Single-cell transcriptome sequencing (scRNA-seq) can resolve the expression characteristics of cells in tissues with single-cell precision, enabling researchers to quantify cellular heterogeneity within populations with higher resolution, revealing potentially heterogeneous cell populations and the dynamics of complex tissues. However, the presence of a large number of technical zeros in scRNA-seq data will have an impact on downstream analysis of cell clustering, differential genes, cell annotation, and pseudotime, hindering the discovery of meaningful biological signals. The main idea to solve this problem is to make use of the potential correlation between cells and genes, and to impute the technical zeros through the observed data. Based on this, this paper reviewed the basic methods of imputing technical zeros in the scRNA-seq data and discussed the advantages and disadvantages of the existing methods. Finally, recommendations and perspectives on the use and development of the method were provided.
ObjectiveTo explore the causes and surgical strategies of completion thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer. Method The clinical data of 35 patients with thyroid cancer who underwent completion thyroidectomy in Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital from January 2020 to July 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. Results There were 23 females and 12 males, aged from 17 to 68 years (median 42 years). The nature of thyroid nodules in 22 patients was not determined at preoperative fine needle aspiration cytology or intraoperative frozen pathological examination, but the paraffin section examination after operation indicated thyroid cancer. Pathological examination after the first operation showed that 11 patients had a large number of lymph node metastasis in the central area (more than 5), and 2 patients were confirmed as medullary thyroid carcinoma. All the 35 patients underwent completion thyroidectomy at 5–93 days after the initial operation, among which 3 patients underwent resection of the affected side residual glandular lobe and isthmus ± ipsilateral CLN dissection, 18 patients underwent contralateral lobectomy and CLN cleaning, and 14 patients underwent contralateral lobectomy and lymph node dissection of the affected side cervical region (Ⅲ–Ⅳ region). The operative time was 45–135 min (median 105 min). Intraoperative blood loss was 10–50 mL (median 20 mL). One patient suffered from temporary recurrent laryngeal nerve injury after operation, and voice had returned to normal at 5 months after operation. Six patients showed temporary hypoparathyroidism, and serum parathyroid hormone returned to normal level in 1–3 months after symptomatic treatment. Nineteen patients were treated with iodine-131 after operation, and were followed-up for 1–16 months (median 12 months). No signs of tumor recurrence or metastasis were found. Conclusions Accurate preoperative and intraoperative evaluation of thyroid nodules and standardized surgery can reduce the incidence of completion thyroidectomy. For patients who really need completion thyroidectomy, adequate doctor-patient communication during the perioperative period, early response measures and appropriate completion thyroidectomy can reduce the probability of postoperative tumor recurrence and improve the survival of patients.
Objective To compare the clinical outcomes following arthroscopic repair for articular-sided partial rotator cuff tear using transtendon repair versus repair after completion of the tear by meta-analysis. Methods Randomized controlled trials on arthroscopic repair for articular-sided partial rotator cuff tear using transtendon repair versus repair after completion of the tear were identified from Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and Chongqing VIP database, with a timespan from the inception of database to November 2024. Pain score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant-Murley score, postoperative adhesive capsulitis and postoperative retear were obtained as the outcomes to compare the clinical effect of the two methods. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.3 software, with mean difference (MD) and relative risk (RR) as the effect scales. Results A total of 6 randomized controlled trial studies were included in the meta-analysis. The studies enrolled 370 patients, including 188 cases in the transtendon repair group and 182 cases in the repair after completion of the tear group. Pooled analyses demonstrated that the pain score [MD=0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.09, 0.42), P=0.003] and ASES score [MD=2.02, 95%CI (0.95, 3.10), P=0.0002] were higher in the transtendon repair group than those in the repair after completion of the tear group, the Constant-Murley score was lower in the transtendon repair group than that in the repair after completion of the tear group [MD=−3.32, 95%CI (−6.17, −0.46), P=0.02], and there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative adhesive capsulitis [RR=1.12, 95%CI (0.36, 3.42), P=0.85] or the incidence of retear [RR=0.32, 95%CI (0.10, 1.03), P=0.06] between two groups. Conclusions Transtendon technique is less effective in reducing pain for articular-sided partial rotator cuff tear. There is no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative adhesive capsulitis or retear between the two gorups.
As a relatively novel technique for drug delivery, the needle-free injection technique is characterized by transporting the drug liquid to the designated subcutaneous position through a high-speed micro-jet. Although this technique has been applied in many fields, the research on its drug dispersion mechanism and injection performance is insufficient. The presented study aims to identify critical parameters during the injection process and describe their influence on the injection effect. The injection completion rate and performance of a needle-free injector under various operating conditions were compared based on mouse experiments. The results show that the nozzle diameter imposes a more significant influence on jet characteristics than other injection parameters. Moreover, the injection completion rate increases with the nozzle diameter. The nozzle diameters of 0.14 mm and 0.25 mm correspond to injection completion rates of 89.7% and 95.8%, respectively. Furthermore, by analyzing the rate of blood glucose change in the tested mice, it is found that insulin administration through the needle-free injection can achieve a drug effect duration longer than 120 min, which is better than that obtained using conventional needle-syringe technique. In summary, the obtained conclusions can provide an important reference for the optimal design and extending application of the air-powered needle-free injector.