Forecasting of Daily Outpatient Visits Based on Genetic Programming.

Background: The forecasting of daily outpatient visits has significant practical implications in outpatient clinic operation management, not only contributing to guiding long-term resource planning and scheduling but also making tactical resolutions for short-term adjustments on special days such as holidays. We here in propose an effective genetic programming (GP)-based forecasting model to predict daily outpatient visits (OV) in a primary hospital.

Methods: In the GP-based model, the holiday-based distance outlier mining algorithm was used to determine the holiday effect.

A 24,482-bp deletion is associated with increased seed weight in Brassica napus L.

A major QTL for seed weight was fine-mapped in rapeseed, and a 24,482-bp deletion likely mediates the effect through multiple pathways. Exploration of the genes controlling seed weight is critical to the improvement of crop yield and elucidation of the mechanisms underlying seed formation in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.).

Observation of immediate and mid-term effects of partial spleen embolization in reducing hepatic venous pressure gradient.

Objective: To observe the immediate and mid-term effects of partial spleen embolization (PSE) in reducing hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) in patients with cirrhotic esophagogastric varices.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with cirrhosis and esophagogastric varices in our hospital between July 2016 and March 2018 were consecutively selected. Forty-three patients were selected based on the eligibility criteria to undergo PSE.

Prediction of Inadequate Bowel Preparation Using Total and Segmental Colon Transit Time in Patients with Chronic Constipation: Some Different Outcomes.

Aims: Radio-opaque markers have been widely used in the study of colon motility in patients with chronic functional constipation (FC). Here, we evaluate the relationship between the colon transit time (CTT) and the Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) to determine whether CTT is a sufficient predictor of bowel preparation in patients with chronic functional constipation.

Methods: A total of fifty-six patients with constipation and fifty-two healthy controls (HC) were enrolled in this study.

All-Carbon Based Flexible Humidity Sensor.

Flexible humidity sensors play important roles in wearable devices and consuming electronics which provide a convenient way between digital and physical worlds. This work presents an easy fabricated method for flexible humidity sensors all based on carbon material including electrodes and functional layers. The interdigital electrodes are made by direct laser writing on commercial Kapton tapes and the transferring to flexible Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates.

Dew Point Measurement Using a Carbon-Based Capacitive Sensor with Active Temperature Control.

Laser-induced graphene (LIG) has both good electrical conductivity and three-dimensional porous structures. Here, porous graphene interdigital electrodes (IDE) were constructed as a capacitive sensor from commercial polymer films by the laser ablation process and transferred to the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. The graphene oxide (GO) adsorption layer was electrosprayed as a humidity sensing structure, and a Peltier device was used to control the temperature to produce the condensation of water vapors.

Accuracy of Magnetically Controlled Capsule Endoscopy, Compared With Conventional Gastroscopy, in Detection of Gastric Diseases.

Background & Aims: Diseases of the stomach, including gastric cancer and peptic ulcer, are the most common digestive diseases. It is impossible to visualize the entire stomach with the passive capsule currently used in practice because of the large size of the gastric cavity. A magnetically controlled capsule endoscopy (MCE) system has been designed to explore the stomach.

Risk Factors Associated with Mortality and Increased Drug Costs in Nonvariceal Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding.

Background/aims: To determine risk factors associated with mortality and increased drug costs in patients with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding.

Methodology: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients hospitalized with nonvariceal upper gastrointestinal bleeding between January 2001-December 2011. Demographic and clinical characteristics and drug costs were documented.

Esophageal variceal pressure influence on the effect of ligation.

Aim: To explore the effect of in vitro porcine esophageal variceal pressure on complete ligation degree for polycyclic ligators.

Methods: An in vitro model of experimental porcine venous vessels was used to test various venous pressures. Three treatment groups were designated according to the preset pressure range: P1 = 25-30 cmH₂O; P₂ = 35-40 cmH₂O; P₃ = 45-50 cmH2O.

Is single-operator peroral cholangioscopy a useful tool for the diagnosis of indeterminate biliary lesion? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Differentiating between malignant and benign biliary lesions is critical in clinical practice but is difficult.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the diagnostic performance of single-operator peroral cholangioscopy on indeterminate biliary lesions.

Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Non-radiation endoscopic removal of common bile duct stone assisted with abdominal ultrasonography in a pregnant patient.

A common bile duct stone was detected in a pregnant patient who was in her second trimester. Avoiding the use of fluoroscopy, abdominal ultrasonography-assisted endoscopic removal of the stone was successful.

[The difference in diagnosis rate of different diagnostic criteria of autoimmune pancreatitis and its major influential factors].

Objective: To discuss the difference in diagnostic criteria of autoimmune pancreatitis(AIP) and its major influential factors, so as to provide guidance for AIP diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: The clinical data of 561 cases of chronic pancreatitis admitted to PLA General Hospital from June, 2008 to January, 2013 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. Data were extracted and analyzed to summarize the reasons of the differences in AIP diagnosis rate diagnosed by different diagnostic criteria.

Verification of the Tokyo guidelines for acute cholangitis secondary to benign and malignant biliary obstruction: experience from a Chinese tertiary hospital.

Background: The lack of widely-accepted guidelines for acute cholangitis largely lags behind the progress in medical and surgical technology and science for the management of acute cholangitis. This study aimed to verify the Tokyo guidelines for the management of acute cholangitis and cholecystitis of 2007 edition (TG07) in patients with obstructive cholangitis due to benign and malignant diseases.

Methods: The patients were retrieved from our existing ERCP database.

Comparison of two editions of Tokyo guidelines for the management of acute cholangitis.

Background: The Tokyo guidelines from 2007 (TG07) and 2013 (TG13) were compared for the management of acute cholangitis (AC).

Methods: We reviewed patients with clinically-proven AC by detecting purulent biles during biliary drainage. TG07 and TG13 were compared regarding diagnosis, severity grading and prognostic values.

Prior peritoneal lavage with hot 0.9 % saline induces HSP70 expression and protects against cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis in rats.

Recent studies have indicated that pre-induction of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) expression in the pancreas protects against secretagogue-induced pancreatitis. In those studies, the HSP70 was mostly induced by unfeasible conditions. The aim of this current study was to investigate the effect of peritoneal lavage with hot 0.

Subtypes of irritable bowel syndrome on Rome III criteria: a multicenter study.

Background And Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the distribution and clinical characteristics of four subtypes of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) based on Rome III criteria in Chinese.

Methods: A total of 754 consecutive IBS outpatients from three tertiary hospitals in China were included. Diagnostic criteria were based on Rome II or Rome III.

Treatment of gastric varices by endoscopic sclerotherapy using butyl cyanoacrylate: 10 years' experience of 635 cases.

Background: Gastric varices (GV) are life-threatening for patients with portal hypertension. Endoscopic injection with butyl cyanoacrylate (BC), the mainstay of the therapy for GV, has been reported to be effective for hemostasis of bleeding varices, but its efficacy in the obliteration of GV and impact on the survival of patients still needs clarification. Here we summarized our experience of 10 years' practice to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic therapy using BC for GV patients.

Interobserver and intra-observer consistency in the endoscopic assessment of colonic pit patterns.

Background: The colonic pit pattern is recognized as an aid to the differential diagnosis between hyperplastic lesions, adenoma, and carcinoma, and is a focus for observation by magnification chromoendoscopy, especially in Japan. This study evaluated intra- and interobserver agreement of experienced endoscopists in the assessment of colonic pit patterns when using the Kudo classification.

Methods: A total of 220 magnification chromoendoscopic pictures of colonic lesions were selected, of which 215 were collected from a consecutive series of patients.

Primary jejunoileal neoplasmas: a review of 60 cases.

Aim: Primary neoplasmas of the jejunum and ileum are infrequent and lack specific manifestations and inaccessibility of conventional endoscopy, so the diagnosis of these tumors are usually delayed. So far the data of primary jejunoileal neoplasmas is still scarce, especially in Chinese medical literature in English. There may be some differences among the Chinese and the westerners in jejunoileal neoplasmas.

Experience in sclerotherapy for esophagogastric variceal bleeding.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of endoscopic variceal sclerotherapy (EVS) for esophago gastric variceal bleeding.

Methods: A retrospective analysis was made on 1010 patients with esophagogastric variceal bleeding who underwent sclerotherapy, among whom there were 834 patients with cirrhosis, 160 with hepatocarcinoma, 12 with Budd-Chiari syndrome and 4 with congenital liver fibrosis. Totally, 3203 sessions of sclerotherapy were performed, including 602 sessions of emergency sclerotherapy and 2601 of selective surgery.