lenke 5C curves. Disc wedging could be improved after surgery and well maintained during the follow-up.

A magnetic nanoparticle-based time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for determination of the cytokeratin 19 fragment in human serum.

A sensitive, rapid and novel measurement method for cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA 21-1) in human serum by magnetic particle-based time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) is described. Built on a sandwich-type immunoassay format, analytes in samples were captured by one monoclonal antibody coating onto the surface of magnetic beads and "sandwiched" by another monoclonal antibody labeled with europium chelates. The coefficient variations of the method were lower than 7%, and the recoveries were in the range of 90-110% for serum samples. The lower limit of quantitation of the present method for CYFRA 21-1 was 0.78 ng/ml. The correlation coefficient of CYFRA 21-1 values obtained by our novel TRFIA and CLIA was 0.980. The present novel TRFIA demonstrated high sensitivity, wider effective detection range and excellent reproducibility for determination of CYFRA 21-1 can be useful for early screening and prognosis evaluation of patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Development of a time-resolved fluorescence immunoassay for herpes simplex virus type 1 and type 2 IgG antibodies.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) specific for anti-HSV glycoprotein G (gG) are most commonly used in the clinical diagnosis of HSV infection. But most of them are qualitative and with narrow detection ranges. A novel time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TRFIA) methodology was developed for the quantitative determination of HSV IgG in human serum. The assay was based on an indirect immunoassay format, and performed in 96-well microtiter plates. HSV-1 and HSV-2 were used as the coating antigens. Eu(3+)-labeled goat anti-(human IgG) polyclonal antibodies were used as tracers. The fluorescence intensity of each well was measured and serum HSV IgG levels quantified against a calibration curve. The detection range of the novel TRFIA was between 5 and 500 AU/mL. Assay sensitivity was 0.568 AU/mL. The intra- and inter-assay coefficients of variation were 0.59-3.63% and 3.65-6.81%, respectively. Analytical recovery, dilution tests and serum panel tests were performed using TRFIA and the results proved satisfactory. There were no statistically significant differences in sensitivity and specificity between the TRFIA and commercial ELISAs. An effective, sensitive and accurate quantitative HSV type 1 and type 2 IgG TRFIA was successfully developed and provided diagnostic value in clinical use.

A rapid and sensitive method based on magnetic beads for the detection of hepatitis B virus surface antigen in human serum.

Current clinically assays, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and chemiluminescence immunoassay, for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) are inferior in terms of either sensitivity and accuracy or rapid and high-throughput analysis. A novel assay based on magnetic beads and time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay was developed for the quantitative determination of HBsAg in human serum. HBsAg was captured using two types of anti-HBsAg monoclonal antibodies (B028, S015) immobilized on to magnetic beads and detected using europium-labeled anti-HBsAg polyclonal detection antibody. Finally, the assay yielded a high sensitivity (0.02 IU/mL) and a wide dynamic range (0.02-700 IU/mL) for HBsAg when performed under optimal conditions. Satisfactory accuracy, recovery and specificity were also demonstrated. The intra- and interassay coefficients of variation were 4.7-8.7% and 3.8-7.5%, respectively. The performance of this assay was further assessed against a well-established commercial chemiluminescence immunoassay kit with 399 clinical serum samples. It was revealed that the test results for the two methods were in good correlation (Y = 1.182X - 0.017, R = 0.989). In the current study, we demonstrated that this novel time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay could be used: as a highly sensitive, automated and high-throughput immunoassay for the diagnosis of acute or chronic hepatitis B virus infection; for the screening of blood or organ donors; and for the surveillance of persons at risk of acquiring or transmitting hepatitis B virus.

Rapid and sensitive detection of heart-type fatty acid binding protein using aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles on digital microfluidics workstation.

Early and rapid diagnostic of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) during its developing stage is crucial due to its high fatality rate. Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (h-FABP) is an ideal biomarker for the quantitative diagnosis of AMI, surpassing traditional markers such as myoglobin, creatine phosphokinase-MB, and troponin in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and prognostic value. To obtain diagnostic and prognostic information, a precise and fully quantitative measurement of h-FABP is essential, typically achieved through an immunosorbent assay like the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Nevertheless, this method has several limitations, including extended detection time, complex assay procedures, the necessity for skilled technicians, and challenges in implementing automated detection. This research introduces a novel biosensor, utilizing aggregation-induced emission nanoparticles (AIENPs) and integrated with a digital microfluidic (DMF) workstation, designed for the sensitive, rapid, and automated detection of h-FABP in low-volume serum samples. AIENPs and magnetic beads in nanoscale were served as the capture particles and the fluorescent probe, which were linked covalently to anti-h-FABP antibodies respectively. The approach was based on a sandwich immunoassay and performed on a fully automated DMF workstation with assay time by 15 min. We demonstrated the determination of h-FABP in serum samples with detection limit of 0.14 ng/mL using this biosensor under optimal condition. Furthermore, excellent correlations (R2 = 0.9536, n = 50) were obtained between utilizing this biosensor and commercialized ELISA kits in clinical serum detecting. These results demonstrate that our flexible and reliable biosensor is suitable for direct integration into clinical diagnostics, and it is expected to be promising diagnostic tool for early detection and screening tests as well as prognosis evaluation for AMI patients.

ZIF-67 and Biomass-Derived N, S-Codoped Activated Carbon Composite Derivative for High-Effective Removal of Hydroquinone from Water.

Hydroquinone (HQ) in wastewater is of great concern, as it is harmful to human health and threatens the ecological environment. However, the existing adsorbents have low adsorption capacity for HQ. To improve the removal of HQ, N,S-codoped activated carbon-ZIF-67 (NSAC-ZIF-67@C) was synthesized in this study by in situ growth of ZIF-67 on N,S-codoped activated carbon (NSAC) and carbonization. The influence of pH, contact time, and initial concentration on the adsorption behaviors of NSAC-ZIF-67@C on HQ were investigated. Owing to the synergistic effect of abundant active sites and well-developed pore structure, the NSAC-ZIF-67@C achieved a prominent adsorption capacity of 962 mg·g-1 and can still retain high adsorption performance after 5 cycles for HQ, which is superior to that of reported other adsorbents. HQ adsorption follows the pseudo-second-order kinetics model (R2 = 0.99999) and the Freundlich isotherm model. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis before and after adsorption as well as density functional theory (DFT) calculation results showed that pyridinic-N-termini were conducive to the π-π interactions and hydrogen-bonding interactions. Therefore, the adsorption mechanisms of NSAC-ZIF-67@C on HQ involve pore filling, electrostatic attraction, π-π interaction, and hydrogen bonding. This study is expected to provide a reference for designing highly effective adsorbents for wastewater treatment.

Novel envelope protein time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay as an alternative in vitro potency assay for quality control of inactivated Japanese encephalitis virus vaccine.

Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccination is the most effective way to prevent JE. Plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) as the standard method for potency testing for inactivated JE vaccine could not provide the exact potency value. Envelope (E) protein of JE virus induces the body to create neutralizing antibodies. There is a potential for using the determination of E protein to assess the immunogenicity and efficacy of JE vaccine. In this study, an automatic time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay for detection of E protein in JE vaccine was established as a simple and rapid in vitro potency assay to complement PRNT, including the expression and paired screening of monoclonal antibodies, the establishment of assay method and performance verification. A pair of anti-E protein neutralizing antibodies (L022 and L034) were screened to construct the sandwich detection pattern. After pre-treating the vaccine sample, the entire analysis was performed using a fully automated machine, which had a little detection time and eliminated manual error. The results of the validation experiment met the requirements for quality control. The linear range was from 0.78125 U/mL to 25 U/mL, the sensitivity was 0.01 U/mL, the intra-assay coefficient of variation was less than 5 %, and the inter-assay coefficient of variation was less than 10 %. The recovery from the dilution was between 90 % and 110 %. This present TRFIA shown good stability and effectiveness in quality control for samples related to JE vaccine production. The outcomes demonstrated that the present TRFIA could be an alternative in vitro potency assay in quality control for inactivated JE vaccine.

Dual Growing Rods and the Apical Control Technique for Treating Congenital Early-Onset Scoliosis: Lessons Learned.

BACKGROUND: Congenital early-onset scoliosis (CEOS) is characterized by a spectrum of vertebral anomalies, including formation failures and segmentation failures at the apex segment, which makes CEOS different from other etiologies of early-onset scoliosis. To date, studies on patients who have graduated from CEOS treatment using traditional dual growing rods (TDGR) have been scarce, and the preliminary results of TDGR with or without the apical control technique (ACT) have varied. We therefore compared the final outcomes of patients with CEOS who graduated from TDGR with or without the ACT. METHODS: A retrospective study of patients with CEOS who had graduated from TDGR treatment performed from 2007 to 2020 was conducted. Graduation included final fusion or observation after reaching skeletal maturity. Patients were divided into the ACT-TDGR group (apical vertebrectomy and/or hemivertebrectomy with short fusion and TDGR) and the TDGR-only group. Demographic characteristics, radiographic data, patient-reported clinical outcomes, pulmonary function, and complications were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 41 patients with CEOS were enrolled: 13 in the ACT-TDGR group and 28 in the TDGR-only group. The lengthening intervals were longer in the ACT-TDGR group (mean [and standard deviation], 1.26 ± 0.66 years) than in the TDGR-only group (0.80 ± 0.27 years). The preoperative main curve was larger in the ACT-TDGR group (80.53° ± 19.50°) than in the TDGR-only group (64.11° ± 17.50°). The residual curve was comparable between groups (26.31° ± 12.82° in the ACT-TDGR group compared with 27.76° ± 15.0° in the TDGR group) at the latest follow-up. The changes in apical vertebral rotation and thoracic rotation were significantly larger in the ACT-TDGR group. Patients had comparable T1-12 and T1-S1 heights, pulmonary function, and 22-item Scoliosis Research Society (SRS-22) scores at the latest follow-up. The mean number of mechanical-related complications per patient was lower in the ACT-TDGR group (0.77 ± 0.73) than in the TDGR-only group (1.54 ± 1.43). Seventeen patients underwent final fusion. CONCLUSIONS: In this small-scale study, we observed that both ACT-TDGR and TDGR-only could correct the deformity while allowing for spinal growth in patients with CEOS. ACT-TDGR yielded better correction in severe cases and did not have a deleterious effect on spinal height. A large number of cases will be needed to validate the clinical value of the ACT. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

A Novel growth guidance system for early onset scoliosis: a preliminary in vitro study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe a novel growth guidance system, which can avoid metal debris and reduce the sliding friction forces, and test the durability and glidability of the system by in vitro test. METHOD: Two major modifications were made to the traditional Shilla system, including the use of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) gaskets to avoid direct contact between the screw and rod, and polishing the surface of the sliding part of the rod. We tested the durability of the system by a fatigue test, which the samples were test on the MTS system for a 10 million cycle of a constant displacement. Pre and post-testing involved weighing the UHMWPE gaskets and observing the wear conditions. The sliding ability were measured by a sliding displacement test. The maximum sliding displacement of the system was measured after a 300 cycles of dynamic compressive loads in a sinusoidal waveform. RESULTS: After the fatigue test, all the UHMWPE gaskets samples showed some of the fretting on the edge of the inner sides, but its still isolated and avoided the friction between the screws and rods. There was no production of metallic fretting around the sliding screws and rods. The average wear mass of the UHMWPE gaskets was 0.002 ± 0.001 g, less than 1.7% of the original mass. In the sliding test, the novel growth guidance system demonstrated the best sliding ability, with an average maximum sliding distance(AMSD) of 35.75 ± 5.73 mm, significantly better than the group of the traditional Shilla technique(AMSD 3.65 ± 0.46 mm, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, we modified the Shilla technique and designed a novel growth guidance system by changing the friction interface of sliding screw and rod, which may significantly reduce the metallic debris and promote spine growth. The fatigue test and sliding dislocation test demonstrated the better durability and glidability of the system. An in vivo animal experiment should be performed to further verify the system.

Anti-HBc mirrors the activation of HBV-specific CD8+ T cell immune response and exhibits a direct effect on HBV control.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis B core antibody (anti-HBc) is commonly present in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and serves as a marker of humoral immunity. Herein, we aim to investigate the correlation between anti-HBc and antiviral immune response and its putative role in HBV control. METHODS: Quantitative anti-HBc and levels of anti-HBc subtypes were measured in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. The effects of anti-HBc on immune cells and HBV replication were evaluated using the HBV mouse models and human hepatoma cell lines. RESULTS: Baseline levels of IgG1 and IgG3 anti-HBc were elevated in CHB patients with favorable treatment response, and correlated with the virological response observed at week 52. Additionally, increased levels of IgM and IgG1 anti-HBc were observed exclusively in CHB patients with liver inflammation. Notably, significant correlations were identified between quantitative levels of anti-HBc and the frequencies of HBcAg-specific CD8+ T cells. Intriguingly, HBcAg efficiently activates T cells aided by B cells in vitro experiments. Moreover, anti-HBc inhibits HBV replication either by a direct effect or through complement-mediated cytotoxicity in HBV-producing cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-HBc reflects the activation of an HBV-specific CD8+ T cell immune response and may have anti-HBV activity.