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Background: The most widely used noninvasive screening tests for colorectal cancer are fecal occult blood tests. Stool DNA test was developed in recent years. However, direct comparative analyses of these tests within the same population are still sparse. Methods: A total of 2,842 participants who visited outpatient clinics or cancer screening centers were enrolled. Stool DNA test-I (KRAS, BMP3, NDRG4, and hemoglobin immunochemical tests), stool DNA test-II (SDC2 and SFRP2 tests), and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) alone were performed and colonoscopy was used as the gold standard among 2,240 participants. Forty-two and 302 participants had colorectal cancer and advanced adenomas (AA), respectively. Results: The sensitivity for colorectal cancer of stool DNA test-I, -II, and FIT was 90.5%, 92.9%, and 81.0%, respectively. The sensitivity for advanced neoplasm (AN; colorectal cancer plus AA) of stool DNA test-I, -II, and FIT was 34.9%, 42.2%, and 25.9%, respectively. The specificity of stool DNA test-I, -II, and FIT was 91.4%, 93.3%, and 96.8%, respectively, among those with negative results on colonoscopy. When the specificity of FIT was adjusted to match that of stool DNA tests by changing the threshold, no significant difference was seen in the sensitivities among the three tests for detecting colorectal cancer. For AN, the sensitivity of FIT was higher than DNA test-I and similar to DNA test-II under the same specificities. Conclusions: There was no significant advantage of the two stool DNA tests compared with FIT in detecting colorectal cancer or AN in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) with house-dust mite (HDM) extract in Chinese patients with HDM-induced allergic rhinitis (AR). Methods: A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial was conducted with the outpatients of the Eye, Ear, Nose, and Throat Hospital, Fudan University. Forty-eight patients were eligible for randomization to SLIT with a mixture of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farinae extract or placebo for 1 year. The primary outcome measures for efficacy were the total nasal symptom score (TNSS) and the individual nasal symptom score. Secondary end points were allergic conjunctivitis scores (ACS) and medication scores (MS). Adverse events (AE) also were monitored. Results: Intragroup analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in the active treatment group for individual nasal symptom score and TNSS (p < 0.05), although no improvement was observed in the placebo group of congestion, sneezing, and itching (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the ACS andMS in the active treatment group also statistically decreased (p < 0.05). In addition, the active treatment had significant effects on relieving nasal symptoms both in adults and children (p 0.05), and no statistical difference was observed between these two subgroups (p < 0.05). AEs that occurred ranged from mild to moderate, and no severe systematic reactions were observed. Conclusion: SLIT with a mixture of HDM extract significantly relieved allergy symptoms and reduced the need for antiallergic drugs, which indicated the superiority of active treatment over placebo for patients with HDM-induced AR. However, due to the limited sample size, the findings need to be further confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the risks and opportunities presented by the global economic crisis for the shipbuilding industry as of 2010. Currently, there are very few new shipbuilding contracts and orderbooks cannot meet the needs of shipyards in 2011. It is said that the influence of the global macro economy on the shipbuilding industry will be balanced by the relationship between market supply and demand. The current pattern of the global shipbuilding market and the views of industry experts on the future development of the industry are tackled.

A quantitative/qualitative mixed methodology was used to investigate treatment delay and determine social determinants of TB among 70 pulmonary TB patients in China. Median total diagnostic delay (TDD) time was 4 weeks for men and 5 weeks for women; 25% of patients experienced a TDD of 20 or more weeks. Seventy-six percent of patients who had a delay of more than 2 weeks attributed the delay to their own personal lack of awareness. Fifty-seven percent of the population reported experiencing more than one of the four common TB symptoms, and 30% reported experiencing three or more symptoms. Patients' qualitative descriptions of the process from onset of symptoms to diagnosis of TB described a circuitous and imprecise one. Delay in seeking treatment among TB patients in China is prolonged because of both personal and systemic reasons. It is essential that diagnostic delay be understood and reduced to decrease the burden of disease globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary myxoid stromal tumor in infancy is a rare subtype of soft tissue sarcoma, with the feature of infiltration of surrounding tissue, rare metastasis and poor response to chemotherapy. As a result, surgery operation is the most effective among therapies. According to current documents, sarcoma locate in trunk, head, neck and limbs. Here is a case report of PMMTI locating in pharynx and larynx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]