Multiple myeloma and Chagas disease: qPCR as a marker for preemptive antiparasitic therapy: a case reports series and review

ABSTRACT Multiple myeloma (MM) associated with Chagas disease is rarely described. This disease and its therapy suppress T cell and macrophage functions and increase regulatory T cell function, allowing the increase of parasitemia and the risk of Chagas Disease Reactivation (CDR). We aimed to analyze the role of conventional (cPCR) and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) for prospective monitoring of T. cruzi parasitemia, searching for markers of preemptive antiparasitic therapy in MM patients with Chagas disease. Moreover, we investigated the incidence and management of hematological diseases and CDR both inside and outside the transplant setting in the MEDLINE database. We found 293 studies and included 31 of them. Around 1.9-2.0% of patients with Chagas disease were reported in patients undergoing Stem Cell Transplantation. One case of CDR was described in eight cases of MM and Chagas disease. We monitored nine MM and Chagas disease patients, seven under Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation (ASCT), during 44.56±32.10 months (mean±SD) using parasitological methods, cPCR, and qPCR. From these patients, three had parasitemia. In the first, up to 256 par Eq/mL were detected, starting from 28 months after ASCT. The second patient dropped out and died soon after the detection of 161.0 par Eq/mL. The third patient had a positive blood culture. Benznidazole induced fast negativity in two cases; followed by notably lower levels in one of them. Increased T. cruzi parasitemia was related to the severity of the underlying disease. We recommend parasitemia monitoring by qPCR for early introduction of preemptive antiparasitic therapy to avoid CDR.

Methods for Identifying Seeds of Chinese Medicinal Materials： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Seeds are the source for the production of Chinese medicinal materials. The seed authenticity and quality of directly affect the effectiveness and safety of Chinese medicinal materials. The seed quality is faced with the problems such as mixed sources， existence of adulterants and seeds stocked for years， low maturity， and low purity. To ensure the high-quality and sustainable development of the Chinese medicinal material industry， it is urgent to standardize the seed market and identify and evaluate the quality of the seeds circulating in the market. Seed identification methods include visual inspection， microscopic observation， micro-character identification， chemical fingerprinting， molecular identification， electronic nose， X-ray diffraction， electrochemical fingerprinting， spectral imaging， and artificial intelligence. These methods have different application scopes and unique advantages and disadvantages. According to the different species of Chinese herbal medicines and different requirements of testing sites， suitable methods can be selected to achieve rapid and accurate identification with low costs. In the future， the seed identification methods should be developed based on emerging technologies with interdisciplinary knowledge， and intelligent， nondestructive， and single-grain detection methods are needed for the modern Chinese medicinal material industry. This paper introduces the seed identification technologies currently applied in research and production， compares the principles， applicability， advantages， and disadvantages of different technologies， and provides an outlook on the future development of seed identification technologies， aiming to provide a reference for the identification and quality evaluation of seeds of Chinese medicinal material.

Traditional Chinese Medicine Against Fibrotic Diseases： A Review / 中国实验方剂学杂志

Fibrosis can occur in diverse tissue and organs and is the common outcome as multiple chronic diseases progress. It is characterized by over-activation of fibroblasts and excessive deposition of extracellular matrix. Targeting transforming growth factor-β （TGF-β）， a classical signaling molecule in fibrosis， is currently a routine strategy for drug therapy of this disease. The use of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） in the treatment of fibrotic diseases has been supported by mature theories. The theories emphasize that the internally-accumulated pathogens and mixed deficiency-excess underlie the shared pathology of fibrotic diseases. Qi stagnation， blood stasis， phlegm turbidity， and mass accumulation are key pathological factors. "Yin suppression by Yang" is the core thought for treatment with TCM of the disease. Pharmacological investigations reveal the scientific nature of TCM in treating fibrotic diseases， namely multilevelled and multitargeted. In other words， it refers to networked regulation of signaling activities of fibrosis-related molecules such as TGF-β/Drosophila protein homolog （Smad）， phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， Hedgehog， Wnt/β-catenin， and inflammatory cytokines， so as to inhibit fibroblast function and provide a promising insight into novel anti-fibrotic drug. This paper summarized the conventional understanding of fibrotic disease treatment with TCM and its mechanism of action by reviewing ancient literature and modern research reports， which offers an idea for follow-up research in this field.

A study establishing sensitivity and accuracy of smartphone photography in ophthalmologic community outreach programs: Review of a smart eye camera

Purpose: Diseases affecting the cornea are a major cause of corneal blindness globally. The pressing issue we are facing today is the lack of diagnostic devices in rural areas to diagnose these conditions. The aim of the study is to establish sensitivity and accuracy of smartphone photography using a smart eye camera (SEC) in ophthalmologic community outreach programs. Methods: In this pilot study, a prospective non?randomized comparative analysis of inter?observer variability of anterior segment imaging recorded using an SEC was performed. Consecutive 100 patients with corneal pathologies, who visited the cornea specialty outpatient clinic, were enrolled. They were examined with a conventional non?portable slit lamp by a cornea consultant, and the diagnoses were recorded. This was compared with the diagnoses made by two other consultants based on SEC videos of the anterior segment of the same 100 patients. The accuracy of SEC was accessed using sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV. Kappa statistics was used to find the agreement between two consultants by using STATA 17.0 (Texas, USA). Results: There was agreement between the two consultants to diagnosing by using SEC. Above 90% agreements were found in all the diagnoses, which were statistically significant (P?value < 0.001). More than 90% sensitivity and a negative predictive value were found. Conclusion: SEC can be used successfully in the community outreach programs like field visits, eye camps, teleophthalmology, and community centers, where either a clinical setup is lacking or ophthalmologists are not available.

A comparative study of conventional cytology and cell block in the diagnosis of pleural effusion with special reference to immunohistochemistry

Background: Body cavity fluids are evaluated by cell block (CB) technique. In conventional cytological smears (CS), appropriate identification of the cells as either reactive mesothelial cells or malignant cells is a diagnostic problem. In CB method, there is increase in cellularity, so it gives more morphological details of cells and improving the sensitivity of diagnosis. Sections obtained by CB method are also can be stored for future study like immunohistochemistry (IHC). Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study was to determine the diagnostic efficacy of CB technique over conventional CS and to study of IHC in CB of malignant pleural effusion. Materials and Methods: This will be institution-based, cross-sectional, and observational study. The pleural fluid (except blood and pus) obtained by thoracocentesis from both male and female patient (>18 years of age) 100 cases was included in the study. Pleural fluid mixed with blood/pus, fluid from cystic lesion, and inadequate sample (<15 ml vol.) were excluded in the study. Results: Association between architectural pattern in CB versus architectural pattern in cytology smear showed statistically significant value Chi-square: 201.7417, P < 0.0001. Conclusion: We may conclude that CB technique is better than conventional cytology smear technique especially in case of malignant pleural effusion. It increases true positive cases and decreases false negative cases. It also increases cellularity, maintain architectural pattern, and cellular morphology.

PERCEPTION OF FIRST YEAR MBBS STUDENTS TOWARDS ECE (EARLY CLINICAL EXPOSURE) IN PHYSIOLOGY.

Introduction : Early Clinical Exposure is a teaching learning method which enables student to learn basic sciences effectively and retain the information which bene?ts patient and promotes better patient care. Hundred students selected after applying inclusion exclusion criteria divided into 2 groups A and B taught Methodology : basal ganglia and thyroid physiology in conventional method and other in ECE integrated method respectively and after interchanging groups, demonstrating the clinical features of parkinsonism and hypothyroidism for ECE group. A pretest and post-test were conducted preceding and following lecture in both settings. The results obtained were interpreted using Results : excel. The mean of pre-test marks for Traditional teaching and ECE integrated teaching are 5.62±2.42 and 4.58±2.33 respectively and the post-test scores of Traditional and ECE teaching are 10.62±2.52 and 12.8±2.46 respectively. Discussion : Majority considered that the synchronisation of classroom learning with clinical experiences was bene?cial, and the majority believed that integrated teaching improved understanding of the practical applications of physiology. Through Conclusion : this study we conclude that ECE integrated teaching is more effective in imparting knowledge in ?rst MBBS students as the gap of imagination was bridged by live demonstration with help of patient which is re?ected in the Likert scale and in the scores. Though the ECE integration is a tough job for the teacher, it is a great learning tool for students.

Análisis de las Intervenciones de Bebés de 9 Meses durante la Lectura Compartida / Analysis of the Interventions of 9 Month-old Babies during Shared Storybook Reading

Resumen La lectura compartida es frecuente en la infancia. Sin embargo, la participación de infantes menores de un año en esta actividad ha sido poco explorada. Este trabajo describe y analiza las intervenciones de bebés de 9 meses en la lectura conjunta materno-infantil en hogares argentinos. Transcribimos y analizamos filmaciones realizadas por 10 madres. Clasificamos las intervenciones en: acción responsiva o espontánea; vocalización responsiva o espontánea; acción responsiva + vocalización; acción espontánea + vocalización. Los bebés realizaron mayoritariamente acciones espontáneas (con o sin vocalizaciones). Luego, clasificamos las acciones (con o sin vocalizaciones) en: convencionales (pasar la página, señalar) o manipulativas (morder, sacudir los libros); otras no orientadas (tomar otro objeto, mirar fuera del escenario). Encontramos que las acciones fueron principalmente manipulativas. Finalmente, clasificamos las acciones en: inespecíficas (morder el libro, sacudirlo) u orientadas (intentar agarrar los objetos representados). Predominaron las acciones inespecíficas. Los hallazgos muestran bebés sensoriomotores en exploración. Sin embargo, algunas intervenciones revelaron también un incipiente desarrollo simbólico al usar los libros convencionalmente y reconocer las imágenes como objetos simbólicos. La lectura compartida es un escenario en el que se accede a diversos sistemas de representación (imágenes, números, letras), permitiendo desarrollar tempranamente un potencial simbólico en contextos sociales relevantes.

Abstract Shared reading is a significant and frequent activity in early childhood. However, the interventions in this kind of activities by babies and infants under one-year have been little explored. The main objective of this work was to describe 9-month-old babies' interventions in reading situations with their mothers at Argentinian homes. The focus of the analysis was babies' actions during reading with their mothers. Ten mothers filmed shared reading sessions with their babies. Then we transcribed and analyzed babies' interventions in three levels. First, we classified the interventions in: responsive action, spontaneous action, responsive vocalization, spontaneous vocalization, responsive action + vocalization, spontaneous action + vocalization. Isolated vocalizations were rare. The babies performed mostly spontaneous actions (with or without vocalizations). Responsive actions were less frequent (with or without vocalizations). Second, we classified babies' actions (with or without vocalizations) in 1-conventional, like turn the page, point to the book, put the book in reading position, 2-manipulative, like bite, shake, put the book in the mouth, open and close the book, try to grab/suck/ touch objects represented in pictures, 3- other actions- actions not oriented to books, like shake another object present in the interaction or looking to some object or person outside the scene. We found that babies' actions were mainly manipulative. Finally, we categorized manipulative actions in 1- unspecific actions, like bite, shake, put the book in the mouth, open and close the book, and 2- pictures-oriented ones, like try to grab, suck, touch objects present in pictures. Unspecific actions predominated. Findings show sensory motor babies in exploration. Nevertheless, the presence of conventional actions and picture-oriented actions are signs of an incipient symbolic development. That is, babies use books conventionally and recognize pictures as symbolic objects. In sum, shared reading is one of the richest scenarios for early symbolic development. In this context babies and children access to diverse representational systems (words, pictures, numbers, letters). This activity allows children to development their symbolic potential in relevant social contexts.

Formulation and evaluation of Buccal mucoadhesive tablets of diclofenac sodium using 23 factorial designs

Buccal tablets

Diclofenac sodium

Drug release

Mucoadhesion

Mucoadhesive tablets

Release kinetics

Ethnobotanical Survey, Physiochemical Composition and Preliminary Cytotoxic Evaluation of some Medicinal Plants with Anticancer Potential from Certain Areas in South-West Nigeria

Aims: Medicinal plants used by traditional medical practitioners (TMP) to treat cancers are considered safe when used alone or combined with conventional therapy to ensure their effectiveness and eliminate the toxic effects of orthodox medicines. Using cytotoxic and antioxidant studies, the study attempted to assess some of the commonly used medicinal plants used to cure cancer among Yoruba people in Ogun, Oyo, Osun, and Lagos (South-West, Nigeria). Study Design: Samples of commonly utilized anticancer plants obtained from the chosen areas using physical and virtual oral seminars were studied for physiochemical composition and a possible antioxidant and cytotoxic potential to validate the basis for the use of the selected anticancer plants. Methodology: Online academic literature searches were done on the cited plants to identify the already-exploited anticancer plants. The ethanolic extracts of the plant were examined for the presence of bioactive components and their total flavonoid content, with focusing on quercetin detection using thin layer bioautography (TLB) and brine shrimp lethality assay (BSLA) for cytotoxicity. In comparison to quercetin and ascorbic acid, the scavenging of superoxide radical (SOR), hydrogen peroxide, and 2, 2-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical activity by a model (most biologically active) of the anticancer plant was also evaluated. Results: There were only twelve anticancer species that were not used in related studies: Lannea egregia, Ficus exasperate, Croton zambesicus, Tetrapleurai tetraptera, Terminalia catappa, Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides, Plumbago zelanica, Hilleria latifolia, Bryophyllum pinntum, Chromolena odorata, Brysocarpus coccineus and Spondias mombin. The anticancer plants contained bioactive and mineral substances like saponins, protein, lipids, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, and a decreased Na/K concentration. The plants had a fair amount of flavonoids and variable levels of cytotoxicity. L. egeregia was regarded as the prototype of the anticancer species due to its profound flavonoid concentration (85.40 µg/mL) and cytotoxicity (9.46 µg/mL) compared to other extracts. The TLB also demonstrated the presence of quercetin, with a dose-dependent antioxidant property. The anticancer model's overall antioxidant activity (34.72 µg/mL) was slightly lower than quercetin (30.44 µg/mL) but higher than ascorbic acid (41.68 µg/mL). Conclusion: The results support the traditional use of anticancer species as nutritional and dietary supplements, whose bioactive compounds are relevant in managing cancer patients. The plant’s bioactive principles need to be characterized in future research.

Comparing modified Lee and White method against 20-minute whole blood clotting test as bedside coagulation screening test in snake envenomation victims

Abstract Background: Twenty-minute whole blood clotting test (20WBCT) and Modified Lee and White (MLW) method are the most routinely employed bedside tests for detecting coagulopathic snake envenomation. Our study compared the diagnostic utility of MLW and 20WBCT for snakebite victims at a tertiary care hospital in Central Kerala, South India. Methods: This single-center study recruited 267 patients admitted with snake bites. 20WBCT and MLW were performed simultaneously at admission along with the measurement of Prothrombin Time (PT). The diagnostic utility of 20WBCT and MLW was determined by comparing the sensitivity (Sn), specificity (Sp), positive and negative predictive values, likelihood ratios, and accuracy at admission with an INR value > 1.4. Results: Out of 267 patients, 20 (7.5%) patients had VICC. Amongst those who had venom-induced consumption coagulopathy (VICC), MLW was prolonged for 17 patients, (Sn 85% 95% confidence interval [CI]: 61.1-96.0) whereas 20WBCT was abnormal for 11 patients (Sn 55%, 95% CI: 32.04-76.17). MLW and 20WBCT were falsely positive for the same patient (Sp 99.6%, 95% CI: 97.4-99.9%). Conclusion: MLW is more sensitive than 20WBCT to detect coagulopathy at the bedside amongst snakebite victims. However, further studies are necessary for standardizing bedside coagulation tests in snakebite cases.

Meta analysis of the efficacy of umbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery and conventional laparoscopic appendectomy in the treatment of pediatric acute appendicitis / 中华内分泌外科杂志

Objective:To analyze the effects of umbilical laparoendoscopic single-site surgery (U-LESS) and conventional laparoscopic appendectomy (CLS) on the treatment of acute appendicitis in children by using Meta-analysis. To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of U-LESS in treating acute appendicitis in children.Methods:The English databases Pubmed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Clinical trials, CNKI, Weipu Database, Wanfang Medical Network Database, CBM literature and other Chinese databases were retrieved, and the relevant literature of the comparative study of U-LESS and CLS in the treatment of pediatric acute appendicitis was found, and the quality analysis and application of the selected comparative studies were carried out. RevMan5.3 and stata software were employed to compare the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative exhaust time, postoperative intestinal recovery time, incision length, postoperative hospital stay time, postoperative complications, etc. of different surgical procedures.Results:A total of 19 literature were included in this study, and a total of 2133 cases were included, including 1021 cases in the U-LESS group and 1112 cases in the CLS group, all of which were retrospective case-control studies. Meta analysis showed that the operation time in U-LESS was shorter than that in CLS (95%CI [-9.05, -3.17], Z=4.07, P<0.001) , and the intraoperative bleeding volume of U-LESS was less than that of CLS (95%CI [-15.28, -5.01], Z=3.87, P<0.001) , incision length was shorter in U-LESS than in CLS (95%CI [-1.40, -1.27], Z=39.30, P<0.001) , the postoperative exhaust time of U-LESS was shorter than that of CLS (95%CI [-8.63, -5.89], Z=10.37, P<0.001) , and the recovery time after U-LESS was shorter than that after CLS (95% CI, 95% CI, P<0.001) . U-LESS and CLS did not differ significantly in postoperative length of stay (95%CI [-1.33, -0.64], Z=5.61, P<0.001) . U-LESS had fewer postoperative complications compared with CLS (95%CI [0.24,0.52], Z=5.27, P<0.001) . Conclusion:For pediatric acute appendicitis, U-LESS is safe and feasible, and has the advantages of shortening the operation time and reducing intraoperative bleeding.

Predictive value of thromboelastography combined with conventional coagulation tests for deep vein thrombosis in preoperative trauma patients / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective:To analyze the relationship between preoperative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and parameters of conventional coagulation tests (CCTs) and thromboelastography (TEG) in patients with acute trauma, and to establish a prediction model to screen out high-risk patients with preoperative DVT.Methods:The clinical data of patients with acute traumatic fracture admitted to the Emergency Intensive Care Unit of Shanghai Sixth People’s Hospital from January 2021 to June 2021 were retrospectively collected. According to whether preoperative DVT occurred, the patients were divided into the DVT group and non-DVT group. The differences of CCTs and TEG parameters at the same time were compared between the two groups. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify independent risk factors for DVT after trauma. The receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was employed to analyze the clinical value of those parameters to predict preoperative DVT.Results:Among 123 patients with acute traumatic fracture, 101 patients were treated with anticoagulation before operation, and 51 patients were diagnosed with DVT. There were significant differences in activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen (Fib), D-Dimer, fibrinogen degradation products (FDPs), reaction time, clotting time, α angle, maximum amplitude (MA) and coagulation index between the DVT and non-DVT groups. D-Dimer and MA were independent risk factors for preoperative DVT in patients with traumatic fracture. Logistic regression equation was used to establish a prediction model: the predicting index = 0.101×D-Dimer +0.241×MA + (-18.190). The α angle (AUC=0.833, P<0.001), MA (AUC=0.904, P<0.001), coagulation index (AUC=0.914, P<0.001) of TEG versus Fib (AUC=0.684, P=0.001), D-Dimer (AUC=0.685, P<0.001) and FDPs (AUC=0.656, P=0.003) of CCTs had a higher diagnostic efficacy in developing DVT of lower extremity in patients with traumatic fracture, and of all the coagulation index was the best. However, the predictor of D-Dimer combined with MA had a better predictive value (AUC=0.926, P<0.001), and the best cut-off value was 0.32 with a sensitivity and specificity of 90.2% and 79.8%, respectively. Conclusions:Compared with CCTs, TEG has more advantages in predicting preoperative DVT in patients with traumatic fracture, and the predictor of D-Dimer combined with MA can screen out patients with high risk of DVT, which can be recommended for clinical application.

Advances in gene editing and natural product synthesis of Rhodotorula toruloides / 生物工程学报

Rhodotorula toruloides is a non-conventional red yeast that can synthesize various carotenoids and lipids. It can utilize a variety of cost-effective raw materials, tolerate and assimilate toxic inhibitors in lignocellulosic hydrolysate. At present, it is widely investigated for the production of microbial lipids, terpenes, high-value enzymes, sugar alcohols and polyketides. Given its broad industrial application prospects, researchers have carried out multi-dimensional theoretical and technological exploration, including research on genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and genetic operation platform. Here we review the recent progress in metabolic engineering and natural product synthesis of R. toruloides, and prospect the challenges and possible solutions in the construction of R. toruloides cell factory.

Biosynthesis of natural products by non-conventional yeasts / 生物工程学报

Non-conventional yeasts such as Yarrowia lipolytica, Pichia pastoris, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Rhodosporidium toruloides and Hansenula polymorpha have proven to be efficient cell factories in producing a variety of natural products due to their wide substrate utilization spectrum, strong tolerance to environmental stresses and other merits. With the development of synthetic biology and gene editing technology, metabolic engineering tools and strategies for non-conventional yeasts are expanding. This review introduces the physiological characteristics, tool development and current application of several representative non-conventional yeasts, and summarizes the metabolic engineering strategies commonly used in the improvement of natural products biosynthesis. We also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of non-conventional yeasts as natural products cell factories at current stage, and prospects future research and development trends.

Microbial production of S-adenosyl-l-methionine: a review / 生物工程学报

S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM) is ubiquitous in living organisms and plays important roles in transmethylation, transsulfuration and transamination in organisms. Due to its important physiological functions, production of SAM has attracted increasing attentions. Currently, researches on SAM production mainly focus on microbial fermentation, which is more cost-effective than that of the chemical synthesis and the enzyme catalysis, thus easier to achieve commercial production. With the rapid growth in SAM demand, interests in improving SAM production by developing SAM hyper-producing microorganisms aroused. The main strategies for improving SAM productivity of microorganisms include conventional breeding and metabolic engineering. This review summarizes the recent research progress in improving microbial SAM productivity to facilitate further improving SAM productivity. The bottlenecks in SAM biosynthesis and the solutions were also addressed.

Comparison of ZOOMit-DWI sequence and conventional DWI sequence in endometrial cancer / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#Magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has important clinical value in diagnosis and curative effect evaluation on endometrial carcinoma. How to improve the detection rate of endometrial small lesions by DWI is the research focus of MRI technology. This study aims to analyze the image quality of small field MRI ZOOMit-DWI sequence and conventional single-shot echo-planar imaging (SS-EPI) DWI sequence in the scanning of endometrial carcinoma, and to explore the clinical value of ZOOMit-DWI sequence.@*METHODS@#A total of 37 patients with endometrial carcinoma diagnosed by operation and pathology in the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from July 2019 to May 2021 were collected. All patients were scanned with MRI ZOOMit-DWI sequence and SS-EPI DWI sequence before operation. Two radiologists subjectively evaluated the anatomical details, artifacts, geometric deformation and focus definition of the 2 groups of DWI images. At the same time, the signal intensity were measured and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast to noise ratio (CNR), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of the 2 DWI sequences were calculated for objective evaluation. The differences of subjective score, objective score and ADC value of the 2 DWI sequences were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The SNR of the ZOOMit-DWI group was significantly higher than that of the SS-EPI DWI group (301.96±141.85 vs 94.66±41.26), and the CNR of the ZOOMit-DWI group was significantly higher than that of the SS-EPI DWI group (185.05±105.45 vs 57.91±31.54, P<0.05). There was no significant difference in noise standard deviation between the ZOOMit-DWI group and the SS-EPI DWI group (P>0.05). The subjective score of anatomical detail and focus definition in the ZOOMit-DWI group was significantly higher than that of the SS-EPI DWI group (both P<0.05). The subjective score of artifacts and geometric deformation of ZOOMit-DWI group was significantly lower than that of the SS-EPI DWI group (both P<0.05). ADC had no significant difference between the ZOOMit-DWI group and the SS-EPI DWI group (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#The image quality of ZOOMit-DWI is significantly higher than that of conventional SS-EPI DWI. In the MRI DWI examination of endometrial carcinoma, ZOOMit-DWI can effectively reduce the geometric deformation and artifacts of the image, which is more conducive to clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Clinical Effect of Feining Paidu Decoction on Refractory Mycoplasma Pneumoniae Pneumonia in Child Patients / 中国实验方剂学杂志

ObjectiveTo observe the clinical efficacy of Feining Paidu decoction on refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in child patients. MethodA randomized controlled trial （RCT） was conducted， with 96 child patients randomly divided into a control group and an observation group， each containing 48 cases. The control group received intravenous azithromycin （10 mg·kg-1·d-1） for 7 days， intravenous methylprednisolone （1 mg·kg-1·d-1） for 3 days， along with supportive treatments such as fluid infusion and antipyretics. The observation group received oral administration of Feining Paidu decoction once a day for 7 days. Changes in traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） syndrome scores， clinical efficacy， serum soluble B7-H3 （sB7-H3）， serum inflammatory factors， coagulation function， and lung imaging ［computer tomography（CT）］ scores were observed in both groups. Adverse reaction events were also recorded. ResultThe total effective rate in the observation group was 95.74% （45/47）， significantly higher than 80.43% （37/46） in the control group （Z=-3.702， P<0.01）. Compared with the results before treatment， TCM syndrome scores， lung imaging scores， sB7-H3， tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α）， interleukin-1β （IL-1β）， interleukin-6 （IL-6）， D-dimer （D-D）， and fibrinogen （FIB） levels in both groups all significantly decreased after treatment （P<0.05， P<0.01）. After treatment， the observation group showed significantly better results in these indicators than the control group （P<0.05， P<0.01）. There was no statistically significant difference in thrombin time （TT） in the control group before and after treatment， while the observation group showed a significant prolongation after treatment （P<0.05）. There were no statistically significant differences in activated partial thromboplastin time （APTT） and prothrombin time （PT） between the two groups before treatment， and no serious adverse reactions occurred in either group. ConclusionFeining Paidu decoction combined with conventional treatment can alleviate inflammatory responses， improve hypercoagulable states， promote the absorption of pulmonary inflammation， and enhance the clinical efficacy of refractory Mycoplasma pneumoniae pneumonia in children.

Clinical efficacy analysis of different interventional approaches for patent ductus arteriosus in children (≤7 years) / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To explore the safety and effectiveness of different interventional approaches for the treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in children. Methods    The children (≤7 years) who underwent interventional treatment for PDA from 2019 to 2020 in our hospital were retrospectively included. The patients were divided into 3 groups according to the procedures: a conventional arteriovenous approach group, a simple venous approach group, and a retrograde femoral artery approach group. The clinical efficacy of the patients was compared. Results     A total of 220 patients were included. There were 78 males and 142 females, with an average age of 3.21±1.73 years, weight of 14.99±5.35 kg, and height of 96.19±15.77 cm. The average diameter of the PDA was 3.35±1.34 mm. A total of 85 patients received a conventional arteriovenous approach, 104 patients received a simple venous approach, and 31 patients received a retrograde femoral artery approach. The diameter of PDA in the retrograde femoral artery group was smaller than that in the other two groups (3.44±1.43 mm vs. 1.99±0.55 mm; 3.69±1.17 mm vs. 1.99±0.55 mm, P<0.001); the contrast medium usage [40 (30, 50) mL vs. 20 (20, 30) mL; 35 (25, 50) mL vs. 20 (20, 30) mL, P≤0.001] and operation time [32 (26, 44) min vs. 25 (23, 30) min; 29 (25, 38) min vs. 25 (23, 30) min, P<0.05] in the simple venous approach group were significantly less or shorter than those in the other two groups; the length of hospital stay of the conventional arteriovenous group was longer than that in the other two groups [3 (3, 5) d vs. 4 (3, 6) d; 4 (3, 5) d vs. 4 (3, 6) d, P<0.05]. There was no significant difference in postoperative complications. Conclusion    It is safe and effective to close PDA through simple venous approach. The retrograde femoral artery approach has the advantage of simplifying the surgical procedure for PDA with small diameters.

Effect of breast endoscope and routine axillary lymph node dissection in breast conserving surgery for breast cancer / 中国综合临床

Objective:To explore the effect of mastoscopic axillary lymph node dissection (MALND) and conventional axillary lymph node dissection (CALND) in breast conserving surgery for breast cancer.Methods:This study adopts a case-control study. We selected 40 female breast cancer patients who underwent MALND in Tangshan People's Hospital from July 2016 to August 2019 (observation group), and 40 female breast cancer patients who underwent CALND in the same period as the control group. The two groups of patients were operated by the same group of doctors. After tracheal intubation and general anesthesia, the patients underwent breast conserving surgery first. After the intraoperative frozen pathology showed that breast conserving was successful, the control group underwent MALND, and the observation group underwent breast endoscopic axillary lymph node dissection. The levels of blood biochemical indicators, inflammatory factors, stress response indicators, myocardial injury markers and tumor blood circulation micrometastasis indicators, the number of lymph node dissection, operation time, intraoperative bleeding, postoperative drainage, hospital stay, hospital expenses and other surgical observation indicators, as well as the incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the two groups 3 days after operation. The measurement data with normal distribution was expressed by xˉ± s, and the comparison between the two groups was conducted by independent sample t-test; The counting data was expressed in cases (%), and the χ 2 test or Fisher exact probability method was used for comparison between groups. Results:Three days after operation, the erythrocyte count and hemoglobin level in the observation group were lower than those in the control group ((4.03±0.57)×10 12/L vs (4.33±0.54)×10 12/L, (110.90±24.20) g/L vs (129.70±14.90) g/L), cTnI, creatine kinase and CK-MB levels were higher than those in the control group ((17.4±2.3) μg/L vs (13.1±1.8) μg/L, (178.1±35.4) U/L vs (133.1±45.1) U/L, (10.7±1.6) U/L vs (7.0±1.2) U/L), the operation time was longer than that of the control group ((89.4±15.6) min vs (69.6±13.8) min), the intraoperative bleeding volume and postoperative drainage volume were more than that of the control group ((69.5±6.4) mL vs (33.3±7.7) mL, (334.5±51.1) mL vs (236.8±44.3) mL), but the hospital stay was shorter than that of the control group ((7.1±3.1) d vs (15.5±4.7) d). The cost of hospitalization was lower than that of the control group ((13 689.7±1 204.2) yuan compared with (19 734.5±1 391.5) yuan), and the difference was statistically significant ( t values were 2.16, 3.71, -11.69, -4.68, -11.34, -6.01, -22.87, -9.14, 9.44, 20.78; all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in inflammatory factors, stress response indicators, cell adhesion factor levels, number of lymph node dissection and postoperative complications (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Compared with CALND, MALND for breast cancer patients will not cause serious inflammatory reaction and stress reaction, and will not increase the risk of tumor blood micrometastasis and the incidence of complications, but will cause some damage to myocardial cells. Lipolysis and liposuction during MALND can increase intraoperative bleeding volume and postoperative drainage volume, and prolong the operation time while improving the quality of the operation field, However, it has obvious advantages in shortening hospitalization time and reducing hospitalization expenses.

The penetration effect of ultrasound and Er:YAG laser irrigation activation techniques on dentine of infected human root canals / 口腔疾病防治

Objective@#This ex vivo study evaluated the effect of ultrasound and Er:YAG laser irrigation activation techniques on the penetration of sodium hypochlorite solution into infected human root canal dentin, providing a reference for clinical infection control of infected root canals.@*Methods @#Thirty-six cases of infected root canals were collected and randomly divided into three groups according to the irrigation technique: 12 cases in the conventional syringe irrigation (CSI) group, 12 cases in the passive ultrasonic irrigation (PUI) group, 12 cases in the Er:YAG laser and photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) group and 36 cases of clean root canals (12 cases in the CSI group, 12 cases in the PUI group, 12 cases in the PIPS group). All of the selected root canals were straight root canals of posterior teeth. After standardizing the root length, all canals were subjected to instrumentation and dynamic irrigation. 2% methylene blue solution was used to visualize the penetration of the irrigant. EXAKT cutting and grinding equipment was used to take transverse sections of 100-150 μm at the coronal, middle and apical thirds of the root canals. The data (maximum penetration depth, average penetration depth, and penetration percentage) were observed under a light microscope to evaluate the effect of dye penetration. @*Results @# With the three irrigation techniques, the maximum penetration depth, average penetration depth and penetration percentage of the infected root canals were significantly lower than those of clean root canals in the full length of the root canal (P<0.05). The penetration percentage, average penetration depth and maximum penetration depth of the PIPS group were significantly higher than those of the CSI group in the coronal, middle and apical thirds of the infected root canal, respectively (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the maximum penetration depth, average penetration depth or penetration percentage between the PUI and CSI groups (P>0.05). There was also no significant difference in the maximum penetration depth, average penetration depth or penetration percentage between the PIPS and PUI groups (P>0.05). @*Conclusion @# The dentine permeability of infected root canals was weaker than that of clean root canals. Er:YAG laser-assisted irrigation activation technology could significantly improve the penetration of sodium hypochlorite solution into infected dentin, but passive ultrasonic irrigation did not significantly improve the penetration.