A diagnostic model for distinguishing between active tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infection based on the blood expression profiles of autophagy-related genes.

BACKGROUND: Autophagy is closely involved in the control of mycobacterial infection. OBJECTIVES: Here, a diagnostic model was developed using the levels of autophagy-related genes (ARGs) in the blood to differentiate active tuberculosis (ATB) and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI). DESIGN: Secondary data analysis of three prospective cohorts. METHODS: The expression of ARGs in patients with ATB and LTBI were analyzed using the GSE37250, GSE19491, and GSE28623 datasets from the GEO database. RESULTS: Twenty-two differentially expressed ARGs were identified in the training dataset GSE37250. Using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and multivariate logistic regression, three ARGs (FOXO1, CCL2, and ITGA3) were found that were positively associated with adaptive immune-related lymphocytes and negatively associated with myeloid and inflammatory cells. A nomogram was constructed using the three ARGs. The accuracy, consistency, and clinical relevance of the nomogram were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves, the C-index, calibration curves, and validation in the datasets GSE19491 and GSE28623. The nomogram showed good predictive performance. CONCLUSION: The nomogram was able to accurately differentiate between ATB and LTBI patients. These findings provide evidence for future study on the pathology of autophagy in tuberculosis infection.

Association between malnutrition and surgical site and periprosthetic joint infections following joint arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Post-joint arthroplasty infections, especially surgical site infections (SSI) and periprosthetic joint infections (PJI), significantly impact patient outcomes. The potential influence of malnutrition on these postoperative complications remains a crucial concern for clinicians. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis using four databases up to 19 July 2023. We sought studies on joint replacements, focusing on malnutrition as an SSI risk factor. The malnutrition criteria were defined by specific laboratory parameters. Two independent reviewers undertook data extraction and quality assessment, with discrepancies resolved through consensus or third-party review. Studies were evaluated for methodological quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). For statistical analyses, heterogeneity was assessed using the I2 statistic, and both fixed and random-effects models were employed based on heterogeneity levels, utilizing Stata software (version 17). Significant heterogeneity was present among studies examining the relationship between malnutrition and SSI (I2 = 59.5%, p = 0.03%). Employing the random-effects model, results indicated that malnourished individuals were approximately 2.63 times more likely to develop SSI post-operation. Further exploration into the association between malnutrition and PJI, from seven pertinent studies, also revealed an elevated risk (OR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.79-3.39). Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of these findings, and publication bias assessments supported the validity of the included studies. Malnutrition robustly correlates with an increased risk of both SSI and PJI following total joint arthroplasty. Emphasizing preoperative nutritional assessments and intervention strategies may offer a promising avenue to enhance patient outcomes and reduce postoperative complications.

A first-principles study of 1D and 2D C60nanostructures: strain effects on band alignments and carrier mobility.

In the breakthrough progress made in the latest experiment Houet al(2022Nature606507), 2DC60polymer was exfoliated from the quasi-hexagonal bulk crystals. BulkC60polymer with quasi-tetragonal phase was found to easily form 1D fullerene structure withC60molecules connected by C=C. Inspired by the experiment, we investigate the strain behaviors of 1D and 2DC60polymers by first-principles calculations. Some physical properties of these low dimensionalC60polymers, including structural stability, elastic behavior, band alignment and carrier mobility, are predicted. Compared with fullereneC60molecule, 1D and 2DC60polymers are metastable. At absolute zero temperature, 1DC60bears a uniaxial tensile strain less than 11.5%, and 2D monolayerC60withstands a biaxial tensile strain less than 7.5%. At 300 K,ab initiomolecular dynamics confirm that they can withstand the strains of 9% and 5%, respectively. Strain engineering can adjust the absolute position of the band edge. In the absence of strain, carrier mobility is predicted to beµe= 398 andµh= 322cm2V-1s-1for 1DC60polymer, andµe,x=74/µe,y= 34cm2V-1s-1andµh,x=646/µh,y= 1487cm2V-1s-1for 2DC60polymer. Compared with other carbon based semiconductors, theseC60polymers exhibit high effective mass, resulting in low mobility.