This study was aimed at establishing a method of ultra-fast quantitative PCR for Brucella detection.We used an exogenous recombinant plasmid as the internal reference and targeted the T4SS secretion system,an important Brucella viru-lence factor,to design specific primers and probes.The sensitivity,specificity,and repeatability of this method were evaluated,and a standard curve was constructed.The coincidence rate of detection findings with this method versus quantitative PCR was determined.This method markedly decreased the detection time to only 10 minutes.The standard curve demonstrated a good linear relationship(Y=-3.410 7x+38.357,R2=0.998 5)with a low minimum detection limit of 10 copies/μL.The method exhibited good specificity and did not specifically amplify several common clinical bacteria other than Brucella.The de-tection of three concentrations of positive plasmids yielded coefficients of variation(CVs)of 0.20％to 0.91％,thus demonstra-ting the method's excellent repeatability.Furthermore,140 clinical samples were analyzed concurrently with the fluorescence PCR method,which yielded a 100％compliance rate and consistent results.Our findings indicated that the Brucella ultra-fast quantitative PCR was ultrafast;had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good specificity;and can be used for the clinical de-tection of Brucella and emergency investigation of epidemics.Therefore,this method is valuable for the early diagnosis of Bru-cella.

Background:The incidence and mortality rates of severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)have been increasing year by year.Therefore,early and rapid identification,along with timely intervention in the progression of acute pancreatitis(AP),is of particular importance.Aims:To explore the value of red blood cell distribution width(RDW)combined with BISAP score in the early prediction of SAP.Methods:A total of 561 AP patients admitted from January 2019 to December 2021 at the General Hospital of the Central Theater Command of the PLA were enrolled and divided into SAP group and non-SAP group according to the disease severity.Venous blood samples were collected within 24 hours of admission.The relevant clinical data,laboratory indices,BISAP score,and MCTSI score were compared between the two groups.Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for SAP.Spearman correlation coefficient was employed to assess the correlation of these risk factors with the severity of AP,as well as the correlation of RDW with BISAP score and MCTSI score.The predictive values of these risk factors for SAP were evaluated by ROC curve analysis.Results:Compared with the non-SAP group,the prevalence of hypertension,length and cost of hospital stay,neutrophil count(NEUT),neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),RDW,serum potassium,aspartate transaminase(AST),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),serum creatinine(SCr),BISAP score and MCTSI score were significantly increased in the SAP group(all P<0.05),while the lymphocyte count(LYM),serum calcium and albumin(ALB)were significantly decreased(all P<0.05).RDW(OR=1.582,95%CI:1.066-2.348,P=0.023),SCr(OR=1.018,95%CI:1.001-1.035,P=0.040),BISAP score(OR=6.210,95%CI:3.121-12.356,P<0.001),and MCTSI score(OR=2.917,95%CI:2.160-3.939,P<0.001)were the independent risk factors for SAP.RDW(rs=0.320,P<0.001),SCr(rs=0.103,P=0.015),BISAP score(rs=0.516,P<0.001),and MCTSI score(rs=0.512,P<0.001)were positively correlated with the severity of AP.Moreover,RDW was positively correlated with BISAP score(rs=0.428,P<0.001)and MCTSI score(rs=0.408,P<0.001).ROC curve analysis revealed that the areas under the ROC curve of RDW,SCr,BISAP score,MCTSI score,and combination of RDW and BISAP score for predicting SAP were 0.753,0.581,0.889,0.888,and 0.905,respectively.Conclusions:RDW,SCr,BISAP score,and MCTSI score are the independent risk factors for SAP.RDW combined with BISAP score can enhance the predictive value for SAP.

This study was aimed at establishing a method of ultra-fast quantitative PCR for Brucella detection.We used an exogenous recombinant plasmid as the internal reference and targeted the T4SS secretion system,an important Brucella viru-lence factor,to design specific primers and probes.The sensitivity,specificity,and repeatability of this method were evaluated,and a standard curve was constructed.The coincidence rate of detection findings with this method versus quantitative PCR was determined.This method markedly decreased the detection time to only 10 minutes.The standard curve demonstrated a good linear relationship(Y=-3.410 7x+38.357,R2=0.998 5)with a low minimum detection limit of 10 copies/μL.The method exhibited good specificity and did not specifically amplify several common clinical bacteria other than Brucella.The de-tection of three concentrations of positive plasmids yielded coefficients of variation(CVs)of 0.20％to 0.91％,thus demonstra-ting the method's excellent repeatability.Furthermore,140 clinical samples were analyzed concurrently with the fluorescence PCR method,which yielded a 100％compliance rate and consistent results.Our findings indicated that the Brucella ultra-fast quantitative PCR was ultrafast;had high sensitivity,high specificity,and good specificity;and can be used for the clinical de-tection of Brucella and emergency investigation of epidemics.Therefore,this method is valuable for the early diagnosis of Bru-cella.

Background:The incidence and mortality rates of severe acute pancreatitis(SAP)have been increasing year by year.Therefore,early and rapid identification,along with timely intervention in the progression of acute pancreatitis(AP),is of particular importance.Aims:To explore the value of red blood cell distribution width(RDW)combined with BISAP score in the early prediction of SAP.Methods:A total of 561 AP patients admitted from January 2019 to December 2021 at the General Hospital of the Central Theater Command of the PLA were enrolled and divided into SAP group and non-SAP group according to the disease severity.Venous blood samples were collected within 24 hours of admission.The relevant clinical data,laboratory indices,BISAP score,and MCTSI score were compared between the two groups.Logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for SAP.Spearman correlation coefficient was employed to assess the correlation of these risk factors with the severity of AP,as well as the correlation of RDW with BISAP score and MCTSI score.The predictive values of these risk factors for SAP were evaluated by ROC curve analysis.Results:Compared with the non-SAP group,the prevalence of hypertension,length and cost of hospital stay,neutrophil count(NEUT),neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio(NLR),RDW,serum potassium,aspartate transaminase(AST),blood urea nitrogen(BUN),serum creatinine(SCr),BISAP score and MCTSI score were significantly increased in the SAP group(all P<0.05),while the lymphocyte count(LYM),serum calcium and albumin(ALB)were significantly decreased(all P<0.05).RDW(OR=1.582,95%CI:1.066-2.348,P=0.023),SCr(OR=1.018,95%CI:1.001-1.035,P=0.040),BISAP score(OR=6.210,95%CI:3.121-12.356,P<0.001),and MCTSI score(OR=2.917,95%CI:2.160-3.939,P<0.001)were the independent risk factors for SAP.RDW(rs=0.320,P<0.001),SCr(rs=0.103,P=0.015),BISAP score(rs=0.516,P<0.001),and MCTSI score(rs=0.512,P<0.001)were positively correlated with the severity of AP.Moreover,RDW was positively correlated with BISAP score(rs=0.428,P<0.001)and MCTSI score(rs=0.408,P<0.001).ROC curve analysis revealed that the areas under the ROC curve of RDW,SCr,BISAP score,MCTSI score,and combination of RDW and BISAP score for predicting SAP were 0.753,0.581,0.889,0.888,and 0.905,respectively.Conclusions:RDW,SCr,BISAP score,and MCTSI score are the independent risk factors for SAP.RDW combined with BISAP score can enhance the predictive value for SAP.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a condition caused by compression of the median nerve in carpal canal. In recent years, due to popularity of electronic devices such as computers, the incidence of CTS has shown a rapid rising trend. Its treatment methods include surgical treatment and conservative treatment. For mild to and moderate CTS, conservative treatment is preferred. Acupotomy, as an innovative and unique treatment method, could relieve pressure in carpal canal by releasing transverse ligament of wrist and promote local blood circulation to treat CTS, and has characteristics of less trauma, short course of treatment and low cost, which is more acceptable to patients. In addition, the combination of needle-knife and other therapies also has a good effect. However, traditional needle-knife therapy has certain limitations in operation, and its safety problems can be effectively solved with the help of ultrasound technology. Therefore, ultrasus-guided needle-knife therapy for CTS has become a current research hotspot, but its long-term therapeutic effect still needs to be further verified.
Humans ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/therapy* ; Acupuncture Therapy/methods*

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of brexpiprazole in treating acute schizophrenia.Methods Patients with schizophrenia were randomly divided into treatment group and control group.The treatment group was given brexpiprozole 2-4 mg·d-1 orally and the control group was given aripiprazole 10-20 mg·d-1orally,both were treated for 6 weeks.Clinical efficacy of the two groups,the response rate at endpoint,the changes from baseline to endpoint of Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale(PANSS),Clinical Global Impression-Improvement(CGI-S),Personal and Social Performance scale(PSP),PANSS Positive syndrome subscale,PANSS negative syndrome subscale were compared.The incidence of treatment-related adverse events in two groups were compared.Results There were 184 patients in treatment group and 186 patients in control group.After treatment,the response rates of treatment group and control group were 79.50％(140 cases/184 cases)and 82.40％(150 cases/186 cases),the scores of CGI-I of treatment group and control group were(2.00±1.20)and(1.90±1.01),with no significant difference(all P＞0.05).From baseline to Week 6,the mean change of PANSS total score wese(-30.70±16.96)points in treatment group and(-32.20±17.00)points in control group,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).The changes of CGI-S scores in treatment group and control group were(-2.00±1.27)and(-1.90±1.22)points,PSP scores were(18.80±14.77)and(19.20±14.55)points,PANSS positive syndrome scores were(-10.30±5.93)and(-10.80±5.81)points,PANSS negative syndrome scores were(-6.80±5.98)and(-7.30±5.15)points,with no significant difference(P＞0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of treatment-related adverse events between the two group(69.00％vs.64.50％,P＞0.05).Conclusion The non-inferiority of Brexpiprazole to aripiprazole was established,with comparable efficacy and acceptability.

Objective To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of one-stage posterior lesion removal and internal spinal fixation in patients with lumbar Brucellosis spondylitis.Methods The clinical data of 24 patients admitted from October 2017 to October 2022 were retrospectively analyzed,2 patients were lost to follow-up at 10 months after surgery,at the final 22 cases were included in the study,including 13 males and 9 females with an average age of(52.00±6.89)years old,were treated with one-stage posterior lesion removal and internal spinal fixation.The operation time,intraoperative bleeding,follow-up time,ery-throcyte sedimentation rate(ESR)and C-reactive protein(CRP)before and after operation were recorded.The pain visual ana-logue scale(VAS),Oswestry disability index(ODI),the Japanese Orthopaedic Association(JOA)score for neurofunction,American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)spinal cord injury grade and modified MacNab criteria were ussed to evaluate the efficacy.Results All patients were followed up from 12 to 30 months with an average of(17.41±4.45)months.The operation time was 70 to 155 min with an average of(1 16.59±24.32)min;the intraoperative bleeding volume was 120 to 520 ml with an average of(275.00±97.53)ml.CRP and ESR levels decreased more significantly at 1 week and at the final follow-up than pre-operative levels(P＜0.05).VAS,JOA score and ODI at 1 week and at the latest follow-up were more significantly improved than preoperative results(P＜0.05).There was no significant difference between ASIA preoperative and 1 week after operation(P＞0.05),and a significant difference between preoperative and last follow-up(P＜0.05).In the final follow-up,21 patients had ex-cellent efficacy,1 patient had fair,and there was no recurrence during the follow-up.Conclusion One-stage transpedicular le-sion removal and internal spinal fixation,with few incisions and short operation time,helps the recovery of neurological func-tion,and the prognosis meets the clinical requirements,which can effectively control Brucella spondylitis.

Objective To explore the cut-off value of three dimensional(3D)vena contracta area(VCA)in diagnosing severe tricuspid regrugitation(TR)under different etiologies and its accuracy and practicality in clinical application.Methods From Mar 2019 to May 2021,ninety-two patients with confirmed TR underwent two dimensional(2D)and 3D transthoracic echocardiography.The correlation and consistency between 3D VCA 3D calculated based on the proximal isokinetic surface area(PISA)effective regurgitant orifice area(EROA)was calculated.Comprehensive 2D multi-parameter method was used as a reference method to calculate the cut-off value of the diagnosis of severe TR.Results A total of 85 patients were ultimately included.3D VCA and 3D PISA EROA had similar and acceptable correlations in both primary TR and secondary TR(primary TR:r=0.831,P<0.01;secondary TR:r=0.806,P<0.01).Bland-Altman analysis showed that 3D VCA overestimated TR compared with 3D PISA EROA(62%overestimated in the total patient population,51%overestimated in primary TR,and 74%overestimated in secondary TR).In secondary TR,the cut-off value of 3D VCA for diagnosing severe TR was 0.45 cm2(sensitivity 89%,specificity 82%);combining clinical symptoms,positive 2D PISA EROA results and 3D VCA results for severe TR,the chi-square value was higher than those only included clinical symptoms or incorporated clinical symptoms and positive 2D PISA EROA results(42.168 vs.26.059 and 16.759,P<0.01).Conclusion 3D VCA would overestimate TR,and had high and incremental diagnostic value for evaluating severe TR in secondary TR.

Wearable spectral sensors are integrated smart devices consisting of flexible substrates,sensing and detection units,and analysis units.These sensors can track chemicals in human fluids including sweat,transdermal gases,wound secretions,subcutaneous mesenchymal fluids,tears,exhaled gases,and saliva quickly and non-invasively.Their application is crucial in drug analysis,disease diagnosis,and health monitoring.This paper summarized the literature studies of wearable colorimetric,fluorescence and surface-enhanced Raman scattering sensors since 2016,and reviewed the advancements in wearable spectroscopic sensors,focusing on their composition and applications in epidermal,ocular,and oral forms.Additionally,the future challenges and opportunities of wearable spectroscopic sensors were discussed,providing a reference for the design and development of wearable spectroscopic sensors.

Thyroglobulin(Tg)is a glycoprotein with large molecular weight,which is synthesized and secreted into the bloodstream by thyroid follicular cells.The concentration level of Tg in blood is one of the important biomarkers for diagnosis of thyroid diseases such as differentiated thyroid cancer(DTC),subacute thyroiditis,etc..Radioimmunoassay(RIA),immunoradiometric assay(IRMA),and immunochemiluminescence assay(ICMA)are the main clinical methods for detecting Tg.Recently,for meeting the requirement of detecting low concentration of Tg in blood after thyroid clearance surgery,researchers have developed various high-performance analysis methods for detecting Tg concentration in blood samples,providing new assays for thyroid disease screening and efficacy evaluation.This review summarized the analysis methods of Tg,especially the new progresses in the biosensors for monitoring low concentration of Tg in blood during the past five years.The current technical challenges of these methods in clinical applications were briefly discussed,which might provide useful information for developing new liquid biopsy methods of DTC.