Medicine
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Ubiquitination related genes (URGs) are important biomarkers and therapeutic targets in cancer. However, URG prognostic prediction models have not been established in breast cancer (BC) before. Our study aimed to identify URGs to serve as potential prognostic indicators in patients with BC. ⋯ Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the 4-URG signature was independent risk factor for BC patients. GSEA analysis showed that the 4-URG signature may related to the function of DNA replication, DNA repair, and cell cycle. Our study developed a novel 4-URG signature as a potential indicator for BC.
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Case Reports
Erdheim-Chester disease presenting as meningitis with hypoglycorrhachia: A case report.
Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) commonly has neurologic manifestations but rarely presents with meningitis and hypoglycorrhachia. Here, were present a case of ECD with a clinical and laboratory presentation initially thought to be bacterial meningitis with sepsis. ⋯ Although only reported in one other case to our knowledge, ECD can present with meningitis with hypoglycorrhachia.
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Observational Study
Using the Kano model to associate the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in a population of 100,000 with case fatality rates: An observational study.
An important factor in understanding the spread of COVID-19 is the case fatality rate (CFR) for each county. However, many of research reported CFRs on total confirmed cases (TCCs) rather than per 100,000 people. The disparate definitions of CFR in COVID-19 result in inconsistent results. It remains uncertain whether the incident rate and CFR can be compared to identify countries affected by COVID-19 that are under (or out of) control. This study aims to develop a diagram for dispersing TCC and CFR on a population of 100,000 (namely, TCC100 and CFR100) using the Kano model, to examine selected countries/regions that have successfully implemented preventative measures to keep COVID-19 under control, and to design an app displaying TCC100 and CFR100 for all infected countries/regions. ⋯ A Kano diagram was drawn to compare TCC100 against CFT (or CFR100) to gain a better understanding of COVID-19. There is a strong association between a higher TCC100 value and a higher CFR100 value. A dashboard was developed to display both CFR100/CFR against TCC100 for countries/regions.
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Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is widely known to be associated with high mortality and poor prognosis, especially in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). The objective of this study was to investigate clinical predictors for assisting relatively early decision of treatment level in the ICU. We retrospectively investigated patients with ILD who were admitted to the ICU between January 1, 2014, and September 30, 2019. ⋯ The lactic acid levels obtained on day 1 and PF ratio measured on day 3 were associated with mortality (odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval 1.03-3.47 and odds ratio, 0.99; 95% confidence interval 0.98-1.00, respectively). Among the 31 ICU survivors, 10 patients died in the general ward, 12 patients died after hospital discharge; only 9 patients survived after 1 year. We suggest that these clinical predictors could be used to determine the level of further treatment or withdrawal on day 3 of admission in patients with ILD admitted to the ICU to minimize the prolonged suffering in a relatively early period.
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Intraspinal choristoma is a relatively uncommon intervertebral canal tumor. Prior to our reports, only 2 cases of intraspinal choristoma had been reported. Because this disease is not common and looks like a mass of fatty tissue on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), intraspinal choristoma can be easily misdiagnosed as teratomas or lipomas (like the case of this article presenting) without a pathology report. So if a lumber intraspinal lesion is discovered in a clinical examination, intraspinal choristoma should be considered as a differential diagnosis. We present a case of intraspinal choristoma that is unlike any other reported case. ⋯ The MRI presentation of intraspinal choristoma is similar to intraspinal lipoma. Therefore, a pathological assessment is critical to provide an accurate diagnosis.