OBJECTIVE: The current fertilization methods for Chinese yam are uneconomic and unfriend to environment. A rational one is very important to achieve desired balance of high yield of Chinese yam, economic and friend to environment. Here, we studied the effects of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) fertilizers on the yield of 'Qinfeng' Chinese yam in shallow-groove directional cultivation. METHODS: The experiments were conducted in Dehua County, Fujian Province, China using a "3414" optimal design. Overall, three fertilizer factors (N, P, and K) were evaluated at the following four levels: 0, no fertilizer; 1, 0.5-fold the typical rate; 2, typical fertilization rate; and 3, 1.5-fold the typical rate. There were 14 different fertilization treatments. RESULTS: Treatment 6 (N₂P₂K₂) produced the longest (75.6 cm) and thickest tubers (4.9 cm) with the highest tuber fresh weight (1311.9 g) and yield (41 015.9 kg/hm²), whereas, treatment 1 produced the shortest (65.6 cm) and thinnest tubers (3.9 cm) with the lowest fresh weight (953.4 g) and yield (28 532.8 kg/hm²) among the 14 fertilizer combinations. The experimental data could be fitted to single-variable quadratic and binary quadratic models but not to a ternary quadratic polynomial model. Appropriate N, P, and K fertilizer application rates increased Chinese yam yield. However, excessive fertilization lowered the yield. Chinese yam yield was significantly and strongly correlated with the amounts of N, P, and K fertilizer applied. CONCLUSION Based on the single variable quadratic and binary quadratic models, we propose that the quantities of N, P, and K fertilizer used to grow 1 hm² 'Qinfeng' Chinese yam should be 360-388.3, 90-100.95, and 416.3-675 kg, respectively.

Objective:To evaluate the feasibility of a novel liver fiducial marker implantation method for internal fixation and removal of rabbit livers, in order to use in Cyberknife tracking therapy.Methods:Experiments were conducted in vivo and in vitro. In the in vivo experiment, three fiducial markers were implanted percutaneously in each liver of ten rabbits under anesthesia, and the fourth fiducial marker with an external catheter and fixed thin wire was implanted ten days later. After the reference group (the first and the second maker), and the casing group (the first and the fourth marker) were respectively registered and tracked with the Cyberknife, the implantation success rate, registration accuracy, and removal safety of fiducial markers were assessed. The tensile test was performed using liver in vitro by measuring the resistance required to dislodge the spring coil fiducial markers and the fiducial markers without spring coil from liver. Results:The intrahepatic catheter implantation and removal of fiducial marker in rabbit liver had a success rate of 100% and no distant migration. The operation-related and postoperative complications were not occurred. All fiducial markers were successfully traced. Compared to the reference group, the casing group had slightly higher translational errors in supero-inferior and antero-posterior directions ( Z=-11.77, -4.57, P<0.05), and lower translational errors in left-right direction ( Z=-2.52, P<0.05). The dislodgement forces for spring coil fiducial markers was (2.23±0.85) N, significantly different with (0.81±0.13) N for fiducial markers without spring coil ( Z=- 2.31, P < 0.05). Conclusions:The spiral coil structure provides superior fixation in the punctured needle channel, the thin line limits the distant displacement of the fiducial marker outside the liver, and the catheter establishes a channel for the removal. The general operation is simple and easy.

Objective:To investigate the necessity and feasibility of the virtual simulation teaching experiment software of the bronchoscopy intelligent navigation-based fiducial marker implantation technology in the clinical application of radiotherapy.Methods:This study developed a 3D virtual operation and interactive system using the Unity3D engine, tools including 3Dmax and Maya, and the SQL database. The scenes in the system were produced using the currently popular next-generation production process. Targeting the priorities and difficulties in the implantation of fiducial markers, the system developed in this study allowed for simulated demonstration and training based on 12 steps and 10 knowledge points. Internal tests and remote evaluation tests were adopted in this system to obtain the test result of each subject. Then, the application value of the system was analyzed based on the test result.Results:As of May 1, 2022, the system had received 2 409 views and 425 test participants, with an test completion rate of 100% and an experiment pass rate of 96.5%. Moreover, this system won unanimous praise from 167 users, primarily including the students majoring in multilevel medical imaging technology and medical imaging science from the Fujian Medical University, as well as the radiotherapy-related staff of this university.Conclusions:The virtual simulation teaching experiment software of the bronchoscopy intelligent navigation-based fiducial marker implantation technology can be applied to the teaching of students and the training of related professionals.

Objective:To study the factors influencing repeatedly hospitalization in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP), and to analyse the predictive value of triglyceride for repeated hospitalization.Methods:The clinical data of 1 958 patients with AP treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui University of Science and Technology from January 2012 to April 2022 were analyzed. Of 1 733 AP patients who were enrolled, there were 1 000 males and 733 females, with mean ± s. d age being (49.4±16.4) years. Patients were grouped based on their ID numbers to determine their number(s) of hospitalization. Those who were admitted only once were included in the initial hospitalization group ( n=1 030), and those who were admitted twice or more were included in the repeated hospitalization group ( n=703). The factors influencing repeated hospitalization were analyzed by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The predictive value of triglyceride for repeated hospitalization was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results:Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that hypertriglyceridemia ( OR=1.445, 95% CI: 1.144-1.825, P=0.002) and biliary causes ( OR=3.184, 95% CI: 1.978-5.125, P<0.001) were independent risk factors for repeated hospitalization. When triglyceride <10.9 mmol/L, the prediction of AP patients without repeated hospitalization was 90.6%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.589, and the Yoden index was 0.170. Conclusion:Hypertriglyceridemia was risk factor for repeat hospitalization in AP patients and the efficacy of triglyceride in predicting repeat hospitalization in AP patients was good.

Objective:To explore the tracking accuracy of the surface optically guided tracking system (OGTS) in radiotherapy.Methods:Phantom verification and clinical trial verification were adopted. Specialized equipment was employed for the phantom verification. Specifically, the displacement of the optical markers as they moved from a predetermined position to the target position on the reflector ball platform was captured using the OGTS, and then the obtained displacement was compared with the fixed distance within the phantom to calculate the accuracy and repeatability of the OGTS. For the clinical trial verification, 45 patients treated with radiotherapy, which consisted of 15 cases with head, breast, and rectal tumors each, were selected to investigate the tracking accuracy and repeatability of the OGTS. For each patient, the values derived from the image-guided positioning system (IGPS) and the OGTS before and after image-guided setup error correction during three times of fractionated radiotherapy were randomly obtained. The translational errors of each error correction were also recorded. Before radiotherapy, patients′ setup errors were corrected and relevant data were obtained using the IGPS. The correction result of translation errors obtained using the IGPS served as a gold standard to verify the accuracy of the OGTS in monitoring the translational motion of patients. Finally, the comprehensive translational deviation of both method was calculated.Results:The phantom measurements showed that the comprehensive translational deviation for tracking accuracy and tracking repeatability of the OGTS had a maximum deviation and a standard deviation of 0.18 mm and 0.03 mm, respectively. The clinical trial result indicated that the tracking accuracy of IGPS and OGTS exhibited statistically significant differences only for the head in the z direction ( t = 2.21, P < 0.05). Conversely, no statistically significant differences were observed for the head in the remaining directions or for the breast and rectum in the three translational directions ( P > 0.05). The analysis showed that comprehensive translational deviations for the head, breast, and rectum derived from OGTS and IGPS were (0.91±0.62), (1.64±1.30), and (1.52±1.29) mm, respectively, satisfying the requirement that the deviations should be below 2 mm. Conclusions:The OGTS, featuring easy operation and high tracking accuracy, can assist the IGPS in real-time respiratory monitoring during radiotherapy.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of recoverable fiducial marker implantation guided using the intelligent navigation bronchoscopy technology in the Cyberknife Synchrony-based respiratory tracking.Methods:CT scans of an inflatable pig lung after anti-rot processing were obtained. Then, eight simulated tumor lesion sites were designed in the left and right lung lobes using intelligent navigation software, with four classified as the sputum bronchial environment group and four classified as the wet bronchial environment group. Based on the implantation principle of Cyberknife fiducial markers, 32 recoverable fiducial markers were implanted around various simulated tumor lesions via bronchus under intelligent guidance. Then, the end-expiratory state of the pig lung was simulated, the pig lung was scanned again to obtain CT images of the implanted recoverable fiducial markers, and the number of successfully implanted fiducial markers was recorded. Eight deliverable Synchrony treatment protocols were designed using the Cyberknife planning system (Multiplan v4.6), and then the pig lung with simulated respiratory movements was exposed to radiation. After radiation, the implanted recoverable fiducial markers were retrieved using the bronchoscopy technique, and the number of successfully retrieved fiducial markers was recorded. Moreover, the translational errors, rotational errors, and rigid body errors were extracted from the Cyberknife log file and analyzed.Results:No recoverable fiducial markers slipped or fell during the experiment. Thirty-two recoverable fiducial markers were successfully implanted and recovered under the guidance of intelligent navigation bronchoscopy, with implantation and recovery success rates of both 100%. Moreover, the tracking rate and rigid body errors of the fiducial markers were 100% and less than 5 mm, respectively. The data from the Cyberknife log file indicated that there was no significant difference between the sputum bronchial environment group and the wet bronchial environment group in the translational errors in the left-right direction, the rotational errors in the roll direction, and the rotational errors in the pitch direction ( P>0.05). Compared to the wet bronchial environment group, the sputum bronchial environment group had slightly higher translational errors in front-back ( Z=-3.57, P<0.01) and cranio-caudal ( Z=-2.53, P<0.05) directions, lower rotational errors along the yaw axis ( Z = -3.88, P < 0.01), and lower rigid body error ( Z=-3.32, P<0.01), and the differences were all statistically significant. Conclusions:The recoverable fiducial marker implantation guided using the intelligent navigation bronchoscopy technology is feasible. Recoverable fiducial markers are stable in the bronchus of the phantom, and the Cyberknife tracking precision can meet clinical requirements. Therefore, the recoverable fiducial marker implantation guided using the intelligent navigation bronchoscopy technology has promising prospects in clinical and teaching applications.

Epidemiological evidence suggests that patients with hypertension infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are at increased risk of acute lung injury. However, it is still not clear whether this increased risk is related to the usage of renin-angiotensin system (RAS) blockers. We collected medical records of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients from the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (Hangzhou, China), and evaluated the potential impact of an angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) on the clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients with hypertension. A total of 30 hypertensive COVID-19 patients were enrolled, of which 17 were classified as non-ARB group and the remaining 13 as ARB group based on the antihypertensive therapies they received. Compared with the non-ARB group, patients in the ARB group had a lower proportion of severe cases and intensive care unit (ICU) admission as well as shortened length of hospital stay, and manifested favorable results in most of the laboratory testing. Viral loads in the ARB group were lower than those in the non-ARB group throughout the disease course. No significant difference in the time of seroconversion or antibody levels was observed between the two groups. The median levels of soluble angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (sACE2) in serum and urine samples were similar in both groups, and there were no significant correlations between serum sACE2 and biomarkers of disease severity. Transcriptional analysis showed 125 differentially expressed genes which mainly were enriched in oxygen transport, bicarbonate transport, and blood coagulation. Our results suggest that ARB usage is not associated with aggravation of COVID-19. These findings support the maintenance of ARB treatment in hypertensive patients diagnosed with COVID-19.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists/therapeutic use* ; Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2/blood* ; Antibodies, Viral/blood* ; Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use* ; Biomarkers ; COVID-19/complications* ; China ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension/drug therapy* ; Intensive Care Units ; Length of Stay ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Transcriptome ; Viral Load

Objective:To explore the value of the model based on multi-sequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) radiomics and clinical features in predicting molecular subtypes of pediatric medulloblastoma (MB).Methods:MRI imaging data and clinical data of 100 children with primary MB admitted in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2011 to January 2020 were analyzed retrospectively.Fifty children with primary MB were allocated to training cohort, and those of the other 50 were allocated to testing cohort by using simple random sampling method.In the training cohort, there were 5 cases of WNT-activated MB (Wingless, WNT), 5 cases of SHH-activated MB (Sonic hedgehog, SHH), 28 cases of non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma Group3 (Group3), 12 cases of non-WNT/non-SHH medulloblastoma Group4 (Group4). The testing cohort included 11 cases of WNT, 3 cases of SHH, 24 cases of Group3 and 12 cases of Group4.The robust and non-redundant features were selected from 5 929 three-dimensional radiomic features extracted from the manually delineated tumor area, and Boruta algorithm was used to further select the optimal features.Based on the selected features, a random forest prediction model was constructed using the training cohort (50 cases), which was further used to evaluate the testing cohort (50 cases). Combined with radiomic features and clinical features, a joint random forest prediction, clinical-radiomic model was constructed.Results:A radiomic model containing 13 optimal radiomics features was used to predict molecular subtypes of MB.The area under curve(AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for WNT, SHH, Group3 and Group4 MB cases in the testing cohort was 0.923 1, 0.673 7, 0.519 2 and 0.705 0, respectively.Incorporating clinical features into the radiomic model improved AUC for WNT and SHH at 0.944 1 and 0.819 1, respectively.Conclusions:The multi-sequence clinical radiomic model has a high predictive value for pediatric MB with the molecular subtypes of WNT and SHH, which provides decision-making supports for individualized diagnosis and treatment of pediatric MB.

Objective:This study aimed to investigate the changes of ventricular repolarization index on ECG and its relationship between prognosis in patients with acute cerebral trauma.Methods:From January 2014 to January 2018, data of 289 consecutive patients with emergency traumatic brain injuries were prospectively collected and ultimately 219 cases were selected into the study group. Meanwhile, 220 healthy persons matched by age and sex served as the control group. ECG indexes such as P wave dispersion (Pd), corrected QT(QTc), Tp-e and Tp-e/QT were all measured and calculated in the 1st and 72th hour. The independent sample t test and paired t test were used to compare the changes of the above indexes on the 1st day and the control group, the 1st day and the 3rd day, respectively, and the association between ECG indexes and the illness severity or adverse events (MACE) of the trauma group during hospitalization. Results:QTc, Tpec and Tp-e/QT of the acute cerebral trauma group increased on the 3rd day compared with the control group and on the first day, the differences were statistically significant ( P all <0.05). Tp-ec and Tp-e/QT in patients with moderate to severe brain injury in Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) were increased, and the differences were statistically significant (150.48±16.58 vs 130.14±11.86, P=0.006). 0.29±0.04 vs 0.23±0.03, P=0.030). Tpec and Tp-e/QT were significantly increased in acute brain truma patients with MACE during hospitalization compared with those without MACE (149.76±12.52 vs 128.84±12.47, P <0.001). 0.30±0.04 vs 0.21±0.03,<0.001). Conclusion:Tp-e and Tp-e/QT in patients with acute cerebral trauma are correlated to the severity of the disease, which could be used as short-term prognostic indicators under certain conditions.

Objective To identify the effect of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) on the survival of patients with recurrent pancreatic cancer after surgery.Methods The data of 104 patients with recurrent pancreatic cancer after surgery who underwent SBRT in the Department of Radiation Oncology of Changhai Hospital,Navy Medical University from February 2012 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.The prescription doses ranged from 35-40 Gy/4-8 f.Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method,and relevant factors affecting patients' survival were screened by the Cox proportional hazards model.Results The median overall survival (OS) and progression free survival (PFS) was 12.5 (11.0-14.0) months and 7.3 (6.0-8.7) months,respectively,while the 1-year rate of OS and PFS was 55.8％ and 22.1％,respectively.Multivariate analysis indicated that tumor stage,biological effect dose (α/β =10,BED10),the decrease of CA19-9 level after treatment,and follow-up chemotherapy were all related factors affecting overall survival;tumor stage,BED10,the degree of pain relief and the decrease of CA19-9 level after treatment were related factors affecting PFS.Conclusions Patients suffering recurrent pancreatic cancer with early tumor stage,normal CA19-9 level and mild pain before treatment could be better treated by SBRT,BED10 ≥60 Gy and follow-up chemotherapy after radiotherapy can prolong the survival of patients.