Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

Background/Aims: Endoscopic radiofrequency ablation (ERFA) is a treatment option for superficial esophageal squamous cell neoplasia (ESCN), with a relatively low risk of stenosis; however, the long-term outcomes remain unclear. We aimed to compare the long-term outcomes of patients with widespread superficial ESCN who underwent endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) or ERFA. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of patients with superficial ESCN who underwent ESD or ERFA between January 2015 and December 2021. The primary outcome measure was recurrence-free survival. Results: Ninety-two and 33 patients with superficial ESCN underwent ESD and ERFA, respectively. The en bloc, R0, and curative resection rates for ESD were 100.0%, 90.2%, and 76.1%, respectively. At 12 months, the complete response rate was comparable between the two groups (94.6% vs 90.9%, p=0.748). During a median follow-up of 66 months, recurrence-free survival was significantly longer in the ESD group than in the ERFA group (p=0.004), while no significant differences in overall survival (p=0.845) and disease-specific survival (p=0.494) were observed.Preoperative diagnosis of intramucosal cancer (adjusted hazard ratio, 5.55; vs high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia) was an independent predictor of recurrence. Significantly fewer patients in the ERFA group experienced stenosis compare to ESD group (15.2% vs 38.0%, p=0.016). Conclusions The risk of recurrence was higher for ERFA than ESD for ESCN but overall survival was not affected. The risk of esophageal stenosis was significantly lower for patients who underwent ERFA.

Objective Hippocampal atrophy is a clinically important marker for the diagnosis of many psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease‚ so accurate segmentation of the hippocampus is an important scientific issue. With the development of deep learning‚ a large number of advanced automatic segmentation method have been proposed. However‚ 3D hippocampal segmentation is still challenging due to the effects of various noises in MRI and unclear boundaries between various classes of the hippocampus. Therefore‚ the aim of this paper is to propose new method to segment the hippocampal head‚ body‚ and tail more accurately. Methods To overcome these challenges‚ this paper proposed two strategies. One was the spatial and frequency domain features adaptive fusion strategy‚ which reduced the influence of noise on feature extraction by automatically selecting the appropriate frequency combination through fast Fourier transform and convolution. The other was an inter-class boundary region enhancement strategy‚ which allowed the network to focus on learning the boundary regions by weighting the loss function of the boundary regions between each class to achieve the goal of pinpointing the boundaries and regulating the size of the hippocampal head‚ body and tail. Results Experiments performed on a 50-case teenager brain MRI dataset show that our method achieves state-of-the-art hippocampal segmentation. Hippocampal head‚ body and tail had been improved compared to the existing method. Ablation experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of our two proposed strategies‚ and we also validated that the network had a strong generalization ability on a 260-case Task04_Hippocampus dataset. It was shown that the method proposed in this paper could be used in more hippocampal segmentation scenarios. Conclusion The method proposed in this paper can help clinicians to observe hippocampal atrophy more clearly and accomplish more accurate diagnosis and follow-up of the condition.

Objective To clarify whether the use of dynamic coronary artery roadmap(DCR)technology in a low-dose mode with 7.5 frames per second during coronary intervention can further reduce the total radiation dose,fluoroscopy time,and contrast agent usage.Methods A total of 94 patients,who received coronary angiography at the Shanghai Tongji Hospital of China between July 2022 and December 2022,were enrolled in this study.The patients were randomly divided into DCR group(n=53)and control group(n=41).DCR technology was used in the DCR group to guide the performance of percutaneous coronary intervention(PCI),while low-dose mode coronary angiography was adopted in the control group.The total air kerma(AK),dose-area product(DAP),intraoperative fluoroscopy time,and contrast agent usage were compared between the two groups.Results In the DCR group AK was(597.9±222.8)mGy,which was significantly lower than(717.0±326.8)mGy in the control group(P=0.039);DAP was(33.2±13.3)Gycm2/s,which was also remarkably lower than(41.3±21.5)Gycm2/s in the control group(P=0.027).In the DCR group and the control group,the intraoperative fluoroscopy time was(9.8± 3.3)min and(12.1±4.3)min respectively(P＜0.01),and the contrast agent usage was(122.3±19.0)mL and(130.5± 28.5)mL respectively(P=0.116).Conclusion In a low-dose mode during coronary intervention,the use of DCR technology can further reduce radiation dose,fluoroscopy time,and contrast agent usage.(J Intervent Radiol,2024,33:236-239)

Objective:To systematically summarize and comparatively analyze the development, establishment and usage of oncology drugs speedy review approaches in China and in the United States between 2012 and 2021.Methods:Based on National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) websites, the development and current status of the speedy review approaches were consulted and summarized. Approved oncology drugs in China and in the United States (87 in China, 118 in the United States) over the past decade were analyzed using chi-square test for group comparison.Results:Five speedy approaches have been established in China and in the United States, three of which are the same, priority review, conditional approval or accelerated approval and breakthrough therapy. The rest two are special review and approval, special examination and approval in China, and fast track and real-time oncology review in the United States. Compared to the United States, speedy review approaches in China set up late (1992 vs. 2005). The overall utilization rates of the oncology drugs speedy review approaches were similar between the China and United States (90.8% vs. 92.4%, P=0.800) in the previous 10 years, and priority review have highest utilization rates in both China and the United States without significant group difference (77.0% vs. 82.2%, P=0.381); relatively low utilization rates of conditional approval (31.0% vs. 44.9%, P=0.041) and breakthrough therapy (2.3% vs. 50.0%, P＜0.001) were seen in China. 52.9% of new drugs applied for special examination and approval in China and 40.7% of new drugs applied for fast track in the United States. Overall, the priority review both in China and the United States are stable, with a similar average annual utilization rate (84.8% vs. 83.7%); accelerated approval and breakthrough therapies in the United States fluctuate wildly, but the situation is tending towards stability in the last 3 years. Conclusions:Both China and the United States have established a relatively complete accelerated review system, with an overall utilization rate over 90%; China's accelerated review started late, although the overall utilization rate is close to that of the United States. The utilization rates of conditional approval and breakthrough therapy are still relatively low. Flexible usage of speedy review approaches, gaining regulatory recognition to use alternative endpoints, achieving real-time review and guidance are keys to accelerate new drug development in China.

ObjectiveTo investigate the effect and mechanism of Yiqi Wenyang Huwei decoction （YWHD） on airway inflammation in bronchial asthma （BA） rats based on transforming growth factor-β₁ （TGF-β₁）/SMAD family member 3 （Smad3） signaling pathway. MethodSixty male SD rats were randomly divided into a normal group， a model group， a dexamethasone （DEX） group， and low-， medium-， and high-dose YWHD groups， with 10 rats in each group. The BA model was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 1 mL of ovalbumin （OVA）-aluminum hydroxide suspension for sensitization， followed by nebulization with 2% OVA. One hour before daily OVA nebulization， the control group was treated with saline， the DEX group with DEX solution at 0.2 g·L^-1， and the low-， medium-， and high-dose YWHD groups with YWHD at 1， 2， 4 g·mL^-1， respectively. General conditions and lung function were observed. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid （BALF） and serum were collected to count inflammatory cells in BALF and measure immunoglobulin E （IgE） levels in serum and inflammatory cytokines in BALF using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA）. Pathological changes in lung tissues， collagen deposition， and airway mucus secretion were observed by hematoxylin-eosin （HE）， Masson， and periodic acid-Schiff （PAS） staining. TGF-β₁/Smad3-related mRNA and protein levels in lung tissues were determined by Real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain translation （Real-time PCR） and Western blot analysis. ResultCompared with the normal group， the model group showed increased total airway resistance （RL） and decreased dynamic compliance （Cdyn） （P<0.05， P<0.01）， elevated serum IgE levels， increased inflammatory cell counts， and higher inflammatory cytokine levels in BALF （P<0.01）. Additionally， there was significant inflammatory cell infiltration， collagen deposition， and mucus secretion in lung tissues. The levels of TGF-β₁， α-smooth muscle actin （α-SMA）， and Smad3 phosphorylation in lung tissues were significantly increased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the DEX group and high-dose YWHD group exhibited significantly reduced RL （P<0.01）， improved lung dynamic compliance （P<0.05）， and lower serum IgE levels， inflammatory cell counts， and inflammatory cytokine levels in BALF （P<0.05）. Moreover， these treatments alleviated pathological damage in lung tissues and reduced the levels of TGF-β₁， α-SMA， and Smad3 phosphorylation （P<0.01）. ConclusionYWHD reduces airway inflammation， improves pathological damage， and mitigates airway remodeling in bronchial asthma rats， possibly by downregulating TGF-β₁， α-SMA protein levels， and Smad3 phosphorylation.

Objective To explore characteristics of co-infection of Chlamydia pneumoniae(Cpn)and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2),and identify their effect on SARS-CoV-2-induced inflammatory response.Methods Patients with coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)who received treatment in a hospital in Chenzhou City from December 20,2022 to February 20,2023 were selected.According to the severity of COVID-19,severe and critical cases were classified as the severe symptom group,while mild and moderate cases were classified as the mild symptom group.Meanwhile,according to the age of patients(≥18 years old as adults,＜18 years old as juveniles),they were divided into the adult severe symptom group,adult mild symptom group,juvenile severe symptom group,and juvenile mild symptom group.Propensity score was adopted to match age,gender,and under-lying diseases of patients in severe symptom and mild symptom group in a 1∶1 ratio.Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF),throat swabs,and serum specimens of patients were collected.Cpn IgG/IgM antibody was detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA),levels of 12 common cytokines(including interleukin-8[IL-8])in BALF were detected by flow cytometry,differences among groups were compared.Results A total of 102 patients were included,with 61 severe and critical(severe symptom)patients,as well as 41 mild and moderate(mild symp-tom)patients.There were 71 patients aged ≥18 years and 31 juvenile patients aged＜18 years.There were 39 pa-tients in the adult severe symptom group and 32 in the adult mild symptom group,and 30 pairs were successfully matched through propensity score analysis.There were 22 patients in the juvenile severe symptom group and 9 in the juvenile mild symptom group,and 8 pairs were successfully matched through propensity score analysis.Among COVID-19 patients,the positive rates of Cpn IgG and IgM were 36.27％(n=37)and 8.82％(n=9),respective-ly,with 1 case positive for both Cpn IgG and IgM.The level of interferon(IFN)-α in serum specimens from adult patients with severe symptom combined with positive Cpn IgG was higher than that of IgG negative patients(P=0.037).There was no statistically significant difference in the levels of other cytokines in BALF and serum speci-mens between the two groups of patients(all P＞0.05).The levels of IL-8 and IL-17 in serum specimens of patients with positive Cpn IgG in the adult mild symptom group were both higher than those in Cpn IgG negative patients(both P＜0.05).The levels of IL-8 in both BALF and serum specimens from Cpn IgM positivity patients in the ju-venile mild symptom group were higher than those from patients with negative Cpn IgM(both P＜0.05).Logistic regression analysis results showed that Cpn IgG and IgM positivity were not risk factors for the development of se-vere COVID-19.Conclusion Combined Cpn infection is not a risk factor for the development of severe symptom in COVID-19 patients,and Cpn infection has limited impact on the secretion of inflammatory factors caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Pseudorabies virus(PRV)is the etiological agent of pseudorabies in pigs,which is char-acterized by dyspnea,reproductive disorders,and neurological diseases,and it spreads widely a-round the world.Since 2011,the newly emerged PRV variants have resulted in poor immunity pro-tection of traditional vaccine strains,and the original method of vaccine strain preparation is time-consuming and labor-intensive.Therefore,it is urgently needed to develop an efficient screening method of the vaccine strain at present.Using CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology in this study,two single guide RNAs(sgRNA)were designed targeting the virulence gene TK of PRV variant strain CH/JX/2016,and then the enhanced green fluorescent protein the reporter(EGFP)gene was inserted at the TK locus by a homologous repair plasmid.After multiple rounds of plaque puri-fication,the rPRV-ΔTK/EGFP strain was obtained.The results showed the cleavage efficiency of the two sgRNAs was extremely high.The preparation of rPRV-ΔTK/EGFP strain was succeed af-ter only three rounds of purification,and the EGFP expressed normally.The CRISPR/Cas9 system can edit the PRV gene simply,rapidly,and efficiently,and exhibits great potential in the construction of vaccine candidate strains.Meanwhile,the rescued rPRV-ΔTK/EGFP strain not only could be used as a tracer strain in PRV variant infection progresses,but also for subsequent antivi-ral drug screening.