Evaluating the predictive value of endoscopic findings for residual colorectal cancer following neoadjuvant combination immunotherapy

BACKGROUND Endoscopy allows for the direct observation of primary tumor characteristics and responses after neoadjuvant treatment.However,reports on endoscopic evaluation following neoadjuvant immunotherapy remain limited.AIM To examine the predictive value of endoscopic findings of primary tumors for responses to neoadjuvant immunotherapy.METHODS This retrospective study,conducted at a tertiary center in China,evaluated 74 patients with colorectal cancer,including 17 with deficient mismatch repair(dMMR)and 15 with proficient mismatch repair(pMMR)tumors.Patients underwent neoadjuvant immunotherapy followed by surgery.Endoscopic findings before and after neoadjuvant immunotherapy were reviewed and compared with the pathology of the resected specimens.RESULTS In the pMMR group(n=57 evaluable patients),endoscopy identified 11/17 patients who achieved a complete response(CR),while misidentifying 1/40 patients with residual disease as CR(64.7%vs 2.5%,P<0.01).Conversely,22/40 patients with residual disease were accurately identified as achieving a partial response(PR),with 1/17 patients who achieved CR misclassified as PR(55.0%vs 5.9%,P<0.01).The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of endoscopic diagnosis for pathological CR were 64.7%,97.5%,and 87.7%,respectively.In the dMMR cohort,endoscopy classified 9/17 patients as CR and 2 of the remaining patients with residual tumors as PR(64.3%vs 66.7%,P=0.73).The method demonstrated 100%sensitivity and 82.4%accuracy in diagnosing pathological CR.CONCLUSION Endoscopic evidence of CR or PR was well correlated with postoperative pathological outcomes in the pMMR cohort.Despite endoscopic indications of tumor residue,a complete pathological response post-surgery was possible in the dMMR cohort.

Evaluating reservoir suitability for large-scale hydrogen storage:A preliminary assessment considering reservoir properties

With rising demand for clean energy,global focus turns to finding ideal sites for large-scale underground hydrogen storage(UHS)in depleted petroleum reservoirs.A thorough preliminary reservoir evaluation before hydrogen(H_(2))injection is crucial for UHS success and safety.Recent criteria for UHS often emphasize economics and chemistry,neglecting key reservoir attributes.This study introduces a comprehensive framework for the reservoir-scale preliminary assessment,specifically tailored for long-term H_(2) storage within depleted gas reservoirs.The evaluation criteria encompass critical components,including reservoir geometry,petrophysical properties,tectonics,and formation fluids.To illustrate the practical application of this approach,we assess the Barnett shale play reservoir parameters.The assessment unfolds through three key stages:(1)A systematic evaluation of the reservoir's properties against our comprehensive screening criteria determines its suitability for H_(2) storage.(2)Using both homogeneous and multilayered gas reservoir models,we explore the feasibility and efficiency of H_(2) storage.This phase involves an in-depth examination of reservoir behavior during the injection stage.(3)To enhance understanding of UHS performance,sensitivity analyses investigate the impact of varying reservoir dimensions and injection/production pressures.The findings reveal the following:(a)Despite potential challenges associated with reservoir compaction and aquifer support,the reservoir exhibits substantial promise as an H_(2) storage site.(b)Notably,a pronounced increase in reservoir pressure manifests during the injection stage,particularly in homogeneous reservoirs.(c)Furthermore,optimizing injection-extraction cycle efficiency can be achieved by augmenting reservoir dimensions while maintaining a consistent thickness.To ensure a smooth transition to implementation,further comprehensive investigations are advised,including experimental and numerical studies to address injectivity concerns and explore storage site development.This evaluation framework is a valuable tool for assessing the potential of depleted gas reservoirs for large-scale hydrogen storage,advancing global eco-friendly energy systems.

Study on Correlation of Different Methods of Evaluating Degree of Skin Redness

In order to explore the correlation of 3 different methods of evaluating the degree of skin redness,45 healthy Chinese subjects aged 18~45 were recruited to attend a human efficacy evaluation test.An emulsion product which declares soothing and repair efficacy was used each time in the morning and evening for 4 weeks.Three methods,including visual assessment,image analysis and instrument measurement,were taken to test the related indices of skin redness degree respectively.The improvement of skin redness and the correlation of 3 methods were evaluated by comparing the changes of each index before and after using the product.The results show that the face redness degree score and the image analysis a*value significantly reduce at all time points after using the sample(P<0.05),while the instrument probe a*value significantly reduce at the time point after using for 2 weeks(P<0.05).The correlation coefficient of the face redness degree score and the instrument probe a*value is more than 0.33 and less than 0.67,and the significance level is less than 0.01.Therefore,the sample has soothing and repair efficacy for improving skin redness;and the methods of visual assessment and instrument measurement present moderate positive correlation.

On Evaluating University Teachers’ Morality and Ethics in the New Era

University teachers play an important role in promoting moral and political education among university students.Regular and long-term construction of teachers’morality and ethics will contribute to the success of the fundamental task of cultivating talents.The present study proposes that due to the multiple identities of university teachers,it is necessary to evaluate the construction of teachers’morality and ethics in terms of what to evaluate and how to evaluate?It is expected that the attempt will provide useful guidance for the construction of university teachers’morality and ethics.

A Framework for Evaluating Research on Distance Chinese Learning in UAE:What Aspects of Distance Learning Can We Study?

In 2019,the United Arab Emirates(UAE)became the first Arab country to integrate Chinese language education into its national basic education system,employing 172 Chinese language teachers and educating over 54,000 Emirati students by 2022.In response to the global pandemic,the UAE also became the first Arab nation to implement distance learning on a national scale,transitioning public schools to this mode of instruction in March 2020.However,existing research on distance Chinese learning primarily focuses on international students in Chinese universities or countries where Chinese language education is more established,and mainly targets older age groups such as university and high school students.There is currently no research dedicated to distance Chinese learning in the UAE.This paper addresses this research gap by exploring three key aspects.The first section reviews current literature on the key stakeholders and influencing factors in distance learning.The second section examines the development of distance Chinese language education and proposes an initial evaluation framework for this field.The third section analyzes the current state of distance Chinese learning in the UAE,highlighting specific issues that warrant further scholarly attention.This study serves as a valuable reference for researchers interested in advancing research on both distance learning and Chinese language education in the UAE.

Evaluating rural health outcomes:A methodological approach using population‐level data

Background:The sustainability of rural surgical and obstetrical facilities depends on their efficacy and quality of care,which are difficult to measure in a rural context.In an evaluation of rural practice,it is often the case that the only comparators are larger referral facilities,for which facility‐level comparisons are difficult due to differences in population demographics,acuity of patients,and services offered.This publication outlines these limitations and highlights a best‐practice approach to making facility‐level comparisons using population‐level data,risk stratification,tests of noninfer-iority,and Firth logistic regression analysis.This includes an investigation of minimum sample‐size requirements through Monte Carlo power analysis in the context of low‐acuity rural surgical care.Methods:Monte Carlo power analysis was used to estimate the minimum sample size required to achieve a power of 0.8 for both logistic regression and Firth logistic regression models that compare the proportion of surgical adverse events against facility type,among other confounders.We provide guidelines for the implementation of a recommended methodology that uses risk stratification,Firth penalized logistic regression,and tests of noninferiority.Results:We illustrate limitations in facility‐level comparison of surgical quality among patients undergoing one of four index procedures including hernia repair,colonoscopy,appendectomy,and cesarean delivery.We identified minimum sample sizes for comparison of each index procedure that fluctuate depending on the level of risk stratification used.Conclusion:The availability of administrative data can provide an adequate sample size to allow for facility‐level comparisons in surgical quality,at the rural level and elsewhere.When they are made appropriately,these comparisons can be used to evaluate the efficacy of general practitioners and nurse practitioners in performing low‐acuity procedures.

Based on non-targeted metabolomics for differential components screening of Rosae Chinensis Flos and Rosae Rugosae Flos and their quality evaluation

Background:Rosa chinensis Jacq.and Rosa rugosa Thunb.are not only of ornamental value,but also edible flowers and the flower buds have been listed in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia as traditional medicines.The two plants have some differences in efficacy,but the flower buds are easily confused for similar traits.In addition,large-scale cultivation of ornamental rose flowers may lead to a decrease in the effective components of medicinal roses.Therefore,it is necessary to study the chemical composition and make quality evaluation of Rosae Chinensis Flos(Yueji)and Rosae Rugosae Flos(Meigui).Methods:In this study,40 batches of samples including Meigui and Yueji from different regions in China were collected to establish high-performance liquid chromatography fingerprints.Then,the fingerprints data was analyzed using principal component analysis,hierarchical cluster analysis,and partial least squares discriminant analysis analysis chemometrics to obtain information on intergroup differences,and non-targeted metabolomic techniques were applied to identify and compare chemical compositions of samples which were chosen from groups with large differences.Differential compounds were screened by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis and S-plot,and finally multi-component quantification was performed to comprehensively evaluate the quality of Yueji and Meigui.Results:The similarity between the fingerprints of 40 batches roses and the reference print R was 0.73 to 0.93,indicating that there were similarities and differences between the samples.Through principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis of fingerprints data,the samples from different origins and varieties were intuitively divided into four groups.Partial least-squares discriminant analysis analysis showed that Meigui and Yueji cluster into two categories and the model was reliable.A total of 89 compounds were identified by high resolution mass spectrometry,mainly were flavonoids and flavonoid glycosides,as well as phenolic acids.Eight differential components were screened out by orthogonal partial least-squares discriminant analysis and S-plot analysis.Quantitative analyses of the eight compounds,including gallic acid,ellagic acid,hyperoside,isoquercitrin,etc.,showed that Yueji was generally richer in phenolic acids and flavonoids than Meigui,and the quality of Yueji from Shandong and Hebei was better.It is worth noting that Xinjiang rose is rich in various components,which is worth focusing on more in-depth research.Conclusion:In this study,the fingerprints of Meigui and Yueji were established.The chemical components information of roses was further improved based on non-targeted metabolomics and mass spectrometry technology.At the same time,eight differential components of Meigui and Yueji were screened out and quantitatively analyzed.The research results provided a scientific basis for the quality control and rational development and utilization of Rosae Chinensis Flos and Rosae Rugosae Flos,and also laid a foundation for the study of their pharmacodynamic material basis.

Formulation of a CITE metric for evaluating the clinical implications of medical studies and their originating hospitals in China

Background:The number of medical research publications by Chinese clinical investigators has risen substantially,contributing to 14.63%of the global total in 2019;however,their tangible impact on clinical decisionmaking remains limited.Various evaluation methods have been developed to measure hospital research competence in China,such as Fudan University's China hospital ranking and Science and Technology Evaluation Metrics(STEM)ranking,which predominantly focuses on factors such as academic reputation,volume of publications and patents,and research resources.However,composite indices may not fully capture the actual clinical value generated by medical research.To address this gap,we introduced the“Clinical Influence and Timeliness Evaluation(CITE)”metric to assess both the clinical importance of a given medical research study and the clinical influence of the hospital where it originated.The methodology used relies on the premise that influential medical research would be referenced in clinical guidelines,which serve as critical resources for clinicians.Methods:The CITE metric was applied for 78,636 medical studies concerning chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)published between 2000 and 2020 and referenced in both Chinese and international clinical guidelines for COPD.Specific indexes and formulas were derived to quantify the clinical weight of a medical research study(W)and its timeliness(T),enabling a dynamic assessment of the clinical value of each study and the overall contribution of a particular hospital.Results:In this analysis,we incorporated 499 hospitals in China and quantitatively identified their dynamic clinical influence in COPD from 2000 to 2020.Our findings offer objective and targeted evaluation metrics by focusing on clinical relevance and recognizing the collaborative nature of medical research.Conclusion:The CITE metric provides an innovative method to gauge the true impact of medical research in China,with potential applications across different medical specialties.CITE can serve as a useful tool for understanding the relationship between research input and practical clinical outcomes,ultimately promoting more clinically relevant research endeavors.

Future of non-invasive graft evaluation:A systematic review of proteomics in kidney transplantation

BACKGROUND Despite the developments in the field of kidney transplantation,the already existing diagnostic techniques for patient monitoring are considered insufficient.Protein biomarkers that can be derived from modern approaches of proteomic analysis of liquid biopsies(serum,urine)represent a promising innovation in the monitoring of kidney transplant recipients.AIM To investigate the diagnostic utility of protein biomarkers derived from proteomics approaches in renal allograft assessment.METHODS A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines,based on research results from the PubMed and Scopus databases.The primary focus was on evaluating the role of biomarkers in the non-invasive diagnosis of transplant-related com-plications.Eligibility criteria included protein biomarkers and urine and blood samples,while exclusion criteria were language other than English and the use of low resolution and sensitivity methods.The selected research articles,were categorized based on the biological sample,condition and methodology and the significantly and reproducibly differentiated proteins were manually selected and extracted.Functional and network analysis of the selected proteins was performed.RESULTS In 17 included studies,58 proteins were studied,with the cytokine CXCL10 being the most investigated.Biological pathways related to immune response and fibrosis have shown to be enriched.Applications of biomarkers for the assessment of renal damage as well as the prediction of short-term and long-term function of the graft were reported.Overall,all studies have shown satisfactory diagnostic accuracy of proteins alone or in combination with conventional methods,as far as renal graft assessment is concerned.CONCLUSION Our review suggests that protein biomarkers,evaluated in specific biological fluids,can make a significant contribution to the timely,valid and non-invasive assessment of kidney graft.

Performance Evaluation of Damaged T-Beam Bridges with External Prestressing Reinforcement Based on Natural Frequencies

As an evaluation index,the natural frequency has the advantages of easy acquisition and quantitative evaluation.In this paper,the natural frequency is used to evaluate the performance of external cable reinforced bridges.Numerical examples show that compared with the natural frequencies of first-order modes,the natural frequencies of higher-order modes are more sensitive and can reflect the damage situation and external cable reinforcement effect of T-beam bridges.For damaged bridges,as the damage to the T-beam increases,the natural frequency value of the bridge gradually decreases.When the degree of local damage to the beam reaches 60%,the amplitude of natural frequency change exceeds 10%for the first time.The natural frequencies of the firstorder vibration mode and higher-order vibration mode can be selected as indexes for different degrees of the damaged T-beam bridges.For damaged bridges reinforced with external cables,the traditional natural frequency of the first-order vibration mode cannot be used as the index,which is insensitive to changes in prestress of the external cable.Some natural frequencies of higher-order vibration modes can be selected as indexes,which can reflect the reinforcement effect of externally prestressed damaged T-beam bridges,and its numerical value increases with the increase of external prestressed cable force.

Unwanted disorders and xenogeneic graft-versus-host disease in experimental immunodeficient mice:How to evaluate and how to report

Human-derived tumor models are essential for preclinical development of new anti-cancer drug entities.Generating animal models bearing tumors of human origin,such as patient-derived or cell line-derived xenograft tumors,is dependent on immuno-deficient strains.Tumor-bearing immunodeficient mice are susceptible to develop-ing unwanted disorders primarily irrelevant to the tumor nature;and if get involved with such disorders,reliability of the study results will be undermined,inevitably con-founding the research in general.Therefore,a rigorous health surveillance and clinical monitoring system,along with the establishment of a strictly controlled barrier facility to maintain a pathogen-free state,are mandatory.Even if all pathogen control and biosafety measures are followed,there are various noninfectious disorders capable of causing tissue and multiorgan damage in immunodeficient animals.Therefore,the re-searchers should be aware of sentinel signs to carefully monitor and impartially report them.This review discusses clinical signs of common unwanted disorders in experi-mental immunodeficient mice,and how to examine and report them.

Status analysis on sputtering and erosion evaluation methods of ion optic systems

In the past few decades,ion engines have been widely used in deep-space propulsion and satellite station-keeping.The aim of extending the thruster lifetime is still one of the most important parts during the design stage of ion engine.As one of the core components of ion engine,the grid assembly of ion optic systems may experience long-term ion sputtering in extreme electro-thermal environments,which will eventually lead to its structural and electron-backstreaming failures.In this paper,the current studies of the grid assembly erosion process are systematically analyzed from the aspects of sputtering damage process of grid materials,numerical simulations,and measurements of erosion characteristics of grid assembly.The advantages and disadvantages of various erosion prediction models are highlighted,and the key factors and processes affecting the prediction accuracy of grid assembly erosion patterns are analyzed.Three different types of experimental methods of grid assembly erosion patterns are compared.The analysis in this paper is of great importance for selecting the sputter-resistant grid materials,as well as establishing the erosion models and measurement methods to accurately determine the erosion rate and failure modes of grid assembly.Consequently,the working conditions and structure parameters of ion optic systems could be optimized based on erosion models to promote the ion engine lifetime.

Approach to evaluating exception handling of programs

To solve the problems that the exception handling code is hard to test and maintain and that it affects the robustness and reliability of software, a method for evaluating the exception handling of programs is presented. The exception propagation graph （EPG） that describes the large programs with exception handling constructs is proposed by simplifying the control flow graph and it is applied to a case to verify its validity. According to the EPG, the exception handling code that never executes is identified; the points that are the most critical to controlling exception propagation are found; and the irrational exception handling code is corrected. The constructing algorithm for the EPG is given; thus, this provides a basis for automatically constructing the EPG and automatically correcting the irrational exception handling code.

On Developing the Questionnaire for Evaluating PBL's Multiple Learning Achievements

How to comprehensively,scientifically,objectively and impartially evaluate the multiple learning achievements of the PBL model should be highlighted when PBL is introduced and applied.A questionnaire of a total of 23 items involving such dimensions of language proficiency,subject contents and 21 st Century skills was designed.Its reliability and validity were tested and well-met with the statistical requirements.

A Critical Analysis on Evaluating the Students'Feedback of Learning

Teaching involves finding out about students'misunderstandings,intervening to change them and creating a context of learning that encourages students to engage with the subject matter.This theory of making student learning possible is very much concerned with the content of what students have to learn in relation to how it should be taught.Evaluation implies collecting information about our work,interpreting the information and making judgments about which actions we should take to improve practice.Evaluation is an analytical process that is intrinsic to good teaching.

Evaluating an EFL Textbook——Twenty-First Century College English

As a teacher, it is important for us to evaluate, select and adapt teaching materials to meet our teaching and students'learning needs in order to maximize learning potentials. The process of evaluating the teaching materials help us make decision in selecting textbooks, as well as allowing us to reflect on our teaching and learning experience.

Entropy method for determination of weight of evaluating indicators in fuzzy synthetic evaluation for water quality assessment

Considering the difficulty of fuzzy synthetic evaluation method in calculation of the multiple factors and ignorance of the relationship among evaluating objects, a new weight evaluation process using entropy method was introduced. This improved method for determination of weight of the evaluating indicators was applied in water quality assessment of the Three Gorges reservoir area. The results showed that this method was favorable for fuzzy synthetic evaluation when there were more than one evaluating objects. One calculation was enough for calculating every monitoring point. Compared with the original evaluation method, the method predigested the fuzzy synthetic evaluation process greatly and the evaluation results are more reasonable.

Application of Projection Pursuit Evaluation Model Based on Real-Coded Accelerating Genetic Algorithm in Evaluating Wetland Soil Quality Variations in the Sanjiang Plain, China

A new technique of dimension reduction named projection pursuit is applied to model and evaluatewetland soil quality variations in the Sanjiang Plain, Helongjiang Province, China. By adopting the im-proved real-coded accelerating genetic algorithm (RAGA), the projection direction is optimized and multi-dimensional indexes are converted into low-dimensional space. Classification of wetland soils and evaluationof wetland soil quality variations are realized by pursuing optimum projection direction and projection func-tion value. Therefore, by adopting this new method, any possible human interference can be avoided andsound results can be achieved in researching quality changes and classification of wetland soils.

Evaluating efficacy of screening for upper gastrointestinal cancer in China:a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Objective： To evaluate the efficacy and feasibility of screening procedure for upper gastrointestinal cancer in both high-risk and non-high-risk areas in China. Setting： Seven cities/counties, representing three economical-geographical regions （Eastern, Central and Western） in China, were selected as screening centers： three in high-risk areas and four in non-high-risk areas. Participants： Villages/communities in these seven centers regarded as clusters were randomly assigned to either intervention group （screening by endoscopic examination） or control group （with normal community care） in a 1：1 ratio stratified by each center. Eligible participants are local residents aged 40-69 years in the selected villages/communities with no history of cancer or endoscopic examination in the latest 3 years who are mentally and physically competent. Those who are not willing to take endoscopic examination or are unwilling to sign the consent form are excluded from the study. Totally 140,000 participants will be enrolled. Interventions： In high-risk areas of upper gastrointestinal cancer, all subjects in screening group will be screened by endoscopy. In non-high-risk areas, 30% of the subjects in screening group, identified through a survey, will be screened by endoscopy. Primary and secondary outcome measures： The primary outcome is the mortality caused by upper gastrointestinal cancer. The secondary outcomes include detection rate, incidence rate, survival rate, and clinical stage distribution. Additional data on quality of life and cost-effectiveness will also be collected to answer important questions regarding screening effects. Conclusions： Screening strategy evaluated in those areas with positive findings may be promoted nationally and applied to the majority of Chinese people. On the other hand, negative findings will provide scientific evidence for abandoning a test and shifting resources elsewhere. Trial registration： The study has been registered with the Protocol Registration System in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry （identifier： ChiCTR-EOR-16008577）.

A Method for Evaluating the Suitability of CO2 Geological Storage in Deep Saline Aquifers

This work established an evaluation index system based on a comprehensive analysis of those factors affecting the suitability of CO2 geological storage.This evaluation index system includes three evaluation index layers of geological safety,storage scale and social economy,nine evaluation index sub-layers,and 28 evaluation index factors,and adopts the analytic hierarchy process（AHP）and index overlay methods.Taking the Xining Basin in northwest China as an example,we conducted comprehensive analysis of geological conditions and performed quantitative evaluation based on this evaluation index system,which indicates that the Shuangshu depression of the Xining Basin is comparatively suitable for CO2 geological storage.It is suggested that this evaluation index system and the evaluation method proposed in this study are suitable for most continental sedimentary basins in China and should be widely applied.