Analysis of factors associated with positive surgical margins and the five-year survival rate after prostate cancer resection and predictive modeling.

Background: This study analyzed the risk factors associated with positive surgical margins (PSM) and five-year survival after prostate cancer resection to construct a positive margin prediction model. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 148 patients treated with prostatectomy. The patients were divided into PSM group and Negative surgical margins (NSM) group. Several parameters were compared between the groups. All patients were followed up for 60 months. The risk factors for PSM and five-year survival were evaluated by univariate analysis, followed by multifactorial dichotomous logistic regression analysis. Finally, ROC curves were plotted for the risk factors to establish a predictive model for PSM after prostate cancer resection. Results: (1) Serum PSA, percentage of positive puncture stitches, clinical stage, surgical approach, Gleason score on puncture biopsy, and perineural invasion were significantly associated with the risk of PSM (P < 0.05). Serum PSA, perineural invasion, Gleason score on puncture biopsy, and percentage of positive puncture stitches were independent risk factors for PSM. (2) Total prostate-specific antigen (tPSA) by puncture, nutritional status, lymph node metastasis, bone metastasis, and seminal vesicle invasion may be risk factors for five-year survival. Lymph node metastasis and nutritional status were the main risk factors for the five-year survival of patients with prostate cancer. (3) After plotting the ROC curve, the area under the curve (AUC) [AUC: 0.776, 95%, confidence interval (CI): 0.725 to 0.854] was found to be a valid predictor of PSM; the AUC [AUC: 0.664, 95%, confidence interval (CI): 0.576 to 0.753] was also a valid predictor of five-year survival (P < 0.05). (4) The scoring system had a standard error of 0.02 and a cut-off value of 6. It predicted PSM after prostate cancer resection with moderate efficacy. Conclusions: Serum PSA, perineural invasion, puncture biopsy Gleason score, and percentage of positive puncture stitches were independent risk factors for positive surgical margins (PSM). Also, lymph node metastasis and nutritional status were the main risk factors for the five-year survival of patients with prostate cancer. Overall, the prediction efficacy of this scoring system concerning the risk of PSM after prostate cancer resection was moderate.

Minimal Important Clinical Difference Values Are Not Uniformly Valid in the Active Duty Military Population Recovering from Shoulder Surgery.

BACKGROUND: There are multiple methods for calculating the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) threshold, and previous reports highlight heterogeneity and limitations of anchor-based and distribution-based analyses. The Warfighter Readiness Survey assesses the perception of a military population's fitness to deploy and may be used as a functional index in anchor-based MCID calculations. The purpose of the current study in a physically demanding population undergoing shoulder surgery was to compare the yields of two different anchor-based methods of calculating MCID for a battery of PROMs, a standard receiver operator curve (ROC) -based MCIDs and baseline-adjusted ROC MCIDs. METHODS: All service members enrolled prospectively in a multicenter database with prior shoulder surgery that completed pre- and postoperative PROMs at a minimum of 12 months were included. The PROMs battery included Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (ASES), Patient Reported Outcome Management Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF), PROMIS Pain Interference (PI), and the Warfighter Readiness survey. Standard anchor-based and baseline-adjusted ROC MCIDs were employed to determine if the calculated MCIDs were both statistically and theoretically valid (95% confidence interval either completely negative or positive). RESULTS: There were 117 patients (136 operations) identified, comprised of 83% males with a mean age of 35.7 ± 10.4 years and 47% arthroscopic labral repair/capsulorrhaphy. Using the standard, anchor-based ROC MCID calculation, the area under the curve (AUC) for SANE, ASES, PROMIS PF, and PROMIS PI were greater than 0.5 (statistically valid). For ASES, PROMIS PF, and PROMIS PI, the calculated MCID 95% CI all crossed 0 (theoretically invalid). Using the baseline-adjusted ROC MCID calculation, the MCID estimates for SANE, ASES, and PROMIS PI were both statistically and theoretically valid if the baseline score was less than 70.5, 69, and 65.7. CONCLUSION: When MCIDs were calculated and anchored to the results of standard, anchor-based MCID, a standard ROC analysis did not yield statistically or theoretically valid results across a battery of PROMs commonly used to assess outcomes after shoulder surgery in the active duty military population. Conversely, a baseline-adjusted ROC method was more effective at discerning changes across a battery of PROMs among the same cohort.

Data mining approaches to pneumothorax detection: Integrating mask-RCNN and medical transfer learning techniques.

With the medical condition of pneumothorax, also known as collapsed lung, air builds up in the pleural cavity and causes the lung to collapse. It is a critical disorder that needs to be identified and treated right as it can cause breathing difficulties, low blood oxygen levels, and, in extreme circumstances, death. Chest X-rays are frequently used to diagnose pneumothorax. Using the Mask R-CNN model and medical transfer learning, the proposed work offers•A novel method for pneumothorax segmentation from chest X-rays.•A method that takes advantage of the Mask R-CNN architecture's for object recognition and segmentation.•A modified model to address the issue of segmenting pneumothoraxes and then polish it using a sizable dataset of chest X-rays. The proposed method is tested against other pneumothorax segmentation techniques using a dataset of 'chest X-rays' with 'pneumothorax annotations. The test findings demonstrate that proposed method outperforms other cutting-edge techniques in terms of segmentation accuracy and speed. The proposed method could lead to better patient outcomes by increasing the precision and effectiveness of pneumothorax diagnosis and therapy. Proposed method also benefits other medical imaging activities by using the medical transfer learning approaches which increases the precision of computer-aided diagnosis and treatment planning.

Clinical Prediction Model for Diabetic Kidney Disease Based on Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo construct and validate a clinical prediction model for diabetic kidney disease （DKD） based on optical coherence tomography angiography （OCTA）. MethodsThis study enrolled 567 diabetes patients. The random forest algorithm as well as logistic regression analysis were applied to construct the prediction model. The model discrimination and clinical usefulness were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve （ROC） and decision curve analysis （DCA）， respectively. ResultsThe clinical prediction model for DKD based on OCTA was constructed with area under the curve （AUC） of 0.878 and Brier score of 0.11. ConclusionsThrough multidimensional verification， the clinical prediction nomogram model based on OCTA allowed for early warning and advanced intervention of DKD.

Cut-off scores of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-8: Implications for improving the management of chronic pain.

AIM: Mental distress, non-specific symptoms of depression and anxiety, is common in chronic pelvic pain (CPP). It contributes to poor recovery. Women's health nurses operate in multidisciplinary teams to facilitate the assessment and treatment of CPP. However, valid cut-off points for identifying highly distressed patients are lacking, entailing a gap in CPP management. DESIGN: This instrumental cross-sectional study identified a statistically derived cut-off score for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-8 (DASS-8) among 214 Australian women with CPP (mean age = 33.3, SD = 12.4, range = 13-71 years). METHODS: Receiver operator characteristic curve, decision trees and K-means clustering techniques were used to examine the predictive capacity of the DASS-8 for psychiatric comorbidity, pain severity, any medication intake, analgesic intake and sexual abuse. The study is prepared according to the STROBE checklist. RESULTS: Cut-off points resulting from the analysis were ordered ascendingly. The median (13.0) was chosen as an optimal cut-off score for predicting key outcomes. Women with DASS-8 scores below 15.5 had higher analgesic intake. CONCLUSION: CPP women with a DASS-8 score above 13.0 express greater pain severity, psychiatric comorbidity and polypharmacy. Thus, they may be a specific target for nursing interventions dedicated to alleviating pain through the management of associated co-morbidities. IMPLICATIONS FOR PATIENT CARE: At a cut-off point of 13.0, the DASS-8 may be a practical instrument for recommending a thorough clinician-based examination for psychiatric comorbidity to facilitate adequate CPP management. It may be useful for evaluating patients' response to nursing pain management efforts. Replications of the study in different populations/countries are warranted.

The liver and blood cells are responsible for creatine kinase clearance in blood Circulation: A retrospective study among different human diseases.

BACKGROUND: Muscle damage leads to increased serum creatine kinase (CK) levels in diseases such as acute myocardial infarction. Still, many individuals have abnormal serum CK activities lacking muscle-related diagnoses. The current study hypothesized that failed or overactivated CK clearance by non-muscle organs/tissues might be responsible for increased or decreased CK activities in blood. METHODS: We analyzing 37,081 independent CK test results in 36 human diseases during the past 5 y. RESULTS: We found that 33 out of 36 diseases were associated with decreased median CK activities compared to healthy controls. Besides muscle damage-related conditions, the highest mean CK activities were observed in hepatitis and cirrhosis. In contrast, 6 blood cell-related illnesses had the lowest mean CK values. ROC analysis showed that CK activities were the best biomarkers (AUC: 0.80-0.94) for the 6 blood-related diseases, especially myeloproliferative disorders. The principal component analysis revealed that the same category of diseases, such as liver-, blood -, kidney-, cancers, and vascular-related diseases, had clustered CK distributions. CONCLUSIONS: We proposed that the liver and blood cells were mainly responsible for CK clearance in blood circulation based on overall results. The testable mechanisms were presented and discussed.

Scoring Systems to Evaluate the Mortality Risk of Patients with Emphysematous Cystitis: A Retrospective Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Emphysematous cystitis (EC) is a complicated urinary tract infection (UTI) characterized by gas formation within the bladder wall and lumen. Immunocompetent people are less likely to suffer from complicated UTIs, but EC usually occurs in women with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus (DM). Other risk factors of EC include recurrent UTI, neurogenic bladder disorder, blood supply disorders, and prolonged catheterization, but DM is still the most important of all aspects. Our study investigated clinical scores in predicting clinical outcomes of patients with EC. Our analysis is unique in predicting EC clinical outcomes by using scoring system performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected EC patient data from the electronic clinical database of Taichung Veterans General Hospital between January 2007 and December 2020. Urinary cultures and computerized tomography confirmed EC. In addition, we investigated the demographics, clinical characteristics, and laboratory data for analysis. Finally, we used a variety of clinical scoring systems as a predictor of clinical outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 35 patients had confirmed EC, including 11 males (31.4%) and 24 females (68.6%), with a mean age of 69.1 ± 11.4 years. Their hospital stay averaged 19.9 ± 15.5 days. The in-hospital mortality rate was 22.9%. The Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score was 5.4 ± 4.7 for survivors and 11.8 ± 5.3 for non-survivors (p = 0.005). For mortality risk prediction, the AUC of ROC was 0.819 for MEDS and 0.685 for Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (REMS). The hazard ratio of univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses of REMS for EC patients was1.457 (p = 0.011) and 1.374 (p = 0.025), respectively. CONCLUSION: Physicians must pay attention to high-risk patients according to clinical clues and arrange imaging studies as soon as possible to confirm the diagnosis of EC. MEDS and REMS are helpful for clinical staff in predicting the clinical outcome of EC patients. If EC patients feature higher scores of MEDS (≥12) and REMS (≥10), they will have higher mortality.

Should midline diastema in mixed dentition be an aesthetic concern?

BACKGROUND: Mixed dentition determines an important period of occlusion development in childhood. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the aesthetic impact of the midline diastema cut-off point in mixed dentition. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed with 257 children aged 8-10 years in late mixed dentition, with midline diastema of 1-5 mm and normal maxillary overjet. Orthodontic Aesthetic Subjective Impact Score determined the aesthetic impact of the midline diastema. Four quartiles of diastema measurements and impact scores were considered as cut-off points. Receiver Operating Characteristic curves were constructed, and the distances representing the distances to the ideal point were calculated. The Yuden index determined the efficiency of measuring the diastema to assess the aesthetic impact. The Kruskal-Wallis test compared the groups of participants classified according to the diastema cut-off by the sample quartile regarding the impact score. The analyses were performed with a significance level of 5%. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the four groups of measurement quartiles of the diastema regarding the aesthetic impact (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: The perception of dental aesthetics in mixed dentition children was not affected by the midline diastema, regardless of the cut-off point.

Analysis of Therapeutic Decisions for Infantile Hemangiomas: A Prospective Study Comparing the Hemangioma Severity Scale with the Infantile Hemangioma Referral Score.

BACKGROUND: In view of the high incidence of infantile hemangioma (IH) in infants and young children, a comprehensive and reasonable evaluation scale for referral is urgently needed. This study compared the influence of the Hemangioma Severity Scale (HSS) and the Infantile Hemangioma Referral Score (IHReS) on treatment decisions for infantile hemangioma patients. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to establish a reliable and effective evaluation method for referral. METHODS: This was a prospective study to determine whether treatment was needed for IH patients after evaluation with the HSS and IHReS. RESULTS: A total of 266 consecutive referred IH patients were evaluated for the risk of IH, and the treatment rate was 80.8%. The area under the curve (AUC) of the subject receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of treatment decision making after referral by the HSS was 0.703 (95% CI: 0.634-0.772), and after referral by the IHReS was 0.892 (95% CI: 0.824-0.960). LIMITATIONS: This was a single-center study. CONCLUSIONS: For decisions regarding the treatment of IH patients, the IHReS has a higher efficiency and sensitivity than the HSS. However, the specificity of the IHReS is lower than that of the HSS.

Performance of Scoring Systems in Predicting Clinical Outcomes of Patients with Emphysematous Pyelonephritis: A 14-Year Hospital-Based Study.

Background: Emphysematous pyelonephritis (EPN) is a rare but severe necrotizing infection causing there to be gas in the pelvicalyceal system, renal parenchyma, and perirenal or pararenal space. Physicians should attend to EPN because of its life-threatening septic complications. The overall mortality rate has been reported to be as high as 20−40%. In addition, most patients had diabetes mellitus (DM) and obstructive uropathy. The most common isolated microorganism is Escherichia coli. This study aims to analyze the risk factors and performance of scoring systems in predicting the clinical outcomes of patients with EPN. Materials and Methods: We collected the data of patients with EPN in this single hospital-based retrospective study from the electronic medical records of Taichung Veterans General Hospital between January 2007 and December 2020. Radiological investigations of abdominal computed tomography (CT) confirmed the diagnosis of EPN. In addition, we analyzed demographics, clinical characteristics, and laboratory data. Finally, we used various scoring systems to predict clinical outcomes. Results: A total of fifty patients with EPN, whose diagnoses were confirmed through CT, were enrolled in the study. There were 18 males (36%) and 32 females (64%), with a mean age of 64.3 ± 11.3 years. The in-hospital mortality rate was 16%. A DM of 34 (68%) patients was the most common comorbidity. Fever was the most common symptom, found in 25 (50%) patients. The Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score was 4.64 ± 3.67 for survivors and 14.25 ± 5.34 for non-survivors (p < 0.001). The National Early Warning Score (NEWS) was 3.64 ± 2.33 for survivors and 7.13 ± 4.85 for non-survivors (p = 0.046). The Rapid Emergency Medicine Score (REMS) was 5.81 ± 1.97 for survivors and 9.13 ± 3.87 for non-survivors (p = 0.024). Regarding performance of mortality risk prediction, the AUC of ROC was 0.932 for MEDS, 0.747 for REMS, and 0.72 for NEWS. Conclusions: MEDS, REMS, and NEWS could be prognostic tools for the prediction of the clinical outcomes of patients with EPN. MEDS showed the best sound performance. In those with higher scores in MEDS (≥12), REMS (≥10), and NEWS (≥8), we recommended aggressive management and appropriate antimicrobial therapy as soon as possible to reduce mortality. Further large-scale studies are required to gain a deep understanding of this disease and to ensure patient safety.

The Diagnostic Value of Mitochondrial Mass of Peripheral T Lymphocytes in Early Sepsis.

Background: Studies have shown that lymphocyte dysfunction can occur during the early stages of sepsis and that cell dysfunction is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. Therefore, quantifying the mitochondrial function of lymphocytes in patients with sepsis could be valuable for the early diagnosis of sepsis. Methods: Seventy-nine patients hospitalized from September 2020 to September 2021 with Sepsis-3 were retrospectively analyzed and subsequently compared with those without sepsis. Results: Univariate analysis showed statistical differences between the data of the two groups regarding age, neutrophil/lymphocyte, procalcitonin (PCT), C-reactive protein, total bilirubin, serum creatinine, type B natriuretic peptide, albumin, prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, lactic acid, single-cell mitochondrial mass (SCMM)-CD3, SCMM-CD4, SCMM-CD8, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II score (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis performed on the indicators mentioned above demonstrated a statistical difference in PCT, lactic acid, SCMM-CD4, and SCMM-CD8 levels between the two groups (P < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic curves of five models were subsequently compared [area under the curve: 0.740 (PCT) vs. 0.933 (SCMM-CD4) vs. 0.881 (SCMM-CD8) vs. 0.961 (PCT + SCMM-CD4) vs. 0.915 (PCT+SCMM-CD8), P < 0.001]. Conclusion: SCMM-CD4 was shown to be a better diagnostic biomarker of early sepsis when compared with the traditional biomarker, PCT. Furthermore, the value of the combination of PCT and SCMM-CD4 in the diagnosis of early sepsis was better than that of SCMM-CD4 alone.

Predictive Value of Clinical and Pathological Characteristics for Metastatic Radioactive Iodine-Refractory Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma: A 16-year Retrospective Study.

Purpose: To assess predictive value of clinical and pathological characteristics for metastatic radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinoma (RAIR-DTC) in early stage retrospectively. Methods: We studied 199 metastatic DTC patients who were divided into two groups (TgAb negative and TgAb positive). The stimulated Tg (Sti-Tg) at the first and second radioiodine therapy (RIT) were defined as Sti-Tg1 and Sti-Tg2, the suppressed Tg (Sup-Tg) were designated as Sup-Tg1 and Sup-Tg2, while the TgAb were defined as TgAb1 and TgAb2, respectively. Univariate analysis and Logistic regression were used to investigate the effects of 13 observed factors to predict RAIR-DTC. Results: In TgAb negative group, ROC curve analysis showed that cut-off values of age, Sti-Tg2/Sti-Tg1 and Sup-Tg2/Sup-Tg1 to predict RAIR-DTC were 40 years old, 57.0% and 81.0%, respectively. Age, extrathyroid invasion, Sti-Tg2/Sti-Tg1, Sup-Tg2/Sup-Tg1 and BRAF gene mutation were proved to be independent factors predicting RAIR-DTC. In TgAb-positive group, ROC curve analysis showed that cut-off values of age, TgAb1 and TgAb2/TgAb1 to predict RAIR-DTC were 55 years old, 297 IU/ml (14.8 times higher than the upper limit) and 53.6%, respectively. Conclusions: For TgAb-negative DTC, age over 40, extraglandular invasion, mutated BRAF gene, Sti-Tg decreased less than 43%, and Sup-Tg decreased less than 19% after the first two courses of RIT were independent predictors for RAIR-DTC. For TgAb-positive DTC, age over 55, extraglandular invasion, mutated BRAF gene, distant metastasis before RIT, TgAb level 14.8 times higher than the upper limit, TgAb dropped less than 46.4% after two courses of RIT were influencing factors.

Diagnostic test of dynamic computed tomography in early gastrointestinal lymphoma and precancerous lesions.

Background: In recent years, with the development of imaging technology, the accurate diagnosis of precancerous lesions of digestive system and early lymphoma has attracted wide attention in the medical field. Methods: In this study, 82 patients with gastrointestinal diseases, including 32 patients with early gastrointestinal lymphoma and 50 patients with gastrointestinal precancerous lesions, underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning. The difference (δ1, δ2) and ratio (Q1, Q2) of density between arterial phase, portal phase and plain scan were measured and compared, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the subjects was drawn. Results: The results showed no statistically significant differences in the general condition of patients or a difference for the results of the arterial phase δ1 and Q1 between the two groups (P>0.05). However, the portal venous phase δ2 and Q2 in the early lymphoma group and in precancerous lesion group were 29.50±6.05, 41.55±10.10 Hounsfield units (HU), and 1.70±0.05, 2.06±0.31, respectively. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) values for δ2 and Q2 to identify the two diseases were 0.755 and 0.878, respectively. When δ2 and Q2 were 35.63 and 1.86 HU, the specificity was 89.60% and 67.50%, and sensitivity was 89.60% and 64.90%, respectively. When the two indexes, δ2 and Q2, were combined, the specificity and sensitivity of diagnosis were 98.99% and 56.80%, respectively. Conclusions: Dynamic contrast-enhanced CT can effectively distinguish early gastrointestinal lymphoma from precancerous lesions and improve the diagnostic accuracy.

Climate change diminishes the potential habitat of the bont tick (Amblyomma hebraeum): evidence from Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the response of vector habitats to climate change is essential for vector management. Increasingly, there is fear that climate change may cause vectors to be more important for animal husbandry in the future. Therefore, knowledge about the current and future spatial distribution of vectors, including ticks (Ixodida), is progressively becoming more critical to animal disease control. METHODS: Our study produced present (2018) and future (2050) bont tick (Amblyomma hebraeum) niche models for Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe. Specifically, our approach used the Ensemble algorithm in Biomod2 package in R 3.4.4 with a suite of physical and anthropogenic covariates against the tick's presence-only location data obtained from cattle dipping facilities. RESULTS: Our models showed that currently (the year 2018) the bont tick potentially occurs in 17,008 km2, which is 60% of Mashonaland Central Province. However, the models showed that in the future (the year 2050), the bont tick will occur in 13,323 km2, which is 47% of Mashonaland Central Province. Thus, the models predicted an ~ 13% reduction in the potential habitat, about 3685 km2 of the study area. Temperature, elevation and rainfall were the most important variables explaining the present and future potential habitat of the bont tick. CONCLUSION: Results of our study are essential in informing programmes that seek to control the bont tick in Mashonaland Central Province, Zimbabwe and similar environments.

A diagnostic test: combined detection of heparin-binding protein, procalcitonin, and C-reactive protein to improve the diagnostic accuracy of bacterial respiratory tract infections.

Background: Respiratory tract infection (RTI) is one of the most common diseases worldwide, and its incidence is rising year by year due to environmental pollution. Sputum culture remains the gold standard for RTI diagnosis, but its performance is limited by difficulties related to the sampling and testing of the sputum specimens. Heparin-binding protein (HBP), procalcitonin (PCT), and C-reaction protein (CRP) are Inflammatory markers. They have the advantage of being fast, accurate and reproducible, but limited by their sensitivity and specificity. We explored the clinical value of the combined detection of them in the diagnosis of bacterial RTIs. Methods: Patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were selected as the case group, healthy age- and sex-matched subjects were enrolled as a control group. The subjects' HBP, PCT, and CRP levels were detected. The case group was further divided into two groups according to the bacterial culture results, and the differences in the markers were statistically analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn, and the areas under the ROC curve (AUCs) were calculated to analyze the diagnostic values of each marker and their combination in parallel for bacterial RTIs. Results: The plasma HBP, PCT, and CRP levels of patients in the bacterial and non-bacterial infection groups were significantly higher than those of patients in the healthy control group, and were positively correlated to the severity of the disease. for HBP with an AUC of 0.785 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.686-0.884], a sensitivity of 0.821, a specificity of 0.771; PCT with an AUC of 0.767 (95% CI: 0.664-0.870), a sensitivity of 0.773, a specificity of 0.791, and CRP with an AUC of 0.748 (95% CI: 0.642-0.854), a sensitivity of 0.839, a specificity of 0.696 in the bacterial and non-bacterial infection groups. The combined detection of HBP + CRP had the optimal diagnostic performance, with an AUC of 0.797 (95% CI: 0.698-0.895; P<0.001), a sensitivity of 0.809, a specificity of 0.800. Conclusions: The combined detection of HBP and CRP is valuable for diagnosing bacterial RTIs and may guide the development of reasonable treatment protocols in clinical settings.

Ultrasound cardiogram-based diagnosis of cardiac hypertrophy from hypertension and analysis of its relationship with expression of autophagy-related protein.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound cardiogram is commonly used in the diagnosis of cardiac hypertrophy from hypertension. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the occurrence of cardiac hypertrophy from hypertension with the expression of autophagy-related protein 9A (ATG9a). METHODS: In this study, 168 patients with hypertension in the Guizhou Medical University from February 2020 to September 2021 were selected. The patients were divided into an experimental group (cardiac hypertrophy group) and a normal group according to the results of ultrasound cardiogram examination, and serum ATG9a levels in the two groups were detected. The association between ATG9a and cardiac hypertrophy from hypertension and the relationship between serum ATG9a and ultrasound cardiogram indicators were analyzed. And a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to analyze the value of ATG9a in the diagnosis of cardiac hypertrophy from hypertension. RESULTS: The results showed that there were no significant differences in age, diastolic blood pressure, hypertension course, body mass index (BMI), smoking history, and drinking history between the experimental and normal groups (P>0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that compared with the normal control group, ATG9a increased significantly (P<0.05) and systolic blood pressure decreased significantly in the experimental group. The results showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of serum ATG9a was 0.736, the sensitivity was 76.54%, and the specificity was 78.42% in the diagnosis of cardiac hypertrophy from hypertension. Pearson correlation analysis showed that ATG9a was positively correlated with left ventricular posterior wall thickness (LVPWT) and interventricular septal thickness (IVST) in patients with cardiac hypertrophy from hypertension, and was negatively correlated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Serum ATG9a may be involved in the formation of cardiac hypertrophy in hypertensive patients. Our results, which showed that serum ATG9a level increased in cardiac hypertrophy patients, were consistent with the clinical ultrasonic cardiogram diagnosis result, and ATG9a is expected to be a marker for early ultrasonic cardiogram diagnosis.

Groundwater Potential Zone Mapping Using Analytical Hierarchy Process and GIS in Muga Watershed, Abay Basin, Ethiopia.

Groundwater is an important resource that contributes significantly to the total annual water supply. The purpose of the present study is to assess and delineate the groundwater recharge zone using geospatial technology through an analytical hierarchal process (AHP) method in to the Muga watershed, Abay Basin. Remote sensing satellite images and the corresponding data are used for the preparation of thematic layers, viz., geology, rainfall, slope, soil, curvature, topography wetness index, elevation, drainage density, land use land cover, and lineament density of the study watershed. All thematic layers are integrated with a multicriteria evaluation technique. Weighted overlay index analysis is carried out to give rank for each parameter. The weight is assigned for each thematic layer depending on the AHP technique. The reliability of the output is checked by the calculated consistency index and consistency ratio which is reasonably acceptable (0.044 < 0.1). Verification is done by considering the groundwater well locations in the validation datasets. The receiver operating characteristic curve and area under curve (=82.9%) are used to explore the prediction accuracy.

Relationship between Severity of Varus Osteoarthritis of the Knee and Contracture of Medial Structures.

BACKGROUND: Knees with severe varus osteoarthritis can develop medial structure contracture. However, there is no report on the relationship between severity of varus deformity and contracture of the medial structure. We aimed to determine the threshold angle that could be corrected in proportion to the width of medial osteophyte removal and to examine correction differences between angles larger and smaller than the threshold angle in total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: This study included 27 varus osteoarthritic knees scheduled for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). A navigation system was used to measure hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA) in all knees at maximum extension and 30˚ and 60˚ flexion, before and after osteophyte removal and with and without external 10 N-m valgus torque loads. Subsequently, resected osteophyte widths were measured. Mean correction angle per 1 mm of osteophyte removal was calculated, and the threshold angle was calculated with the receiver operating characteristic curve. HKA differences were compared against deformities larger and smaller than the threshold angle. RESULTS: Mean osteophyte width was 7.1±2.20 mm. Osteophyte removal produced a mean 3.1° correction, which equaled a 0.4° correction per 1 mm of osteophyte width removal. The varus deformity threshold angle was 9.5°. However, when comparing groups with angles larger and smaller than the threshold angle, there was no significant difference in HKA difference between each step and flexion angle. CONCLUSIONS: The threshold angle for expected correction with medial osteophyte removal was 9.5˚. However, because there were no differences in correction between those with angles larger or smaller than this, medial structure contracture seemed to be unrelated to the severity of deformity.

Systems biomarker characteristics of circulating alkaline phosphatase activities for 48 types of human diseases.

BACKGROUND: Most human diseases are accompanied by systems changes. Systems biomarkers should reflect such changes. The phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of biomolecules maintain human homeostasis. However, the systems biomarker characteristics of circulating alkaline phosphatase, a routine blood test conducted for many human diseases, have never been investigated. METHOD: This study retrieved the circulating alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities from patients with 48 clinically confirmed diseases and healthy individuals from the database of our hospital during the past five years. A detailed analysis of the statistical characteristics of ALP was conducted, including quantiles, receiving operator curve (ROC), and principal component analysis. RESULTS: Among the 48 diseases, 45 had increased, and three had decreased median levels of ALP activities compared to the healthy control. Preeclampsia, hepatic encephalopathy, pancreatic cancer, and liver cancer had the highest median values, whereas nephrotic syndrome, lupus erythematosus, and nephritis had decreased median values compared to the healthy control. Further, area under curve (AUC) values were ranged between 0.61 and 0.87 for 19 diseases, and the ALP activities were the best systems biomarker for preeclampsia (AUC 0.87), hepatic encephalopathy (AUC 0.87), liver cancer (AUC 0.81), and pancreatic cancer (AUC 0.81). CONCLUSIONS: Alkaline phosphatase was a decent systems biomarker for 19 different types of human diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of over-up-and-down-regulation of ALP activities might be the key to understanding the whole-body systems' reactions during specific disease progression.

Establish deferral criterion for HIV serological testing in blood donors / 中国输血杂志

【Objective】 To establish deferral criterion of HIV ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and electrochemiluminescence immunoassay(ECLIA) by using receiver operating characteristic curve(ROC) method to screen HIV reactive blood donors suitable for entering the re-entry process and improve the management efficiency of reactive blood donors. 【Methods】 The test results of 92 001 blood donors from February to September 2019 were analyzed, and 177 reactive samples were screened by conventional screening mode (twice ELISA and once nucleic acid), supplemented with electrochemiluminescence immunoassay assay (ECLIA), and confirmed by Western blotting (WB). Screening reactive samples were divided into three groups: group A was both serological and nucleic acid reactivity, group B was only serological reactive, and group C was only nucleic acid reactivity. Its efficacy in blood donor classification was assessed by drawing ROC curves with 99% specific corresponding S/CO low values as the deferral criterion of the corresponding serological method. 【Results】 1) A total of 177 HIV reactive samples were detected in conventional mode, including 34 in group A, 142 in Group B and 1 in Group C. The positive predictive value (PPV) was 100%, 0.75% and 100%, respectively. ECLIA detection mode (once ECLIA and once NAT), a total of 67 HIV reactive samples including 34 in group A, 32 in group B and 1 in group C, with positive predictive values of 100%, 3.7% and 100%, respectively.2) The HIV test results showed diversity, with 36 true positive samples including 1 HIV elite controller and 3 early HIV infections (1 HIV ELISA antigen/antibody window and 2 ELISA HIV antibody window), and 32 serological and NAT cases were reactive infections.3) The deferral limit of ELISA 1 and ELISA 2 in conventional screening mode were 20.25 and 9.85, respectively, can screen 97.14% (34/35) of all true positive samples in group A and B, except for one ELISA HIV antibody window (ELISA 2 reactivity). The positive predictive values were 93.94% and 92.85%, respectively. The ECLIA deferral limit of 7.83 can screens all true positive samples in Groups A and B (35/35)in ECLIA mode. The positive predictive value was 94.59%. 【Conclusion】 The establishment of deferral limits in this study can effectively screen HIV-positive blood donors, and the number of screened blood donors is greatly reduced, which is helpful to fine and scientific management of HIV-reactive blood donors. The deferral limit values of different testing reagents are quite different, so each laboratory should choose appropriate testing methods to establish the deferral limit values suitable for the laboratory according to its own testing ability, so as to provide technical support for optimizing the process of returning blood donors to the team.