ADC值和标化 ADC值诊断前列腺癌恶性程度价值的比较

目的：比较表观扩散系数（ADC）值和标化ADC值在诊断前列腺癌恶性程度中的价值。方法回顾性分析经病理证实的34例前列腺癌的弥散加权成像（DWI）扫描结果。测量患者49个癌灶及外周带正常区域的ADC值,计算癌灶标化 ADC值。根据病理Gleason评分,49个癌灶分为：≤6分（低危组）、7分（中危组）、≥8分（高危组）共3组。对各组ADC值之间和标化ADC值之间的差别及ADC值和标化ADC值与Gleason评分之间的相关性进行统计学分析。结果前列腺癌 ADC值及标化ADC值3组整体差异均有统计学意义（P＜0．01）,但两两比较ADC值在中危组与高危组之间差异无统计学意义（P＞0．05）,而标化ADC值在各组间差异均有统计学意义（ P＜0．05）。ADC值（ r＝－0．546,P＝0．000）和标化 ADC 值（ r＝－0．575,P＝0．000）与Gleason评分均呈负相关。在比较前列腺癌各组的ROC曲线下面积时,标化ADC值与ADC值之间的差异无统计学意义（P＞0．05）,但当特异性调整至100％时,标化ADC值在区别低危组与中危组、低危组与高危组时较ADC值具有更高的灵敏性（47．5％ vs ．5．6％、78．2％ vs ．50．9％）。结论 ADC值和标化ADC值与Gleason评分均呈负相关,但标化ADC值在诊断前列腺癌恶性程度方面可能具有更高的效能。     

Correlations Between the Incidence of National Notifiable Infectious Diseases and Public Open Data,Including Meteorological Factors and Medical Facility Resources

Objectives:

This study was performed to investigate the relationship between the incidence of national notifiable infectious diseases (NNIDs) and meteorological factors, air pollution levels, and hospital resources in Korea.

Methods:

We collected and stored 660 000 pieces of publicly available data associated with infectious diseases from public data portals and the Diseases Web Statistics System of Korea. We analyzed correlations between the monthly incidence of these diseases and monthly average temperatures and monthly average relative humidity, as well as vaccination rates, number of hospitals, and number of hospital beds by district in Seoul.

Results:

Of the 34 NNIDs, malaria showed the most significant correlation with temperature (r=0.949, p<0.01) and concentration of nitrogen dioxide (r=-0.884, p<0.01). We also found a strong correlation between the incidence of NNIDs and the number of hospital beds in 25 districts in Seoul (r=0.606, p<0.01). In particular, Geumcheon-gu was found to have the lowest incidence rate of NNIDs and the highest number of hospital beds per patient.

Conclusions:

In this study, we conducted a correlational analysis of public data from Korean government portals that can be used as parameters to forecast the spread of outbreaks.     

The development and validation of methods for evaluating the immune system in preweaning piglets

The preweaning piglet has been found to be a valuable research model for testing ingredients used in infant formula. As part of the safety assessment, the neonates' immune system is an important component that has to be evaluated. In this study three concurrent strategies were developed to assess immune system status. The methods included (1) immunophenotying to assess circulating innate immune cell populations, (2) monitoring of circulating cytokines, particularly in response to a positive control agent, and (3) monitoring of localized gastrointestinal tissue cytokines using immunohistochemistry (IHC), particularly in response to a positive control agent. All assays were validated using white papers and regulatory guidance within a GLP environment. To validate the assays precision, accuracy and sample stability were evaluated as needed using a fit for purpose approach. In addition animals were treated with proinflammtory substances to detect a positive versus negative signal. In conclusion, these three methods were confirmed to be robust assays to evaluate the immune system and GIT-specific immune responses of preweaning piglets.     

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease hospitalisations and mortality in Victoria: analysis of variations by socioeconomic status

Objective: This paper analysed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) hospitalisations, unplanned readmissions and deaths in Victoria to identify associations with socioeconomic status (SES). Methods: The data was taken from the Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset, the Victorian Health Information Surveillance System, the Victorian Burden of Disease Study and the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ Index of Relative Socioeconomic Disadvantage. Results: COPD separations have a greater variation by SES than all separations. The average age‐standardised separation rate (10.43) for the top percentile Local Government Areas (LGA) was 5.8 times that of the bottom percentile LGAs (1.80). The top percentile group was the lowest SES group (effect size = 0.93). There were significant negative correlations between the age‐standardised COPD separation rates and SES across LGAs (r = ?0.60) and Regions (r = ?0.89). Analysis of readmissions (r = ?0.49), mortality data (r = ?0.51) and the burden of disease data (r = ?0.39) also showed significant inverse associations between COPD and SES. Conclusions and implications: Victorians living in the most disadvantaged areas have a greater burden from COPD, highlighting a need to prioritise public health services interventions to improve outcomes.     

表观扩散系数值与肝细胞癌分级的相关性以及相关性与肿瘤大小关系的分析

[摘要]　目的　探讨表观扩散系数（apparent diffusion coefficient, ADC）值与肝细胞癌（hepatocellular carcinoma, HCC）组织学分级的相关性以及不同直径肿瘤的ADC值与HCC的相关性。方法?回顾性分析2017年—2020年180例病理证实为HCC的病例资料,按肿瘤直径大小分为＜2 cm、≥2 cm且＜3 cm、≥3 cm且＜5 cm、≥5 cm 4组,标为I、II、III、IV组。分析ADC值与HCC组织学分级的相关性,并分析在不同直径肿瘤ADC值与HCC的相关性。结果?高、中和低分化HCC的ADC值分别为（1.159±0.302）×10-3、（0.951±0.213）×10-3和（0.811±0.239）×10-3 mm2/s,逐级降低（P＜0.05）。ADC值与总体HCC的组织学分级呈负相关（r=-0.474）,与I～III组HCC的组织学分级均呈负相关（r值分别为-0.663、-0.527、-0.364）,而与IV组HCC的组织学分级无相关性。结论?ADC值可以作为非侵入性预测HCC组织学分级的指标,预测结果受肿瘤大小影响,更适用于小肝细胞癌。     

Predicting the presence and severity of obstructive sleep apnea based on mandibular measurements using quantitative analysis of facial profiles via three-dimensional photogrammetry

BackgroundIn obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), the upper airway is obstructed during sleep due to obesity and/or posterior collapse of the tongue root. Maxillofacial morphological abnormalities increase the risk of OSA in the Asian population. This study sought to elucidate whether three-dimensional (3D) photogrammetry measurements correlate with the severity of OSA irrespective of sex and degree of obesity.MethodsA prospective pilot study was performed, in which 37 consecutive adult patients (M/F = 28/9) underwent polysomnography and 3D photogrammetry in the supine position for the diagnosis of OSA. Measurements obtained from 3D photogrammetry included mandibular width (Mw), mandibular length (Ml), mandibular depth (Md), mandibular width–length angle (Mwla), and mandibular area (Ma). The effects of sex and body mass index (BMI) on the measurements and their association with the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) were statistically analyzed. The inter-rater reliability of the measurements was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC).ResultsMwla (R = 0.73, p < 0.01), Mw (R = 0.39, p < 0.05), and Md (R = ?0.34, p < 0.05) were significantly correlated with the severity of OSA. On multivariate analysis, Mwla (p < 0.01) and Md (p < 0.05) remained independent factors for AHI after adjusting for sex, age, BMI, and neck circumference. In addition, diagnosability analysis revealed that Mwla was useful for identifying the presence of OSA (AHI ≥5) (cutoff: 78.6°, sensitivity: 0.938, specificity: 0.800, area under the curve: 0.931). The ICC was >0.9, showing high reliability.ConclusionsThis study suggests that Mwla measured using 3D photogrammetry can predict the presence of OSA and correlates with the severity of OSA, independent of obesity and sex.     

Automated Quantification in Echocardiography

Echocardiography remains the predominant modality for cardiac imaging. Recent technological advances have led to the availability of new echocardiographic techniques for more accurate quantification of volumes, function, myocardial mechanics, and valvular heart disease. However, in our opinion, the real-world clinical uptake of these techniques has been poor due to limited awareness and familiarity, associated time burden, and issues of variability. Automation represents a potential solution to these issues and has already made routine myocardial strain measurements and 2- and 3-dimensional left ventricular ejection fraction measurements a clinical reality. Further enhancements in automation and data in understudied populations are likely to assist in the uptake of these new quantitative echocardiographic techniques in routine clinical practice. This review discusses current automated quantification techniques in echocardiography and their limitations and describes how these techniques can be incorporated into echocardiography laboratories.     

Models for cultural inheritance: a general linear model

Background: Body mass index (BMI) is often criticised since it doesn’t consider sex, age and ethnicity, which may affect the height scaling exponent of the equation.

Aims: First, to identify specific height scaling exponents (α) based on sex, age and ethnicity. Second, to assess the performance of the current vs the proposed BMI equations (1) to predict total fat mass (TFM) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) severity and (2) to correctly identify obese individuals and those having MetS.

Methods: In total, 41,403 individuals aged 20–80?years (NHANES, 1999–2014) were studied. Specific “α” were identified using the Benn formula. Various statistical approaches were performed to assess performances of the current vs the proposed-BMIs.

Results: The proposed “α” varies from 1.2 to 2.5, after considering sex, age and ethnicity. BMIs calculated using the proposed “α” showed a similar capacity to predict TFM and MetS severity and to correctly identify obese individuals and those having MetS compared to the current BMI.

Conclusions: Despite sex, age and ethnicity modulating the height scaling exponent of the BMI equation, using these proposed exponents in the BMI equation didn’t improve the capacity to predict TFM and MetS severity, suggesting that the current BMI remains a valid clinical tool.