Combination of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay and Nested PCR for Detection of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in Human Serum Samples

A set of universal loop-mediated isothermal amplification （LAMP） primers targeting the flo gene was designed to detect Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato （B. burgdorferi s.I.） in human samples. The sensitivity of LAMP was 20 copies/reaction, and the assay did not detect false positives among 11 other related bacteria. A positive LAMP result was obtained for 9 of the 24 confirmed cases and for 12 of 94 suspected cases. The positive rate of LAMP was the same as that of nested PCR. The LAMP is a useful diagnostic method that can be developed for rapid detection of B. burgdorferi s.I. in human sera. Combination of the LAMP and nested PCR was more sensitive for detecting B. burgdorferi s.I. in human serum samples.

Combined measurement of thyroid and plasma homocysteic acid for detecting the severity of vascular dementia

BACKGROUND: Recent researches demonstrate that onset of cerebral infarction always accompanies with obvious changes of function of thyroid axis; while, high-homocysteic acidemia has been proved as one of risk factors of vascular dementia and Alzheimer disease. Meanwhile, it is found that level of plasma homocysteic acid is positive correlation with injured degrees of cognitive function and brain damage. OBJECTIVE: To observe the changes of function of thyroid and level of homocysteic acid among patients with vascular dementia and compare with those patients without dementia cerebral infarction. DESIGN: Randomized grouping and contrast observation. SETTING: Department of Neurology, People’s Hospital Affiliated to Yunyang Medical College, South China Hospital of Wuhan University. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 38 patients with vascular dementia were hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, People’s Hospital Affiliated to Yunyang Medical College from February 2004 to December 2005. All patients met the diagnostic criteria of the Fourth Edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder (DSM-IV) established by American Psychiatric Association. Based on educational degrees, Mini-mental Status Examination (MMSE) was classified into illiteracy (≤ 17 points), education of primary school (educational duration ≤ 6 years, ≤ 24 points) and education of middle school or above (educational duration > 6 years, ≤ 24 points). Forty patients with non-dementia cerebral infarction were regarded as the control group and checked with CT examination. There were no significant differences of sex and age between the two groups. All patients and relatives were provided the consent. METHODS: Within 24 hours after hospitalization, patients with vascular dementia received MMSE scores, and the degrees were classified based on the scoring results: mild (20-24 points), moderate (10-19 points) and severe (below 10 points). Levels of thyroxine were measured with radioimmunodetection and content of homocysteic acid was measured with high performance liquid chromatogram (HPLC) electrochemical detection. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Levels of homocysteic acid and thyroxine among patients with vascular dementia and non-dementia cerebral infarction. RESULTS: A total of 38 patients with vascular dementia and 40 patients with non-dementia cerebral infarction were involved in the final analysis. ① Levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and free T3 (FT3) were (0.9±0.4) μg/L, (92.9±26.4) μg/L and (3.9±1.8) pmol/L in vascular dementia group respectively, which were higher than those in control group [(1.3±0.3) μg/L, (110.2±28.7) μg/L, (7.2±2.1) pmol/L, t =2.766 6-7.433 6, P < 0.01]; while, level of homocysteic acid was (29.57±7.12) μmol/L in vascular dementia group, which was higher than that in control group [(24.53±4.98) μmol/L, t =3.637 7, P < 0.01]. There were no significant differences of free T4 (FT4) and thyrotropic-stimulating hormone (TSH) between the two groups (P > 0.05). ② Levels of FT3 of patients with mild, moderate and severe vascular dementia were (1.0±0.2), (0.9±0.1) and (0.8±0.1) μg/L, respectively; levels of homocysteic acid were (26.52±4.84), (29.59±5.56) and (32.71±6.17) μmol/L, respectively. There were significant differences among patients at the three degrees of vascular dementia (F =3.59-32.4, P < 0.01). However, there were no significant differences of T4, FT4 and TSH among the three kinds of patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Levels of thyroxine of patients with vascular dementia decrease; however, levels of homocysteic acid increase. Therefore, the results can indirectly reflect severities of vascular dementia.

Combined detection tumor markers for diagnosis and prognosis of gallbladder cancer

AIM: To clarify the value of combined use of markers for the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer and prediction of its prognosis. METHODS: Serum cancer antigens (CA) 199, CA242, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and CA125 levels were measured in 78 patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC), 78 patients with benign gallbladder diseases, and 78 healthy controls using electrochemiluminescence. CA199, CA242, CEA, and CA125 levels and positive rates were analyzed and evaluated pre-and post-operatively. Receiver operator characteristic curves were used to determine diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of GBC. Survival time analysis, including survival curves, and multivariate survival analysis of a Cox proportional hazards model was performed to evaluate independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: Serum CA242, CA125, and CA199 levels in the GBC group were significantly higher when compared with those in the benign gallbladder disease and healthy control groups (P < 0.01). With a single tumor marker for GBC diagnosis, the sensitivity of CA199 was the highest (71.7%), with the highest specificity being in CA242 (98.7%). Diagnostic accuracy was highest with a combination of CA199, CA242, and CA125 (69.2%). CA242 could be regarded as a tumor marker of GBC infiltration in the early stage. The sensitivity of CA199 and CA242 increased with progression of GBC and advanced lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). The 78 GBC patients were followed up for 6-12 mo (mean: 8 mo), during which time serum CA199, CA125, and CA242 levels in the recurrence group were significantly higher than in patients without recurrence (P < 0.01). The post-operative serum CA199, CA125, and CA242 levels in the non- recurrence group were significantly lower than those in the GBC group (P < 0.01). Multivariate survival analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model showed that cancer of the gallbladder neck and CA199 expression level were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: CA242 is a marker of GBC infiltration in the early stage. CA199 and cancer of the gallbladder neck are therapeutic and prognostic markers. (C) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.

A Survey on Low Complexity Detectors for OTFS Systems

The newly emerging orthogonal time frequency space(OTFS)modulation can ob⁃tain delay-Doppler diversity gain to significantly improve the system performance in high mobility wireless communication scenarios such as vehicle-to-everything(V2X),high-speed railway and unmanned aerial vehicles(UAV),by employing inverse symplectic finite Fouri⁃er transform(ISFFT)and symplectic finite Fourier transform(SFFT).However,OTFS modu⁃lation will dramatically increase system complexity,especially at the receiver side.Thus,de⁃signing low complexity OTFS receiver is a key issue for OTFS modulation to be adopted by new-generation wireless communication systems.In this paper,we review low complexity OTFS detectors and provide some insights on future researches.We firstly present the OTFS system model and basic principles,followed by an overview of OTFS detector structures,classifications and comparative discussion.We also survey the principles of OTFS detection algorithms.Furthermore,we discuss the design of hybrid OTFS and orthogonal frequency di⁃vision multiplexing(OFDM)detectors in single user and multi-user multi-waveform commu⁃nication systems.Finally,we address the main challenges in designing low complexity OT⁃FS detectors and identify some future research directions.

Beam pointing correction of variable polarization MMW/IR combined detection

A kind of beam-scanning algorithm of variable polarization millimeter array antenna based on the phased array technology is put forward in this paper. The algorithm can be successfully applied to deal with beam directivities inconsistency of millimeter wave/infrared（ MMW/IR ） multimode detector, it can keep electric axis and optical axis coincident. Accordingly, this method can decrease the data fusion difficulty and improve the accuracy of angle measurement. Simulation results show that variable polarization millimeter array antenna has flexible beam-scanning abibility within ±0.5° after the algorithm was adopted, simultaneously, antenna polarization purity is better than 20 dB within the half power beamwidth, sidelobe imbalance keeps high available and antenna gain of the sum beam is over 26.8 dB.

Combining TDLAS and multi-fusion algorithms for methane gas concentration detection

High-precision methane gas detection is of great importance in industrial safety, energy production and environmental protection, etc. However, in the existing measurement techniques, the methane gas concentration information is susceptible to noise, which leads to its useful signal being drowned by noise. A fusion algorithm of variational modal decomposition(VMD) and improved wavelet threshold filtering is proposed, which is used in combination with tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy(TDLAS) to implement a non-contact, high-resolution methane gas concentration detection. The fusion algorithm can perform noise reduction and further segmentation of the methane gas detection signal. And the simulation and experiment verify the effectiveness of the fusion algorithm, and the experimental results show that for the detection of air containing 10 ppm, 30 ppm, 60 ppm, 80 ppm, and 99 ppm methane, the errors are 12.75%, 8.18%, 3.37%, 2.46%, and 1.78%, respectively.

Analysis and Interpretation of Detection Results of Novel Coronavirus Nucleic Acids and Specific Antibodies

The novel coronavirus(2019 novel coronavirus,2019-nCoV) is a newly emerged virus.Therefore,the nucleic acid detection technology and serum immunological detection technology established urgently in emergencies have certain defects inevitably.The efficiency of nucleic acid and antibody detection varies at different stages of disease progression of the novel coronavirus disease(COVID-19).If the two can be used in combination and the results of the analysis can be comprehensively judged,they can be combined to monitor the viral load and disease progress better and improve the diagnostic efficiency.Based on the author’s application experience,this article analyzes and interprets eight common modes of combined detection of nucleic acids and specific antibodies in order to provide a reference for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of COVID-19.

A case of pulmonary arteriovenous fistula detected by contrast transthoracic echocardiography combined with CTA

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistula （PAVF） is a kind of malformation resulting in the abnormal vessels between pulmonary artery and pulmonary vein. Part of pulmonary arterial blood flows into pulmonary veins through the fistula and then arrives at left atrium, inducing the right-to-left shunt. Moreover, the emboli and bacteria can also flow directly through the PAVF into systemic circulation, which can cause thromboembolic diseases such as stroke.

Comparison of diagnostic value of TIRADS,BSRTC,BRAF^(V600E) mutation detection and their combined use in differentiating thyroid nodules

Objective To compare the diagnostic efficiency of the thyroid imaging reporting and data system(TIRADS),the Bethesda system for reporting thyroid cytopathology(BSRTC)and BRAFV600Edetection,and their combined use in the differentiation between benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods One hundred