Evaluating the accuracy of American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy guidelines in patients with acute gallstone pancreatitis with choledocholithiasis

BACKGROUND Acute gallstone pancreatitis(AGP) is the most common cause of acute pancreatitis(AP) in the United States. Patients with AGP may also present with choledocholithiasis. In 2010, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy(ASGE) suggested a management algorithm based on probability for choledocholithiasis, recommending additional imaging for patients at intermediate risk and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography(ERCP) for patients at high risk of choledocholithiasis. In 2019, the ASGE guidelines were updated using more specific criteria to categorize individuals at high risk for choledocholithiasis. Neither ASGE guideline has been studied in AGP to determine the probability of having choledocholithiasis.AIM To determine compliance with ASGE guidelines, assess outcomes, and compare 2019 vs 2010 ASGE criteria for suspected choledocholithiasis in AGP.METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 882 patients admitted with AP to a single tertiary care center from 2008-2018. AP was diagnosed using revised Atlanta criteria and AGP was defined as the presence of gallstones on imaging or with cholestatic pattern of liver injury in the absence of another cause. Patients with chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic malignancy were excluded as were those who went directly to cholecystectomy prior to assessment for choledocholithiasis. Patients were assigned low, intermediate or high risk based on ASGE guidelines. Our primary outcomes of interest were the proportion of patients in the intermediate risk group undergoing magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography(MRCP) first and the proportion of patients in the high risk group undergoing ERCP directly without preceding imaging. Secondary outcomes of interest included outcome differences based on if guidelines were not adhered to. We then evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of 2019 in comparison to the 2010 ASGE criteria for patients with suspected choledocholithiasis. We performed the t test or Wilcoxon rank sum test, as appropriate, to analyze if there were outcome differences based on if guidelines were not adhered to. Kappa coefficients were calculated to measure the degree of agreement between pairs of variables.RESULTS In this cohort, we identified 235 patients with AGP of which 79 patients were excluded as they went directly to surgery for cholecystectomy without prior MRCP or ERCP. Of the remaining 156 patients, 79 patients were categorized as intermediate risk and 77 patients were high risk for choledocholithiasis according to the 2010 ASGE guidelines. Among 79 intermediate risk patients, 54(68%) underwent MRCP first whereas 25 patients(32%) went directly to ERCP. For the 54 patients with intermediate risk who had MRCP first, 36 patients had no choledocholithiasis while 18 patients had evidence of choledocholithiasis prompting ERCP. Of these patients, ERCP confirmed stone disease in 11 patients. Of the 25 intermediate risk patients who directly underwent ERCP, 18 patients had stone disease. One patient with a normal ERCP developed post ERCP pancreatitis. Patients undergoing MRCP in this group had a significantly longer length of stay(5.0 vs 4.0 d, P = 0.02). In the high risk group, 64 patients(83%) had ERCP without preceding imaging, of which, 53 patients had findings consistent with choledocholithiasis, of which 13 patients(17%) underwent MRCP before ERCP, all of which showed evidence of stone disease. Furthermore, all of these patients ultimately had an ERCP, of which 8 patients had evidence of stones and 5 had normal examination.RESULTS Our cohort also demonstrated that 58% of all 156 patients with AGP had confirmed choledocholithiasis(79% of the high risk group and 37% of the intermediate group when risk was assigned based on the 2010 ASGE guidelines). When the updated 2019 ASGE guidelines were applied instead of the original 2010 guidelines, there was moderate agreement between the 2010 and 2019 guidelines(kappa = 0.46, 95%CI: 0.34-0.58). Forty-two of 77 patients were still deemed to be high risk and 35 patients were downgraded to intermediate risk. Thirty-five patients who were originally assigned high risk were reclassified as intermediate risk. For these 35 patients, 26 patients had ERCP findings consistent with choledocholithiasis and 9 patients had a normal examination. Based on the 2019 criteria, 9/35 patients who were downgraded to intermediate risk had an unnecessary ERCP with normal findings(without a preceding MRCP).CONCLUSION Two-thirds in intermediate risk and 83% in high risk group followed ASGE guidelines for choledocholithiasis. One intermediate-group patient with normal ERCP had post-ERCP AP, highlighting the risk of unnecessary procedures.

Diplomatic Implications of Women＇s Work in American Consumer Society

American foreign policies have observed guiding principles of democracy, yet an overemphasis on political values leads to more conflicts than mutual understandings in today＇s world. Therefore, this paper proposes that exploring diplomatic implications of ＂women＇s work＂ provides new insights into cultural values of the Four Freedomsmmajor pillars supporting modern American liberalism. This paper foregrounds the domestic and diplomatic significance of ＂women＇s work＂ by analyzing women＇s contributions as laborers at home, in the labor force, and in American consumer society. As American women participated in the paid labor force and took up most consumptive activities, women outside America also worked hard to provide food and care for families. This paper argues that a more comprehensive definition of＂women＇s work＂ is not only indispensable for the development of American industry, consumer society, and the expansion of marketplace, but integrates a system of dualisms separating wage labor and housework, or divisions between spheres of men and women. Moreover, investigations into hidden values of women＇s work alleviate worries arising from information revolution and economic globalization. Moreover, placing women＇s work in perspective enables diplomats to see through factors leading to international hostilities, to reduce conflicts arising from information revolution and economic globalization, and to understand America＇s soft power pertinently.

CAS researcher Receives Distinguished Service Award from American Fisheries Society

CHEN Yushun,an expert on aquaculture and aquatic ecosystems from the Institute of Hydrobiology,Chinese Academy of Sciences,received the Distinguished Service Award on August 23,2017 at the American Fisheries Society(AFS)Annual Meeting in Tampa,Florida.The Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding contributions of time and energy for

Epidemiology of perforating peptic ulcer:A population-based retrospective study over 40 years

BACKGROUND The incidence of peptic ulcer disease has decreased during the last few decades,but the incidence of reported peptic ulcer complications has not decreased.Perforating peptic ulcer(PPU)is a severe form of the disease.AIM To assess trends in the incidence,presentation,and outcome of PPU over a period of 40 years.METHODS This was a single-centre,retrospective,cohort study of all patients admitted to Levanger Hospital,Norway,with PPU from 1978 to 2017.The patients were identified in the Patient Administrative System of the hospital using International Classification of Diseases(ICD),revision 8,ICD-9,and ICD-10 codes for perforated gastric and duodenal ulcers.We reviewed the medical records of the patients to retrieve data.Vital statistics were available for all patients.The incidence of PPU was analysed using Poisson regression with perforated ulcer as the dependent variable,and sex,age,and calendar year from 1978 to 2017 as covariates.Relative survival analysis was performed to compare long-term survival over the four decades.RESULTS Two hundred and nine patients were evaluated,including 113(54%)men.Fortysix(22%)patients were older than 80 years.Median age increased from the first to the last decade(from 63 to 72 years).The incidence rate increased with increasing age,but we measured a decline in recent decades for both sexes.A significant increase in the use of acetylsalicylic acid,from 5%(2/38)to 18%(8/45),was observed during the study period.Comorbidity increased significantly over the 40 years of the study,with 22%(10/45)of the patients having an American Society of Anaesthesiologists(ASA)score 4-5 in the last decade,compared to 5%(2/38)in the first decade.Thirty-nine percent(81/209)of the patients had one or more postoperative complications.Both 100-day mortality and long-term survival were associated with ASA score,without significant variations between the decades.CONCLUSION Declining incidence rates occurred in recent years,but the patients were older and had more comorbidity.The ASA score was associated with both short-term mortality and long-term survival.

Is there a place for optimizing thoracic radiotherapy in limited-stage small cell lung cancer after twenty years?

Thoracic radiotherapy(TRT)is one of the main treatments in limited-stage small cell lung cancer(LS-SCLC).Hyperfractionated TRT(45 Gy,1.5 Gy twice daily)has been the standard of care(SOC)since Turrisi and colleagues published the results of their clinical trial in 1999.Two meta-analyses have demonstrated the benefits of concurrent chemotherapy and TRT in terms of intrathoracic disease control at 2 years and 3-year overall survival(OS).The phase 2 trial by Grønberg et al(2016)comparing once-daily hypofractionated TRT to twice-daily hyperfractionated TRT in LS-SCLC found similar outcomes in both groups in terms of response rate,progression-free survival(PFS),grade 3-4 adverse effects,and OS.The CONVERT trial,published in 2017,failed to demonstrate the superiority of the conventional scheme(once-daily TRT)vs twice-daily radiotherapy,despite the application of modern radiotherapy techniques and a quality assurance programme,thus confirming the twice-daily hyperfractionated regimen as the SOC.At the 2020 American Society of Clinical Oncology(ASCO)annual meeting,Grønberg et al reported preliminary findings from a phase 2 trial comparing two different TRT dose regimens(45 Gy vs 60 Gy),both administered twice daily.Those data demonstrated a marked improvement in 2-year survival rates in the high dose arm(70.2%vs 46.1%,P=0.002),despite similar objective response rates and PFS outcomes.Those findings provide a new treatment alternative to consider:Hyperfractionated,high-dose TRT.However,the results of that trial will need to be validated in a large,randomized phase 3 study.The results of the phase 2 CALCG 30610 trial will help to clarify the optimal dose and regimen.The potential role of upfront immunotherapy,which early data suggest may improve OS,also needs to be determined.

2011年中国大陆科研机构在Journal of the American Chemical Society上发表的学术论文

(1)本统计所选代表性生物学期刊包括Nature系列的Nature Biotechnology、Nature Cell Biology、Nature Chemical Biology、Nature Genetics、Nature Immunology、Nature Neuroscience、Nature Structural&Molecular Biology、Cell系列的Cell、Cancer Cell、Cell Host&Microbe、Cell Metabolism、Cell Stem Cell、Chemistry&Biology、Current Biology、Developmental Cell、Immunity、Molecular Cell、Neuron、Structure、PLoS系列的PLoS Biology、PLoS Computational Biology、PLoS Ge-

Improved Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores on first postoperative night achieved by propofol anesthesia in patients undergoing ambulatory gynecologic surgery

BACKGROUND Sleep disturbance on the first postoperative night commonly develops for patients after day surgeries. The choice of either total intravenous anesthesia by propofol or total inhalation anesthesia with sevoflurane has become an issue for preventing sleep disturbance.AIM To compare sleep quality on the first postoperative night for female patients after total intravenous anesthesia by propofol and total inhalation anesthesia with sevoflurane.METHODS We enrolled 61 American Society of Anesthesia(ASA) class Ⅰ-Ⅱ outpatients who underwent minor gynecologic surgeries by either propofol or sevoflurane anesthesia. Sleep quality of the very night was assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index(PSQI) on the next day, and PSQI scores were compared by the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and paired t-test pre-operatively and postoperatively.RESULTS For the propofol group, the mean postoperative global PSQI score(3.3 ± 1.3) was lower than the mean preoperative global PSQI score(4.9 ± 2.3)(P < 0.001);for the sevoflurane group, the mean postoperative global PSQI score(6.5 ± 2.8) was higher than the mean preoperative global PSQI score(5.5 ± 3.2)(P = 0.02). Eighty percent of patients receiving propofol anesthesia subjectively reported improved sleep quality, but only 17% of patients receiving sevoflurane anesthesia reported improved sleep quality.CONCLUSION Sleep quality assessed by the PSQI is better improved in ASA class Ⅰ-Ⅱ female patients receiving propofol anesthesia other than sevoflurane anesthesia for undergoing minor gynecologic surgeries.

Two surgical pathways for isolated hip fractures:A comparative study

BACKGROUND Hip fractures(HF)are common among the aging population,and surgery within 48 h is recommended.Patients can be hospitalized for surgery through different pathways,either trauma or medicine admitting services.AIM To compare management and outcomes among patients admitted through the trauma pathway(TP)vs medical pathway(MP).METHODS This Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective study included 2094 patients with proximal femur fractures(AO/Orthopedic Trauma Association Type 31)who underwent surgery at a level 1 trauma center between 2016-2021.There were 69 patients admitted through the TP and 2025 admitted through the MP.To ensure comparability between groups,66 of the 2025 MP patients were propensity matched to 66 TP patients by age,sex,HF type,HF surgery,and American Society of Anesthesiology score.The statistical analyses included multivariable analysis,group characteristics,and bivariate correlation comparisons with theχ^(2)test and t-test.RESULTS After propensity matching,the mean age in both groups was 75-years-old,62%of both groups were females,the main HF type was intertrochanteric(TP 52%vs MP 62%),open reduction internal fixation was the most common surgery(TP 68%vs MP 71%),and the mean American Society of Anesthesiology score was 2.8 for TP and 2.7 for MP.The majority of patients in TP and MP(71%vs 74%)were geriatric(≥65-years-old).Falls were the main mechanism of injury in both groups(77%vs 97%,P=0.001).There were no significant differences in pre-surgery anticoagulation use(49%vs 41%),admission day of the week,or insurance status.The incidence of comorbidities was equal(94%for both)with cardiac comorbidities being dominant in both groups(71%vs 73%).The number of preoperative consultations was similar for TP and MP,with the most common consultation being cardiology in both(44%and 36%).HF displacement occurred more among TP patients(76%vs 39%,P=0.000).Time to surgery was not statistically different(23 h in both),but length of surgery was significantly longer for TP(59 min vs 41 min,P=0.000).Intensive care unit and hospital length of stay were not statistically different(5 d vs 8 d and 6 d for both).There were no statistical differences in discharge disposition and mortality(3%vs 0%).CONCLUSION There were no differences in outcomes of surgeries between admission through TP vs MP.The focus should be on the patient’s health condition and on prompt surgical intervention.

Predictive Factors for a Successful Day Case Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Surgery: A Review

Introduction: Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is one among the foremost common diseases affecting the aging man with, almost 80% of the lads greater than 70 affected. BPH is caused by unregulated proliferation within the prostate, which may cause physical obstruction of the prostatic urethra and result in anatomic bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) has been the historical gold standard up till now to which all endoscopic procedures for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are compared with a mean hospital stay of three days. This surgery although efficacious has been related with increased morbidity and increased day case failure rates as compared to newer techniques. These shortcomings have prompted the utilization of newer methods like Transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate (TUERP), Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) and Thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP). This review will discuss the enucleation techniques, advantages and therefore the predictive factors for a successful day case prostate surgery. Materials and Methods: During this review, we discuss the newer techniques utilized in day case BPH surgery as well as the predictive factors for a successful BPH surgery, both enucleation, benefits and morcellation are covered also. Results: TUERP, ThuLEP and HoLEP have literature supporting the advantages of these techniques, which demonstrates its ability in day case BPH surgeries in specially selected cases with favorable factors and a 61% overall success rate. Conclusion: TUERP, ThuLEP and HoLEP Have proven to show favorable outcomes in day case BPH surgery with urologist’s experience, prostate size, duration of operation, age, use of anticoagulants, morning theatre list and ASA score being the key factors for a successful day case surgery.

Analysis of Main Female Characters in The Great Gatsby

In the novel The Great Gatsby,three main female characters(Daisy Buchanan,Myrtle Wilson and Jordan Baker)each presents women with different social status in American’s Jazz Age.By analyzing these three characters,readers could realize how the helplessness of the female characters contributes to their broken conscience and a further tragedy in that era.Moreover,the stereo situation of American society in theJazz Age is along vividly symbolized.

Mortality Trend and Predictors of Mortality in Dysphagic Stroke Patients Postpercutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy

Background：Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy （PEG） feeding is widely used in stroke patients suffering from persistent dysphagia;however,predicting the risks and benefits of PEG insertion in the individual patient is difficult.The aim of our study was to investigate if candidate risk factors could predict short-term mortality risk in poststroke patients who had PEG tube insertion for persistent dysphagia.Methods：This was a retrospective study of 3504 consecutive stroke patients admitted to two metropolitan hospitals during the period January 2005 to December 2013 and who also underwent PEG insertion for feeding due to persistent dysphagia.Results：A total of 102 patients were included in the study.There were 22 deaths in 6 months after insertion of PEG tubes and 20 deaths of those occurred within 3 months post PEG.Those who survived beyond 6 months showed significantly lower mean age （75.9 ± 9.0 years vs.83.0 ± 4.9 years,P 〈 0.001）,a lower mean American Society of Anesthesia （ASA） score （3.04 ± 0.63 vs.3.64 ± 0.58,P 〈 0.001） compared to nonsurvivors.In multiple Logistic,age （P =0.004,odds ratio [OR] =1.144;95% confidence interval [CI]：1.044-1.255）;ASA （P =0.002,OR =5.065;95% CI：1.815-14.133） and albumin level pre-PEG insertion （P =0.033,OR =0.869;95% CI：0.764-0.988）were the independent determinants of mortality respectively.Conclusions：We propose that age,ASA score and albumin level pre-PEG insertion to be included as factors to assist in the selection of patients who are likely to survive more than 3 months post PEG insertion.

Comparative Analysis of Human Resource Develop- ment between Different Countries under the Vision of Competition

Based on a literature review from English language journals related to the field of human resource development(HRD),the conceptual framework for this study was derived from the models developed by American Society for Training and Development(ASTD)for HRD practice.This study compared and analyzed the similarities and differences in HRD roles,key work dimensions,and practitioner competencies through the competitive vision of different countries,including China,US,UK,Germany,Japan,India,Singapore,and Korea.This comparative study not only described the HRD position of Chinese enterprises under the international HRD coordinates but also indicated how these differences inspire HRD in China.

Analysis of the Predictive Factors for the Recurrence of Deep Infiltrating Endometriosis:A 2-Year Prospective Study

Objective:To investigate factors that may be associated with the recurrence of deep infiltrating endometriosis(DIE)and DIE-related symptoms.Methods:Starting in September 2014,women with a confirmed diagnosis of DIE based on surgical and histological findings were included in the prospective study with a 2-year follow-up in our hospital.A total of 84 consecutive patients were included,all of whom underwent laparoscopic surgery.The data were obtained from the medical records of the patients.Follow-up data,including presence of pain as assessed using the visual analog scale(VAS)score and ultrasonography/magnetic resonance imaging findings,were obtained at 3,6,9,12,and 24 months postoperatively.Variables,such as age,body mass index,severity and duration of symptoms,size and location of the lesion,and pre-and postoperative medical treatment,were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses to identify factors correlated to recurrence.Results:A total of 11(13.1%)patients presented with recurrence,with a mean time to recurrence of 14.2 months.The univariate analysis showed that the longer duration of menstruation(7.4 vs.6.0,P=0.010),the more advanced revised American Fertility Society(rAFS)stage(Stages I and II vs.III and IV,χ^(2)=9.964,P=0.001),the higher VAS score for dysmenorrhea(9.4 vs.5.2,P=0.001),and the more severe pain during defecation(7.8 vs.4.8,P=0.016)were positively correlated to DIE recurrence.However,the multivariate analysis also revealed that a more severe dysmenorrhea and advanced rAFS stage were the independent factors associated with the recurrence of DIE,with an odds ratio of 1.895(confidence interval[CI]:1.061-3.385,P=0.031)and 4.310(CI:1.091-17.028,P=0.037),respectively.Conclusions:More than 10%of patients presented with recurrence of DIE 2 years after surgery.Recurrence of DIE was more common in patients who complained of more severe dysmenorrhea and had an advanced rAFS stage.