Purpose To investigate the role of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology(US-FNAC)in the diagnosis of breast cancer.Methods Fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC)samples of 203 patients with breast cancer were selected and prepared by liquid-based cytology.The results of histopathology after neoadjuvant therapy were used as the gold standard to compare with the diagnostic results of FNAC samples,and then evaluated the diagnos-tic coincidence rate of FNAC samples.Results Of 203 axillary lymph node FNAC samples,111 cases were diagnosed as positive,38 cases were diagnosed as suspicious for positivity,and 54 cases were diagnosed as negative.The diag-nostic accuracy of FNAC was 85.2％,the sensitivity of FNAC was 98.0％,and the specificity of FNAC was 90.0％.Conclusion FNAC has high sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis.Sentinel lymph node biopsy is recommended for patients with negative FNAC but clinically and radiographically suspected lymph node metastasis.

Objective To develop and validate a scoring system to predict the possibility of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) conversion to laparotomy based on preoperative clinical data, and to establish a grading management model of surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 9 414 patients who underwent LC at Renhe Hospital and Huashan Hospital from June 2013 to June 2018. The patients were divided into two groups: the LC group (9 246 patients who successfully underwent LC) and the conversion to laparotomy group (168 patients who required conversion to open surgery). The data of two groups were compared, and the risk factors affecting conversion to laparotomy were screened out by single factor analysis of Chi-square test. Then, the risk factors were analyzed by multiple Logistic regression, and the pre-coefficient of each variable of the risk factors was assigned according to the established conversion to laparotomy possibility function. After calculating the score of each case, the difference in the actual conversion rate of each group was compared. The area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was calculated to evaluate the performance of the scoring system. According to the scoring system, LC surgical grading management model was created and verified. Results The following factors were identified as significant risk factors for conversion to laparotomy (P < 0.001): body temperature ≥ 38.5℃, frequency of acute cholecystitis ≥3 times, maximum thickness of gallbladder wall ≥ 5 mm, gallbladder neck stone incarceration, diameter of common bile duct ≥8 mm, and surgical experience ≤50 cases were the risk factors for conversion to laparotomy (P < 0.001). A score >3 points was associated with a high risk of conversion to laparotomy. Conclusions The LC scoring system and surgical grading management are reliable and effective tools for predicting and reducing the conversion rate of LC to laparotomy.

Purpose To investigate the role of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration cytology(US-FNAC)in the diagnosis of breast cancer.Methods Fine needle aspiration cytology(FNAC)samples of 203 patients with breast cancer were selected and prepared by liquid-based cytology.The results of histopathology after neoadjuvant therapy were used as the gold standard to compare with the diagnostic results of FNAC samples,and then evaluated the diagnos-tic coincidence rate of FNAC samples.Results Of 203 axillary lymph node FNAC samples,111 cases were diagnosed as positive,38 cases were diagnosed as suspicious for positivity,and 54 cases were diagnosed as negative.The diag-nostic accuracy of FNAC was 85.2％,the sensitivity of FNAC was 98.0％,and the specificity of FNAC was 90.0％.Conclusion FNAC has high sensitivity and accuracy in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis.Sentinel lymph node biopsy is recommended for patients with negative FNAC but clinically and radiographically suspected lymph node metastasis.

Objective:To effectively quantify and evaluate the quality of different deformation registration algorithms, in order to enhance the possibility of implementing deformation registration in clinical practice.Methods:The Jacobian determinant mean (JDM) is proposed based on the Jacobian determinant (JD) of displacement vector field (DVF), and the Jacobian determinant error (DJDE) is introduced by incorporating the JD of the inverse DVF. The optical flow method (OF-DIR) and fast demons method with elastic regularization (FD-DIR) were tested on nasopharyngeal and lung cancer datasets. Finally, JDM and DJDE with the Jacobian determinant negative percentage (JDNP), inverse consistency error (ICE) and normalized mean square error (NMSE) were used to evaluate the registration algorithms and compare the differences evaluation indicators in different tumor images and different algorithms, and the receiver operating curve (ROC) was analyzed in evaluation.Results:In lung cancer, OF-DIR outperformed FD-DIR in terms of JDM, NMSE, DJDE and ICE, and the difference was statistically significant( z = -2.24, -4.84, t = 4.01, 6.54, P<0.05). In nasopharyngeal carcinoma, DJDE, ICE and NMSE of OF-DIR were superior to FD-DIR, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 4.46, -7.49, z = -2.22, P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in JDM ( P>0.05). In lung cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, JDNP of OF-DIR was worse than that of FD-DIR, and the difference was statistically significant ( z = -4.29, -4.02, P<0.01). In addition, DJDE is more specific and sensitive on ROC curve (AUC=0.77), and has different performance result for tumor images at different sites. Conclusions:The JDM and DJDE evaluation metrics proposed are effective for deformation registration algorithms. OF-DIR is suitable for both lung cancer and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, while the influence of organ motion on the registration effect should be considered when using FD-DIR.

Background::Hyperglycemia frequently induces apoptosis in endothelial cells and ultimately contributes to microvascular dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM). Previous research reported that the expression of integrins as well as their ligands was elevated in the diseased vessels of DM patients. However, the association between integrins and hyperglycemia-induced cell death is still unclear. This research was designed to investigate the role played by integrin subunit β5 (ITGB5) in hyperglycemia-induced endothelial cell apoptosis.Methods::We used leptin receptor knockout (Lepr-KO) ( db/ db) mice as spontaneous diabetes animal model. Selective deletion of ITGB5 in endothelial cell was achieved by injecting vascular targeted adeno-associated virus via tail vein. Besides, we also applied small interfering RNA in vitro to study the mechanism of ITGB5 in regulating high glucose-induced cell apoptosis. Results::ITGB5 and its ligand, fibronectin, were both upregulated after exposure to high glucose in vivo and in vitro. ITGB5 knockdown alleviated hyperglycemia-induced vascular endothelial cell apoptosis and microvascular rarefaction in vivo. In vitro analysis revealed that knockdown of either ITGB5 or fibronectin ameliorated high glucose-induced apoptosis in human umbilical vascular endothelial cells (HUVECs). In addition, knockdown of ITGB5 inhibited fibronectin-induced HUVEC apoptosis, which indicated that the fibronectin-ITGB5 interaction participated in high glucose-induced endothelial cell apoptosis. By using RNA-sequencing technology and bioinformatic analysis, we identified Forkhead Box Protein O1 (FoxO1) as an important downstream target regulated by ITGB5. Moreover, we demonstrated that the excessive macroautophagy induced by high glucose can contribute to HUVEC apoptosis, which was regulated by the ITGB5-FoxO1 axis. Conclusion::The study revealed that high glucose-induced endothelial cell apoptosis was positively regulated by ITGB5, which suggested that ITGB5 could potentially be used to predict and treat DM-related vascular complications.

Objective To study the effect of Honokiol(HKL)on pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells in lipopolysaccharide(LPS)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome(ARDS)and its potential mechanism.Methods Mouse lung microvascular endothelial cells(PMVECs)were cultured with DMEM+10％FBS in a six-well plate and divided into control(Con)group 1,Honokiol(HKL)group 1,LPS treated(LPS)group 1,and LPS+HKL treatment(HKL+LPS)group 1.The levels of malondialdehyde(MDA)and reactive oxygen species(ROS)in cell lysates were determined by lipid peroxidation assay kit and H2DCF-DA,respectively.TUNEL/DAPI double staining was used to detect apoptosis.Cell junctions were visualized via VE-cadherin/DAPI and Claudin-5/DAPI double staining.Western blot was used to detect caspase-3,cleaved caspase-3,Sirt3,SOD2,and acetylated SOD2(Ac-SOD2)expression.Thirty-two mice were randomly divided into control(Con)group 2,Honokiol(HKL)group 2,LPS treated(LPS)group 2,and LPS+HKL treatment(HKL+LPS)group 2.Hematoxylin and eosin(HE)staining was used to observe pathological changes to the lung tissue.Results HKL pretreatment significantly reversed the LPS-induced increase in ROS and MDA levels(P＜0.05),SOD2 acetylation and Sirt3 down-regulation(P＜0.05).TUNEL and caspase analysis showed that HKL protected against the apoptosis of PMVECs induced by LPS.VE-cadherin fluorescence staining demonstrated that HKL pretreatment prevented LPS from disrupting cell adhesion junctions.Claudin-5 fluorescence staining showed that HKL pretreatment prevented LPS from disrupting the tight junctions between cells.In the animal experiments,HE staining showed that HKL significantly inhibited the typical pathological changes of ARDS in the lung tissue of mice in the LPS group.Conclusions HKL can significantly inhibit the LPS-induced oxidative stress,apoptosis,and cell-connection breakdown of PMVECs,thereby alleviating ARDS symptoms.

Objective Some colorectal cancer patients still face high recurrence rates and poor prognoses even after they have undergone the surgical treatment of radical resection.Identifying potential biochemical markers and therapeutic targets for the prognostic evaluation of patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer is crucial for improving their clinical outcomes.Recently,it has been reported that the T cell immunoglobulin and mucin domain protein 3(Tim-3)and its ligand galactose lectin 9(galectin-9)play crucial roles in immune dysfunction caused by various tumors,such as colorectal cancer.However,their expressions,biological functions,and prognostic value in colorectal cancer are still unclear.This study aims to investigate the relationship between Tim-3 and galectin-9 expression levels and the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients undergoing radical resection of colorectal cancer.Methods A total of 171 patients who underwent radical resection of colorectal cancer at Chengdu Fifth People's Hospital between February 2018 and March 2019 were selected.Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess the expression levels of Tim-3 and galectin-9 in the cancer tissue samples and the paracancerous tissue samples of the patients.The relationship between Tim-3 and galectin-9 expression levels and the baseline clinical parameters of the patients was analyzed accordingly.Kaplan-Meier analysis was performed to assess the association between Tim-3 and galectin-9 expression levels and the relapse-free survival(RFS)and the overall survival(OS)of colorectal cancer patients.Cox regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with adverse prognosis in the patients.Results The immunohistochemical results showed that the high expression levels of Tim-3 and galectin-9 were observed in 70.18%(120/171)and 32.16%(55/171),respectively,of the colorectal cancer tissues,whereas the low expression levels were 29.82%(51/171)and 67.84%(116/171),respectively.Furthermore,the expression score of Tim-3 was significantly higher in colorectal cancer tissues than that in the paracancerous tissues,while the expression score of galectin-9 was lower than that in the paracancerous tissues(P＜0.05).Further analysis revealed that the expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9 was associated with the depth of tumor infiltration,vascular infiltration,and clinical staging(P＜0.05).During the follow-up period of 14-63 months,7 out of 171 patients were lost to follow-up.Among the remaining patients,49 and 112 cases presented abnormally low expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9,respectively,whereas 115 and 52 cases presented high expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9,respectively.Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that patients with high Tim-3 expression in colorectal cancer tissues had significantly lower RFS and OS than those with low expression did(RFS:log-rank=22.66,P＜0.001;OS:log-rank=19.71,P＜0.001).Conversely,patients with low galectin-9 expression had significantly lower RFS and OS than those with high expression did(RFS:log-rank=19.45,P＜0.001;OS:log-rank=22.24,P＜0.001).Cox multivariate analysis indicated that TNM stage Ⅲ(HR=2.26,95%CI:1.20-5.68),high expression of Tim-3(HR=0.80,95%CI:0.33-0.91),and low expression of galectin-9(HR=1.80,95%CI:1.33-4.70)were independent risk factors affecting RFS and OS in patients(P＜0.05).Conclusion Aberrant expression of Tim-3 and galectin-9 is observed in colorectal cancer tissues.High expression of Tim-3 and low expression of galectin-9 are closely associated with adverse clinico-pathological characteristics and prognosis.They are identified as independent influencing factors that may trigger adverse prognostic events in patients.These findings suggest that Tim-3 and galectin-9 have potential as new therapeutic targets and clinical indicators.

Objective:To analyze the dosimetric differences of volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) plans for lung cancer caused by different dose calculation algorithms and radiation field settings and thus to provide a reference for designing clinical VMAT plans for lung cancer.Methods:This study randomly selected 20 patients with lung cancer and divided them into four groups of VMAT plans, namely, a group adopting two fields and two arcs based on the AAA algorithm (2F2A_AAA), a group employing two fields and two arcs based on the AXB algorithm (2F2A_AXB), a group using two fields and two arcs based on the MC algorithm (2F2A_MC), and a group adopting one field and two arcs based on the MC algorithm (1F2A_MC). Then, this study evaluated the target coverage, high-dose control, dose homogeneity index (HI), conformity index (CI), and organs at risk (OARs) of the plans using different algorithms and radiation field settings.Results:The planning target volume (PTV) results of two fields combined with two arcs (2F2A) of three groups using different algorithms are as follows. 2F2A_MC achieved better results in both D1% and V 95% (the relative volume of the target volume surrounded by 95% of the prescribed dose) of planning gross target volume (PGTV) than 2F2A_AAA (D1%: t=-2.44, P=0.03; V95%:z=-2.04, P=0.04) and 2F2A_AXB (D1%: t=2.34, P=0.03; z=-3.21, P < 0.01). 2F2A_AXB outperformed 2F2A_AAA ( z=-3.66, P < 0.01) and was comparable to 2F2A_MC in terms of the CI of PGTV. Regarding OARs, 2F2A_AXB and 2F2A_MC decreased the V5 Gy of the whole lung by 0.68% ( z=-2.69, P=0.01) and 3.05% ( z=-3.52, P < 0.01), respectively compared to 2F2A_AAA. 2F2A_AXB achieved a whole-lung Dmean of 1776.44 cGy, which was superior to that of 2F2A_MC ( t=2.67, P=0.02) and 2F2A_AAA ( t=8.62, P < 0.01). Compared to 2F2A_AAA and 2F2A_MC, 2F2A_AXB decreased the V20 Gy of Body_5 mm by 1.45% ( z=-3.88, P < 0.01) and 2.01% ( z=-3.66, P < 0.01), respectively. The results of the two groups with different field settings showed that 1F2A_MC was superior to 2F2A_MC in both the CI of PTV1 and the HI of PTV2 (CI: t=2.61, P=0.02; HI: z=-2.20, P=0.03). Moreover, 1F2A_MC increased the Dmean of the whole lung by 26.29 cGy compared to 2F2A_MC ( t=2.28, P=0.04). Conclusions:Regarding the design of VMAT plans for lung cancer, the MC algorithm is suitable for the target priority and the AXB algorithm is suitable for the OAR priority. When only the MC algorithm is available, it is recommended to choose 1F2A in the case of target priority and select 2F2A in the case of OAR priority.

Clostridioides difficile is a key pathogen of antibiotic related diarrhea and hospital associated infection, causing several outbreaks in Europe and North Americans and resulting in severe disease burden. However, the standardized diagnostic principle and detection specifications in C. difficile infection (CDI) survey are limited in China, and the infection rate and disease burden of CDI in China are unclear. Therefore, National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention,National Institute for Communicable Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, together with another 11 institutions, draft the group standard entitled "Diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection (T/CPMA 008-2020)" of Chinese Preventive Medicine Association. Based on the principle of "legality, scientificity, advancement, and feasibility", this standard clarifies risk factors, diagnosis principles, diagnoses and differential diagnoses in order to improve the accuracy of CDI diagnosis in clinical practice, guide the surveillance for CDI, and understand the infection rate and disease burden of CDI in China .

Objective:To compare the therapeutic outcomes between use of antibiotic cement versus non-use of antibiotic cement in the treatment of tibial osteomyelitis after radical debridement.Methods:A retrospective analysis was made of the 68 patients with local tibial osteomyelitis of Cierny-Mader Type Ⅳ who had been treated at Department of Orthopaedic Trauma, The Second People’s Hospital of Shenzhen from January 2010 to June 2015. The dead space was filled with antibiotic-impregnated bone cement beans after radical debridement of the infected bone in 32 of them (cement group) but was not in 36 of them (no-cement group). The operations for both groups were performed by the same surgical team who filled the bone defects after excision of infected bone using Ilizarov bone transport. The 2 groups were compared in terms of Paley functional scores of bone and limb, external fixation index (EFI), infection recurrence rate, total hospital costs and other complications.Results:The 2 groups were comparable because there was no significant difference between them in the preoperative general data ( P>0.05). The cement group was followed up for (71.2±8.9) months and the no-cement group for (71.6±9.7) months, showing no significant difference ( P>0.05). By the Paley functional scores, the good to excellent rate for bone was 100% for both groups (32/32 versus 36/36) while the good to excellent rate for limb was 93.8% (30/32) for the cement group and 94.4% (34/36) for the no-cement group, showing no significant differences between them ( P>0.05). The EFI was (49.0±10.5) d/cm for the cement group and (49.5±11.4) d/cm for the no-cement group, showing no significant differences between them ( P>0.05). The infection recurrence rate at the final follow-up was 3.12% (1/32) for the cement group and 2.78% (1/36) for the no-cement group, showing no significant differences between them ( P>0.05). The total hospital cost was (70,944.1 ± 1,135.5) Yuan RMB for the cement group and (55,205.2 ± 897.3) Yuan RMB for the no-cement group, showing a significant difference ( P<0.05). No serious complications with sequelae were found in either of the 2 groups. Conclusion:In the treatment of local tibial osteomyelitis of Cierny-Mader Type Ⅳ, it is not necessary to fill the dead space with antibiotic cement when radical debridement is achieved.