Application of meridian and acupoint diagnosis of three yin meridians of foot in the treatment for gynecological diseases with acupuncture and moxibustion / 中国针灸

With three representative types of gynecological diseases (dysmenorrhea, pelvic inflammation, polycystic ovary syndrome) as examples, the application methods of meridian and acupoint diagnosis for gynecological diseases treated with acupuncture and moxibustion are discussed. During clinical diagnosis and treatment, it is recommended to examine the patient's leg segment along the three yin meridians of foot, aiming to explore the positive reactions of the meridians and acupoints (color, shape, skin temperature, sensory abnormalities, etc.). Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment at this positive reaction place can improve the clinical efficacy. Meridian and acupoint diagnosis could provide basis for meridian syndrome differentiation, thus guiding the selection of acupoint prescriptions; it is also helpful to clarify the deficiency, excess, cold and heat of the disease nature, thus guiding the selection of acupuncture and moxibustion methods. In addition, it is an auxiliary method to estimate the prognosis and outcome of the disease.

From the body-mind holism to psychosomatic medicine: theory and practice of acupuncture and moxibustion / 中国针灸

The traditional life concept of "body-mind holism" in Chinese medicine has drawn a special attention with the development of modern psychosomatic medicine. The "body-mind holism" is valuable in the guidance for clinical acupuncture practice, but, it is only remained on the theoretical significance by the medical masters in the past dynasties. In the paper, based on the understanding of Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Internal Classic), the similarities and differences are compared between the body-mind theory and psychosomatic medicine. In association with clinical observation, from three aspects, i.e. body-mind pathogenesis, acupoint detection and observing the mind, and body-mind treatment, the guidance of "body-mind holism" is explored for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of acupuncture and moxibustion; the referents of "body" and "mind" are clarified in views of disease, diagnosis and treatment; and the treatment strategies of acupuncture and moxibustion are discussed in the perspective of "body-mind holism".

Epidemiological Survey of Hemoglobinopathies Based on Next-Generation Sequencing Platform in Hunan Province, China / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

OBJECTIVE@#This study was aimed at investigating the carrier rate of, and molecular variation in, α- and β-globin gene mutations in Hunan Province.@*METHODS@#We recruited 25,946 individuals attending premarital screening from 42 districts and counties in all 14 cities of Hunan Province. Hematological screening was performed, and molecular parameters were assessed.@*RESULTS@#The overall carrier rate of thalassemia was 7.1%, including 4.83% for α-thalassemia, 2.15% for β-thalassemia, and 0.12% for both α- and β-thalassemia. The highest carrier rate of thalassemia was in Yongzhou (14.57%). The most abundant genotype of α-thalassemia and β-thalassemia was -α 3.7/αα (50.23%) and β IVS-II-654/β N (28.23%), respectively. Four α-globin mutations [CD108 (ACC>AAC), CAP +29 (G>C), Hb Agrinio and Hb Cervantes] and six β-globin mutations [CAP +8 (C>T), IVS-II-848 (C>T), -56 (G>C), beta nt-77 (G>C), codon 20/21 (-TGGA) and Hb Knossos] had not previously been identified in China. Furthermore, this study provides the first report of the carrier rates of abnormal hemoglobin variants and α-globin triplication in Hunan Province, which were 0.49% and 1.99%, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#Our study demonstrates the high complexity and diversity of thalassemia gene mutations in the Hunan population. The results should facilitate genetic counselling and the prevention of severe thalassemia in this region.

Anaplastic lymphoma kinase-translocation renal cell carcinoma: clinical and pathological analysis / 中华病理学杂志

Objective: To investigate the clinicopathological features, molecular characteristics, differential diagnosis and prognosis of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-translocation renal cell carcinoma. Methods: Two cases of ALK-translocation renal cell carcinoma diagnosed from January 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed to characterize their morphological features, immunohistochemical expression and prognosis. Multiple molecular studies including fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and next-generation sequencing were performed to characterize the genetic alterations. Results: Two patients included one male and one female, with 59 and 57 years old, respectively. Morphologically, case 1 resembled collecting duct carcinoma or renal medullary carcinoma, which demonstrated tubular, microcapsule and reticular structures, with a remarkable myxoid background and lymphocytes infiltration; case 2 resembled Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma or type 2 papillary renal cell carcinoma, which demonstrated tubular papillary and focal solid structures, with flocculent cytoplasm and many foamy histiocytes, but without myxoid background and lymphocytes infiltration. Immunohistochemistry showed strongly positive expression of ALK. CK7, E-cadherin, vimentin, PAX8 and CD10 showed various degrees of expression, and other antibodies were nonreactive. A variety of molecular assays showed definite ALK gene translocation, with rare VCL-ALK gene fusion (VCL exon and 16-ALK exon 20) in case 1, and EML4-ALK gene fusion (EML4 exon and 2-ALK exon 20) in case 2. Conclusions: ALK-translocation renal cell carcinoma is rare with various morphological features, and is easy to miss and misdiagnose. The characteristic ALK expression and molecular detection of ALK translocation are helpful for diagnosing this type of renal cell carcinoma.

Introduction of a tool to assess Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies-of Environmental Exposure (ROBINS-E) / 中华流行病学杂志

This paper summaries the Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies-of Environmental Exposure (ROBINS-E), a tool for evaluating risk of bias about non-randomized studies of exposures (NRSE), and introduces the application of ROBINS-E in a published NRSE. According to the characteristics of NRSE, evaluation fields and signaling questions were designed in ROBINS-E to provide essential information about risk of bias for NRSE included in systematic reviews and GRADE. ROBINS-E is the tool in assessment of risk of bias in observational studies and quasi-randomized studies. Although the tool has been used in practice to some extent, but it still needs further improvement. Attention should be paid to its update and progress.

HPLC assay of epinephrine sulfonate in epinephrine injection / 药学学报

An HPLC method was established for the assay of epinephrine sulfonate (impurity F) in epinephrine injection. The determination was performed on an AQUASIL C18 (100 mm × 4.6 mm, 3 μm) column with a gradient elution system, and the mobile phase was consisted of monopotassium phosphate solution (mobile phase A) and acetonitrile (mobile phase B). The injection volume was 40 μL. The detection wavelength was at 210 nm and the column temperature was 25 ℃. The total analytical time was 40 min. The results showed that the standard cure of epinephrine sulfonate (impurity F) between peak area and concentration exhibited good linear relationship within the ranges of 0.520-12.480 μg·mL-1 and the R2 = 0.999 8. The average recovery rate was 103.04% and the RSD was 2.00%. The limit concentration of detection was 0.104 μg·mL-1 and the limit concentration of quantitation was 0.520 μg·mL-1. The method could be applied to the determination of epinephrine sulfonate in epinephrine injection with high accuracy and precision, as well as good sensitivity. It could also enhance the quality standards of epinephrine-related products.

Integrating network pharmacology and pharmacological evaluation for deciphering the mechanism of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate alleviating ethanol-inducedendothelial cells injury / 中国药理学与毒理学杂志

Objective To investigate the potential therapeutic targets and pharmacological mechanism of (-)-epigal?locatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) based on network pharmacology and experimental verification. METHODS The druggability of EGCG was measured by the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology (TCMSP) server, and potential tar?gets of EGCG were identified by Pharm Mapper and Drug Repositioning and Adverse drug Reaction via Chemical-Pro?tein Interactome (DRAR-CPI). The potential targets were imported into GeneMANIA database to obtain the protein-pro?tein direct interaction network, and target physical interaction, co-expression, prediction, genetic interaction, and shared protein domains. The biological process, molecular functions, cellular components and KEGG signaling pathways of potential targets were analyzed using DAVID database. For further study, ethanol was used to establish a model of endothelial injury in vitro. The cell viability was assayed by MTT method, the cellular apoptosis was stained by Annexin V/PI, and the expression levels of Bcl-2, Bax and cleved-caspase-3 were tested by Western blotting. Then, JC-1 and nuclear translocation of NF-κB experiments were used to study the mitochondrial membrane potential and nuclear trans?location. RESULTS The oral availability of EGCG was 55.09％ (≥ 30％) and drug-like index was 0.77 (≥ 0.18), which were considered pharmacokinetically active. 17 potential targetable proteins of EGCG were predicted by Pharm Mapper and DRAR-CPI. Further research showed that 68.13％ displayed similar co-expression characteristics, 26.11％ physical interactions, and 2.74％ shared the same protein domain. The depth network analysis results showed that the biofunc?tions of EGCG were mainly by regulating glutathione derivative biosynthetic process, glutathione metabolic process, nitrogen compound metabolic process etc.. via drug binding, catalytic activity, glutathione transferase activity, anion bind?ing etc.. in sarcoplasmic reticulum, spindle pole, microtubule cytoskeleton and cytoplasm. KEGG enrichment analysis showed that Glutathione metabolism, IL-17 signaling pathway, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor resistance, PI3K-Akt sig?naling pathway and other pathways were involves in the biofunction of EGCG. The above analyses indicated that EGCG exerts its biofunction through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The experimental results showed that etha?nol 20.0 mmol·L-1 decreased cell viability, Bcl-2 expression, and increased cell apoptosis, the intracellular ROS, as well as the expression of Bax and cleaved-caspase-3 of human endothelial cells. However, treatment of the cells with EGCG can significantly alleviate ethanol induced endothelial cells injury. Further study showed that EGCG significantly allevi?ates ethanol induced mitochondrial depolarization and nuclear translocation of NF-κB. CONCLUSIONS EGCG exerts pharmacological efficacies on ethanol induced endothelial cell injury through multi-target, multi-function and multi-path?way mode. Protective effect of EGCG on ethanol induced cell injury was mainly through alteration of mitochondrial func?tion and NF-κB translocation. Therefore, EGCG have great potential in protecting against endothelial dysfunction of the persons who are chronically abuse of ethanol. This study also provides a new understanding of EGCG in clinical applica?tion on cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Immune characteristics of Plasmodium reinfections in mice following chloroquine cure of primary Plasmodium infections / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate the disease progression and immunoprotective characteristics in mice re-infected with homogeneous/heterogeneous Plasmodium strains following cure of Plasmodium infections with chloroquine at the peak of parasitemia. MethodsC57BL/6 mice were infected with the non-lethal P. yoelii 17XNL strain, and half of mice were given treatment with chloroquine at the peak of parasitemia (9 days post-infection), while the other mice were self-cured naturally. Then, all cured mice were re-infected with the equivalent lethal P. yoelii 17XL or P. berghei ANKA strain 90 days following primary Plasmodium infections. The parasitemia levels during primary infections and reinfections were measured by microscopic examinations of Giemsa-stained thin blood films, and the levels of the IgG antibody in sera and the percentages of memory T cell subsets in spleen cells were detected in mice using ELISA and flow cytometry before and after parasite reinfections, respectively. Results Following primary infections with the P. yoelii 17XNL strain, the serum IgG antibody levels were (5.047 ± 0.924) pg/mL in the selfcured mice and (4.429 ± 0.624) pg/mL in the chloroquine-treated mice, respectively (t = 0.437, P > 0.05), which were both significantly higher than that in the uninfected mice (1.624 pg/mL ± 0.280 pg/mL) (F = 22.522, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the serum IgG antibody level among self-cured and chloroquine-treated mice re-infected with the P. yoelii 17XL strain or the P. berghei ANKA strain (F = 0.542, P > 0.05); however, the serum IgG antibody levels were all significantly higher in selfcured and chloroquine-treated mice re-infected with the P. yoelii 17XLstrain[(15.487±1.173)pg/mLand(15.965±1.150)pg/mL] or the P. berghei ANKA strain [(14.644 ± 1.523) pg/mL and (15.185 ± 1.333) pg/mL] relative to primary infections (F = 67.383, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the proportion of CD4+ [(34.208 ± 2.106), (32.820 ± 1.930), (34.023 ± 2.289), (35.608 ± 1.779) pg/mL] or CD8+ T memory cells [(17.935 ± 2.092), (18.918 ± 2.823), (17.103 ± 1.627), (17.873 ± 1.425) pg/mL] in self-cured and chloroquine-treated mice with primary infections with the P. yoelii 17XNL strain followed by re-infections with the P. yoelii 17XL strain or the P. berghei ANKA strain (F = 0.944 and 0.390, both P > 0.05); however, the proportions of the CD4+ or CD8+ T memory cells were significantly greater in self-cured and chloroquine-treated mice with primary infections with the P. yoelii 17XNL strain followed by re-infections with the P. yoelii 17XL strain or the P. berghei ANKA strain than in mice with primary infections (F = 50.532 and 21.751, both P < 0.01). Conclusions The cure of murine Plasmodium infections with chloroquine does not affect the production of effective immune protections in mice during parasite re-infections. Following a primary infection, mice show a protection against re-infections with either homogeneous or heterogeneous Plasmodium strains, and a higher-level resistance to re-infections with homogeneous parasite strains is found than with heterogeneous strains.

The axillary vein puncture can reduce the incidence of central venous catheter-related bloodstream infection / 中华急诊医学杂志

Objective@#To compare the effects of various interventions on the incidence of central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI) .@*Methods@#The clinical data of 218 patients with central venous catheterization were retrospectively analyzed. Infected patients were treated as CLABSI group and non-infected patients as control group.@*Results@#Of the 218 patients, 24 patients were developed CLABSI. There was no significant difference in sex, age, primary infection status and puncture site between CLABSI group and control group. Univariate analysis showed that axillary vein puncture could significantly reduce the incidence of CLABSI (P=0.028), and the infection rate of axillary vein puncture per 1000 days under B-ultrasound was significantly reduced by 0.93‰. The average indwelling days of deep venous catheter in patients with pulse puncture were significantly longer than those in other groups (47.32 days vs 19.90 days). The average indwelling days in patients with axillary vein puncture positioned by B ultrasound were longer than those in patients with other parts of vein puncture positioned by B ultrasound (P < 0.05). Logistic multiple regression analysis showed that the main risk factors for CLABSI were anatomically located puncture (P = 0.031) and non-axillary venous catheterization (P = 0.068).@*Conclusions@#Choosing axillary vein as the position of deep venous catheterization and using ultrasound-guided central venous puncture can reduce the incidence of CLABSI and prolong the average catheterization time.

Research advances in Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 and intestinal barrier function / 肠外与肠内营养

Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli Nissle 1917 (EcN) is a non-lactobacillus probiotic. It has long been recognized that EcN could colonize in the intestinal tract and has important biological functions through interacting with intestinal epithelial cells and other enteric microorganisms. Intestinal barriers play a key role in maintaining the homeostasis and physiological functions of the intestinal tract, and the impairment of the barrier function is closely associated with the pathogenesis and development of a variety of diseases. Discovery of some probiotic bacteria that could maintain and repair intestinal barrier function is therefore of critical importance, contributing to develop novel strategies for prevention and treatment of some related diseases. Previous studies have demonstrated that EcN has profoundly protective effects on the intestinal barriers. Here, we systematically reviewed the recent progress on the protective roles of EcN playing in the intestinal barriers and the potential mechanisms.

Factors influencing the decision to pursue emergency medicine as a career among medical students in Singapore

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>The introduction of the residency programme in Singapore allows medical students to apply for residency in their graduating year. Our study aimed to determine the interest levels and motivating factors for pursuing emergency medicine (EM) as a career among medical students in Singapore.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to Year 1-5 medical students in 2012. Participants indicated their interest in pursuing EM as a career and the degree to which a series of variables influenced their choices. Influencing factors were analysed using multinomial logistic regression.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 800 completed questionnaires were collected. 21.0% of the participants expressed interest in pursuing EM. Perceived personality fit and having done an elective in EM were strongly positive influencing factors. Junior medical students were more likely to cite the wide diversity of medical conditions and the lack of a long-term doctor-patient relationship to be negative factors, while senior medical students were more likely to cite personality fit and perceived prestige of EM as negative factors.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Careful selection of EM applicants is important to the future development of EM in Singapore. Our study showed that personality fit might be the most important influencing factor in choosing EM as a career. Therefore, greater effort should be made to help medical students explore their interest in and suitability for a particular specialty. These include giving medical students earlier exposure to EM, encouraging participation in student interest groups and using appropriate personality tests for career guidance.</p>

Assessment on insurance fraud risk in basic medical insurance in the context of big data / 中国卫生政策研究

Objectives:To construct a fraud risk prediction model for basic medical insurance holders, discover the main characteristics of fraud,and then establish a risk assessment index system to provide decision support for an apposite supervision of medical insurance funds. Methods : Using the large-scale real data including more than 183 million records of basic medical insurance diagnosis and treatment in China,the integrated risk assessment model for basic medical insurance holders is constructed using XGBoost algorithm and EasyEnsemble method. On this basis, this paper further identifies and quantifies the potential characteristics of fraud enforcement, and thus constructs a fraud risk assessment index system. Results : The proposed integrated model predicted the fraud risk with the accuracy of 83％,balance predictive value of 95％,and the balance sensitivity was 85％,respectively. Most importantly, the probability of the insured fraud being correctly evaluated was 82％ in this fraud risk assessment model. Besides, the amount of various expenses incurred at each stage of assessment,and the number of various types of projects are important indicators to distinguish the fraud from the normal insurance holders. Conclusions : The fraud risk assessment index system constructed based on the XGBoost integrated model is effective for the identification of potential fraudsters among the basic medical insurance holders. Establishing a risk assessment index system and developing an apposite supervision system based on big data of medical insurance play an essential role in improving the level of medical insurance management services,which ensures the safety of medical insurance funds,and safeguards the social health insurance fairness.

Antifungal Activity of Aspidin BB from Dryopteris fragrans against Trichophyton rubrum Involved Inhibition of Ergosterol Biosynthesis / 中草药·英文版

Objectives Aspidin BB, a typical phloroglucinol derivative from Dryopteris fragrans, possesses significant antifungal property. This study aimed to investigate potential mechanism of antifungal activity of Aspidin BB against Trichophyton rubrum which is the most common pathogens responsible for chronic dermatophytosis. Methods The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Aspidin BB against strains was determined by broth microdilution. The effects of Aspidin BB on ergosterol biosynthesis were investigated by content determination based on UPLC method. Besides, the effects of drugs on squalene epoxidase (SE) in T. rubrum cell membrane were analyzed. Results MIC value of Aspidin BB against T. rubrum was 25.0 μg/mL. Aspidin BB reduced ergosterol content significantly, but no notable effect on squalene epoxidase activity. Conclusion The results suggested that Aspidin BB inhibited ergosterol biosynthesis. However, it was not squalene epoxidase but other components may sever as possible targets in ergosterol biosynthesis pathway.

Castleman disease on neck: clinical report and literature review / 口腔疾病防治

@#Castleman disease is a rare and complicated disease. A case of Castleman disease (CD) in a 40-year-old woman on the neck was reported and literature review was made to understand the occurrence, clinical characteristics, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of Castleman disease. Because of the rarity of CD, its occurrence in the general population and the typical clinical manifestations are still lacked. There are two types of CD, namely localized CD and multicentric CD, both of them are not easy to be diagnosised. CT scans in preoperative is helpful for the clinical diagnosis, while histopathological examination and lymph node biopsy are beneficial for the early diagnosis. The treatment result is based on the histopathological examination and lymph node biopsy. The prognosis is different with the type of CD. For the localized CD, the prognosis is usually good, while for the multicentric CD is bad. Both of localized CD and multicentric CD have a certain reoccurrence rate.

Clinical analysis of unroofed coronary sinus syndrome with endocardial cushion defect / 中国胸心血管外科临床杂志

@#Objective    To analyze pathologic features and surgical procedures for patients with unroofed coronary sinus syndrome (UCSS) associated with endocardial cushion defect (ECD). Methods    The clinical data of 44 patients with UCSS and ECD from May 1998 to July 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 18 males and 26 females with a mean age of 10.4±12.1 years (range: 5.0 months to 44.0 years) and mean weight of 25.2±20.9 kg (range 5.2-80.0 kg). According to the Kirklin and Barratt-Boyes classification, 28 patients were categorized into type Ⅰ, 5 typeⅡ , 4 type Ⅲ and 7 type Ⅳ. Among them 25 patients suffered partial ECD, 10 complete ECD, 9 transitional ECD, and 27 were associated with single atrium, 34 involved persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC), and in 27 of the 34 patients PLSVC directly drained into the left atrium (LA). Among the 44 patients, 1 patient associated with complex anomalies underwent palliative operation, and other cardiac malformations were corrected simultaneously by surgical correction. PLSVC was ligated in 2 patients, and the intracardiac tunnels or baffles to drain PLSVC to right atrium (RA) were reconstructed in 25 patients. The associated cardiac lesions were corrected concomitantly. Results    In-hospital death occurred in 2 patients, among whom 1 died of low cardiac output syndrome on postoperative day 8 and the other pulmonary infection on postoperative day 21. Thirty-one were followed up from 1 month to 10 years, and there was no death or severe complications. Conclusion    When ECD is associated with PLSVC and a single atrium, UCSS may develop. Repair according to the type of UCSS is effective.

Antinociceptive Effects of Prim-O-Glucosylcimifugin in Inflammatory Nociception via Reducing Spinal COX-2

We measured anti-nociceptive activity of prim-o-glucosylcimifugin (POG), a molecule from Saposhnikovia divaricate (Turcz) Schischk. Anti-nociceptive or anti-inflammatory effects of POG on a formalin-induced tonic nociceptive response and a complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) inoculation-induced rat arthritis pain model were studied. Single subcutaneous injections of POG produced potent anti-nociception in both models that was comparable to indomethacin analgesia. Anti-nociceptive activity of POG was dose-dependent, maximally reducing pain 56.6% with an ED₅₀ of 1.6 mg. Rats given POG over time did not develop tolerance. POG also time-dependently reduced serum TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 in arthritic rats and both POG and indomethacin reduced spinal prostaglandin E2 (PGE₂). Like indomethacin which inhibits cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) activity, POG dose-dependently decreased spinal COX-2 content in arthritic rats. Additionally, POG, and its metabolite cimifugin, downregulated COX-2 expression in vitro. Thus, POG produced potent anti-nociception by downregulating spinal COX-2 expression.

Chlorogenic Acid Maintains Glucose Homeostasis through Modulating the Expression of SGLT-1, GLUT-2, and PLG in Different Intestinal Segments of Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To reveal the effects and related mechanisms of chlorogenic acid (CGA) on intestinal glucose homeostasis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly and equally divided into four groups: normal chow (NC), high-fat diet (HFD), HFD with low-dose CGA (20 mg/kg, HFD-LC), and HFD with high-dose CGA (90 mg/kg, HFD-HC). The oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and fast serum insulin (FSI) was detected using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mRNA expression levels of glucose transporters (Sglt-1 and Glut-2) and proglucagon (Plg) in different intestinal segments (the duodenum, jejunum, ileum, and colon) were analyzed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. SGLT-1 protein and the morphology of epithelial cells in the duodenum and jejunum was localized by using immunofluorescence.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At both doses, CGA ameliorated the HFD-induced body weight gain, maintained FSI, and increased postprandial 30-min glucagon-like peptide 1 secretion. High-dose CGA inhibited the HFD-induced elevation in Sglt-1 expression. Both CGA doses normalized the HFD-induced downregulation of Glut-2 and elevated the expression of Plg in all four intestinal segments.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>An HFD can cause a glucose metabolism disorder in the rat intestine and affect body glucose homeostasis. CGA can modify intestinal glucose metabolism by regulating the expression of intestinal glucose transporters and Plg, thereby controlling the levels of blood glucose and insulin to maintain glucose homeostasis.</p>

Role of Diffusion Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 3-T in Staging of Endometrial Cancer and Correlation to Histopathology.

Aim: To investigate the value of diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) at 3-T MR in staging of endometrial cancer and the correlation to histopathology. Study Design: A retrospective study. Place and Duration of Study: CT-MR Division, Qianfoshan Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University. Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical College. From June 2013 to June 2014 Methodology: 30 patients with histologically proved endometrial cancers were analyzed retrospectively. The staging diagnosis of DWI was compared with pathologic results. The ADC values in different histologic types and different differentiated of endometrial cancers were also compared. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The staging accuracy of DWI was 83.3%. The ADC value in 30 patients of endometrial cancer was (0.856±0.080) ×10-3 mm2/s. There was no statistically significant difference in different histologic types (t=1.093，P=0.284). In different differentiated endometrial cancers, there was significant difference (F=97.246，P=0.000). Conclusion: DWI has considerable value in staging of endometrial cancer. The ADC values can demonstrate the grade malignancy of tumors initially. So diffusion weighted sequences can be included in routine MR protocols for tumor assessment.

Abnormal Degree Centrality of Bilateral Putamen and Left Superior Frontal Gyrus in Schizophrenia with Auditory Hallucinations: A Resting-state Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Dysconnectivity hypothesis of schizophrenia has been increasingly emphasized. Recent researches showed that this dysconnectivity might be related to occurrence of auditory hallucination (AH). However, there is still no consistent conclusion. This study aimed to explore intrinsic dysconnectivity pattern of whole-brain functional networks at voxel level in schizophrenic with AH.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Auditory hallucinated patients group (n = 42 APG), no hallucinated patients group (n = 42 NPG) and normal controls (n = 84 NCs) were analyzed by resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The functional connectivity metrics index (degree centrality [DC]) across the entire brain networks was calculated and evaluated among three groups.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>DC decreased in the bilateral putamen and increased in the left superior frontal gyrus in all the patients. However, in APG, the changes of DC were more obvious compared with NPG. Symptomology scores were negatively correlated with the DC of bilateral putamen in all patients. AH score of APG positively correlated with the DC in left superior frontal gyrus but negatively correlated with the DC in bilateral putamen.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Our findings corroborated that schizophrenia was characterized by functional dysconnectivity, and the abnormal DC in bilateral putamen and left superior frontal gyrus might be crucial in the occurrence of AH.</p>