Diagnostic Mode Research Articles

The incidence of nonampullary duodenal cancer in Japan 2016-2020: analysis of a national cancer registry.

Epidemiological research is scarce in Asian countries including Japan. We aimed to clarify the epidemiological trend of nonampullary duodenal cancer (NADC) in Japan using a national database. All patients with NADC diagnosed between 2016 and 2020 were identified from the Japanese national cancer registry. The crude and age-adjusted incidences were determined and temporal trends including diagnostic mode, tumor stage, and treatments were analyzed. A total of 14 484 patients were included. The crude and age-adjusted incidences were 21.8-23.5 and 10.7-12.1 per 1 000 000 person-years. Male-to-female ratio was 1.7:1, and the incidence increased with age. The number of patients was highest among 70-79year age group in both sexes. In total, 55% of patients were diagnosed during screening or surveillance for other diseases. In 54% of patients, the tumor stage was localized. The major treatment was surgery (32%), followed by endoscopic resection (27%). The trends for detection mode, tumor stage, and treatment were consistent during 2016-2020. This study clarified and confirmed the high incidence of duodenal cancer in Japan. Characteristically, many NADC cases are diagnosed asymptomatically and treated by endoscopic or surgical treatment.

Analysis of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Modes for Congenital Branchial Cleft Anomalies.

The objective of this study was to investigate and assess the clinical data of 123 patients diagnosed with congenital branchial cleft anomalies (CBCAs), to summarize pivotal aspects concerning their clinical diagnosis and treatment process. The authors conducted a retrospective analysis of 123 patients who underwent surgical intervention for CBCAs at our institution between August 2005 and September 2021. The clinical demographic characteristics of the patients, primary symptoms, treatment chronology, preoperative diagnostic assessments, surgical strategies, occurrences of postoperative complications, and rates of recurrence were subjected to statistical analysis. Among the enrolled patients, there were 43 cases (34.9%) of congenital first branchial cleft anomalies (CFBCA), 76 cases (61.8%) of congenital second branchial cleft anomalies (CSBCA), and 4 cases (3.3%) of congenital third branchial cleft anomalies (CTBCA), with no cases of congenital fourth branchial anomalies (CFBA). Notably, among all cases, 43 anomalies were situated in the upper one-third of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, while 80 anomalies were located in the lower one-third. Different surgical approaches were selected for patients based on the specific type of anomaly presented. Following surgery, there was recurrence in 14 cases, with factors such as patient age, clinical categorization, lesion type, and history of preoperative infection and surgical intervention identified as primary risk factors for it. CBCAs represent comparatively uncommon disorders affecting the head and cervical regions in clinical practice. Diagnostic modes such as ultrasonography and lipiodol contrast radiography can be used for accurate diagnosis, with surgical intervention serving as the primary therapeutic method.

Exome sequencing reveals neurodevelopmental genes in simplex consanguineous Iranian families with syndromic autism

Background and objectiveAutosomal recessive genetic disorders pose significant health challenges in regions where consanguineous marriages are prevalent. The utilization of exome sequencing as a frequently employed methodology has enabled a clear delineation of diagnostic efficacy and mode of inheritance within multiplex consanguineous families. However, these aspects remain less elucidated within simplex families.MethodsIn this study involving 12 unrelated simplex Iranian families presenting syndromic autism, we conducted singleton exome sequencing. The identified genetic variants were validated using Sanger sequencing, and for the missense variants in FOXG1 and DMD, 3D protein structure modeling was carried out to substantiate their pathogenicity. To examine the expression patterns of the candidate genes in the fetal brain, adult brain, and muscle, RT-qPCR was employed.ResultsIn four families, we detected an autosomal dominant gene (FOXG1), an autosomal recessive gene (CHKB), and two X-linked autism genes (IQSEC2 and DMD), indicating diverse inheritance patterns. In the remaining eight families, we were unable to identify any disease-associated genes. As a result, our variant detection rate stood at 33.3% (4/12), surpassing rates reported in similar studies of smaller cohorts. Among the four newly identified coding variants, three are de novo (heterozygous variant p.Trp546Ter in IQSEC2, heterozygous variant p.Ala188Glu in FOXG1, and hemizygous variant p.Leu211Met in DMD), while the homozygous variant p.Glu128Ter in CHKB was inherited from both healthy heterozygous parents. 3D protein structure modeling was carried out for the missense variants in FOXG1 and DMD, which predicted steric hindrance and spatial inhibition, respectively, supporting the pathogenicity of these human mutants. Additionally, the nonsense variant in CHKB is anticipated to influence its dimerization – crucial for choline kinase function – and the nonsense variant in IQSEC2 is predicted to eliminate three functional domains. Consequently, these distinct variants found in four unrelated individuals with autism are likely indicative of loss-of-function mutations.ConclusionsIn our two syndromic autism families, we discovered variants in two muscular dystrophy genes, DMD and CHKB. Given that DMD and CHKB are recognized for their participation in the non-cognitive manifestations of muscular dystrophy, it indicates that some genes transcend the boundary of apparently unrelated clinical categories, thereby establishing a novel connection between ASD and muscular dystrophy. Our findings also shed light on the complex inheritance patterns observed in Iranian consanguineous simplex families and emphasize the connection between autism spectrum disorder and muscular dystrophy. This underscores a likely genetic convergence between neurodevelopmental and neuromuscular disorders.

Artificial Intelligence in Modernization of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Industry: A Review

: Artificial intelligence (AI) falls under the purview of computer technology, which analyzes complex data and helps solve problems in different segments. Big Data, Machine Learning, and AI are currently being used by the major pharmaceutical industries to minimize time and costs and increase possibilities. Artificial intelligence is used in the pharmaceutical industry in diverse ways, such as drug discovery and development, clinical trials, disease diagnosis, and different stages in pharmaceutical manufacturing, data analysis, and supply management. Most of the cost and time are involved in drug discovery and clinical trials. Artificial intelligence can minimize human error in data processing, documentation, data integrity issues, and data selection throughout the journey. It works in descriptive, diagnostic, predictive, and prescriptive mode. Major pharmaceutical conglomerates like Pfizer, Roche, Novartis, and Johnson & Johnson have already applied Artificial Intelligence in different segments of pharmaceutical and medicinal science. Tech companies like IBM Watson, Catalia Health, Intel, Microsoft, and Google, in collaboration with pharmaceutical companies, are working in the different areas of drug discovery, early diagnosis, and personalized medicine. Further, AI finds application in the health sector for data management, scanning and evaluation of medical history reports, and finding optimum treatment strategies for chronic care patients. Though lots of research and development are being done on the utilization of artificial intelligence in the pharmaceutical industry, it is still in the nascent stage. This article is our endeavor to study, in detail, the present and future opportunities of machine learning and AI in the pharmaceutical industry as a whole.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation-supported patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundIn recent years, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has been increasingly used in critically ill patients with respiratory or cardiac failure. Heparin is usually used as anticoagulation therapy during ECMO support. However, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) in ECMO-supported patients, which results in considerable morbidity and mortality, has not yet been well described. This meta-analysis and systematic review aimed to thoroughly report the incidence of HIT on ECMO, as well as the characteristics and outcomes of HIT patients.MethodsWe searched the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases for studies investigating HIT in adult patients supported by ECMO. All studies conforming to the inclusion criteria were screened from 1975 to August 2023. Nineteen studies from a total of 1,625 abstracts were selected. The primary outcomes were the incidence of HIT and suspected HIT.ResultsThe pooled incidence of HIT in ECMO-supported patients was 4.2% (95% CI: 2.7–5.6; 18 studies). A total of 15.9% (95% CI: 9.0-22.8; 12 studies) of patients on ECMO were suspected of having HIT. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) is the most commonly used immunoassay. The median optical density (OD) of the ELISA in HIT-confirmed patients ranged from 1.08 to 2.10. In most studies, the serotonin release assay (SRA) was performed as a HIT-confirming test. According to the subgroup analysis, the pooled incidence of HIT in ECMO patients was 2.7% in studies whose diagnostic mode was functional assays, which is significantly lower than the incidence in studies in which the patients were diagnosed by immunoassay (14.5%). Argatroban was most commonly used as an alternative anticoagulation agent after the withdrawal of heparin. Among confirmed HIT patients, 45.5% (95% CI: 28.8–62.6) experienced thrombotic events, while 50.1% (95% CI: 24.9–75.4) experienced bleeding events. Overall, 46.6% (95% CI: 30.4–63.1) of patients on ECMO with HIT died.ConclusionAccording to our study, the pooled incidence of HIT in ECMO-supported patients is 4.2%, and it contributes to adverse outcomes. Inappropriate diagnostic methods can easily lead to misdiagnosis of HIT. Further research and development of diagnostic algorithms and laboratory assays are warranted.

A new mode for the diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma.

In order to explore a new mode for the diagnosis of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL), 31 cases of AITL and 28 cases of peripheral T-cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) were used as the study subjects. Identifying T follicular helper (TFH) cells with CD4, CD10, Bcl-6, and PD-1, identifying proliferative B cells with CD20 and EZH2, identifying proliferative follicular dendritic cells (FDCs) with CD21 and CD23, and analyzing the value of TFH/B/FDC proliferation and immunolocalization in the diagnosis of AITL. (1) Outside the inherent lymphoid follicles, simultaneous proliferation of TFH/B/FDC (a new diagnostic mode) were observed in AITL [83.87%; 26/31], with their immunolocalizations in the same site [83.87%; 26/31], while this phenomenon was not observed in 28 cases of PTCL-NOS (P<0.05). (2) The sensitivity and specificity of using this new mode to diagnose AITL were both high (83.87%, 100%), which was superior to CD2 (100%, 0%), CD3 (100%, 0%), CD4 (100%, 32.14%), CD5 (100%, 25%), CD10 (61.9%, 100%), Bcl-6 (42.86%, 100%), PD-1 (83.87%, 96.43%), and its Youden Index (0.84) was the highest. The areas under the curve (AUC) of CD10, Bcl-6, PD-1, and new mode to diagnosis AITL were 0.81, 0.71, 0.90, and 0.92, respectively, while the new mode had the highest AUC. The simultaneous proliferation of TFH/B/FDC cells outside the inherent lymphoid follicles can be used to assist in the diagnosis of AITL, and the simultaneous spatiotemporal proliferation of TFH/B/FDC cells is a specific immunomorphology of AITL.

Development and validation of a model for predicting upstage in minimally invasive lung adenocarcinoma in Chinese people.

Sublobar resection for ground-glass opacity became a recommend surgery choice supported by the JCOG0804/JCOG0802/JCOG1211 results. Sublobar resection includes segmentectomy and wedge resection, wedge resection is suitable for non-invasive lesions, but in clinical practice, when pathologists are uncertain about the intraoperative frozen diagnosis of invasive lesions, difficulty in choosing the appropriate operation occurs. The purpose of this study was to analyze how to select invasive lesions with clinic-pathological characters. A retrospective study was conducted on 134 cases of pulmonary nodules diagnosed with minimally invasive adenocarcinoma by intraoperative freezing examination. The patients were divided into two groups according to intraoperative frozen results: the minimally invasive adenocarcinoma group and the at least minimally invasive adenocarcinoma group. A variety of clinical features were collected. Chi-square tests and multiple regression logistic analysis were used to screen out independent risk factors related to pathological upstage, and then ROC curves were established. In addition, an independent validation set included 1164 cases was collected. Independent risk factors related to pathological upstage were CT value, maximum tumor diameter, and frozen result of AL-MIA. The AUC of diagnostic mode was 71.1% [95%CI: 60.8-81.3%]. The independent validation included 1164 patients, 417 (35.8%) patients had paraffin-based pathology of invasive adenocarcinoma. The AUC of diagnostic mode was 75.7% [95%CI: 72.9-78.4%]. The intraoperative frozen diagnosis was AL-MIA, maximum tumor diameter larger than 15mm and CT value is more than - 450Hu, highly suggesting that the lung GGO was invasive adenocarcinoma which represent a higher risk to recurrence. For these patients, sublobectomy would be insufficient, lobectomy or complementary treatment is encouraged.

A review of the BuFeng-1 GNSS-R mission: calibration and validation results of sea surface and land surface

ABSTRACT In this paper, we will conclude the results of Bufeng-1 (BF-1) A/B data processing, calibration workflow, and validation of the calibrated sea surface winds, land surface soil moisture, and sea surface height measurements. Since 2019, the BF-1 mission has operated in-orbit for over 4 years. The Earth reflected delay Doppler maps (DDMs) are continuously collected to perform global sea surface and land observations. At the same time, the intermediate frequency (IF) raw data are also obtained for 12 seconds every pass in diagnostic mode. To begin with, a brief description of the spaceborne Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) technique will be provided in the introduction. Next, we will present the overview of Chinese BF-1 mission and the data specifications used in our research. In the next section, the BF-1 mission-related spaceborne power calibration and validation are presented to show the support to power DDM observable production for sea surface and land surface applications. Then, the status of Chinese Beidou System (BDS) Equivalent Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP) acquisition programme is then introduced. Furthermore, the latest sea surface height (SSH) measurements results including two modes (group delay and carrier phase) and wind speed derivation based on machine learning (ML) method will be spatial-temporal aligned and validated with auxiliary datasets including Denmark Technology University (DTU) mean sea surface (MSS) products and European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) ERA5 reanalysis. The previous published results of sea surface winds retrieval under Hurricane conditions and soil moisture retrieval are also reviewed for the BF-1 mission applications. Finally, the conclusion of BF-1 derived results will be discussed to draw out ongoing/future works.

Pneumothorax in a term newborn.

With the advent of surfactant and gentle ventilation, the incidence of neonatal pneumothorax has decreased over the last two decades. Pneumothorax associated with respiratory distress syndrome is more common in preterm infants, but term infants often present with isolated pneumothorax. The use of CPAP or non-invasive respiratory support in the delivery room for a term infant with respiratory distress increases transpulmonary pressures and increases the risk of pneumothorax. Prompt diagnosis with a high index of suspicion, quick evaluation by transillumination, chest X-ray or lung ultrasound is critical. Management includes observation, needle thoracocentesis and if necessary, chest tube placement. This manuscript reviews the incidence, pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of a term infant with isolated pneumothorax, summarizing the combination of established knowledge with new understanding, including data on diagnostic modes such as ultrasound, reviewing preventative measures, and therapeutic interventions such as needle thoracocentesis and a comparison of pigtail vs. straight chest tubes.

Safety and feasibility of a functional electrical stimulation cycling-based muscular dysfunction diagnostic method in mechanically ventilated patients.

A nonvolitional diagnostic method based on FES-Cycling technology has recently been demonstrated for mechanically ventilated patients. This method presents good sensitivity and specificity for detecting muscle dysfunction and survival prognosis, even in unconscious patients. As the clinical relevance of this method has already been reported, we aimed to evaluate its safety and feasibility. An observational prospective study was carried out with 20 critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients. The FES-cycling equipment was set in a specific diagnostic mode. For safety determination, hemodynamic parameters and peripheral oxygen saturation were measured before and immediately after the diagnostic protocol, as well as venous oxygen saturation and blood lactate. The creatine phosphokinase level (CPK) was measured before and 24, 48, and 72 h after the test. The time taken to carry out the entire diagnostic protocol and the number of patients with visible muscle contraction (capacity of perceptive muscular recruitment) were recorded to assess feasibility. Heart rate [91 ± 23 vs. 94 ± 23 bpm (p = 0.0837)], systolic [122 ± 19 vs. 124 ± 19 mm Hg (p = 0.4261)] and diastolic blood pressure [68 ± 13 vs. 70 ± 15 mm Hg (p = 0.3462)], and peripheral [98 (96-99) vs. 98 (95-99) % (p = 0.6353)] and venous oxygen saturation [71 ± 14 vs. 69 ± 14% (p = 0.1317)] did not change after the diagnostic protocol. Moreover, blood lactate [1.48 ± 0.65 vs. 1.53 ± 0.71 mmol/L (p = 0.2320)] did not change. CPK did not change up to 72 h after the test [99 (59-422) vs. 125 (66-674) (p = 0.2799) vs. 161 (66-352) (p > 0.999) vs. 100 (33-409) (p = 0.5901)]. The time taken to perform the diagnostic assessment was 11.3 ± 1.1 min. In addition, 75% of the patients presented very visible muscle contractions, and 25% of them presented barely visible muscle contractions. The FES cycling-based muscular dysfunction diagnostic method is safe and feasible. Hemodynamic parameters, peripheral oxygen saturation, venous oxygen saturation, and blood lactate did not change after the diagnostic protocol. The muscle damage marker (CPK) did not increase up to 72 h after the diagnostic protocol.

Rapid diagnosis and prognosis of malaria infection using a microfluidic point-of-care immunoassay

Malaria is a major cause of illness and death worldwide. Rapid diagnostic tests are the most widely used tool for detecting malaria infection, however, they only provide binary results and lack the sensitivity needed to detect many asymptomatic infections. Molecular assays for quantifying malaria biomarkers offer higher detection sensitivity, however, they are time-consuming, and require expert training and expensive equipment, making them unsuitable for use in most of Africa. To address the need for simple, accurate and field-deployable malaria diagnostic tests, we have developed a microfluidic point-of-care (mPOC) immunoassay for rapid quantification of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2), a malaria parasite biomarker, in whole blood. This device features two diagnostic modes for detecting PfHRP2 at low (100's pg/mL) and high (1,000's ng/mL) concentrations, making it useful for multiple diagnostic applications, including the detection of asymptomatic infection, prediction of disease outcomes and diagnosis of cerebral malaria. Measurements of PfHRP2 in blood samples from malaria patients demonstrates that this platform offers similar accuracy as an ultra-sensitive PfHRP2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, while being 12× faster and simpler to use. This mPOC immunoassay can be deployed in rural health centers to assist clinicians in diagnosing and triaging malaria patients, ultimately improving patient outcomes.

Development and validation of a simple risk scoring system for a COVID-19 diagnostic prediction mode.

In a resource-constrained situation, a clinical risk stratification system can assist in identifying individuals who are at higher risk and should be tested for COVID-19. This study aims to find a predictive scoring model to estimate the COVID-19 diagnosis." Patients who applied to the emergency pandemic clinic between April 2020 and March 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study. At admission, demographic characteristics, symptoms, comorbid diseases, chest computed tomography (CT), and laboratory findings were all recorded. Development and validation datasets were created. The scoring system was performed using the coefficients of the odds ratios obtained from the multivariable logistic regression analysis." Among 1187 patients admitted to the hospital, the median age was 58 years old (22-96), and 52.7% were male. In a multivariable analysis, typical radiological findings (OR= 8.47, CI= 5.48-13.10, p< 0.001) and dyspnea (OR= 2.85, CI= 1.71-4.74, p< 0.001) were found to be the two important risk actors for COVID-19 diagnosis, followed by myalgia (OR= 1.80, CI= 1.08- 2.99, p= 0.023), cough (OR= 1.65, CI= 1.16-2.26, p= 0.006) and fatigue symptoms (OR= 1.57, CI= 1.06-2.30, p= 0.023). In our scoring system, dyspnea was scored as 2 points, cough as 1 point, fatigue as 1 point, myalgia as 1 point, and typical radiological findings were scored as 5 points. This scoring system had a sensitivity of 71% and a specificity of 76.3% for a cut-off value of >2, with a total score of 10 (p< 0.001). The predictive scoring system could accurately predict the diagnosis of COVID-19 infection, which gave clinicians a theoretical basis for devising immediate treatment options. An evaluation of the predictive efficacy of the scoring system necessitates a multi-center investigation.

Artificial intelligence in wearable electrocardiogram monitoring

Electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring owns important clinical value in diagnosis, prevention and rehabilitation of cardiovascular disease (CVD). With the rapid development of Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies, wearable ECG is playing an increasingly important role. With the aging process of the population, it is more and more urgent to upgrade the diagnostic mode of CVD. Using AI technology to assist the clinical analysis of long-term ECGs, and thus to improve the ability of early detection and prediction of CVD has become an important direction. Intelligent wearable ECG monitoring needs the collaboration between edge and cloud computing. Meanwhile, the clarity of medical scene is conducive for the precise implementation of wearable ECG monitoring. This paper first summarized the progress of AI-related ECG studies and the current technical orientation. Then three cases were depicted to illustrate how the AI in wearable ECG cooperate with the clinic. Finally, we demonstrated the two core issues-the reliability and worth of AI-related ECG technology and prospected the future opportunities and challenges.

Magnetically driven MWCNT-Fe3O4-water hybrid nanofluidic transport through a micro-wavy channel: A novel MEMS design for drug delivery application

BackgroundMicrotechnology-based advanced drug delivery technique has significantly advanced, but experiences a few technological hurdles to achieve their full potential. With the fast advancement in diagnostic modes, drug delivery methodology is not restricted to only immunology or wound healing, but rather applicable to gene delivery, and cancer treatments which demand a controlled discharge of targeted drug transferring. Again, nanofluids are acknowledged in nano-biomedical technology. The heat-generating magnetic nanoparticles due to a high magnetic field would locally heat up tissue and thus detect hyperthermia. Microfluidic control released drug delivery technology offers a unique technology to implement nanofluidic drug delivery. With such an objective, this investigation explores the MWCNT-Fe3O4-water hybrid nanofluidic transport through a micro-wavy channel. Along the channel’s perpendicular axis direction, a uniform magnetic field is operated. During the numeric exercise, three different micro-wavy channel textures are designed to facilitate the drug delivery application in MEMS-based medical devices. The channel's entry and exit sections are planar surfaces, while the middle section is engineered to have a wavy texture. The non-wavy sections are insulated, whereas the wavy walls are heated. MethodsThe major flow equations after performing non-dimensionalization are resolved with the Galerkin-finite-element scheme. Both numerical and experimental assessments are performed with existing literature to establish the current simulation-based model’s legitimacy. Several velocities, streamlines, and heat transference graphics are extracted from those three different wavy channels. ResultsThe acting magnetic intensity decelerates the flow transit but enhances the heat transmission. Numeric simulation predicts 17.91% heat transference augmentation at the lower wavy surface for increasing amplitude-based micro wavy channel, while the decreasing amplitude micro wavy channel estimates 12.20% heat transference increment. ConclusionThe numeric scrutiny conveys that increasing or decreasing amplitude-based wavy texture facilitates the flow most and accelerates heat transference compared to simple uniform amplitude-based wavy texture surfaces.

Experimental Studies of Engine Crankcase Gas Consumption D-243 With Varying Degrees of Wear of the Cylinder-piston Group

The methodology and results of the experimental studies of crankcase gas consumption in diesel engines with varying degrees of wear of the cylinder-piston group (CPG) are presented. It is shown that the rotation speed has a significant influence on the crankcase gas consumption and the load has an insignificant influence on it. It is recommended to use the idle mode at the nominal or maximum rotation speed as a diagnostic test mode to assess the technical condition of the CPG.

Wireless, battery-free, multifunctional integrated bioelectronics for respiratory pathogens monitoring and severity evaluation

The rapid diagnosis of respiratory virus infection through breath and blow remains challenging. Here we develop a wireless, battery-free, multifunctional pathogenic infection diagnosis system (PIDS) for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 infection and symptom severity by blow and breath within 110 s and 350 s, respectively. The accuracies reach to 100% and 92% for evaluating the infection and symptom severity of 42 participants, respectively. PIDS realizes simultaneous gaseous sample collection, biomarker identification, abnormal physical signs recording and machine learning analysis. We transform PIDS into other miniaturized wearable or portable electronic platforms that may widen the diagnostic modes at home, outdoors and public places. Collectively, we demonstrate a general-purpose technology for rapidly diagnosing respiratory pathogenic infection by breath and blow, alleviating the technical bottleneck of saliva and nasopharyngeal secretions. PIDS may serve as a complementary diagnostic tool for other point-of-care techniques and guide the symptomatic treatment of viral infections.

Application of spectral CT in diagnosis, classification and prognostic monitoring of gastrointestinal cancers: progress, limitations and prospects

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Computed tomography (CT) is an important auxiliary tool for the diagnosis, evaluation, and prognosis prediction of gastrointestinal tumors. Spectral CT is another major CT revolution after spiral CT and multidetector CT. Compared to traditional CT which only provides single-parameter anatomical diagnostic mode imaging, spectral CT can achieve multi-parameter imaging and provide a wealth of image information to optimize disease diagnosis. In recent years, with the rapid development and application of spectral CT, more and more studies on the application of spectral CT in the characterization of GI tumors have been published. For this review, we obtained a substantial volume of literature, focusing on spectral CT imaging of gastrointestinal cancers, including esophageal, stomach, colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers. We found that spectral CT can not only accurately stage gastrointestinal tumors before operation but also distinguish benign and malignant GI tumors with improved image quality, and effectively evaluate the therapeutic response and prognosis of the lesions. In addition, this paper also discusses the limitations and prospects of using spectral CT in GI cancer diagnosis and treatment.

Chinese expert consensus on laparoscopic hepatic segmentectomy and subsegmentectomy navigated by augmented and mixed reality technology combined with indocyanine green fluorescence(2023)

Augmented reality and mixed reality technologies have pioneered the realization of real-time fusion and interactive projection for laparoscopic surgery. Indocyanine green molecular imaging technology has realized anatomical, functional and radical hepatectomy through tumor identification and localization of target hepatic segmental extent, which has led to the transformation of hepatic surgical diseases from traditional empirical diagnostic and treatment modes to digital intelligent diagnostic and treatment modes. The Hepatic Surgery Group of the Surgery Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the Digital Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, the Digital Intelligent Surgery Committee of the Chinese Society of Research Hospitals and the Liver Cancer Committee of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association have organized the relevant experts in China to formulate this consensus,which detailed advantages, process and key points of augmented reality and mixed reality technology combined with indocyanine green molecular imaging technology in hepatic segmental and subsegmental resection, to streamline and standardize the application of this technology for promotion.

Receiving a Response Image of a Solar Cell Efficiency by the Photo Scanning Method

The device for quality analysis of solar cells with different sensitive surface areas using radiation from a non-mechanical planar system is described. Current solutions for quality analysis of solar cells have disadvantages: work with analogy data, large dimensions of mechanical focusing system, interaction with small areas active zone of solar cells without possibility of identifying point pattern efficiency. Accordingly, a method is proposed for measuring the efficiency of solar cells at the production stage and during the operational period, which makes it possible to identify places of its insensitivity with the possibility of obtaining quantitative data on efficiency for the purpose of their mathematical processing. The developed photo scanning control device can be suitable for solar cells diagnostics with a sensitive zone area from 9 mm2 to A5 sheet size. The method makes it possible to measure local photocurrent and to find places of solar cell shunting. Process of diagnostics is controlled by one personal computer, which performs functions of controlling illumination of a monitor, setting diagnostic modes, obtaining data on the efficiency of the solar cells, storing and processing them. The device can be based on a laptop and is considered as mobile. Special software is used to manage, visualize and process the output data in a form of a rectangular matrix. An experiment was carried out on artificial darkening of the working areas of solar cells of different sensitivity. This confirmed effect of data changes and a visual display of obscuring zone on the output results. Tests were carried out on solar cells based on polycrystalline silicon. The results showed a high level of visibility and repeatability of the darkened area, and the quality of the data obtained made it possible to identify a small measurement error associated with external “noise”.

Obstetrical Emergencies in Domestic Cats

Background: The adaptability of kittens as indoor pets and the unique situation presented by Covid 19 pandemic led to a flourish in cat breeding and sales. This has led to an increased number of feline obstetric cases presented to veterinary clinical settings during the last two years. Dystocia in dogs is well referenced, but it has received less attention and documentation in cats. Hence, a retrospective study of obstetric emergencies in cats was made. Methods: This study reviewed the incidence, treatment and outcomes of 48 feline obstetric emergencies presented to University Veterinary Hospital, Mannuthy, Kerala during the calendar year 2021. The data was analysed and represented according to the presenting complaint, causes of dystocia as maternal or foetal, diagnostic modes, outcome to medical or surgical treatment adopted and exceptional reasons for obstetric emergencies in cats. Result: Dystocia (n= 45), uterine torsion (n= 3), ectopic pregnancy (n= 2) and uterine prolapse (n= 1) were the obstetric emergencies recorded during this study. 75.56 per cent of feline dystocia were due to maternal factors and 24.44 per cent due to foetal factors and in three patients, uterine torsion was identified as the cause of dystocia. Medical management was successful in 45.71% and surgical management was adopted in 48.89% cases. Ovariohysterectomy was performed in cats identified with torsion of uterus, prolapsed uterus and ectopic pregnancies.