Evaluation of the Tibial Plateau-Patella Angle (TPPA) in Dogs.

Estimating a dog's patellar position involves various methods, which categorize it as norma, alta (high), or baja (low). However, they require various calculations. We aimed to evaluate the clinical applicability of a new method, the tibial plateau-patella angle (TPPA). This could aid in planning patella luxation surgery, estimating the patella position after TPLO and various osteotomies. We conducted a two-step study: first, on 15 stifles without pathologies from nine canine cadavers, and second, using 100 patient X-rays from the archive. Three stifle angle positions (45 ± 5°, 90 ± 5°, and 135 ± 5°) and three weight groups (S, M, and L) were evaluated in the first part of this study. Based on these results, the second part of this study was conducted using 100 pathology-free radiographs at the optimal stifle angle (90 ± 5°) from the archive. All radiographs were measured by three observers with varying levels of experience. Our results indicate that the stifle angle significantly impacted the TPPA, whereby lower values were detected with higher stifle angles, which remained consistent within the weight groups. High inter- and intra-observer agreement was achieved. The physiological TPPA values ranged from 26.7° to 48.8°, remaining consistent within the various weight groups. Observer 3 in Group S exhibited a 20% (insignificant) deviation, possibly due to challenges in determining the caudal point of the tibial plateau. In contrast with humans, TPPA values in dogs are negatively correlated with stifle angles, independent of weight. Our reliable and reproducible protocol suggests the potential benefits of training on small-breed dogs stifles.

Highly sensitive and selective determination of uranyl ions based on Ag/Ag2O-COF composite SERS substrate.

Uranium is an essential nuclear material in civilian and military areas; however, its extensive application raises concerns about the potential safety issues in the fields of environmental protection and nuclear industry. In this study, we developed an Ag/Ag2O-COF (covalent-organic framework) composite SERS substrate to detect uranyl ions (UO22+) in environmental aqueous solutions. Herein, the strong SERS effect of uranyl adsorbed in Ag/Ag2O composite and the high adsorption efficiency of COF TpPa-1 were combined to realize the trace detection of uranyl ions. This method displayed a linear range of 10-8 mol L-1 to 10-6 mol L-1 with the detection limit of 8.9 × 10-10 mol L-1 for uranyl ions. Furthermore, common metal cations and oxo-ions hardly affected the SERS detection of uranyl, which is helpful for the trace analysis of uranyl in natural water samples. Although the proposed strategy is deployed for uranyl detection, the reusable and high-efficiency system may be expanded to trace detection of other substance with Raman activity.

All-in-one Janus covalent organic frameworks separator as fast Li nucleator and polysulfides catalyzer in lithium-sulfur batteries.

The shuttle effect, sluggish conversion kinetics, and uncontrollable lithium dendrites seriously hinder the practical application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. Among many modified materials, covalent organic frameworks (COFs) stand out for their excellent ability to inhibit the shuttle effect, while their role in promoting lithium nucleation and catalyzing the conversion of sulfur species has been largely ignored. In this study, an integrated COF separator (TpPa@2400) is developed as a rapid lithium nucleator and sulfur species catalyst in fast-charging Li-S batteries. According to the adsorption energy and Bader charge results, Li atoms preferentially adsorb onto the surface of the TpPa@2400 separator, and the larger Bader charge value (0.52 |e|) of the TpPa@2400 separator also signifies faster lithium transport, promoting the nucleation of Li ions. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) theoretically demonstrates that the TpPa@2400 separator exhibits lower free energy for sulfur species interconversion. As a result, the TpPa@2400 separator enables the Li-Li symmetric cell with an extended cycle life of 6000 h at a current density/capacity of 10 mA cm-2/10 mAh cm-2. The Li-S battery assembled using the TpPa@2400 separator delivers a high capacity of 1636.4 mAh/g at 0.1C and a rapid sulfur species conversion capacity of 513.8 mAh/g at 2C.

Well-constructed a water stable Cu-BTC@TpPa-1 binary composite with excellent capture ability toward malachite green.

Adsorptive removal of dyes (e.g., malachite green (MG)) from wastewater using commercially available adsorbents is not significantly efficient. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) such as Cu-BTC is considered as an excellent adsorbent in adsorption-separation filed. However, the water instability of Cu-BTC restricts its potential utilization in dye wastewater purification. In this paper, we have developed a novel metal/covalent-organic frameworks (Cu-BTC@TpPa-1) binary composite by solvothermal method. This composite serves as a multifunctional platform for the effective removal of MG from water. This Cu-BTC@TpPa-1 obviously keeps structural integrity soaked in water for 7 days. And its heat resistant performance can achieve 360 °C because of the TpPa-1 protection, which is outdistance to that of Cu-BTC. The adsorbed capacity of MG over Cu-BTC@TpPa-1 is exceptionally high, with an uptake of up to 64.12 mg/g, which is superior compared to previous adsorbents, highlighting its superior adsorption capabilities. The adsorptive performance was controlled by the associative effects of Cu-BTC and TpPa-1 with an association effect of π-complexation and electrostatic attraction. The Cu-BTC@TpPa-1 might be a prospective adsorbent for MG capture from industrial wastewater.

Comparison of Treponema-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) index with Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) index for detection of intrathecal Treponema-specific antibody synthesis for serological diagnosis of neurosyphilis.

The determination of Treponema-specific intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis with the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) index is a well-established method recommended in German guidelines for the diagnosis of neurosyphilis. However, the TPPA test is no longer available. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the determination of a Treponema-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) index can substitute the TPPA index. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from patients with confirmed (n=6) and probable (n=3) neurosyphilis as well as patients with adequately treated syphilis without neurosyphilis (n=4) were investigated. In addition to index calculation further CSF parameters were determined. The results of the Treponema IgG and the TPPA index were consistent in all patients with confirmed neurosyphilis and non-neurosyphilis patients. In two patients with probable neurosyphilis the IgG index appeared more plausible than the TPPA index when taking into account all available laboratory and clinical data of the patients. In conclusion, the determination of Treponema-specific intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis with the IgG index appears to be a suitable alternative to the TPPA index.

Acquired syphilis with flat condyloma in a 3 year-old girl: A case report.

The incidence of syphilis in young children is very low, with acquired syphilis exceptionally rare. A 3 year-old girl presented to our service with a reddish-brown rash on the external genitals and perianal area. The rash had been apparent for a period of 1 week. The girl was asymptomatic and had no history of sexual contact. Syphilis was suspected and the Treponema pallidum particle agglutination test (TPPA) was found to be positive, as well as the rapid plasma regin ring card test (RPR), with a titer of 1:64. The girl was diagnosed with toddler acquired secondary syphilis. The girl was cured after three treatments with penicillin. This report points out the need for clinicians to be aware of nonsexually transmitted syphilis, acquired in daily life by children without a history of sexual contact.

Ocular syphilis on the rise: a 10-year analysis from 2010 to 2020.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the incidence of ocular syphilis as well as diagnostic parameters, comorbidities, and visual outcomes over a 10-year time period in West Virginia. METHODS: A retrospective chart review included 25 eyes of 17 patients with ocular syphilis between 2010 and 2020. RESULTS: The incidence of systemic syphilis at a large tertiary referral center has increased from 27 cases in 2010 to 105 cases in 2020. Seventeen patients were identified with ocular syphilis. Bilaterality was present in 47.1% of cases. In this study, 70.6% of patients were male and 29.4% were female. The median age of presentation was 40.2 years (range 21-63). Panuveitis was the most common (60.0%) followed by isolated anterior uveitis (16.0%), chorioretinitis (12.0%), inner retinitis (4.0%), and papillitis (8.0%). Forty percent of patients had visual acuity worse than 20/400 on presentation. Post-treatment visual acuity improved in all patients. Rapid plasma reagin (RPR) and Treponema pallidum particle agglutination (TP-PA) tests were positive in 84.6% and 100% of cases, respectively. CSF venereal disease research laboratory (VDRL) was positive in 36.4%, CSF pleocytosis was present in 72.7%, and elevated CSF protein was observed in 81.8%. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection was present in 31.3%. A majority of patients experienced maculopapular rash and/or history of genital chancre. The anatomic classification of presenting uveitis (anterior, intermediate, posterior, and panuveitis) did not correlate with clinical variables including age, gender, HIV status, serologic test, presence of rash, or year of diagnosis (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Ocular syphilis is becoming increasingly prevalent and can present with a variety of ocular findings; therefore, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with ocular inflammation. Visual prognosis is excellent with timely diagnosis and treatment.

Green and Fast Strategies for Energy-Efficient Preparation of the Covalent Organic Framework TpPa-1.

Three synthesis procedures for the covalent-organic framework (COF) TpPa-1 are studied with the purpose of setting up the most promising one in a fast and green way, leading to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable process. With conventional heating, good crystallinity and a high BET specific surface area (SSA) of up to 1007 m2 ⋅ g-1 are achieved at 170 °C for 3 days using water as the quintessential green solvent. However, the application of microwave radiation in the synthesis for this crystalline porous polymer allows reaction times to be shortened to 30 min while maintaining structural and textural properties (BET SSA of 928 m2 ⋅ g-1 ) and obtaining yields close to 98 % (vs. 90 % in the hydrothermal synthesis). The water-assisted mechanochemical synthesis is also an environmentally friendly synthetic approach; with heating at 170 °C in a two-step process (10+10 min), high crystallinity is achieved, a BET SSA of 960  m2 ⋅ g-1 and a yield of 98 % for TpPa-1.

The applicability of Beckman PK7300 fully automatic blood group instrument for TPPA detection / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the applicability of Beckman PK7300 for TPPA testing on anti-TP reactive specimens from blood donors. 【Methods】 1) The TPPA test using Beckman PK7300 (abbreviated as instrument method) had been established and the performance was verificated by calculating the total compliance rate, positive compliance rate and negative compliance rate as compared with the manual method. The repeatability of this instrument method was also evaluated. 2) The applicability of the instrument method was evaluated by examing 555 TP-reactive samples for 6 consecutive days, so as to analyze the readable reading rate, agglutination strength distribution and other control methods. 【Results】 1) The total, positive, and negative compliance rates of TPPA detection by both instrumental and manual methods were 100% (kappa value =1). The SPC value of samples, read manually as " + + ", was less than or equal to 3 by Beckman PK7300; the SPC value of samples, read manually as " -", was greater than or equal to 20 by Beckman PK7300. The two methods were well consistent. The instrument method was repeated for 12 times for the same samples, and the accuracy rate was 100% (12 / 12), with good repeatability.2) The results of the TPPA test in 555 anti-TP reactivity specimens showed an overall readable rate of 99.82%(554/555). The SPC values of the negative and unsensitized particles of TPPA were distributed on both sides of the determination value without crossover. The control and monitor thoughout the test were carried out automatically by the instrument. 【Conclusion】 The TPPA test conducted by the Beckman PK7300 fully automatic blood group instrument is suitable for the confirmatory experiment of anti-TP reactive specimens in blood center laboratories, which could realize the automation and standardization of TPPA detection.

Development of a Sensitive and Fast Determination Method for Trace Carbaryl Residues in Food Samples Based on Magnetic COF (TpPa-NH2)@Fe3O4 Nanoparticles and Fluorescence Detection.

Developing a simple and effective method for measuring carbaryl residues in food is urgent due to its widespread use and the associated health risks in agriculture, as well as various defects in existing detection techniques. The COF (TpPa-NH2)@Fe3O4 nanocomposite (amino modification) was synthesized via a two-step method and used as an adsorbent for the extraction of carbaryl from food samples in this study. The results indicated that COF (TpPa-NH2)@Fe3O4 can rapidly and successfully capture carbaryl directly from samples via π-π stacking and hydrophobic interactions, achieving maximum adsorption within 5 min under a small adsorbent quantity using a fluorescence spectrophotometer. Under the optimized conditions, carbaryl exhibited good linearity in the range of 0.2-120 µg·kg-1, and the limit of detection was 0.012 µg·kg-1. The recoveries of the samples were 96.0-107.4%. This method has broad application prospects for the monitoring of carbaryl in food.

Confirmation value of Western blotting in detecting anti-treponema pallidum specific antibodies with suspicious results.

BACKGROUND: Due to the inconsistent results of anti-treponema pallidum (TP) specific antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Treponema pallidum granule agglutination assay (TPPA) in clinical work, there will be a certain proportion of false-positives and false-negatives depending on TPPA as confirmation results. This study aimed to evaluate the necessity of Western blotting (WB) in samples with inconsistent results in detecting anti-TP antibodies by ELISA and TPPA. METHODS: Specific anti-TP test results in our clinical laboratory were retrospectively analyzed. The specimens with a positive or a negative result, but with colored ELISA plates, were retested by TPPA. WB was used to confirm the suspicious results between ELISA and TPPA. The Chi-square test was used to analyze whether the difference was statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 106,757 anti-TP specimens were screened by ELISA from August 2018 to December 2019; 3972 were retested by TPPA, and 3809 were positive by TPPA. ELISA and TPPA showed different results in 163 specimens. Among them, 29 specimens were negative and 134 were positive by ELISA; 76 were negative, 23 were positive, and 64 were "reserve" by TPPA; 93 were negative, 31 were positive, and 39 were suspicious by the WB confirmation test. Compared with WB, the difference in the results of ELISA and TPPA was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: TPPA is an effective retest method for anti-TP antibody detection. If the results of anti-TP antibodies by ELISA and TPPA are inconsistent, it is necessary to use WB for confirmation. Trial registration This retrospective analysis is in accordance with the ethical guidelines of China and approved by the second hospital of Jiaxing (jxey-2018048).

In situ synthesis of 2D/2D MXene-COF heterostructure anchored with Ag nanoparticles for enhancing Schottky photocatalytic antibacterial efficiency under visible light.

It is a major challenge to combine the advantages of two kinds of two-dimensional materials to construct a heterojunction and achieve efficient photocatalytic antifouling. In this work, we covalently connected two materials MXenes and covalent organic frameworks (COFs) through the Schiff base reaction and anchored Ag nanoparticles (NPs) to prepare a Ti3C2/TpPa-1/Ag composite material with high efficiency bactericidal properties. The covalent bonding between MXene and COF greatly improved the stability of the material. Ti3C2/TpPa-1/Ag composite showed an excellent antibacterial property against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa. The fluorescence spectra of Ti3C2/TpPa-1/Ag proved that the electron transfer channels formed between the ternary materials could greatly improve the efficiency of carrier separation and prolong the life of photogenerated carriers. Density functional theory calculations showed that the synergistic catalytic effect of Ag and Ti3C2 could greatly reduce the work function along the interface, and the built-in electric field between the layers drive carrier fast migration, which effectively improve the catalytic performance.

Chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer determination of uric acid with fluorescent covalent organic framework as energy acceptor.

A simple and feasible strategy was developed for the preparation of fluorescent covalent organic frameworks (COFs) TpPa-1@FL. The TpPa-1-1@FL was prepared via a self-assembly strategy by soaking non-fluorescent COFs TpPa-1 into strong fluorescent fluorescein (FL) solution. A chemiluminescence resonance energy transfer (CRET) system was constructed by the combination strong fluorescent TpPa-1@FL with TCPO-hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) reaction. The chemiluminescence (CL) signal of the system was further improved by the addition of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The CRET system can determine H2O2 with a linear range response from 5.0 µmol/L to 20.0 mmol/L and a detection limit of 1.1 µmol/L. The CRET system was further exploited for indirect detection of uric acid with coupling of uricase. A good linear relationship was obtained for uric acid in the 10.0-400.0 µmol/L concentration range with a detection limit of 3.8 µmol/L. The practicability of this method was assessed by the determination of uric acid in real samples of human serum and urine.

Study on blood donor deferral strategy by analyzing anti-TP test results / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To discuss the reliability and applicability of the current blood deferral strategy concerning anti-TPreactive blood donors (by ELISA). 【Methods】 TPPA confirmatory test was performed on the samples routinely detected by two different anti-TP ELISA reagents(reagent 1 and reagent 2), and the test data of dual reagent reactive and one reagent reactive blood donors were analyzed to determine the possibility of true positivity. 【Results】 1 624 anti-TP reactive samples(by ELISA) were collected, among which 1 467 were dual reagent reactive, 77 were reagent 1 reactive, and 80 were reagent 2 reactive. TPPA results showed that the positive predictive value (PPV) of dual reactive samples was 85.48%. Samples with high S/CO value (reagent 1≥13 and/or reagent 2 >17) were more likely to be true positive, with the PPV at 98.56% (reagent 1) and 99.13% (reagent 2), respectively, which were significantly higher than that when the S/CO value was≥1. Among the samples reactive to one reagent, 2 were confirmed positive in reagent 1 and 3 in reagent 2, with the PPV at 2.60% and 3.75% respectively, and had no correlation with high S/CO value. 【Conclusion】 Dual-reagent reactive donors with high S/CO value showed high possibility of true positivity, therefore should be deferred. TPPA test is helpful to identify true positivity in one-reagent reactive donors. Confirmatory test and follow-up should be a supplement to the current blood donor deferral strategy to ensure blood safety.

Strategic options for syphilis control in Papua New Guinea- impact and cost-effectiveness projections using the syphilis interventions towards elimination (SITE) model.

OBJECTIVES: Papua New Guinea (PNG) has among the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) globally and is committed to reducing their incidence. The Syphilis Interventions Towards Elimination (SITE) model was used to explore the expected impact and cost of alternative syphilis intervention scale-up scenarios. METHODS: SITE is a dynamical model of syphilis transmission among adults 15-49 years. Individuals are divided into nine groups based on sexual behaviour and into six stages of infection. The model was calibrated to PNG using data from routine surveillance, bio-behavioural surveys, research studies and program records. Inputs included syphilis prevalence, risk behaviours, intervention coverage and service delivery unit costs. Scenarios compared different interventions (clinical treatment, contact tracing, syphilis screening, and condom promotion) for incidence and cost per infection averted over 2021-2030. RESULTS: Increasing treatment coverage of symptomatic primary/secondary-stage syphilis cases from 25-35% in 2020 to 60% from 2023 onwards reduced estimated incidence over 2021-2030 by 55%, compared to a scenario assuming constant coverage at 2019-2020 levels. The introduction of contact tracing in 2020, assuming 0.4 contacts per symptomatic person treated, reduced incidence over 2021-2030 by 10%. Increasing screening coverage by 20-30 percentage points from the 2019-2020 level reduced incidence over 2021-2030 by 3-16% depending on the target population. Scaling-up clinical, symptom-driven treatment and contact tracing had the lowest cost per infection averted, followed by condom promotion and periodic screening of female sex workers and men who have sex with men. CONCLUSIONS: PNG could considerably reduce its syphilis burden by scaling-up clinical treatment and contact tracing alongside targeted behavioural risk reduction interventions. SITE is a useful tool countries can apply to inform national STI programming and resource allocation.

Construction of Core-Shell MOFs@COF Hybrids as a Platform for the Removal of UO22+ and Eu3+ Ions from Solution.

The binary nanocomposites of metal/covalent-organic frameworks (NH2-MIL-125(Ti)@TpPa-1) were constructed by solvothermal method, which was developed as a multifunctional platform with adsorption and photocatalysis for radionuclides removal. The batch experiments and physicochemical property (FT-IR, XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, etc.) corroborated: (i) core-shell NH2-MIL-125(Ti)@TpPa-1 had a more stable, multilayer pore structure and abundant active functional groups; (ii) NH2-MIL-125(Ti)@TpPa-1 had fast a removal rate, as well as a high adsorption capacity of 536.73 mg (UO22+)/g and 593.97 mg (Eu3+)/g; (iii) the pseudo-second-order and Langmuir model provided a more reasonable description, indicating the immobilization process was endothermic, spontaneous chemisorption; (iv) the adsorption mechanism was chelation and electrostatic attraction, ascribed to the nitrogen/oxygen-containing functional groups. These results illustrated that NH2-MIL-125(Ti)@TpPa-1 was a prospective adsorbent for the remediation polluted by radionuclides. In addition, the research provided the theoretical basis for further investigation on the UO22+(VI) photoreduction.

In-situ layer-by-layer synthesized TpPa-1 COF solid-phase microextraction fiber for detecting sex hormones in serum.

The secretion disorder of sex hormones is the source that leads to the occurrence of many diseases such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), hyperandrogenism and so on. There exist physiological changes in human body when slight fluctuations in concentrations of sex hormones happen. Therefore, it's of great significance for accurate detection of sex hormones in human body. In this work, TpPa-1 COF solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber was prepared using high-efficient in-situ synthesis strategy and coupled with HPLC-MS/MS to detect three sex hormones, including Progesterone (P), testosterone (T) and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) in human serum. The thickness of the coating reached 7 µm within 2 h. Under the optimal conditions, the established method presented low limit of detections (LODs, ≤ 0.75 ng/mL), wide linear ranges (0.100-100 ng mL-1) and good reproducibility, and three sex hormones (T, P, DHEA) were successfully detected and quantified in human serum. In conclusion, the established SPME method presented high-efficient fiber preparation and good analytical performances of sex hormone detection, therefore was in great potential for application in clinical.

[Diagnostic problems and treatment of late neurosyphilis in a young patient: a case report]. / Trudnosti diagnostiki i osobennosti terapii porazheniia nervnoi sistemy pri pozdnei forme sifilisa v molodom vozraste (klinicheskoe nabliudenie).

A clinical case of late neurosyphilis with prominent cognitive function failure developed in a young male patient is presented. Atypical disease development and negative laboratory tests required to perform the differential diagnosis with inflammatory and degenerative brain diseases, extended blood and CSF tests for syphilis. During the diagnostic procedures the patient received complex therapy with neurotropic, antioxidant, and anti-dementia drugs. The treatment improved cognitive function and increased the efficacy of further treatment.