Usefulness of YouTube in Sharing Information about New Gene Therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy: A Content Analysis.

This study aimed to objectively assess YouTube videos' quality, reliability, and information delivery capability regarding novel spinal muscular atrophy treatments. Using the keywords "nusinersen", "spinraza", "ridisplam", "evrysdi", "onasemnogene abeparvovec", and "zolgensma", we were able to retrieve and screen 360 videos before settling on a final sample of 99 on 25 September 2022. Then, two independent raters used the mDISCERN and GQS instruments to evaluate the videos' reliability and quality and the Information Delivery Capability (IDC) score to assess the videos' accuracy and patient-friendliness. The quality, reliability, and information delivery capability of the videos about the new treatment for SMA were quite heterogeneous, with an average mDISCERN, GQS, and IDC score of 3.172 ± 0.899, 2.980 ± 1.025, and 4.141 ± 1.747, respectively. In-depth analysis showed that healthcare expert videos that explained contents while showing infographic supplements had good quality, reliability, and information delivery capability. As YouTube is already a dominant media platform, the public may obtain new information about novel therapeutics for SMA through YouTube. It is necessary to consider how SMA patients and caregivers can choose trusted sources with reliable information on YouTube, and our results can provide clues. Additionally, experts should strive to provide more accurate, reliable, and patient-oriented videos.

Analysis of Pneumothorax in Noninvasive Ventilator Users With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

BACKGROUND: With the advancement of cardiorespiratory interventions, the survival rate among patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has increased. Subsequently, pneumothorax has become a significant problem in patients with prolonged ventilatory support. RESEARCH QUESTION: What are the frequency, recurrence rate, risk factors, and prognosis of pneumothorax in patients with DMD requiring noninvasive ventilation (NIV)? Also, are there known risk factors of pneumothorax on chest CT scans? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: This retrospective longitudinal cohort study included 176 patients treated between 2006 and 2019. We collected information regarding location, severity, treatment methods, recurrence frequency, abnormal findings on CT scanning, and date of death. We compared the pneumothorax and nonpneumothorax groups. We calculated the estimated survival probabilities from the age at NIV application according to pneumothorax occurrence. RESULTS: Sixteen of the 176 patients (9.0%) experienced pneumothorax (median age at diagnosis, 24.6 years; range, 20.7-33.7 years). Among the 16 patients, 15 demonstrated pneumothorax after NIV application (median time between diagnosis and initial NIV application, 5.6 years; range, 3 days-9.6 years). Sixteen patients experienced 31 episodes of pneumothoraces (range, one-five episodes); among them, seven episodes (22.6%) were asymptomatic. Known risk factors not clearly visible by radiography scans were found in chest CT scan in 11 patients (68.8%). Seven of 16 patients (43.8%) eventually sustained severe lung damage with pulmonary fibrosis. No significant between-group differences were found in body weight, BMI, and age at NIV application; however, the pneumothorax group showed a significantly higher mortality rate after NIV application. INTERPRETATION: On pneumothorax occurrence in patients with DMD, recurrences and severe lung damage are common; moreover, these patients show higher mortality rates than patients without pneumothorax. Chest CT scans should be performed to identify risk factors, and treatment should be initiated accordingly. In addition, physicians should consider chest CT scanning in the case of suspected pneumothorax, even if no radiographic abnormality is found.

Development of a simultaneous lateral flow strip test for the rapid and simple detection of deoxynivalenol and zearalenone.

UNLABELLED: The objective of this study was to develop a 1-step simultaneous lateral flow strip test for the rapid and simple detection of deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone (ZEA) in grains. Two monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against DON and ZEA were respectively conjugated with gold nanoparticles and used to develop a lateral flow strip test for a single toxin and multiple toxins. First, individual lateral flow strips for a single toxin were optimized, and their conditions were used to develop a simultaneous lateral flow strip for multiple toxins. Limits of detection of both lateral flow strip tests for DON and ZEA were the same (DON: 50 ng/mL, ZEA: 1 ng/mL). Both methods showed cross-reactivity for α-zearalenol and ß-zearalenol, but no cross-reaction to other mycotoxins. The results can be completed obtained within 15 min. The cut-off values of the simultaneous lateral flow strip for the spiked rice and corn were 500 and 10 ng/g for DON and ZEA, respectively. The results demonstrated that the developed simultaneous lateral flow strip test offers a rapid, easy-to-use, and portable analytical system and can be used as a convenient qualitative tool for the on-site detection of DON and ZEA in food and agricultural commodities. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Simultaneous lateral strip test is useful for a rapid detection of DON and ZEA at a time in food and grain samples.

Rapid detection of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens in meat samples using immunomagnetic separation polymerase chain reaction (IMS-PCR).

Rapid detection of enterotoxigenic Clostridium perfringens in meat samples was accomplished with an immunomagnetic separation polymerase chain reaction (IMS-PCR). First, a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific to C. perfringens was generated. The antibody showed strong binding to C. perfringens and no binding to non- Clostridia bacteria, except a weak cross-reaction to Staphylococcus aureus based on the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Then, magnetic beads were coated with the mAb, and the IMS-PCR system was developed. With the optimized conditions, the IMS-PCR assay was capable of detecting as few as 10 colony forming units (CFU)/g of C. perfringens cells in the meat sample within 10 h. Of the 116 collected samples (26 chicken samples, 20 beef samples, 30 pork samples, 20 fish samples, and 20 processed meat samples) examined with IMS-PCR, 36 (31%) were C. perfringens -positive samples and 2 (1.7%) were enterotoxigenic C. perfringens -positive samples. The IMS-PCR results gave a good agreement with the results obtained by conventional culture methods. In comparison to conventional culture methods, the IMS-PCR is a rapid and specific method and has potential use as a screening tool for enterotoxigenic C. perfringens in food samples.

Development and validation of a gold nanoparticle immunochromatographic assay (ICG) for the detection of zearalenone.

A monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based gold nanoparticle immunochromatographic assay (ICG) for zearalenone detection was developed, optimized, and validated. The detection limits of ICG optimized with appropriate amounts of zearalenone-bovine serum albumin and gold nanoparticle-mAb to zearalenone were 2.5 ng/mL and 30 µg/kg for the standard solution and spike sample, respectively, and a weak cross-reaction for α-zearalenol and ß-zearalenol was observed. The assay required only 15 min to obtain results and one step to perform the assay. In validation, the results obtained from spiked corn (10, 20, 30, 50, and 100 µg/kg) and naturally contaminated corn samples by the ICG were in good agreement with those obtained by direct competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (DC-ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Therefore, the results obtained in this study could be used as basic research for the development of zearalenone-ICG, and the ICG developed could be a useful on-site screening tool for the rapid detection of zearalenone in corn without special instrumentation.

Development of fluorescence polarization immunoassay for the rapid detection of 6-chloronicotinic acid: main metabolite of neonicotinoid insecticides.

A fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) for the quantitative determination of 6-chloronicotinic acid (6-CNA) using polyclonal antibody was developed. The 6-CNA-protein (bovine serum albumin and soybean trypsin inhibitor) conjugates and fluorescein-labeled 6-CNA derivative (tracer) were prepared and used as the immunogens and tracer, respectively. The synthesized tracer was purified by thin layer chromatography (TLC) and showed a good binding to antiserum (73/5) which was obtained from the immunized rabbit (No. 73) with 6-CNA-BSA conjugate. The detection limit (10% inhibition) of FPIA was 4 microg/mL, and IC(50) value was 32 microg/mL. The FPIA showed a cross-reaction for 5-amino-2-chloropyridine (60%), but no cross-reaction for other pesticides was observed. Recoveries for spiked apple, urine, soil, and water samples (5, 50, and 500 ppm) averaging between 78.6 +/- 8.8 and 114 +/- 18% were reasonable and in good agreement with the amounts spiked. Although the developed FPIA possesses low sensitivity, this assay is more simple and quick than other analytical methods, such as high performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography. Thus, the developed FPIA method could be a useful tool for express screening 6-CNA in agricultural, environmental, and biological samples.