Clinical Observation of Various Types of Idiopathic Hypertrophic Cranial Pachymeningitis.

BACKGROUND: To assist doctors in making better treatment decisions and improve patient prognosis, it is important to determine which therapy modalities are suitable for various forms of idiopathic hypertrophic cranial pachymeningitis (IHCP). METHODS: All cases were received from the hospital medical record system, and some follow-up information was gathered through telephone follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 26 patients, 14 men and 12 women, with ages ranging from 20 to 73 years and a mean of 47.42 years, were included in the research. Regular types were less likely to recur than irregular and nodular types, focal types were less likely to recur than diffuse types, and corticosteroid-refractory types were more likely to recur than corticosteroid-sensitive types. CONCLUSIONS: The extent and shape of the lesion and susceptibility to corticosteroids are potential factors that could influence recurrence. Futhermore, this paper also proposes the fibroblasts as a new therapeutic target which may improve the quality of prognostic survival of patients.

A case of rare metachronous four primary carcinoma.

PURPOSE: When more than two tumors are diagnosed in the same person, it is called multiple primary cancer. It is rare to be diagnosed as four primary cancers. Here, we present one elderly male patient suffered from testicular seminoma, gastric cancer, bladder cancer and breast cancer from 1946 to 2019. METHODS: When he was about 1.5 years old in 1946, his mother (a doctor) inadvertently found that the left scrotum of the child was enlarged. He performed left testicular resection under general anesthesia and postoperative pathological report: left testicular seminoma. In March 2007 (62 years old), the upper abdomen was distended and uncomfortable after eating, accompanied by hiccups and heartburn. He performed distal subtotal gastrectomy and postoperative pathology report: moderately and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of ulcer. In May 2013 (68 years old), he developed no obvious cause of painless gross hematuria. He performed robot-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy+pelvic lymph node dissection+bilateral ureterostomy and postoperative pathological report: invasive high-grade urothelial carcinoma at the bottom of the bladder. In February 2017 (72 years old), he found the right breast was developing, and a nodule was palpable under the skin. He performed undergo modified radical surgery in the right breast and postoperative pathological report: Invasive breast cancer. RESULTS: During the past 70 years, he suffered from four types of tumors, all of which underwent surgical treatment. Postoperative pathology confirmed that they were malignant tumors. Genetic tumor gene testing found no pathogenic or suspected pathogenic mutations. The patient's general condition is good, with regular follow-up and no tumor recurrence CONCLUSION: The treatment of multiple primary cancers is different from tumor recurrence. Targeted treatment for different tumors can achieve good therapeutic results. Cancer patients must be followed up regularly. Timely treatment after discovering new tumors is the key to a good prognosis.

Temporal dynamic characteristics of human monkeypox epidemic in 2022 around the world under the COVID-19 pandemic background.

Background: The reemergence of the monkeypox epidemic has aroused great concern internationally. Concurrently, the COVID-19 epidemic is still ongoing. It is essential to understand the temporal dynamics of the monkeypox epidemic in 2022 and its relationship with the dynamics of the COVID-19 epidemic. In this study, we aimed to explore the temporal dynamic characteristics of the human monkeypox epidemic in 2022 and its relationship with those of the COVID-19 epidemic. Methods: We used publicly available data of cumulative monkeypox cases and COVID-19 in 2022 and COVID-19 at the beginning of 2020 for model validation and further analyses. The time series data were fitted with a descriptive model using the sigmoid function. Two important indices (logistic growth rate and semi-saturation period) could be obtained from the model to evaluate the temporal characteristics of the epidemic. Results: As for the monkeypox epidemic, the growth rate of infection and semi-saturation period showed a negative correlation (r = 0.47, p = 0.034). The growth rate also showed a significant relationship with the locations of the country in which it occurs [latitude (r = -0.45, p = 0.038)]. The development of the monkeypox epidemic did not show significant correlation compared with the that of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2022. When comparing the COVID-19 epidemic with that of monkeypox, a significantly longer semi-saturation period was observed for monkeypox, while a significant larger growth rate was found in COVID-19 in 2020. Conclusions: This novel study investigates the temporal dynamics of the human monkeypox epidemic and its relationship with the ongoing COVID-19 epidemic, which could provide more appropriate guidance for local governments to plan and implement further fit-for-purpose epidemic prevention policies.

Oscillatory properties of class C notifiable infectious diseases in China from 2009 to 2021.

Background: Epidemics of infectious diseases have a great negative impact on people's daily life. How it changes over time and what kind of laws it obeys are important questions that researchers are always interested in. Among the characteristics of infectious diseases, the phenomenon of recrudescence is undoubtedly of great concern. Understanding the mechanisms of the outbreak cycle of infectious diseases could be conducive for public health policies to the government. Method: In this study, we collected time-series data for nine class C notifiable infectious diseases from 2009 to 2021 using public datasets from the National Health Commission of China. Oscillatory power of each infectious disease was captured using the method of the power spectrum analysis. Results: We found that all the nine class C diseases have strong oscillations, which could be divided into three categories according to their oscillatory frequencies each year. Then, we calculated the oscillation power and the average number of infected cases of all nine diseases in the first 6 years (2009-2015) and the next 6 years (2015-2021) since the update of the surveillance system. The change of oscillation power is positively correlated to the change in the number of infected cases. Moreover, the diseases that break out in summer are more selective than those in winter. Conclusion: Our results enable us to better understand the oscillation characteristics of class C infectious diseases and provide guidance and suggestions for the government's prevention and control policies.

Changes in Temporal Properties of Notifiable Infectious Disease Epidemics in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Population-Based Surveillance Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 was first reported in 2019, and the Chinese government immediately carried out stringent and effective control measures in response to the epidemic. OBJECTIVE: Nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) may have impacted incidences of other infectious diseases as well. Potential explanations underlying this reduction, however, are not clear. Hence, in this study, we aim to study the influence of the COVID-19 prevention policies on other infectious diseases (mainly class B infectious diseases) in China. METHODS: Time series data sets between 2017 and 2021 for 23 notifiable infectious diseases were extracted from public data sets from the National Health Commission of the People's Republic of China. Several indices (peak and trough amplitudes, infection selectivity, preferred time to outbreak, oscillatory strength) of each infectious disease were calculated before and after the COVID-19 outbreak. RESULTS: We found that the prevention and control policies for COVID-19 had a strong, significant reduction effect on outbreaks of other infectious diseases. A clear event-related trough (ERT) was observed after the outbreak of COVID-19 under the strict control policies, and its decreasing amplitude is related to the infection selectivity and preferred outbreak time of the disease before COVID-19. We also calculated the oscillatory strength before and after the COVID-19 outbreak and found that it was significantly stronger before the COVID-19 outbreak and does not correlate with the trough amplitude. CONCLUSIONS: Our results directly demonstrate that prevention policies for COVID-19 have immediate additional benefits for controlling most class B infectious diseases, and several factors (infection selectivity, preferred outbreak time) may have contributed to the reduction in outbreaks. This study may guide the implementation of nonpharmaceutical interventions to control a wider range of infectious diseases.

Correlation Between Resting Theta Power and Cognitive Performance in Patients With Schizophrenia.

Objective: Schizophrenia is a mental disorder that is characterized by progressive cognitive impairment. Objective measures of cognitive function may provide reliable neurobiomarkers for patients with schizophrenia. The goal of the current work is to explore the correlation between resting theta power and cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: Twenty-two patients with schizophrenia and 23 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls were included in this study. The MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used for cognitive evaluation and the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) for evaluation of clinical symptoms. EEGs were acquired in the resting state with closed and opened eyes. Between the two groups, we compared the relative theta power and examined their relationship with cognitive performance. Results: Compared to healthy controls, patients with schizophrenia showed significantly higher theta power, both with eyes closed and open (P < 0.05). When the eyes were open, negative correlations were found in patients with schizophrenia between theta power in the central and parietal regions with processing speed scores, and between the theta power of the Pz electrode and verbal learning and reasoning and problem-solving scores (r ≥ -0.446). In the control group, theta power over the Fz electrode was negatively correlated with processing speed (r = -0.435). Conclusions: Our findings showed that theta activity increased in certain brain regions during resting state in schizophrenia. Negative associations between resting theta power (increased) over the parietal-occipital regions with MCCB domains scores (decreased) suggest that altered theta activity can be used as a neurobiological indicator to predict cognitive performance.

Longitudinal Changes of Sensorimotor Resting-State Functional Connectivity Differentiate between Patients with Thalamic Infarction and Pontine Infarction.

Purpose. We investigated the disparate influence of lesion location on functional damage and reorganization of the sensorimotor brain network in patients with thalamic infarction and pontine infarction. Methods. Fourteen patients with unilateral infarction of the thalamus and 14 patients with unilateral infarction of the pons underwent longitudinal fMRI measurements and motor functional assessment five times during a 6-month period (<7 days, at 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after stroke onset). Twenty-five age- and sex-matched controls underwent MRI examination across five consecutive time points in 6 months. Functional images from patients with left hemisphere lesions were first flipped from the left to the right side. The voxel-wise connectivity analyses between the reference time course of each ROI (the contralateral dorsal lateral putamen (dl-putamen), pons, ventral anterior (VA), and ventral lateral (VL) nuclei of the thalamus) and the time course of each voxel in the sensorimotor area were performed for all five measurements. One-way ANOVA was used to identify between-group differences in functional connectivity (FC) at baseline stage (<7 days after stroke onset), with infarction volume included as a nuisance variable. The family-wise error (FWE) method was used to account for multiple comparison issues using SPM software. Post hoc repeated-measure ANOVA was applied to examine longitudinal FC reorganization. Results. At baseline stage, significant differences were detected between the contralateral VA and ipsilateral postcentral gyrus (cl_VA-ip_postcentral), contralateral VL and ipsilateral precentral gyrus (cl_VL-ip_precentral). Repeated measures ANOVA revealed that the FC change of cl_VA-ip_postcentral differ significantly among the three groups over time. The significant changes of FC between cl_VA and ip_postcentral at different time points in the thalamic infarction group showed that compared with 7 days after stroke onset, there was significantly increased FC of cl_VA-ip_postcentral at 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after stroke onset. Conclusions. The different patterns of sensorimotor functional damage and reorganization in patients with pontine infarction and thalamic infarction may provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying functional recovery after stroke.

Characteristics of cerebral perfusion and diffusion associated with crossed cerebellar diaschisis after acute ischemic stroke.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the possible factors associated with the occurrence of crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) at the hyperacute stage of ischemic stroke using whole-brain volume perfusion CT (VPCT) combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 108 patients with ischemic stroke within 6 h of onset. The VPCT findings of the patients showed a unilateral perfusion deficit in the supratentorial territory. Follow-up MRI examinations were performed within 24 h after onset. The effects of the supratentorial cerebral ischemia, the location distribution, the final infarct volume and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value on the occurrence and severity of CCD were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 108 patients with hyperacute cerebral ischemia, 62 (57.4%) demonstrated a contralateral cerebellar perfusion deficit on the VPCT maps. The occurrence of CCD was related to a reduction in cerebral blood volume (CBV) and prolongation of the mean transit time (MTT). Notably, the decrease in the ADC value in the infarct based on follow-up MRI was closely related to the occurrence and severity of CCD. CONCLUSION: The occurrence and severity of CCD are related to the degree of low supratentorial perfusion and the decrease in the ADC value of infarct focus.

Homotopic Connectivity in Early Pontine Infarction Predicts Late Motor Recovery.

Connectivity-based methods are essential to explore brain reorganization after a stroke and to provide meaningful predictors for late motor recovery. We aim to investigate the homotopic connectivity alterations during a 180-day follow-up of patients with pontine infarction to find an early biomarker for late motor recovery prediction. In our study, resting-state functional MRI was performed in 15 patients (11 males, 4 females, age: 57.87 ± 6.50) with unilateral pontine infarction and impaired motor function during a period of 6 months (7, 14, 30, 90, and 180 days after stroke onset). Clinical neurological assessments were performed using the Fugl-Meyer scale (FM).15 matched healthy volunteers were also recruited. Whole-brain functional homotopy in each individual scan was measured by voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) values. Group-level analysis was performed between stroke patients and normal controls. A Pearson correlation was performed to evaluate correlations between early VMHC and the subsequent 4 visits for behavioral measures during day 14 to day 180. We found in early stroke (within 7 days after onset), decreased VMHC was detected in the bilateral precentral and postcentral gyrus and precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), while increased VMHC was found in the hippocampus/amygdala and frontal pole (P < 0.01). During follow-up, VMHC in the precentral and postcentral gyrus increased to the normal level from day 90, while VMHC in the precuneus/PCC presented decreased intensity during all time points (P < 0.05). The hippocampus/amygdala and frontal pole presented a higher level of VMHC during all time points (P < 0.05). Negative correlation was found between early VMHC in the hippocampus/amygdala with FM on day 14 (r = -0.59, p = 0.021), day 30 (r = -0.643, p = 0.01), day 90 (r = -0.693, p = 0.004), and day 180 (r = -0.668, p = 0.007). Furthermore, early VMHC in the frontal pole was negatively correlated with FM scores on day 30 (r = -0.662, p = 0.013), day 90 (r = -0.606, p = 0.017), and day 180 (r = -0.552, p = 0.033). Our study demonstrated the potential utility of early homotopic connectivity for prediction of late motor recovery in pontine infarction.

Correlation of Longitudinal Gray Matter Volume Changes and Motor Recovery in Patients After Pontine Infarction.

The mechanisms of motor functional recovery after pontine infarction (PI) remain unclear. Here, we assessed longitudinal changes in gray matter volume (GMV) and examined the relationship between GMV and clinical outcome. Fifteen patients with unilateral PI underwent magnetic resonance imaging and neurological exams five times during a period of 6 months. Another 15 healthy participants were enrolled as the normal control (NC) group and were examined with the same protocol. The MR exam included routine protocol and a 3D T1-weighted magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo scan. Changes in GMV were assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Furthermore, the correlations between GMV changes in regions of interest and clinical scores were assessed. Compared with NCs, the decreased GMVs in the contralateral uvula of cerebellum and the ipsilateral tuber of cerebellum were detected at third month after stroke onset. At the sixth month after stroke onset, the decreased GMVs were detected in the contralateral culmen of cerebellum, putamen, as well as in the ipsilateral tuber/tonsil of cerebellum. Compared with NC, the PI group exhibited significant increases in GMV at each follow-up time point relative to stroke onset. Specifically, the significant GMV increase was found in the ipsilateral middle frontal gyrus and ventral anterior nucleus of thalamus at second week after stroke onset. At first month after stroke onset, the increased GMVs in the ipsilateral middle temporal gyrus were detected. The significant GMV increase in the ipsilateral mediodorsal thalamus was noted at third month after stroke onset. At the end of sixth month after stroke onset, the GMV increase was found in the ipsilateral mediodorsal thalamus, superior frontal gyrus, and the contralateral precuneus. Across five times during a period of 6-month, a negative correlation was observed between mean GMV in the contralateral uvula, culmen, putamen, and ipsilateral tuber/tonsil and mean Fugl-Meyer (FM) score. However, mean GMV in the ipsilateral mediodorsal thalamus was positively correlated with mean FM score. Our findings suggest that structural reorganization of the ipsilateral mediodorsal thalamus might contribute to motor functional recovery after PI.

A new hand-eye calibration approach for fracture reduction robot.

OBJECTIVE: The hand-eye calibration is used to determine the transformation between the end-effector and the camera marker of the robot. But the robot movement in traditional method would be time-consuming, inaccurate and even unavailable in some conditions. The method presented in this article can complete the calibration without any movement and is more suitable in clinical applications. METHODS: Instead of solving the classic non-linear equation AX = XB, we collected the points on X and Y axes of the tool coordinate system (TCS) with the visual probe and fitted them using the singular value decomposition algorithm (SVD). Then, the transformation was obtained with the data of the tool center point (TCP). A comparison test was conducted to verify the performance of the method. RESULTS: The average translation error and orientation error of the new method are 0.12 ± 0.122 mm and 0.18 ± 0.112° respectively, while they are 0.357 ± 0.347 mm and 0.416 ± 0.234° correspondingly in the traditional method. CONCLUSIONS: The high accuracy of the method indicates that it is a good candidate for medical robots, which usually need to work in a sterile environment.

Mini-plate fixation versus suture suspensory fixation in cervical laminoplasty: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Both the mini-plate fixation and suture suspensory fixation techniques are extensively applied in cervical laminoplasty, but which technique is superior has not been ascertained. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to compare the results between mini-plate fixation and suture suspensory fixation in cervical laminoplasty for the patients with multilevel cervical compressive myelopathy. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane library, CNKI, and WANFANG were searched for studies that compared mini-plate fixation and suture suspensory fixation in cervical laminoplasty up to November 1, 2016. We calculated odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for dichotomous outcomes and mean difference (MD) with 95% CI for continuous outcomes. Review Manager 5.3 was used for the statistical analyses. RESULTS: A total of 25 studies, involving 1603 participants, were included in this review. The results of this meta-analysis indicated that there were statistically significant differences in postoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores (MD = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.34-0.99, P < 0.001), JOA scores improvement rate (MD = 4.00, 95% CI: 2.51-5.50, P < 0.001), postoperative Visual Analogue Score (VAS) (MD = -0.81, 95% CI: -1.36 to -0.26, P = 0.004), postoperative range of motion (ROM) (MD = 4.15, 95% CI: 2.06-6.23, P < 0.001), postoperative cervical lordosis (MD = 3.1, 95% CI: 2.02-4.18, P < 0.001), postoperative anteroposterior diameter of the spinal canal (MD = 1.53, 95% CI: 0.11-2.95, P = 0.03), postoperative open angle (MD = 1.93, 95% CI: 0.14-3.71, P = 0.03), postoperative cross-sectional area of the spinal canal (MD = 37.10, 95% CI: 26.92-47.29, P < 0.001), axial symptoms (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.20-0.37, P < 0.001), operation time (MD = 4.46, 95% CI: 0.74-8.19, P = 0.02), and blood loss (MD = 9.24, 95% CI: 6.86-11.62, P < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference in C5 palsy (OR = 0.82, 95% CI: 0.37-1.84, P = 0.63). CONCLUSIONS: As compared with suture suspensory fixation, mini-plate fixation in cervical laminoplasty appears to achieve better clinical and radiographic outcomes with fewer surgical complications. However, mini-plate fixation is associated with bigger surgical trauma. This conclusion should be interpreted cautiously and more high-quality, randomized controlled trials are needed in the future.

[Clinical application of computer-assisted cannulated screw internal fixation system based on error correction method for femoral neck fractures].

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy of computer-assisted cannulated screw internal fixation system based on error correction method for femoral neck fractures. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made on the clinical data of 20 femoral neck fracture patients treated by computer-assisted cannulated screw internal fixation system based on error correction method between January 2014 and October 2015 (trial group), and 36 femoral neck fracture patients undergoing traditional manual surgery with closed reduction by cannulated screw fixation in the same period (the control group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, injury cause, side of fracture, types of fracture, and time from injury to operation between 2 groups ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative frequency of fluoroscopy and guide pin insertion, fracture healing time, fracture healing rate, and Harris hip score were compared between 2 groups. Results: All incisions healed by first intention after operation, and no complication of blood vessel and nerve injury occurred. The operation time of trial group was significantly longer than that of control group ( t=2.290, P=0.026), however, the intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative frequency of fluoroscopy and guide pin insertion of trial group were significantly less than those of control group ( t=-10.650, P=0.000; t=18.320, P=0.000; t=-16.625, P=0.000). All patients were followed up 12-18 months (mean, 14.7 months). X-ray films showed that fracture healing was obtained in 2 groups, showing no significant difference in fracture healing time between 2 groups ( t=0.208, P=0.836). No complication of ischemic necrosis of femoral head occurred during follow-up period. At last follow-up, the Harris hip score was 87.05±3.12 in trial group and was 86.78±2.83 in control group, showing no significant difference ( t=0.333, P=0.741). Conclusion: Computer-assisted cannulated screw internal fixation surgery based on error correction method for femoral neck fractures is better than traditional manual surgery in decreasing intraoperative radiation and surgical trauma during operation.

Effect of Dexmedetomidine in Preventing Postoperative Side Effects for Laparoscopic Surgery: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Trial Sequential Analysis (PRISMA).

Dexmedetomidine (DEX) has been used extensively for patients during surgery. Some studies found that DEX could reduce the incidence of postoperative side effects in laparoscopic surgical patients. However, no firm conclusions were made about it.The authors searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials testing DEX administrated in laparoscopic surgical patients and reporting on postoperative nausea, vomiting, shivering, heart rate, mean arterial pressure (MAP), or extubation time after surgery or within 1 hour in postoperative care unit. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was used for RCTs comparing DEX with placebo or no treatment in laparoscopic surgery patients. A protocol for this meta-analysis has been registered on PROSPERO (http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero) and the registration number is CRD42015020226.Fifteen studies (899 patients) were included. DEX could significantly reduce the incidence of postoperative nausea (risk ratio [RR] and 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.43 [0.28, 0.66], P < 0.0001), vomiting (RR and 95% CI, 0.36 [0.18, 0.72], P = 0.004), shivering (RR and 95% CI, 0.19 [0.11, 0.35], P < 0.00001), rescue antiemetic (RR and 95% CI, 0.18 [0.07, 0.47], P = 0.0006), and increase the incidence of dry mouth (RR and 95% CI, 7.40 [2.07, 26.48], P = 0.002) comparing with the control group. In addition, firm conclusions can be made on the results of postoperative nausea according to the TSA. Meta-analysis showed that DEX group had a significantly lower heart rate (mean difference [MD] and 95% CI, -14.21 [-18.85, -9.57], P < 0.00001) and MAP (MD and 95% CI, -12.35 [-15.28, -9.42], P < 0.00001) than the control group, and firm conclusions can be made according to the TSA. No significance was observed on extubation time between 2 groups (MD and 95% CI, 0.70 [-0.89, 2.28], P = 0.39).The results from this meta-analysis indicated that perioperative DEX decreased postoperative nausea and shivering in laparoscopic surgical patients. However, common adverse effects were lower heart rate and MAP. Firm conclusions cannot be made on postoperative shivering, rescue antiemetic, and dry mouth until more RCTs were included.

The Effect of Polymorphisms in SPP1 on Risk of Fracture: A Case-Control Study.

BACKGROUND The purpose of the study was to investigate the correlation between rs4754 and rs6840362 polymorphisms of secreted phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) gene and fracture risk. MATERIAL AND METHODS rs4754 and rs6840362 were genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in 130 patients with fracture and 107 healthy controls matched with the former by age and sex. Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) was assessed in the control group based on the genotype distributions of SSP1 poylmorphisms. The differences in genotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies between cases and controls were detected by the chi-square test, and the relative risk of fracture is expressed by odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The linkage disequilibrium (LD) and haplotype analyses were conducted with HaploView software. RESULTS The TT genotype in rs4754 had significant difference in patients with fracture and controls (10.77% and 4.59%, P=0.04) and the results showed that people carrying TT genotype of rs4754 were more susceptible to fractures than CC genotype carriers (OR=3.00, 95%CI=1.02-8.89). The T allele also had 1.54 times higher risk of fractures (OR=1.54, 95%CI=1.04-2.30), but this was not true for the rs6840362 polymorphism. LD between the 2 polymorphisms and haplotype C-T (rs6840362-rs4754) increased the susceptibility to fracture (OR=2.01, 95%CI=1.23-3.28). CONCLUSIONS SPP1 rs4754 polymorphism may be related to risk of fracture, but not rs6840362.

Validation of the Applied Biosystems MicroSEQ real-time PCR system for detection of E. coli O157:H7 in food.

Modern molecular methods offer the advantages of simplicity and short time-to-results compared to traditional culture methods. We describe the validation of a new Real-Time PCR method to detect E. coli O157:H7 in five food matrixes. The complete system consists of the MicroSEQ E. coli O157:H7 Detection Kit, sample preparation (two sample preparation methods, the PrepSEQ Nucleic Acid Extraction Kit and the PrepSEQ Rapid Spin Sample Preparation Kit, were validated), the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR instrument, and RapidFinder Express software. The test method was compared to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook 5.04 reference method for detecting E. coli O157:H7 in 25 g and 375 g ground beef and beef trim, and to the ISO 16654 reference method for detecting E. coli O157:H7 in 25 g spinach, orange juice, and apple juice. The MicroSEQ E. coli O157:H7 Detection Kit showed equivalent detection compared to the corresponding reference method based on Mantel-Haenszel Chi-square statistics for all matrixes tested. An independent validation confirmed these findings on ground beef. The MicroSEQ kit detected all 51 E. coli O157:H7 strains tested and showed good discrimination against an exclusivity panel of 30 strains.

Evaluation of applied biosystems MicroSEQ real-time PCR system for detection of Listeria spp. in food and environmental samples.

A complete system for real-time PCR detection of Listeria species was validated in five food matrixes and five environmental surfaces, namely, hot dogs, roast beef, lox (smoked salmon), pasteurized whole cow's milk, dry infant formula, stainless steel, plastic cutting board, ceramic tile, rubber sheets, and sealed concrete. The system consists of the MicroSEQ Listeria spp. Detection Kit, two sample preparation kits (PrepSEQ Nucleic Acid Extraction Kit and PrepSEQ Rapid Spin Sample Preparation Kit), the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR instrument, and the RapidFinderTM Express v1.1 Software for data analysis. The test method was compared to the ISO 11290-1 reference method using an unpaired study design. The MicroSEQ Listeria spp. Detection Kit and the ISO 11290-1 reference method showed equivalent detection based on Chi-square analysis for all matrixes except hot dogs. For hot dogs, the MicroSEQ method detected more positives than the reference method for the low- and high-level inoculations, with all of the presumptive positives confirmed by the reference method. An independent validation study confirmed these findings on lox and stainless steel surface. The MicroSEQ kit detected all 50 Listeria strains tested and none of the 31 nontarget bacteria strains.

Evaluation of applied biosystems MicroSeq real-time PCR system for detection of Listeria monocytogenes in food. Performance Tested Method 011002.

Increasingly, more food companies are relying on molecular methods, such as PCR, for pathogen detection due to their improved simplicity, sensitivity, and rapid time to results. This report describes the validation of a new Real-Time PCR method to detect Listeria monocytogenes in nine different food matrixes. The complete system consists of the MicroSEQ L. monocytogenes Detection Kit, sample preparation, the Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR instrument, and RapidFinder Express software. Two sample preparation methods were validated: the PrepSEQ Nucleic Acid extraction kit and the PrepSEQ Rapid Spin sample preparation kit. The test method was compared to the ISO 11290-1 reference method using an unpaired-study design to detect L. monocytogenes in roast beef, cured bacon, lox (smoked salmon), lettuce, whole cow's milk, dry infant formula, ice cream, salad dressing, and mayonnaise. The MicroSEQ L. monocytogenes Detection Kit and the ISO 11290-1 reference method showed equivalent detection based on Chi-square analysis for all food matrixes when the samples were prepared using either of the two sample preparation methods. An independent validation confirmed these findings on smoked salmon and whole cow's milk. The MicroSEQ kit detected all 50 L. monocytogenes strains tested, and none of the 30 nontargeted bacteria strains.

Focal pontine lesions provide evidence that intrinsic functional connectivity reflects polysynaptic anatomical pathways.

Intrinsic functional connectivity detected by functional MRI (fMRI) provides a useful but indirect approach to study the organization of human brain systems. An unresolved question is whether functional connectivity measured by resting-state fMRI reflects anatomical connections. In this study, we used the well-characterized anatomy of cerebrocerebellar circuits to directly test whether intrinsic functional connectivity is associated with an anatomic pathway. Eleven first-episode stroke patients were scanned five times during a period of 6 months, and 11 healthy control subjects were scanned three times within 1 month. In patients with right pontine strokes, the functional connectivity between the right motor cortex and the left cerebellum was selectively reduced. This connectivity pattern was reversed in patients with left pontine strokes. Although factors beyond anatomical connectivity contribute to fMRI measures of functional correlation, these results provide direct evidence that functional connectivity depends on intact connections within a specific polysynaptic pathway.