LASSO-based nomogram predicts the risk factors of low anterior resection syndrome for middle and low rectal cancer underwent robotic surgery.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to analyze the influencing factors of postoperative Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) in patients with middle and low rectal cancer who underwent robotic surgery. It also seeks to predict the probability of LARS through a visual, quantitative, and graphical nomogram. This approach is expected to lower the risk of postoperative LARS in these patients and improve their quality of life through effective prevention and early intervention. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This research involved patients with middle and low rectal cancer who underwent robotic surgery in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University from January 2015 to October 2022. A series of intestinal dysfunction symptoms arising from postoperative rectal cancer were diagnosed and graded using LARS scoring criteria. After the initial screening of all variables related to LARS with Lasso regression, they were included in logistic regression for further univariate and multivariate analysis to identify independent risk factors for LARS. A prediction model was then constructed. RESULTS: The study included 358 patients. The parameters identified by Lasso regression included obstruction, BMI, tumor localization, maximum tumor diameter, AJCC stage, stoma, neoadjuvant therapy (NAT), and postoperative adjuvant therapy (AT). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that a higher BMI, lower tumor localization, higher AJCC stage, neoadjuvant therapy, and postoperative adjuvant therapy were independent risk factors for total LARS. The AUC of the prediction nomogram was 0.834, with a sensitivity of 0.825 and specificity of 0.741. The calibration curve demonstrated excellent concordance with the nomogram, indicating the prediction curve fit the diagonal well. CONCLUSION: Higher BMI, lower tumor localization, higher AJCC stage, neoadjuvant therapy, and adjuvant therapy were identified as independent risk factors for total LARS. A new predictive nomogram for postoperative LARS in patients with middle and low rectal cancer undergoing robotic surgery was developed, proving to be stable and reliable. This tool will assist clinicians in managing the postoperative treatment of these patients, facilitating better clinical decision-making and maximizing patient benefits.

Application of an ultrasonic bone knife combined with a dental electric motor in the extraction of mandibular middle and low impacted teeth.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical application of an ultrasonic bone knife (UBK) combined with a dental electric motor (DEM) in the extraction of mandibular middle and low impacted teeth. METHODS: From January 2022 to May 2023,200 patients with wisdom teeth were randomly divided into three groups: experimental group A (UBK combined with DEM), experimental group B (UBK combined with high-speed turbine mobile phone (HSTMP)), and the control group (bone chisel split crown (BCSC)). The operation time, psychological state during operation, pain, swelling, limitation of mouth opening and other complications on the first, second and third days after operation were recorded. RESULTS: The operation time of experimental group A (EAG) (12.95 ± 2.12) minutes was shorter than that of experimental group B (EBG) (17.06 ± 2.25) minutes and the control group (CG) (23.43 ± 2.18) minutes, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The psychological state of the EAG was significantly lower than that of the EBG and CG (P < 0.05). The postoperative pain, swelling, limitation of mouth opening and complications in the EAG were significantly lower than those in the EBG and CG (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: UBK combined with DEM in the extraction of mandibular middle and low obstructed teeth has good results, good prognosis, high safety, short operation time, better psychological status of patients, low postoperative pain, swelling, mouth opening restriction and complication rate, and is currently the preferred extraction method.

From basic to clinical: Anatomy of Denonvilliers' fascia and its application in laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer.

The total mesorectal excision (TME) approach has been established as the gold standard for the surgical treatment of middle and lower rectal cancer. This approach is widely accepted to minimize the risk of local recurrence and increase the long-term survival rate of patients undergoing surgery. However, standardized TME causes urogenital dysfunction in more than half of patients, thus lowering the quality of life of patients. Of note, pelvic autonomic nerve damage during TME is the most pivotal cause of postoperative urogenital dysfunction. The anatomy of the Denonvilliers' fascia (DVF) and its application in surgery have been investigated both nationally and internationally. Nevertheless, controversy exists regarding the basic to clinical anatomy of DVF and its application in surgery. Currently, it is a hotspot of concern and research to improve the postoperative quality of life of patients with rectal cancer through the protection of their urinary and reproductive functions after radical resection. Herein, this study systematically describes the anatomy of DVF and its application in surgery, thus providing a reference for the selection of surgical treatment modalities and the enhancement of postoperative quality of life in patients with middle and low rectal cancer.

Rapid Diagnostic Test Value and Implementation in Antimicrobial Stewardship Across Low-to-Middle and High-Income Countries: A Mixed-Methods Review.

Despite technological advancements in infectious disease rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and use to direct therapy at the per-patient level, RDT utilisation in antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) is variable across low-to-middle income and high-income countries. Key insights from a panel of seven infectious disease experts from Colombia, Japan, Nigeria, Thailand, the UK, and the USA, combined with evidence from a literature review, were used to assess the value of RDTs in ASPs. From this, a value framework is proposed which aims to define the benefits of RDT use in ASPs, separate from per-patient benefits. Expert insights highlight that, to realise the value of RDTs within ASPs, effective implementation is key; actionable advice for choosing an RDT is proposed. Experts advocate the inclusion of RDTs in the World Health Organization Model List of essential in vitro diagnostics and in iterative development of national action plans.

Construction of recurrence prediction model after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer based on magnetic resonance imaging measurement of perirectal fat content and its application value / 中华消化外科杂志

Objective:To investigate the influencing factors of recurrence after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer, and to establish a prediction model based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurement of perirectal fat content and investigate its application value.Methods:The retrospective cohort study was constructed. The clinicopathological data of 254 patients with middle and low rectal cancer who were admitted to Tianjin Union Medical Center from December 2016 to December 2021 were collected. There were 188 males and 66 females, aged (61±9)years. All patients underwent radical resection of rectal cancer and routine pelvic MRI examina-tion. Observation indicators: (1) follow-up and quantitative measurement of perirectal fat content; (2) factors influencing tumor recurrence after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer; (3) construction and evaluation of the nomogram prediction model of tumor recurrence after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean± SD, and measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(rang) and M( Q1, Q2). Count data were described as absolute numbers. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted using the COX regression model. The rms software package (4.1.3 version) was used to construct the nomogram and calibration curve. The survival software package (4.1.3 version) was used to calculate the C-index. The ggDCA software package (4.1.3 version) was used for decision curve analysis. Results:(1) Follow-up and quantitative measurement of perirectal fat content. All 254 patients were followed up for 41.0(range, 1.0?59.0)months after surgery. During the follow-up period, there were 81 patients undergoing tumor recurrence with the time to tumor recurrence as 15.0(range, 1.0?43.0)months, and there were 173 patients without tumor recurrence. The preoperative rectal mesangial fascia envelope volume, preoperative rectal mesangial fat area, preoperative rectal posterior mesangial thickness were 159.1(68.6,266.5)cm3, 17.0(5.1,34.4)cm2, 1.2(0.4,3.2)cm in the 81 patients with tumor recurrence, and 178.5(100.1,310.1)cm3, 19.8(5.3,40.2)cm2 and 1.6(0.3,3.7)cm in the 173 patients without tumor recurrence. (2) Factors influencing tumor recurrence after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer. Results of multivariate analysis showed that poorly differentiated tumor, tumor pathological N staging as N1?N2 stage, rectal posterior mesangial thickness ≤1.43 cm, magnetic resonance extra mural vascular invasion, tumor invasion surrounding structures were independent risk factors of tumor recurrence after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer ( hazard ratio=1.64, 2.20, 3.19, 1.69, 4.20, 95% confidence interval as 1.03?2.61, 1.29?3.74, 1.78?5.71, 1.02?2.81, 2.05?8.63, P<0.05). (3) Construction and evaluation of the nomogram prediction model of tumor recurrence after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer. Based on the results of multivariate analysis, the tumor differentiation, tumor pathological N staging, rectal posterior mesangial thickness, magnetic resonance extra mural vascular invasion, tumor invasion surrounding structures were included to construct the nomogram predic-tion model of tumor recurrence after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer. The total score of these index in the nomogram prediction model corresponded to the probability of post-operative tumor recurrence. The C-index of the nomogram was 0.80, indicating that the prediction model with good prediction accuracy. Results of calibration curve showed that the nomogram prediction model with good prediction ability. Results of decision curve showed that the prediction probability threshold range was wide when the nomogram prediction model had obvious net benefit rate, and the model had good clinical practicability. Conclusions:Poorly differentiated tumor, tumor pathological N staging as N1?N2 stage, rectal posterior mesangial thickness ≤1.43 cm, magnetic resonance extra mural vascular invasion, tumor invasion surrounding structures are independent risk factors of tumor recurrence after radical resection of middle and low rectal cancer. Nomogram prediction model based on MRI measurement of perirectal fat content can effectively predict the probability of postoperative tumor recurrence.

Research progress in predicting the difficulty of surgery for middle and low rectal cancer based on pelvic measurement / 中华消化外科杂志

Total mesorectal excision (TME) has become the basic principle of surgical treat-ment for middle and low rectal cancer. Some of patients with ultra-low rectal cancer require under-going intersphincteric resection (ISR). Due to the limitation of the narrow pelvis, TME and ISR put forward higher requirements for the precise separation of the anatomical level and the protection of neurological function during the operation. At present, evaluation of the difficulty of surgery for middle and low rectal cancer is mainly based on the subjective judgment of chief surgeon, and there is no unified and objective scoring system or prediction model that can classify the difficulty of surgery for middle and low rectal cancer before surgery. The authors review relevant literatures and summarize the existing studies related to pelvic measurement for predicting the difficulty of surgery for middle and low rectal cancer, in order to provide significant guidance for the selection of surgical approach for patients with middle and low rectal cancer.

Mental health workers' perspectives on peer support in high-, middle- and low income settings: a focus group study.

BACKGROUND: Peer support is increasingly acknowledged as an integral part of mental health services around the world. However, most research on peer support comes from high-income countries, with little attention to similarities and differences between different settings and how these affect implementation. Mental health workers have an important role to play in integrating formal peer support into statutory services, and their attitudes toward peer support can represent either a barrier to or facilitator of successful implementation. Thus, this study investigates mental health workers' attitudes toward peer support across a range of high- (Germany, Israel), middle- (India), and low-income country (Tanzania, Uganda) settings. METHODS: Six focus groups were conducted in Ulm and Hamburg (Germany), Butabika (Uganda), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Be'er Sheva (Israel), and Ahmedabad, Gujarat (India) with a total of 35 participants. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. RESULTS: Participants across the study sites demonstrated overall positive attitudes towards peer support in mental health care, although some concerns were raised on potentially harmful effects of peer support such as negative role modelling and giving inadequate advice to service users. Notably, mental health workers from low- and middle-income countries described peer support workers as bridge-builders and emphasized the mutual benefits of peer support. Mental health workers' views on peer support workers' roles and role boundaries differed between sites. In some settings, mental health workers strongly agreed on the need for role clarity, whereas in others, mental health workers expressed mixed views, with some preferring blurred role boundaries. Regarding collaboration, mental health workers described peer support workers as supporters and utilizers, equal partners or emphasized a need for trust and commitment. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health workers' attitudes toward peer support workers were positive overall, but they also varied depending on local context, resources and previous experiences with peer support. This affected their conceptions of peer support workers' roles, role clarity, and collaboration. This study demonstrated that reconciling the need for local adaptations and safeguarding the core values of peer support is necessary and possible, especially when the implementation of recovery-oriented interventions such as peer support is accelerating worldwide.

Current status and barriers in pulmonary hypertension care delivery in India: A qualitative analysis.

Although pulmonary hypertension (PH) is widely prevalent in India, care delivery for this condition has unique challenges in a lower middle-income country (LMIC). To describe care delivery for patients with PH and associated barriers in India. We interviewed physicians across eight healthcare systems in India about PH clinical care using semi-structured enquiries to understand care delivery and associated challenges in their specific practice as well as the associated health system. Qualitative analysis was performed using content analysis methodology. Physicians reported that common causes for PH in their practice were rheumatic mitral valve disease, coronary artery disease, and congenital heart disease (CHD). No center had a dedicated PH program. Only one center had a specific protocol for PH management. Diagnostic evaluations were limited, and right heart catheterizations were recommended for patients with CHD. Pulmonary vasodilator therapy was used for severe symptoms or markers of severe disease. Agents used to treat PH were widely variable across physicians and prostacyclins are unavailable in India. Barriers included limited training in PH for physicians, lack of consensus guidelines for PH specific to LMIC, and lack of financial incentives for health care systems to organize dedicated PH programs. Other barriers included poor patient health literacy and socioeconomic barriers that limit ability to test and treat PH. PH care delivery in India is variable with widely differing clinical practices. Dedicated training in PH management and establishing guidelines specific to LMIC like India can form the first step forward.

Combined Detection of RUNX3 and EZH2 in Evaluating Efficacy of Neoadjuvant Therapy and Prognostic Value of Middle and Low Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer.

Objective: This article investigated whether Runt-Related Transcription Factor 3 (RUNX3) and enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) can be used to evaluate the clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy and prognosis of locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: Eighty LARC patients admitted to the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute/Hospital and First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei North University from Jan 2015 to Jan 2016 were enrolled. The patients were followed up for 60 months through hospital visits. All patients received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (long range radiotherapy + oral capecitabine) + total mesorecta excision (TME) surgery. The clinical efficacy of the treatments was evaluated through endoscopic, radiography, and tumor regression grade (TRG). In addition, expression level of RUNX3 and EZH2 was quantified via immunohistochemistry. The association of RUNX3 and EZH2 with clinicopathological characteristics of advanced tumors and efficacy of neoadjuvant therapy was explored. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Survival curve was used to evaluate the impact of RUNX3 and EZH2 on the prognosis of LARC patients. Results: A total of 80 patients diagnosed with LARC were enrolled in the study. Expression of RUNX3 was elevated in 25 (31.25%) patients, whereas expression of EZH2 was upregulated in 44 (55.00%) patients. Analysis of tumor regression identified 10 cases with TRG grade 0 (pathologic complete response, PCR), 24 cases with TRG grade 1, 35 cases with TRG grade 2, and 11 cases with TRG grade 3. Furthermore, 38 cases had significant down-staging, and 42 cases showed no significant down-staging as revealed by endoscopy and imaging. Patients with high expression of RUNX3 showed better tumor regression response and down-staging compared with those with low expression of RUNX3 (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). Moreover, patients with low EZH2 expression achieved TRG grade 0 and 1 response and down-staging effect compared with those with high expression of EZH2 (P < 0.001, P < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that high expression of RUNX3, low expression of EZH2, and clinical N (cN) stage were good predictors of tumor regression response and down-staging. The 5-year disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were 48.75 (39/80) and 58.75% (47/80), respectively. The 5-year DFS and OS of patients with high RUNX3 expression were significantly higher than low RUNX3 expression, whereas the 5-year DFS and OS of patients with high EZH2 expression were significantly lower than low EZH2 expression (P < 0.001). Univariate survival analysis showed that RUNX3 expression, EZH2 expression, cN, clinical T (cT), pathological T (pT) and pathological N (pN) were significantly correlated with the 5-year DFS and 5-year OS. Multivariate survival analysis showed that EZH2 expression and PN were good predictors of 5-year DFS and 5-year OS, whereas RUNX3 was a good predictor of 5-year DFS but not 5-year OS. Conclusions: Expression level of RUNX3 and EZH2 accurately predicts clinical efficacy of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and the prognosis of LARC patients, suggesting that RUNX3 and EZH2 can be used as pivotal clinical predictors for LARC.

Pelvic floor peritoneum reconstruction is a protective factor for defecation dysfunction after laparoscopic anterior resection in patients with middle and low rectal cancer.

PURPOSE: The pelvic cavity is a monolithic structure whose integrity plays an important role in the pelvic organ function. Currently, pelvic floor peritoneum reconstruction (PFPR) is rarely performed during laparoscopic surgery for middle and low rectal cancer patients. This study evaluated the effect of PFPR using barbed wire during laparoscopic surgery on the postoperative defecation function in middle and low rectal cancer patients. METHODS: This was a retrospective study involving a total of 252 middle and low rectal cancer patients who had been subjected to laparoscopic-assisted anterior resection of rectal cancer at Shanghai Changhai Hospital from March 2018 to April 2020. The Wexner and low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) scores were used to evaluate the postoperative defecation function among patients. A Wexner score ≥ 8 and LARS score ≥ 30 were considered to indicate major defecation dysfunction. RESULTS: A total of 229 patients (52 patients subjected to PFPR) were followed up, and the Wexner and LARS scores were recorded. The follow-up rate was 90.87%, the mean follow-up time was 22.88 ± 6.93 months, the stoma rate was 64.29%, the ileostomy reduction surgical rate was 90.74%, and the stoma duration was 7.64 ± 2.94 months. Regarding the assessment of postoperative defecation dysfunction using the Wexner score, a multivariate analysis revealed that a long operation time (odds ratio [OR], 0.991; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.984-0.999, p = 0.026) and radiotherapy (OR, 0.352; 95% CI, 0.156-0.797, p = 0.012) were independent risk factors for major defecation dysfunction, while a high tumor location (OR, 1.318; 95% CI, 1.151-1.657, p = 0.001) and PFPR (OR, 4.770; 95% CI, 1.435-15.857, p = 0.011) were independent protective factors for major defecation dysfunction. Regarding the assessment of the postoperative defecation function using the LARS score, a multivariate analysis revealed that a high tumor location (OR, 1.293; 95% CI, 1.125-1.486, p < 0.001) and PFPR (OR, 3.010; 95% CI, 1.345-6.738, p = 0.007) were independent protective factors for major defecation dysfunction. A subgroup analysis showed that the postoperative Wexner score (3.13 ± 2.79 vs. 4.71 ± 3.45 p = 0.003) and LARS score (21.77 ± 8.62 vs. 25.14 ± 8.78 p = 0.015) were lower for patients with PFPR than for patients without PFPR. Regarding patients with low rectal cancer, those with PFPR had a lower LARS score than those without it (23.62 ± 8.94 vs. 28.40 ± 7.90, p = 0.022), but there was no significant difference in the Wexner score between the groups. A total of 9.76% of patients with PFPR and 48.89% of those without PFPR showed an intestinal accumulation in the sacral front (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PFPR and a high tumor location are protective factors for postoperative defecation dysfunction in middle and low rectal cancer patients. PFPR can be routinely performed during laparoscopic surgery.

mFOLFOX4 with or without radiation in neoadjuvant treatment of locally advanced middle and low rectal cancer.

Context: Neoadjuvant therapy can reduce the recurrence rate of locally advanced middle and low rectal cancer. Radiation therapy can not only bring benefits but also produce acute and late toxicity, which will affect the quality of life and organ function of patients; the application of neoadjuvant chemotherapy can avoid the toxicity of radiotherapy. Aims: To investigate the efficiency and side effects of preoperative modified FOLFOX4 (mFOLFOX4) chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy for locally advanced middle and low rectal cancer (LAMLRC). Methods and Material: This study included 431 patients with LAMLRC receiving mFOLFOX4 chemotherapy independently or combined with radiotherapy before operation. The basic information, efficacy indicators, and adverse reactions of the two groups were recorded in detail. Side effects were evaluated using the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v. 3.0. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Science, IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 22). Mann-Whitney test and Chi-square test were used for comparative analysis. Statistical significance was defined as P < 0.05. Results: Of 128 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 52 received neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT), and 76 received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT). The average operation time in the NCT group was 2.71 h, and that in the NCRT group was 3.35 h (P = 0.005). The pathological complete remission rates in the NCT and NCRT groups were 1.9% and 17.1%, respectively (P = 0.007). There was no significant difference in the T-stage decline rate and lymph node positive rate between the two groups. There were higher rates of leukopenia (32.7% vs. 57.9%; P < 0.05) and diarrhea (0% vs. 9.2%; P < 0.05) in the NCRT group. The 3-year overall survival rates in the NCT and NCRT groups were 80.3% and 82.8% (P = 0.715), respectively, and the respective 3-year disease-free survival rates were 68.8% and 70.5% (P = 0.966). Conclusions: NCT with mFOLFOX4 independently resulted in a lower pathological complete remission rate, with less toxicity and shorter operation time. NCT with mFOLFOX4 has certain clinical usefulness.

Pneumococcal Immunization Strategies for High-Risk Pediatric Populations Worldwide: One Size Does Not Fit All.

Despite the significant reduction in pneumococcal disease due to pneumococcal vaccines, protection of vulnerable high-risk individuals, especially pediatric populations, remains a great challenge. In an effort to maximize the protection of high-risk children against pneumococcal disease, a combined schedule that includes both conjugate and polysaccharide vaccines is recommended by several countries in the developed world. On the other hand, middle- and low-income countries do not have in place established policies for pneumococcal immunization of children at risk. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, despite their benefits, have several limitations, mainly associated with serotype replacement and the wide range of serotype coverage worldwide. In addition, PPV23-impaired immunogenicity and the hyporesponsiveness effect among populations at risk have been well-documented. Therefore, the added value of continuing to include PPV23 in vaccination schedules for high-risk individuals in the years to come remains to be determined by monitoring whether the replacing/remaining serotypes causing IPD are covered by PPV23 to determine whether its benefits outweigh its limitations. In this review, we aim to describe serotype distribution and vaccine efficacy data on pneumococcal disease in the pre- and post-PCV implementation era among high-risk children in both developed and developing countries, assessing the optimization of current recommendations for their vaccination against pneumococcal disease.

Corrigendum: Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Concentrations Among Children and Adolescents With Diabetes in Middle- and Low-Income Countries, 2010-2019: A Retrospective Chart Review and Systematic Review of Literature.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2021.651589.].

Glycated Hemoglobin (HbA1c) Concentrations Among Children and Adolescents With Diabetes in Middle- and Low-Income Countries, 2010-2019: A Retrospective Chart Review and Systematic Review of Literature.

Objectives: To explore the glycemic control [represented by glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) concentrations] in children with diabetes mellitus (DM) in east China and middle- and low-income countries, from 2010 to 2019. Methods: Retrospective data of children with DM from two hospital-based health records were reviewed. Data on HbA1c concentrations, hospitalization due to diabetic ketoacidosis, and patient demographics were collected and analyzed. A systematic review was subsequently performed to analyze publications that report HbA1c concentrations in patients aged <18 years. Patients' characteristics extracted from each publication were used to generate simulated individual data for pooled analysis. HbA1c estimates were derived from steady-state iterations. Results: Data of 843 diabetic children (aged 11.2 ± 3.9 years) with 2,658 HbA1c measures were retrieved from the two hospitals during the period 2010-2020. The duration of diabetes in the patients was 4.4 ± 2.8 years, and their HbA1c was 8.1 ± 2.2%. Patients who were internal migrants had significantly higher HbA1c concentration than resident patients (8.4 vs. 7.9%). The literature review yielded 1,164 publications, and the majority (74.1%) of patient data were published in high-income countries. The patient data extracted from these publications generated 486,416 HbA1c concentration estimates between 2005 and 2019. The average HbA1c concentration during the 15 years was 9.07 ± 2.15%. The mean HbA1c concentrations among children were 8.23, 8.73, 9.20, and 10.11% in high-income country (HIC), upper-middle income country (UMIC), lower-middle income country (LMIC), and low-income country (LIC) respectively. The mean rate of optimized glycemic control (HbA1c <7.5%) among children was 32.4, 27.5, 21.7, and 12.7% in HIC, UMIC, LMIC, and LIC, respectively. Conclusions: The current study indicated that there is substantial room for improvement in glycemic control in children with DM worldwide, especially in middle- and low-income countries.

Integrated proteomic sample preparation with combination of on-line high-abundance protein depletion, denaturation, reduction, desalting and digestion to achieve high throughput plasma proteome quantification.

In this study, we developed an integrated plasma proteome sample preparation system, by which high-abundance proteins from human plasma were first depleted by immunoaffinity column, followed by on-line middle and low-abundance proteins denaturation, reduction, desalting and tryptic digestion. To evaluate the performance of such a system, 20 µL plasma was processed automatically, followed by 1-h gradient liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis (LC-MS). Compared to conventional in-solution protocols, not only the sample preparation time could be shortened from 20 h to 20 min, but also the number of identified proteins were greatly increased by 1.4-2.0 times. Such an integrated system allows us to process 36 human plasma samples per day, with more than 300 proteins and 52 FDA approved disease markers per sample being identified. With combination of such an integrated sample preparation system with label-free single-shot LC-MS/MS, the human plasma proteins could be quantified across more than 6 orders of magnitude of abundance range with high reproducibility (Pearson R = 0.99, n = 9). In addition, the relative quantification of human plasma samples from diabetic retinopathy patients and diabetic patients demonstrated the feasibility of our developed workflow for clinic plasma proteome profiling. All these results demonstrated that our developed integrated plasma proteome sample preparation system would provide a new tool for high throughput biomarker discovery.

Diagnosis and treatment of lateral lymph node metastasis in 4K laparoscopic surgery for middle and low rectal cancer / 中华消化外科杂志

Lateral lymph node metastasis (LLNM) is one of the major causes for post-operative local recurrence of middle and low rectal cancer. At present, there are still controversies on the diagnosis and treatment of LLNM. The radiological assessment of LLNM generally relies on morphological criteria such as the size or shape of the node or the response to therapy, in which the diagnostic accuracy of MRI is superior to that of other imaging techniques. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy could not achieve good local control for suspicious LLNM. Lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) can reduce tumor local recurrence significantly, but the clinical value of LLND in survival and quality of life of patients has been questioned. 4K laparoscope can decrease the incidence of perioperative complications and urinary and sexual dysfunction to a certain extent. Thus, selective LLND should be undertaken to patients with suspicious LLNM after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, in order to reduce tumor local recurrence and improve the prognosis of patients. The authors elaborate on diagnosis and treatment including surgery or chemoradiotherapy of LLNM in 4K laparoscopic surgery for middle and low rectal cancer combined with their own experiences.

Challenges and Special Aspects of Pulmonary Hypertension in Middle- to Low-Income Regions: JACC State-of-the-Art Review.

Challenges and special aspects related to the management and prognosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in middle- to low-income regions (MLIRs) range from late presentation to comorbidities, lack of resources and expertise, cost, and rare options of lung transplantation. Expert consensus recommendations addressing the specific challenges for prevention and therapy of PH in MLIRs with limited resources have been lacking. To date, 6 MLIR-PH registries containing mostly adult patients with PH exist. Importantly, the global prevalence of PH is much higher in MLIRs compared with high-income regions: group 2 PH (left heart disease), pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with unrepaired congenital heart disease, human immunodeficiency virus, or schistosomiasis are highly prevalent. This consensus statement provides selective, tailored modifications to the current PH guidelines to address the specific challenges faced in MLIRs, resulting in the first pragmatic and cost-effective consensus recommendations for PH care providers, patients, and their families.

[The management of quality and safety of medical activities as world trend in health care: the review].

Since the publication of the reports of the Institute of medicine "To Err is to Human" and "Crossing the Quality Chasm" considerable attention in medical organizations all over the world is paid to improving quality medical care and safety of patients. The improvement of quality can consolidate health care delivery systems, improve efficiency of health sector and accelerate achievement of health-related goals. Therefore, quality improvement nowadays occupies meaningful position in health care policy programs in countries with different income levels.

Clinical Value of Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio in StageⅡand Ⅲ Middle and Low Rectal Cancer / 中国医科大学学报

Objective To explore the clinical value of neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in staging of stage Ⅱ/Ⅲ middle and low rectal cancer. Methods The clinical and pathological data of 111 patients with middle and low rectal cancer who underwent surgical treatment were retrospectively analyzed. The NLR values along with various clinical factors and pathological parameters were also statistically analyzed, and then the relationship between preoperative NLR and various clinical factors was determined. All patients were divided into high and low groups based on NLR, with the cut-off value of 1.99. Then, the clinical, pathological parameters and disease-free survival of the two groups were analyzed. Results The maximum diameter of the tumor and the NLR value were positively correlated (P ＜ 0.05). The patients with high and low NLR had significant differences in age, stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ, N stage, pathological type, maximum diameter of the tumor, and disease-free survival (P ＜ 0.05). Conclusion Preoperative NLR values may be used as predictive values for the pathological parameters of stage Ⅱ and Ⅲ middle and low rectal cancer, and NLR may be an indicator of its prognostic assessment.