Application of brain-computer interface technology based on electroencephalogram in upper limb motor function rehabilitation of stroke patients / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Current rehabilitation programs are effective in treating post-stroke sequelae,but the treatment cycle is long and the labor cost is high.Brain-computer interface technology can be used for the treatment of post-stroke patients by extracting signals from the brain's neural activity through special equipment and converting this signal into commands that can be recognized by a computer. OBJECTIVE:To analyze and summarize the application of brain-computer interface technology in the upper limb motor function rehabilitation of stroke patients in recent years and to explore the clinical value of brain-computer interface technology in the upper limb function rehabilitation of stroke patients. METHODS:CNKI and PubMed were retrieved for relevant literature published from 2000 to 2022.The keywords were"stroke,electroencephalogram,brain-computer interface,upper limb,virtual reality technology,functional electrical stimulation,exoskeleton"in Chinese and"stroke,brain-computer interface,computer assistance,upper limb,virtual reality technology,functional electrical stimulation,exoskeleton"in English. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The brain-computer interface has shown promise for the restoration of upper limb motor function in stroke patients and has been shown to produce results that are unattainable with conventional treatments,and is well worth further research and promotion,but the mechanisms have not been fully elucidated.Also the ability to accurately decode all degrees of freedom of upper limb movements to provide flexible and natural control remains a challenge from the perspective of brain-computer interface systems that capture electroencephalogram signals from patients.Future research should focus on clarifying the specific neural mechanisms by which brain-computer interface technology facilitates upper limb motor recovery after stroke and identifying rehabilitation options such as brain-computer interfaces combined with external devices to facilitate upper limb motor function recovery in stroke patients.

Discussion on the Mechanism of Jianpi Xiaoai Prescription in the Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Based on UPLC-Q-TOF-MS Combined with Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To explore the active components of Jianpi Xiaoai Prescription and its mechanism in the treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC).Methods UPLC-Q-TOF-MS technology was used to identify the chemical components of Jianpi Xiaoai Prescription;Active components and target proteins were screened through TCMSP and SwissTargetPrediction databases;STRING database was used for protein interaction analysis;The GeneCards database was used to screen CRC-related targets;DAVID database was used for GO and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis;Molecular docking verification of main active components and key targets was conducted.A rat model of CRC was constructed,and the effect of Jianpi Xiaoai Prescription on key targets of CRC-related pathways in rats was verified by Western blot.Results Totally 35 active components of Jianpi Xiaoai Prescription,617 potential targets,and 325 intersected with CRC-related targets were obtained.The enrichment analysis of active component targets showed that the main enrichments were PI3K-Akt signaling pathway,EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors signaling pathway,T cell receptor signaling pathway,VEGF signaling pathway and other related pathways.13 key active components and 6 key proteins of EGFR,SRC,CA2,CA12,CYP19A1 and MAPK3 were obtained in Jianpi Xiaoai Prescription.The results of Western blot experiments showed that Jianpi Xiaoai Prescription could significantly reduce the protein expression levels of SRC and EGFR in rat CRC samples.Conclusion The active component in Jianpi Xiaoai Prescription may exert anti CRC cell proliferation,invasion,and metastasis effects by regulating EGFR,SRC with multiple targets and pathways.

Causal Association Between Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Risk of Breast Cancer: A Mendelian Randomization Study / 肿瘤防治研究

Objective To explore the causal relationship between Omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of breast cancer via Mendelian randomization analysis. Methods Analysis was conducted on data from genome-wide association studies (GWASs) on Omega-3 fatty acids and breast cancer. The selected instrumental variables (IVs) comprised genetic loci associated with Omega-3 fatty acids. Various Mendelian randomization analysis methods, including inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method, MR–Egger regression analysis, weighted median, simple models, and weighted models, were used to evaluate the causal relationship between Omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of breast cancer. Results A total of 47 single-nucleotide polymorphisms strongly associated with Omega-3 fatty acids were selected as IVs. The analysis methods, including IVW method, revealed no causal relationship between Omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of breast cancer (P>0.05). Analysis methods, such as MR-Egger regression analysis, did not detect significant gene-level pleiotropy (P=0.319), which indicates the high sensitivity and robustness of analysis results. Conclusion The findings of this study suggest the absence of a causal relationship between Omega-3 fatty acids and the risk of breast cancer.

The performance of digital chest radiographs in the detection and diagnosis of pulmonary nodules and the consistency among readers / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the detection and diagnostic efficacy of chest radiographs for ≤30 mm pulmonary nodules and the factors affecting them, and to compare the level of consistency among readers. Methods: A total of 43 patients with asymptomatic pulmonary nodules who consulted in Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 2012 to 2014 and had chest CT and X-ray chest radiographs during the same period were retrospectively selected, and one nodule ≤30 mm was visible on chest CT images in the whole group (total 43 nodules in the whole group). One senior radiologist with more than 20 years of experience in imaging diagnosis reviewed CT images and recording the size, morphology, location, and density of nodules was selected retrospectively. Six radiologists with different levels of experience (2 residents, 2 attending physicians and 2 associate chief physicians independently reviewed the chest images and recorded the time of review, nodule detection, and diagnostic opinion. The CT imaging characteristics of detected and undetected nodules on X images were compared, and the factors affecting the detection of nodules on X-ray images were analyzed. Detection sensitivity and diagnosis accuracy rate of 6 radiologists were calculated, and the level of consistency among them was compared to analyze the influence of radiologists' seniority and reading time on the diagnosis results. Results: The number of nodules detected by all 6 radiologists was 17, with a sensitivity of detection of 39.5%(17/43). The number of nodules detected by ≥5, ≥4, ≥3, ≥2, and ≥1 physicians was 20, 21, 23, 25, and 28 nodules, respectively, with detection sensitivities of 46.5%, 48.8%, 53.5%, 58.1%, and 65.1%, respectively. Reasons for false-negative result of detection on X-ray images included the size, location, density, and morphology of the nodule. The sensitivity of detecting ≤30 mm, ≤20 mm, ≤15 mm, and ≤10 mm nodules was 46.5%-58.1%, 45.9%-54.1%, 36.0%-44.0%, and 36.4% for the 6 radiologists, respectively; the diagnosis accuracy rate was 19.0%-85.0%, 16.7%-6.5%, 18.2%-80.0%, and 0%-75.0%, respectively. The consistency of nodule detection among 6 doctors was good (Kappa value: 0.629-0.907) and the consistency of diagnostic results among them was moderate or poor (Kappa value: 0.350-0.653). The higher the radiologist's seniority, the shorter the time required to read the images. The reading time and the seniority of the radiologists had no significant influence on the detection and diagnosis results (P>0.05). Conclusions: The ability of radiographs to detect lung nodules ≤30 mm is limited, and the ability to determine the nature of the nodules is not sufficient, and the increase in reading time and seniority of the radiologists will not improve the diagnostic accuracy. X-ray film exam alone is not suitable for lung cancer diagnosis.

Status and challenges of neoadjuvant immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华外科杂志

With the development of modern liver surgical techniques and the progress of perioperative management,the survival rate after resection of hepatocellular carcinoma has been greatly improved,but the high recurrence and metastasis rate still limits the long-term survival after surgery. Preoperative neoadjuvant therapy has been confirmed to significantly reduce the postoperative recurrence rate and prolong survival in other types of cancer,but there has been a lack of effective systemic therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma for a long time,so the efficacy and regimen of neoadjuvant therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma are still controversial. PD-1/PD-L1 monoclonal antibody combined with anti-angiogenic targeted drugs has become a first-line regimen in systemic therapy for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. This regimen has definite efficacy and high safety,bringing hope for neoadjuvant therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma. Recently,three clinical trials of neoadjuvant immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma have been published internationally,which preliminarily suggest the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant immunotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma and lay a solid foundation for carrying out larger sample clinical studies in the future.

A comparison of current guidelines for the management of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma worldwide / 中华外科杂志

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most common human liver malignancy and its incidence rate has been gradually increasing worldwide over the past decades. Surgical resection (R0 resection) is the preferred potentially curative treatment for ICC patients. However, due to its conceal clinical features and high invasiveness, most patients have lost the opportunity for surgical resection at the time of diagnosis. In recent years, with the rapid development of targeted therapy and immunotherapy, which is represented by immune checkpoint inhibitors, clinicians are expected to provide more effective treatment options for patients with mid-stage or advanced ICC. At present, there are still controversial opinions on different guidelines regarding preoperative biliary drainage, the extent of hepatectomy, the definition of R0 resection, the width of the resection margin, lymph node dissection, postoperative recurrence, adjuvant therapy, etc. In this review, 12 guidelines or expert consensus published worldwide from 2012 to 2022 (including 4 Chinese guidelines, 4 European guidelines, 2 American guidelines and 2 Japanese guidelines) were retrieved. Focusing on sorting and comparing the current views on clinical management of ICC in different guidelines, this review aims to provide reference information for ICC clinical management and decision-making.

Analysis of the characteristics of retracted scientific papers in the field of global liver diseases published by Chinese scholars / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To analyze the characteristics of scientific papers in the field of global liver diseases published by Chinese scholars that were retracted for diverse reasons from the Retraction Watch database, so as to provide a reference to publishing-related papers. Methods: The Retraction Watch database was retrieved for retracted papers in the field of global liver disease published by Chinese scholars from March 1, 2008 to January 28, 2021. The regional distribution, source journals, reasons for retraction, publication and retraction times, and others were analyzed. Results: A total of 101 retracted papers that were distributed across 21 provinces/cities were retrieved. Zhejiang area (n = 17) had the most retracted papers, followed by Shanghai (n = 14), and Beijing (n = 11). The vast majority were research papers (n = 95). The journal PLoS One had the highest number of retracted papers. In terms of time distribution, 2019 (n = 36) had the most retracted papers. 23 papers, accounting for 8.3% of all retractions, were retracted owing to journal or publisher concerns. Liver cancer (34%), liver transplantation (16%), hepatitis (14%), and others were the main areas of retracted papers. Conclusion: Chinese scholars have a large number of retracted articles in the field of global liver diseases. A journal or publisher chooses to retract a manuscript after investigating and discovering more flawed problems, which, however, require further support, revision, and supervision from the editorial and academic circles.

Development of Surgical Robots in Recent Years / 中国医疗器械杂志

OBJECTIVE@#To study the development of surgical robots at home and abroad in recent years.@*METHODS@#Through a large number of literature review and analysis, the qualification approval and technical function characteristics of domestic and foreign surgical robots from January 2019 to July 2022 were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The related situations of 39 surgical robots were analyzed and reported, and the shortcomings and future development direction of the current surgical robots were summarized.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The development of surgical robots in China is now in a rapid development stage. At present, surgical robots generally have the disadvantages of high cost, lack of tactile feedback (force feedback), large size, large space occupation and difficult to move. In the future, it will develop towards intelligent, miniaturized, remote, open and low-cost.

Effect of Zhenwu Decoction on electrical remodeling of cardiomyocytes in heart failure via I_(to)/Kv channels / 中国中药杂志

This study aimed to investigate the underlying mechanism of Zhenwu Decoction in the treatment of heart failure by regulating electrical remodeling through the transient outward potassium current(I_(to))/voltage-gated potassium(Kv) channels. Five normal SD rats were intragastrically administered with Zhenwu Decoction granules to prepare drug-containing serum, and another seven normal SD rats received an equal amount of distilled water to prepare blank serum. H9c2 cardiomyocytes underwent conventional passage and were treated with angiotensin Ⅱ(AngⅡ) for 24 h. Subsequently, 2%, 4%, and 8% drug-containing serum, simvastatin(SIM), and BaCl_2 were used to interfere in H9c2 cardiomyocytes for 24 h. The cells were divided into a control group [N, 10% blank serum + 90% high-glucose DMEM(DMEM-H)], a model group(M, AngⅡ + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a low-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z1, AngⅡ + 2% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoction + 8% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a medium-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z2, AngⅡ + 4% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoc-tion + 6% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), a high-dose Zhenwu Decoction-containing serum group(Z3, AngⅡ + 8% drug-containing serum of Zhenwu Decoction + 2% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), an inducer group(YD, AngⅡ + SIM + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H), and an inhibitor group(YZ, AngⅡ + BaCl_2 + 10% blank serum + 90% DMEM-H). The content of ANP in cell extracts of each group was detected by ELISA. The relative mRNA expression levels of ANP, Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2 were detected by real-time quantitative PCR. The protein expression of Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2 was detected by Western blot. I_(to) was detected by the whole cell patch-clamp technique. The results showed that Zhenwu Decoction at low, medium, and high doses could effectively reduce the surface area of cardiomyocytes. Compared with the M group, the Z1, Z2, Z3, and YD groups showed decreased ANP content and mRNA level, increased protein and mRNA expression of Kv4.2, Kv4.3, DPP6, and KChIP2, and decreased protein and mRNA expression of Kv1.4, and the aforementioned changes were the most notable in the Z3 group. Compared with the N group, the Z1, Z2, and Z3 groups showed significantly increased peak current and current density of I_(to). The results indicate that Zhenwu Decoction can regulate myocardial remodeling and electrical remodeling by improving the expression trend of Kv1.4, Kv4.2, Kv4.3, KChIP2, and DPP6 proteins and inducing I_(to) to regulate Kv channels, which may be one of the mechanisms of Zhenwu Decoction in treating heart failure and related arrhythmias.

Detection and multi⁃locus sequence typing of low⁃affinity penicillin⁃binding protein of β⁃lactam resistant Enterococcus faecalis / 安徽医科大学学报

Objective @# To detect the low⁃affinity penicillin⁃binding protein drug resistance , pbp4 gene , and multi⁃ locus sequence typing (MLST) of clinically isolated E. faecalis .@*Methods @#78 clinical isolates of E. faecalis were collected , and their drug resistance was detected by automated instruments ; the mutation of pbp4 gene mutation was analyzed by PCR amplification and MLST . @*Results @# 78 strains of E. faecalis were highly resistant to ciprofloxacin , levofloxacin , rifampicin , erythromycin , tetracycline and high concentration of gentamicin , and were resistant to penicillin and gentamicin . The ampicillin resistance rate was 10. 3% , and no strains were found to be resistant to nitrofurantoin , vancomycin , teicoplanin and linezolid ; 8 strains of 78 E. faecalis had amplified TEM genes , and all of them were resistant to penicillin and ampicillin resistance , with a positive rate of 10. 3% ; the allelic profiles and sequence types of 78 strains of E. faecalis which were divided into 16 sequence types , of which ST179 and ST16 were the most , with 21 and 21 strains , respectively . 20 strains , accounting for 26. 9% and 25 . 6% , the rest were ST6 type 8 strains (10. 3% ) , ST4 type 7 strains (9 . 0% ) , ST585 type 6 strains (7 . 7% ) , ST480 type 4 strains (5 . 1% ) , ST28 strains 3 strains (3 . 8% ) of the ST type were detected , and only 1 strain was detected for the oth⁃ er ST types . The analysis of the relationship between ST types and drug resistance showed that E. faecalis with the same ST type had similar drug resistance profiles . @*Conclusion @#The resistance mechanism of E. faecalis to β ⁃lactam antibiotics is mainly caused by the production of β⁃lactamase mediated by TEM gene , which is not necessarily related to the mutation of pbp4 gene . The isolates of E. faecalis are mainly CC16 ( including ST16 and ST179) clones and drug resistance is serious . It is necessary to guide clinical medication and strengthen nosocomial infection monitoring according to its characteristics .

Report on Cardiac Gross Pathologic Measurements of Sudden Cardiac Death in Adults / 法医学杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To analyze the gross pathological data of sudden cardiac death (SCD) with different causes, to provide data support for the identification of sudden cardiac death with unknown causes.@*METHODS@#A total of 167 adult SCD cases in the archive of the Forensic Expertise Institute of Nanjing Medical University from 2010 to 2020 were collected. The gross pathological data of SCD cases were summarized and the characteristics of different causes of death were statistically analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The ratio of male to female SCD cases was 3.4∶1. Coronary heart disease was the leading cause of SCD, and mainly distributed in people over 40 years old. SCD caused by myocarditis was mainly distributed in young people and the mean age of death was (34.00±9.55) years. By analyzing the differences in cardiac pathological parameters of SCD with different causes, it was found that the aortic valve circumference was significantly dilated in the SCD caused by aortic aneurysm or dissection (P<0.05). The heart weight of SCD caused by aortic aneurysm or dissection and combined factors was greater, and both pulmonary and tricuspid valvular rings were dilated in the SCD caused by combined factors in adult males (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Various gross pathological measures of SCD with different causes are different, which has reference value in the cause of death identification of SCD.

Value of extrahepatic bile duct and main pancreatic duct segment patterns on MRCP to differentiate the periampullary carcinoma / 中华肝胆外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of the extrahepatic bile duct and main pancreatic duct segment patterns on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) for differentiating the periampullary carcinoma (PAC).Methods:The clinicopathologic data of 125 patients with PAC who were admitted to Wuxi No.2 People’s Hospital from June 2013 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, including 72 males and 53 females, aged (64.9±8.6) years. According to its anatomy, the extrahepatic bile duct (B) was divided into suprapancreatic and intrapancreatic (including ampullary) segments, and the main pancreatic duct (P) was divided into tail-body and head segments. MRCP patterns: i. the extrahepatic bile duct or main pancreatic duct visible without dilatation, ii. cutoff of the distal extrahepatic bile duct or main pancreatic duct with upstream dilatation, iii. cutoff of the intrapancreatic or head segment with upstream dilatation and remnant intrapancreatic or head segments invisible, iv. cutoff of the intrapancreatic or head segment with upstream dilatation and nondilated remnant intrapancreatic or head segments, were represented as 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Segment patterns of B1/P0+ B1/P1, B0/P2+ B0/P3+ B2/P2+ B2/P3+ B3/P3, B3/P0, and B0/P0+ B2/P0 on MRCP were compared in PAC patients.Results:Of the 125 patients, there were 57 (45.6%) with pancreatic head carcinoma, 36 (28.8%) with ampullary carcinoma, 20 (16.0%) with distal cholangiocarcinoma, and 12 (9.6%) with periampullary duodenal carcinoma. Segment patterns of B0/P2+ B0/P3+ B2/P2+ B2/P3+ B3/P3 were found in 52 patients with pancreatic head carcinoma (91.2%, 52/57), with a significant difference between PAC (χ 2=110.66, P<0.001). Segment patterns of B1/P0+ B1/P1were found in 36 patients with ampullary carcinoma (100.0%, 36/36), fallowed by 11 (91.7%, 11/12) with periampullary duodenal carcinoma, with a significant difference between PAC (χ 2=129.95, P<0.001). Segment pattern of B3/P0 presented in 16 patients with distal cholangiocarcinoma (80.0%, 16/20), with a significant difference between PAC (χ 2=62.45, P<0.001). The segment patterns of B0/P0+ B2/P0 were only seen in 3 of 57(5.3%) patients with pancreatic head carcinoma. Conclusion:On MRCP, cutoff of the head segment with upstream dilatation and remnant head segment invisible or nondilated indicates the pancreatic head carcinoma. Cutoff of the intrapancreatic segment with upstream dilatation, remnant intrapancreatic segment visible, and main pancreatic duct nondilated, indicates the distal cholangiocarcinoma. And cutoff of the distal extrahepatic segment with upstream dilatation and main pancreatic duct dilatation or not, indicates the ampullary or periampullary duodenal carcinoma.

Clinical and imaging features of population receiving opportunistic screening for lung cancer and in convalescent stage of COVID-19 / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective:To investigate the clinical and imaging features of population receiving opportunistic screening for lung cancer and in convalescent stage of COVID-19.Methods:Cross-sectional study and analysis was performed on the patients who underwent chest low-dose CT examination for cancer prevention in Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from December 28, 2022 to January 19, 2023. All the patients completed the COVID-19 questionnaire. A total of 334 questionnaires were sent out, all of which were recovered, and 321 valid questionnaires were collected, among them, 293 questionnaires were included in the analysis. Statistical analysis was conducted according to the questionnaire information, clinical symptoms and chest CT imaging results. The potential influencing factors of COVID-19 infection were explored, and the imaging characteristics of COVID-19 infection and early stage of lung cancer were compared.Results:A total of 293 patients underwent lung cancer screening during the convalescent stage of COVID-19 infection. A total of 231 (78.8%) cases had cough and 228 (77.8%) cases had fever. 214 (73.0%) cases still had clinical symptoms within 2 weeks after nucleic acid or antigen test showing negative, especially for cough in 171 (58.4%) cases, fatigue in 79 (25.3%) cases and sputum in 73 (24.9%) cases. There were 54 (18.4%) cases with positive chest CT changes. The main imaging findings showed that there were 46 cases with new patchy shadows, 25 cases with linear opacities, 10 cases with ground-glass opacities, 10 cases with nodular like shadows and 2 cases with consolidation, and most lesions were in the subpleural area of both lungs. Univariate analysis showed that positive CT findings were correlated with the time from positive detection of COVID-19 to screening ( P=0.026), age ( P<0.001) and underlying diseases ( P=0.006). Multivariate analysis showed that age≥65 years old ( OR=6.425, 95% CI: 2.688-15.358; P<0.001) and underlying diseases ( OR=2.292, 95% CI: 1.120-4.691; P=0.023) were risk factors for pulmonary imaging changes of COVID-19 infection. For lung cancer opportunistic screening, 36 (12.3%) cases showed ground-glass opacities in bilateral or unilateral lung lobes, among which 4 cases were suspected to be atypical adenomatous hyperplasia and 2 cases s were suspected to be early stage of lung cancer. Conclusions:Abnormal clinical symptoms and chest CT findings are still observed in the patients during the convalescent stage of COVID-19 infection. Age≥65 years, underlying diseases were the high-risk factors for the changes in chest CT imaging after COVID-19 infection. Attention should be paid to the differential diagnosis of chest CT findings between changes in the convalescent stage of COVID-19 and early stage of lung cancer.

Efficiency and safety analysis of Plerixafor combined with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor on autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in lymphoma / 中华血液学杂志

Objective: To evaluate the advantages and safety of Plerixafor in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization of lymphoma. Methods: Lymphoma patients who received autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization with Plerixafor in combination with G-CSF or G-CSF alone were obtained. The clinical data, the success rate of stem cell collection, hematopoietic reconstitution, and treatment-related adverse reactions between the two groups were evaluated retrospectively. Results: A total of 184 lymphoma patients were included in this analysis, including 115 cases of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (62.5%) , 16 cases of classical Hodgkin's lymphoma (8.7%) , 11 cases of follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (6.0%) , 10 cases of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (5.4%) , 6 cases of mantle cell lymphoma (3.3%) , and 6 cases of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (3.3%) , 6 cases of NK/T-cell lymphoma (3.3%) , 4 cases of Burkitt's lymphoma (2.2%) , 8 cases of other types of B-cell lymphoma (4.3%) , and 2 cases of other types of T-cell lymphoma (1.1%) ; 31 patients had received radiotherapy (16.8%) . The patients in the two groups were recruited with Plerixafor in combination with G-CSF or G-CSF alone. The baseline clinical characteristics of the two groups were basically similar. The patients in the Plerixafor in combination with the G-CSF mobilization group were older, and the number of recurrences and third-line chemotherapy was higher. 100 patients were mobilized with G-CSF alone. The success rate of the collection was 74.0% for one day and 89.0% for two days. 84 patients in the group of Plerixafor combined with G-CSF were recruited successfully with 85.7% for one day and 97.6% for two days. The success rate of mobilization in the group of Plerixafor combined with G-CSF was substantially higher than that in the group of G-CSF alone (P=0.023) . The median number of CD34(+) cells obtained in the mobilization group of Plerixafor combined with G-CSF was 3.9×10(6)/kg. The median number of CD34(+) cells obtained in the G-CSF Mobilization group alone was 3.2×10(6)/kg. The number of CD34(+) cells collected by Plerixafor combined with G-CSF was considerably higher than that in G-CSF alone (P=0.001) . The prevalent adverse reactions in the group of Plerixafor combined with G-CSF were grade 1-2 gastrointestinal reactions (31.2%) and local skin redness (2.4%) . Conclusion: The success rate of autologous hematopoietic stem cell mobilization in lymphoma patients treated with Plerixafor combined with G-CSF is significantly high. The success rate of collection and the absolute count of CD34(+) stem cells were substantially higher than those in the group treated with G-CSF alone. Even in older patients, second-line collection, recurrence, or multiple chemotherapies, the combined mobilization method also has a high success rate of mobilization.

Insights into the biosynthesis of septacidin l-heptosamine moiety unveils a VOC family sugar epimerase

l-Heptopyranoses are important components of bacterial polysaccharides and biological active secondary metabolites like septacidin (SEP), which represents a group of nucleoside antibiotics with antitumor, antifungal, and pain-relief activities. However, little is known about the formation mechanisms of those l-heptose moieties. In this study, we deciphered the biosynthetic pathway of the l,l-gluco-heptosamine moiety in SEPs by functional characterizing four genes and proposed that SepI initiates the process by oxidizing the 4'-hydroxyl of l-glycero-α-d-manno-heptose moiety of SEP-328 ( 2) to a keto group. Subsequently, SepJ (C5 epimerase) and SepA (C3 epimerase) shape the 4'-keto-l-heptopyranose moiety by sequential epimerization reactions. At the last step, an aminotransferase SepG installs the 4'-amino group of the l,l-gluco-heptosamine moiety to generate SEP-327 ( 3). An interesting phenomenon is that the SEP intermediates with 4'-keto-l-heptopyranose moieties exist as special bicyclic sugars with hemiacetal-hemiketal structures. Notably, l-pyranose is usually converted from d-pyranose by bifunctional C3/C5 epimerase. SepA is an unprecedented monofunctional l-pyranose C3 epimerase. Further in silico and experimental studies revealed that it represents an overlooked metal dependent-sugar epimerase family bearing vicinal oxygen chelate (VOC) architecture.

Advances in in vitro induction of hepatocyte-like cells and the application of small-molecule compounds in inducing hepatocyte-like cells / 临床肝胆病杂志

The induction of hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) in vitro is one of the effective ways to obtain a large number of useful hepatocyte, and these HLCs can be used in disease modeling, drug design, and toxicological evaluation. At present, the induction of HLCs in vitro is mainly achieved by introducing exogenous transcription factors, cytokines or small-molecule compounds. Since small-molecule compounds have the advantages of structural diversity, controllable time and dose, and convenient and safe operation, scientists are devoted to screening out the small-molecule compounds to replace exogenous transcription factors and cytokines, and such compounds have a promising application prospect in the field of regenerative medicine. This article reviews the studies on the in vitro induction of HLCs from pluripotent stem cells and other adult stem cells and summarizes the application of small-molecule compounds in the in vitro induction of HLCs, in order to provide ideas and references for the in vitro induction of HLCs.

Diagnostic values of conventional tumor markers and their combination with chest CT for patients with stageⅠA lung cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic efficiency of conventional serum tumor markers and their combination with chest CT for stage ⅠA lung cancer. Methods: A total of 1 155 patients with stage ⅠA lung cancer and 200 patients with benign lung lesions (confirmed by surgery) treated at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to October 2020 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Six conventional serum tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen (SCCA), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and gastrin-releasing peptide precursor (ProGRP)] and chest thin-slice CT were performed on all patients one month before surgery. Pathology was taken as the gold standard to analyze the difference of positivity rates of tumor markers between the lung cancer group and the benign group, the moderate/poor differentiation group and the well differentiation group, the adenocarcinoma group and the squamous cell carcinoma group, the lepidic and non-lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma groups, the solid nodule group and the subsolid nodule group based on thin-slice CT, and subgroups of ⅠA1 to ⅠA3 lung cancers. The diagnostic performance of tumor markers and tumor markers combined with chest CT was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The positivity rates of six serum tumor markers in the lung cancer group and the benign group were 2.32%-20.08% and 0-13.64%, respectively; only the SCCA positivity rate in the lung cancer group was higher than that in the benign group (10.81% and 0, P=0.022). There were no significant differences in the positivity rates of other serum tumor markers between the two groups (all P>0.05). The combined detection of six tumor markers showed that the positivity rate of the lung cancer group was higher than that of the benign group (40.93% and 18.18%, P=0.004), and the positivity rate of the adenocarcinoma group was lower than that of the squamous cell carcinoma group (35.66% and 47.41%, P=0.045). The positivity rates in the poorly differentiated group and moderately differentiated group were higher than that in the well differentiated group (46.48%, 43.75% and 22.73%, P=0.025). The positivity rate in the non-lepidic adenocarcinoma group was higher than that in lepidic adenocarcinoma group (39.51% and 21.74%, P=0.001). The positivity rate of subsolid nodules was lower than that of solid nodules (30.01% vs 58.71%, P=0.038), and the positivity rates of stageⅠA1, ⅠA2 and ⅠA3 lung cancers were 33.33%, 48.96% and 69.23%, respectively, showing an increasing trend (P=0.005). The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of six tumor markers in the diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer were 74.00% and 56.30%, respectively, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.541. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of six serum tumor markers with CT in the diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer were 83.0% and 78.3%, respectively, and the AUC was 0.721. Conclusions: For stage ⅠA lung cancer, the positivity rates of commonly used clinical tumor markers are generally low. The combined detection of six markers can increase the positivity rate. The positivity rate of markers tends to be higher in poorly differentiated lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, or solid nodules. Tumor markers combined with thin-slice CT showed limited improvement in diagnostic efficiency for early lung cancer.

Diagnostic values of conventional tumor markers and their combination with chest CT for patients with stageⅠA lung cancer / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic efficiency of conventional serum tumor markers and their combination with chest CT for stage ⅠA lung cancer. Methods: A total of 1 155 patients with stage ⅠA lung cancer and 200 patients with benign lung lesions (confirmed by surgery) treated at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2016 to October 2020 were retrospectively enrolled in this study. Six conventional serum tumor markers [carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125), squamous cell carcinoma associated antigen (SCCA), cytokeratin 19 fragment (CYFRA21-1), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and gastrin-releasing peptide precursor (ProGRP)] and chest thin-slice CT were performed on all patients one month before surgery. Pathology was taken as the gold standard to analyze the difference of positivity rates of tumor markers between the lung cancer group and the benign group, the moderate/poor differentiation group and the well differentiation group, the adenocarcinoma group and the squamous cell carcinoma group, the lepidic and non-lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma groups, the solid nodule group and the subsolid nodule group based on thin-slice CT, and subgroups of ⅠA1 to ⅠA3 lung cancers. The diagnostic performance of tumor markers and tumor markers combined with chest CT was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The positivity rates of six serum tumor markers in the lung cancer group and the benign group were 2.32%-20.08% and 0-13.64%, respectively; only the SCCA positivity rate in the lung cancer group was higher than that in the benign group (10.81% and 0, P=0.022). There were no significant differences in the positivity rates of other serum tumor markers between the two groups (all P>0.05). The combined detection of six tumor markers showed that the positivity rate of the lung cancer group was higher than that of the benign group (40.93% and 18.18%, P=0.004), and the positivity rate of the adenocarcinoma group was lower than that of the squamous cell carcinoma group (35.66% and 47.41%, P=0.045). The positivity rates in the poorly differentiated group and moderately differentiated group were higher than that in the well differentiated group (46.48%, 43.75% and 22.73%, P=0.025). The positivity rate in the non-lepidic adenocarcinoma group was higher than that in lepidic adenocarcinoma group (39.51% and 21.74%, P=0.001). The positivity rate of subsolid nodules was lower than that of solid nodules (30.01% vs 58.71%, P=0.038), and the positivity rates of stageⅠA1, ⅠA2 and ⅠA3 lung cancers were 33.33%, 48.96% and 69.23%, respectively, showing an increasing trend (P=0.005). The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of six tumor markers in the diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer were 74.00% and 56.30%, respectively, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.541. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined detection of six serum tumor markers with CT in the diagnosis of stage ⅠA lung cancer were 83.0% and 78.3%, respectively, and the AUC was 0.721. Conclusions: For stage ⅠA lung cancer, the positivity rates of commonly used clinical tumor markers are generally low. The combined detection of six markers can increase the positivity rate. The positivity rate of markers tends to be higher in poorly differentiated lung cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, or solid nodules. Tumor markers combined with thin-slice CT showed limited improvement in diagnostic efficiency for early lung cancer.

Existence and morphology features of the myodural bridge in JapaLura Splendida / 解剖学报

Objective The dense fibrous connective tissue that connects sub-occipital muscles which consist of the rectus capitis posterior minor muscle (RCPmi), rectus capitis posterior major muscle (RCPma), obliquus capitis inferior muscle (OCI) and nuchal ligament (NL) to the spinal dura mater (SDM), is described as the myodural bridge (MDB) in humans. The MDB is perceived as an essential anatomical structure and has been a subject of interest for clinicians. Studies have revealed that MDB may be related to the dynamic circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and a chronic cervicogenic headache. To date, the MDB is identified as a universal, existing structure in mammals and it exists in other vertebrates as well, such as Gallus domesticus and Rock pigeons in Avifauna, Siamese crocodile and Trachemys scripta elegans in Reptile. The current study is to further analyze different structures features of the MDB in sundry classes and provide the anatomical basis for functional studies. The JapaLura Splendida is the most common species in Lacertiformes, Reptilia. So we chose it as the experimental object to supply the morphological study of the MDB in Reptilia. Methods The study was based on gross anatomical dissection, thick sheet section, histological staining to observe the structural characteristics of the post-occipital area of twenty JapaLura Splendidas and the existence of the MDB. Results The deep post-occipital muscles were composed of the rectus capitis dorsal muscle (RCD) and the obliquus capital posterior (OCP) muscle. The RCD was merged by the rectus capitis dorsal major muscle (RCDma), the rectus capitis dorsal minor muscle (RCDmi) and the obliquus capitis anterior muscle (OCA). In the atlanto-occipital space, the dense fibrous bundles were found to originate from the ventral aspect of the RCD and run ventral, closely inserting into the SDM. In the atlanto-axial space, the dense fibrous bundles were found to originate from the ventral aspect of the OCP and run ventral, closely contacted with the SDM. These dense fibrous bundles were the collagen type I fibers with strong double refraction. Conclusion The result of this study indicates that the MDB is located between the post-occipital muscles and the SDM in JapaLura Splendida. The MDB of Japalura splendida may be related to the activities of the head and neck, and exert a physiological function similar to the MDB in humans.

Metal artifact reduction and clinical verification in oral and maxillofacial region based on deep learning / 中华口腔医学杂志

Objective: To construct a kind of neural network for eliminating the metal artifacts in CT images by training the generative adversarial networks (GAN) model, so as to provide reference for clinical practice. Methods: The CT data of patients treated in the Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University from January 2017 to June 2022 were collected. A total of 1 000 cases of artifact-free CT data and 620 cases of metal artifact CT data were obtained, including 5 types of metal restorative materials, namely, fillings, crowns, titanium plates and screws, orthodontic brackets and metal foreign bodies. Four hundred metal artifact CT data and 1 000 artifact-free CT data were utilized for simulation synthesis, and 1 000 pairs of simulated artifacts and metal images and simulated metal images (200 pairs of each type) were constructed. Under the condition that the data of the five metal artifacts were equal, the entire data set was randomly (computer random) divided into a training set (800 pairs) and a test set (200 pairs). The former was used to train the GAN model, and the latter was used to evaluate the performance of the GAN model. The test set was evaluated quantitatively and the quantitative indexes were root-mean-square error (RMSE) and structural similarity index measure (SSIM). The trained GAN model was employed to eliminate the metal artifacts from the CT data of the remaining 220 clinical cases of metal artifact CT data, and the elimination results were evaluated by two senior attending doctors using the modified LiKert scale. Results: The RMSE values for artifact elimination of fillings, crowns, titanium plates and screws, orthodontic brackets and metal foreign bodies in test set were 0.018±0.004, 0.023±0.007, 0.015±0.003, 0.019±0.004, 0.024±0.008, respectively (F=1.29, P=0.274). The SSIM values were 0.963±0.023, 0.961±0.023, 0.965±0.013, 0.958±0.022, 0.957±0.026, respectively (F=2.22, P=0.069). The intra-group correlation coefficient of 2 evaluators was 0.972. For 220 clinical cases, the overall score of the modified LiKert scale was (3.73±1.13), indicating a satisfactory performance. The scores of modified LiKert scale for fillings, crowns, titanium plates and screws, orthodontic brackets and metal foreign bodies were (3.68±1.13), (3.67±1.16), (3.97±1.03), (3.83±1.14), (3.33±1.12), respectively (F=1.44, P=0.145). Conclusions: The metal artifact reduction GAN model constructed in this study can effectively remove the interference of metal artifacts and improve the image quality.