Humans ; COVID-19/genetics* ; SARS-CoV-2/genetics* ; Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats/genetics* ; CRISPR-Cas Systems/genetics* ; RNA, Viral/genetics*

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is an important tool for prostate cancer diagnosis, and accurate segmentation of MR prostate regions by computer-aided diagnostic techniques is important for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. In this paper, we propose an improved end-to-end three-dimensional image segmentation network using a deep learning approach to the traditional V-Net network (V-Net) network in order to provide more accurate image segmentation results. Firstly, we fused the soft attention mechanism into the traditional V-Net's jump connection, and combined short jump connection and small convolutional kernel to further improve the network segmentation accuracy. Then the prostate region was segmented using the Prostate MR Image Segmentation 2012 (PROMISE 12) challenge dataset, and the model was evaluated using the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and Hausdorff distance (HD). The DSC and HD values of the segmented model could reach 0.903 and 3.912 mm, respectively. The experimental results show that the algorithm in this paper can provide more accurate three-dimensional segmentation results, which can accurately and efficiently segment prostate MR images and provide a reliable basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment.
Male ; Humans ; Prostate/diagnostic imaging* ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted/methods* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging/methods* ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional/methods* ; Prostatic Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging*

Objective:To evaluate the safety and feasibility of applying injectable cross-linked sodium hyaluronate isolation gel in radical hypofractionated radiation therapy for prostate cancer.Methods:In this prospective study, patients at Beijing Hospital who were pathologically diagnosed with clinical stage T 1-2N 0M 0 prostatic acinar adenocarcinoma by puncture and underwent radical radiation therapy were included. All patients received ultrasound-guided cross-linked sodium hyaluronate isolation gel injection and image-guided intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IG-IMRT). The prescription dose was moderately hypofractionated, with a prescription dose of 60 Gy in 20 fractions for 5 times a week, once daily, which was delivered to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV) of prostate and seminal vesicle. Analyze the prostate rectal spacing (PRS) at the baseline, on the day of injection, during the radiotherapy, 1 month and 3 months after radiotherapy, changes in rectal volume before and after injection, and incidence of rectum-related side effects. The changes in all indexes before and after injection were analyzed by using t-test. Results:A total of 13 patients were enrolled from March 2022 to February 2023. The isolation gel maintained morphologic stability without significant spatial changes during radiotherapy, and the mid-prostate had the best effect, with PRS up to 1 cm. At 3 months after radiotherapy, the isolation gel was seen to decreased in volume with a certain absorptive capacity. The irradiated volume of rectum was decreased significantly in all patients after gel injection, and the mean volumes of rectal V 60 Gy , V 50 Gy , V 30 Gy , and V 20 Gy before and after injection were 1.923% vs. 0.280%, 10.255% vs. 3.172%, 29.602% vs. 18.800%, and 49.452% vs. 40.259% (all P<0.005). The average values (range) of rectal V 60 Gy , V 50 Gy , V 30 Gy , V 20 Gy decreases were 84.9%( 29% - 100%), 69.6%(27%-100%), 36.3%(0%-75%), and 17.8%(0%-50%), respectively. No grade 3-4 side effects occurred in all patients, and there were no common grade 1-2 rectal side effects such as diarrhea, rectal bleeding, proctitis and anal pain, etc. Only one patient developed grade 1 constipation during radiotherapy. Conclusion:Injection of Chinese made cross-linked sodium hyaluronate isolation gel can significantly reduce the irradiated volume of rectum and the incidence of rectal toxicities in prostate cancer patients undergoing radical radiotherapy.

Targeted programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) and CXC chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4), gene sequences encoding anti-PD-L1 nanobody and anti-CXCR4 nanobody were cloned into the pET-22b (+) vector to construct recombinant expression plasmid of anti-PD-L1&CXCR4 bispecific nanobody, which was connected with 6 × His tag and transformed into E.coli BL21 (DE3). The expressed proteins were then found to exist as a soluble form in the supernatant of bacterial lysate after induction of IPTG.Three purification methods were used to obtain the target protein in order to improve the yield and purity of the bispecific nanobody.The bacterial supernatant was separated and purified by His Trap FF affinity chromatographic column.The target protein output could exceed 1 mg/L, and the product purity could reach up to 97%.Besides, the anti-PD-L1&CXCR4 bispecific nanobody shows a specific binding ability to two antigens on the cell surface, enhancing the cytotoxicity of IL-2 activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to tumor cell line AsPC-1, which lays the foundation for further evaluation of its drug efficacy in vivo.

The launch of direct-acting antiviral agents is a milestone in the treatment of hepatitis C, but further studies are needed to explore its specific timing and effectiveness in liver transplantation for HCV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This article summarizes related guidelines, consensus statements, and recommendations in China and globally and the advantages of different treatment timing strategies. Furthermore, a retrospective analysis of related studies is performed to investigate the controversial topic of the impact of direct-acting antiviral agents on the recurrence rate of HCV-related HCC after liver transplantation, and it is pointed that direct-acting antiviral agents can reduce the risk of HCC recurrence in liver transplant recipients with HCV-related HCC. The selection of treatment timing should consider various factors such as liver function, waiting time for donors, and utilization of HCV-positive organs.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of remote monitoring of neonatal jaundice in newborns with ABO hemolytic disease. METHODS: Forty six neonates of gestational age >35 weeks with ABO hemolytic disease admitted to Women's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 20th, 2020 to February 29th, 2020 were enrolled in the study (study group). The newborns were followed up at home after discharge, the transcutaneous bilirubin (TCB) levels were measured by parents using the provided device and the results were sent to the doctor by smart phone using the installed APP. Fifty six newborns with ABO hemolytic disease admitted in 2018 who received conventional outpatient follow-up after discharge served as the control group. The demographic characteristics, total serum bilirubin (TSB) level during hospitalization, number of outpatient visit and rate of re-admission due to rebound hyperbilirubinemia were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in gestational age, birth weight, delivery mode, gender, length of the first hospitalization, TSB level before phototherapy and before discharge, and the managements during the first hospitalization (all CONCLUSIONS The remote follow-up for neonatal jaundice at home can effectively reduce the number of outpatient visits without increasing the risk of readmission and severe neonatal hyperbilirubinemia for newborns with ABO hemolytic disease.
Bilirubin ; Erythroblastosis, Fetal/diagnosis* ; Female ; Humans ; Hyperbilirubinemia, Neonatal/diagnosis* ; Infant, Newborn ; Jaundice, Neonatal/diagnosis* ; Monitoring, Physiologic/methods* ; Phototherapy

Objective:To investigate the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) and stroke on long-term outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:Total 411 consecutive ACS patients undergoing PCI at the Ninth People′s Hospital of Zhengzhou between December 2014 and June 2018 were recruited, including 319 males and 92 females with a mean age of (64.7±10.1) years. These patients were divided into 4 groups according to the presence or absence of history of diabetes or stroke: non-DM non-stroke group ( n=192) , DM group ( n=140), stroke group ( n=41), and DM+stroke group ( n=38). The data of baseline demographic characteristics, clinical feature, coronary angiographic findings, and cardiovascular adverse events during long-term follow-up were obtained. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to investigate the long-term clinical outcomes among groups. Results:The mean interval of follow-up was (24.1±13.8) months. Patients with DM+stroke had the highest rates of non-fetal myocardial infarction (χ 2=24.932) , non-fetal stroke (χ 2=9.434) , hospitalization due to heart failure/angina (χ 2=69.290) , revascularization (χ 2=22.918) , cardiovascular death(χ 2=13.473)and all-cause death(χ 2=17.724)as well as hard endpoint events (the sum of non-fetal myocardial infarction, non-fetal stroke, and all-cause death) (χ 2=30.268)and combined major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) (the sum of hard endpoint events, hospitalization due to heart failure/angina, and revascularization) (χ 2=119.556)among 4 groups(all P<0.01). In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the cumulative ratio of freedom from all-cause death decreased significantly in DM+stroke group compared with no DM no stroke group ( HR=17.121, 95 %CI: 2.527-115.934, P<0.01), but no statistical difference was observed in the cumulative ratio of freedom from all-cause death between DM+stroke group and DM group or stroke group respectively ( HR=3.178, 95 %CI: 0.744-13.582; HR=1.383, 95 %CI: 0.374-5.118; all P>0.05) . Meanwhile, patients with DM+stroke presented significantly lower cumulated ratio free from combined MACE than patients with non-DM non-stroke ( HR=5.423, 95 %CI:2.941-10.036, P<0.01), and the cumulated ratio free from combined MACE also decreased significantly in DM+stroke group as compared to DM group or stroke group respectively ( HR=1.859,95 %CI: 1.167-2.962; HR=1.991,95 %CI: 1.178-3.364; all P<0.01) . Conclusions:ACS patients with combined history of DM and stroke have a worse long-term outcomes after PCI than those with DM alone or stroke alone or without DM or stroke. DM and stroke seemed to have an additive effect on decrease in the cumulative ratio free from combined MACE in ACS patients following PCI.

Objective:To investigate the serotype features of group B Streptococcus (GBS) vaginal colonization in late pregnancies and their relationship with early-onset neonatal GBS disease (GBS-EOD). Methods:Thirty-two strains were isolated from neonates delivered by GBS-positive mothers and hospitalized for GBS-EOD in Xiamen Maternal and Child Care Hospital from June 2016 to June 2018. Another 266 strains were isolated from vaginal samples from randomly selected late pregnant women who received antenatal screening and delivered in the same hospital during the same period with an allocation ratio of 12∶1. A total of 298 strains from mothers and 32 strains from neonates were involved. Every isolate was serotyped with latex agglutination assay. GBS infection caused by eleven serotypes and the correlation between GBS serotypes in late pregnant women and neonatal GBS-EOD were analyzed. Qualitative variables were compared using Chi-square or Fisher's exact test. A correlation analysis was presented by the column contact number C. Multiple analysis of multiple sample rates was performed with Post hoc testing. Differences between groups were analyzed according to the adjusted standardized residual. Results:A total of nine serotypes were identified among the 298 strains isolated from the mothers. The most prevalent serotype wasⅢ [55.0% (164/298)], followed byⅠb [16.4% (49/298)], Ⅰa [11.1% (33/298)], Ⅴ [9.4% (28/298)], Ⅱ [5.0% (15/298)], non-typable [NT, 1.0% (3/298)], and Ⅵ, Ⅷ and Ⅸ [0.7% (2/298) in each]. Neither Ⅳ nor Ⅶ serotype was identified. The 32 strains isolated from neonates with GBS-EOD belonged to five serotypes, which were Ⅲ [18/32 (56.3%)], Ⅰa [8/32 (25.0%)], Ⅰb [3/32 (9.4%)], Ⅱ [2/32 (6.2%)] and Ⅴ [1/32 (3.1%)]. The positive rates of GBS Ⅲ serotype in neonates with pneumonia, sepsis, and meningitis were 6/13, 7/14, and 5/5. However, no statistically significant difference was observed in the distribution of the five serotypes in GBS-EOD neonates ( P=0.654). Thirty neonates (93.7%) were cured, while two (6.3%) died. There were statistically significant differences among neonatal GBS-EOD caused by vertical transmission with Ⅰa, Ⅰb, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅴ, Ⅵ, Ⅷ, Ⅸ and NT serotypes ( P=0.046, contingency coefficient: 0.183). Further analysis showed that the adjusted absolute value of the standardized residual of serotype Ⅰa was 2.7 (>2), and the difference was statistically significant. However, the adjusted absolute value of the standardized residual of serotype Ⅲ was only 0.1, which was not statistically significant. Conclusions:Serotype Ⅲ is the most prevalent GBS serotype in late pregnant women and GBS-EOD neonates, and also the predominant serotype in infants with early-onset meningitis. Serotype Ⅰa could be highly vertically transmitted, while the virulence of serotypes Ⅲ and Ⅰa strains of GBS are the strongest.

Objective ToinvestigatetheMSCTfeaturesanditsclinicalvalueofcoronaryarteryfistula(CAF)withsurgicalindication. Methods CTfindingsof36patientswithluminaltumorGlikedilationCAFprovedbysurgerywereanalyzedretrospectively.Bymeans ofMIP,CPR,MPRandVRreconstruction,wearrangedtheabnormalvesselsintogroupsaccordingtoitscharacteristics,andmeasured thediameterofdilatation.ThediagnosticaccuracyofMSCTforCAFwascomparedwithtransthoracicechocardiography.Results Among the36cases,drainagesitesof8caseswererightatrium,14casesrightventricle,2casespulmonaryartery,1caseleftatrium,9cases leftventricle,and2casescoronarysinus.Amongallcases,4casesoriginatedfromleftmainartery,2casesfromleftanteriordescending, 5casesfromcircumflexartery,and25casesfromrightCAF.Ofwhich,24casesunderwentfistulaligationwithextracorporealcirculation. 12casesweretreatedwithminimallyinvasivesurgery.ThediagnosticaccuracyofMSCTbeforesurgerywas100%(36/36),andthat ofechocardiographywasabout80.6%(29/36).Conclusion ReconstructiontechniqueofMSCTcanprovidetheinformationofthe CAFvesselsanditsorigin,courseandshapeoffistulaorificium.MSCTcanaccuratelylocateandguidethesurgicalapproach,especially forpreGinvasivesurgery,providingimportantinformationfortreatment.MSCTshouldbethebestimagingmethodforCAF.

Objective: To evalate the effectiveness and suitability of a wearable health monitoring device for community-based management of hypertension. Methods: In December 2015, 400 patients with hypertension were enrolled from Beijing, Chaoyang. Subjects were divided into an experimental group (220 cases) and control group (180 cases), and baseline data were collected. The control group received follow-up with general planning while the experimental group received wearable health devices. Follow-up was performed three times using a questionnaire (April, August, and December 2016), and medical staff provided feedback and guidance. The experimental group was also classified according to risk factors and intervention measures were individually designed, and included monitor and medication compliance, self-management ability, and social support. Communication between patients and medical staff was recorded to form a case system. Evaluation indexes included accuracy and reliability, blood pressure management efficacy, behavior intervention efficacy, satisfaction, and disease burden. A t-test, non-parametric test, and chi-square test were used to compare the experimental and control groups before and after intervention. Results: At 1-year follow-up, after correcting for differences in baseline information between the two groups, statistically significant differences in numerical indexes were observed for number of visits within 1 month [1(1) vs. 1(1), Z=5.42], payment within 1 month [85(141) yuan vs. 40(70) yuan, Z=-2.66], visiting time [20(20) min vs. 20(15) min, Z=-2.82], exercise times [4.79(2.24) times/week vs. 4.09(2.00) times/week, Z=9.27], medication compliance score [7.33(5.77) vs. 8.70(5.24), Z=6.86], satisfaction [9.27(0.08) vs. 8.88(0.10), Z=11.77], diastolic pressure [(78.93±0.56) mmHg vs. (81.32±0.61)mmHg, F=8.70] (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa), and body mass index [(25.55±0.27) kg/m² vs. (27.74±0.43) kg/m², F=-2.24]. In addition, classification indexes adjusted for normalized blood pressure and habitus were different between experimental and control groups (χ²=3.89, 8.38, P≤0.05). The equipment worked well, with performance rates of over 90% (90.9%, 97.3%, and 92.7%). Conclusion The wearable health monitoring equipment showed good stability and reliability, and was able to effectively support health management in patients with hypertension in the community. At the same time, the equipment can improve healthy lifestyle compliance and awareness or self-management of blood pressure. In this manner, the burden of disease is reduced and the quality of life is improved.