OBJECTIVEUsing the health economics methodology to assess the screening program on gastric cancer in Zhuanghe high risk area for gastric cancer, from 2001 to 2003 and to assess the feasibility on cost of the screening program and to provide a basis for the popularization of the two-time gastric cancer screening methodology.

METHODSThree major techniques of medical economics namely cost-effective analysis (CEA), cost-benefit analysis (CBA) and cost-utility analysis (CUA) were used to assess the screening program. The screening program was composed of two steps: (1) epidemiological survey and detection of blood pepsinogen; (2) gastroscopy and biopsy of membrane. 'Number of deaths reduced' was used to evaluate the effect during cost-effective analysis while cost-benefit analysis would include the evaluation on the direct cost and indirect cost, direct benefit and indirect benefit as well as the cost-benefit ratio (CBR). During CUA, a questionnaire of WHOQOL-BREF was used to assess the value of the utility while the number of quality adjusted life year (QALY) saved by the screening program was also computed. The direct cost of per saved QALY was also calculated.

RESULTSDada from CEA showed that: investing every 8448 Yuan on screening program and treatment in Zhuanghe high risk area of gastric cancer, one gastric cancer patient could be avoided. Results from CBA showed that: direct cost was 1,260,000 Yuan while indirect cost was 40 621 Yuan with direct benefit as 101 500 Yuan and indirect benefit as 1 540 979 Yuan. The total cost however, was 1,300,621 Yuan with total benefit as 2,555,979 Yuan and CBR was 1:1.97. Data from CUA showed that: a total number of 331.44 QALY was saved, 11.43 QALY was saved by reducing one death, 3802 Yuan per QALY was saved in high risk area of gastric cancer, through this screening program.

CONCLUSIONThe screening program of gastric cancer appeared to be an economic and society-beneficial measure regarding primary prevention in high risk area of gastric cancer. We also suggested that in the future, evaluations through health economics methodologies on different screening programs be carried out in the same population to solve the problem of comparability.

Adult ; China ; Cost-Benefit Analysis ; Feasibility Studies ; Female ; Health ; Humans ; Male ; Quality-Adjusted Life Years ; Risk ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; economics

Liver metastasis is responsible for the majority of death of patients with colorectal cancer. The hepatic resection is curative standard treatment of colorectal liver metastasis. More and more patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer were indicated to be resected because of progress in both surgical technique and systemic therapies. As a result, many surgeons take a more aggressive attitude towards the management of liver metastasis. In addition, multidisciplinary team of colorectal liver metastasis has helped to standardize clinical practice of synchronous and metachronous liver metastases.

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is classified in the family of parvovirdae, genus bocavirus. Besides parvovirus B19 and human parvovirus 4 (PARV4), HBoV isone of the parvoviruses currently known to infect and cause illness in human. So far, four different HBoVs (HBoV1-4) have been successively reported. The incidence of HBoVs infection varies widely, the clinical presentations of patients are different, and HBoVs are often co-detected with other pathogens. There are already quite a few report of HBoVs infection, and this article reviews and discusses the biological characters, epidemic characters, pathogenic mechanism, phylogenetic analyses of HBoVs and the epidemiological situation in China.
China ; epidemiology ; Gastrointestinal Diseases ; etiology ; Human bocavirus ; classification ; genetics ; immunology ; isolation & purification ; Humans ; Parvoviridae Infections ; epidemiology ; Phylogeny

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Sarcoma, Myeloid ; diagnosis ; Vulvar Neoplasms ; diagnosis

Objective To investigate the effects of monosodium tetrahexose ganglioside sodium (GM-1) combined with edaravone in the treatment of acute cerebral infarction (ACI) in patients with serum homocysteine (Hcy), high sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP). Methods 66 patients with ACI were randomly divided into observation group and control group, 33 cases were treated with conventional neurology. The control group was treated with edaravone. The observation group was treated with edaravone and GM-1. (NIHSS) score, serum hs-CRP and Hcy levels were compared between the two groups. Results The total effective rate of the observation group was 90.91%, which was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.05). After 21 days of treatment, the NIHSS score, serum Hcy and hs-CRP in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05 ). Conclusion GM-1 combined with edaravone is effective in the treatment of ACI, which can promote the rehabilitation of neurological function and living activity. Its mechanism may be related to its anti-inflammatory response, reduced Hcy level and protection of brain cell injury.

Objective To identify a locus for hereditary symmetrical dyschromatosis(HSD).Methods A genome-wide scan was performed with402microsatellite markers in two large Chinese HSD families to map the chromosome location of the susceptible gene.The LINKAGE software(Version5.10)and CYRILLIC soft-ware(Version2.01)were used for linkage and haplotype analysis.Results A locus was identified at chro-mosome1q11-1q21with a cumulative maximum two-point LOD score of8.85at microsatellite marker D1S2343(?=0.00).Haplotype analysis indicated that the candidate gene was located within11.6cM region between markers D1S2696and D1S2635.This was the first locus identified for HSD.This study provided a map location for isolation of the candidate genes causing HSD.Conclusion Chromosome1q11-1q21contains the candidate gene susceptible for dyschromatosis symmetrica hereditaria.

To investigate whether masticatory fatigue affects the fracture resistance and pattern of lower premolars restored with quartz-fiber post-core and full crown, 44 single rooted lower premolars recently extracted from orthodontic patients were divided into two groups of 22 each. The crowns of all teeth were removed and endodontically treated and then restored with quartz-fiber post-core and full crown. Twenty-two teeth in one group were selected randomly and circularly loaded at 45° to the long axis of the teeth of 127.4 N at a 6 Hz frequency, and the other group was not delivered to cyclic loading and considered as control. Subsequently, all teeth in two groups were continually loaded to fail at 45° to the long axis of the teeth at a crosshead speed of 1 mm⋅min(-1). The mean destructive force values were (733.88±254.99) and (869.14±280.26) N for the experimental and the control group, respectively, and no statistically significant differences were found between two groups (P>0.05). Bevel fracture and horizontal fracture in the neck of root were the major fracture mode of the specimens. Under the circumstances of this study, it seems that cyclic loading does not affect the fracture strength and pattern of the quartz-fiber post-core-crown complex.
Acid Etching, Dental ; methods ; Adult ; Bicuspid ; Bite Force ; Chromium Alloys ; chemistry ; Crowns ; Dental Prosthesis Design ; Dental Restoration Failure ; Dental Stress Analysis ; instrumentation ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; Methacrylates ; chemistry ; Phosphoric Acids ; chemistry ; Post and Core Technique ; instrumentation ; Quartz ; chemistry ; Resin Cements ; chemistry ; Stress, Mechanical ; Tooth Fractures ; physiopathology ; Tooth Root ; injuries ; Tooth, Nonvital ; rehabilitation

This paper presents a computer-aided diagnosis method for prostate cancer detection using Trans-rectal ultrasound(TRUS) images. Firstly, statistical texture analysis is implemented in every ROI in segmented prostate images. From each ROI, grey level difference vector features, edge-frequency features and texture features in frequency domain are constructed. Then, the number of features is reduced using ANOVA statistics to select the optimal feature subset. Finally, SVM is applied to the selected subset for detecting the cancer regions. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can recognize and detect the cancer images effectively so as to supply essential information for a diagnosis.
Algorithms ; Artificial Intelligence ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Male ; Neural Networks (Computer) ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Ultrasonography

In this paper, we propose that, the need of the costly re-initialization procedure can be completely eliminated by using the variation formulation, thus increasing the speed of computing operations. The edge detecting function in the geodesic active contour model is improved by incorporating a prior knowledge. The accuracy of the segmentation algorithm can be enhanced by using the minimal variance. Experimental results show that the proposed algorithm can segment the prostate ultrasound images effectively and avoid the problem of contour leakage.
Algorithms ; Humans ; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Male ; Pattern Recognition, Automated ; methods ; Prostate ; diagnostic imaging ; Ultrasonography ; instrumentation ; methods

Animals ; Disease Models, Animal ; Liver ; parasitology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Schistosomiasis japonica ; immunology ; Thiourea ; analogs & derivatives ; pharmacology