Aim: To compare the sensitivity and specificity before and after the addition of Triton X-100 in the modified Hodge test (MHT) and carbapenem inactivation method (CIM) for the detection of carbapenemase in Acinetobacter baumannii. Materials and Methods: A total of 135 isolates of A. baumannii (83 carbapenem-resistant and 52 carbapenem-sensitive) were selected and the carbapenemase genotypes were detected using PCR. Carbapenemase phenotypes were tested using the MHT, Triton-MHT (THT), CIM, modified CIM (mCIM), and Triton-CIM (TCIM). Different concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.25, and 0.5% v/v) of Triton X-100 were used in the TCIM. Results: The sensitivity was determined to be 59.03% (MHT), 100% (THT), 6.02% (CIM), 8.43% (mCIM), 71.08% (TCIM 0.05%), 100% (TCIM 0.1%), 97.59% (TCIM 0.25%), and 96.38% (TCIM 0.5%) in 83 carbapenemase-producing isolates, and the specificity for each of these methods was 100%. Conclusion: The addition of Triton X-100 while using the MHT and CIM could significantly improve the sensitivity in the detection of A. baumannii carbapenemase with a specificity of 100%. A concentration of 0.1% v/v Triton X-100 showed the best results in TCIM.

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effect of QF‐PCR and CNV‐seq in diagnosing prenatal fetal chromosomal aberrations, explore the advantages and necessity of multimethod joint diagnosis. Methods We chose pregnant women with the indication of fetal chromosome examination in our hospital last year, collected 657 cases of amniotic fluid for QF‐PCR and CNV‐seq analyzes. Results While detecting aneuploidy, the coincidence rate of QF‐PCR and CNV‐seq was 100% (56/56). For all 46 chromosomes, 523 cases (79.60%, 523/657) coincided precisely, 128 cases (19.48%, 128/657) showed abnormality with CNV‐seq, 8 cases (1.22%, 8/657) revealed abnormality by QF‐PCR. In serological Down's syndrome screening, 328 cases showed a high risk of trisomy 21, of which CNV‐seq and QF‐PCR were consistent in 4 cases (1.22%, 4/328), CNV‐seq found 87 cases of CNVs in 78 samples except for chromosomal aneuploidy abnormalities, among these, 18 cases (20.69%, 18/87) were polymorphic, 7 cases (8.05%, 7/87) might cause disease, 13 cases (14.94%, 13/87) caused disease explicitly, 21 cases (24.14%, 21/87) were possibly benign, 17 cases (19.54%, 17/87) were explicitly benign, and the classification of 11 cases (12.64%, 11/87) was unclear. Conclusion QF‐PCR and CNV‐seq were highly consistent in diagnosing chromosomal aneuploidy. The high risk of serological Down's screening might not only due to the aneuploidy of chromosomes 21, 18, and NTD, but also the microdeletion or microduplication of all 46 chromosomes. So using CNV‐seq combined with QF‐PCR could effectively reduce the risk of missed diagnosis.

In order to realize the early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), we designed and synthesized a series of multi‐fluorine labeled indanone derivatives based on indanone which could target β‐amyloid (Aβ). Through the in vitro staining experiment and affinity experiment, we selected 7d out, and then evaluated it through other in vivo and in vitro experiments. The staining of AD human brain adjacent sections revealed that compound 7d could bind to Aβ plaques with high affinity. In the in vitro binding assay, 7d showed a balanced affinity with Aβ1–40 (Kd = 367 ± 13) and Aβ1–42 (Kd = 384 ± 56). Also, 7d exhibited a low toxicity (LD50 > 50 mg/kg) and an excellent ability to pass through the blood–brain barrier (Log p = 3.87). The biodistribution experiment in mice showed that 7d reached the highest brain uptake after 1 h of tail vein injection and cleared after 24 h. A low concentration of 7d (1.875 mg/ml) showed a strong imaging ability (19F‐weighted mode), and the imaging capability increased with the increasing of concentration. All the results showed that 7d could provide a feasible solution for the early diagnosis of AD under non‐radioactive condition.

To study the potential relationship between melatonin and beta-amyloid (Abeta), we established a liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method to quantitatively analyze melatonin, deuterated isotopes (melatonin-D4), and internal standard 6-iodo-2-(4'-dimethylamino-) phenyl-imidazo(1,2) pyridine (IMPY) under positive (+) mode. The gradient elution was set to 6 min, and the corresponding peak time of melatonin and its isotope melatonin-D4 was 3.14 min, while the peak time for the internal standard IMPY was 3.24 min. Next, we established and optimized the molecule receptor saturation binding assay based on LC-MS to determine the melatonin affinity for beta-amyloid (Abeta). Melatonin showed a high and specific binding for Abeta. The corresponding equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of melatonin with Abeta 1-40 and Abeta 1-42 was 814.37 AE 36.62 and 628.33 AE 13.57 nmolÁL À1 ; besides, the Kd of melatonin with mixed plaques (1-40 and 1-42) was 461.13 AE 45.37 nmolÁL À1 . The results may suggest the potential mechanism of action of MT on Abeta and provide a theoretical basis for the improvement of MT treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Background Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection rates in women vary regionally. This study analyzed HPV infection in women of different age groups in Hefei, China, performed follow-up on positive cases, and discussed infection prognoses. Methods Samples (7,222) of exfoliated cervical cells were collected in Hefei and tested with an HPV assay kit against 27 HPV genotypes. Statistical software was used to analyze the data. Results The total positive rate of infection was 17.13% (1,068 women), and the 51–60-year age group had the highest HPV infection rate (19.82%). There were statistically significant differences between rates in the 21–30 and 31–40 (P = 0.002), 21–30 and 41–50 (P = 0.0003), 21–30 and 51–60 (P = 0.00003), and 51–60 and >60 age groups (P = 0.046). High-risk infection (15.67%) and single infection (13.01%) were the main types of HPV infection. The dominant genotypes of high-risk infection were HPV 52 (2.42%), HPV 16 (2.01%), HPV 53 (1.43%), HPV 58 (1.32%) and HPV 66 (1.01%). We conducted follow-up on cases in 69 of 94 women who had a history of 1–4 years of positive infection, and in 18 (seven treated, 11 untreated) patients, infection status turned negative (26.09%). Seventeen of the fifty-one women whose infections did not turn negative received treatment. Persistent infection was predominantly observed in high-risk genotypes (56 of 69). Conclusions The results recommend that women in Hefei improve health awareness and receive a 9-valent vaccine. Additionally, women with persistent infections should consult a gynecologist to prevent cervical lesions.