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Purpose To assess the clinical application of non-contrast-enhanced MR angiography (NCE-MRA) using flow sensitive dephasing (FSD) prepared steady-state free precession (SSFP) for displaying hand arteries of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Materials and Methods Twenty-two patients with rheumatoid arthritis were recruited in this study. All the patients undertook hand NCE-MRA and three-dimensional dynamic CE-MRA on a 1.5T MR scanner. The informed consent was obtained from each subject. Image quality was assessed independently by two experienced radiologists at three arterial segments (wrist arteries, palm arteries, andfinger arteries) with a four-point scale. Signal to noise ratio (SNR), contrast to noise ratio (CNR), and vessel sharpness were evaluated by a magnetic resonance physicist. The results and image quality were statistically compared between the two MRA techniques.Results Twenty-two patients of 24 hands successfully underwent NCE-MRA and CE-MRA scan. Among 72 vascular segments, 69 segments of NCE-MRA were diagnostic, which was higher than that of CE-MRA (96% vs 83%,P<0.05). Otherwise, the image quality, SNR, CNR and vessel sharpness of NCE-MRA were all superior to those of CE-MRA (P<0.05).Conclusion NCE-MRA using FSD-prepared SSFP allows clear depiction of the hand arterial tree, and the image quality is superior to that of dynamic CE-MRA. It is a potential tool for evaluating the disease of hand arteries.
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Objective:To identify the risk factors of anxiety disorders among patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) and to determine whether the decision of revascularization affect anxiety level following coronary angiography. Methods:A total of 379 patients undergoing CAG in Fuwai Hospital from Dec. 2012 to Dec. 2013 were invited to participate this study. A data-collecting form, which included questions about demographic features, health history, Type A Behavior Questionnaire (TABQ) and Self Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), was completed by the participants on the day before and the day after CAG. Result:Among these patients, SAS score of both before and the day after CAG were higher than Chinese normative SAS score. Female patients had a higher SAS score level than male patients (40.57±9.53 vs 38.26±9.61, P Conclusion:The anxiety level decreased after CAG, except those who need coronary revascularization surgery.
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Objective:To study the characteristics of stress faced by and coping style of patients with tempormandibular disorder (TMD). Methods: Thirty patients with TMD and thirty normal controls participated in the study. All subjects were asked to answer the psychological rating questionnaires, including life events scale (LES) and trait coping style questionnaire (TCSQ). The muscle electricity were also measured when the subjects were exposed to an acute stress situation. Results: There were significant difference in LES, TCSQ and response to acute stress. Patients with TMD encountered more life events than normal controls. They also used more negative coping styles and less positive ones. The responses evoked by acute stress situation were more intense and lasted longer than normal controls. Conclusion: Stressful life events, coping style and responses evoked by acute stress may play a significant role in etiology of TMD.
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AIM: To study the chloride channel activity [ICl_(Ca)] in vascular smooth cells of the spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). METHODS: The vascular beds of mesenteric arteries were isolated from the pentobarbital anesthetized rats and perfused with 37 ℃ PSS at a constant flow rate. The vasoconstriction response to norepinphrine (NE) was determined by changes in perfused pressure. The strips of the rat arteries were mounted in an organ chamber filled with 37 ℃ PSS and the vascular tension was measured. RESULTS: (1) The contractile responses of mesenteric arteries to NE in SHR were greater than that in Wistar rats. (2) The inhibitory magnitude of the contractile response by niflumic acid in SHR was significantly less than that in Wistar rats and showed dose-dependent manner. (3) Decreasing the extracellular Cl~- concentration increased the contractile response to NE significantly and the amplitude of enhanced contractile response in SHR was greater than that in Wistar rats. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that NE-induced contraction is enhanced in SHR, which is partly due to an increase in Cl~- efflux through the Ca~(2+)-activated Cl~- channels. The chloride channel activity may increase in association with the elevation of vascular tone and blood pressure.