Demographics, Medical Comorbidities, and Functional Factors Associated with Radiation Therapy Regimen Length in Older Patients

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To determine demographic, comorbidity, and functional factors associated with radiation therapy (RT) regimen length in older patients.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Using data from the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), we identified patients who were diagnosed with cancer from 2002-2019 and received RT. The MCBS dataset is comprised of linked patient survey and Medicare claims data. Days of RT were used as a proxy for fractions of RT each patient received. We used treatment guidelines to identify a minimum treatment threshold for each cancer type to differentiate patients with low RT utilization from normal or supra-palliative RT utilization. Statistical analyses of patient demographics, comorbidities, and activities of daily living (ADL) were performed using chi-square and t-tests.

RESULTS

A total of 880 patients were included in this analysis, of whom 669 had high RT utilization. Of the demographic factors considered, age 85+ was associated with longer RT regimen length (p = 0.045), as was being "other" or multi-race, community, or facility treatment setting, and residing in the south (p = 0.013, 0.006, 0.003, 0.038, respectively). Of medical comorbidities, only lung disease was associated with longer RT regime (p = 0.020). Longer RT regimen length was significantly associated with requiring assistance with any ADLs (bathing, dressing, eating, chair, walking, toileting, all with p <0.001).

CONCLUSION

This abstract identifies specific patient demographics, medical comorbidities, and ADL limitations which may be associated with RT regimen length in older patients. Future work should focus on optimizing patients and delivery systems for RT and the relationship between pre- and post-treatment ADLs.

[Comparison of the efficacy of thulium fiber laser and holmium laser lithotripsy in the treatment of upper urinary tract stones]

Objective: To compare the efficacy of thulium fiber laser (TFL) and holmium laser (HL) in the treatment of upper urinary tract stones. Methods: A total of 76 patients diagnosed with upper urinary tract stones by radiographic examination and who required ureteroscopy lithotripsy or retrograde intrarenal stone surgery were prospectively enrolled from the Department of Urology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine between January 2022 and June 2022. Patients were divided into TFL group (n=38) and HL group (n=38) in a 1∶1 ratio according to the randomization schedule. The perioperative outcomes and stone-free rate of two groups were recorded and compared. Results: Finally, the clinical data of 71 patients were completely collected, including 55 males and 16 females, with a mean age of (45.7±14.1) years old. There were 36 patients in TFL group and 35 patients in HL group, and there was no significant difference in age, body mass index, gender, Charlson comorbidity index, stone site, stone location, stone size and stone density between two groups (all P>0.05). All the surgeries were successfully performed with no intraoperative complications. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of operation time, stone displacement during lithotripsy, visual field clarity, changes in hemoglobin, leukocyte, and C-reactive protein, and length of postoperative hospital stay (all P>0.05), but the laser action time[M (Q1,Q3)] in the TFL group was 30.0 (20.0, 48.8)s, which was significantly shorter than that in the HL group [90.0 (50.0, 120.0)s, P<0.001]. The stone-free rates of TFL group and HL group were 97.2% (35/36) and 88.6% (31/35), and there was no significant difference (P=0.337). The postoperative complication incidences of TFL group and HL group were 36.1% (13/36)and 22.9% (8/35), respectively, and the difference was not significant either (P=0.221). For ureter stones, the laser action time in TFL group was 22.5 (20.0, 43.8)s, which was significantly shorter than that in HL group [80.0 (50.0, 120.0)s, P<0.001]. For stones with maximum diameter≤10 mm, the laser action time in TFL group was 20.0 (10.0, 25.0)s, which was significantly shorter than that in HL group [50.0 (40.0, 80.0)s, P<0.001]. For stones with maximum diameter>10 mm, the laser action time in TFL group was 60.0(42.5, 180.0)s, which was significantly shorter than that in HL group [180.0(120.0, 210.0)s, P=0.035]. For stones with density≤1 000 CT, the laser action time in TFL group was 30.0 (20.0, 45.0)s, which was significantly shorter than that in HL group [95.0 (47.5, 120.0), P=0.001]. For stones with density>1 000 CT, the laser action time in TFL group was 30.0 (20.0, 90.0)s, which was significantly shorter than that in HL group [80.0 (55.0, 180.0)s, P=0.033]. Conclusion: TFL lithotripsy is an effective and safe surgical procedure for the treatment of upper urinary tract stones, with similar clinical efficacy but shorter laser action time compared to HL lithotripsy.

[Cardiac amyloidosis: pathological classification and clinical analysis of 48 cases]

Objective: To investigate the histological features and clinical manifestations in different types of cardiac amyloidosis to improve diagnostic accuracy. Methods: The histopathological features and clinical manifestations of 48 patients diagnosed with cardiac amyloidosis by Congo red stain and electron microscopy through endomyocardial biopsy were collected in West China Hospital of Sichuan University from January 2018 to December 2021. Immunohistochemical stains for immunoglobulin light chains (κ and λ) and transthyretin protein were carried out, and a review of literature was made. Results: The patients age ranged from 42 to 79 years (mean 56 years) and the male to female ratio was 1.1 to 1.0. The positive rate of endomyocardial biopsy was 97.9% (47/48), which was significantly higher than that of the abdominal wall fat (7/17). Congo red staining and electron microscopy were positive in 97.9% (47/48) and 93.5% (43/46), respectively. Immunohistochemical stains showed 32 cases (68.1%) were light chain type (AL-CA), including 31 cases of AL-λ type and 1 case of AL-κ type; 9 cases (19.1%) were transthyretin protein type (ATTR-CA); and 6 cases (12.8%) were not classified. There was no significant difference in the deposition pattern of amyloid between different types (P>0.05). Clinical data showed that ATTR-CA patients had less involvement of 2 or more organs and lower N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) than the other type patients (P<0.05). The left ventricular stroke volume and right ventricular ejection fraction of ATTR-CA patients were better than the other patients (P<0.05). Follow-up data of 45 patients was obtained, and the overall mean survival time was 15.6±2.0 months. Univariate survival analysis showed that ATTR-CA patients had a better prognosis, while cardiac amyloidosis patients with higher cardiac function grade, NT-proBNP >6 000 ng/L, and troponin T >70 ng/L had a worse prognosis (P<0.05). Multivariate survival analysis showed that NT-proBNP and cardiac function grade were independent prognostic factors for cardiac amyloidosis patients. Conclusions: AL-λ is the most common type of cardiac amyloidosis in this group. Congo red staining combined with electron microscopy can significantly improve the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis. The clinical manifestations and prognosis of each type are different and can be classified based on immunostaining profile. However, there are still a few cases that cannot be typed; hence mass spectrometry is recommended if feasible.

Comparison between Dual-Energy CT and Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping in Assessing Brain Iron Deposition in Parkinson Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Both dual-energy CT and quantitative susceptibility mapping can evaluate iron depositions in the brain. The purpose of this study was to compare these 2 techniques in evaluating brain iron depositions in Parkinson disease.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty-one patients with Parkinson disease (Parkinson disease group) and 31 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (healthy control group) were included. All participants underwent brain dual-energy CT and quantitative susceptibility mapping. ROIs were set bilaterally in the globus pallidus, substantia nigra, red nucleus, caudate nucleus, and putamen. CT values and magnetic susceptibility values were obtained in each ROI. Differences in CT values and magnetic susceptibility values between the Parkinson disease and healthy control groups were compared, followed by analysis of receiver operating characteristic curves. Correlations between CT values and magnetic susceptibility values were then evaluated.

RESULTS

The CT values of the bilateral globus pallidus, substantia nigra, and red nucleus were higher in the Parkinson disease group (P < .05). The magnetic susceptibility values of the bilateral globus pallidus and substantia nigra were higher in the Parkinson disease group (P < .05). The CT value of the right globus pallidus in linear fusion images had the highest diagnostic performance (0.912). Magnetic susceptibility values of the bilateral globus pallidus in the Parkinson disease group were positively correlated with CT values at the level of 80 kV(peak), linear fusion images, and SN150 kV(p) (r = 0.466∼0.617; all, P < .05).

CONCLUSIONS

Both dual-energy CT and quantitative susceptibility mapping could assess excessive brain iron depositions in Parkinson disease, and we found a positive correlation between CT values and magnetic susceptibility values in the bilateral globus pallidus.

[Influencing factors for postoperative survival of patients with pneumoconiosis treated by lung transplantation]

Objective: To explore the influencing factors for postoperative survival of patients with pneumoconiosis (silicosis) after lung transplantation in order to improve their clinical outcomes. Methods: In August 2021, retrospective alalysis from December 2015 to July 2021, 29 patients with end-stage pneumoconiosis underwent lung transplantation at Department of Thoracic Surgery, Affiliated Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou University. The survival, postoperative complications, and causes of death were analyzed. Life table and Kaplan-Meier method were used to draw survival curves, the log-rank test was used to compare the influence of each factor on survival rates, and the multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to evaluate the influence of each factor on survival. Results: All the patients underwent successful lung transplantation, with survival rates of 75% at 6 months, 70% at 1 year, 65% at 2 years, 50% at 3 years and 50% at 5 years. The Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that BMI, age and preoperative albumin level were influencing factors for postoperative survival rates (P<0.05) . The multivariate COX regression model showed that BMI≥18.5 kg/m(2) and the albumin level≥35 g/L were the protective factors (P<0.05) . Conclusion: Aging older, preoperative BMI<18.5 kg/m(2) and hypoalbuminemia are independent risk factors for death after lung transplantation. Survival rates are affected by preoperative BMI index, albumin level and age. Early intervention should be made before lung transplantation to promote the BMI index and albumin level to reach the standard.

Critical body fat percentage required for puberty onset: the Taiwan Pubertal Longitudinal Study

PURPOSE

Prepubescent body fat percentage (BFP) is associated with puberty onset; however, the association between the timing of puberty onset and BFP remains unclear. This study aimed to determine whether and how the timing of puberty onset is associated with various anthropometric measures, and to investigate the critical time period of the BFP transition before and after puberty.

METHODS

The Taiwan Pubertal Longitudinal Study (TPLS) has a multicenter, population-based prospective cohort and was established in July 2018 at 4 pediatric departments. We included girls aged 6-14 years and boys aged 9-17 years evaluated as having puberty onset and excluded those with precocious puberty diagnosis. The anthropometric measures were collected every 3 months. The main outcome was age at puberty onset. Data were analyzed between July 2018 and September 2020.

RESULTS

For 153 girls and 83 boys, BFP was significantly related to puberty onset for girls. Longitudinal analysis revealed that BFP in the girls was reduced to less than 18% 6 months before puberty and rapidly increased by 2.85% over 3 months, then exceeding 20% before puberty onset. After puberty onset, BFP was no longer lower than 22%.

CONCLUSIONS

BFP is an essential predictor of age at puberty onset. BFP first decreases and then begins to increase 3-6 months before puberty in girls. Parents and schools could monitor the BFP of prepubescent girls every 6 months to predict puberty onset.

[Arf6 regulates endometriotic epithelial-mesenchymal transition and mitochondrial distribution]

Objective: To investigate the role of adenosine diphosphate ribosylation factor 6 (Arf6) in the pathogenesis of endometriosis. Methods: Endometrial tissues were sampled from women who were hospitalized in the Affiliated Hospital of Medical School of Ningbo University and Ningbo Women and Children's Hospital from November 2020 to May 2021 with endometriosis (n=44, endometriosis group) and without endometriosis (n=17, control group). The expression of Arf6 protein in the endometrial tissues was detected by western blot. Endometrial epithelial cells from both groups were primary cultured and the distribution of intracellular mitochondria was detected by immunofluorescence. The expression of Arf6 protein was down-regulated by small interference RNA (siRNA), the distribution of mitochondria in cells with decreased Arf6 protein expression was observed, and the expression of mitochondria-related proteins development and differentiation enhancing factor 1 (DDEF1, also called AMAP1), reactive oxygen species 1 (ROS1) and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-related proteins E-cadherin, vimentin were detected. Transwell assay was used to detect the changes in the migration ability of the cells. Results: Compared with the control group, ectopic endometrial tissue of endometriosis group showed high expression of Arf6 protein (0.174±0.019 vs 0.423±0.033; t=29.630, P<0.01); and in ectopic endometrial epithelial cells, mitochondria were distributed near the edge of the cell membrane. While Arf6 expression was down-regulated by siRNA, the distribution of mitochondria in ectopic cells returned to natural, close to the control level. In addition, the expression levels of AMAP1 and ROS1 in ectopic cells after Arf6 protein knockdown were significantly decreased. Transwell assay results indicated that knockdown of Arf6 could reduce the migration ability of ectopic epithelial cells [migration cell count: (34.3±7.5) cells]; and immunofluorescence verified low expression of E-cadherin but high expression of vimentin in ectopic epithelial cells, whereas knockdown of Arf6 protein E-cadherin expression increased but vimentin expression decreased. Conclusions: High expression of Arf6 protein in ectopic endometrial epithelial cells leads to the distribution of mitochondria tending to membrane marginalization, while inducing EMT, which are involved in the mechanism of endoheterosis pathogenesis.

[Analysis of adenoid hyperplasia and its influencing factors of neonates]

Objective: To explore the characteristics of neonatal adenoid development and to study the relationship between neonatal adenoid development and disease. Methods: A retrospective analysis of neonates who received an electronic rhinopharyngolaryngoscope at Shenzhen Children's Hospital from January 2019 to December 2020 was conducted to track the children's medical history and to analyze the adenoid development status. All 131 neonates successfully completed the electronic laryngoscopy. According to the presence or absence of visible adenoid hyperplasia, they were divided into a hyperplasia group (81 cases, 61.83%) and an un-hyperplasia group (50 cases, 38.17%). Results: Compared with the un-hyperplasia group, the age and birth weight of the adenoid hyperplasia group were larger, and the difference was statistically significant (Z _age=-4.634,Z _weight=-2.273,all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in gender and gestational age between the two groups. The number of neonates with rhinitis/sinusitis in the hyperplasia group were significantly more than those in the un-hyperplasia group (62.96% vs 48%). Conclusion: The development of neonatal adenoids is related to daily age, birth weight, but not significantly related to gender and gestational age.

[Clinical effects of en bloc resection and debridement combined with gluteus maximus muscle flap in the treatment of ischial tubercle pressure ulcer complicated with chronic osteomyelitis]

Objective: To investigate the clinical effects of en bloc resection and debridement combined with gluteus maximus muscle flap in the treatment of ischial tubercle pressure ulcer complicated with chronic osteomyelitis. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted. From May 2018 to February 2020, 8 patients with pressure ulcers on the ischial tuberosity combined with chronic osteomyelitis who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to Fuyang Minsheng Hospital, including 5 males and 3 females, aged 38-69 years, with unilateral lesions in 6 patients and bilateral lesions in 2 patients. According to the anatomical classification of Cierny-Mader osteomyelitis, there were 6 patients (7 sides) with focal type, and 2 patients (3 sides) with diffuse type. The wound areas were 3 cm×2 cm to 12 cm×9 cm on admission. The pressure ulcer and chronic osteomyelitis lesions were completely removed by en bloc resection and debridement. The chronic infectious lesions were transformed into sterile incisions like fresh wounds by one surgical procedure, and the gluteus maximus muscle flaps with areas of 10 cm×6 cm to 15 cm×9 cm were excised to transfer and fill the ineffective cavity. The wounds of 5 patients were sutured directly, and the wounds of 3 patients were closed by local flap transfer. The intraoperative blood loss volume and blood transfusion, and length of hospital stay of patients were recorded. The incision healing and flap survival of patients were observed after operation. The recurrence of pressure ulcer and osteomyelitis, the appearance of the affected area, and the secondary dysfunction and deformity of the muscle flap donor site of patients were observed during followed up. Results: The intraoperative blood loss volume of the 8 patients was 220 to 900 (430±150) mL; 5 patients received intraoperative blood transfusion, of which 2 patients received 3 U suspended red blood cells and 3 patients received 2 U suspended red blood cells. The length of hospital stay was 18 to 29 (23.5±2.0) d for the 8 patients. In this group of patients, the incisions of 7 patients healed, while in one case, the incision suture was torn off during turning over and healed after secondary suture. The flaps survived well in 3 patients who underwent local flap transfer. During the follow-up period of 6-20 months, no recurrence of pressure ulcer or osteomyelitis occurred in 8 patients, the affected part had skin with good texture, mild pigmentation, and no sinus tract formation, and no secondary dysfunction or deformity occurred in the donor site. Conclusions: The en bloc resection and debridement combined with gluteus maximus muscle flap has good clinical effects on ischial tubercle pressure ulcer complicated with chronic osteomyelitis. Neither pressure ulcer nor osteomyelitis recurs post operation. The skin texture and appearance of the affected area are good, and the donor site has no secondary dysfunction or deformity.

High-precision measurement of the W boson mass with the CDF II detector

The mass of the W boson, a mediator of the weak force between elementary particles, is tightly constrained by the symmetries of the standard model of particle physics. The Higgs boson was the last missing component of the model. After observation of the Higgs boson, a measurement of the W boson mass provides a stringent test of the model. We measure the W boson mass, M_W, using data corresponding to 8.8 inverse femtobarns of integrated luminosity collected in proton-antiproton collisions at a 1.96 tera-electron volt center-of-mass energy with the CDF II detector at the Fermilab Tevatron collider. A sample of approximately 4 million W boson candidates is used to obtain [Formula: see text], the precision of which exceeds that of all previous measurements combined (stat, statistical uncertainty; syst, systematic uncertainty; MeV, mega-electron volts; c, speed of light in a vacuum). This measurement is in significant tension with the standard model expectation.

Foraging for the Optimal Dressing Scaffold to Carry Adipose-Derived Stromal/Progenitor Cells for Cell Therapy

In our daily plastic surgery practice, we have seen many chronic wounds that need new biotechnology to help and improve wound healing. Stem cells play a crucial role in regenerative medicine. Many pre-clinical researches had reported the beneficial paracrine effects of stem cell therapy for chronic wounds. Cell-friendly scaffolds may provide the protection and three-dimensional space required for adherence of stem cells, thus allowing these stem cells to proliferate and differentiate for treatment purpose. A successful scaffold may enhance the effects of stem cell therapy. In this presented series, the authors attempted to identify the most suitable scaffolds from several commercially available wound dressings that could sustain adipose-derived stromal/progenitor cells (ADSCs) survival. Therefore, we isolated ADSCs containing the green fluorescent protein (GFP) from GFP transgenic rats. The GFP (+) ADSCs and their progenies could be easily observed using a fluorescence microscope. Moreover, we analyzed the cytokines secreted in condition medium (CM) to understand the activities of ADSCs in various dressings. Our results showed that the foam dressings, hydrofiber, chitosan, and alginate plus carboxymethylcellulose were identified as the most suitable dressing materials. Higher concentrations of transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were observed 48 h after loading them with GFP (+) ADSCs. Therefore, multiple topical cell therapy using ADSCs can be performed by applying suitable dressing scaffolds without repeated needle injections to deliver the stem cells into the wound bed. Based on their fluorescence property, the GFP (+) ADSCs can also possibly be used for testing biocompatibility of medical materials in the future.

[Development of Risk Assessment Index System on HIV infection among young students based on Delphi method]

Objective: To develop a Risk Assessment Index System (RAIS) on HIV infection among young students based on Delphi method and to provide individual HIV infection risk assessment, targeted prevention and control measures. Methods: Delphi method was applied to determine the index system and weight of the assessment tool through three rounds of expert consultation and overall consideration of opinions and suggestions from 19 experts. Results: The positivity coefficients of three rounds of expert consultation were 100%. The authority coefficient of experts was between 0.887 and 0.945. The Kendall's W coefficients through first, second and third round specialist consultation was 0.379, 0.329 and 0.248, respectively (all P<0.001). The coefficients of variation in the third round were all less than 0.25, indicating that experts' opinion tend to be consistent and the results are highly reliable. The HIV infection risk assessment index system among young students consisted of 7 first grade indices and 54 second grade indices, of which weight was calculated. Conclusions: The RAIS on HIV infection for young students was initially established based on Delphi method, and could be used in the development of HIV infection risk assessment tools for personalized prevention and intervention among young students. However, the reliability, validity and effect of this assessment index system need to be further evaluated.

[Design and analysis of testing results of a WeChat applet for sexual health and HIV infection risk assessment in young students]

Objective: To summarize the design and analysis of testing results of a WeChat applet, which is called "Detective Bear", for sexual health and HIV infection risk assessment in young students, and evaluate its feasibility and effectiveness. Methods: Based on self-categorization theory, by using cluster analysis and Delphi expert consulting method, the framework of WeChat applet, risk assessment index system and preventive intervention content were determined. Young students were recruited by student associations for the application test, the results of the repeated tests and the satisfaction survey were collected and analyzed. Results: The study included 393 participants who repeated the test twice and 750 participants who volunteered to participate in the satisfaction questionnaire survey. The applet contains five modules: self-role judgment, self-test, risk assessment, assessment report generation and background management. The risk assessment module contains 6 first-level indicators and 55 second-level indicators. Assessment report generation module includes role diagnosis type, radar chart of HIV sexual health KAP and intervention prescription. In 393 students who repeated the test, the awareness of AIDS to be a serious sexually transmitted disease, the epidemic trend in young students in China, with active seeking HIV testing services and caring the infected improved. The satisfaction survey showed that 75.7% of students (568/750) accepted the applet, 86.5% (649/750) agreed the evaluation report, 83.1%(623/750) thought that there were some problems, but it was easy to use, 93.3% (700/750) said they can learn something from the applet and 84.1% (631/750) satisfied with the page design. Some students thought the questionnaire was too long and somewhat difficult to complete (P<0.05), and some reported that more can be learned (P<0.05). Conclusions: The applet integrates AIDS prevention related knowledge and practice into a challenging, interesting, interactive game and provide individualized, concrete risk assessment and self-intervention for young students, which can effectively help students to improve the awareness of AIDS related knowledge and get links for access to condoms, testing and other intervention services. However, its large-scale application and long-term effect need to be further tested.

[Influence of self-categorized deviation in knowledge, attitude and practice for sexual health on the willingness to seek help for corresponding problems among young students]

Objective: To evaluate the effect of "self-categorization" on decision of health preference and the influence of self-categorized deviation in knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) on the willingness of seeking help for sexual health among young students. Methods: From March to April 2019, young students who used a WeChat applet for sexual health and HIV infection risk assessment, which is called "Detective Bear" were recruited and investigated. According to the consistency between the self-categorization of KAP for sexual health and the systematic categorization from their honest answers, the participants were allocated into three groups: consistent, low or high status, according to their judgment on sexual information acquisition, sexual attitude, and the actual number of sexual experiences. Logistic regression was used to analyze the differences in the willingness to seek help for sexual health problems between the three groups. Results: 2 009 students with an average age of (19.2±1.1) were included. 54.7% (1 099/2 009) were female, and 98.4% (1 976/2 009) were college, undergraduate or postgraduate students. 49.0% (984/2 009) were in the consistent group, 10.9% (219/2 009) had a lower self-categorization, 40.1% (806/2 009) had a higher self-categorization. Compared with the consistent group, students with lower self-categorization of KAP for sexual health were less likely to assess HIV voluntary counseling and testing (aOR=0.65, 95%CI: 0.43-0.99). However, students with higher self-categorization seemed to dislike seeking help for sexually transmitted diseases (aOR=0.76, 95%CI: 0.59-0.98). Conclusions: Deviation in self-categorization of KAP for sexual health will reduce the young students' willingness to seek help for related problems. Especially those with lower self-categorization, lack of risk consciousness, and refuse to assess counseling and testing may increase the HIV/AIDS epidemic among this population. It is necessary to strengthen the capacity of self-assessment for young students while promoting sex education.

[Analysis on influencing factors of HIV testing services utilization in students with self-assessed high risk of HIV infection based on Andersen's model]

Objective: To analyze the influencing factors for HIV testing services utilization in students with self-assessed high risk of HIV infection. Methods: The research framework of the influencing factors for HIV testing services utilization in students was developed based on Andersen's health services utilization behavioral model and related literature. A cross-sectional survey was performed in students with self-assessed high risk of HIV infection by an online HIV infection risk assessment tool from March to April 2019. Multiple logistic regressions were applied with hierarchical model. Results: A total of 526 students were included in the study (age: 19.30±1.19 years old), in whom 96.2% agreed that HIV testing should be received after high-risk behavior. 56.7% (298/526) had sexual behavior and the HIV testing rate was 11.0% (58/526). The HIV testing rates in students who had and had no sex behavior were 13.42%(40/298) and 7.89% (18/228), respectively. According to the results from multivariate logistic regression analysis, non-heterosexual (compared with heterosexual, OR=7.88, 95%CI: 3.98-15.61) and higher score of AIDS knowledge awareness (compared with lower score, OR=2.05, 95%CI: 1.07-3.93) in propensity factor module, and having risk sexual behavior (compared with having no risk sexual behavior, OR=2.66, 95%CI: 1.41-5.03) and having diagnosis of STD infection in hospital (compared with having no such diagnosis, OR=6.35, 95%CI: 2.21-18.27) in demand factor module, and receiving health education about AIDS prevention in the past year (compared with receiving no such health education, OR=0.29, 95%CI: 0.11-0.76) and receiving health education about AIDS testing service in the past year (compared with receiving no such health education, OR=3.67, 95%CI: 1.71-7.90) in ability factor module were the influencing factors for utilization of HIV testing services. Conclusions: The acceptance of HIV testing in students needs to be improved urgently. Propensity factors, such as their AIDS knowledge awareness and sexual orientation, and demand factors, such as having risk sexual behavior and STD infection, have obvious impacts on the utilization of HIV testing services. However, health education about AIDS prevention and HIV testing service can play a more important role in facilitating the utilization of HIV testing in students. In the future, we should further strengthen the publicity of voluntary HIV counseling and testing service in students with particular attention to girls and those with risk sexual behaviors.

[Cluster analysis on survey of sexual health characteristics and health education demands in young students]

Objective: To explore the difference of sexual health characteristics and demands in students in different groups, and provide the basis for targeted sexual health eduction for AIDS prevention in young students. Methods: A survey was conducted based on the requirement of health education about sexual health and AIDS prevention in young students by the education department of Guangdong province. A two-step cluster analysis was performed on the survey data obtained by convenient sampling, the variables and number of clusters included were determined by combination of analysis results and professional knowledge. The demographic characteristics, the content and form of sexual health education needed were compared among different groups. Results: Survey data of 3 884 students were collected, and six variables were used for classification: cognition or occurrence masturbation, sexual behavior, frequency of sexual information acquisition, number of acceptable sex partners and AIDS knowledge awareness rate. By these variables, the students were classified into three levels of risk groups: high risk group (46.6%), medium risk group (39.9%) and low risk group (13.5%). As for demographic characteristics, high risk group, with a median age of 19 years, had the highest proportions of boys (65.9%), students with non-heterosexuality orientation (15.2%), urban residents (58.2%), only children (30.8%) and undergraduates (54.7%). Medium risk group, with a median age of 19 years, had the highest proportions of girls (82.7%) and vocational college students (34.0%). Low risk group, with a median age of 18 years, had the highest proportions of rural residents (52.4%), non-only child (80.6%), senior high school students (41.3%), non-boarding students (17.5%) and students without internship and part-time job experience (43.2%). In terms of health education demands, high risk group had a higher demand of information about self-identity, sexual safety, sexual decision making, contraception, abortion, and sexually transmitted disease or AIDS prevention. Medium risk group paid more attention to value on love and marriage, sexual assault. Low risk group showed a higher demand of adolescent physiology knowledge. Compared with low risk group, high risk group had a higher demand of peer education, Internet/multimedia, anonymous counseling and other forms of sexual health education. The differences were significant. Conclusion: The characteristics, sexual knowledge awareness, attitude and behavior, and health education demands of young students in different groups are different, so health education materials and methods should be developed according to the characteristics of different groups to enhance the acceptance and enthusiasm of students and improve the quality of sexual health education.

[Association of coronary perivascular fat attenuation index, the parameters of plaque and fractional flow reserve]

Objective: To explore the association of coronary perivascular fat attenuation index (FAI), the parameters of plaque and fractional flow reserve (FFR). Methods: A total of 113 patients (with 141 plaques) (78 males and 35 females, age from 40 to 83 years) with stable coronary artery disease were retrospectively collected from Jingling Hospital and Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital. All the patients underwent coronary CT angiography and invasive FFR examinations. The quantitative and qualitative parameters of plaque and vessel (such as the length and volume of plaque, the characteristics of plaque and high-risk plaque) and the FAI around the plaque were measured. The patients were divided into positive FAI group (n=46) and negative FAI group (n=66) according to the standard of whether the threshold of FAI≥ -70 HU. The quantitative indexes, including age, the length and volume of plaque, minimal lumen area (MLA) and FAI, as well as the qualitative indexed, including the characteristics of plaque, the number and characteristic of high-risk plaque and the number of patients and plaque with positive FFR were compared between the two groups. Further, logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the correlation among myocardial ischemia, age, the length of plaque, minimal lumen area (MLA), FAI and so on. ROC curve was used for evaluating the performance of each parameter. Results: Compared to the negative FAI group, positive FAI group had lower MLA (2.00±1.33 mm² vs 4.13±2.41 mm², P<0.001). The proportion of patients and vessels with FFR<0.75 in positive FAI group were significantly higher than that in negative FAI group (21.3% vs 4.5%, P=0.006; 23.2% vs 8.2%, P=0.016). The FAI between high-risk plaque and non-high-risk plaque had no significant difference (21.2% vs 16.1%, P=0.451). FAI predicted myocardial ischemia (AUC=0.666, P=0.021) and significantly improved the prediction efficiency of complex model(0.915 vs 0.951,P=0.033). Conclusion: Lower MLA and higher incidence of myocardial ischemia were associated with patients with higher FAI. In addition, FAI has a certain prediction efficiency and can provide incremental value for the determination of myocardial ischemia.

[Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis of abnormal directional functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens in patients with chronic tinnitus]

Objective: To investigate abnormal directional functional connectivity of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in chronic tinnitus patients using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and to determine the relationship between the degree of this connectivity and tinnitus characteristics. Methods: The resting-state fMRI data of 40 patients with bilateral chronic tinnitus (12 males and 28 females, aged from 26 to 63(50.6±11.6) years) and 40 healthy controls with normal hearing (16 males and 24 females, aged from 26 to 70(45.9±12.4)years) were retrospectively enrolled from the Department of Otolaryngology, Nanjing First Hospital from January 2017 to January 2020. The bilateral NAc were selected as seeds to detect the directional functional connectivity with the whole brain, then the effective connectivity values between the two groups were compared using Granger Causality Analysis (GCA), and the correlation between the effective connectivity and the characteristics of tinnitus was calculated. Results: Compared with healthy controls, the effective connectivity from the left NAc to left middle frontal gyrus in patients with bilateral chronic tinnitus was increased [(1.0±0.2)vs(0.6±0.3)], the effective connectivity from the right NAc to left inferior frontal gyrus was enhanced [(0.9±0.3)vs(0.6±0.4)], the effective connectivity from the right middle temporal gyrus to left NAc was enhanced [(1.0±0.2)vs(0.5±0.3)], the effective connectivity from the right middle frontal gyrus to right NAc was also enhanced[(1.0±0.2)vs(0.5±0.3)](all P<0.05). After adjusting for age, gender, education level, and gray matter volume, positive correlations was observed between the Tinnitus Handicap Questionnaire (THQ) scores and increased effective connectivity values from the left NAc to the left middle frontal gyrus (r=0.386, P=0.020). Additionally, enhanced effective connectivity values from the right middle frontal gyrus to the right NAc was also positively associated with tinnitus duration (r=0.390, P=0.019). Conclusion: The directional functional connectivity between the NAc and prefrontal cortex in patients with chronic tinnitus is enhanced.

The production of single cell protein from biogas slurry with high ammonia-nitrogen content by screened Nectaromyces rattus

In this study, a novel method was proposed to obtain single cell protein (SCP) in yeast by using biogas slurry as culture medium. The results show that Nectaromyces rattus was the most efficient at producing SCP among the 7 different yeasts studied. Acetic acid was a better pH regulator than hydrochloric acid. After culture with the initial NH₄⁺-N concentration 2,000 mg/L, C/N ratio 6:1, the initial pH 5.50 and rotation speed of 200 rpm, a total cell dry weight of 12.58 g/L with 35.96% protein content was obtained. Nineteen amino acids accounted for 46.85% of cell dry weight, and proline content was as high as 12.0% of the cell dry weight. However, sulfur-containing amino acids, including methionine and cystine, were deficient. Further research should focus on the high cell density culture to increase SCP production.

Forensic Analysis of 43 Medical Disputes Caused by Death after Cardiac Surgery

Abstract

Objective To explore the causes and characteristics of medical disputes caused by death after cardiac surgery and to analyze the pathological changes after cardiac surgery and the key points of forensic anatomy, thus to provide pathological evidence for clinical diagnosis and treatment of cardiac surgery and judicial appraisal as well as reference for the prevention of medical disputes in such cases. Methods Forensic pathological cases of medical disputes caused by death after cardiac surgery which were accepted by the Center for Medicolegal Expertise of Sun Yat-Sen University from 2013 to 2018 were analyzed retrospectively from aspects such as causes of death, pathological diagnosis, surgery condition, medical misconduct, and so on. Results The causes of death after cardiac surgery of 43 patients were abnormal operation, low cardiac output syndrome, postoperative infection, postoperative thrombosis, and other diseases. Among the 43 cases, there were 18 cases without medical fault while 25 cases had medical fault. Conclusion The medical disputes caused by death after cardiac surgery are closely related to the operative technique and postoperative complications. The causes of medical faults include defects in diagnosis and treatment technique, as well as unfulfillment of duty of care.

A novel 3D histotypic cartilage construct engineered by supercritical carbon dioxide decellularized porcine nasal cartilage graft and chondrocytes exhibited chondrogenic capability in vitro

Augmentative and reconstructive rhinoplasty surgical procedures use autologous tissue grafts or synthetic grafts to repair the nasal defect and aesthetic reconstruction. Donor site trauma and morbidity are common in autologous grafts. The desperate need for the production of grafted 3D cartilage tissues as rhinoplasty grafts without the adverse effect is the need of the hour. In the present study, we developed a bioactive 3D histotypic construct engineered with the various ratio of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSC) and chondrocytes together with decellularized porcine nasal cartilage graft (dPNCG). We decellularized porcine nasal cartilage using supercritical carbon dioxide (SCCO2) extraction technology. dPNCG was characterized by H&E, DAPI, alcian blue staining, scanning electron microscopy and residual DNA content, which demonstrated complete decellularization. 3D histotypic constructs were engineered using dPNCG, rat ADSC and chondrocytes with different percentage of cells and cultured for 21 days. dPNCG together with 100% chondrocytes produced a solid mass of 3D histotypic cartilage with significant production of glycosaminoglycans. H&E and alcian blue staining showed an intact mass, with cartilage granules bound to one another by extracellular matrix and proteoglycan, to form a 3D structure. Besides, the expression of chondrogenic markers, type II collagen, aggrecan and SOX-9 were elevated indicating chondrocytes cultured on dPNCG substrate facilitates the synthesis of type II collagen along with extracellular matrix to produce 3D histotypic cartilage. To conclude, dPNCG is an excellent substrate scaffold that might offer a suitable environment for chondrocytes to produce 3D histotypic cartilage. This engineered 3D construct might serve as a promising future candidate for cartilage tissue engineering in rhinoplasty.

Reconstruction of the orbital floor using supercritical CO2 decellularized porcine bone graft

Orbital floor fractures subsequently lead to consequences such as diplopia and enophthalmos. The graft materials used in orbital floor fractures varied from autografts to alloplastic grafts, which possess certain limitations. In the present study, a novel porcine bone matrix decellularized by supercritical CO2 (scCO2), ABCcolla® Collagen Bone Graft, was used for the reconstruction of the orbital framework. The study was approved by the institutional review board (IRB) of Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital (KMUH). Ten cases underwent orbital floor reconstruction in KMUH in 2019. The orbital defects were fixed by the implantation of the ABCcolla® Collagen Bone Graft. Nine out of ten cases used 1 piece of customized ABCcolla® Collagen Bone Graft in each defect. The other case used 2 pieces of customized ABCcolla® Collagen Bone Graft in one defect area due to the curved outline of the defect. In the outpatient clinic, all 10 cases showed improvement of enophthalmos on CT (computerized tomography) at week 8 follow-up. No replacement of implants was needed during follow-ups. To conclude, ABCcolla® Collagen Bone Graft proved to be safe and effective in the reconstruction of the orbital floor with high accessibility, high stability, good biocompatibility, low infection rate and low complication rate.

[Mechanism of maggot debridement therapy in promoting wound angiogenesis in patients with diabetic foot ulcer]

Objective: To investigate the mechanism of maggot debridement therapy (MDT) in promoting wound angiogenesis in patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). Methods: (1) From June 2018 to June 2019, the patients admitted to Nanjing Junxie Hospital who met the inclusion criteria were recruited, including 12 DFU patients given MDT for three days [6 males and 6 females, aged (56±12) years] and 12 acute trauma patients without diabetes mellitus [6 males and 6 females, aged (53±10) years], who were enrolled into DFU group and non-diabetic trauma group respectively. Before and after application of MDT, the wound characteristics of patients in DFU group were observed and the wound tissue samples were taken. The wound tissue in non-diabetic trauma group was taken at patient's first visit before debridement. The expression of angiogenesis marker CD31 in the wound tissue of patients in DFU group was detected by immunohistochemistry before and after application of MDT. Western blotting and real-time fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) were used respectively to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of fatty acid synthase (FAS) in wound tissue of patients in DFU group before and after application of MDT and in non-diabetic trauma group before debridement. (2) Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) were cultured in endothelial cell culture medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum. The 3rd to 6th passages of cells in logarithmic growth phase were used in the following experiments. Excretions/secretions (ES) were extracted from 3-day-old sterile Lucilia sericata larvae for subsequent experiments. Three batches of cells were divided into phosphate buffer solution (PBS) control group, high glucose alone group, high glucose+ 5 μg/mL maggot ES group, and high glucose+ 10 μg/mL maggot ES group, which were treated with PBS, glucose in final molarity concentration of 20 mmol/L, glucose in final molarity concentration of 20 mmol/L+ maggot ES in final mass concentration of 5 μg/mL, and glucose in final molarity concentration of 20 mmol/L+ maggot ES in final mass concentration of 10 μg/mL respectively. The total volume of reagents in each group was the same. After 48 hours of culture, Western blotting, real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR and immunofluorescence method were used to detect the protein and mRNA expressions of FAS in each batch of cells and the expression and localization of FAS protein in cells respectively. The number of samples for mRNA expression was 3. (3) Two batches of cells were divided into small interference RNA (siRNA) alone group, siRNA control+ maggot ES group and siRNA-FAS+ maggot ES group, which were transfected with 100 μmol/L (final molarity concentration) insignificant control siRNA, insignificant control siRNA, and siRNA-FAS for 4-6 h respectively, and then they were routinely cultured for 24 h with PBS added, maggot ES in final mass concentration of 10 μg/mL, and maggot ES in final mass concentration of 10 μg/mL respectively. The total volume of reagents in each group was the same. One batch of cells was used for scratch test, the scratch width was observed at 24 hour after scratching to detect the cell migration ability; one batch of cells was subjected to tube forming experiment, and the formation of cell tubules was observed after 24 hours of culture. The number of samples was 3 in scratch test and tube forming experiments. Data were statistically analyzed with t test, one-way analysis of variance, least significant difference test, analysis of variance for repeated measurement, and Bonferroni method. Results: (1) Compared with those before application of MDT, fresh granulation tissue significantly increased and necrotic tissue decreased obviously in wound, and the expression of CD31 significantly increased in wound tissue of patients in DFU group after application of MDT. The expression of FAS protein in wound tissue of patients in DFU group before application of MDT was significantly lower than that in non-diabetic trauma group before debridement, and the expression of FAS protein in wound tissue of patients in DFU group after application of MDT was significantly higher than that before application of MDT. The expression of FAS mRNA in wound tissue of patients in DFU group before application of MDT was 1.00±0.17, which was significantly less than 3.87±1.02 in non-diabetic trauma group before debridement (t=9.808, P<0.01). The expression of FAS mRNA in wound tissue of patients in DFU group after application of MDT was 1.85±0.31, which was significantly higher than that before application of MDT (t=-10.853, P<0.01). (2) After 48 hours of culture, Western blotting detection showed that the expression of FAS protein in cells in high glucose alone group was significantly less than that in PBS control group, and the expressions of FAS protein in cells in high glucose+ 5 μg/mL maggot ES group and high glucose+ 10 μg/mL maggot ES group were significantly higher than the expression in high glucose alone group. Real-time fluorescent quantitative RT-PCR determination showed that the expression of FAS mRNA in cells in high glucose alone group was 0.392±0.073, which was significantly lower than 1.000±0.085 in PBS control group (P<0.01); there was statistically significant difference between the expression of FAS mRNA in cells in high glucose+ 5 μg/mL maggot ES group (0.561±0.047) and that in high glucose+ 10 μg/mL maggot ES group (0.687±0.013) (P<0.05), both of which were significantly higher than the expression in high glucose alone group (P<0.01). The results of immunofluorescence detection showed that FAS protein was mainly located in the cytoplasm of cells in each group, and its expression was similar to that detected by Western blotting. (3) At 24 hour after scratch, the uncured widths of cell scratch in siRNA control+ maggot ES group and siRNA-FAS+ maggot ES group were significantly narrower than the uncured width in siRNA alone control group (P<0.01), and the uncured width of cell scratch in siRNA-FAS+ maggot ES group was significantly wider than that in siRNA control+ maggot ES group (P<0.01). After 24 hours of culture, the numbers of tubules in siRNA+ maggot ES group and siRNA-FAS+ maggot ES group were significantly more than the number in siRNA alone control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01), and the number of tubules in siRNA-FAS+ maggot ES group was obviously less than that in siRNA control+ maggot ES group (P<0.05). Conclusions: MDT up-regulates the expression of FAS through maggot ES, which promotes the activity of vascular endothelial cells, thus promoting the wound angiogenesis in patients with DFU.

A Novel Non-contact Self-Injection-Locked Radar for Vital Sign Sensing and Body Movement Monitoring in COVID-19 Isolation Ward

Background

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has become the most serious global health issue. Isolation policy in hospitals is one of the most crucial protocols to prevent nosocomial infection of COVID-19. It is important to monitor and assess the physical conditions of the patients in isolation.

Methods

Our institution has installed the novel non-contact wireless sensor for vital sign sensing and body movement monitoring for patients in COVID-19 isolation ward.

Results

We have collected and compared data between the radar record with the nurse’s handover record of two patients, one recorded for 13 days and the other recorded for 5 days. The P value by Fisher’s exact test were 0.139 (temperature, P > 0.05) and 0.292 (heart beat rate, P > 0.05) respectively.

Conclusions

This is the first report about the application experience of this equipment. Therefore we attempted to share the experience and try to apply this equipment in COVID-19 patients in future to offer the more reliable and safe policy.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s10916-020-01637-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

[Novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) CT distribution and sign features]

Objective: To investigate the imaging findings of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19). Methods: From January 20 to February 5, 2020, a total of 130 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 from seven hospitals in China were collected. The imaging data were reviewed and analyzed in detail. Results: (1) Distribution: the lesion detected in the lung unilaterally in 14 cases (10.7%) and bilaterally in 116 cases (89.3%). According to the distribution in the lobes of the lung, all cases could be classified into subpleural distribution (102 cases, 78.4%), centrilobular distribution (99 cases, 76.1%) and diffused distribution (8 cases, 6.1%). (2) Number of lesions: single lesion 9 cases (6.9%); multiple lesions 113 cases (86.9%), diffuse lesions 8 cases (6.1%). (3) Imaging density: 70 cases (53.8%) of ground-glass opacity (GGO), 60 cases (46.2%) of GGO+consolidation. (4) Accompanying signs: 100 cases (76.9%) with vascular thickening, 98 cases (75.3%) with "pleural parallel sign" ; " intralobular septal thickening" in 100 cases (76.9%); "halo sign" in 13 cases (10%); "reversed-halo sign" in 6 cases (4.6%); pleural effusion in 3 cases (2.3%), and pneumatocele in 2 cases (1.5%); no case with pulmonary cavity. Among 35 patients that underwent follow-up CT, 21 patients (60%) improved while 14 (40%) exacerbated. Conclusions: COVID-19 imaging characteristic mainly has subpleural, centrilobular and diffused distribution. The first two distributions can overlap or progress to diffused distribution. In the later period, it was mainly manifested as organizing pneumonia and fibrosis. The most valuable characteristic is the pleural parallel sign.

Dairy cattle with bovine leukaemia virus RNA show significantly increased leukocyte counts

Infection with bovine leukaemia virus (BLV), a retrovirus, causes dysfunction of the immune system and can have a marked economic impact on dairy industries due to decreased milk production and reduced lifespan in affected dairy cattle. The presence of proviral DNA has been the major diagnostic indicator of BLV infection. However in the course of BLV infection, the viral genome can be dormant, without detectable gene expression, resulting in limited impact on infected animals. At present, there is limited knowledge regarding haematological indices in dairy cattle that could indicate activation of the BLV genome and suggest reactivated BLV infection. In this study, BLV infection and BLV genome reactivation were evaluated based on the presence of BLV DNA and BLV env gene transcripts, respectively. BLV RNA transcription was confirmed. Among 93 whole blood samples obtained from asymptomatic dairy cattle, the prevalence of BLV proviral DNA and transcripts was 93.5% (n = 87/93) and 83.9% (n = 78/93), respectively. Between groups with and without BLV, the mean counts of white blood cells and lymphocytes in whole blood were significantly associated with the presence of BLV RNA (P < 0.05), but not with BLV proviral DNA. These results shed light on the activation status of the BLV genome and should be taken into account when evaluating the possible impact of BLV on cattle.

[Correlation analysis between Dx-pH monitoring and proton pump inhibitor test in the diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease]

Objective: The consistency of 24-hour oropharyngeal Dx-pH monitoring and proton pump inhibitor(PPI) test in the diagnosis of laryngopharyngeal reflux disease (LPRD) was investigated. Methods: Sixty patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) related symptoms who had never received PPI treatment were assessed by reflux symptom index (RSI) and reflux finding score (RFS) between October 2017 and October 2018, including 28 males and 38 females, aged from 16 to 72 years, with a medium age of 38 years. Prior to treatment, all patients were evaluated with 24 hours oropharyngeal Dx-pH monitoring(Restech). After empiric therapy with PPI twice-daily for 8 weeks, the efficacy was evaluated according to posttreatment RSI score.The data was analysed with Kruskal-Wallis test, Student Newman Keuls test and consistency check. Results: (1)Among all 60 patients,13 patients (21.7%) had pathologic Ryan score and all resulted responsive to PPI;27 patients (45.0%) with a negative Ryan score were unresponsive to PPI; 20 patients (33.3%) despite a negative Ryan score resulted responsive to PPI therapy. Considering responsiveness to PPI therapy as the gold standard for the diagnosis of LPRD, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of Ryan score were 39.4%, 100%, 100% and 57.4% respectively. The Kappa value was 0.369 (P<0.01). (2)Among 34 patients (56.7%) with positive Dx-pH results (24-hour oropharyngeal acid reflux events≥ 3 times), 29 patients were positive and 5 patients were negative in PPI test. Among 26 patients with negative Dx-pH results (24-hour oropharyngeal acid reflux events<3 times), 4 patients were positive and 22 patients were negative in PPI test. Considering responsiveness to PPI therapy as the gold standard for the diagnosis of LPRD, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 24-hour oropharyngeal acid reflux events were 87.9%, 81.5%, 85.3% and 84.6% respectively. The Kappa value was 0.696(P<0.01). Conclusions: There is a positive correlation between 24-hour oropharyngeal Dx-pH monitoring positive results (24-hour oropharyngeal acid reflux events≥3 times) and PPI test in the diagnosis of LPRD. The 24-hour oropharyngeal Dx-pH monitoring can be a promising tool for the diagnosis of suspected LPRD patients, and more sensitive and accurate Dx-pH diagnostic index will be required in the clinic.

[Value of dual-energy CT-based volumetric iodine-uptake in the evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy in advanced gastric cancer]

Objective: To explore the value of dual-energy CT-based volumetric iodine-uptake (VIU) in the evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy in advanced gastric cancer. Methods: Inclusion criteria of subjects: (1) without previous systematic therapy; (2) with complete clinical information before and after chemotherapy; (3) without contraindications of chemotherapy. Exclusion criteria of subjects: (1) unfinished duration and times of chemotherapy; (2) unmeasurable primary lesions; (3) poor imaging quality or poor gastric filling. Clinical and image data of 52 patients with advanced gastric cancer who were diagnosed by pathology from gastroscopic biopsy, and needed chemotherapy evaluated by imaging and clinical information in the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University from February 2017 to February 2018 were collected and analyzed. Of 52 patients, 38 were male and 14 were female with the median age of 65 (31-88) years old. All the patients underwent a dual-energy, dual phase-enhanced CT scanning before chemotherapy and after the third chemotherapy session. The parameters of the lesions measured before and after chemotherapy in portal vein phase were as follows: the maximum diameter (the largest diameter among those measured in the cross-sectional, coronal, and sagittal planes), average CT value (the regions of interest were manually pinpointed under cross-sectional planes with largest diameter of the tumor, which did not include regions less than 2 mm to the edge of the tumor) and VIU (lesion volume × iodine concentration). The change rates of maximum lesion diameter, average CT value and VIU before and after chemotherapy were calculated [(post-chemotherapy parameters-pre-chemotherapy parameters)/ pre-chemotherapy parameters]. The efficacy of chemotherapy was evaluated by RECIST 1.1 (the change of maximum tumor diameter after chemotherapy), Choi (the change of average CT value after chemotherapy) and VIU (the change of VIU after chemotherapy), respectively, which was categorized by complete response (CR), partial response (PR), stable disease (SD) and progressive disease (PD). Patients with CR, PR, and SD were assigned to the effective group, while those with PD were classified as the ineffective group. Paired t - test or Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to compare the changes of parameters before and after chemotherapy, whereas Spearman correlation analysis and Kappa test were used for the correlation analysis and the consistency test between the three evaluation criteria (Kappa≥0.75 indicated good consistency). Results: After chemotherapy, the average CT value [(74.01±16.75) HU vs. (81.06±15.87) HU, t=2.202, P=0.030] and median VIU (668.53×10(2) μg vs. 272.52×10(2) μg, Z=4.761, P<0.001) decreased significantly, while the difference of the maximum diameter was not statistically significant [(66.71±34.49) mm vs. (78.45±35.62) mm, t=1.708, P=0.091]. The median change rate of VIU (-53.33%) was greater than that of CT values (-5.75%) with significant difference (Z=-5.408, P<0.001). According to the RECIST 1.1 criteria, 47 patients (90.4%, including 19 with PR and 28 with SD) were effective and 5 patients (9.6%) were ineffective. According to the Choi criteria, 45 patients (86.5%, including 37 with PR and 8 with SD) were effective and 7 patients (13.5%) were ineffective. According to the VIU criteria, 46 patients (88.5%, including 41 with PR and 5 with SD) were effective and 6 patients (11.5%) were ineffective. Efficacy comparison among these three criteria showed no significant difference (χ(2)=0.377, P=0.828). As compared to RECIST 1.1 evaluation, the proportion of PR evaluated by Choi and VIU was significantly higher (χ(2)=16.861, P<0.001), whereas the proportion of SD was significantly lower (χ(2)=24.089, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the proportions of PR and SD between VIU and Choi criteria (χ(2)=0.887, P=0.346). Consistency and correlation analysis showed that the VIU and Choi evaluation criteria presented the highest consistency and correlation (Kappa=0.912, P<0.001; r=0.916, P<0.001). Conclusion: VIU is a feasible parameter for the evaluation of chemotherapy efficacy in advanced gastric cancer, and may be more sensitive than the evaluation criteria based on maximum diameter or change of CT value in the tumor.

Crystalline characteristics of annealed AlN films by pulsed laser treatment for solidly mounted resonator applications

AlN films were deposited on Si substrates using a reactive RF magnetron sputtering process and then the films were annealed by using different laser powers and wavelengths (355 nm, 532 nm and 1064 nm). For all three laser systems, the (002) peak intensity was obviously improved following laser irradiation. The improvement in the crystalline property was particularly obtained in the AlN film processed at 355 nm. In particular, given the use of the optimal laser power (0.025 W), the (002) peak intensity was 58.7% higher than that of the as-deposited film. The resonant frequency and 3 dB bandwidth of a SMR filter with an unprocessed AlN film were found to be 2850 MHz and 227.81 MHz, respectively. Following laser treatment with a wavelength of 1064 nm and a power of 0.25 W, the resonant frequency changed from 2850 to 2858 MHz. Moreover, 3 dB bandwidth changed from 227.81 to 202.49 MHz and the return loss of the filter reduced from 17.28 to 16.48 dB. Overall, the results thus show that the frequency response of the SMR filter can be adjusted and the return loss reduced by means of laser treatment with an appropriate wavelength.

[Robotic versus laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy: a retrospective single-center study]

Objective: To compare the short-term clinical outcomes and cost differences of robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP) versus laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP). Methods: The retrospective descriptive study was adopted.The clinical data of 158 patients underwent minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy who were admitted to Fujian Medical University Union Hospital between January 2016 and July 2018 were collected.A 1∶1 matched propensity score (PSM) analysis was performed for the RDP group and the LDP group.Observed indexes included operative time, blood loss, spleen-preserving rate, postoperative hospital stay, morbidity, incidence of pancreatic fistula and hospital costs. T test or rank sum test was used to compare measurement data, χ(2) test or Fisher exact test was used to compare count data. Results: A well-balanced cohort of 41 patients was analyzed.There were 14 males and 27 females in the RDP group, aged (45.2±16.4)years. There were 15 males and 26 females in the LDP group, aged (47.4±14.9) years.The operation time was (209.7±52.9) minutes for the RDP group and (186.5±56.7) minutes for the LDP group (P=0.073). Median blood loss was less in RDP (50(15-175)ml) compared with LDP (100(50-350)ml) (Z=-2.689, P=0.007). Thirty-eight cases of non-malignant diseases were observed in each group and spleen-preserving rate was higher in RDP (76.3%) compared to LDP(44.7%) (χ(2)=7.930, P=0.005).Postoperative hospital stay was similar in the RDP group and the LDP group (RDP: 9.4 days vs. LDP: 10.6 days; P=0.372). The overall morbidity and incidence of pancreatic fistula major complication rates (RDP: 12.2% vs. LDP: 14.6%, P=0.746; RDP: 7.3% vs. LDP: 9.8%, P=1.000) were similar.Total cost of RDP group was higher than that of LDP group ((80 563.7±10 641.8) yuan vs. (57 792.8±8 943.0) yuan, t=4.515, P<0.01). Conclusions: Both RDP and LDP are safe and feasible procedures. RDP is more expensive, but RDP is associated with significantly less blood loss and higher spleen-preserving rate, which is more suitable for the non-malignant diseases of pancreatic body and tail with an expectation of splenic preservation.

Salispheres from Different Major Salivary Glands for Glandular Regeneration

Dysfunctional salivary glands (SGs) are a clinical challenge due to the lack of effective treatments. Cell therapy with stem/progenitor cells may improve this situation by providing promising therapeutic solutions. Therefore, exploring abundant cellular sources is important. Three major pairs of SGs are located in different anatomic regions: the parotid glands, the submandibular glands, and the sublingual glands. Although SG stem/progenitor cells can be isolated and cultivated from all major SGs as salispheres, the differences among SG origins remain unclear. In this study, salispheres were successfully isolated from all major SGs. The salispheres demonstrated unique cellular features that originated from their native tissues. The characteristic expression profiles and cellular features of SG stem cells were demonstrated in all salispheres. When they were transplanted into irradiated animals, the salispheres were all capable of improving the saliva secretion that was disrupted by irradiation. Typical histologic structures could be observed in most parts of the treated glands, and the fibrotic environments of irradiated submandibular glands were remodeled by all salispheres regardless of origins. This study characterized the cellular features and in vivo effects of salispheres that were derived from different anatomic origins. The results suggest the possibility of functional redundancy among distinct pairs of major SGs, which is useful for the design of cell therapy to treat dysfunctional glandular organs.

[Prevalence of drug resistance in treatment-naive HIV infected men who have sex with men in Guangzhou, 2008-2015]

Objective: To understand the prevalence of drug resistance in treatment-naive HIV infected men who have sex with (MSM) in Guangzhou. Methods: HIV-1 RNA were extracted from the serum specimens of the MSM newly confirmed to be HIV-1 positive, living in Guangzhou and receiving no anti-viral therapy from 2008 to 2015. HIV-1 pol gene segments, including full protease and part reverse transcriptase, were amplified by nested reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (nested-PCR) and sequenced by Sanger. Subsequently, the sequence data were submitted to Stanford University HIV Drug Resistance Database for drug resistance analysis. Results: Among 2 283 HIV infected MSM, HIV-1 pol gene segments were obtained from the serum samples of 1 986 HIV infected MSM aged 16-84 (30.18±8.24) years. Among them, the unmarried accounted for 74.17% (1 473/1 986), those of Han ethnic group accounted for 90.64% (1 800/1 986), those with education level of college or above accounted for 49.65% (986/1 986), those with education level of senior high school or secondary school accounted for 27.14% (539/1 986), those with education level of junior high school or below accounted for 20.89% (415/1 986). The distribution of subtypes was predominated by CRF07_BC (38.22%, 759/1 986) and CRF01_AE (34.49%, 685/1 986). The overall prevalence of drug resistance was 3.32% (66/1 986). The prevalence of resistance to protease inhibitors (PIs), nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) were 1.36%(27/1 986), 0.65% (13/1 986) and 1.61% (32/1 986), respectively. Subtype B had higher resistance to PIs, NRTIs and NNRTIs and subtype CRF55_01B had highest resistance to NNRTIs compared with other subtypes. In subtype B, the resistant rates to D4T, EFV and NVP were highest (all 4.17%, 5/120), followed by those to NFV, AZT and RPV (all 3.33%, 4/120). In subtype CRF55_01B, the resistant rates to EFV and NVP were highest (all 5.50%, 16/291), followed by those to ETR and RPV (all 5.15%, 15/291). Conclusions: The prevalence of drug resistance in treatment-naive HIV infected MSM in Guangzhou remained at low level and current antiretroviral drugs are generally effective. However, subtype B and CRF55_01B have higher drug resistance.

C-Terminal Part of Glutamate-Ammonia-Ligase Adenyltransferase Gene Identified by RAPD-HRM with 3H Primer for E. Coli Screening

A single random oligonucleotide 3H primer has been previously applied in random-amplified- polymorphic-DNA (RAPD)-PCR to distinguish stocked bacteria E. coli within a cocktail mixture also containing Enterococcus faecalis, Bifidobacterium longum and Ruminococcus gnavus. In this study, we demonstrate that a 702 base pair (bp) gene fragment can be amplified as a unique pattern by RAPD-PCR using a 3H primer in human faeces containing E. coli. This unique 702 bp amplicon contained a 687 bp gene fragment identified as the C-terminal region of the glutamate-ammonia-ligase adenyltransferase (glnE) gene of E. coli. By high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis, a mean melt-curve temperature of this 702 bp amplicon was determined to be approximately 88.1 ± 0.22 degrees Celsius (°C). A combination of RAPD with HRM in one single reaction based on this amplicon can achieve semi-quantitative detection of up to 102 CFU/ml of E. coli. To increase the signal intensity of HRM, a primer pair capable of screening E. coli directly from fresh human faeces was re-designed from the 687 bp gene segment, giving a mean peak melt-curve temperature at 88.35 ± 0.11 °C. Finally, single-nucleotide polymorphisms of this 687 bp gene segment were analysed for pathogenic E. coli strains, including UMN026, O83:H1, O104:H4, O157:H7 and O169:H41. We conclude that this 687 bp segment of the glnE gene has a high potential for screening of human faecal E. coli, including pathogenic strains, in contaminated food and water.

Epidemiology and clinical characteristics of invasive mould infections: A multicenter, retrospective analysis in five Asian countries

Formal, large-scale, multicenter studies of invasive mould infection (IMI) in Asia are rare. This 1-year, retrospective study was designed to assess the incidence and clinical determinants of IMI in centers in five countries (Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, China, India). Patients treated in a single year (2012) were identified through discharge diagnoses, microbiology, and histopathology logs, and entered based on published definitions of IMI. A total of 155 cases were included (median age 54 years; 47.7% male). Of these, 47.7% had proven disease; the remainder had probable IMI. The most frequent host factors were prolonged steroid use (39.4%) and recent neutropenia (38.7%). Common underlying conditions included diabetes mellitus (DM; 30.9%), acute myeloid leukemia (19.4%), and rheumatologic conditions (11.6%). DM was more common in patients with no recent history of neutropenia or prolonged steroid use (P = .006). The lung was the most frequently involved site (78.7%), demonstrating a range of features on computed tomography (CT). Aspergillus was the most common mould cultured (71.6%), primarily A. fumigatus and A. flavus, although proportions varied in different centers. The most often used antifungal for empiric therapy was conventional amphotericin. Ninety-day mortality was 32.9%. This is the first multicenter Asian study of IMI not limited to specific patient groups or diagnostic methods. It suggests that DM and rheumatologic conditions be considered as risk factors for IMI and demonstrates that IMI should not be ruled out in patients whose chest features on CT do not fit the conventional criteria.

Search for the Exotic Meson X(5568) with the Collider Detector at Fermilab

A search for the exotic meson X(5568) decaying into the B_{s}^{0}π^{±} final state is performed using data corresponding to 9.6  fb^{-1} from pp[over ¯] collisions at sqrt[s]=1960  GeV recorded by the Collider Detector at Fermilab. No evidence for this state is found and an upper limit of 6.7% at the 95% confidence level is set on the fraction of B_{s}^{0} produced through the X(5568)→B_{s}^{0}π^{±} process.

Robust, tunable, and high purity triggered single photon source at room temperature using a nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond in an open microcavity

We report progress in the development of tunable room temperature triggered single photon sources based on single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centres in nanodiamond coupled to open access optical micro-cavities. The feeding of fluorescence from an NV centre into the cavity mode increases the spectral density of the emission and results in an output stream of triggered single photons with spectral line width of order 1 nm, tunable in the range 640 - 700 nm. We record single photon purities exceeding 96% and estimated device efficiencies up to 3%. We compare performance using plano-concave microcavities with radii of curvature from 25 μm to 4 μm and show that up to 17% of the total emission is fed into the TEM₀₀ mode. Pulsed Hanbury-Brown Twiss (HBT) interferometry shows that an improvement in single photon purity is facilitated due to the increased spectral density.

Combined Forward-Backward Asymmetry Measurements in Top-Antitop Quark Production at the Tevatron

The CDF and D0 experiments at the Fermilab Tevatron have measured the asymmetry between yields of forward- and backward-produced top and antitop quarks based on their rapidity difference and the asymmetry between their decay leptons. These measurements use the full data sets collected in proton-antiproton collisions at a center-of-mass energy of sqrt[s]=1.96  TeV. We report the results of combinations of the inclusive asymmetries and their differential dependencies on relevant kinematic quantities. The combined inclusive asymmetry is A_{FB}^{tt[over ¯]}=0.128±0.025. The combined inclusive and differential asymmetries are consistent with recent standard model predictions.

A Rare Case of Douche Injury Sustained during Water Recreation Activities: More Protection will Mean less Injury

Douche injury is a rare consequence of water recreation activities; it can manifest as vaginal laceration or even haemoperitoneum. Such severe trauma can cause massive bleeding and hypovolaemic shock; therefore, it is potentially life threatening. Herein, we present the case of a patient who had vaginal laceration and haemoperitoneum due to water recreation activities; surgery was performed to stop the bleeding. We suggest wearing a rubber or neoprene wetsuit during water recreation activities to prevent such potentially lethal injury.

In situ forming oxidised hyaluronic acid/adipic acid dihydrazide hydrogel for prevention of epidural fibrosis after laminectomy

Post-operative epidural fibrosis is a biological response after laminectomy that may lead to clinical symptoms, such as radicular pain. An ideal material for prevention of epidural fibrosis should be able to inhibit fibroblast adhesions and reduce formation of scar tissue. An injectable hydrogel would be the material of choice for this purpose, since it could fill an irregular surgical defect completely, gelate in situ and be delivered in a minimally-invasive manner. The objective of this study was to evaluate, in vitro and in vivo, the cytocompatibility and anti-adhesive effect of an oxidised hyaluronic acid/adipic acid dihydrazide (oxi-HA/ADH) hydrogel. Different cell types present in the spine were used to test the cytocompatibility of the hydrogel. The hydrogel extraction medium had no deleterious effects on neural cells (PC-12), but reduced fibroblasts viability (NIH/3T3). Although the hydrogel did not change the release of lactate dehydrogenase from myoblasts (C2C12) and Schwann cells (RSC96), the extraction medium concentration slightly affected the mitochondrial activity of these two cell types. qPCR showed that the hydrogel down-regulated S100a and P4hb expression in NIH/3T3 cells, supporting the hypothesis that the hydrogel might inhibit fibroblast activity. The animal study showed a reduction of scar tissue formation as well as severity of adhesion between scar tissue and the dura mater in a rat laminectomy model. Superficially, the peel-off test showed significantly decreased tenacity. In conclusion, the oxi-HA/ADH hydrogel is a promising injectable and thermosensitive material for prevention of post-operative epidural fibrosis.

[Choices of methods in dividing the neck of pancreas in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy]

Objective: To discuss the methods, skills and experiences of dividing the neck of pancreas in laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy(LPD). Methods: The clinical data of 58 patients with periampullary tumors who received LPD at the Union Hospital of Fujian Medical University from December 2014 to January 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 26 males and 32 females, ranged from 18 to 65 years, with a mean age of (46±12)years. Results: All of the 58 patients underwent operation smoothly.Three cases underwent open anastomosis via an auxiliary incision after the total resection of specimen laparoscopically, due to the early learning curve of LPD.Two cases transformed into open operation as a result of tumor vascular invasion to portal vein(PV) or superior mesenteric vein(SMV). Fifty-three cases underwent laparoscopic or laparoscopic combined with robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy completely.Forty-two cases ligated gastroduodenal artery(GDA), fully penetrated the interspace between rear of pancreatic neck and SMV, suspended the pancreas and then divided the neck of pancreas from inferior to superior. Thirteen cases fully dissected the interspace between rear of pancreatic neck and SMV, divided the neck of pancreas from inferior to superior and then ligated GDA.Three cases ligated GDA, dissected PV and SMV at the superior and inferior margin of the neck of pancreas separately, and then divided pancreas from anterior to posterior.Mean time of dividing pancreas was (34.9±9.7)minutes, mean volume of blood loss while dividing pancreas was (30.1±8.2)ml.The main postoperative complications included pancreatic fistula(7 cases, Biochemical leak 2 cases, B grade 3 cases, C grade 2 cases), biliary fistula(3 cases), gastric fistula(1 case), delayed gastric emptying(1 case, C grade), abdominal infection(5 cases), hepatic failure (1 case), intra-abdominal hemorrhage(2 cases), reoperation(2 cases). One case died at the perioperative period while others recovered.The mean duration of postoperative stay was (14.2±5.1)days. Conclusions: Dividing the neck of pancreas is one of the most important steps in LPD, which deserved sufficient attention.At the meantime, a suitable method of dividing the neck of pancreas should be chosen according to intraoperative exploration and preoperative imageological examinations.