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Protozoans of Entamoeba spp. are one of the most common enteric parasites that infect humans and diverse animals including deer.However, data regarding the prevalence and species/genotypes of Entamoeba spp. in deer in China is scarce. This study investigated the prevalence and species distribution of Entamoeba spp. in sika deer (Cervus nippon) in Anhui Province.In our survey, 336 fecal samples were collected from five sika deer farms in different regions of Anhui Province. All samples were examined for the presence of Entamoeba spp. by PCR and phylogenetic analysis of the conserved 18S rRNA gene.106/336 (31.5%) fecal samples were positive for Entamoeba spp. A statistically significant difference in the prevalence of Entamoeba spp. infection was observed between sampling farms (p 0.001), and the prevalence of Entamoeba spp. in male and female sika deer showed no significant difference (p 0.05). Sequence and phylogenetic analysis revealed the single species, E. bovis, was identified in this study.This is the first report about the identification of E. bovis in farm-raised sika deer in China, and these results expand our understanding of host range and species distribution of Entamoeba spp. in ruminants.

Tetratrichomonas gallinarum and Trichomonas gallinae can colonize the alimentary tract of domestic birds. However, little information is available on the epidemiology of the two trichomonad species in domestic free-range poultry in China. In this study, the occurrence and genetic characteristic of T. gallinarum and T. gallinae among free-range chickens, ducks, and geese in Anhui Province, China, were investigated. The 1910 fecal samples collected from 18 free-range poultry farms throughout Anhui Province were examined for the presence of T. gallinarum and T. gallinae by PCR and sequence analysis of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene of T. gallinarum and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequence of T. gallinae. The overall occurrence of T. gallinarum in poultry was 1.2% (22/1910), with infection rates of 2.1% (17/829) in chickens, 0.2% (1/487) in ducks, and 0.7% (4/594) in geese. The constructed phylogeny tree using the concatenated ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region and SSU rRNA indicated the T. gallinarum isolates detected in this study were closely related to previously defined genogroups A, D, and E, respectively. Nine (0.5%) fecal samples were positive for T. gallinae, with infection rates of 0.8% (7/829) in chickens, 0.4% (2/487) in ducks, and 0% (0/594) in geese. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis showed that four T. gallinae ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 sequences obtained from chicken feces and one duck fecal sample belonged to genotype ITS-OBT-Tg-1. This is the first report of the prevalence and genetic characterization of T. gallinarum and T. gallinae in free-range chickens, ducks, and geese in China.

Objective: To investigate the effect of growth hormone on low-prognosis patients who were diagnosed by POSEIDON criteria. Methods: Poor ovarian reserve patients were included if their AMH Results: A total of 574 cycles (155 in GH group, 419 in Control group) were analyzed. For all the poor ovarian reserve patients, there were no significant differences between GH and control group, in aspects of HMG dosage, duration of HMG, the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of 2PN, the number of embryos, transferrable embryos ,good-quality embryos, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and clinical live birth rate. In stratified analysis, the variables of G4 were not significantly different, and in G3, duration of HMG (8.11±1.86vs. 8.80±1.98, P﹤0.05) was significantly different. Further study on non-first cycle patients, a total of 274 cycles (122 in GH group, 152 in Control group) were analyzed, there were no differences between GH group and control group, in aspects of HMG dosage, duration of HMG, the number of oocytes retrieved, the number of 2PN, the number of embryos, transferrable embryos ,good-quality embryos, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate and clinical live birth rate. In stratified analysis, the variables of G3’ were not significantly different. In G4’, duration of HMG (8.74±2.31 vs. 7.90±2.56, P﹤0.05) was significantly different, the number of oocytes retrieved(8.74±2.31 vs. 7.90±2.56, P﹤0.05), clinical pregnancy rate(22.97% vs. 8.45%, P﹤0.05), and clinical live birth rate(14.86% vs. 4.23%, P﹤0.05) were significantly different between GH and control groups. The outcomes of linear regression and logistic regression analysis were approximately consistent with that of Chi square test. Conclusions: GH co-treatment with the mild stimulation protocol in poor ovarian reserve patients who reached or were older than 35 years old, and failed in at least one previous cycle, could significantly increase the number of oocytes retrieved, clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate.

In order to accurately monitor CO2 concentration based on the non-dispersive infrared technique, a novel flat conical chamber CO2 gas sensor is proposed and investigated by simulation analysis and experimental verification. First, the optical design software and computational fluid dynamics method are utilized to theoretically investigate the relationship between the energy distribution, absorption efficiency of infrared radiation, and chamber size. The simulation results show that the chamber length has an optimal value of 8 cm when the cone angle is 5° and the diameter of the detection surface is 1 cm, which makes infrared absorption efficiency optimal. Then, the flat conical chamber CO2 gas sensor system is developed, calibrated, and tested. The experimental results indicate that the sensor can accurately detect CO2 gas concentrations in the range of 0–2000 ppm at 25 °C. It is found that the absolute error of calibration is within 10 ppm, and the maximum repeatability and stability errors are 5.5 and 3.5%, respectively. Finally, the genetic neural network algorithm is presented to compensate for the output concentration of the sensor to solve the problem of temperature drift. Experimental results demonstrate that the relative error of the compensated CO2 concentration is varied from −0.85 to 2.32%, which is significantly reduced. The study has reference significance for the structural optimization of the infrared CO2 gas sensor and the improvement of the measurement accuracy.

Background Chronic endometritis (CE) reflects the local imbalance of endometrial immune microenvironment after inflammation. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is highly involved in both immunity and inflammation. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of HMGB1 on the endometrium of CE.Methods In the pilot study, the expression level of pyroptosis-associated marker GSDMD-NT and its co-localization with macrophages in endometrial tissues collected from CEs and controls were detected by qRT-PCR, western blot (WB), immunohistochemical (IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Next, the roles of HMGB1 as a driver of macrophage pyroptosis was investigated in vitro using human THP-1 cells. To evaluate whether HMGB1 could be served as a target for treatment of CE, CE mouse model was established by LPS intrauterine perfusion, and treatment with glycyrrhizic acid, an inhibitor of HMGB1, was given. Lastly, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves of endometrium and uterine fluid HMGB1 were constructed to assess the predictive values in a cohort study including 154 patients.Results In the pilot study, we found that pyroptosis-associated marker GSDMD-NT was significantly increased in the CE endometrium(P In vitro experiments demonstrated that HMGB1 induced pyroptosis in human THP-1 derived macrophage. HMGB1 expression was induced in a dose-dependent manner under LPS stimulation in both cytoplasm and cell supernatant of HESCs. Treatment with HMGB1 inhibitor (glycyrrhizic acid) significantly suppressed endometrium inflammation in LPS-induced CE mouse model. In the cohort study, we confirmed that HMGB1 mRNA level dramatically increased in the CE group (n = 83) compared with those of control (n = 71, 21.04 ± 14.92 vs. 8.89 ± 6.91, P vs. 638.2pg/ml (318.9–1124), P HMGB1 and the number of CD138 (rs = 0.592, P Conclusions HMGB1 effectively induces macrophages pyroptosis in human endometrium, and HMGB1 level of endometrium or uterine fluid can be served as a promising diagnostic marker for CE.

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. Impact: Our findings do not support extensive use of stool DNA tests instead of FIT.

PURPOSE To determine differences in cycloplegic vs. non-cycloplegic refractive error and factors associated with these differences in Chinese school students. METHOD In this cross-sectional school-based study, refractive error was measured in school students using a NIDEK autorefractor before and after administration of 0.5% tropicamide. Spherical equivalent (SER) in diopters (D) was calculated as sphere plus half cylinder. SER differences before vs. after cycloplegia were evaluated using mean, standard deviation (SD), 95% limits of agreement. Univariable and multivariable regression models were used to determine factors associated with SER differences. RESULTS Among 3604 students, 3450 (95.7%) provided data for analysis. Mean age (SD) was 9.7 (3.6) years. The mean SER (SD) was -1.12 (1.97) D before cycloplegia, and -0.20 (2.19) D after cycloplegia, with a mean difference of 0.92 D (95% limits of agreement: -0.93 to 2.78 D). Among 196 eyes with non-cycloplegic SER -6.0 D or worse (e.g., met high myopia definition), 71.4% had cycloplegic SER -6.0 D or worse, and among 3607 eyes with non-cycloplegic SER -0.5 D or worse (e.g., met myopia definition), 62.1% eyes had cycloplegic SER -0.5 D or worse. Cycloplegic SER was more correlated with axial length than non-cycloplegic SER (Pearson r = 0.82 vs. 0.72, p

Lumbar facet joint (LFJ) pain is the most common cause of low back pain in the elderly. Denervation of the medial branch of the spinal dorsal ramus can theoretically achieve long-term pain relief. Yet there is little evidence of high-level prospective randomized controlled research.To observe the effect of radiofrequency (RF) denervation of the medial branch of the spinal dorsal ramus on LFJ pain in the elderly.A prospective randomized controlled study.The study was performed in the National Pain Management and Research Center of China-Japan Friendship Hospital.A total of 270 patients over 60 years old with LFJ pain were randomly divided into an RF group (n = 135) and a control group (n = 135). They received radiofrequency denervation intervention and a conventional conservative approach, respectively. The follow-up was 6 months. The main outcome was the NRS pain score (0-10 points) and the proportion of patients with a pain reduction of more than 2 points (minimum difference of clinically significant difference). The secondary outcome was the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), the proportion of patients whose ODI decreased by more than 15 points, and the Macnab standard efficacy evaluation. The factors that influenced the excellent and good Macnab rates were analyzed by univariate and multivariable regression analysis.There were more women than men who suffered from LFJ (171/99) pain based in these 270 patients. The numeric rating scale (NRS) pain score changes in the RF group were significantly different from those in the control group at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months (-2.3 vs -1.2, -2.0 vs -1.2, -2.0 vs -1.1, P0.001), and the proportion of patients whose NRS decreased by ? 2 was higher than that in the control group at the 3rd and 6th months (61.1% vs 26.0%, 52.9% vs 22.5%, P0.001). The ODI score changes in the RF group were significantly different from that in the control group at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months (-15.2 vs -10.1, -14.6 vs -8.6, -13.6 vs -7.7, P0.001), and the proportion of ODI reduction ? 15 was also higher than that in the control group at the 3rd and 6th months (45.8% vs 34.1%, 36.4% vs 27.0%, P0.05). The excellent rate and efficiency of the Macnab evaluation in the RF group at the 6th month was significantly higher compared to the control group (60.3% vs 36.0%, 81.0% vs 54.1%, P0.001). The independent factor affecting the excellent and good rate is failed back surgery syndrome.The limitation of this study is that it was only performed in one unit of the National Pain Management and Research Center. It needs to be further carried on in multiple centers in the future.Radiofrequency denervation can effectively reduce LFJ pain and improve movement disorder. The effect is good until 6 months later.

Objective: Study on the effect of nursing management in different levels and areas in emergency treatment of patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Methods: 200 patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction admitted by our hospital from January 2018 to October 2019 were divided into observation group and control group according to the nursing mode of patients, with 100 cases in each group. The patients in the control group were given routine emergency care, and the patients in the observation group were given graded and partitioned nursing management. Result: The time of emergency treatment, coronary angiography and stent placement were compared between the two groups. The results showed that the time of observation group was significantly shorter than that of control group (P < 0.05). The results showed that the time of the observation group was significantly shorter than that of the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of complications was 11.00% in the control group and 1.00% in the observation group. There was statistical significance between the two groups (P < 0.05). The nursing satisfaction of the control group was 80.00%, and that of the observation group was 96.00%. There was statistical significance between the two groups (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The application effect of grading and zoning nursing management in the first aid of patients with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction is better. It can effectively shorten the waiting time of patients, reduce nursing complications, improve nursing satisfaction, and effectively improve the effect of first aid, which is worth popularizing.

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. In this study, we aimed to describe the aetiology of viral infection of pediatric CAP in Chinese mainland. During November 2014 to June 2016, the prospective study was conducted in 13 hospitals. The hospitalized children under 18 years old who met the criteria for CAP were enrolled. The throat swabs or nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) were collected which were then screened 18 respiratory viruses using multiplex PCR assay. Viral pathogens were present in 56.6% (1539/2721) of the enrolled cases, with the detection rate of single virus in 39.8% of the cases and multiple viruses in 16.8% of the cases. The most frequently detected virus was respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) (15.2%, 414/2721). The highest detection rate of virus was in

Free-range chickens might mediate the spread of Cryptosporidium oocysts to humans and other animals. Few studies have evaluated the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in domestic free-range poultry in China. Here, we characterized the prevalence and distribution of species and genotypes of Cryptosporidium in domestic free-range chickens, ducks, and geese in Anhui Province, China. A total of 1910 fresh fecal samples from three poultry species were examined from 18 free-range poultry farms by nested PCR and analysis of the Cryptosporidium SSU rRNA gene. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium species was 2.9% (55/1910), with infection rates of 1.3% (11/829) in chickens, 7.3% (36/487) in ducks, and 1.4% (8/594) in geese. C. baileyi (0.6%), C. meleagridis (0.2%), C. galli (0.2%), and C. xiaoi-like genotype (0.2%) were identified in chickens, and only C. baileyi was identified in ducks and geese, with infection rates of 7.4% and 1.3%, respectively. C. baileyi was the most prevalent species. Sequencing of the GP60 gene revealed that the C. meleagridis isolates belonged to the IIIbA26G1R1b subtype. This is the first study to document C. galli and C. xiaoi-like genotype in domestic free-range chickens in China. These findings expand the range of avian hosts known for Cryptosporidium and highlight the need for additional studies to characterize the diversity of Cryptosporidium in avian species.

The etiology of primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) remains unknown, and there is no complete curative drug. In this study, we treated a mouse model of the submandibular gland (SG) protein-immunized experimental Sjogren's syndrome (ESS) with paeoniflorin-6'-O-benzene sulfonate (termed CP-25) to evaluate the potential therapeutic effects of CP-25. Through in vivo experiments, we found that CP-25 increased saliva flow, alleviated the salivary gland indexes, and improved tissue integrity in the ESS model. The viability of splenocytes and B-lymphocyte migration from spleen were reduced in ESS mice. Furthermore, CP-25 decreased the expression of IgG antibodies, anti-SSA and anti-SSB antibodies and modulated the levels of cytokines in the serum of SS mice. The numbers of total B lymphocytes, plasma cells (PCs), and memory B cells diminished in the salivary gland. Increased expression of the JAK1-STAT1-CXCL13 axis and IFNα was found in human tissue isolated from pSS patients. In vitro, after stimulation with IFNα, the levels of CXCL13 mRNA and CXCL13 in human salivary gland epithelial cells (HSGEC) increased, while CP-25 counteracted the secretion of CXCL13 and downregulated the expression of CXCL13. IFN-α activated the JAK1-STAT1/2-CXCL13 signaling pathway in HSGEC, which was negatively regulated by additional CP-25. As a consequence, B-cell migration was downregulated in coculture with IFN-α-stimulated HSGEC. Taken together, this study demonstrated that the therapeutic effects of CP-25 were associated with the inhibition of the JAK1-STAT1/2-CXCL13 signaling pathway in HSGEC, which impedes the migration of B cells into the salivary gland. We identified the underlying mechanisms of the therapeutic effect of CP-25 and provided an experimental foundation for CP-25 as a potential drug in the treatment of the human autoimmune disorder pSS.

Deoxynivalenol (DON) is a major mycotoxin present in staple foods (particularly in cereal products), which induces intestinal inflammation and disrupts intestinal integrity. Lactoferrin (LF) is a multifunctional protein that contributes to maintaining intestinal homeostasis and improving host health. However, the protective effects of LF on DON-induced intestinal dysfunction remain unclear.This study aimed to investigate the effects of LF on the DON-induced intestinal dysfunction in mice, and its underlying protective mechanism.Male BALB/c mice (5 wk old) with similar body weights were divided into 4 groups (n = 6/group) and treated as follows for 5 wk: Veh (peroral vehicle daily, commercial (C) diet); LF (peroral 10 mg LF/d, C diet); DON (Veh, C diet containing 12 mg DON/kg); and LF + DON (peroral 10 mg LF/d, DON diet). Intestinal morphology, tight junction proteins, cytokines, and microbial community were determined. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test.The DON group exhibited lower final body weight (-12%), jejunal villi height (-41%), jejunal occludin expression (-36%), and higher plasma interleukin (IL)-1β level (+85%) and jejunal Il1b mRNA expression (+98%) than the Veh group (P 0.05). In contrast, final body weight (+19%), jejunal villi height (+49%), jejunal occludin (+53%), and intelectin 1 protein expression (+159%) were greater in LF + DON compared with DON (P 0.05). Additionally, jejunal Il1b mRNA expression (-31%) and phosphorylation p38 and ERK1/2 (-40% and - 38%) were lower in LF + DON compared with DON (P 0.05). Furthermore, relative abundance of Clostridium XIVa (+181%) and colonic butyrate levels (+53%) were greater in LF + DON compared with DON (P 0.05).Our study highlights a promising antimycotoxin approach of LF to alleviate DON-induced intestinal dysfunction via modulating the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and gut microbial community in mice.

Although live birth rates were comparable between programmed and natural frozen-thawed embryo transfer cycles, recent data showed that pregnancies after programmed cycle were associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes, such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Such a difference might be attributed to selection bias because patients with ovulation disorders are more likely to receive programmed endometrial preparation protocol than natural cycle.This study aimed to analyze whether programmed endometrial preparation protocol is associated with an increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes compared with natural cycle during frozen embryo transfer in ovulatory women.This regional multicenter retrospective cohort study was conducted in 5 reproductive medical centers in Southeast China. Patients with regular cycles (21-35 days), who underwent either programmed or natural cycle blastocyst frozen embryo transfer and delivered singleton live birth babies after 28 weeks of gestation between 2016 and 2019 were analyzed. Each patient only contributed 1 cycle per cohort. The patients' frozen embryo transfer treatment cycles were linked to their obstetrical medication record, and a comprehensive medical record review was conducted to compare the maternal and neonatal outcomes between natural cycle and programmed cycle. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated, and adjustment was made for relevant confounders.Study samples included 499 natural cycle frozen embryo transfer cases and 900 programmed frozen embryo transfer cases. Pregnancies after programmed cycle were associated with increased odds of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio, 2.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.59-4.91) and preeclampsia (adjusted odds ratio, 2.71; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-6.23) compared with pregnancies after natural cycle. No significant difference was detected regarding other adverse perinatal outcomes between the 2 endometrial protocols. In subgroup analysis, both the subgroups of hormone replacement therapy and hormone replacement therapy with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue pretreatment had increased odds of developing hypertensive disorders of pregnancy than the natural cycle group. The risk of developing preeclampsia was higher in the hormone replacement therapy with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue pretreatment subgroup than in the other 2 groups (adjusted odds ratio, 4.99; 95% confidence interval, 1.94-12.82) (aOR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.17-5.18).Pregnancies after programmed frozen embryo transfer were associated with higher risks of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy in ovulatory women. The hormone replacement therapy with gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue pretreatment cycle led to the highest risk of preeclampsia among the 3 protocols.

Phytoplankton closely connects with the hydrodynamics and biogeochemical environment of the ocean. While research focusing on both the physiochemical factors and hydrodynamics regulating phytoplankton has already been conducted, the coupling mechanism between mesoscale eddies and the vertical distribution of phyto plankton in the South China Sea (SCS) is still not well understood. Here, phytoplankton was studied under one weak-cold and two warm eddies along the 18°N transect in the SCS. The results show that the vertical distribution of chlorophyll (chl-a) presented a similar pattern at all four sampling stations. The mixed layer is less than 50 m. It is the same as the meridional salinity gradients that may be distinguished above a depth of 60 m. The subsurface chlorophyll maximum at the edge of a warm (WI) and cold eddy (CI) at E413 and E411 was shallower than that at the edge of a warm eddy (WII) at E407 and E409, indicating that temperature and salinity may be the important driving factors. On the whole, mesoscale eddies had a significant influence on the vertical pattern of chl-a in the SCS during the study period.

Background LCAR-B38M is a chimeric antigen receptor T cell product with two binding domains targeting B cell maturation antigen. Our previous reports showed a remarkable efficacy of LCAR-B38M in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM) at a median follow-up of 2 years. Here, we report long-term safety and efficacy data from a median follow-up of 4 years. Methods LEGEND-2 was a phase 1, single-arm, open-label study conducted in four registered sites in China. Seventy-four participants with RRMM received LCAR-B38M treatment. Lymphodepletion was performed using cyclophosphamide or cyclophosphamide plus fludarabine. LCAR-B38M, at a median dose of 0.513 × 106 cells/kg, was intravenously administered either in three split infusions or in a single infusion. The primary objective was the safety of LCAR-B38M, and the secondary objective was efficacy. Results As of May 25, 2021, the median follow-up was 47.8 months. All patients experienced ≥ 1 adverse events (AEs). Grade ≥ 3 AEs were observed in 45/74 (60.8%) patients. Cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred in 68/74 (91.9%) cases; 7 (9.5%) had grade ≥ 3 CRS. One patient experienced grade 1 central nervous system toxicity. The overall response rate was 87.8%. Fifty-four out of 74 (73.0%) patients achieved complete response. The median progression-free survival was 18.0 months, and the median overall survival for all patients was not reached. The median duration of response was 23.3 months. Four patients experienced viral infection more than 6 months post-infusion, and four patients developed second primary non-hematological malignancies at a median time of 11.5 months post-CAR-T cell transfer. Conclusions The 4-year follow-up data of LCAR-B38M therapy demonstrated a favorable long-term safety profile and a durable response in patients with RRMM. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT03090659 (retrospectively registered on March 27, 2017); ChiCTR-ONH-17012285.

The Asia-Pacific Colorectal Screening (APCS) scoring system was developed to stratify the risk of colorectal advanced neoplasm (AN). We aimed to evaluate the performance of the APCS score combined with a stool DNA test used for colorectal cancer screening.A total of 2842 subjects who visited outpatient clinics or cancer screening centers were enrolled. Age, sex, smoking status, and family history were recorded and APCS scores were calculated in 2439 participants. A stool DNA test (SDC2 and SFRP2 tests) and fecal immunochemical test (FIT) were performed and colonoscopy was used as the gold standard among 2240 subjects who completed all study procedures. We used a threshold of 4.4 μg/g for the FIT, in addition to the manufacturer's recommended threshold of 20 μg/g to match the specificity of a stool DNA test.Based on the APCS score, 38.8% (946 of 2439) of the subjects were categorized as high risk, and they had a 1.8-fold increase in risk for AN (95% CI, 1.4-2.3) compared with low and moderate risk. The APCS combined with the stool DNA test detected 95.2% of invasive cancers (40 of 42) and 73.5% of ANs (253 of 344), while the colonoscopy workload was only 47.1% (1056 of 2240). The sensitivity for AN of APCS combined with stool DNA test was significantly higher than that of APCS combined with FIT (73.5% vs 62.8% with FIT cut-off value of 20 μg/g, and 73.5% vs 68.0% with FIT cut-off value of 4.4 μg/g; both P.01).The APCS score combined with a stool DNA test significantly improved the detection of advanced colorectal advanced neoplasms, while limiting colonoscopy resource utilization (Chictr.org.cn, ChiCTR-DDD-17011169).

We present a novel generating function (GF) method for the self-condensing vinyl polymerization (SCVP) system with any initial distribution of preexisted polymers. Such a method was proven to be especially useful to investigate the semi-batch SCVP system allowing a sequence of feeding operations during the polymerization. Consequently, the number-, weight-, and z-average molecular weights as well as polydispersity index of hyperbranched polymers can be explicitly given, which are determined by predetermined feeding details and conversions in each polymerization step. These analytical results are further confirmed by the corresponding Monte Carlo simulation. Therefore the present GF method has provided a unified treatment on the semi-batch SCVP system. Accordingly, hyperbranched polymers with desired properties can be prepared by designing feeding details and presetting conversions at each step based on the present GF method.