PURPOSE: This study aimed to identify potential epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations in non-small cell lung cancer that went undetected by amplification refractory mutation system-Scorpion real-time PCR (ARMS-PCR). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 200 specimens were obtained from the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from August 2014 to August 2015. In total, 100 ARMS-negative and 100 ARMS-positive specimens were evaluated for EGFR gene mutations by Sanger sequencing. The methodology and sensitivity of each method and the outcomes of EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) therapy were analyzed. RESULTS: Among the 100 ARMS-PCR-positive samples, 90 were positive by Sanger sequencing, while 10 cases were considered negative, because the mutation abundance was less than 10%. Among the 100 negative cases, three were positive for a rare EGFR mutation by Sanger sequencing. In the curative effect analysis of EGFR-TKIs, the progression-free survival (PFS) analysis based on ARMS and Sanger sequencing results showed no difference. However, the PFS of patients with a high abundance of EGFR mutation was 12.4 months [95% confidence interval (CI), 11.6−12.4 months], which was significantly higher than that of patients with a low abundance of mutations detected by Sanger sequencing (95% CI, 10.7−11.3 months) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The ARMS method demonstrated higher sensitivity than Sanger sequencing, but was prone to missing mutations due to primer design. Sanger sequencing was able to detect rare EGFR mutations and deemed applicable for confirming EGFR status. A clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs in patients with rare EGFR mutations is needed.
Adenocarcinoma/genetics ; Adenocarcinoma/pathology ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Disease-Free Survival ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms/genetics ; Lung Neoplasms/pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Mutation/genetics ; Mutation Rate ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction/methods ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor/genetics ; Sequence Analysis, DNA/methods ; Treatment Outcome

Stroke rescue features strong time sensitivity and high complexity. Minimizing the time of consumption in pre-hospital and in-hospital stroke rescue is key to improve stroke rescue efficiency and reduce the disability rate. In December 2017, a tertiary hospital launched the construction of a one-stop stroke rescue platform. This platform was centered on " multi-mode image fusion operating room" , operating as a one-stop rescue mode integrating emergency admission, imaging examination, intravenous thrombolytic therapy, mechanical thrombolytic therapy, postoperative evaluation, and so on. The seamless convergence workflow of pre-hospital, in-hospital and post-hospital could effectively optimize the physical rescue pathway. In order to ensure the efficient and orderly operation of the platform, the hospital adopted such measures as multidisciplinary integration, pre-hospital and in-hospital integration construction, and regional stroke care network. Since its operation in September 2019, the platform has treated more than 1 000 patients by December 2021. The application of the platform had effectively improved the efficiency of stroke rescue, led the development of regional stroke rescue system, and provided the reference for raising the stroke rescue capacity and management level in China.

Objective:To compare the temperature rise curve and steady-state temperature of thulium and holmium laser in lithotripsy.Methods:This study was conducted from November to December 2021. Firstly, we designed an experimental water tank(10 cm×10 cm×10 cm) that can carry out constant temperature water bath, with a 8ml simulated renal pelvis, and can carry out constant velocity perfusion in the simulated renal pelvis. A 1 cm×1 cm×1 cm cubic artificial stone was placed in the simulated renal pelvis to perform 36.5℃-37.5 ℃ water bath. The simulated renal pelvis was closed with an oak plug, the temperature measuring probe and flexible ureteroscope were placed through the hole on the oak plug and entered into the simulated renal pelvis. Flexible ureteroscope was carried out by urologists. The lithotripsy lasted a total of 180 seconds for thulium and holmium laser respectively under different parameter settings (10 Hz×1.0 J, 10 Hz×2.0 J, 10 Hz×3.0 J, 20 Hz×0.5 J, 20 Hz×1.0 J, 20 Hz×1.5 J, the corresponding gravel power is 10 W, 20 W and 30 W respectively), the constant speed water pump flow rate was separate as the high flow rate group (35 ml/min) and low flow rate group (15ml/min), and leave a temperature probe 5mm around the optical fiber. Water temperature change during the lithotripsy was recorded by probes, the average of 10 temperature values of two probes measured every 5 seconds was taken as the water temperature value of this period, with a total of 216 time points in 6 parameter settings. Under the same parameter settings, the temperature of two lasers at each time point was plotted and compared to form the corresponding temperature rise curve. The average temperature in the last 30 seconds during lithotripsy in the record was used as the steady-state temperature, which of thulium and holmium laser lithotripsy was compared under the same parameter setting and the same water flow velocity. Finally, 43℃ was taken as the safety threshold temperature to evaluate whether the temperature of the two lasers during lithotripsy exceeds the safety threshold.Results:According to the temperature rise curve, the water temperature of thulium laser during lithotripsy was higher than that of holmium laser at 77.7% (168/216)of time points. At the flow rate of 15 ml/min, thulium laser was significantly higher than that of holmium laser at 10 Hz×1.0 J[(32.43±2.19℃)vs. (30.99±0.90)℃, P<0.01], 10 Hz×2.0 J[(41.21±3.30℃) vs. (38.13±1.26)℃, P<0.01], 10 Hz×3.0 J[(49.54±2.44)℃vs. (44.91±0.65)℃, P<0.01], 20 Hz×0.5 J[(32.75±1.41)℃vs. (30.84±1.16)℃, P<0.01], 20 Hz×1.0 J[(41.67±1.76)℃vs. (37.51±1.25)℃, P<0.01], 20 Hz×1.5 J [(47.54 ± 3.48)℃vs. (46.12±1.04)℃, P<0.01]. At the flow rate of 35 ml/min, the thulium laser was significantly higher than that of holmium laser at 10 Hz×1.0 J[(28.01±0.57)℃ vs. (26.84±0.97)℃, P<0.01], 10 Hz×2.0 J[(31.31±1.07)℃vs.(30.41±1.39)℃, P<0.01], 10 Hz×3.0 J[(33.29±0.70)℃vs.(32.25±2.55)℃, P<0.01], 20 Hz×0.5 J[(28.36±0.99)℃vs.(26.22±0.66)℃, P<0.01], 20 Hz×1.0 J [(30.80±2.06)℃vs.(30.08±0.78)℃, P=0.012], and the steady-state temperature was not significant different between two laser at 20 Hz×1.5 J [(34.54±3.08)℃ and(33.93±1.49)℃, P=0.163]. In the low flow rate group, thulium laser at 10 Hz×1.0 J, 10 Hz×2.0 J, 20 Hz×0.5 J and 20 Hz×1.0 J does not exceed the safety threshold temperature, while in the high flow rate group, any combination of laser parameters of the two lasers does not exceed the safety threshold temperature. Conclusion:Under the same laser parameter setting and flow rate, the thermal eff of thulium laser is more obvious. When using thulium laser for lithotripsy, the flow rate in the process of lithotripsy being faster than that of holmium laser with the same laser setting should be ensured to avoid tissue damage.

Objective:To compare the consistency of tomographic infrared spectrum analysis with conventional infrared spectrum analysis for the composition analysis of large-volume of urinary stones in vitro.Methods:Postoperative urinary stone specimens collected from 105 patients admitted to Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital from January 2019 to June 2021 were analyzed, including 81 (77.14%) kidney stones, 16 (15.24%) ureteral stones, and 8 (7.62%) bladder stones. All stones measured ≥0.8 cm in maximum diameter on preoperative imaging. Eighty-four specimens, which were mainly stone fragments, were collected from percutaneous nephrolithotomy and ureteroscopic lithotripsy. These 84 specimens were analyzed and retested for stone composition using conventional infrared spectrum analysis by random multiple sampling. Other 21 renal stone specimens were obtained by laparoscopic lithotomy or standard percutaneous nephrolithotomy after November 1, 2020. These 21 specimens had a maximum diameter of ≥0.8 cm measured postoperatively. Based on intraoperative observation, stone specimens with typical layered structures were chosed. Then, all 21 samples were analyzed and retested by conventional infrared spectrum analysis and tomographic infrared spectrum analysis, respectively. When using tomographic infrared spectrum analysis, we need to take two maximum cross sections with a vertical spacing of these sections >2 mm, then perform multiple points sampling according to the morphological stratification of the first section. If the section's structure was homogeneous, we equidistantly took 2 to 3 samples from the center to the periphery. Otherwise, every layer needed to take a stone sample according to the stratification. Putting all the results of one section together, we obtained complete tomographic infrared spectrum analysis data. Take another coaxial cross-section of the same specimen for retesting. We recorded the characteristics of the three-dimensional distribution of stone composition in 21 stone specimens. Meanwhile, we compared the consistency of the results of conventional infrared spectrum analysis and tomographic infrared spectrum analysis for the same sample.Results:The consistency rate of the conventional infrared spectrum analysis was 56.19% (59/105), and that of tomographic infrared spectrum analysis was 80.95% (17/21). The difference in consistency between two methods was statistically significant ( χ2=4.447, P=0.035). Among 21 specimens, the consistency rate of conventional infrared spectrum analysis was 38.10% (8/21), which was significantly lower than that of tomographic infrared spectrum analysis ( χ2=7.814, P=0.005). Regarding the characteristics of the three-dimensional distribution of the components, the color and crystal morphology of five common types of stone components were different, and layered structure in the cross-section of the stones were observed. When the calculi were of the same composition, they were displayed in different morphology. We observed a trending change in the composition ratio between sublayers from the center to the edge in some compound-composition stones. Conclusions:For the composition analysis of larger-volume urinary stones, tomographic infrared spectrum analysis showed a higher consistency of retesting than conventional infrared spectrum analysis, and the three-dimensional distribution of stone composition had some characteristic features.

【Objective】 The thermal effects of super-pulsed thulium fiber laser (TFL) at different powers,lithotripsy modes and irrigation rates were studied using a 3D kidney model to simulate ureteral lithotripsy in vivo. 【Methods】 A thermal effect model was established in vitro. Under the same conditions of laboratory temperature and equipment,the temperature around the optical fiber was measured and compared when different optical fiber diameters,powers,lithotripsy modes and irrigation rates were used to simulate lithotripsy by TFL. 【Results】 There was significant difference in the temperature around the optical fiber caused by two fibers with different diameters under the same conditions (P<0.05). Under the same conditions,different lithotripsic modes produced different temperatures,and the temperature of "high energy and low frequency" was lower than that of "low energy and high frequency" (P<0.05). When the power was 10 W and the minimum irrigation rate was 10 mL/min,the plateau temperature did not reach the safety threshold (43 ℃). When the power was 20 W and the minimum irrigation rate was 10 mL/min,the platform temperature exceeded the safety threshold. When the irrigation rate was 20 mL/min,the platform temperature did not reach the safety threshold. 【Conclusion】 In the study of ureteral lithotripsy in vitro,the power,mode,irrigation rate and optical fiber diameter are factors affecting the thermal effects of TFL. No matter what kind of lithotripsy mode and fiber diameter,the temperature around the fiber is safe when the lithotripsy power is ≤10 W and the irrigation rate is ≥10 mL/min;when the lithotripsy power is ≤20 W and the irrigation rate is ≥20 mL/min,the temperature around the fiber is safe.