Efficacy comparison of multipoint and single point scanning panretinal laser photocoagulation in non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy treatment

BACKGROUND Non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR)poses a significant challenge in diabetes management due to its microvascular changes in the retina.Laser photocoagulation,a conventional therapy,aims to mitigate the risk of progressing to proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR).AIM To compare the efficacy and safety of multi-spot vs single-spot scanning panretinal laser photocoagulation in NPDR patients.METHODS Forty-nine NPDR patients(86 eyes)treated between September 2020 and July 2022 were included.They were randomly allocated into single-spot(n=23,40 eyes)and multi-spot(n=26,46 eyes)groups.Treatment outcomes,including bestcorrected visual acuity(BCVA),central macular thickness(CMT),and mean threshold sensitivity,were assessed at predetermined intervals over 12 months.Adverse reactions were also recorded.RESULTS Energy levels did not significantly differ between groups(P>0.05),but the multi-spot group exhibited lower energy density(P<0.05).BCVA and CMT improvements were noted in the multi-spot group at one-month posttreatment(P<0.05).Adverse reaction incidence was similar between groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION While energy intensity and safety were comparable between modalities,multi-spot scanning demonstrated lower energy density and showed superior short-term improvements in BCVA and CMT for NPDR patients,with reduced laser-induced damage.

Efficacy of fexuprazan compared with rebamipide in Korean patients with gastritis:A matching-adjusted indirect comparison

BACKGROUND Gastritis is one of the most frequently diagnosed diseases requiring medical treatment in South Korea.Fexuprazan,a novel potassium-competitive acid blocker,has been approved for treating gastritis and erosive esophagitis.Meanwhile,rebamipide is the most commonly used mucoprotective agent for acute and chronic gastritis in real-world settings in South Korea.However,there have been no studies comparing the efficacy of these two drugs yet.AIM To compare the efficacy of fexuprazan with that of rebamipide for acute and chronic gastritis.METHODS This was a matching-adjusted indirect comparison.Individual patient data from a phase III study of fexuprazan(10 mg BID)were compared with cumulative data from two matching studies of rebamipide(100 mg TID).Erosion improvement and healing rates were compared between two weeks of fexurapan,two weeks of rebamipide,and four weeks of rebamipide.The two main outcome variables were presented as percentages,and the risk differences(RD)and 95%confidence intervals(CI)were calculated for the relative treatment effects.RESULTS In the primary analysis,the erosion improvement and healing rates after a twoweek treatment with fexuprazan were 64.5%and 53.2%,respectively,while a twoweek treatment with rebamipide resulted in erosion improvement and healing rates of 43.6%(RD:21.0%;95%CI:9.6-32.3;P<0.01)and 35.6%(RD:17.6%;95%CI:6.1-29.2;P=0.003),respectively.In the additional analysis,the erosion improvement and healing rates for the two-week fexuprazan treatment(64.2%and 51.2%,respectively)were similar to those obtained during a four-week treatment with rebamipide(60.6%;RD:3.6%;95%CI:-9.8,17.0;P=0.600 and 53.5%;RD:-2.3%;95%CI:-16.1,11.5;P=0.744,respectively).CONCLUSION The two-week fexuprazan treatment was superior to the two-week rebamipide treatment and similar to the fourweek rebamipide treatment for patients with gastritis.

Comparison of efficacy and safety of nab-paclitaxel and oxaliplatin+S-1 and standard S-1 and oxaliplatin chemotherapy regimens for treatment of gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is a relatively frequent clinical phenomenon,referring to ma-lignant tumors emerging in the gastric mucosal epithelial cells.It has a high mor-bidity and mortality rate,posing a significant threat to the health of patients.Hence,how to diagnose and treat GC has become a heated topic in this research field.AIM To discuss the effectiveness and safety of nab-paclitaxel in combination with oxaliplatin and S-1(P-SOX)for the treatment of GC,and to analyze the factors that may influence its outcomes.METHODS A total of 219 eligible patients with advanced GC,who were treated at Qinghai University Affiliated Hospital Gastrointestinal Oncology between January 2018 and March 2020,were included in the study.Among them,149 patients received SOX regimen and 70 patients received S-1 regimen.All patients underwent both preoperative and postoperative chemotherapy consisting of 2-4 cycles each,totaling 6-8 cycles,along with parallel D2 radical surgical treatment.The patients were followed up for a period of three years or until reaching the event endpoint.RESULTS The short-term and long-term efficacy of the P-SOX group was significantly higher than that of the SOX group,and the safety was manageable.Cox multivariate analysis revealed that progression-free survival was associated with perioperative chemotherapy efficacy,tumor diameter≤2cm,high differentiation,and early cTNM(T stands for invasion depth;N stands for node metastasis;M stands for distant invasion)stage.CONCLUSION In comparison to the SOX regimen,the P-SOX regimen demonstrates improved short-term and long-term efficacy with tolerable adverse reactions.It is anticipated that the P-SOX regimen will emerge as a first-line chemotherapy option for GC.Patients with GC who receive effective perioperative chemotherapy(Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors 1.1,Tumor Regression Grade),have a tumor diameter≤2cm,exhibit high degree of differentiation,and are at an early cTNM stage show better prognosis.

Social Comparison Orientation Associated with Psychological Well Being:The Mediated Role of Self-efficacy

The paper focused on how social comparison orientation people apply influences their psychological well-being and how self-efficacy plays an important role in buffering some negative influence from upward social comparison compared with someone better in one domain.In Festinger’s(1954)social comparison theory,the social comparison orientation instructed how people process the information they compared for,and related emotion was induced differently.In this paper,2,000 college students in Boston were proposed to participate in two experiments that discuss how different social comparison orientations affect their perception of life satisfaction.For the hypothetical result,we proposed that a high level of engagement in social comparison and ability-based social comparison was associated with less life satisfaction than the participants who had a low level of social comparison and opinion-based social comparison.In terms of coping strategy,we assumed that a high level of self-efficacy,which is the belief in capability to achieve a certain goal,will buffer the negative impact from upward comparison and improve the life satisfaction of those participants who like to engage with social comparison and ability-based comparison orientation.

Comparison of short-term efficacy between totally laparoscopic gastrectomy and laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy for elderly patients with gastric cancer

BACKGROUND Totally laparoscopic gastrectomy(TLG)entails both gastrectomy and gastrointestinal reconstruction under laparoscopy.Compared with laparoscopic assisted gastrectomy(LAG),TLG has been demonstrated in many studies to require a smaller surgical incision,result in a faster postoperative recovery and less pain and have comparable long-term efficacy,which has been a research hotspot in recent years.Whether TLG is equally safe and feasible for elderly patients remains unclear.AIM To compare the short-term efficacy of and quality of life(QOL)associated with TLG and LAG in elderly gastric cancer(GC)patients.METHODS The clinicopathological data of 462 elderly patients aged≥70 years who underwent LAG or TLG(including distal gastrectomy and total gastrectomy)between January 2017 and January 2022 at the Department of General Surgery,First Medical Center,Chinese PLA General Hospital were retrospectively collected.A total of 232 patients were in the LAG group,and 230 patients were in the TLG group.Basic patient information,clinicopathological characteristics,operation information and QOL data were collected to compare efficacy.Compared with those in the LAG group,intraoperative blood loss in the TLG group was significantly lower(P<0.001),and the time to first flatus and postoperative hospitalization time were significantly shorter(both P<0.001).The overall incidence of postoperative complications in the TLG group was significantly lower than that in the LAG group(P=0.01).Binary logistic regression results indicated that LAG and an operation time>220 min were independent risk factors for postoperative complications in elderly patients with GC(P<0.05).In terms of QOL,no statistically significant differences in various preoperative indicators were found between the LAG group and the LTG group(P>0.05).Compared with the laparoscopic-assisted total gastrectomy group,patients who received totally laparoscopic total gastrectomy had lower nausea and vomiting scores and higher satisfaction with their body image(P<0.05).Patients who underwent laparoscopic-assisted distal gastrectomy were more satisfied with their body image than patients in the totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION TLG is safe and feasible for elderly patients with GC and has outstanding advantages such as reducing intracorporeal blood loss,promoting postoperative recovery and improving QOL.

Comparison of the efficacy and safety of sedation between dexmedetomidine-remifentanil and propofol-remifentanil during endoscopic submucosal dissection

AIM: To compare the efficacy and safety of sedation protocols for endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD) between dexmedetomidine-remifentanil and propofolremifentanil.METHODS: Fifty-nine patients scheduled for ESD were randomly allocated into a dexmedetomidineremifentanil(DR) group or a propofol-remifentanil(PR) group. To control patient anxiety, dexmedetomidine or propofol was infused to maintain a score of 4-5 on the Modified Observer's Assessment of Alertness/Sedation scale. Remifentanil was infused continuously at a rate of 6 μg/kg per hour in both groups. The ease of advancing the scope into the throat, gastric motility grading, and satisfaction of the endoscopist and patient were assessed. Hemodynamic variables and hypoxemic events were compared to evaluate patient safety.RESULTS: Demographic data were comparable between the groups. The hemodynamic variables and pulse oximetry values were stable during the procedure in both groups despite a lower heart rate in the DR group. No oxygen desaturation events occurred in either group. Although advancing the scope into the throat was easier in the PR group("very easy" 24.1% vs 56.7%, P = 0.010), gastric motility was moresuppressed in the DR group("no + mild" 96.6% vs 73.3%, P = 0.013). The endoscopists felt that the procedure was more favorable in the DR group("very good + good" 100% vs 86.7%, P = 0.042), whereas patient satisfaction scores were comparable between the groups. En bloc resection was performed 100% of the time in both groups, and the complete resection rate was 94.4% in the DR group and 100% in the PR group(P = 0.477). CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of dexmedetomidine and remifentanil were comparable to propofol and remifentanil during ESD. However, the endoscopists favored dexmedetomidine perhaps due to lower gastric motility.

Photodynamic therapy vs radiofrequency ablation for Barrett's dysplasia: Efficacy,safety and cost-comparison

AIM:To compare effectiveness,safety,and cost of photodynamic therapy(PDT)and radiofrequency ablation(RFA)in treatment of Barrett’s dysplasia(BD).METHODS:Consecutive case series of patients undergoing either PDT or RFA treatment at single center by a single investigator were compared.Thirty-three patients with high-grade dysplasia(HGD)had treatment with porfimer sodium photosensitzer and 630 nm laser(130 J/cm),with maximum of 3 treatment sessions.Fifty-three patients with BD(47 with low-grade dysplasia-LGD,6 with HGD)had step-wise circumferential and focal ablation using the HALO system with maximum of 4 treatment sessions.Both groups received proton pump inhibitors twice daily.Endoscopic biopsies were acquired at 2 and 12 mo after enrollment,with 4-quadrant biopsies every 1 cm of the original BE extent.A complete histological resolution response of BD(CR-D)was defined as all biopsies at the last endoscopy session negative for BD.Fisher’s exact test was used to assess differences between the two study groups for primary outcomes.For all outcomes,a two-sided P value of less than 0.05 was considered to indicate statistical significance.RESULTS:Thirty(91%)PDT patients and 39(74%)RFA were men(P=0.05).The mean age was 70.7±12.2 and 65.4±12.7(P=0.10)year and mean length of BE was 5.4±3.2 cm and 5.7±3.2 cm(P=0.53)for PDT and RFA patients,respectively.The CR-D was(18/33)54.5%with PDT vs(47/53)88.7%with RFA(P=0.001).One patient with PDT had an esophageal perforation and was managed with non-surgical measures and no perforation was seen with RFA.PDT was five times more costly than RFA at our institution.The two groups were not randomized and had different BD grading are the limitations of the study.CONCLUSION:In our experience,RFA had higher rate of CR-D without any serious adverse events and was less costly than PDT for endoscopic treatment of BD.

The comparison of the efficacy of swine FMD vaccine emulsified with oil adjuvant of ISA 201 VG or ISA 206 VG

The Seppic Company developed a new adjuvant Montanide ISA 201 VG, the upgraded version of Montanide ISA 206 VG, which keep the advantage and added some chemical components on the basis of ISA 206 to improve the cellular responses. The aim of the study is to compare the efficacy of swine FMD (foot-and-mouth) vaccine emulsified with oil adjuvant of ISA 201 or ISA 206 respectively. The pigs were vaccinated with FMD vaccine emulsified with inactive FMD type O antigen and adjuvant ISA 201 or ISA 206 respectively, according to 2.0 ml (1/1 dose), 0.67 ml (1/3 dose), 0.22 ml (1/9 dose) to calculate their PD50. The sera were collected from the vaccination of the day 0, 3, 7, 14, 21, 28 and the ELISA FMD type O antibody were detected. Furthermore, the PD50 were calculated after the pigs were challenged with virulent FMDV type O on 28 days post vaccination. The ELISA antibody titers of 201vaccine were significantly higher than that of 206 (except the third time). The fifty percent of protection dose (PD50) of 201 vaccine (PD50 = 15.59) was higher than that of 206 vaccine (PD50 = 10.05). The above data showed that the efficacy of the FMD vaccine emulsified with ISA 201 was better than which with ISA 206.

Comparison of safety,efficacy,and long-term follow-up between“one-step”and“step-up”approaches for infected pancreatic necrosis

BACKGROUND Although the“Step-up”strategy is the primary surgical treatment for infected pancreatic necrosis,it is not suitable for all such patients.The“One-step”strategy represents a novel treatment,but the safety,efficacy,and long-term follow-up have not yet been compared between these two approaches.AIM To compare the safety,efficacy,and long-term follow-up of two surgical approaches to provide a reference for infected pancreatic necrosis treatment.METHODS This was a retrospective analysis of infectious pancreatic necrosis patients who underwent“One-step”or“Step-up”necrosectomy at Xuan Wu Hospital,Capital Medical University,from May 2014 to December 2020.The primary outcome was the composite endpoint of severe complications or death.Patients were followed up every 6 mo after discharge until death or June 30,2021.Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 21.0 and GraphPad Prism 8.0,and statistical significance was set at P<0.05.RESULTS One-hundred-and-fifty-eight patients were enrolled,of whom 61 patients underwent“One-step”necrosectomy and 97 patients underwent“Step-up”necrosectomy.During the long-term follow-up period,40 patients in the“Onestep”group and 63 patients in the“Step-up”group survived.The time from disease onset to hospital admission(53.69±38.14 vs 32.20±20.75,P<0.001)and to initial surgical treatment was longer in the“Step-up”than in the“One-step”group(54.38±10.46 vs 76.58±17.03,P<0.001).Patients who underwent“Step up”necrosectomy had a longer hospitalization duration(65.41±28.14 vs 52.76±24.71,P=0.02),and more interventions(4.26±1.71 vs 3.18±1.39,P<0.001).Postoperative inflammatory indicator levels were significantly lower than preoperative levels in each group.Although the incisional hernia incidence was higher in the“One-step”group,no significant difference was found in the composite outcomes of severe complications or death,new-onset organ failure,postoperative complications,inflammatory indicators,long-term complications,quality of life,and medical costs between the groups(P>0.05).CONCLUSION Compared with the“Step-up”approach,the“One-step”approach is a safe and effective treatment method with better long-term quality of life and prognosis.It also provides an alternative surgical treatment strategy for patients with infected pancreatic necrosis.

Comparison of efficacy and safety between late-course and simultaneous integrated dose-increasing intensity-modulated radiation therapy for cervical cancer complicated with pelvic lymph node metastasis

Objective This study aimed to compare and analyze the clinical efficacy and safety of late-course and simultaneous integrated dose-increasing intensity-modulated radiation therapy(IMRT) for cervical cancer complicated with pelvic lymph node metastasis. Methods Sixty patients with cervical cancer complicated with pelvic lymph node metastasis who were admitted to our hospital from January 2013 to January 2015 were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into the late-course dose-increasing IMRT group and the simultaneous integrated dose-increasing IMRT group, with 30 cases included in each group, respectively. All patients were concurrently treated with cisplatin. After treatment, the clinical outcomes of the two groups were compared. Results The remission rate of symptoms in the simultaneous integrated dose-increasing IMRT group was significantly higher than that in the late-course dose-increasing IMRT group(P < 0.05). The follow-up results showed that the overall survival time, progression-free survival time, and distant metastasis time of patients in the simultaneous integrated dose-increasing IMRT group were significantly longer than those in the late-course dose-increasing IMRT group(P < 0.05). The recurrent rate of lymph nodes in the radiation field in the simultaneous integrated dose-increasing IMRT group was significantly lower(P < 0.05) than in the late-course dose-increasing IMRT group. There was no significant difference in the incidence of cervical and vaginal recurrence and distant metastasis between the two groups(P > 0.05). The radiation doses of Dmax in the small intestine, D1 cc(the minimum dose to the 1 cc receiving the highest dose) in the bladder, and Dmax in the rectum in the simultaneous integrated dose-increasing IMRT group were significantly lower(P < 0.05) than in the late-course dose-increasing IMRT group. There was no significant difference in intestinal D2 cc(the minimum dose to the 2 cc receiving the highest dose) between the two groups(P > 0.05). The incidence of bone marrow suppression in the simultaneous integrated dose-increasing IMRT group was significantly lower(P < 0.05) than in the late-course dose-increasing IMRT group.Conclusion The application of simultaneous integrated dose-increasing IMRT in the treatment of cervical cancer patients complicated with pelvic lymph node metastasis can significantly control tumor progression, improve the long-term survival time, and postpone distant metastasis time with high safety.

Comparison of Mosquito Larvicidal Efficacy Between Microbial Encapsulated BTI and Standard BTI

A comparative study was conducted on the efficacy of mosquito larvicides between nucrobialencapsulated BTI (EBTI) and standard BTI (SBTI).The results showed that:(1) The residual efficacyof EBTI was remarkably higher than that of SBTI at 0.007-0.002×10^(-9)/L BTI concentration(P<0.01),the mosquito larva mortality of EBTI remained 100% until the 4th week, in contrast, the mosquito larvamortality of SBTI gradually and obviously declined from the 2nd to 4th week after treatment (X2~=8.17-24.08), and reached 0 at the 4th week.(2) The lowest BTI concentration of EBTI at which a high efficacypersisted for 4 weeks was 0.007×10^(-9)g/L BTI, the mosquito larva mortality remaining 100%.

Comparison of Efficacy of Different Treatments for Pulmonary Embolism

An optimal therapy for pulmonary embolism（PE） was explored by comparing three different methods in order to alleviate the sufferings of PE patients and reduce the mortality. Eighty patients with PE diagnosed by computed tomography angiography（CTA） were treated with thrombolysis, anticoagulation only, or surgery/intervention. The clinical efficacy of different treatments were compared and analyzed. Twenty-four out of the 26 patients（92%） in anticoagulation only group showed improvement in CTA and clinical presentations, which was significantly higher than that in the thrombolysis group（87%, n=39, P〈0.05）. However, there was no significant difference in the rate of mortality between thrombolysis group and anticoagulation only group. In the surgery/interventional group（n=15）, the success rate was 47%, and the mortality rate was 14%. Both of them were significantly different from those in thrombolysis and anticoagulation only groups（both P〈0.05）. Log-rank analysis of the data of 5-year follow-up revealed that the survival time in surgery/intervention group was significantly shorter than in the other two groups（P0.05）. It was suggested that it is of importance to choose the appropriate therapeutic regimen for PE patients. Mortality may be reduced and prognosis may be improved with anticoagulation only and thrombolysis therapy.

Comparison of the Anthelmintic Efficacy of Three Commercial Products against Ascarids and Capillaria SPP. in Fighting Cocks

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the anthelmintic efficacy of three commercial compounds against ascarids and Capillaria spp. in naturally infected fighting cocks from Mexico. First experiment.- Forty cocks were selected on the basis of eggs per gram (EPG) counts quantified by the McMaster method. On day 0 the birds were divided into four groups of 10 cocks, each subjected to the treatments. Group 1 received a single oral dose of 1 mg of ivermectin, 25 mg of praziquantel and 40 mg of fenbendazole given in tablets according to body weight (b.w). Group 2 was treated with a single oral dose of 1 mg of ivermectin, 25 mg of praziquantel and 40 mg of fenbendazole given in tablets/b.w. but formulated with a different excipient. Group 3 received a single tablet containing 0.2 mg of abamectin and 30 mg of albendazole. Group 4 served as a non-treated control. Fecal analyses were carried out on days 0 (day of treatment), 7, 14, 21 and 28, being collected from the floor where the cocks were individually caged. Efficacy was measured on the percentage of egg reduction from day 0 with respect the EPG counts from the control group. In a second experiment the study was similarly performed using another cock-farm located at approximately 300 km away from the first one. Results indicated an overall efficacy of 100%, 94.0% and 100% for groups 1, 2 and 3 in the first experiment and 100%, 100%, 100% for groups 1, 2 and 3 of the 2nd experiment, respectively. It is concluded that all drugs used exerted high efficacy in fighting cocks naturally infected with helminths.

Comparison on Immune Efficacy of Avian Influenza Virus Re-5 Strain and SS Strain in Guangxi Sanhuang Chickens

[ Objective] To compare immune efficacy of avian influenza virus （AIV） Re-5 strain （HSN1 subtype） and SS strain （ H9 subtype） in Guangxi Sanhuang chickens. [Method] A total of 180 Sanhuang chickens were selected from a breeding chicken farm in Guilin City of Guangxi and assigned into four groups （ n = 45）. At 145 days old, the chickens in the group I and II were respectively inoculated with AIV Re-5 strain and AIV SS strain, but they were kept in cages separately. The two control groups were not inoculated. Antibody levels were determined at 170 days old. [ Result] The level of antibodies against AIV Re-5 strain was significantly higher in the chickens of the group I and group II than in the corresponding control groups, respectively （ P 〈 0.01 ）. The level of antibodies against AIV SS strain was not significantly different between the group I and its control group or between the group II and its control group. [ Conclusion] The antibody level of chickens can be increased by the AIV Re-5 strain but not by the AIV SS strain.

Comparison of Efficacy of Synthetic Pesticides with Botanical Extracts under Field Condition on Cabbage White Butterfly (<i>Pieris brassicae</i>)

Cabbage white butterfly (Pieris brassicae) is one of the important insect pests of cabbage crop which causes remarkable quantitative or qualitative crop losses. The research was conducted at Hazara Agricultural research station, Abbottabad (Pakistan) to study the effect of different new chemical insecticides, botanical oil and neem seed oil (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) on the population density of P. brassicae. The study showed that neem oil had a significant effect on population of P. brassicae in comparison to control treatment. So, neem oil alone or in combination with insecticides can be used for control of P. brassicae in vegetable crops for a safer food supply.

Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapies for Treating Uncomplicated Falciparum Malaria in Sub-Saharan African Countries: An Update on the Changes in Efficacy Using Network Meta-Analysis

Background: Several artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) are available to treat uncomplicated malaria in Africa. The present study aimed to assess the ranking of their efficacy and tolerance. Methods: A database of randomized controlled trials was retrieved from published papers. Network meta-analysis was used to compare efficacy on day 28 and day 42 after initiation of treatment. Age covariate effect on treatment outcome was assessed, and a modeling approach to reduce heterogeneity among trials was evaluated under the hypothesis of consistency in a meta-regression. Safety and adverse events were compared among different ACTs. A Bayesian analysis was performed to implement the consistency models using WinBUGS software. The results were compared to those of the frequentist approach using the R software. Results: Eighty-one articles, in which a total of 15 different ACTs were tested in more than 36,000 patients, were included. On day 28, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHPP) was more effective than artemether-lumefantrine (AL) before (odds ratio [OR], 1.83;95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31 - 2.56) and after age-covariate adjustment (OR, 1.70;95% CI, 1.20 - 2.43). The result was similar on day 42. DHPP occupied the top rank. The risk of having cough, diarrhoea or headache post-treatment was significantly lower with DHPP than AL. Artesunate-mefloquine (ASMQ) was associated with a significantly lower prevalence of vomiting or nausea (OR, 0.80;95% CI, 0.48 - 1.30) and headache (OR, 0.53;95% CI, 0.40 - 0.68) compared to AL. On the contrary, vomiting and nausea occurred more frequently after fixed-dose artesunate-amodiaquine formulation (ASAQf) than with AL (OR, 1.45;95% CI, 1.18 - 1.78). The risk of anaemia was higher with ASAQf and co-blistered artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQc) than with AL. There was no significant difference in risk of anaemia (P > 0.05) between AL and different formulations of ASAQ. Conclusions: Based on the available evidence, this study demonstrated the superiority of DHPP, followed by AL, among currently recommended ACTs in terms of efficacy and tolerance. Network meta-analysis could be an alternative analytical tool but needs more data input from therapeutic efficacy studies. The determination of the best available therapy requires data triangulation and data science.

Efficacy and safety of adalimumab in comparison to infliximab for Crohn's disease:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Adalimumab(ADA)and infliximab(IFX)are the cornerstones of the treatment of Crohn’s disease(CD).It remains controversial whether there is a difference in the effectiveness and safety between IFX and ADA for CD.AIM To perform a meta-analysis to compare the effectiveness and safety of ADA and IFX in CD.METHODS Pub Med,Embase,Cochrane Library,and Web of Science databases were searched.Cohort studies were considered for inclusion.The primary outcomes were induction of response and remission,maintenance of response and remission,and secondary loss of response.Adverse events were secondary outcomes.RESULTS Fourteen cohort studies were included.There was no apparent difference between the two agents in the induction response[odds ratio(OR):1.27,95%confidence interval(CI):0.93-1.74,P=0.14]and remission(OR:1.11,95%CI:0.78–1.57,P=0.57),maintenance response(OR:1.08,95%CI:0.76–1.53,P=0.67)and remission(OR:1.26,95%CI:0.87–1.82,P=0.22),and secondary loss of response(OR:1.01,95%CI:0.65–1.55,P=0.97).Subgroup analysis revealed ADA and IFX had similar rates of response,remission,and loss of response either in anti-tumor necrosis factor-αna?ve or non-na?ve patients.Further,there was a similar result regardless of whether CD patients were treated with optimized therapy,including dose intensification,shortening interval,and combination immunomodulators.However,ADA had a fewer overall adverse events than IFX(OR:0.62,95%CI:0.42–0.91,P=0.02).CONCLUSION ADA and IFX have similar clinical benefits for anti-tumor necrosis factor-αna?ve or non-na?ve CD patients.Overall adverse events rate is higher in patients in the IFX group.

Comparison of efficacy between two boost treatments in residual tumor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radical radiotherapy

Objective： To compare the efficacy between stereotactic radiotherapy （SRT） and intracavitary brachytherapy （brachytherapy） in residual tumor of nasopharyngeal carcinoma （NPC） after treating with conventional external beam radiotherapy. Methods： 60 patients with residual tumor of NPC after radical external beam radiotherapy （range 68 to 72 Gy） were randomized into SRT group （27 patients） and brachytherapy group （33 patients）. Patients in SRT group received boost treatment of 10-20 Gy, 2-3 fractions, once every other day; patients in brachytherapy group were treated with boost 10-20 Gy, 5 Gy per fraction, twice a week. Results： Efficacy in the near future： in SRT group, the complete recession （CR）, partial recession （PR） and no change （NC） rates were 77.8% （21/27）, 18.5% （5/27）, 3.7% （1/27）, respectively and the efficacy rate was 96.3% （CR ＋ PR）; in brachytherapy group： the CR, PR and NC rates were 75.8% （25/33）, 18.2% （6/33）, 6.1% （2/33）, respectively and the efficacy rate was 93.9% （CR ＋ PR）. The efficacy rates of the above two groups were compared （x^2 = 0.032, P 〉 0.05）. Long term efficacy： in SRT group, 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 96.3%, 66.5% respectively and the median live time was 48 months; in brachytherapy group： 1-year and 3-year survival rates were 93.9%, 60.2% respectively and the median live time was 46 months. The survival rates of two groups were compared （x^2 = 0.172, P 〉 0.05）. Conclusion： Both boost techniques of SRT and brachytherapy had elevated efficacy in patients with residual tumor of NPC and there was no obvious difference between the efficacy of the near and long term in SRT and brachytherapy group.

Comparison of the clinical effect features of Han-Ku-Gan and Wen-Xin-Gan based on the efficacy of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis

Objective:The application of Chinese materia medica(CMM)in clinical diseases is the embodiment and continuation of the property theory of CMM(PTCMM).However,due to a lack of precise quantitative description methods,it is difficult to systematically analyze the property of CMM(PCMM)and clinical effect features at the micro molecular level.Methods:The therapeutic drugs and targets were obtained from the Drugbank database.The molecular descriptors of these drugs were calculated based on Dragon software.Drug-effect relationships that integrated the molecular descriptors and effect descriptors were plotted as grayscale images.These images were used to train the Le Net-5 model and the Alex Net model.The best-performing model was used to predict the effect features of the CMM compounds.Finally,the effect features of the PCMM combinations were calculated based on the support vector machine recursive feature elimination algorithm.Results:The Alex Net model showed a superior prediction performance.The results showed that its accuracy,precision,sensitivity,F-measure,and Matthews correlation coefficient on the training set were 0.940,0.936,0.945,0.940,and 0.880,respectively,and those of the test set were 0.909,0.901,0.920,0.910,and 0.819,respectively.A total of 399 compounds in the 42 CMMs for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis were predicted by this model.The key effect features of the Han-Ku-Gan combination were anti-inflammatory,anti-tumor,anti-atherosclerosis,anti-Parkinson,hypoglycemic,and anti-coagulant properties,as well as excitation of uterine smooth muscle.The key effect features of the Wen-Xin-Gan combination were anti-inflammatory,anti-atherosclerosis,anti-hypertensive,anticoagulant,anti-tumor,and anti-cardiac insufficiency effects,as well as enhanced immunity,sedation and hypnosis,and analgesia.Conclusion:This study provides a new method for the further exploration of the relationship between the PCMM and clinical effect features.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Two Commercial Coccidicidal Compounds on Experimentally Infected Dogs

The aim of the present study was to compare the coccidicidal efficacy of two commercial compounds for artificially infected dogs. Eighteen cocccidia-free dogs, male and female aged between 2 and 4 months old, were infected each with 20,000 Cystoisospora oocists cultured under laboratory conditions. When the poppies showed high counts of oocysts per gramm (OPG) (McMaster method), they were divided into 3 groups (G). G1 was treated with a compound named One&reg (Lab. Bio Zoo) containing 150 mg of toltrazuril/tablet, administered daily/5days dosing 1 tablet per 10 kg b.w. G2 received Giacoccide&reg (Pet’s Pharma) containing 250 mg of sulfadimetoxine and 165 mg of dimetridazole dosing 1 tablet per 10 kg b.w. twice a day for 10 days. G3 served as an untreated control. The puppies were coprologically monitored on Days 0, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 to determine the percentage of OPG. Efficacy was measured based on the OPG reduction on treated animals relative to the untreated control. The results indicated an efficacy for compound One of 78.4%, 100%, 100%, 100%, 100% and 100%, for Days 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25, respectively and for Giacoccide 40.6%, 45.5%, 47.4%, 65.9%, 90.4% and 92.7%, for Days 3, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25, respectively. No statistical difference was observed on the weight of the treated puppies (p < 0.764), but the control group was statistically different to the treated ones (p < 0.014). It was concluded that compound One showed greater efficacy than Giacoccide for the treatment of canine coccidiosis in artificially infected dogs.