Corrigendum: Superiority of integrated cervicothoracic immobilization in the setup of lung cancer patients treated with supraclavicular station irradiation.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1135879.].

Superiority of integrated cervicothoracic immobilization in the setup of lung cancer patients treated with supraclavicular station irradiation.

Objective: To investigate the superiority of the integrated cervicothoracic immobilization devices (ICTID) on the mobility of the supraclavicular station in lung cancer patients requiring both primary lung lesion and positive supraclavicular lymph nodes irradiation. Methods: One hundred patients with lung cancer were prospectively enrolled in the study. The following four different fixation methods are used for CT simulation positioning: thoracoabdominal flat immobilization device fixation with arms lifting (TAFID group), head-neck-shoulder immobilization device fixation with arms on the body sides (HNSID group), ICTID fixation with arms on the body sides (ICTID arms-down group), and n ICTID fixation with arms lifting (ICTID arms-up group). Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images are taken daily or weekly before treatment, to assess anatomical changes during the radiotherapy course. Results: The translation errors in X (left-right direction), Y (head-foot direction), and Z (abdomen-back direction) directions of the ICTID arms-up, TAFID, ICTID arms-down and HNSID groups were (0.15 ± 0.18) cm, (0.15 ± 0.16) cm, (0.16 ± 0.16) cm, and (0.15 ± 0.20) cm; (0.15 ± 0.15) cm, (0.21 ± 0.25) cm, (0.28 ± 0.23) cm, and (0.27 ± 0.21) cm; (0.13 ± 0.14) cm, (0.15 ± 0.14) cm, (0.17 ± 0.13) cm, and (0.16 ± 0.14) cm, respectively. Among them, the ICTID arms-up group had the minimal setup errors in X direction than those in ICTID arms-down (p=0.001) and HNSID groups (p=0.001), and in Y direction than those in TAFID (p<0.001), and in Z direction than those in ICTID arms-down (p<0.001) and TAFID groups (p=0.034). For the rotational errors of the four groups in the directions of sagittal plane, transverse plane, and coronal plane, the ICTID arms-up group had the smallest setup errors in the sagittal plane than that of TAFID groups and similar rotation setup errors with those of the other three groups. Conclusion: For patients requiring radiation of primary lung lesion and positive supraclavicular lymph nodes, an integrated frame fixation device is preferred the ICTID arms-up methods provide the smallest set up error and satisfied repeatability of body position, compared with TAFID and HNSID.

Development and Evaluation of a Novel One-Step RT-qPCR Targeting the Vero Gene for the Identification of False-Positive Results Caused by Inactivated Virus Vaccine Contamination.

To identify false-positive SARS-CoV-2 test results caused by novel coronavirus inactivated vaccine contamination, a novel RT-qPCR targeting the ORF1ab and N genes of SARS-CoV-2 and Vero gene was developed. The amplification efficiency, precision, and lower limit of detection (LLOD) of the RT-qPCR assay were determined. A total of 346 clinical samples and 132 environmental samples were assessed, and the diagnostic performance was evaluated. The results showed that the amplification efficiency of the ORF1ab, N, and Vero genes was 95%, 97%, and 93%, respectively. The coefficients of variation of Ct values at a concentration of 3 × 104 copies/mL were lower than 5%. The LLOD for the ORF1ab, N, and Vero genes reached 8.0, 3.3, and 8.2 copies/reaction, respectively. For the 346 clinical samples, our RT-qPCR assay identified SARS-CoV-2-positive and SARS-CoV-2-negative samples with a sensitivity of 100.00% and a specificity of 99.30% and novel coronavirus inactivated vaccine-contaminated samples with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 100%. For the environmental samples, our RT-qPCR assay identified novel coronavirus inactivated vaccine-contaminated samples with a sensitivity of 88.06% and a specificity of 95.38%. In conclusion, the RT-qPCR assay we established can be used to diagnose COVID-19 and, to a certain extent, false-positive results due to vaccine contamination.

Comparison of setup errors of immobilization devices for thoracic radiotherapy.

Performance of thoracic radiotherapy may be assisted by the use of thoracoabdominal flat immobilization devices (TAFIDs) and integrated cervicothoracic immobilization devices (ICTIDs). This study was performed to compare setup errors of TAFIDs and ICTIDs. Forty-four patients with lung cancer were retrospectively reviewed; 22 patients were immobilized with a TAFID and 22 with an ICTID. In total, 343 cone-beam computed tomography images of these patients were collected for radiotherapy setup. The 3-dimensional setup errors and the displacement of the acromioclavicular joint against the supraclavicular region were calculated. An independent-samples t-test and rank-sum test were used for statistical analyses. The translational setup errors of the TAFID group vs ICTID group in the left-right (LR), superior-inferior (SI), and anterior-posterior (AP) directions were 0.14 ± 0.17 vs 0.14 ± 0.16 cm (p = 0.364), 0.23 ± 0.26 vs 0.15 ± 0.15 cm (p = 0.000), and 0.16 ± 0.15 vs 0.12 ± 0.14 cm (p = 0.049), respectively. The relative displacement of the acromioclavicular joint against the supraclavicular joint in the LR, SI, and AP directions were 0.10 ± 0.12 vs 0.09 ± 0.10 cm (p = 0.176), 0.13 ± 0.13 vs 0.11 ± 0.12 cm (p = 0.083), and 0.17 ± 0.16 vs 0.12 ± 0.11 cm (p = 0.001), respectively. The overall displacement of the supraclavicular region was 0.28 ± 0.19 vs 0.23 ± 0.15 cm (p < 0.001). The recommended planning target volume margins in the LR, SI, and AP directions were 0.46 vs 0.74 cm, 0.51 vs 0.47 cm, and 0.49 vs 0.41 cm, respectively. For patients with lung cancer, using an ICTID can reduce setup errors in the SI direction and displacements of the acromioclavicular joint and supraclavicular region compared with a TAFID. Therefore, an ICTID is preferred for patients with lung cancer with supraclavicular target volume.

Tenofovir Alafenamide for Pregnant Chinese Women With Active Chronic Hepatitis B: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Data on long-term tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) therapy for pregnant women with active chronic hepatitis B (CHB) (immune clearance and reactivation phases, currently and previously diagnosed) and their infants are lacking. METHODS: Pregnant women with active CHB treated with TAF and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) were enrolled in this multicenter prospective study, and infants received immunoprophylaxis. The primary outcomes were rates of adverse (safety) events in pregnant women and defects in infants and fetuses. The secondary outcomes were virologic responses in pregnant women, infants' safety, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) status, and growth conditions. RESULTS: One hundred three and 104 pregnant women were enrolled and 102 and 104 infants were born in the TAF and TDF groups, respectively. In the TAF group, the mean age, gestational age, alanine aminotransferase level, and viral loads at treatment initiation were 29.3 years, 1.3 weeks, 122.2 U/L, and 5.1 log10 IU/mL, respectively. TAF was well-tolerated, and the most common adverse event was nausea (29.1%) during a mean of 2 years of treatment. Notably, 1 (1.0%) TAF-treated pregnant woman underwent induced abortion due to noncausal fetal cleft lip and palate. No infants in either group had birth defects. In the TAF group, the hepatitis B e antigen seroconversion rate was 20.7% at postpartum month 6, infants had normal growth parameters, and no infants were positive for HBsAg at 7 months. The TDF group had comparable safety and effectiveness profiles. CONCLUSIONS: TAF administered throughout or beginning in early pregnancy is generally safe and effective for pregnant women with active CHB and their infants.

Dynamic changes in liver function parameters in patients with coronavirus disease 2019: a multicentre, retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Liver injuries have been reported in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to investigate the clinical role played by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: In this multicentre, retrospective study, the parameters of liver function tests in COVID-19 inpatients were compared between various time-points in reference to SARS-CoV-2 shedding, and 3 to 7 days before the first detection of viral shedding was regarded as the reference baseline. RESULTS: In total, 70 COVID-19 inpatients were enrolled. Twenty-two (31.4%) patients had a self-medication history after illness. At baseline, 10 (14.3%), 7 (10%), 9 (12.9%), 2 (2.9%), 15 (21.4%), and 4 (5.7%) patients already had abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), albumin, and total bilirubin (TBIL) values, respectively. ALT and AST abnormal rates and levels did not show any significant dynamic changes during the full period of viral shedding (all p > 0.05). The GGT abnormal rate (p = 0.008) and level (p = 0.033) significantly increased on day 10 of viral shedding. Meanwhile, no simultaneous significant increases in abnormal ALP rates and levels were observed. TBIL abnormal rates and levels significantly increased on days 1 and 5 of viral shedding (all p < 0.05). Albumin abnormal decrease rates increased, and levels decreased consistently from baseline to SARS-CoV-2 clearance day (all p < 0.05). Thirteen (18.6%) patients had chronic liver disease, two of whom died. The ALT and AST abnormal rates and levels did not increase in patients with chronic liver disease during SARS-CoV-2 shedding. CONCLUSIONS: SARS-CoV-2 does not directly lead to elevations in ALT and AST but may result in elevations in GGT and TBIL; albumin decreased extraordinarily even when SARS-CoV-2 shedding ended.

Progress on haptoglobin and metabolic diseases.

Haptoglobin (Hp) is an acidic glycoprotein, existing in the serum and other body fluids of human beings and a variety of mammals. Hp is produced in the liver, white adipose tissue, and the kidney. The genetic polymorphisms and different phenotypes of Hp have different biological functions. Hp has antibacterial, antioxidant, and angiogenic effects and is associated with multiple diseases including simple obesity, vascular complications of diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hypertension, blood diseases, autoimmune diseases, and malignant tumors. Hp also participates in many life activities, indicating the importance of Hp in further studies. Previously, we found that the expression of serum Hp changed after treatment of simple obesity patients in clinical trials. However, the specific mechanism of Hp in patients with simple obesity is still unclear. The purpose of this article is to introduce recent research progress on Hp, emphasizing the relationship between Hp and the development of metabolic disease, which will improve the understanding of the functions of Hp underlying metabolic diseases and discuss future research directions.

Clinical course and treatment efficacy of COVID-19 near Hubei Province, China: A multicentre, retrospective study.

Currently, COVID-19 has been reported in nearly all countries globally. To date, little is known about the viral shedding duration, clinical course and treatment efficacy of COVID-19 near Hubei Province, China. This multicentre, retrospective study was performed in 12 hospitals in Henan and Shaanxi Provinces from 20 January to 8 February 2020. Clinical outcomes were followed up until 26 March 2020. The viral shedding duration, full clinical course and treatment efficacy were analysed in different subgroups of patients. A total of 149 COVID-19 patients were enrolled. The median age was 42 years, and 61.1% (91) were males. Of them, 133 (89.3%) had fever, 131 of 144 (91%) had pneumonia, 27 (18.1%) required intensive care unit (ICU) management, 3 (2%) were pregnant, and 3 (2%) died. Two premature newborns were negative for SARS-CoV-2. In total, the median SARS-CoV-2 shedding period and clinical course were 12 (IQR: 9-17; mean: 13.4, 95% CI: 12.5, 14.2) and 20 (IQR: 16-24; mean: 21.2, 95% CI: 20.1, 22.3) days, respectively, and ICU patients had longer median viral shedding periods (21 [17-24] versus 11 [9-15]) and clinical courses (30 [22-33] vs. 19 [15.8-22]) than non-ICU patients (both p < .0001). SARS-CoV-2 clearances occurred at least 2 days before fatality in 3 non-survivors. Current treatment with any anti-viral agent or combination did not present the benefit of shortening viral shedding period and clinical course (all p > .05) in real-life settings. In conclusion, the viral shedding duration and clinical course in Henan and Shaanxi Provinces were shorter than those in Hubei Province, and current anti-viral therapies were ineffective for shortening viral shedding duration and clinical course in real-world settings. These findings expand our knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 infection and may be helpful for management of the epidemic outbreak of COVID-19 worldwide. Further studies concerning effective anti-viral agents and vaccines are urgently needed.

Effect of Convalescent Plasma Therapy on Viral Shedding and Survival in Patients With Coronavirus Disease 2019.

Currently, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has been reported in almost all countries globally. No effective therapy has been documented for COVID-19, and the role of convalescent plasma therapy is unknown. In the current study, 6 patients with COVID-19 and respiratory failure received convalescent plasma a median of 21.5 days after viral shedding was first detected, all tested negative for SARS-CoV-2 RNA within 3 days after infusion, and 5 eventually died. In conclusion, convalescent plasma treatment can end SARS-CoV-2 shedding but cannot reduce the mortality rate in critically ill patients with end-stage COVID-19, and treatment should be initiated earlier.

STIM2 knockdown protects against ischemia/reperfusion injury through reducing mitochondrial calcium overload and preserving mitochondrial function.

Mitochondrial dysfunction caused by calcium overload is a vital factor for mediating cardiomyocyte death following ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. The stromal interactive molecule 2 (STIM2) is a calcium sensor protein that regulates the store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). Whereas, whether STIM2 is associated with I/R injury remains largely unclear. We report here that STIM2, but not its homologue STIM1, is upregulated in cultured H9c2 cells, a cell model for cardiomyocytes, following I/R injury. In addition, the knockdown of STIM2, but not STIM1, reduces H9c2 cell apoptosis following I/R injury, and similar results were obtained in primary neonatal cardiomyocytes. This anti-apoptotic effect could be attributed to the inhibited activation of mitochondrial apoptosis pathway. Moreover, STIM2 knockdown reduces ER calcium release and simultaneously alleviates mitochondrial calcium overload in H9c2 cells following I/R injury. Furthermore, STIM2 knockdown decreases mitochondrial injury and preserves mitochondrial function following I/R injury. Collectively, these results suggest that the protective role of STIM2 knockdown against I/R injury in cardiomyocytes is associated with the reduced mitochondrial calcium overload and preserved mitochondrial function. Hence, our study may provide a novel insight into the regulation of mitochondrial-mediated cardiomyocyte apoptosis following I/R injury.

Joinpoint regression analysis of road traffic injuries tendency in China from 1997 to 2016 / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To analyze the tendency of road traffic injuries and explore its main influencing factors in China from 1997 to 2016, so as to provide references for decision-making of prevention and control. Methods Data was collected from national data website. Annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) were calculated and trend tests were performed by Joinpoint Regression Program 4.6.0.0. Results The overall trend of the indexes was basically the same, reaching the highest record in 2002. The following downward tendency was different and tended to level off after 2009. However, the forecast showed that the fatality of road traffic accidents would increase slightly in recent years. For different road traffic modes, only the average annual percent change of motor vehicle injuries statistically descended (AAPC=-1.83, Z=-2.23, P=0.026). The average annual decreases of non-motor vehicle deaths were statistically significant (AAPC=-1.98, Z=-2.47, P=0.014), and the number of injured showed a notable upward trend instead (AAPC=3.95, Z=5.16, P<0.001). The indexes of walking and riding were declined markedly (AAPC≥7.90, P<0.001). Conclusions The status of walking and riding had been improved significantly, but motor vehicles injuries were still the main traffic mode causing road traffic injuries. The safety situation of non-motor vehicles was increasingly serious. Adopting legal compulsory measures and other intervention to routine systematic management was quite necessary.

In vivo Study on the Corrosion Behavior of Magnesium Alloy Surface Treated with Micro-arc Oxidation and Hydrothermal Deposition.

OBJECTIVE: To study the corrosion behavior of magnesium alloy surface treated with micro-arc oxidation and hydrothermal deposition in living animals. METHODS: A magnesium oxide (MgO) layer was prepared on Mg alloy using micro-arc oxidation technology, and then a composite coating composed of magnesium hydroxide, hydroxyapatite, and MgO was coated on the MgO layer using the hydrothermal deposition method for 2 h and 24 h. Male 3-month-old white New Zealand rabbits (n = 48) weighting 2200-2300 g, were divided into four groups randomly. The prepared Mg alloy samples with composite coatings were implanted into the femoral medullary cavity of rabbits. For the Mg group, bare Mg samples without any treatment were implanted; for the MgO group, bare Mg samples undergoing MAO treatment were implanted; for the HT2h group, samples of the MgO group undergoing hydrothermal treatment (HT) for 2 h were implanted; and for the HT24h group, samples of group MgO undergoing HT for 24 h were implanted. Then the in vivo corrosion behaviors of implants were evaluated by X-ray observation, micro-CT analysis and serum Mg2+ examination. RESULTS: The X-ray showed that samples implanted in animals were decreased as time went by. The micro-CT showed that on the fourth week, the residual volume percentages (RVP) of samples of the Mg, MgO, HT2h, and HT24h groups were 72.81% ± 2.10%, 71.68% ± 1.49%, 81.14% ± 1.54%, and 82.04% ± 0.89%, respectively; on the eighth week, the RVP of four groups were 29.45% ± 1.06%, 41.82% ± 1.13%, 53.92% ± 0.37%, and 62.53% ± 2.06%, respectively; while on the 12th week, RVP were 8.45% ± 0.49%, 9.97% ± 0.75%, 37.09% ± 0.89%, 46.71% ± 1.87%. The RVP of the HT2h group and the HT24h group were higher than for the Mg group and the MgO group for all three time points (P < 0.05); the RVP for HT24h was higher than for HT2h at 8 and 12 weeks, and the differences were significant, indicating that the degradation of Mg alloy slowed down after composite coating. In addition, the composite-coated Mg alloy by 24-h hydrothermal treatment exhibited a slower degradation than that treated by 2 h. Serum Mg2+ concentration results showed that on the second week, the Mg2+ concentrations of the Mg, MgO, HT2h, and HT24h groups were 2.24 ± 0.10 mmol/L, 2.12 ± 0.07 mmol/L, 2.06 ± 0.11 mmol/L, and 2.15 ± 0.12 mmol/L, respectively. On the fourth week, these concentrations were 1.99 ± 0.33 mmol/L, 2.18 ± 0.06 mmol/L, 2.17 ± 0.09 mmol/L, and 2.13 ± 0.14 mmol/L, respectively. On the eighth week, the concentrations were 2.22 ± 0.09 mmol/L, 2.20 ± 0.17 mmol/L, 2.06 ± 0.11 mmol/L, and 2.14 ± 0.07 mmol/L, respectively. On the 12th week, the concentrations were 2.18 ± 0.04 mmol/L, 2.20 ± 0.08 mmol/L, 2.09 ± 0.02 mmol/L, and 2.16 ± 0.11 mmol/L. CONCLUSION: The combination of micro-arc oxidation and hydrothermal deposition can greatly improve the anti-corrosion behavior of Mg alloy, and Mg alloy coated with this composite coating is a promising biomaterial with a satisfactory degradation rate.

[Effect of schistosomiasis control in towns reached criteria of infection controlled in Nanchang City].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of schistosomiasis control in towns that had reached the criteria of infection controlled in Nanchang City. METHODS: The residents and livestock of 14 towns that had reached the criteria of infection controlled in Nanchang, Xinjian and Jinxian counties of Nanchang City were sampled to investigate the schistosomiasis endemic situation, Oncomelania hupensis snail status, and data of schistosomiasis control work. RESULTS: The positive rate of serum tests of the residents was 2.58%, and no positive stool samples were found. No cattle or sheep were positive in stool tests. Totally 1 635 snails were caught, and 1278 were alive with an average density of living snails of 0.051/0.1 M2, while no schistosome infected snails were found. All the surveyed administrative villages had the completed files of schistosomiasis control. Conclusion All the 14 towns that had reached the criteria of infection controlled of schistosomiasis have already reached the criteria of transmission controlled in Nanchang City.

Transforming growth factor-ß signaling participates in the maintenance of the primordial follicle pool in the mouse ovary.

Physiologically, only a few primordial follicles are activated to enter the growing follicle pool each wave. Recent studies in knock-out mice show that early follicular activation depends on signaling from the tuberous sclerosis complex, the mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1), phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10, and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) pathways. However, the manner in which these pathways are normally regulated, and whether or not TGF-ß acts on them are poorly understood. So, this study aims to identify whether or not TGF-ß acts on the process. Ovary organ culture experiments showed that the culture of 18.5 days post-coitus (dpc) ovaries with TGF-ß1 reduced the total population of oocytes and activated follicles, accelerated oocyte growth was observed in ovaries treated with TGF-ßR1 inhibitor 2-(5-chloro-2-fluorophenyl)pteridin-4-yl]pyridin-4-yl-amine (SD208) compared with control ovaries, the down-regulation of TGF-ßR1 gene expression also activated early primordial follicle oocyte growth. We further showed that there was dramatically more proliferation of granulosa cells in SD208-treated ovaries and less proliferation in TGF-ß1-treated ovaries. Western blot and morphological analyses indicated that TGF-ß signaling manipulated primordial follicle growth through tuberous sclerosis complex/mTORC1 signaling in oocytes, and the mTORC1-specific inhibitor rapamycin could partially reverse the stimulated effect of SD208 on the oocyte growth and decreased the numbers of growing follicles. In conclusion, our results suggest that TGF-ß signaling plays an important physiological role in the maintenance of the dormant pool of primordial follicles, which functions through activation of p70 S6 kinase 1 (S6K1)/ribosomal protein S6 (rpS6) signaling in mouse ovaries.

Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy for 136 patients with locally residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) in patients with residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2009, 136 NPC patients with residual lesions after primary radiotherapy (RT) were treated by FSRT. The total dose of primary RT was 68.0-78.0 Gy (median, 70.0 Gy). The median time from the primary RT to FSRT was 24.5 days. Tumor volumes for FSRT ranged from 0.60 to 77.13 cm3 (median, 13.45 cm3). The total FSRT doses were 8.0-32.0Gy (median, 19.5 Gy) with 2.0-10.0 Gy per fraction. RESULTS: Five-year local failure-free survival (LFFS), freedom from distant metastasis (FFDM), overall survival (OS), and disease free survival (DFS) rates for all patients were 92.5%, 77.0%, 76.2%, and 73.6%, respectively. No statistical significant differences were found in LFFS, DFS and OS in patients with stage I/II versus stage III/ IV diseases. Nineteen patients exhibited late toxicity. T stage at diagnosis was a significant prognostic factor for OS and DFS. Age was a prognostic factor for OS. CONCLUSION: FSRT after external beam radiotherapy provides excellent local control for patients with residual NPC. The incidence of severe late toxicity is low and acceptable. Further investigation of optimal fractionation regimens will facilitate reduction of long-term complications.

Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy with vagina carotica protection technique for local residual nasopharyngeal carcinoma after primary radiotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Local failure of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy (RT) remains one of the major treatment failures. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and complications of fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) with vagina carotica protection technique for local residual of NPC patients after the primary RT. METHODS: From August 2006 to August 2010, FSRT with vagina carotica protection technique was applied to 36 patients in our department, the patients aged between 13 and 76 years with a median of 41.3 years, 25 of them were male and 11 were female. According to 2002 Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) Staging System, the stages before primary radiotherapy were: IIa 2, IIb 5, III 18, IVa 7, IVb 4. In the first course of radiotherapy, 9 patients received conventional RT, 27 patients received intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) and 20 out of the 36 patients received concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The total dose in the first course of RT was 69.96 - 76.90 Gy (median, 72.58 Gy). The intervals between the primary RT and FSRT ranged from 12 to 147 days (median, 39.8 days). Target volumes ranged from 1.46 to 32.98 cm(3) (median, 14.94 cm(3)). The total FSRT doses were 10.0 - 24.0 Gy (median, 16.5 Gy) with 2.0 - 5.0 Gy per fraction. The most common regimen was 15 Gy in 5 fractions of 3 Gy, the irradiation dose to vagina carotica was less than 2 Gy per fraction. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 34 months (range, 12 - 59 months). The 3-year local control rate was 100%; the 3-year overall survival rate was 94.4%; the 3-year disease-free survival rate was 77.8%. In this study, we had one case of cranial nerve injury, two cases of temporal lobe necrosis, and no nasopharyngeal massive hemorrhage was observed. CONCLUSION: FSRT with vagina carotica protection technique is an effective and safe RT regimen for local residual of NPC with reduction of radiation-related neurovascular lesions.

[Study on an intervention model of "schools without infected students with schistosoma japonica" in heavy endemic areas].

OBJECTIVE: To study an intervention model of "schools without infected students with schistosoma japonica", to control and prevent students from schistosoma infection. METHODS: Twelve primary schools of four heavy endemic counties (districts) with schistosomiasis in the Poyang Lake areas were selected as the study fields, of which, ten schools were the experimental groups, and the other two schools were the control groups by cluster random sampling. All enrolment students were the target population. The baseline survey was carried out in 2005, and an intervention model, "information dissemination + behavior participation + behavior encouragement", was applied in the experiment groups in 2006 - 2008, then the effect of intervention was assessed. RESULTS: Before intervention (2005), the anti-schistosomiasis knowledge awareness rate of experimental and control groups were 14.75% (324/2196) and 16.58% (91/549), and the different was not significant (χ(2) = 1.14, P > 0.05); the rate of accurate attitude of anti-schistosomiasis were 14.71% (323/2196) and 11.84% (65/549) in experimental and control groups, and the difference was not significant (χ(2) = 2.98, P > 0.05); the rate of contacting infected water were 15.44% (18 988/122 976) and 15.03% (4622/30 744) in experimental and control group and the difference was not significant (χ(2) = 3.13, P > 0.05); and the infection rate of schistosomiasis of experiment control groups were 9.65% (212/2196) and 10.56% (58/549), the difference was not significant (χ(2) = 0.41, P > 0.05). After one year intervention (2006), the anti-schistosomiasis knowledge awareness rate of experimental and control groups were 97.79% (2032/2078) and 18.11% (98/541), and the different was significant (χ(2) = 1794.31, P < 0.01); the rate of accurate attitude of anti-schistosomiasis were 99.09% (2059/2078) and 13.49% (73/541) in experimental and control group, and the difference was significant (χ(2) = 2077.45, P < 0.01). After 1 - 3 years intervention (2006 - 2008), there were no any contactors with infected water and infectors with schistosome in students of the experiment group in successive 3 years. While in the control group of the same period, the rate contacting infected water were 16.12% (4884/30 296), 11.11% (3079/27 720) and 12.25% (3451/28 168); the infection rate of schistosomiasis were 8.87% (48/541), 7.47% (37/495) and 7.95% (40/503), respectively. CONCLUSION: The intervention model of health promotion, "information dissemination + behavior participation + behavior encouragement", can effectively control and prevent students from infecting schistosoma japonica in heavy endemic areas with schistosomiasis.

[Establishment and application of school-based health promotion and intervention model of schistosomiasis in lake-type endemic area].

OBJECTIVE: To establish an intervention model of school health promotion, and apply it in developing "schistosomiasis-free schools". METHODS: At the pilot stage, all students of Henghu primary school and Banshan primary school in Xinjian County of Jiangxi Province were selected as experiment group and control group, respectively. A baseline survey covered knowledge and attitude on schistosomiasis control, water contact behaviors and Schistosoma japonicum infection rate. Two health promotion intervention models, i.e. "information communication + training of protection skill + reward & punishment" (model A, 1993-1999) and "information communication + behavior participation + encouragement" (model B, 2000-2007), were implemented in Henghu school. The effect of two models was compared by infection rate. At the application stage, all students of 8 schools in Xinjian County, Nanchang County, and Jinxian County were chosen for evaluation of the effectiveness of Model B with same methods and index. RESULTS: Before intervention there was no significant statistical difference on the passed rate of anti-schistosomiasis knowledge, correct rate of anti-schistosomiasis attitude, frequency of infested water exposure and the infection rate between Henghu and Banshan schools (P > 0.05). In Henghu school, the intervention showed significant effect on the scores of knowledge and attitude after one year (P < 0.01), raised from 9.0% and 55.1% before intervention to 94.4% and 98.9% after intervention, respectively. The frequency of infested water exposure and the infection rate significantly decreased from 14.6% and 13.5% before intervention to 1.9% and 2.3%, respectively (P < 0.01). In 2-7 years after intervention, there were only one or two schistosomiasis cases each year. At the application stage, no schistosomiasis cases were found among Model B target population in two successive years after intervention. CONCLUSION: The practice of Model B can be extended to other schools in endemic area to develop "schistosomiasis-free schools".