3D visualization technology for Learning human anatomy among medical students and residents: a meta- and regression analysis.

BACKGROUND: 3D visualization technology applies computers and other devices to create a realistic virtual world for individuals with various sensory experiences such as 3D vision, touch, and smell to gain a more effective understanding of the relationships between real spatial structures and organizations. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the effectiveness of 3D visualization technology in human anatomy teaching/training and explore the potential factors that affect the training effects to better guide the teaching of classroom/laboratory anatomy. METHODS: We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies on teaching human anatomy using 3D visualization technology. We extensively searched three authoritative databases, PubMed, Web of Science, and Embase; the main outcomes were the participants' test scores and satisfaction, while the secondary outcomes were time consumption and enjoyment. Heterogeneity by I² was statistically determined because I²> 50%; therefore, a random-effects model was employed, using data processing software such as RevMan, Stata, and VOSviewer to process data, apply standardized mean difference and 95% confidence interval, and subgroup analysis to evaluate test results, and then conduct research through sensitivity analysis and meta-regression analysis. RESULTS: Thirty-nine randomized controlled trials (2,959 participants) were screened and included in this study. The system analysis of the main results showed that compared with other methods, including data from all regions 3D visualization technology moderately improved test scores as well as satisfaction and enjoyment; however, the time that students took to complete the test was not significantly reduced. Meta-regression analysis also showed that regional factorsaffected test scores, whereas other factors had no significant impact. When the literature from China was excluded, the satisfaction and happiness of the 3D virtual-reality group were statistically significant compared to those of the traditional group; however, the test results and time consumption were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: 3D visualization technology is an effective way to improve learners' satisfaction with and enjoyment of human anatomical learning, but it cannot reduce the time required for testers to complete the test. 3D visualization technology may struggle to improve the testers' scores. The literature test results from China are more prone to positive results and affected by regional bias.

Texture Analysis of Computed Tomography Images in the Lung of Patients With Breast Cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate whether the texture features of lung computed tomography images were altered by primary breast cancer without pulmonary metastasis. METHODS: Texture analysis was performed on the regions of interest of lung computed tomography images from 36 patients with breast cancer and 36 healthy controls. Texture parameters between subjects with different clinical stages and hormone receptor (HR) statuses in patients with breast cancer were analyzed. RESULTS: Three texture parameters (mean, SD, and variance) were significantly different between patients with breast cancer and healthy controls and between preoperative and postoperative stages in patients with breast cancer. All 3 parameters showed an increasing trend under the tumor-bearing state. These parameters were significantly higher in the stage III + IV group than in the stage I + II group. The variance parameter was significantly higher in the HR-negative group than in the HR-positive group. CONCLUSIONS: Texture analysis may serve as a novel additional tool for discovering conventionally invisible changes in the lung tissue of patients with breast cancer.

Corrigendum: Association Between Night-Shift Work and Cancer Risk: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2020.01006.].

The role of 3D printed models in the teaching of human anatomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) printing is an emerging technology widely used in medical education. However, its role in the teaching of human anatomy needs further evaluation. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, EBSCO, SpringerLink, and Nature databases were searched systematically for studies published from January 2011 to April 2020 in the English language. GRADEprofiler software was used to evaluate the quality of literature. In this study, a meta-analysis of continuous and binary data was conducted. Both descriptive and statistical analyses were used. RESULTS: Comparing the post-training tests in neuroanatomy, cardiac anatomy, and abdominal anatomy, the standardized mean difference (SMD) of the 3D group and the conventional group were 1.27, 0.37, and 2.01, respectively (p < 0.05). For 3D vs. cadaver and 3D vs. 2D, the SMD were 0.69 and 1.05, respectively (p < 0.05). For answering time, the SMD of the 3D group vs. conventional group was - 0.61 (P < 0.05). For 3D print usefulness, RR = 2.29(P < 0.05). Five of the six studies showed that satisfaction of the 3D group was higher than that of the conventional group. Two studies showed that accuracy of answering questions in the 3D group was higher than that in the conventional group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with students in the conventional group, those in the 3D printing group had advantages in accuracy and answering time. In the test of anatomical knowledge, the test results of students in the 3D group were not inferior (higher or equal) to those in the conventional group. The post-training test results of the 3D group were higher than those in the cadaver or 2D group. More students in the 3D printing group were satisfied with their learning compared with the conventional group. The results could be influenced by the quality of the randomized controlled trials. In a framework of ethical rigor, the application of the 3D printing model in human anatomy teaching is expected to grow further.

Association Between Night-Shift Work and Cancer Risk: Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Nightshift work introduces light at night and causes circadian rhythm among night workers, who are considered to be at increased risk of cancer. However, in the last 2 years, nine population-based studies reported insignificant associations between night-shift work and cancer risks. We aimed to conduct an updated systematic review and meta-analysis to ascertain the effect of night-shift work on the incidence of cancers. Methods: Our protocol was registered in PROSPERO and complied with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Embase, PubMed, and Web of Science databases were used to comprehensively search studies published up to May 31, 2019. The random-effect model (Der Simonian-Laird method) was carried out to combine the risk estimates of night-shift work for cancers. The dose-response meta-analysis was performed to verify whether the association was in a dose-dependent manner. Results: Our literature searching retrieved 1,660 publications. Included in the meta-analyses were 57 eligible studies with 8,477,849 participants (mean age 55 years; 2,560,886 men, 4,220,154 women, and 1,696,809 not mentioned). The pooled results showed that night-shift work was not associated with the risk of breast cancer (OR = 1.009, 95% CI = 0.984-1.033), prostate cancer (OR = 1.027, 95% CI = 0.982-1.071), ovarian cancer (OR = 1.027, 95% CI = 0.942-1.113), pancreatic cancer (OR = 1.007, 95% CI = 0.910-1.104), colorectal cancer (OR = 1.016, 95% CI = 0.964-1.068), non-Hodgkin's lymph (OR = 1.046, 95% CI = 0.994-1.098), and stomach cancer (OR = 1.064, 95% CI = 0.971-1.157), while night-shift work was associated with a reduction of lung cancer (OR = 0.949, 95% CI = 0.903-0.996), and skin cancer (OR = 0.916, 95% CI = 0.879-0.953). The dose-response meta-analysis found that cancer risk was not significantly elevated with the increased light exposure of night- shift work. Conclusion: This systematic review of 57 observational studies did not find an overall association between ever-exposure to night-shift work and the risk of breast, prostate ovarian, pancreatic, colorectal, non-Hodgkin's lymph, and stomach cancers.

Association between circulating visfatin and gestational diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a medical complication of any degree of glucose intolerance with onset or first recognition during pregnancy. Although visfatin is commonly considered to be related to GDM, studies revealed inconsistent results. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between visfatin and GDM. METHODS: The protocol for this study was registered in PROSPERO (No. CRD42018086204) in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). PubMed and Embase databases were used to search for relevant studies published up to September 30, 2017. The difference of visfatin levels between women with GDM and the controls was measured by standardised mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: Twenty-six studies that were published in 24 articles met the inclusion criteria, in which 2305 participants (1033 with GDM, mean age 31.39 years and 1272 controls, and mean age 29.99 years) were included. The quantitative meta-analysis revealed no significant difference in circulating visfatin levels between women with GDM and the controls (SMD = 0.249, 95% CI = - 0.079 to 0.576, P = 0.137). Subgroup analyses were performed referring to body mass index (BMI) where inconsistent results have been observed between cases and controls groups. For the ten studies, in which the level of BMI in women with GDM was higher than that in the control group, the pooled result showed that circulating visfatin was significantly higher among women with GDM than the controls (SMD = 0.367, 95% CI = 0.06 to 0.728, P = 0.046). Of other 16 studies BMI-matched, the pooled SMD illustrated no difference of visfatin. CONCLUSIONS: Our study elucidates that visfatin is not independently associated with GDM. Visfatin is linked to GDM through maternal overweight/obesity, which is one of the major factors leading to the development of GDM.

Association of interleukin-6 gene polymorphism with coronary artery disease: an updated systematic review and cumulative meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is an important mediator of atherosclerotic disease and is also associated with coronary artery disease (CAD). The growing evidences suggest that polymorphisms in the IL-6 promoter region influence the progression of CAD. This study was performed to update the systematic results of association of IL-6 gene polymorphisms with CAD. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and China Biology Medicine were searched systematically for English and Chinese articles published up to October 31, 2014. Data were extracted using standardized forms. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were used to assess the strength of associations. Subgroup analyses were made on ethnicity. RESULTS: A total of 42 studies including 15,145 cases and 21,496 controls were combined in this meta-analysis. IL-6 gene -174G/C polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of CAD (for C allele versus G allele: OR = 1.11, 95 % CI 1.02-1.20; for C/C versus G/G: OR = 1.21, 95 % CI 1.03-1.42; for C/C + C/G versus G/G: OR = 1.14, 95 % CI 1.03-1.27). In the subgroup analyses based on ethnicity, a significant association was found between -174 G/C polymorphism and CAD in Caucasians (for C allele versus G allele: OR = 1.12, 95 % CI 1.03-1.22; for C/C versus G/G: OR = 1.21, 95 % CI 1.02-1.42; for C/C + C/G versus G/G: OR = 1.16, 95 % CI 1.05-1.29). In order to reduce heterogeneity, we removed the outlier studies by a Galbraith plot analysis. As a result, the pooled ORs demonstrated no association of -174G/C polymorphism and CAD (C allele versus G allele: OR = 1.02, 95 % CI 0.97-1.06, p = 0.48; C/C versus G/G: OR = 0.1.03, 95 % CI 0.94-1.13, p = 0.48; C/G + C/C versus G/G: OR = 1.03, 95 % CI 0.96-1.09, p = 0.41; C/C versus C/G + G/G: OR = 1.02, 95 % CI 0.94-1.10, p = 0.70, respectively). The polymorphism of -572 G/C was not associated with CAD significantly (for C allele versus G allele: OR = 0.86, 95 % CI 0.74-1.01; C/C versus G/G: OR = 0.99, 95 % CI 0.43-2.27; C/G + C/C versus G/G: OR = 0.96, 95 % CI 0.80-1.15, respectively). In addition, subgroup analyses showed an association between -572 G/C polymorphism and CAD risk among Chinese (C allele versus G allele: OR = 0.64, 95 % CI 0.48-0.85; C/C versus G/G: OR = 0.38, 95 % CI 0.18-0.81; C/G + C/C versus G/G: OR = 0.47, 95 % CI 0.22-1.00; C/C versus C/G + G/G: OR = 0.58, 95 % CI 0.42-0.81). CONCLUSION: The C allele of -174G/C polymorphism may associate with increased sensibility to CAD among Caucasians in overall analysis. Nevertheless, the effect is interfered by heterogeneity across the included studies. The C allele of -572G/C polymorphism may decrease the risk of CAD in Chinese.

The variable codons of H5N1 avian influenza A virus haemagglutinin genes.

We investigated the selection pressures on the haemagglutinin genes of H5N1 avian influenza viruses using fixed effects likelihood models. We found evidence of positive selection in the sequences from isolates from 1997 to 2007, except viruses from 2000. The haemagglutinin sequences of viruses from southeast Asia, Hong Kong and mainland China were the most polymorphic and had similar nonsynonymous profiles. Some sites were positively selected in viruses from most regions and a few of these sites displayed different amino acid patterns. Selection appeared to produce different outcomes in viruses from Europe, Africa and Russia and from different host types. One position was found to be positively selected for human isolates only. Although the functions of some positively selected positions are unknown, our analysis provided evidence of different temporal, spatial and host adaptations for H5N1 avian influenza viruses.

[Isolating and culturing rat marrow mesenchymal stem cells and studying their phenotypical and functional properties].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for isolating and cultivating mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from SD rat bone marrow and to study their phenotypical and functional properties. METHODS: MSCs from rat bone marrow were separated and purified by gradient centrifugation and adherence to the culture plastic; then the cells were expanded by subculture successively. The growth curves were drawn, and the morphology was observed. In an attempt to analyze immuno- and adhesive-phenotype and differentiation properties, the MSCs were evaluated with cytochemical and immunocytochemical methods. RESULTS: MSCs belonged to the mononuclear cells of marrow, they could be isolated and purified by gradient centrifugation and adherence to the culture plastic; their living behavior was quite stable in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium with low glucose (L-DMEM) containing 100 ml/L newborn bovine serum; the growth curves of passage 1, 3 and 5 were much similar, exhibiting a 2.2-fold increase in cell number after each passage. The cells were noted to have a large expansive potential and a typical fibroblast-like morphology, and they uniformly expressed CD44, CD54, fibronectin and collagen I. When incubated in medium supplemented with dexamethasone, beta-glycerophosphate and ascorbic acid, the MSCs underwent differentiation into osteoblasts, showing positive stain of alkaline phosphatase activity and mineralized nodules. CONCLUSION: The cells obtained in this experiment possess phenotypical and functional properties of mesenchymal stem cells, and the method for isolating and culturing rat marrow-derived MSCs has been established.