A collaborative online AI engine for CT-based COVID-19 diagnosis

Artificial intelligence can potentially provide a substantial role in streamlining chest computed tomography (CT) diagnosis of COVID-19 patients. However, several critical hurdles have impeded the development of robust AI model, which include deficiency, isolation, and heterogeneity of CT data generated from diverse institutions. These bring about lack of generalization of AI model and therefore prevent it from applications in clinical practices. To overcome this, we proposed a federated learning-based Unified CT-COVID AI Diagnostic Initiative (UCADI, http://www.ai-ct-covid.team/), a decentralized architecture where the AI model is distributed to and executed at each host institution with the data sources or client ends for training and inferencing without sharing individual patient data. Specifically, we firstly developed an initial AI CT model based on data collected from three Tongji hospitals in Wuhan. After model evaluation, we found that the initial model can identify COVID from Tongji CT test data at near radiologist-level (97.5% sensitivity) but performed worse when it was tested on COVID cases from Wuhan Union Hospital (72% sensitivity), indicating a lack of model generalization. Next, we used the publicly available UCADI framework to build a federated model which integrated COVID CT cases from the Tongji hospitals and Wuhan Union hospital (WU) without transferring the WU data. The federated model not only performed similarly on Tongji test data but improved the detection sensitivity (98%) on WU test cases. The UCADI framework will allow participants worldwide to use and contribute to the model, to deliver a real-world, globally built and validated clinic CT-COVID AI tool. This effort directly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals number 3, Good Health and Well-Being, and allows sharing and transferring of knowledge to fight this devastating disease around the world.

Identification and molecular mechanism of gastric cancer stem cells in invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the value and molecular mechanism of gastric cancer stem cells in invasion and metastasis of gastric cancer.Methods:Gastric cancer stem cells were isolated by spheroid culture method, and the biological characteristics were identified. The role of gastric cancer stem cells in multidrug resistance, invasion and metastasis was analyzed. The important molecules involved in the biological behavior of gastric cancer stem cells were identified by gene chip. Screening of the signaling pathway revealed that anthrax toxin receptor 2 (ANTXR2)plays an important role in invasion, metastasis, glomerization and tumor formation.Results:Sox2 and Bmi1 expression in SGC7901 and MGC803 cells were significantly higher than monolayer culture cells (15.39±3.23). Oct4 express increased to (4.19±0.62). The expression levels of the dry-related genes Bmi1, Sox2 and Oct4 in SGC7901-SC cells were (3.29±0.52), (3.12±0.49), (2.58±0.35), respectively, which were higher than those of SGC7901-MN cells, Bmi1, Sox2 and Oct4, respectively. The differences were statistically significant ( t=5.392, 7.316, 6.449, all P<0.05) for (1.41±0.39), (2.04±0.33), (1.39±0.32); in primary cells XN0422-SC and in SGC7901-SC cells, miR-638 was in high expression (0.69±0.11), and miR-181b and miR-181a in low expression (0.12±0.05) and (0.15±0.07). ANTXR2 expression in SGC7901-SC cells was higher than that in SGC7901-MN cells ( t=6.216, P<0.05). The ANTXR2 positive cells in SGC7901-SC was 85.48%. The proportion of ANTXR2 positive cells in SGC7901 was 4.98%. Gastric cancer cells XN0422 and SGC7901 were affected by PLVT713, and ANTXR2 expression protein decreased. Conclusion:ANTXR effects a regulatory role by activating the Src/ERk signaling pathway, which can be used to predict the biological beharious of gastric cancer.

Clinical effects of pedicled omentum covering and wrapping the ureteral anastomosis to prevent ureteral anastomotic leakage after surgery of abdominal and pelvic tumors / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the clinical effects of pedicled omentum covering and wrapping the ureteral anastomosis to prevent ureteral anastomotic leakage after surgery of abdominal and pelvic tumors.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Clinical data of 64 patients with ureteral anastomosis after surgery of abdominal and pelvic tumors treated in our department from May 2005 to May 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. They were assigned into 2 groups. There were 23 patients of ureteral anastomosis combined with pedicled omentum surrounding and wrapping the anastomotic site (optimization group), and 41 cases of ureteral anastomosis alone (control group). The clinical data of all the 64 patients were reviewed and the therapeutic effects of the two treatment approaches were compared.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At one week after the operation, there were 8 cases (34.8%, 8/23) with ureteral anastomotic fistula in the optimization group and 31 cases (75.6%, 31/41) in the control group (P = 0.010). In the postoperative days 1-3, the average drainage everyday from abdominal tube around the anastomotic site was 260.4 ml and 320.8 ml, respectively (P = 0.446). The average drainage volume everyday was 80.5 ml and 160.5 ml from the postoperative day 4 to day 7 (P = 0.015). The average time of removal of the peritoneal cavity drainage tube was 18.5 d in the optimization group and 32.6 d postoperatively in the control group (P = 0.015).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Covering and wrapping the ureteral anastomosis with pedicled omentum can promote the rapid adhesion of surrounding tissues to reduce urine leakage and postoperative complications, and shorten the surgical treatment cycle.</p>

Clinical efficacy of wrapping and suturing of the pancreatic stump with the avascular zone of the transverse mesocolon for preventing pancreatic leakage after distal pancreatectomy / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective To investigate the efficacy of wrapping and suturing of pancreatic stump with the avascular zone of the transverse mesocolon for preventing pancreatic leakage after distal pancreatectomy.Methods The clinical data of 69 patients who received distal pancreatectomy at the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University from May 2011 to March 2014 were retrospectively analyzed.The pancreatic stump was wrapped with the avascular zone of the transverse mesocolon after suturing the pancreatic stump in 34 patients (the modified group),and the pancreatic stump of 34 patients was sutured without any other treatment (the control group).The time for pancreatic stump management,complications,time for drainage tube placement and duration of postoperative hospital stay of the 2 groups were compared.Patients were followed-up through outpatient examination and telephone interview till June 2014.The measurement data and the count data were analyzed using the t test and the chi-square test,respectively.Results The time for pancreatic stump management of the modified group and the control group were (15.2 ± 2.1) minutes and (13.2 ± 3.2) minutes,with no significant difference between the 2 groups (t =1.565,P ＞ 0.05).No patient was complicated with other diseases in the modified group,while 9 patients in the control group was complicated with pancreatic fistula,with significant differences between the 2 groups (x2=9.399,P ＜0.05).The time for drainage tube placement of the modified group and the control group were (6.1 ± 2.2) days and (16.6 ± 3.5) days,the duration of postoperative hospital stay were (12.5 ± 2.5) days and (21.5 ± 3.5) days,with significant difference between the 2 groups (t =-11.902,-9.853,P ＜ 0.05).Sixty-three patients were followed up from 1 to 35 months with a mean time of 15 months.Fifteen patients died,and the condition of other patients was normal.Conclusion Wrapping and suturing of the pancreatic stump with the avascular zone of the transverse mesocolon is effective for preventing the pancreatic leakage after distal pancreatectomy and shortens the time of postoperative hospital stay.

Resection of the pelvic tumors with bladder invasion through trans-bladder approach / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Objective To study the trans-bladder operative approach in resection of the complicated pelvic tumors with bladder invasion.Methods Twelve patients with complicated pelvic tumors were analyzed from Oct.2007 to Oct.2010.There were 8 males and 4 females.Patient's age was ranging from 35 to 65 years.There were 3 patients with tumor diameter from 10 to 16 cm and 9 patients with tumor diameter greater than 16 cm.All the tumors were located in the pelvic and the stage of all tumors was T4N0M0.The technology of trans-bladder to approach the lower edge of the pelvic tumor and then retrograde up to remove the tumor out of the presacral tissue,pelvic wall,and pelvic organ was applied.The length of hospital stay,operative time,blood loss,death during peri-operative period and the post-operative survival were analyzed retrospectively.Results The median operative time was 126 (110-150) min.The median blood loss was 521 (300-1200) ml.The median hospital stay was 22 (14-28) d.No patient died after surgery.Ten patients were followed up for 6 to 48 months.Three cases died of metastasis or recurrence.Conclusion With the trans-bladder operative approach,the resection of pelvic retroperitoneal tumors is effective and safe.

Extruded splenic hilar lymph nodes dissection with retroperitoneal approach retrogressively / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To report a new approach of splenic hilar lymph nodes dissection in radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods 193 cases of gastric cancer patient receiving radical resection of gastric cancer between May 2008 and October 2008 were studied. The tail and body of spleen and pancreas were thoroughly freed with retroperitoneal way retrogressively and extruded out of abdominal cavity in 80 cases. The other 113 cases received operation with routine way. Results In 80 cases who received operation with retroperitoneal approach retrogressively, the total splenic hilar lymph nodes were 519, the positive ones were 65, the positive rate was 12.5 %; In the other 113 cases the total splenic hilar lymph nodes were 565, the positive ones were 58, the positive rate was 10.3 %. The positive rate had statistic significance between these two groups. Conclusion Extruded splenic hilar lymph nodes dissection with retroperitoneal approach retrogressively is safe and has the same effect with splenectomy in gastric cancer operation.

Application of modified abdominal closure technique by an all layer in ventro-pelvic part operation / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective To investigate application of modified abdominal closure technique by an all layer in ventro-pelvic part operation and evaluate its value and significance. Methods 3200 cases with ventre-pelvic part operation between May 2002 and Aug 2007, were subjected to single layer closure with non absorbable suture material. The clinic data and some results of follow-up were retrospectively analyzed. Results Operative incisions of 1780 (55.6%) cases were in epigastric zone and their rate of primary healing was 98.5%, others (44.3%) in hypogastric zone (including pelvic cavity) and rate of primary healing was 98.2% (P>0.05). Rate of primary healing in older age-group was 97.9% and control group 98.8%, and primary healing of group diabetes 97.4%, control group 98.2% (P > 0.05). Average time of abdmenal closure was only 11±4 min. Primary complications included dehiscence of wound (0.5%), infection (1.4%) and incisional hernia (0.2%). Follow-up (66%) was performed at 30 days, 3 and 6 months, and at 1, 2 and 3 years. Conclusion It is concluded that closure of an abdominal incision can be effected by a multifilament interrupted absorbable sutures without an increased risk of wound dehiscence or incisional hernia, meanwhile economic and fast. It is the optimal method of abdominal closure and can be generalized.

The use of bifidobacterium-supplemented enternal nutrient in early postoperative patients with advanced gastric cancer / 肠外与肠内营养

Objective: To study the effect of bifidobacterium-supplemented enteral nutrition in early postoperative patients with gastric cancer. Methods: 60 patients with gastric cancer were divided into two groups: bifidobacterium-supplemented enteral nutrition(BSEN-group, 30 cases), popular enteral nutrition group(EN-group,30 cases). The patients were infused with Nutrison Fibre or bifidobacterium-supplemented Nutrison Fibre for 7 postoperative days. Results: Bifidobacterium-supplemented enteral nutrient was well tolerated. The incidence of infections was significantly lower (P = 0.01) in BSEN-group than in EN-group. Conclusion: Early postoperative enteral nutrition plus bifidobacterium can reduce the rate of postoperative infections in comparison with popular enteral nutrition.