bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chronic respiratory dysfunction due to diaphragmatic paralysis following penetrating neck trauma
Authors: Wang Lian , Liu Tianshu , Liu Zhihai
Published: January 2021

Rationale:

Respiratory dysfunction resulting from unilateral diaphragmatic paralysis during neck trauma is very rare in adults. We describe the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of 1 patient with chronic respiratory insufficiency, in whom the diaphragmatic paralysis was associated with phrenic nerve injury due to penetrating neck trauma.

Patient concerns:

A 50-year-old worker was admitted because of left penetrating neck trauma. Imaging investigations demonstrated elevation of the left hemidiaphragm and the C5 and C6 roots avulsion. He complained of gradually worsening dyspnea on exertion 2 months later.

Diagnoses:

The patient was diagnosed with chronic respiratory dysfunction secondary to diaphragmatic paralysis, which caused by phrenic nerve injury.

Interventions:

A conventional video-assisted thoracoscopic diaphragm plication was performed after failed conservative management.

Outcomes:

The respiratory status improved markedly, and he did well without recurrence until 2 years’ follow-up.

Lessons:

The possibilities of phrenic nerve palsy and diaphragmatic paralysis should not be overlooked during the evaluation of neck trauma.
Unveiling the comparative efficacy and tolerability of comprehensive treatments for migraine
Authors: Jin Boru , Liu Huayan , Qiao Lei
Published: January 2021

Background:

Migraine is a chronic paroxysmal incapacitating neurological disorder, which endangers the health of human worldwide ranking as the third most prevalent medical condition. There are no comprehensive estimates of treatments for migraine. We will conduct this systematic review and Bayesian network meta-analysis (NMA) to synthesis quantitative and comparative evidence on the efficacy and tolerability of all the known pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for migraine.

Method:

We will perform the systematic electronic search of the literature utilizing MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health (CINAHL), and PsycINFO. We will only include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of high quality which appraise the efficacy or safety of any potential pharmacological or non-pharmacological interventions in the treatment of patients with migraine. The traditional pairwise meta-analyses will be performed to anticipate the heterogeneities and publication bias and the NMA will be conducted within a Bayesian hierarchical model framework to obtain estimates for all valuable treatments for migraine. The entire heterogeneity will be quantified by Q statistic and I
2 index. Other analyses included sensitivity analyses, meta-regression, and subgroup analyses will also be conducted. The whole process will be conducted using in R-3.6.0 software.

Results:

This study will obtain the efficacy and tolerability of all potential treatments for migraine, aiming at providing consolidated evidence to help make the best choice of interventions. The results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Discussion:

This Bayesian network meta-analysis may be the first attempt to quantitatively synthesize the efficacy and tolerability of all potential treatments for migraine. And this method can ensure us to fully utilize both the direct and indirect evidence as well as gain the comparative estimates displayed in the derived hierarchies. Besides, we have registered this protocol on the international prospective register of systematic review (PROSPERO) (CRD42020157278).
Effect of education and muscle relaxation program on anxiety, depression and care burden in caregivers of acute stroke survivors
Authors: Wang Jinhong , Liu Jie , Li Ling , Man Jing , Yue Shihong , Liu Zhaojun
Published: January 2021

This study intended to discover the effect of education and muscle relaxation (EMR) program on anxiety, depression and care burden among caregivers of acute stroke survivors.

This randomized, controlled study enrolled a total of 110 caregivers of first-ever acute stroke patients, and randomly assigned to EMR (N = 55) and control (N = 55) groups. The caregivers in the EMR group received 12-month health education and progressive muscle relaxation, and those in control group were provided common rehabilitation advices. Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale in caregivers were evaluated at the time of patients’ discharge from hospital (M0), then at month(M) 3, M6 and M12 after the discharge.

HADS-anxiety score, anxiety rate and severity were similar at M0, M3, while were reduced at M6 and M12 in EMR group compared to control group. Furthermore, HADS-depression score was similar at M0 and M3 but was decreased at M6 and M12 in EMR group compared with control group, however, there was no difference of depression rate and severity between the 2 groups at each time point. Moreover, Zarit Caregiver Burden Scale score was similar at M0 and M3, but was decreased at M6 and M12; meanwhile, degree of care burden was similar at M0, M3 and M6, but was reduced at M12 in EMR group compared to control group.

EMR program decreases anxiety, depression and care burden in caregivers of acute stroke survivors, suggesting its potential in improving mental health and further promoting quality of lives in these caregivers.
Mutation differences in circulating tumor DNAs from non-small cell lung cancer patients between Uygur and Han populations
Authors: Wang Yuli , Li Jing , Huang Jian , Wu Chaoqun , Li Li , Gong Ping
Published: January 2021

Background:

The incidence of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in Uygur population is gradually increasing recently. In view of the great diagnostic and prognostic values of cell-free DNAs (cfDNA) detection, this study focus on a liquid biopsy to explore the value of cfDNA mutation in healthy and NSCLC patients in 2 ethnicities.

Methods:

The concentration and sequencing of cfDNA in NSCLC and healthy subjects was assessed with a standard information analysis procedure, including detection, annotation, and statistical analysis. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses were conducted to analyze the function of mutant genes and related pathways. Totally, 133 subjects, including 35 Uygur NSCLC patients, 10 Uygur healthy subjects, 63 cases of Han NSCLC patients and 25 Han health control, were admitted to the hospital.

Results:

There were a lower proportion of adenocarcinoma and higher percentage of smoking rate for Uygur patients. For cfDNA level between NSCLC and healthy subjects, Han patients exhibited sharp increase while there was no statistical difference in Uygur population. In addition, the mutation frequency of cfDNA in Han patients (72.6%) was significantly higher than Uygur patients (45.7%). There were 5 gene mutations only found in Han patients and ABCC11 showed a higher mutation frequency in Uygur population as a common one. Finally, Go and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed apprent functional enrichments and pathway changes between 2 ethnicities.

Conclusion:

There existed distinct distributions of cancer subtypes, smoking proportion, cfDNA level, and mutation patterns between Han and Uygur patients. The results may be a useful tool in NSCLC patients’ diagnosis as well as individualized therapy between ethnicities in future.
Screening the key genes of prognostic value in the microenvironment for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Meng Di , Liu Tongjun , Ma Feng , Wang Mingguo
Published: January 2021

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is the sixth common malignancy worldwide. The tumor microenvironment is highly related to tumor initiation, progression, and prognosis. This study aims to screen the tumor microenvironment related key genes of prognostic value for HNSCC.

The gene expression and clinical data for HNSCC were downloaded from the cancer genome atlas (TCGA). The immune/stromal/ESTIMATE scores were downloaded from the website of the MD Anderson Cancer Center. Correlation of patient gender and tumor grade with immune/stromal/ESTIMATE score was tested. Patients were divided into low and high immune/stromal/ESTIMATE score subgroups. Survival analysis was performed to evaluate the prognostic value of the immune/stromal/ESTIMATE score. Tumor microenvironment related differentially expressed genes were determined and applied for functional enrichment analysis and protein-protein interaction network was predicted. The prediction value of the common differentially expressed genes on patient survival was tested.

Four hundred eighty samples with complete clinical, expression data, and immune/stromal/ESTIMATE scores were enrolled for analysis. Immune/stromal/ESTIMATE score was higher in female patients than males. A total of 44 common differentially expressed genes were screened in high and low immune/stromal/ESTIMATE score subgroups. Of the 44 genes, 7 genes (ADGRG7, CSN3, CST8, KRT81, MUC7, MYH6, and SEZ6) were found to be closely related to patient survival. Enrichment analysis showed that the differentially expressed genes mainly enriched in the protein-coupled receptor signaling pathway, extracellular region, G-protein coupled receptor activity, salivary secretion, and regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes. Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that POSTN and OGN were crucial microenvironments related genes.

Tumor microenvironment related genes ADGRG7, CSN3, CST8, KRT81, MUC7, MYH6, and SEZ6 are valuable predictors for HNSCC patient survival. POSTN and OGN are crucial in modulating the microenvironment and tumor biology for HNSCC.
Nivolumab plus regorafenib in patients with small bowel adenocarcinoma
Authors: Zhang Gairong , Lin Li , Dong Dapeng , Qiu Hui , Liu Tao , Lian Li , Shen Ge
Published: January 2021

Introduction:

Small bowel adenocarcinomas (SBAs) are rare cancers that have a distinct clinical characteristic and genetic profile. The only potentially curative treatment for localized SBAs is surgery, and treatment options are limited for patients in the advanced stage of disease.

Patient concerns:

A 39-year-old woman presented in October 2015 with a complaint of persistent vomiting for 8 months.

Diagnosis:

The patient had obstruction caused by a 3 × 2 cm mass at the ascending part of the duodenum and suspected metastasis in the right adnexal region. Postoperative pathology showed a moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma with serosal invasion. The diagnosis was stage IV duodenum adenocarcinoma with right adnexal metastasis.

Interventions:

After the failure of multi-line treatment with chemotherapy and targeted therapy, she was treated with the immune checkpoint inhibitor nivolumab plus regorafenib.

Outcomes:

Disease control lasted for 15 months with markedly improved symptoms.

Conclusion:

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of small bowel adenocarcinoma that has been treated with nivolumab combined with regorafenib. This case highlights the potential efficacy of combining nivolumab and regorafenib in the treatment of SBAs.
Degeneration of core neural tracts for emotional regulation in a patient with traumatic brain injury
Authors: Choi Eun Bi , Jang Sung Ho
Published: January 2021

Rationale:

Several brain structures, including the orbital prefrontal cortex, ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and anterior cingulate cortex, are considered key structures in the neural circuitry underlying emotion regulation. We report on a patient showing behavior changes and degeneration of core neural tracts for emotional regulation following traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Patient concerns:

A 51-year-old male patient suffered an in-car accident. The patient lost consciousness for approximately 30 days, and his Glasgow Coma Scale score was 3. He underwent stereotactic drainage for traumatic intraventricular and intracerebral hemorrhages. At approximately 6.5-year after onset, he began to show disinhibition behaviors such as shouting with anger, which worsened over time. At approximately 8-year after onset, he showed severe depression signs and disinhibition, including violence.

Diagnoses:

The patient who showed delayed-onset behavioral changes (disinhibition and depression).

Interventions:

Diffusion tensor imaging data were acquired at 3 months and 8 years after TBI onset.

Outcomes:

The patient showed degeneration of core neural tracts for emotional regulation that was associated with delayed behavioral changes following TBI. On both 3-month and 8-year diffusion tensor tractographies (DTTs), the right dorsolateral prefronto-thalamic tract, ventrolateral prefronto-thalamic tract, orbital prefronto-thalamic tract, uncinate fasciculus, and both cinguli were reconstructed whereas other neural tracts were not reconstructed. Compared with the 3-month DTT, all reconstructed neural tracts on the 8-year DTT were narrow, except for the left cingulum, which showed new transcallosal fibers between both anterior cingula. The fractional anisotropy and tract volume of all reconstructed neural tracts were lower on the 8-year DTT than the 3-month DTT, except for the tract volume of left cingulum.

Lessons:

The evaluation of dorsolateral, ventrolateral, and orbital prefronto-thalamic tract, uncinate fasciculus, and cingulum using follow-up DTTs is useful when a patient with TBI shows delayed-onset behavioral problems.
Anti-PD1/PD-L1 monotherapy vs standard of care in patients with recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Zhu Peng , Wang Yanwei , Zhang Wendi , Liu Xin
Published: January 2021

Background:

In recent years, a number of clinical trials for antibody drugs targeting programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1)/programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) have been carried out on recurrent or metastatic head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (R/M SCCHN) and reported promising prospects. To further evaluate and understand the effects and risk of anti-PD1/PD-L1 monotherapy vs standard of care (SoC) in R/M SCCHN, we conducted this meta-analysis of published randomized controlled trials.

Method:

The potential eligible trials were searched from Cochrane library and Pubmed and Embase databases. Randomized controlled trials evaluating the effects and risk of anti-PD1/PD-L1 monotherapy vs SoC in platinum refractory R/M SCCHN were selected. The outcomes, including objective response rate, disease control rate, progression-free survival, overall survival, and treatment-related adverse events, were extracted and pooled.

Results:

1345 patients with R/M SCCHN from three randomized controlled trials were enrolled in this analysis. Compared with SoC, anti-PD1/PD-L1 monotherapy could provide statistically significant overall survival benefit, hazard ratio (95% confidence interval ) = 0.79 [0.70–0.90]. However, we observed no significant difference between 2 treatments in progression-free survival (hazard ratio [95% confidence interval] = 0.96 [0.85–1.09]). Furthermore, anti-PD1/PD-L1 monotherapy caused less treatment-related adverse events than standard of care.

Conclusion:

Anti-PD1/PD-L1 monotherapy could indeed reduce the risk of death in R/M SCCHN patients, and provide higher safety vs SoC. Expression level of PD-L1 may be a useful biomarker for selecting patients with better response to anti-PD1/PD-L1 monotherapy.
Advanced breast cancer with cachexia
Authors: Liu Nan , Li Shuting , Jia Junmei , Qiao Ying , Li Yuanfei
Published: January 2021

Rationale:

Cachexia is a clinically relevant syndrome in cancer that is associated with reduced tolerance to anticancer therapy, reduced quality of life, and reduced survival rates. Cachexia is most prevalent in pancreatic, gastric, colorectal, lung, and head and neck cancers. It is rarely documented in breast cancer patients.

Patient concerns:

In our case report of a breast cancer patient with bone metastasis who was monitored throughout the course of her treatment, we document the development of cachexia using image analyses in relation to her metastatic burden. In the 2-year period, from April 10, 2015, to February 09, 2017, she lost 16% of her baseline weight. During this time, she was repeatedly hospitalized for chest tightness, edema of both lower limbs, numbness and pain in the left lower extremity and backache.

Diagnoses:

Our patient was a 46-year-old premenopausal woman when she was firstly diagnosed. Several years after surgery for invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast, she had multiple systemic bone metastases (the thoracic spine, the ribs, etc), lung metastasis, bilateral axillary lymph node metastasis, and metastasis of the right neck lymph node in IV area.

Interventions:

The patient completed 6 cycles of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and long-term endocrine therapy after a radical mastectomy for breast cancer. During the fourth progression, 6 cycles of rescue chemotherapy were performed. Local lumbosacral radiotherapy, and lumbar surgery were carried out to relieve symptoms after several progressions.

Outcomes:

She became extremely thin, weighing only 50 kg at admission on July 23, 2018. This eventually led to multiple organ failure and death.

Lessons:

We noted a strong negative correlation between the abdominal muscle area and the metastatic tumor area at the second lumbar vertebral (L2) level. The monitoring of abdominal muscle wasting may serve as a marker, and therefore a prognostic factor, for both cachexia and the extent of metastatic disease. This is especially true with breast cancer, where metastasis to bone is frequent. Our data from a computational tomography radiological quantification, may provide clinicians with early indications of the extent of cachexia in metastatic breast cancer patients.
Sex differences in association between body composition and frailty or physical performance in community-dwelling older adults
Authors: Soh Yunsoo , Won Chang Won
Published: January 2021

Frailty is a common geriatric condition due to aging, defined as a decrease in the functional reserve to maintain the homeostasis. As part of the aging process, body composition changes occur. This study investigated the relationship between body composition and frailty in a community-dwelling elderly Korean population.

This cross-sectional cohort study analyzed data of 2,385 elderly participants (aged 70–84 years, 1131 males and 1254 females) of the Korean Frailty and Aging Cohort Study from 2016 to 2017. Body composition, including total and trunk fat masses and fat-free mass, were measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Fat mass index (FMI), trunk fat mass index, and fat-free mass index (FFMI) represented total fat mass, trunk fat mass, and fat-free mass according to height. Based on the frailty index developed by Fried, we compared the frail and non-frail groups. Poor physical performance assessed with the short physical performance battery score of < 9 is considered frailty. To evaluate the relationship between the variables, simple and fully adjusted multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed according to sex.

Among the participants, 462 (19.3%) were defined as the frail group, with a significantly high mean age of 77.9 ± 4.0 years. In the logistic regression analysis of frailty based on body mass index (BMI) categories, underweight (BMI < 18 kg/m2) participants showed a high incidence of frailty in both sexes. BMI showed an association with frailty only in males. Lower FFMI was associated with a higher incidence of frailty in both sexes, which was statistically significant in the fully adjusted models. In the female, fat-related indexes including body fat percentage, FMI, and trunk fat mass index showed a significant association with poor physical performance. In contrast, males with low FFMI only showed a significant association with poor physical performance.

Frailty was closely correlated with lower FFMI in both sexes. The poor physical performance associated with frailty correlated with fat-related body composition in females and fat-free mass in males, owing to the difference in body composition between the sexes. In the assessment of frailty, body composition and sex-related differences should be analyzed.
A comparison of the efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine in preconditioning patients with diminished ovarian reserve that would undergo In Vitro fertilization
Authors: Qin Xiuyun , Gong Yongping , Yu Feng , Song Jiangquan , Dong Shuangqian , Zhang Ruoqian , Zhang Jianwei
Published: January 2021

Background:

Diminished Ovarian Reserve (DOR) is a common disease in reproductive-age women in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. The incidence of DOR increased quickly in recent years and had became one of the most important factors that made the quality of women life decline. Gynecology and reproductive medicine professors have made great efforts to explore good treatment methods all over the world. Traditional Chinese Medicine has made some achievement in treating DOR as a kind of complementary and alternative therapy In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) in recent years, it is indispensable to propose a network meta-analysis (NMA) protocol to discuss the efficacy and safety of TCM in IVF.

Methods:

A literature search will be conducted in 8 electronic databases.

Results:

The efficacy and safety of traditional Chinese medicine in preconditioning patients with diminished ovarian reserve that would undergo In Vitro Fertilization will be evaluated.

Results:

The systematic review will evaluate the efficacy and safety of TCM in IVF.

Conclusion:

The result of this study will provide reliable evidence of the use of TCM in IVF.

INPLASY registration number:

INPLASY2020110062.

Ethics and dissemination:

This review does not require ethical approval.
Automatic quality assessment for 2D fetal sonographic standard plane based on multitask learning
Authors: Zhang Bo , Liu Han , Luo Hong , Li Kejun
Published: January 2021

The quality control of fetal sonographic (FS) images is essential for the correct biometric measurements and fetal anomaly diagnosis. However, quality control requires professional sonographers to perform and is often labor-intensive. To solve this problem, we propose an automatic image quality assessment scheme based on multitask learning to assist in FS image quality control. An essential criterion for FS image quality control is that all the essential anatomical structures in the section should appear full and remarkable with a clear boundary. Therefore, our scheme aims to identify those essential anatomical structures to judge whether an FS image is the standard image, which is achieved by 3 convolutional neural networks. The Feature Extraction Network aims to extract deep level features of FS images. Based on the extracted features, the Class Prediction Network determines whether the structure meets the standard and Region Proposal Network identifies its position. The scheme has been applied to 3 types of fetal sections, which are the head, abdominal, and heart. The experimental results show that our method can make a quality assessment of an FS image within less a second. Also, our method achieves competitive performance in both the segmentation and diagnosis compared with state-of-the-art methods.
Effects of Baduanjin on patients with chronic nonspecific low back pain
Authors: Yang Qingtang , Yu Shiliang , Wang Jianbin , Zheng Caiyun , Liang Xiaofeng , Yu Debiao , Chen Xiangmei
Published: January 2021

Background:

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is 1 of the common clinical diseases, and many treatment methods can only improve the symptoms of pain in the short term. Traditional Chinese sports - Baduanjin has been proven to have a positive effect on chronic low back pain. However, the quality of the research is low, the sample size is small, and safety observations are lacking. We describe the protocol of a randomized controlled trial to study the efficacy and safety of Baduanjin chronic low back pain.

Methods:

This randomized, controlled, evaluator-blind, two-arm, parallel clinical trial will include 90 outpatients with chronic low back pain recruited from the First Hospital of Nanping City, Fujian Province. The patients were randomly assigned to the intervention group (Baduanjin exercise training) and the control group (not receiving any special exercise training) at a ratio of 1:1. Patients in the intervention group will receive Baduanjin exercise training 3 times a week for 24 weeks. The 2 groups received a 4- week follow-up observation at 24 weeks. The main result from the intervention before intervention to 24 weeks later, and the follow-up of 4 changes the visual analog scale score at weeks, and by independent t are tested groups. It will also review the Pain-related disability index, The Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale, Health-related quality of life, Roland Morris (Roland Morris) Disability Questionnaire, Overall Perceived Effect (OPE) and safety Compare. Cost data for cost-benefit and cost-benefit analysis will be collected.

Discussion:

This will be the first study to compare the effectiveness and safety of Baduanjin for patients with chronic low back pain. The results may help healthcare professionals make clinical decisions and may reduce the cost of treatment for this disease.

Trial registration:

ChiCTR2000033908
Prognostic value of lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and histone methyltransferase G9a histone methyltransferase in patients with double expression lymphoma
Authors: Xu Pei , Sun Xiaolin , Song Xuyan , Peng Yaqian , He Bin , Wu Zhengdong , Zhu Jianfeng
Published: January 2021

In patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, MYC combined with Bcl2 and/or Bcl6-based protein expression is called double expression lymphoma (DEL). R-DA-EPOCH program chemotherapy is typically recommended because these patients often have a poor prognosis. Although numerous factors affect survival of patients with DEL, the roles of the tumor biomarker histone methyltransferase G9a (G9a) and the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) are unknown.

We performed a retrospective analysis of data from 51 patients. These patients were newly diagnosed with DEL and treated with R-DA-EPOCH at Taizhou People’ s Hospital and Northern Jiangsu People's Hospital between June 2014 and December 2019. Receiver operator characteristic curve results were used to calculate the LMR cutoff value. We used an immunohistochemical analysis to examine G9a expression in DEL tissues. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to determine progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) characteristics. Cox proportional-hazards models were constructed for univariate and multivariate analyses to examine the prognostic values of LMRs and G9a in patients with DEL.

The cutoff value for LMR was 2.18. The 5-year PFS rate was 35.3%, and the 5-year OS rate was 39.2%. Patients with DEL with lower LMRs and who were G9a-positive predicted inferior PFS and OS. Univariate analysis revealed that patients with elevated LDH levels, high National Comprehensive Cancer Network International Prognostic Index (NCCN-IPI) scores, LMRs ≤2.18, and G9a-positive results had relatively poorer PFS and OS. The multivariate analysis revealed that LMRs ≤2.18 and a G9a-positive result were independent prognostic factors for PFS and OS in patients with DEL treated with R-DA-EPOCH.

The study results suggested that peripheral blood LMRs were an important marker for evaluation of prognosis in patients with DEL. High expression of G9a was associated with worse outcomes, indicating that G9a may serve as a prognostic biomarker for patients with DEL who undergo R-DA-EPOCH program chemotherapy.
Arbidol combined with the Chinese medicine Lianhuaqingwen capsule versus arbidol alone in the treatment of COVID-19
Authors: Liu Lei , Shi Feng , Tu Pei , Chen Chen , Zhang Ming , Li Xiaoguang , Li Chang
Published: January 2021

To evaluate the antiviral effect and safety of arbidol and Lianhuaqingwen Capsule (LH) in treating patients with Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

108 patients with COVID-19 were divided into 2 groups, including 40 patients in the arbidol group and 68 patients in the arbidol + LH group. Patients in the arbidol + LH group received 200 mg of arbidol and 1400 mg of LH per 8 hour, and the arbidol group was given 200 mg arbidol per 8 hour. Blood routine examination, blood biochemistry detection, SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection, and chest CT scans were performed to evaluate the clinical effects between the 2 groups.

No statistically significant differences were observed between the 2 groups in terms of preoperative characteristics including the baseline characteristics, laboratory indicators, and chest CT. On day 7 after admission, patients in the arbidol + LH group showed a higher level of Lymphocytes count, and a lower level of serum amyloid A and C-reactive protein levels (P < .05). Moreover, the median time from admission to the first negative result of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleic acid detection was shorter in the arbidol + LH group (P < .05). Analysis based on CT scan results showed a better extinction of lung inflammation in the arbidol + LH group. No apparent side effects were found in both groups. No patients were transferred to the intensive care unit (ICU) treatment.

Arbidol combined with LH treatment may be more effective in improving the prognosis and accelerating the SARS-CoV-2 clearance in patients with COVID-19.
How demographic and clinical characteristics contribute to the recovery of post-stroke dysphagia?
Authors: Xi Xiao , Li Heping , Wang Liugen , Yin Xiran , Zeng Jing , Song Yunyun , Zhai Yali , Zeng Xi , Zhao Xingna
Published: January 2021

According to the analysis to find out how demographic and clinical characteristics influent the dysphagia outcome after stroke, furthermore, giving some insights to clinical treatment.

One hundred eighty post-stroke dysphagia (PSD) patients were enrolled in this retrospective study at the stroke rehabilitation department. The outcome measurements are beside water swallow test at discharge and length of stay at hospital. Twenty-five demographic and clinical variables were collected for this study. Logistic regression and multilinear regression were utilized to estimate models to identify the risk and protect predictors of PSD outcome.

Mouth-opening degree, drooling severity scale (DSS) level, mini-mental state exam (MMSE) level, Barthel index and Berg balance scale were significant different between recovered and unrecovered group. Type of stroke, MMSE degree, DSS and hemoglobin level shown significant predictive value for PSD outcome in logistic regression. In addition, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and DSS degree were important risk factors for PSD outcome. Gender, body mass index, drinking, hypertension, recurrent stroke, water swallow test level on admission, Berg balance scale, DSS and days between onset to admission shown significant predictive value for length of stay of PSD patients.

PSD outcome was influenced by type of stroke, MMSE degree, DSS and hemoglobin level significantly and obstructive sleep apnea act as an important risk role for PSD recovery.
Application of the Caprini risk assessment model for deep vein thrombosis among patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer
Authors: Lu Xiuying , Zeng Weirong , Zhu Lin , Liu Lu , Du Fengmei , Yang Qing
Published: January 2021

Application of the Caprini risk assessment model was explored in patients with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.

This study was a prospective study. The risk factors for DVT were assessed with a survey at baseline and on the morning of surgery, first day after surgery and sixth day by using repeated blood vessels on color Doppler ultrasound of the lower limbs, and the intraoperative and postoperative conditions were recorded.

Among 148 surgical patients, 24.3% had asymptomatic DVT. According to the risk stratification, the incidence of DVT was related to the Caprini score (P < .001). The area under the curve of the Caprini model was 0.701 ± 0.047 (95% CI: 0.609–0.793, P<.001). The Youden index was 0.368, while the critical point was 10.5 in the Caprini model, corresponding to a sensitivity of 0.806 and a specificity of 0.563. Age, cardiovascular disease, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative fever, preoperative preparation, and hospital stay were higher in DVT patients than in patients without DVT. Moreover, the incidence of DVT in patients with a lithotomy position was higher than that in patients with a scissors position. In binary logistic regression analysis, the independent risk factors for DVT development were age, intraoperative blood loss, and preoperative preparation time.

The Caprini model can be used for the prediction of venous thromboembolism in laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery patients. The thrombosis risk assessment model must be established in line with patients undergoing endoscopic malignant tumor surgery.
Construction and validation of a nomogram for patients with skin cancer
Authors: Ren Jizhen , Sun Pengfei , Wang Yanjin , Cao Rui , Zhang Weina
Published: January 2021

Skin cancer is a common malignant tumor in human beings. At present, the construction of clinical prediction models mainly focuses on malignant melanoma and no researchers have constructed clinical prediction models for all kind of skin cancer to predict the prognosis of skin cancer. We used patient data collected from the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program database to construct and validate our model for clinical prediction of skin cancer, hoping to provide a reference for clinical treatment of skin cancer.

R software was used for univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis of variables to screen out factors that have an impact on the survival of skin cancer patients. Then the prognostic model of skin cancer patients was constructed and the nomogram was drawn. Concordance Index (C-index), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve were used to evaluate the clinical prediction model.

A total of 3180 skin cancer patients were included in this study. We constructed nomogram, a 3-year and 5-year clinical prediction model for skin cancer patients. We used C-index to evaluate the accuracy of nomogram model, and the result of C-index was 0.728, 95%CI (0.703–0.753). The nomogram model was evaluated by ROC curve. The area under the curve values of the ROC curve for 3-year survival rate and 5-year survival rate were 0.732 and 0.768 respectively. The model calibration diagram of the modeling group also shows that the model exhibits high accuracy.

The nomogram model of postoperative survival of patients with skin cancer, based on the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results program database of patients with skin cancer, has shown good stability and accuracy in multi-method validation.
Conjoined twins in a spontaneous monochorionic triplet pregnancy
Authors: Gao Qianqian , Pang Houqing , Luo Hong
Published: January 2021

Rationale:

Conjoined twins are a rare complication of monochorionic pregnancies and an extremely rare condition in spontaneous triplet pregnancies. We report a case of conjoined twins in a spontaneous monochorionic triplet pregnancy. The conjoined twins might have suffered from twin anemia-polycythemia sequence, which was reported to be extremely rare.

Patient concerns:

A 26-year-old woman conceived spontaneously with an obstetric history of invasive mole 4 years ago.

Diagnoses:

We initially misdiagnosed her as having monochorionic triamniotic triplets at 10 weeks of gestation. However, we confirmed conjoint twins with the monochorionic diamniotic triplet pregnancy at 12 weeks of gestation and classified them as omphalopagus.

Interventions:

As the woman decided to continue the pregnancy, regular and careful antenatal care was conducted.

Outcomes:

Unexpectedly, she had a stillbirth 3 weeks later and had to terminate the pregnancy at 15 weeks of gestation. After abortion, the diagnosis of omphalopagus was confirmed in the induced fetuses. Moreover, the skin colors of the conjoined twins were different: one was plethoric, and the other was pale. Additionally, the parents agreed to examine the chromosome of the fetuses, and the results were normal.

Conclusion:

Dichorionic triplet and monochorionic triplet pregnancies have a poorer prognosis than trichorionic triplet pregnancies. Surgery is the main therapy for conjoined twins; however, most conjoined twins in triplet pregnancies cannot survive, including omphalopagus twins. The conjoined twins may have suffered from twin anemia-polycythemia sequence, which could probably not be diagnosed intrauterine. Transvaginal probe and 3-dimensional ultrasound may be helpful for clarifying the diagnosis in early pregnancy.
The efficacy and safety of Xiangsha Liujunzi decoction in the treatment of chronic non-atrophic gastritis
Authors: Yue Pan , Zhong Juan , Huang Jiajun , Lan Zhaoxi , Zhong Sen
Published: January 2021

Background:

Chronic non-atrophic gastritis is the most common type of chronic gastritis. Even if treated with current standard pharmacotherapy, the efficacy is not very satisfactory due to many factors. Traditional Chinese Medicine decoctions are increasingly used in the treatment of chronic gastritis, and many studies have shown that Xiangsha Liujunzi decoction is effective and safe in the treatment of chronic non-atrophic gastritis. However, it is controversy if Xiangsha Liujunzi decoction can provide an evidence-based clinical efficacy and safety in the treatment of chronic non-atrophic gastritis.

Methods:

We will go through 8 databases, and conduct a systematic review of Xiangsha Liujunzi decoction and health-related outcomes in chronic non-atrophic gastritis patients according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews. The primary objective is to assess the impact of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines on clinical outcomes relevant to chronic non-atrophic gastritis patients, such as clinical effective rate,

Helicobacter pylori eradication rate, efficacy under endoscopy, 1-year recurrent rate, and number of reported adverse events. Cochrane Risk Assessment Tool will be used to assess the quality of eligible studies according to the Cochrane handbook.

Results:

The results of this systematic review will provide a synthesis of current evidence of Xiangsha Liujunzi decoction and we have a specific opportunity to determine the efficacy and safety of it.

Conclusion:

This study will explore whether or not Xiangsha Liujunzi decoction can be used as one of the complementary and alternative therapies in the treatment of chronic non-atrophic gastritis.

Registration number:

Identifier: DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/TX27U (https://osf.io/tx27u/).
Compression methods after femoral artery puncture
Authors: Chen Hong-Zhuo , Liang Wan-Sheng , Yao Wu-Feng , Liu Tian-Xi
Published: January 2021

Background:

Vascular complications at the puncture site is a common complication after femoral artery puncture. It will not only affect the postoperative effect and patient comfort, but also may endanger the life of the patient. The effective compression hemostasis methods at the puncture site can improve the comfort of the patient, shorten the hospital stay, and reduce the burden on the medical staff. The purpose of this research is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of different compression methods after femoral artery puncture.

Methods:

We will include all relevant randomized controlled trials by searching major Chinese and English databases and clinical trial registration platforms. Use Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of bias tool for bias risk analysis. Use the Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation to assess the quality of evidence. Data analysis will be performed using Stata (V.15.0) and WinBUGS (V.1.4.3).

Results:

Five hundred ninety-seven records were obtained by searching the database but no records were obtained by other means. After removing duplicate records, 377 records remain. We excluded 103 records through abstract and title, leaving 274 full-text articles.

Conclusion:

This study will compare the application effects of different compression methods after femoral artery puncture. We hope that this study will help guide clinical decision-making and provide evidence for the management of patients after femoral artery puncture.

Protocol Registration number:

INPLASY2020120094.
Co-infection in patients with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19 in Reunion Island
Authors: Allou Nicolas , Larsen Kevin , Dubernet Arthur , Traversier Nicolas , Masse Laurie , Foch Emilie , Bruneau Léa , Maillot Adrien , André Michel , Lagrange-Xelot Marie , Allyn Jérôme , Thomas Vincent , Coolen-Allou Nathalie
Published: January 2021

This study aimed to evaluate the incidence of co-infection with different types of pathogens in patients with hypoxemic pneumonia due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Reunion Island.

This observational study using a prospectively collected database of hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19 cases was conducted at Félix Guyon University Hospital in Reunion Island, France.

Between 18 March 2020 and 15 April 2020, 156 patients were admitted to our hospital for COVID-19. A total of 36 patients had hypoxemic pneumonia (23.1%) due to COVID-19. Thirty of these cases (83.3%) were imported by travelers returning mainly from metropolitan France and Spain. Patients were screened for co-infection with other pathogens at admission: 31 (86.1%) by multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and 16 (44.4%) by cytobacteriological examination of sputum culture. Five patients (13.9%) were found to have co-infection: 1 with influenza virus A H1N1 (pdm09) associated with Branhamella catarrhalis, 1 with Streptococcus pneumoniae associated with Haemophilus influenzae, 1 with Human Coronavirus 229E, 1 with Rhinovirus, and 1 with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus. Patients with co-infection had higher D-dimer levels than those without co-infection (1.36 [1.34–2.36] μg/mL vs 0.63 [0.51–1.12] μg/mL, P = .05).

The incidence of co-infection in our cohort was higher than expected (13.9%). Three co-infections (with influenza virus A(H1N1) pdm09, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Staphylococcus aureus) required specific treatment. Patients with hypoxemic pneumonia due to COVID-19 should be screened for co-infection using respiratory cultures or multiplex PCR. Whilst our study has a number of limitations, the results from our study suggest that in the absence of screening, patients should be commenced on treatment for co-infection in the presence of an elevated D-dimer.
Calcineurin inhibitors in the treatment of primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
Authors: Xue Guozhong , Wang Xinbin , Li Shuwen , Dai Enlai
Published: January 2021

Background:

Evidence suggesting a role for including calcineurin inhibitors(CNIs) in early therapy remains limited for low quality and mainly based on small observation cohort study. We will conduct a systematic reviews to explore the effect and adverse effect of calcineurin inhibitors compared with other interventions in the treatment of primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

Methods:

A comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE (through PubMed), EMBASE, The Cochrane Library, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) will be conducted. Two investigators will independently select studies, extract data and assess the quality of the included study. Extracted information will include study characteristics, the contents of included randomized controlled trials, outcomes, the quality of randomized controlled trials and etc. A risk of bias tool will be used to assess the methodological quality. Any disagreement will be resolved by the third investigator. There is no requirement of ethical approval and informed consent.

Results:

This study will provide high-quality evidence for treatment of FSGS in terms of effectiveness and safety.

Conclusion:

This systematic review aims to provide evidence for treatment of FSGS in different CNIs.

Registration:

The systematic review and meta-analysis is registered in the OSF REGISTERS (10.17605/OSF.IO/3B7DE) international prospective register of systematic review.
Risk factors for positive brain CT scan in children with traumatic brain injury and GCS = 15
Authors: Wang Junyou , Hu Yan , Wu Panxing
Published: January 2021

It is controversial whether it is necessary to carry out head computed tomography (CT) examination for children who had a traumatic brain injury (TBI) but are conscious (Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) = 15). The present study explored the risk/predictive factors of positive CT results in children with mild closed head injury and GCS = 15.

This was a retrospective study of children (0–18 years of age) with TBI and GCS = 15 and treated at the First People's Hospital of Wenling between 06/2013 and 06/2018. The outcome was a positive head plain CT result. Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine the factors independently associated with positive CT results.

A total of 279 children were included. The majority of the injured were boys (180/279, 64.5%). The top three causes of injury were traffic accidents (100/279, 35.8%), falling from height (92/279, 33.0%), and tumble (72/279, 25.8%). The top three clinical symptoms were headache (201/279, 72.0%), scalp hematoma (133/279, 47.7%), and nausea with or without vomiting (105/279, 37.6%). The multivariable analysis showed that scalp hematoma (OR = 3.040, 95%CI: 1.791–5.159, P < .0001), ear and nostril bleeding or periorbital soft tissue contusion (OR = 2.234, 95%CI: 1.087–4.590, P = .029), and nausea with or without vomiting (OR = 2.186, 95%CI: 1.255–3.810, P = .006) were independently associated with positive results of head CT.

For children with TBI and GCS = 15, the factors independently associated with positive CT results are scalp hematoma, ear and nostril bleeding or periorbital soft tissue contusion, and nausea with or without vomiting.
Successful Salvage of Very Early Relapse in Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia With Inotuzumab Ozogamicin and HLA-haploidentical Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation With Posttransplant Cyclophosphamide
Authors: Abematsu Takanari , Nishikawa Takuro , Nakagawa Shunsuke , Kodama Yuichi , Okamoto Yasuhiro , Kawano Yoshifumi
Published: January 2021

Herein, we describe a 14-year-old female patient with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia who relapsed in early consolidation. Minimal residual disease-negative complete remission was obtained after 1 cycle of inotuzumab ozogamicin therapy. She underwent HLA-haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation after a myeloablative conditioning regimen. Posttransplant cyclophosphamide, tacrolimus, and mycophenolate mofetil were administered for the prophylaxis of graft-versus-host disease. At 23 months, she was in complete remission. Although the administration of inotuzumab ozogamicin followed by haploidentical peripheral blood stem cell transplantation with posttransplant cyclophosphamide has been limited in children, this strategy may be an effective treatment for pediatric refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia.