Minimizing the risk of community spread of COVID-19 institutional quarantine of high-risk travelers with serial viral RNA testing: A successful experience from Macao SAR, China.

Macao, a special administrative region (SAR) of the People's Republic of China, is located in southern China and shares the border with mainland China. It is the most densely populated region in the world, with a population of 667400 and a total land area of 32.9 square kilometers in 2019.

Long-Term Survival of Patients With Chemotherapy-Naïve Metastatic Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Receiving Cetuximab Plus Docetaxel and Cisplatin Regimen.

Metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (mNPC) remains incurable. This prospective study aimed to investigate whether adding cetuximab to cisplatin-based induction therapy could improve efficacy and survival for chemotherapy-naïve mNPC patients. Eligible chemotherapy-naïve mNPC patients were enrolled, including those initially diagnosed with mNPC (IM) and those with first-relapse metastases after radiotherapy (RM).

The influence of friendship on migraine in young adolescents: A social network analysis.

Objective: The current study explored whether the chances of having migraine are influenced by a youth's friendship with a migraineur.

Methods: The study was centered on a community-based non-referral cohort of eighth graders from two middle schools in Taiwan. Among the 642 recruited adolescent students, 610 (95%) (mean age 14.

The common personal behavior and preventive measures among 42 uninfected travelers from the Hubei province, China during COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional survey in Macao SAR, China.

Background: The novel coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) caused over 1.7 million confirmed cases and cumulative mortality up to over 110,000 deaths worldwide as of 14 April 2020. A total of 57 Macao citizens were obligated to stay in Hubei province, China, where the highest COVID-19 prevalence was noted in the country and a "lockdown" policy was implemented for outbreak control for more than one month.

Effect of Conditioned Medium from Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells on Rejuvenation of Nucleus Pulposus Derived Stem/Progenitor Cells from Degenerated Intervertebral Disc.

Background And Objectives: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs)-based treatment for degeneration of intervertebral disc (IVD) has been proposed recently. We here addressed whether MSC secreted factors can rejuvenate nucleus pulposus- derived stem/progenitor cells from degenerated disc (D-NPSCs) in vitro.

Methods And Results: We analyzed the expression of MSCs and NP cell specific surface markers, pluripotency related genes, multilineage potential and cell proliferative capacity of D-NPSCs upon incubation with the conditioned medium which was collected from the umbilical cord derived MSCs (UCMSCs).

A New Immunological Prognostic Model Based on Immunohistochemistry for Extranodal Natural Killer/T-Cell Lymphoma Patients After Non-Anthracycline-Based Chemotherapy.

Purpose: Programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) has been proposed as an important prognostic factor in many types of cancer. However, the role of predicting the prognosis of PD-L1 in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) was controversial. Combining other biomarkers might enhance its predictive power.

Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding in clinical specimens and clinical characteristics of 10 patients with COVID-19 in Macau.

As a city famous for tourism, the public healthcare system of Macau SAR has been under great pressure during the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this study, we report clinical and microbiological features of ten COVID-19 patients enrolled in the Centro Hospitalar Conde de São Januário (CHCSJ) between January 21 to February 16, 2020. Clinical samples from all patients including nasopharyngeal swab (NPS)/sputum, urine, and feces were collected for serial virus RNA testing by standard qRT-PCR assay.

Identification of the differentially expressed proteins in nasopharyngeal carcinoma by proteomics.

Background: We sought to determine the differences with respect to the proteome of nasopharyngeal tissues between patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and healthy controls by using sequential windowed acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion mass spectra (SWATH-MS) and ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA). Our primary purpose was to identify specific protein markers that can be applied for diagnosis or treatment of NPC.

Methods: The CNE-1, CNE-2 and H1299 cell lines were cultured in stable isotope labeling of amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) medium for 10 generations to obtain labeled proteins.

Low-dose corticosteroid and mycophenolate for primary treatment of minimal change disease.

Background: Mycophenolate has been shown to be effective in glomerular disease. However, the role of mycophenolate in the first-line treatment of adult-onset idiopathic minimal change disease (MCD) has not been systematically studied in a randomized fashion.

Aim: To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of enteric-coated mycophenolate sodium combined with low-dose corticosteroid as first-line treatment for MCNS.

Thorough survey and analysis of pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma in Macau and multimodality treatment for advanced disease.

Objective: Pulmonary lymphoepithelioma-like carcinoma (LELC) is a rare type of non-small cell lung cancer. The clinical course and prognosis of advanced LELC are largely unknown. Few reports have discussed multimodality treatment for LELC.

Nationwide survey of cervical cytology laboratory practices in China.

Introduction: Cervical cancer rates in China remain high, with only limited opportunistic screening in urban centers and large mostly unscreened rural areas. Cervical cytology practices in China have been changing over the last decade with introduction of The Bethesda System reporting terminology, liquid-based cytology (LBC), and programs for cervical cytology screening of underserved rural populations. An effort was undertaken for the first time to collect nationwide data on cervical cytology laboratory practices in China, a possible first step toward increased standardization and potential development of nationwide cytology quality benchmarks.

Periampullary Metastases from Breast Cancer: A Case Report and Literature Review.

We presented a metastatic breast cancer case who was afflicted with obstructive jaundice caused by an ampullary neoplasm. Since jaundice due to periampullary metastasis from breast cancer was a rare entity, a literature review of similar cases through the PubMed database was done. A total of 23 additional cases were found.

Enhancing tetrandrine cytotoxicity in human lung carcinoma A549 cells by suppressing mitochondrial ATP production.

ATP depletion induced by inhibiting glycolysis or mitochondrial ATP production has been demonstrated to cause cancer cell death. Whether ATP depletion can enhance the efficacy and potency of anti-cancer effects of herbal compounds is so far unknown. We examined the enhancing effect of ATP depletion on anti-cancer actions of tetrandrine (TET) in human lung carcinoma A549 cells.

Regenerative potential of human nucleus pulposus resident stem/progenitor cells declines with ageing and intervertebral disc degeneration.

Numerous studies have demonstrated the presence of resident nucleus pulposus stem/progenitor cells (NPSCs) in the tissue of the intervertebral disc (IVD). However, the cellular identity of NPSCs during IVD degeneration and ageing are poorly defined at present, despite significant progress in the understanding of NPSC biology. In the present study, NPSCs were isolated from human degenerated IVD and were characterized by flow cytometry, gene expression assays and proliferation and multipotency analysis.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma: a prognostic model from a retrospective study.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) is a distinct subtype of peripheral T-cell lymphoma with unique clinical and pathological features. This study aim to design a prognostic model specifically for AITL, providing risk stratification in affected patients. A total of 115 newly diagnosed AITL patients were retrospectively analyzed.

Recombinant human thrombopoietin (rh-TPO) for the prevention of severe thrombocytopenia induced by high-dose cytarabine: a prospective, randomized, self-controlled study.

The aim of this randomized phase II study was to investigate the optimal timing of the administration of thrombopoietin to prevent cytarabine-induced thrombocytopenia. Fifty-two patients who were scheduled for high-dose cytarabine treatment were randomly assigned to receive either the standard prophylactic mode (starting thrombopoietin, 15,000 units/day on days 2-11) or the pre-chemo mode (starting thrombopoietin, 15,000 units/day on days -4, -2, and 2-9) during the first cycle of chemotherapy with a switch to the other mode in the second cycle. The thrombocytopenia rate in the standard mode and the pre-chemo mode were PLT < 50 × 10/L, 67.

The impact of environmental pollution on public health expenditure: dynamic panel analysis based on Chinese provincial data.

In recent years, along with rapid economic growth, China's environmental problems have become increasingly prominent. At the same time, the level of China's pollution has been growing rapidly, which has caused huge damages to the residents' health. In this regard, the public health expenditure ballooned as the environmental quality deteriorated in China.

On using wearable tri-axial accelerometers to examine the striking phase kinematics of expert specialist drag flickers on-field.

Analysing player kinematics during a match using "gold-standard" 3D video-based motion analysis techniques is a difficult prospect indeed. The development of small, wireless, wearable sensors offers the potential to reduce the challenges of measuring kinematics during match-play without hindering performance. The present study examined the viability of using wireless tri-axial accelerometers to examine whether key performance measures of drag flicks executed by expert specialist drag-flickers are predicted by the kinematics of the striking phase.

Genetic and clonal dissection of osteosarcoma progression and lung metastasis.

Osteosarcoma is a primary malignant bone tumor that has a high potential to metastasize to lungs. Little is known about the mechanisms underlying the dissemination of OS cancer cells to lungs. We performed whole exome sequencing of 13 OS primary tumors, with matched lung metastases and normal tissues.

Rationale and design of the screening of pulmonary hypertension in systemic lupus erythematosus (SOPHIE) study.

Current guideline-recommended screening for pulmonary hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis has not been evaluated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which is disproportionately prevalent in Asians. This multicentre, cross-sectional screening study aims to study the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension among SLE patients using these guidelines, and identify independent predictors and develop a prediction model for pulmonary hypertension in SLE patients. SLE patients from participating centres will undergo an echocardiography- and biomarker-based pulmonary hypertension screening procedure as in the DETECT study.

Long-Term Prognostic Implications of Cerebral Microbleeds in Chinese Patients With Ischemic Stroke.

Background: This study was performed to determine the clinical correlates and long-term prognostic implications of microbleed burden and location in Chinese patients with ischemic stroke.

Methods And Results: We recruited 1003 predominantly Chinese patients with ischemic stroke who received magnetic resonance imaging at the University of Hong Kong. We determined the clinical correlates of microbleeds and the long-term risks (3126 patient-years of follow-up) of recurrent ischemic stroke and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) by microbleed burden (0 versus 1, 2-4, and ≥5) and location, adjusting for age, sex, and vascular risk factors and stratified by antithrombotic use.