1) Background: Rapid and acurate diagnostic testing for case identification, quarantine, and contact tracing is essential for managing the COVID 19 pandemic. Rapid antigen detection tests are available, however, it is...1) Background: Rapid and acurate diagnostic testing for case identification, quarantine, and contact tracing is essential for managing the COVID 19 pandemic. Rapid antigen detection tests are available, however, it is important to evaluate their performances before use. We tested a rapid antigen detection of SARS-CoV-2, based on the immunochromatography (Boson Biotech SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test (Xiamen Boson Biotech Co., Ltd., China)) and the results were compared with the real time reverse transcriptase-Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) (Gold standard) results;2) Methods: From November 2021 to December 2021, samples were collected from symptomatic patients and asymptomatic individuals referred for testing in a hospital during the second pandemic wave in Gabon. All these participants attending “CTA Angondjé”, a field hospital set up as part of the management of COVID-19 in Gabon. Two nasopharyngeal swabs were collected in all the patients, one for Ag test and the other for RT-PCR;3) Results: A total of 300 samples were collected from 189 symptomatic and 111 asymptomatic individuals. The sensitivity and specificity of the antigen test were 82.5% [95%CI 73.8 - 89.3] and 97.9 % [95%CI 92.2 - 98.2] respectively, and the diagnostic accuracy was 84.4% (95% CI: 79.8 - 88.3%). The antigen test was more likely to be positive for samples with RT-PCR Ct values ≤ 32, with a sensitivity of 89.8%;4) Conclusions: The Boson Biotech SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test has good sensitivity and can detect SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially among symptomatic individuals with low viral load. This test could be incorporated into efficient testing algorithms as an alternative to PCR to decrease diagnostic delays and curb viral transmission.展开更多
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) overexpression is increasingly recognized as a frequent molecular abnormality in gastric and gastroesophageal cancer. With the recent introduction of HER2 molecular targe...Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) overexpression is increasingly recognized as a frequent molecular abnormality in gastric and gastroesophageal cancer. With the recent introduction of HER2 molecular targeted therapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer, determination of HER2 status is crucial in order to select patients who may benefit from this treatment. This paper provides an update on our knowledge of HER2 in gastric and gastroesophageal cancer, including the prognostic relevance of HER2, the key differences between HER2 protein expression interpretation in breast and gastric cancer, the detection methods and the immunohistochemistry scoring system.展开更多
The robust stability test of time-delay systems with interval parameters can be concluded into the robust stability of the interval quasipolynomials. It has been revealed that the robust stability of the quasipolynomi...The robust stability test of time-delay systems with interval parameters can be concluded into the robust stability of the interval quasipolynomials. It has been revealed that the robust stability of the quasipolynomials depends on that of their edge polynomials. This paper transforms the interval quasipolynomials into two-dimensional (2-D) interval polynomials (2-D s-z hybrid polynomials), proves that the robust stability of interval 2-D polynomials are sufficient for the stability of given quasipolynomials. Thus, the stability test of interval quasipolynomials can be completed in 2-D s-z domain instead of classical 1-D s domain. The 2-D s-z hybrid polynomials should have different forms under the time delay properties of given quasipolynomials. The stability test proposed by the paper constructs an edge test set from Kharitonov vertex polynomials to reduce the number of testing edge polynomials. The 2-D algebraic tests are provided for the stability test of vertex 2-D polynomials and edge 2-D polynomials family. To verify the results of the paper to be correct and valid, the simulations based on proposed results and comparison with other presented results are given.展开更多
AIM: To evaluate the use of the trypsinogen-2 dipstick (Actim Pancreatitis) test for early diagnosis and prediction of severity in acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: Ninety-two patients with AP were included in t...AIM: To evaluate the use of the trypsinogen-2 dipstick (Actim Pancreatitis) test for early diagnosis and prediction of severity in acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: Ninety-two patients with AP were included in this study. The control group was 25 patients who had acute abdominal pain from non-pancreatic causes. Urine trypsinogen-2 dipstick test (UTDT) and conventional diagnostic tests were performed in all patients. Patients were divided by the Atlanta classification into two groups as having mild or severe pancreatitis. RESULTS: UTDT was positive in 87 (94.6%) of the AP patients and in two (8%) controls (P 〈 0.05). Positive UTDT was found in 61 (92.4%) of 66 (71.7%) patients with mild pancreatitis and in all (100%) of the 26 (28.3%) with severe pancreatitis (P 〉 0.05). UTDT positivity lasted longer in severe pancreatitis compared with that in mild pancreatitis (6.2 + 2.5 d vs 2.0 + 1.43 d, P 〈 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of UTDT were 91%, 72%, 96.6%, 70.4%, 3.4 and 0.1, respectively. CONCLUSION: UTDT is a simple, rapid and reliable method for use on admission. It has high specificity and low NLR for early diagnosis and prediction of severity in AP. However, its relatively low NPV does not allow trypsinogen-2 dipstick test to be a stand-alone tool for diagnosis of acute pancreatitis; the use of other conventional diagnostic tools remains a requirement.展开更多
文摘1) Background: Rapid and acurate diagnostic testing for case identification, quarantine, and contact tracing is essential for managing the COVID 19 pandemic. Rapid antigen detection tests are available, however, it is important to evaluate their performances before use. We tested a rapid antigen detection of SARS-CoV-2, based on the immunochromatography (Boson Biotech SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test (Xiamen Boson Biotech Co., Ltd., China)) and the results were compared with the real time reverse transcriptase-Polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) (Gold standard) results;2) Methods: From November 2021 to December 2021, samples were collected from symptomatic patients and asymptomatic individuals referred for testing in a hospital during the second pandemic wave in Gabon. All these participants attending “CTA Angondjé”, a field hospital set up as part of the management of COVID-19 in Gabon. Two nasopharyngeal swabs were collected in all the patients, one for Ag test and the other for RT-PCR;3) Results: A total of 300 samples were collected from 189 symptomatic and 111 asymptomatic individuals. The sensitivity and specificity of the antigen test were 82.5% [95%CI 73.8 - 89.3] and 97.9 % [95%CI 92.2 - 98.2] respectively, and the diagnostic accuracy was 84.4% (95% CI: 79.8 - 88.3%). The antigen test was more likely to be positive for samples with RT-PCR Ct values ≤ 32, with a sensitivity of 89.8%;4) Conclusions: The Boson Biotech SARS-CoV-2 Ag Test has good sensitivity and can detect SARS-CoV-2 infection, especially among symptomatic individuals with low viral load. This test could be incorporated into efficient testing algorithms as an alternative to PCR to decrease diagnostic delays and curb viral transmission.
文摘Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2) overexpression is increasingly recognized as a frequent molecular abnormality in gastric and gastroesophageal cancer. With the recent introduction of HER2 molecular targeted therapy for patients with advanced gastric cancer, determination of HER2 status is crucial in order to select patients who may benefit from this treatment. This paper provides an update on our knowledge of HER2 in gastric and gastroesophageal cancer, including the prognostic relevance of HER2, the key differences between HER2 protein expression interpretation in breast and gastric cancer, the detection methods and the immunohistochemistry scoring system.
基金This project was supported by the National Science Foundation of China (60572093).
文摘The robust stability test of time-delay systems with interval parameters can be concluded into the robust stability of the interval quasipolynomials. It has been revealed that the robust stability of the quasipolynomials depends on that of their edge polynomials. This paper transforms the interval quasipolynomials into two-dimensional (2-D) interval polynomials (2-D s-z hybrid polynomials), proves that the robust stability of interval 2-D polynomials are sufficient for the stability of given quasipolynomials. Thus, the stability test of interval quasipolynomials can be completed in 2-D s-z domain instead of classical 1-D s domain. The 2-D s-z hybrid polynomials should have different forms under the time delay properties of given quasipolynomials. The stability test proposed by the paper constructs an edge test set from Kharitonov vertex polynomials to reduce the number of testing edge polynomials. The 2-D algebraic tests are provided for the stability test of vertex 2-D polynomials and edge 2-D polynomials family. To verify the results of the paper to be correct and valid, the simulations based on proposed results and comparison with other presented results are given.
文摘AIM: To evaluate the use of the trypsinogen-2 dipstick (Actim Pancreatitis) test for early diagnosis and prediction of severity in acute pancreatitis (AP). METHODS: Ninety-two patients with AP were included in this study. The control group was 25 patients who had acute abdominal pain from non-pancreatic causes. Urine trypsinogen-2 dipstick test (UTDT) and conventional diagnostic tests were performed in all patients. Patients were divided by the Atlanta classification into two groups as having mild or severe pancreatitis. RESULTS: UTDT was positive in 87 (94.6%) of the AP patients and in two (8%) controls (P 〈 0.05). Positive UTDT was found in 61 (92.4%) of 66 (71.7%) patients with mild pancreatitis and in all (100%) of the 26 (28.3%) with severe pancreatitis (P 〉 0.05). UTDT positivity lasted longer in severe pancreatitis compared with that in mild pancreatitis (6.2 + 2.5 d vs 2.0 + 1.43 d, P 〈 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR) and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of UTDT were 91%, 72%, 96.6%, 70.4%, 3.4 and 0.1, respectively. CONCLUSION: UTDT is a simple, rapid and reliable method for use on admission. It has high specificity and low NLR for early diagnosis and prediction of severity in AP. However, its relatively low NPV does not allow trypsinogen-2 dipstick test to be a stand-alone tool for diagnosis of acute pancreatitis; the use of other conventional diagnostic tools remains a requirement.