Changes of influenza vaccination rate and associated influencing factors after the COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai, China

The vaccination rate for seasonal influenza remains low in most regions of China. It is essential to understand the factors that associated with the low influenza vaccination rate in various populations after the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with residents in Pudong New Area, Shanghai, China. Respondents' vaccination condition during the 2021-2022 flu season and the reasons for receiving or not receiving influenza vaccine were investigated. Binary logistic regression was conducted to explore potential factors influencing vaccination uptake. 2,476 of 14,001 respondents received an influenza vaccine, with a total coverage of 17.68% (95% CI: 17.05%, 18.32%). Children had the highest vaccination coverage (35.68%; 95% CI: 34.02, 37.33), followed by adults (12.75%; 95% CI: 11.91%, 13.58%) and elderly individuals (11.70%, 95% CI: 10.78%, 12.62%). For children, lower household income was an significant promoting factor. For adults, factors significantly associated with vaccination were household income, sex, and education level. For elderly, factors significantly associated with vaccination were household income, education level, living state, and having underlying diseases. (P < .05)The main reason for vaccine hesitancy among children was worried about side effects (21.49%), for adults and elderly was self-rated good health (adults: 37.14%, elderly people: 30.66%). The overall influenza vaccination coverage rate in Shanghai, especially among elderly individuals, is lower than many developed countries. Appropriate strategies and programs targeting different populations need to be implemented to enhance influenza vaccine coverage.

Comparison of anal function and quality of life after conformal sphincter preservation operation and intersphincteric resection of very low rectal cancer: a multicenter, retrospective, case-control analysis

PURPOSE

Conformal sphincter preservation operation (CSPO) is a sphincter preservation operation for very low rectal cancers. Compared to intersphincteric resection (ISR), CSPO retains more dentate line and distal rectal wall, and also avoids damaging the nerves in the intersphincteric space. This study aimed to compare the postoperative anal function and quality of life between the CSPO and ISR.

METHOD

Patients with low rectal cancer undergoing CSPO (n = 117) and ISR (n = 66) were included from Changhai and Huashan Hospital, respectively, between 2011 and 2020. A visual analog scale (range 0-10) was utilized to evaluate satisfaction with anal function and quality of life. The anal function was evaluated with Wexner scores and low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score. Quality of life was evaluated with the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR38.

RESULTS

The CSPO group had more male patients (65.8% vs. 50%, p = 0.042), more preoperative chemoradiotherapy (33.3% vs. 10.6%, p < 0.001), lower tumor position (3.45 ± 1.13 vs. 4.24 ± 0.86 cm, p < 0.001), and more postoperative chemotherapy (65% vs. 13.6%, p < 0.001) compared to the ISR group. In addition, CSPO patients had shorter postoperative stay (6.63 ± 2.53 vs. 7.85 ± 4.73 days, p = 0.003) and comparable stoma reversal rates within 1 year after surgery (92.16% vs. 96.97%, p = 0.318). Multivariable analysis showed that CSPO significantly contributed to higher satisfaction with anal function (beta = 1.752, 95% CI 0.776-2.728) and with quality of life (beta = 1.219, 95% CI 0.374-2.064), but not to Wexner, LARS score, or EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-CR38.

CONCLUSION

CSPO improved the satisfaction with anal function and quality of life but utilized more preoperative chemoradiotherapy. CSPO may be an alternative choice for patients with very low rectal cancers in better physical health and with higher requirements for anal function and quality of life.

Methodological and Reporting Quality of Non-Inferiority or Equivalence Designs: A Systematic Review of Trial Characteristics, Design Consideration and Interpretation in Breast Cancer Radiotherapy Trials

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S)

To investigate the methodological and reporting quality of non-inferiority (NI)/equivalence trials of breast cancer radiotherapy and to provide suggestions for future NI/equivalence trials.

MATERIALS/METHODS

Prospective phase III randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing different radiation modalities in patients with breast cancer and designed or interpreted as NI/equivalence were identified in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane library. Two reviewers independently extracted data on trial characteristics, statistical design assumptions and analysis considerations, primary end point results and conclusions. The relationship between the number of published trials and the year of publication was assessed by simple linear regression. Trials with pre-specified NI margins as absolute risk differences were reevaluated using margins as relative risk differences.

RESULTS

A total of 1490 records were screened and 41 articles published between January 1, 2001 and May 9, 2022 were selected for full text review. A total of 21 trials were included (18 designed as NI and 3 as equivalence). Publication of these trials increased over time (p = 0.023). Trial interventions included dose fractionation (n = 10), partial/whole breast irradiation (n = 8) and tumor bed boost (n = 3). Eleven (52.4%) trials clearly described the non-efficacy benefits. The primary endpoints included 5-year local recurrence (LR) (n = 11), 5-year locoregional recurrence (n = 3), acute/late toxicities (n = 5), 2-year LR and cosmetic outcome (n = 1), and 10-year LR (n = 1). Only seven (33.3%) trials provided justification of the margins. The absolute and relative risk margins were both mentioned in nine (42.9%) trials' methods and reported in six (28.6%) trials' results. The analyzed populations were intention-to-treat (ITT) in 10, both ITT and per-protocol in 9 trials. Seventeen (81%) trials reported confidence interval (CI), with twelve reporting CI that agreed with the type I error used in sample size calculation, but only eight (38.1%) reported p value for NI/equivalence test. Fifteen (71.4%) trials concluded NI/equivalence. Five (23.8%) trials had misleading conclusions (four for not mentioning small sample size insufficient to confirm NI/equivalence and one for inconsistent with the published results). Thirteen (61.9%) trials reported that the protocol's initial accrual target was not met, with ten (47.6%) owing to overestimation of event rates. For trials that met NI only based on absolute margin, three of eight (37.5%) trials were classified as inconclusive with the assumed relative margins.

CONCLUSION

The use of NI/equivalence trials of breast cancer radiotherapy has dramatically increased recently, but there is substantial room for improvement in the methodological and reporting quality of NI/equivalence trials.

Using Proteome Microarray and Gene Expression Omnibus Database to Screen Tumour-Associated Antigens to Construct the Optimal Diagnostic Model of Oesophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

AIMS

Autoantibodies against tumour-associated antigens (TAAs) are promising biomarkers for early immunodiagnosis of cancers. This study was designed to screen and verify autoantibodies against TAAs in sera as diagnostic biomarkers for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The customised proteome microarray based on cancer driver genes and the Gene Expression Omnibus database were used to identify potential TAAs. The expression levels of the corresponding autoantibodies in serum samples obtained from 243 ESCC patients and 243 healthy controls were investigated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In total, 486 serum samples were randomly divided into the training set and the validation set in the ratio of 2:1. Logistic regression analysis, recursive partition analysis and support vector machine were performed to establish different diagnostic models.

RESULTS

Five and nine candidate TAAs were screened out by proteome microarray and bioinformatics analysis, respectively. Among these 14 anti-TAAs autoantibodies, the expression level of nine (p53, PTEN, GNA11, SRSF2, CXCL8, MMP1, MSH6, LAMC2 and SLC2A1) anti-TAAs autoantibodies in the cancer patient group was higher than that in the healthy control group based on the results from ELISA. In the three constructed models, a logistic regression model including four anti-TAA autoantibodies (p53, SLC2A1, GNA11 and MMP1) was considered to be the optimal diagnosis model. The sensitivity and specificity of the model in the training set and the validation set were 70.4%, 72.8% and 67.9%, 67.9%, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for detecting early patients in the training set and the validation set were 0.84 and 0.85, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This approach to screen novel TAAs is feasible, and the model including four autoantibodies could pave the way for the diagnosis of ESCC.

A placental model of SARS-CoV-2 infection reveals ACE2-dependent susceptibility and differentiation impairment in syncytiotrophoblasts

SARS-CoV-2 infection causes COVID-19. Several clinical reports have linked COVID-19 during pregnancy to negative birth outcomes and placentitis. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning SARS-CoV-2 infection during placentation and early pregnancy are not clear. Here, to shed light on this, we used induced trophoblast stem cells to generate an in vitro early placenta infection model. We identified that syncytiotrophoblasts could be infected through angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Using a co-culture model of vertical transmission, we confirmed the ability of the virus to infect syncytiotrophoblasts through a previous endometrial cell infection. We further demonstrated transcriptional changes in infected syncytiotrophoblasts that led to impairment of cellular processes, reduced secretion of HCG hormone and morphological changes vital for syncytiotrophoblast function. Furthermore, different antibody strategies and antiviral drugs restore these impairments. In summary, we have established a scalable and tractable platform to study early placental cell types and highlighted its use in studying strategies to protect the placenta.

[Efficacy of high-dose dual therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection eradication in servicemen: a randomized controlled trial]

Objective: To assess the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of high-dose dual therapy compared with bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for treating Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) infection in servicemen patients. Methods: A total of 160 H. pylori-infected, treatment-naive servicemen, including 74 men and 86 women, aged from 20 years to 74 years, with a mean (SD) age of 43 (13) years, tested in the First Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from March 2022 to May 2022 were enrolled in this open-label, randomized controlled clinical trial. Patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups: the 14-day high-dose dual therapy group and the bismuth-containing quadruple therapy group. Eradication rates, adverse events, patient compliance, and drug costs were compared between the two groups. The t-test was used for continuous variables, and the Chi-square test for categorical variables. Results: No significant difference in H. pylori eradication rates were found between high-dose dual therapy and bismuth-containing quadruple therapy by ITT, mITT and PP analysis[ITT:90.0% (95%CI 81.2%-95.6%) vs. 87.5% (95%CI 78.2%-93.8%), χ²=0.25, P=0.617;mITT:93.5% (95%CI 85.5%-97.9%) vs. 93.3% (95%CI 85.1%-97.8%), χ²<0.01, P=1.000; PP: 93.5% (95%CI 85.5%-97.9%) vs. 94.5% (95%CI 86.6%-98.5%), χ²<0.01, P=1.000 ]. The dual therapy group exhibited significantly less overall side effects compared with the quadruple therapy group [21.8% (17/78) vs. 38.5% (30/78), χ²=5.15,P=0.023]. There were no significant differences in the compliance rates between the two groups [98.7%(77/78) vs. 94.9%(74/78), χ²=0.83,P=0.363]. The cost of medications in the dual therapy was 32.0% lower compared with that in the quadruple therapy (472.10 RMB vs. 693.94 RMB). Conclusions: The dual regimen has a favorable effect on the eradication of H. pylori infection in servicemen patients. Based on the ITT analysis, the eradication rate of the dual regimen is grade B (90%, good). Additionally, it exhibited a lower incidence of adverse events, better compliance and significantly reduced cost. The dual regimen is expected to be a new choice for the first-line treatment of H. pylori infection in servicemen but needs further evaluation.

[Effects of adjuvant trastuzumab on long-term survival of T1N0M0 stage human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive breast cancer: a real-world study]

Objective: To investigate the prognosis impact of adjuvant trastuzumab treatment on human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER-2) positive early breast cancer patients. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted, HER-2-positive T1N0M0 stage breast cancer patients who underwent surgery in the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2010 to December 2019 were divided into treatment group and control group according to whether they were treated with trastuzumab or not. Propensity score matching (PSM) was used to balance the confounding bias caused by differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. Cox proportional hazards model was used to analyze the risk factors affecting disease-free survival (DFS). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the 3- and 5-year DFS and overall survival (OS) rates of the two groups before and after PSM. Results: There were 291 patients with HER-2 positive T1N0M0 stage breast cancer, including 21 cases in T1a (7.2%), 61 cases in T1b (21.0%), and 209 cases in T1c (71.8%). Before PSM, there were 132 cases in the treatment group and 159 cases in the control group, the 5-year DFS rate was 88.5%, and the 5-year OS rate was 91.5%. After PSM, there were 103 cases in the treatment group and 103 cases in the control group, the 5-year DFS rate was 86.0%, and the 5-year OS rate was 88.5%. Before PSM, there were significant differences in tumor size, histological grade, vascular invasion, Ki-67 index, postoperative chemotherapy or not and radiotherapy between the treatment group and the control group (P<0.05). After PSM, there were no significant difference in clinicopathological features between the treatment group and the control group (P>0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that histological grade (HR=2.927, 95 CI: 1.476, 5.805; P=0.002), vascular invasion (HR=3.410, 95 CI: 1.170, 9.940; P=0.025), menstrual status (HR=3.692, 95 CI: 1.021, 13.344, P=0.046), and chemotherapy (HR=0.238, 95 CI: 0.079, 0.720; P=0.011) were independent factors affecting DFS. After PSM, the 5-year DFS rate of the treatment group was 89.2%, while that of the control group was 83.5%(P=0.237). The 5-year OS rate of the treatment group was 96.1%, while that of the control group was 84.7%(P=0.036). Conclusion: Postoperative targeted therapy with trastuzumab can reduce the risk of recurrence and metastasis in patients with HER-2-positive T1N0M0 stage breast cancer.

Longwave IR lattice matched L-valley Ge/GeSiSn waveguide quantum cascade detector

We propose a lattice-matched Ge/GeSiSn quantum cascade detector (QCD) capable of operating in the longwave infrared. The optical absorption and carrier transport based on intersubband transitions all occur within the L-valley of the conduction band of the group-IV material system using N-doped quantum wells (QWs). The waveguided lattice matched structure can be deposited strain free on top of a Ge buffer grown on Si substrate, and is end-coupled to low-loss on-chip Ge waveguides. We optimized the QCD structure through the analysis of the photoresponsivity and detectivity D*. The QCD operates in photovoltaic mode with narrow spectral response that is peaked anywhere in the 9 to 16 µm range, tunable by design. This work aims to push the optical response of the photodetectors made from the SiGeSn material system to longer wavelengths. The study suggests the QCD response can indeed significantly extend the spectral range beyond that of the photodiodes and photoconductors made from the same group-IV system for a wide variety of applications in imaging, sensing, lidar, and space-and-fiber communications.

Remote telemedicine strategy based on multi-risks intervention by intelligent wearable health devices in elderly comorbidities patients with coronary heart disease

Background

Telemedicine based on wearable intelligent health devices becomes increasingly promissing for the elderly due to the accelerated aging population. Especially during COVID-19 pandemic, more elderly coronary heart disease patients with chronic comorbidities are in less secondary prevention management at home.

Objective

To explore the prevention effect on main cardiovascular risk factors and repeated hospitalization in elderly comorbidities patients by telemedicine intervention based on multi-parameter wearable monitoring devices.

Methods

Total of 337 patients with comorbidities of coronary heart disease, hypertension and diabetes, with age more than 65 years old were recruited in the study from October 2019 to January 2021. They were randomly divided into control group and telemedcine intervention group. The latter used remote multi-parameter wearable devices to measure blood pressure, glycemic and electrocardiograph at home every day. A real-time monitoring platform would alarm any abnormal data to the doctors. Both doctors and patients can read the measurement results on a real-time mobile phone APP and interact with each other remotely twice a week routinely. A medical team remotely indicated the medications, while offering guidance on lifestyle. In contrast, the control group adopted traditional outpatient medical strategy to manage diseases.

Results

A total of 306 patients were enrolled in the follow-up experiment finally: 153 in the intervention group and 153 in the control group. Patient characteristics at baseline were balanced between two groups. After 12 months, compared with the control group, the intervention group saw the following metrics significantly reduced: systolic blood pressure (SBP) (131.66±9.43 vs 137.20±12.02 mmHg, P=0.000), total cholesterol (TC) (3.65±0.79 vs 4.08±0.82 mmol/L, P=0.001), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (2.06±0.53 vs 2.38±0.61 mmol/L, P=0.002), and fasting blood glucose (FBG) (6.26±0.75 vs 6.81±0.97 mmol/L, P=0.000), while the following metrics went up significantly: blood pressure control rate (77.3% vs 59.1%, P=0.039), blood lipid control rate(39.4% vs 21.2%, P=0.037), glycemic control rate (71.2% vs 51.5%, P=0.031), and medication adherence score (7.10±0.77 vs 6.80±0.73, P=0.020). Linear regression model analysis indicates that when interaction frequency ≥1.53, 2.47 and 1.15 times/week, the SBP, LDL-C and FBG levels would be controlled, respectively. Cox survival analysis finds that the hospitalization rate of intervention group is significantly lower than that of the control group (24.18% vs 35.29%, P=0.031).

Conclusion

The telemedicine interactive intervention based on multi-parameter wearable devices provides effectively improvement of cardiovascular risk controlling, medication adherence, while reducing the hospitalization rate of patients. A frequency of doctor-patient interactions more than 2 times/week is beneficial for disease management the elderly at home.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Key scientific research project of Health Commission

Long-term cardiovascular outcomes in five-year cancer survivors: a nationwide cohort study

Background

Patients with cancer have higher short-term rates of cardiovascular events than the general population. However, little is known about rates of long-term cardiovascular outcomes in 5-year cancer survivors, especially in older patients.

Objective

We investigated the long-term rates of cardiovascular outcomes, including heart failure, atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, ischemic stroke and myocardial infarction in five-year cancer survivors, overall and according to age.

Methods

Using Danish nationwide registries, five-year survivors of 20 of the most common cancers (diagnosed between 1994 and 2013; 15 years of age or older at the time of the diagnosis) were matched with four non-cancer controls from the background population by age and sex. Study participants with a history of any the outcomes of interest prior to index date were excluded. Rates of outcomes in the cancer and non-cancer group were compared with Cox regression models, overall and according to age (i.e., 15–39, 40–59, and &gt;60 years).

Results

In total, 167,215 five-year cancer survivors were age- and sex-matched with 668,860 non-cancer controls (median age 66 years; 34.4% men, median follow-up of 6.8 years). Five-year survivors had higher associated rates of cardiovascular outcomes, irrespective of age, and the incidence rates per 1,000 person-years of cardiovascular outcomes for cancer survivors and non-cancer controls were: HF: 6.2 (95% CI: 6.1–6.4) and 5.2 (5.1–5.3), respectively; atrial fibrillation: 11.1 (10.9–11.3) and 9.3 (9.3–9.4), respectively; venous thromboembolism: 5.1 (5.0–5.2) and 2.8 (2.8–2.9), respectively; ischemic stroke: 5.8 (5.6–5.9) and 5.4 (5.4–5.5), respectively; and myocardial infarction: 3.6 (3.5–3.7) and 3.4 (3.3–3.4), respectively. The absolute rates of cardiovascular outcomes were highest in the oldest group, whereas the relative rates were more pronounced in the youngest cancer group compared with matched controls (Figure 1).

Conclusions

Compared with the general population, five-year cancer survivors had higher associated rates of cardiovascular outcomes across the spectrum of age. The increased rates of cardiovascular outcomes were more pronounced in the youngest group. These data underline the importance of risk assessment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases in five-year cancer survivors.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.

Bactericidal efficacy of low concentration of vaporized hydrogen peroxide with validation in a BSL-3 laboratory

BACKGROUND

Highly infective pathogens are cultured and studied in biosafety laboratories. It is critical to thoroughly disinfect these laboratories to prevent laboratory infection. A whole-room, non-contact, reduced corrosion disinfection strategy using hydrogen peroxide was proposed and evaluated.

AIM

To evaluate the bactericidal efficacy of 8% and 10% vaporized hydrogen peroxide( VHP) in a laboratory setting with spores and bacteria as bioindicators.

METHODS

Spores of B. atrophaeus and B. stearothermophilus, along with bacteria E. coli, S. aureus, and S. epidermidis were placed in pre-selected locations in a sealed laboratory and an OXY-PHARM NOCOSPRAY2 vaporized hydrogen peroxide generator was applied. Spore killing efficacy was qualitatively evaluated, and bactericidal efficacy was quantitatively analyzed, and the mean log10 reduction was determined. Finally, the optimized disinfection strategy was verified in a BSL-3 laboratory.

FINDINGS

Significant reductions in microbial load were obtained for each of the selected spores and bacteria when exposed to VHP in concentrations of 8% and 10% for 2～3 h. S. aureus was found to be more resistant than E. coli and S. epidermidis. Tests with 8% hydrogen peroxide and exposure for more than 3 h completely killed B. atrophaeus on surfaces and equipment in the BSL-3 laboratory.

CONCLUSION

The vaporized hydrogen peroxide generator is superior in terms of good diffusivity and low corrosiveness and is time-effective in removing the disinfectant residue. This study provides reference for the precise disinfection of air and object surfaces in biosafety laboratories under varying conditions.

Increased long-term risk of heart failure and other adverse cardiac outcomes in dermatomyositis and polymyositis: Insights from a nationwide cohort

BACKGROUND

Mounting evidence suggests that dermatomyositis/polymyositis (DM/PM) are associated with increased risk of atherosclerotic events and venous thromboembolism. However, data on the association between DM/PM and other cardiac outcomes, especially heart failure (HF), are scarce.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the long-term risk and prognosis associated with adverse cardiac outcomes in patients with DM/PM.

METHODS

Using Danish administrative registries, we included all patients ≥18 years with newly diagnosed DM/PM (1996-2018). Risks of incident outcomes were compared with non-DM/PM controls from the background population (matched 1:4 by age, sex, and comorbidity). In a secondary analysis, we compared mortality following HF diagnosis between DM/PM patients with HF and non-DM/PM patients with HF (matched 1:4 by age and sex).

RESULTS

The study population included 936 DM/PM patients (median age 58.5 years, 59.0% women) and 3744 matched non-DM/PM controls. The median follow-up was 6.9 years. Absolute 10-year risks of incident outcomes for DM/PM patients vs matched controls were as follows: HF, 6.98% (CI, 5.16-9.16%) vs 4.58% (3.79-5.47%) (P = 0.002); atrial fibrillation, 10.17% (7.94-12.71%) vs 7.07% (6.09-8.15%) (P = 0.005); the composite of ICD implantation/ventricular arrhythmias/cardiac arrest, 1.99% (1.12-3.27%) vs 0.64% (0.40-0.98%) (P = 0.02); and all-cause mortality, 35.42% (31.64-39.21%) vs 16.57% (15.10-18.10%) (P < 0.0001). DM/PM with subsequent HF was associated with higher mortality compared with HF without DM/PM (adjusted hazard ratio 1.58 [CI, 1.01-2.47]).

CONCLUSION

Patients with DM/PM had a higher associated risk of HF and other adverse cardiac outcomes compared with matched controls. Among patients developing HF, a history of DM/PM was associated with higher mortality.

Estrogen enhances the expression of a growth-associated long noncoding RNA in chicken liver via ERα

1. The long noncoding RNA lncGLM is significantly differentially expressed in the livers of peak-laying hens compared with that in the livers of pre-laying hens, but its potential biological role and expression regulation are unclear.2. To explore the potential biological function of lncGLM, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection and association analysis were carried out in the Gushi×Anka F₂ resource population.3. The tissues and spatiotemporal expression characteristics of lncGLM were analysed by real-time quantitative PCR. The effects of 17β-oestradiol on the expression of lncGLM expression were analysed through in vitro and in vivo experiments.4. The results showed that a g.19069338 T > C SNP was present in lncGLM. Association analysis revealed that lncGLM was significantly associated with body slanting length at 12 weeks, body weight at 12 weeks, shank length at four weeks, chest depth at eight weeks, pelvic width at 12 weeks, eviscerated weight, head weight, pancreas weight, pectoralis weight, leg muscle weight, muscular stomach weight rate, pancreas weight rate, carcase weight, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine and pectoral muscle water loss rate.5. The expression of lncGLM in the liver was higher than that in other sampled tissues. In addition, the expression of lncGLM in the liver was significantly higher in the peak-laying period than at the pre-laying period. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments showed that lncGLM expression was regulated by 17β-oestradiol via oestrogen receptor alpha (ER-α). These results demonstrated that the chicken lncGLM gene is highly expressed in liver tissue and regulated by oestrogen through ER-α.

Survey on recent developments in automatic detection of diabetic retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a disease facilitated by the rapid spread of diabetes worldwide. DR can blind diabetic individuals. Early detection of DR is essential to restoring vision and providing timely treatment. DR can be detected manually by an ophthalmologist, examining the retinal and fundus images to analyze the macula, morphological changes in blood vessels, hemorrhage, exudates, and/or microaneurysms. This is a time consuming, costly, and challenging task. An automated system can easily perform this function by using artificial intelligence, especially in screening for early DR. Recently, much state-of-the-art research relevant to the identification of DR has been reported. This article describes the current methods of detecting non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, exudates, hemorrhage, and microaneurysms. In addition, the authors point out future directions in overcoming current challenges in the field of DR research.

Effect of different body position on anorectal manometry for chronic constipation patients

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the different influence of body position on wireless high-resolution anorectal manometry parameters and in classification for chronic constipation patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Fifty consecutive patients with chronic constipation and 20 healthy volunteers were included in this study, all of whom accepted the Rome IV constipation questionnaires, underwent rectal balloon expulsion test and wireless high-resolution anorectal manometry. The wireless high-resolution anorectal manometry was performed in the left lateral, seated, and squatting positions for every study subject. The Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) 21.0 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, USA) was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The anal sphincter resting pressure, anal sphincter squeezing pressure, and rectal internal pressure during the evacuation in the seated position and squatting position were significantly higher than those in the left lateral position in both the volunteer group and patient group, without a significant difference between the seated position and squatting position. The initial perception threshold was higher in the patient group than in the volunteer group. The wireless high-resolution anorectal manometry in different positions combined with the rectal balloon expulsion test mainly affects the diagnosis of the subtype of inadequate defecatory propulsion.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with the left lateral position test, the wireless high-resolution anorectal manometry in the seated position and squatting positions is more consistent with the human physiological bowel condition, and the result of the test can be affected by the body position. The wireless high-resolution anorectal manometry can differentiate between subtypes during the diagnosis of inadequate defecatory propulsion.

Effects of targeted hydration on risk of major adverse renal and cardiac events: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background

Inconsistent results have been published that have evaluated the preventive effect of targeted hydration in major adverse renal and cardiac events among patients exposed to contrast agents.

Methods

Online databases were searched up to October, 2019, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs). The primary outcome was the incidence of contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI), and the secondary outcomes were all-cause in-hospital mortality, all-cause long-term mortality, requirement for dialysis, acute pulmonary edema and stroke/transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Results

9 high quality trials were identified including 2424 patients. Overall, compared with general hydration, targeted hydration significantly reduced the incidence of CI-AKI by 58% (RR 0.42; 95% CI: 0.33–0.54, p&lt;0.01), the requirement for dialysis by 68% (RR 0.32, 95% CI: 0.17–0.62, p&lt;0.01) and the all-cause long-term mortality by 55% (RR 0.45; 95% CI: 0.26–0.76, p&lt;0.01). The effect on all-cause in-hospital mortality was not statistically significant. The effect on acute pulmonary edema and stroke/TIA also showed no difference between two groups (RR: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.28–1.03, p=0.18; RR: 0.61, 95% CI: 0.14–2.61, p=0.49, respectively). Trial sequential analysis confirmed that an additional 3900 study participants would need to be recruited to demonstrate a statistically significant improvement for all-cause in-hospital mortality.

Conclusions

Targeted hydration likely reduces the incidence of CI-AKI, dialysis and all-cause long-term mortality in patients exposed to contrast agents. However, further independent high-quality RCTs should elucidate the effectiveness and safety of this prophylactic strategy in interventional cardiology.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Association of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and long-term mortality may differ from lipoprotein(a) levels among patients undergoing coronary angiography

Background

The use of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) as an inflammation biomarker in predicting long-term mortality remains controversial. We aimed to investigate whether the association of hs-CRP with long-term mortality differs from another inflammation biomarker, lipoprotein(a), in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG).

Methods

A total of 2422 patients undergoing CAG were included in the final analysis from a prospective, observational study. We divided them into 4 groups according to hs-CRP level (high ≥4.8 mg/l, low &lt;4.8 mg/l) and lipoprotein(a) level (high ≥17 mg/dl, low &lt;17 mg/dl).

Results

The overall incidence of all-cause long-term mortality was 133/2422 (5.5%). In the high lipoprotein(a) group, after adjusting for LDL-cholesterol concentration (LDL-C), age, sex, smoking status, diabetes mellitus and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a high hs-CRP level was an independent predictor of all-cause long-term mortality (hazard ratio: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.13–3.54; p=0.02). In the low lipoprotein(a) group, a similar result was not found (hazard ratio: 1.42; 95% CI: 0.92–2.01; p=0.24).

Conclusions

Our data suggested that the association of hs-CRP with all-cause long-term mortality may differ from lipoprotein(a) levels among patients undergoing CAG. In addition to hs-CRP, a high lipoprotein(a) level might be a simultaneous intervention target for improving long-term prognosis in the future.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: None

Global risk factors of contrast-induced acute kidney injury: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

Administration of iodinated contrast is common but may be associated with contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI), particularly in at-risk patients. There is no recent systematic review of potentially modifiable risk factors.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (to 30 th June 2019) for observational studies assessing risk factors associated with CI-AKI. Twelve potentially modifiable risk factors were finally included in this thematic review and meta-analysis. Random or fixed meta-analysis was performed to derive the adjusted odds ratio (aOR), and the population attributable risk (PAR) was calculated for each risk factor globally and by region.

Findings

We included 157 studies (2,297,863 participants). The global incidence of CI-AKI was 5.4%. The potentially modifiable risk factors included high contrast volume (PAR 33%), eight cardiovascular risk factors (diuretic use, multivessel coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndrome, hypertension, hypotension, heart failure, reduced left ventricular ejection fraction and intra-aortic balloon pump use) (combined PAR 76.2%) and three noncardiovascular risk factors (renal dysfunction, diabetes mellitus and anaemia) (combined PAR 47.4%) with geographical differences.

Bubble chart of the 12 risk factors

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): National Science Foundation of China

Retrospective study of the functional and oncological outcomes of conformal sphincter preservation operation in the treatment of very low rectal cancer

BACKGROUND

Conformal sphincter preservation operation (CSPO) is a new surgical procedure for very low rectal cancers (within 4-5 cm from the anal verge). CSPO preserves more of the dentate line and distal rectal wall and also avoids injuring nerves in the intersphincteric space, resulting in satisfactory anal function after resection. The aim of this study was to analyze the short-term surgical results and long-term oncological and functional outcomes of CSPO.

METHODS

Consecutive patients with very low rectal cancer, who had CSPO between January 2011 and October 2018 at Changhai Hospital, Shanghai were included. Patient demographics, clinicopathological features, oncological outcomes and anal function were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 102 patients (67 men) with a mean age of 56.9 ± 10.8 years were included. The median distance of the tumor from the anal verge was 3 (IQR, 3-4) cm. Thirty-five patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT). The median distal resection margin (DRM) was 0.5 (IQR, 0.3-0.8) cm. One patient had a positive DRM. All circumferential margins were negative. There was no perioperative mortality. The postoperative complication rate was 19.6%. The median duration of follow-up was 28 (IQR, 12-45.5) months. The local recurrence rate was 2% and distant metastasis rate was 10.8%. The 3-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates were 100% and 83.9%, respectively. The mean Wexner incontinence and low anterior resection syndrome scores 12 months after ileostomy reversal were 5.9 ± 4.3, and 29.2 ± 6.9, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

For patients with very low rectal cancers, fecal continence can be preserved with CSPO without compromising oncological results.

TRAF5 promotes the occurrence and development of colon cancer via the activation of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathways

This study aimed to investigate the expression and biological functions of TRAF5 in colon cancer at tissue and cellular levels. Forty-two patients with colon cancer were included in the present study. Tumor tissues and tumor-adjacent tissues were collected from all patients. Bioinformatics was used to analyze how TRAF5 was related to metastasis and prognosis of colon cancer. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was carried out to determine the expression of mRNA. SW620 and SW480 cells were used to study the inhibition and overexpression of TRAF5, respectively. CCK-8 assay was used to examine cell proliferation. Flow cytometry was employed to investigate cell phase and apoptosis. Transwell assay was used to study migration and invasion of cells. Western blotting was utilized to test how TRAF5 expression affected the activities of PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathways. Bioinformatics showed that the expression of TRAF5 in colon cancer tissues was correlated with metastasis and prognosis of the tumor. TRAF5 mRNA expression was up-regulated in colon cancer tissues, and related to recurrence and metastasis of the cancer. In vitro experiments showed that TRAF5 expression promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of colon cancer cells, but reduced apoptosis of the cells. Moreover, TRAF5 might exert its biological functions by activating PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathways in colon cancer cells. In conclusion, TRAF5 expression in colon cancer tissues is up-regulated and correlated with prognosis, lymphatic metastasis and clinical staging. TRAF5 promotes the occurrence and development of colon cancer by activating PI3K/ AKT/NF-κB signaling pathways, and acts as an oncogene.

Prenatal anxiety and obstetric decisions among pregnant women in Wuhan and Chongqing during the COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the mental status of pregnant women and to determine their obstetric decisions during the COVID-19 outbreak.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Two cities in China--Wuhan (epicentre) and Chongqing (a less affected city).

POPULATION

A total of 1947 pregnant women.

METHODS

We collected demographic, pregnancy and epidemic information from our pregnant subjects, along with their attitudes towards COVID-19 (using a self-constructed five-point scale). The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was used to assess anxiety status. Obstetric decision-making was also evaluated. The differences between cities in all of the above factors were compared and the factors that influenced anxiety levels were identified by multivariable analysis.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Anxiety status and its influencing factors. Obstetric decision-making.

RESULTS

Differences were observed between cities in some background characteristics and women's attitudes towards COVID-19 in Wuhan were more extreme. More women in Wuhan felt anxious (24.5 versus 10.4%). Factors that influenced anxiety also included household income, subjective symptom and attitudes. Overall, obstetric decisions also revealed city-based differences; these decisions mainly concerned hospital preference, time of prenatal care or delivery, mode of delivery and infant feeding.

CONCLUSIONS

The outbreak aggravated prenatal anxiety and the associated factors could be targets for psychological care. In parallel, key obstetric decision-making changed, emphasising the need for pertinent professional advice. Special support is essential for pregnant mothers during epidemics.

TWEETABLE ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 outbreak increased pregnant women's anxiety and affected their decision-making.

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging is superior to skeletal scintigraphy for the detection of bone metastatic tumors: a meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The meta-analysis aims to compare the diagnostic performance of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and skeletal scintigraphy (SS) for the detection of skeletal metastases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We searched Medline, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane library databases for identifying fifteen eligible studies with a total of 1939 participants, and the quality of these studies was assessed according to Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS-2) guidelines. Sensitivities, specificities, diagnostic odds ratios (DOR), positive likelihood ratios (PLR), and negative likelihood ratios (NLR) were calculated. Summary receiver operating characteristic curves (sROC) were generated using bivariate models for whole-body MRI and skeletal scintigraphy.

RESULTS

Whole-body MRI had higher but comparable patient-based higher specificity compared to SS (99% vs. 95%). However, it had markedly higher sensitivity (94% vs. 80% respectively), DOR (966 vs. 82), and LPR (54.4 vs 17.1). LNR of whole-body MRI was <0.1 (0.06), while LNR of SS was >0.1 (0.22). The area under curves (AUC) for whole-body MRI and SS were 0.99 and 0.95 respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

We demonstrate that both whole-body MRI and SS have good diagnostic performance. However, MRI is superior for diagnostics of bone metastases, as it has higher sensitivity, higher diagnostic accuracy, and can be used for both confirmation and exclusion of metastatic bone disease.

Association of growth traits with a structural variation downstream of the KCNJ11 gene: a large population-based study in chickens

1. The potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily J member 11 gene (KCNJ11) is involved in the insulin secretion pathway. Studies have shown that mutation in this gene is associated with muscle weakness. The objective of the present study was to establish the association between KCNJ11 gene polymorphism and chicken growth performance and to analyse its expression pattern. 2. A novel 163-bp insertion/deletion (indel) polymorphism was identified in the region downstream of the KCNJ11 gene in 2330 individuals from ten populations by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). An F₂ resource population was used to investigate the genetic effects of the chicken KCNJ11 gene. Association analysis showed that the indel was significantly associated with chicken growth traits and that the phenotypic value of the ins-ins (II) genotype is higher than that of the ins-del (ID) and del-del (DD) genotypes. 3. Gene expression for different genotypes showed that birds carrying the II allele had a higher expression level than the DD genotypes. Analysis of tissue and spatiotemporal expression patterns indicated that the KCNJ11 gene was highly expressed in muscle tissues, with the highest levels in muscle tissue at one week of age, and that a 10% crude protein diet reduced the expression of this gene, average daily gain and muscle fibre diameter. 4. The results suggested that this novel 163-bp indel has the potential to become a new target for marker-assisted selection.

Cloning and expression analysis of PRL and PRLR genes in black Muscovy duck

1. Prolactin hormone (governed by the PRL gene) is secreted by the anterior pituitary of animals, which combines with its receptor (prolactin receptor, PRLR) to act on target cells. Both PRL and PRLR are mainly associated with reproductive performance. The genetic mechanism of nesting in poultry is not yet clear, and so the aim of the current study was to determine expression patterns of PRL and PRLR at different times across the breeding stages of black Muscovy ducks.2. In this study, the CDS regions of PRL and PRLR were determined by RACE sequencing. The expression levels of PRL and PRLR in the pituitary, ovary and uterus from the black Muscovy duck were compared and analysed during the pre-laying, laying and nesting periods.3. The results showed that PRL and PRLR are highly homologous in a variety of poultry species. The expression of the PRL gene in the pituitary was the highest, which was significantly higher than seen in the ovary and uterus. This trend ran through the entire prenatal period, i.e. the laying period and the nesting period. The expression level of the PRLR gene in the pituitary and ovary was generally low, and expression in the uterus was the highest. There was no significant difference in expression of the PRLR gene between pituitary and ovary during different periods, but the expression level of the PRLR gene in the uterus reached its highest level during the nesting stage, which was significantly higher than seen in the early laying period.