Distal Mean Nocturnal Baseline Impedance Predicts Pathological Reflux of Isolated Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Symptoms

Background/Aims@#Diagnosis of isolated laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms (ILPRS), ie, without concomitant typical reflux symptoms (CTRS), remains difficult. Mean nocturnal baseline impedance (MNBI) reflects impaired mucosal integrity. We determined whether esophageal MNBI could predict pathological esophagopharyngeal reflux (pH+) in patients with ILPRS. @*Methods@#In this cross-sectional study conducted in Taiwan, non-erosive or low-grade esophagitis patients with predominant laryngopharyngeal reflux symptoms underwent combined hypopharyngeal multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH monitoring when off acid suppressants. Participants were divided into the ILPRS (n = 94) and CTRS (n = 63) groups. Asymptomatic subjects without esophagitis (n = 25) served as healthy controls. The MNBI values at 3 cm and 5 cm above the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and the proximal esophagus were measured. @*Results@#Distal but not proximal esophageal median MNBI values were significantly lower in patients with pH+ than in those with pH– (ILPRS in pH+ vs pH–: 1607 Ω vs 2709 Ω and 1885 Ω vs 2563 Ω at 3 cm and 5 cm above LES, respectively; CTRS in pH+ vs pH–: 1476 vs 2307 Ω and 1500 vs 2301 Ω at 3 cm and 5 cm above LES, respectively, P < 0.05 for all). No significant differences of any MNBI exist between any pH– subgroups and healthy controls. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve in the ILPRS group were 0.75 and 0.80, compared to the pH– subgroup and healthy controls (P < 0.001 for both), respectively. Interobserver reproducibility was good (Spearman correlation 0.93, P < 0.0001). @*Conclusion@#Distal esophageal MNBI predicts pathological reflux in patients with ILPRS.

Diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection based on semi-quantitative detection of synovial fluid calprotectin by MALDI-TOF MS / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To explore the clinical value of synovial fluid calprotectin for the diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI).Methods:Based on prospective cohort study design, a total of 82 patients suspected of PJI after hip and knee arthroplasty in the First Medical Center of the PLA General Hospital from July 2021 to June 2022 were selected. Patients were divided into infection group (PJI, n=39) and non-infection group (non-PJI, n=43) according to the diagnostic criteria proposed by the Second International Consensus Conference in 2018. The matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was used for double-blind detection of calprotectin and internal reference standard (IRS) in synovial fluid of patients. The peaks of target protein and IRS were recorded for further analysis. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the concentrations of S100A8 and S100A9 between the two groups, and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to analyze the diagnostic efficacy of S100A8 and S100A9 for PJI. Results:Calprotectin was detected as monomers S100A8 and S100A9. Synovial fluid S100A8 was significantly higher in the PJI group than that in the non-PJI group [1.57 (0.48, 4.17) vs 0.00 (0.00, 0.05), Z=?7.221, P<0.05]. Synovial fluid S100A9 was also significantly higher in the PJI group than that in the non-PJI group [0.74 (0.29, 1.70) vs 0.06 (0.00, 0.10), Z=?6.255, P<0.05]. When using S100A8 and S100A9 to diagnose PJI, the sensitivity were 97.4% and 87.2%, the specificity were 86.0% and 88.4%, and the area under the ROC were 0.964 (95% CI 0.929-0.998) and 0.902 (95% CI 0.924-0.996), respectively. Conclusion:The detection of synovial fluid S100A8 and S100A9 by MALDI-TOF MS can make a satisfactory diagnosis for PJI.

Clinical application differences between TW3-Carpal and TW3-RUS based artificial intelligence-assisted bone age assessment system: a real-world pilot study / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To investigate the differences between Tanner-Whitehouse (TW)3-Carpal and TW3-RUS(radius, ulna and short bone)-based artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted bone age assessment system using real world data.Methods:The image data of 262 children who received X-ray examination of left wrist in the Affiliated Children′s Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from July to September 2021 were retrospectively collected. The AI bone age assistant methods based on TW3-RUS and TW3-Carpal criteria were used to obtain the bone age results, respectively. Two senior pediatric radiologists evaluated the bone age on the basis of TW3-RUS and TW3-Carpal criteria, and the averaged values of two reviewers was calculated and taken as the gold standard reference. The cases were stratified into six age groups at 3-year intervals according to the gold standard reference, including 1-3 ( n=10), 4-6 ( n=35), 7-9 ( n=70), 10-12 ( n=118), 13-15 ( n=27) and 16-18 ( n=2) years old groups. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to evaluate the consistency between AI results and the gold standard bone age results. Pearson correlation method was used to measure the reliability between AI results and the gold standard results. The difference of bone age results between using TW3-RUS and TW3-Carpal criteria in different age groups was compared using paired t-test. Results:As for the whole sample, the results based on TW3-RUS criteria were 8.9±3.1 years old for AI assessment and 8.7±2.9 years old for the golden standard reference, with the ICC of 0.983; and the results based on TW3-Carpal criteria were 8.7±3.0 years old for AI and 8.8±2.8 years old for the golden standard reference, with the ICC of 0.976. Positive correlation were found in both TW3-RUS ( r=0.985, P<0.001) and TW3-Carpal criteria groups ( r=0.978, P<0.001). There were significant differences between TW3-RUS and TW3-Carpal at age groups of 7-9( t=-3.36, P=0.001), 10-12( t=-1.77, P=0.046), and 13-15 years old ( t=1.84, P=0.040). The bone age assessment using TW3-RUS and TW3-Carpal criteria were both in good agreement with the gold standard reference in age group of 4-6 years old (ICC=0.929 and 0.940), as well as in age group of 7-9 years old (ICC=0.882 and 0.927, respectively), with the results using TW3-Carpal criteria were slightly higher. As for the age groups of 10-12 and 13-15 years old, the method using TW3-RUS criteria showed excellent agreement with the gold standard reference (ICC=0.962 and 0.963, respectively), which were better than the performance of method using TW3-Carpal criteria (ICC=0.744 and 0.605, respectively). Conclusions:AI-assisted bone age system based TW3-Carpal and TW3-RUS criteria both show good reliability and accuracy in the bone age measurements. The AI method based TW3-Carpal criteria shows better performance in age group of 4-9 years old, while the method based on TW3-RUS criteria may be better for children of age 10-15 years old.

Short-term effect evaluation of self-management group projects for chronic disease patients in Suzhou / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To evaluate the short-term effect of self-management group project for chronic disease patients in Suzhou. Methods Eight to ten streets / towns were randomly selected from 10 cities and districts under the jurisdiction of Suzhou. Each street / town set up a chronic disease self-management group and carried out group activities. The awareness rate of chronic disease related knowledge, health management behavior and health status of the group members after and before the activities were compared to evaluate the short-term effect of the self-management group project. Results A total of 89 chronic disease self-management groups were set up in Suzhou in 2020. Among them, there were 47 hypertension groups and 42 diabetes groups. A total of 1176 people were surveyed at baseline, and 1161 people participated in the evaluation survey after the group activities. By setting up self-management groups, the awareness rates of chronic disease-related knowledge (BMI range, variety of food intake per day per week, moderate-intensity activity time per week, daily salt intake, harm of excessive salt intake, diagnostic criteria for hypertension, sodium content in low sodium salt, fasting blood glucose criteria, low-density lipoprotein control targets) in hypertension and diabetes patients after the intervention were improved compared with those before the intervention, and the differences were statistically significant (P“self-monitoring blood pressure” increased from 52.80% before the intervention to 66.32%, while the proportion of "having a blood glucose monitoring system at home" increased from 52.80% before the intervention to 66.32%, and the proportion of “self-monitoring blood glucose” increased from 25.67% before the intervention to 38.67%. The percentage of "drinking alcohol in the past 30 days" dropped from 12.14% before the intervention to 8.35%. All these differences were statistically significant. There was no difference in the number of "smoking in the past 30 days" compared with before the activity (P≥0.05). The number of days with poor health resulting from injuries in the past 30 days also decreased but the difference was not statistically significant (P≥0.05). In terms of the severity of depression, the number of people with moderate and severe depression decreased after the intervention, and the number of people who turned into mild depression increased, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). Conclusion The self-management group project for chronic disease patients in Suzhou has achieved good results and is suitable for continued promotion and application in this region.

Change trend and prediction of lung cancer mortality in Suzhou in 2001-2020 / 公共卫生与预防医学

Objective To explore the epidemiological characteristics and trend of lung cancer mortality in Suzhou, to predict the future lung cancer mortality by ARIMA model, and to provide a scientific basis for the research of lung cancer prevention and control strategy. Methods The annual change percentage (APC) was used to analyze the annual change trend of lung cancer mortality from 2001 to 2020, and the ARIMA optimal model was employed to predict the lung cancer mortality from 2021 to 2025. Results The average annual crude mortality of lung cancer in Suzhou from 2001 to 2020 was 46.45/100 000, while the standardized mortality was 23.51/100 000. In recent 20 years, the crude mortality showed an upward trend and the standardized mortality showed a downward trend (APC crude rate = 2.51%, APC standardized rate = -0.78% , P < 0.001). The standardized mortality of lung cancer in men was 3.22 times that in women. The mortality of lung cancer in people over 45 years old increased with the increase of age, but the mortality in the 30-59 years old group showed a downward trend year by year. ARIMA model predicted that the annual trend of lung cancer crude mortality will tend to be flat in the next five years. Conclusion The crude mortality rate of lung cancer in Suzhou shows an upward trend, while the standardized mortality rate decreases year by year, suggesting that we should pay attention to the prevention and control of lung cancer in the elderly, accurately identify high-risk population of lung cancer, promote health publicity and education, carry out lifestyle intervention, and popularize the early screening of lung cancer.

Validation of Pharyngeal Acid Reflux Episodes Using Hypopharyngeal Multichannel Intraluminal Impedance-pH

Background/Aims@#Hypopharyngeal multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH (HMII-pH) technology incorporating 2 trans-upper esophageal sphincter impedance channels has been developed to detect pharyngeal reflux. We used the HMII-pH technique to validate the candidate pharyngeal acid reflux (PAR) episodes based on the dual-pH tracings and determined the interobserver reproducibility. @*Methods@#We conducted a cross-sectional study in tertiary centers in Taiwan. Ninety patients with suspected laryngopharyngeal reflux and 28 healthy volunteers underwent HMII-pH test when off acid suppressants. Candidate PAR episodes were characterized by pharyngeal pH drops of at least 2 units and reaching a nadir pH of 5 within 30 seconds during esophageal acidification. Two experts manually independently identified candidate PAR episodes based on the dual-pH tracings. By reviewing the HMII-pH tracings, HMII-pH-proven PAR episodes were subsequently confirmed. The consensus reviews of HMII-pH-proven PAR episodes were considered to be the reference standard diagnosis. The interobserver reproducibility was assessed. @*Results@#A total of 105 candidate PAR episodes were identified. Among them 84 (80.0%; 95% CI, 71.0-87.0%) were HMII-pH-proven PAR episodes (82 in 16 patients and 2 in 1 healthy subject). Patients tended to have more HMII-pH-proven PAR episodes than healthy controls (median and percentile values [25th, 75th, and 95th percentiles]: 0 [0, 0, 3] vs 0 [0, 0, 0], P = 0.067). The concordance rate in diagnosing HMII-pH-proven PAR episodes between 2 independent observers was 92.2%. @*Conclusion@#Our preliminary data showed that 80.0% (71.0-87.0%) of the proposed candidate PAR episodes were HMII-pH-proven PAR episodes, among which the interobserver reproducibility was good.

Recent advances in health hazards of long-term exposure to microwave radiation / 中国辐射卫生

With the development of the global information technology, electromagnetic equipment such as communication devices and new weapons has been widely deployed. Long-term exposure to electromagnetic radiation causes health hazards to people. Microwave is the most widely used electromagnetic wave. The article reviews the health hazards of long-term exposure to microwave radiation, including damages to the nervous, cardiovascular, blood, reproductive, endocrine, and immune systems and tumorigenesis, and summarizes the possible mechanisms of hazards of long-term exposure to microwave radiation, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism study and the research and development of protection technology.

Incidence of gastric cancer and risk factors in Suzhou cohort / 中华流行病学杂志

Objective: To describe gastric cancer incidence in Suzhou cohort, explore the environmental risk factors of gastric cancer in Suzhou, and provide appropriate suggestions for gastric cancer prevention and control. Methods: The participants were from the Suzhou cohort of China Kadoorie Biobank. Baseline survey was conducted from 2004 to 2008, followed by long-term follow-up until December 31, 2013. After the exclusion of those who had been previously diagnosed with peptic ulcer and malignant tumor reported at baseline survey and gastric cancer within six months after enrollment, a total of 50,136 participants were included. Cox proportional risk models were used to identify risk factors of gastric cancer and their hazard ratios in Suzhou. The effect modifications of gender on the association between risk factors and gastric cancer were analyzed. Results: In the follow-up of 7.19 years (median), 374 gastric cancers cases occurred. The standardized incidence was 94.57 per 100 000 person-years. Multivariate Cox proportional risk model analysis found that age (10 years old as a age group, HR=2.20, 95%CI: 1.92-2.53, P<0.001), current smoking (HR=1.84, 95%CI: 1.10-3.07 P=0.020), consumption of preserved vegetables weekly (HR=2.28, 95%CI: 1.28-4.07, P=0.005) and daily (HR=2.05, 95%CI: 1.16-3.61, P=0.013) were risk factors for gastric cancer. Female (HR=0.44, 95%CI: 0.25-0.76, P=0.003) and refrigerator use (10 years as a limit, HR=0.85, 95%CI: 0.74-0.97, P=0.016) were protective factors for gastric cancer. Further analysis showed that there was heterogeneity between males and females in the association between refrigerator use years and the incidence of gastric cancer (P=0.009), and there was an interaction effect between gender and refrigerator use on the incidence of gastric cancer (P=0.010). Conclusions: The incidence of gastric cancer in Suzhou cohort was high. The risk factors of gastric cancer varied. There was a synergistic interaction effect between gender and refrigerator use years on the incidence of gastric cancer.

Study on promoter methylation status of glutathione transferase mu5 gene in MDS and its significance / 中华检验医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the role of methylation status of glutathione transferase mu5 (GSTM5) promoter region in the occurrence and development of myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and provide a new potential molecular marker for the early diagnosis of MDS.Method:Bone marrow blood samples were collected from 40 patients with initial diagnosis of MDS [5 cases of MDS with single dysplasia (MDS-SLD), 7 cases of MDS with multilineage dysplasia (MDS-MLD), 6 cases of MDS with ringed sideroblasts (MDS-RS), 13 patients with refractory with excess blast-1 (RAEB1), 9 patients with refractory with excess blast-2 (RAEB2)], 8 patients with AML secondary to MDS and 6 patients with non-malignant blood diseases(4 patients with iron deficiency anemia and 2 patients with nutritional megaloblastic anemia) in PLA General Hospital from October 2018 to June 2021. Methylation status of the promoter region of GSTM5 gene in three groups were detected by the Agena MassArray nucleic acid mass spectrometry. The Wilcoxon nonparametric test (non-normally distributed data, median (IQR)] was used to compare the methylation levels of GSTM5 gene in different groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of the test.Results:Cluster analysis showed that the methylation status of GSTM5 in MDS group was higher than that in control group [0.50 (0.27, 0.79) vs.0.29(0.10, 0.45), P<0.05]; The methylation status of GSTM5 in sAML group was significantly higher than that in MDS group [0.67 (0.36, 0.86) vs. 0.50 (0.27, 0.79), P<0.05].The differences in the methylation status of each CpG site were analyzed, and there were statistically significant differences between the MDS group and the control group at CpG_1, CpG_4, 5, CpG_6, 7, 8, CpG_11, CpG_13, 14, CpG_15, CpG_16, CpG_22 and CpG_24 sites ( P<0.05). The results of ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the CpG_6, 7, 8 site curves was the largest, with AUC=0.861(95% CI 0.717-1.000; P<0.05), and the sensitivity and specificity were 85% and 83%, respectively. By analyzing the relationship between GSTM5 methylation and MDS disease development, GSTM5 methylation levels were significantly increased in the higher bone marrow blast group and the high-risk subgroup (RAEB). Conclusion:Aberrant DNA promoter methylation of GSTM5 was a frequent event in MDS and may play an important role in the occurrence and development of MDS. It might be served as a promising biomarker in the diagnosis of MDS.

Clinical treatment outcomes and their changes in extremely preterm twins: a multicenter retrospective study in Guangdong Province, China / 中国当代儿科杂志

OBJECTIVES@#To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups.@*RESULTS@#Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.

Therapeutic effect of tetrandrine on silicosis rats and its toxic effect on liver and kidney function / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect of tetrandrine(TET) on silicosis model rats and its toxic effect on liver and kidney function. METHODS: The specific pathogen free healthy male Wistar rats were randomly divided into the control group, the model group and the TET group, with 14 rats in each group. By un-exposure tracheal injection method, the rats in the model and TET groups were given one-time tracheal infusion of free silicon dioxide suspension with a mass concentration of 50 g/L to establish the rat model of silicosis. Rats in the control group were infused with 1 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride solution with the same method. On the second day after the model was established, the TET group was given 30 mg/kg body mass of TET solution by gavage. The other two groups were given the same amount of 0.9% sodium chloride solution. The treatment was once per day, six times per week. Seven rats in each group were sacrificed on the 28 th and 56 th days after modeling. The morphological change of the lung, liver and kidney tissues of each group was observed. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the level of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α), transforming growth factor-β1(TGF-β1), interleukin(IL)-1β and IL-6, in the lung tissues of rats in each group. The activities of aminotransferase(ALT), aspartate aminotransferase(AST) and the levels blood urea nitrogen(BUN), creatinine(CRE) were detected by automatic biochemical analyzer. RESULTS: The lung organ coefficients of rats in the TET group were lower than those of the model group on the 28 th and 56 th days(all P<0.05). The lung organ coefficient of the rats in the TET group on the 56 th day was higher than that in the same group on the 28 th day(P<0.05). The lung tissue structure of the control group was normal. After modeling, the lung tissues of rats in model group showed different degrees of pathological changes such as alveolar structure destruction, inflammatory cell infiltration, and fibrosis on the 28 th and 56 th days. The degree of pathological changes in TET group was less than that of the model group. In the lung tissues of rats in the model group, the levels of TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-1β and IL-6 were higher than those of the control group(all P<0.01). The levels of TNF-α, TGF-β1, IL-1β and IL-6 in the lung tissues of rats in the TET group were lower than that of the model group(all P<0.01), but there was no statistically significant difference when compared with the control group(all P>0.05). The activities of ALT and AST in the TET group were higher than those in the model group and the control group(all P<0.01). The level of serum BUN in TET group was higher than that in control group(P<0.01), but it showed no statistical difference when compared with the control group(P>0.05). The level of serum CRE in each group showed no significant difference(P>0.05). There were no abnormal pathological changes found in the liver and kidney tissues of rats in each group at different times. CONCLUSION: TET can reduce the inflammatory response in silicosis rats and improve lung tissue fibrosis; however, the therapeutic dose may have certain toxicity to the liver and kidney of the silicosis rats.

Analysis of the relationship between lifestyle habits and glycosylated hemoglobin control based on data from a Health Management Plan

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES@#Type 2 Diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a hereditary disease that is also strongly dependent on environmental factors, lifestyles, and dietary habits. This study explored the relationship between lifestyle habits and glycosylated hemoglobin management in T2DM patients to provide empirical outcomes to improve T2DM management and patient health literacy. @*SUBJECTS/METHODS@#This study enrolled 349 diabetic patients with more than 5 care visits to a Diabetes Mellitus care network under the Health Management Plan led by Taiwan Department of Health (DOH). Based on relevant literature, an Outpatient Record Form of Diabetes Mellitus Care was designed and lipid profile tests were conducted for data collection and analysis. @*RESULTS@#When modeling the data, the results showed that the odds for HbA1c > 7.5% in T2DM patients duration over 10 years was 3.785 (P = 0.002) times that in patients with disease duration of fewer than 3 years. The odds of HbA1c > 7.5% in illiterate patients was 3.128 (P = 0.039) times that in patients with senior high school education or above. The odds of HbA1c > 7.5% in patients with other chronic illness was 2.207 (P = 0.019) times that in participants without chronic illness. Among 5 beneficial lifestyle habits, the odds of HbA1c > 7.5% in patients with 2 or 3 good habits were 3.243 (P = 0.003) and 3.424 (P = 0.001) times that in patients with more than 3 good habits, respectively. @*CONCLUSION@#This empirical outcome shows that maintaining a good lifestyle improves T2DM management and patients' knowledge, motivation, and ability to use health information. Patients with longer disease duration, education, or good lifestyle habits had optimal HbA1c management than those in patients who did not. Thus, effective selfmanagement and precaution in daily life and improved health literacy of diabetic patients are necessary to increase the quality of T2DM care.

Association between dietary sodium intake and blood pressure variability in Chinese patients with hypertension / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#The association between dietary sodium intake and blood pressure variability (BPV) in hypertensive patients remains unclear. The objective of this study was to demonstrate whether dietary sodium intake is a predictor of elevated BPV in Chinese patients with hypertension.@*METHODS@#A total of 235 patients with essential hypertension were enrolled in the Department of Cardiology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital in 2018 to 2019, all of whom underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. BPV was calculated as the standard deviation (SD), coefficient of variation (CV), variation independent of mean (VIM) of blood pressure measurements, respectively, and divided into diurnal systolic BPV (SBPV), diurnal diastolic BPV (DBPV), nocturnal SBPV, and nocturnal DBPV. 24-h urine samples were collected to measure 24-h urine sodium excretion, which represents dietary sodium intake. The relationship between dietary sodium intake and BPV was analyzed by using Spearman correlations and multiple linear regression analysis.@*RESULTS@#Nocturnal SBPV-SD, CV, VIM, and nocturnal DBPV-SD in the high urine sodium excretion group were significantly higher than those in the medium and low urine sodium excretion groups, whereas diurnal SBPV-SD, CV, VIM, diurnal DBPV-SD, CV, VIM, and nocturnal DBPV-CV, VIM were not. Using the Spearman correlation analysis, we found a linear correlation between 24-h urine sodium excretion and nocturnal SBPV-SD, CV, VIM (SD, r = 0.22, P = 0.001; CV, r = 0.17, P = 0.009; VIM, r = 0.16, P = 0.020), nocturnal DBPV-SD (r = 0.21, P = 0.001), respectively. After further adjusting for confounding factors by multiple linear regression, the positive correlations remained between 24-h urine sodium excretion and nocturnal SBPV-SD, CV, VIM (SD, β = 0.224, P < 0.001; CV, β = 0.211, P = 0.001; VIM, β = 0.213, P = 0.001), nocturnal DBPV (SD, β = 0.215, P = 0.001), respectively.@*CONCLUSIONS@#Dietary sodium intake is associated with nocturnal SBPV in Chinese patients with hypertension.

Development of tilted implant for free end of maxillary posterior teeth / 华西口腔医学杂志

Vertical bone insufficiency in the maxillary posterior teeth is a common clinical situation. At present, the bone insufficiency in the maxillary posterior teeth is mainly overcome by bone grafting through maxillary sinus floor elevation. Compared with traditional axial implantation, tilted implantation can better avoid bone grafting, reduce complications, shorten the treatment cycle, reduce the treatment cost for patients, and gradually be promoted in clinical settings. This article reviews the concept, biomechanics, clinical evaluation, and digital trend of tilted implants of maxillary posterior teeth.

Influence of patella position on soft tissue balance and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty via a midvastus approach / 中华骨科杂志

Objective:To compare the effects of patellar position on the balance of soft tissue during the operation and the postoperative outcomes in minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty via a midvastus approach.Methods:From December 2018 to February 2019, a total of 55 patients were enrolled for primary total knee arthroplasty via a midvastus approach. All patients were randomly divided into 2 groups by random number table. During the operation, the gap balance technique was used with patella reduced or subluxated to complete the osteotomy and balance of soft tissue. The changes of gap and varus-valgus angle were compared between the patellar reduction group and the patellar subluxation group in both extension and flexion position. These data were also compared before and after reducing patellar in the patellar subluxation group. Furthermore, the differences of femoral prosthesis rotation, mechanical femoral axis to tibial axis angle, Knee Society score (KSS), visual analogue scale (VAS) and range of motion (ROM) were compared between the two groups.Results:All patients finished 6 months follow-up, including 27 patients in the patellar reduction group and 28 patients in the patellar subluxation group. After osteotomy and soft tissue balance during the operation, there was no significant difference in gap and varus-valgus angle between two groups in either extension or flexion position. While in the patellar subluxation group, the flexion gap was 10.5±0.3 mm with patella subluxated, less than 11.0 ± 0.3 mm after reducing the patella. The varus-valgus angle was 1.5±0.3 with patella subluxated, less than 2.3±0.4 degree after reducing the patella. The difference was statistically significant ( t=4.180, P<0.001; t=7.642, P<0.001). There was no significant difference in extension gap and varus-valgus angle before and after patella reduction in the patellar subluxation group ( P>0.05). The rotation angle of the femoral component in the patellar subluxation group was -0.49°±1.2°, and the external rotation angle was smaller than that in the patellar reduction group (0.24°±1.3°). The difference was statistically significant ( t=2.116, P=0.039). At one month after operation, ROM of the patellar reduction group was 109.6°±8.5° which was higher than that of the patellar subluxation group (104.9°±8.6°, t=2.048, P=0.046). There was no significant difference in ROM between the two groups at 3 and 6 months ( P>0.05). Moreover, there was no significant difference in KSS and VAS at 1, 3 and 6 months after operation ( P>0.05). Conclusion:In the minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty, it is suggested to balance the soft tissue as much as possible with the patellar reduced. Otherwise, the consequence of increased flexion space, increased varus and increased internal rotation of femoral prosthesis should be considered. The patients undergoing soft tissue balance with patella reduced have better ROM in the early stage postoperatively.

Analysis of occupational health surveillance for workers on offshore platforms / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective@#To understand the status of occupational health surveillance for workers on offshore platforms.@*Methods@#The research period was from 2014 to 2016. From 2014 to 2016, a cross-sectional survey method was adopted to select 429 people for offshore oil production, drilling and operation platforms and their first-line workers to conduct workplace occupational hygiene. Investigation, occupational hazard factor testing, occupational health check of workers, collation and statistical analysis of surveys and test data, and comparison of occupational health surveillance among workers of different types of offshore platforms.@*Results@#From 2014 to 2016, the results of chemical harmful factors detection of occupational diseases in the offshore platform were in line with the national occupational health exposure limit requirements. The noise of some platform posts exceeded the standard, such as: oil platform oil, oil and oil and gas processing workers, diesel engines for drilling and working platforms. Worker noise exceeds national occupational health limits p[Lex, 8 h>85 dB(A)].There was a statistically significant difference in the occupational health of workers on the same platform with the age and length of service (P<0.05).@*Conclusion@#Workers on different platforms at sea may be subject to different levels of occupational health damage, and the occupational hazards brought by noise to platform workers are particularly prominent.

The comparison of gap balance technique and measured resection technique in total knee arthroplasty / 中华骨科杂志

Objective@#To compare the difference in imaging and clinical effects between gap balance technique and measured resection technique in total knee arthroplasty (TKA).@*Methods@#We recruited 300 patients undertaking TKA from July 2014 to July 2016. TKA were performed by using gap balance technique or measured resection technique randomly. The intraoperative rotation of femoral prosthesis, changes of joint line, osteotomy volume, preoperative and postoperative KSS score, WOMAC score, VAS and ROM were compared between the two groups.@*Results@#A total of 292 patients were included in the present study, and 248 patients were successfully followed up for 2 years. The operation duration of the gap balance group was 65.9±14.1 min, which was significantly less than that of the measured osteotomy group 70.5±16.5 min (t=2.36, P=0.02). The rotation angle α of the femoral prosthesis measured on CT scan postoperative in gap balance group was 0.67°±1.71°, which was significantly smaller than that of the measured resection technique group 1.25°±2.53° (t=2.12, P=0.03). The external rotation angle β between the osteotomy plate and femoral posterior condyle line in the gap balance group was 1.25°±1.26°, which was significantly greater than that of the measured resection technique 0.28°±0.19° (t=6.57, P<0.01). The bone cut volume of femoral medial posterior condyle in gap balance group 9.85±1.37 mm showed a statistically difference (t=2.02, P=0.04) compared with that of the measured osteotomy group 9.52±1.19 mm. The KSS score was 83.8±10.2 in the gap balance group after 1 month. It was superior to the measured resection technique group of 80.5±9.4 with statistical significance (t=2.65, P=0.01). The knee ROM was 101.7°±12.7° in the gap balance group at 1 month after surgery, which was better than that in the measured resection technique group 98.2°±11.8° (t=2.25, P=0.03).@*Conclusion@#The axis of the femoral prosthesis was more consistent with STEA in the gap balance group of TKA. The gap balance group had better ROM and KSS functional scores at the first month after surgery. However, there was no statistical difference in knee function at the 2-year follow-up between the two groups.

Association between plasma microRNA-29a and left ventricular hypertrophy in patients with hypertension / 中华心血管病杂志

Objective@#Previous studies have shown that plasma microRNA-29a (miRNA-29a) is associated with myocardial fibrosis and the degree of cardiac hypertrophy in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. However, the relationship between plasma miRNA-29a and hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) has not yet been reported. So the purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the plasma miRNA-29a and hypertensive LVH.@*Method@#Enrolled 168 hypertensive patients and classified the patients into 2 groups: those with LVH (LVH group, n=41) and those without LVH (NLVH group, n=127). All patients underwent echocardiography examination. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) was calculated by interventricular septal thickness (IVSd), left ventricular posterior wall thickness(LVPWTd), left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVEDD) and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) were obtained. Plasma levels of miRNA-29a were assessed by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The relationship between plasma miRNA-29a levels and LVH was analyzed.@*Results@#Plasma miRNA-29a was significantly higher in LVH group than in NLVH group (0.52±0.10 vs. 0.37±0.07, t=9.788, P<0.01) . Pearson correlation analysis evidenced a positive correlation between plasma miRNA-29a levels and IVSd(R=0.459, P<0.01), LVPWTd (R=0.398, P<0.01), and LVMI (R=0.745, P<0.01). After adjustment for gender, age, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, body mass index, hypertension duration, antihypertensive drugs, multiple regression analysis showed that there were still positive correlations between plasma miRNA-29a level and IVSd (β=0.535, P<0.01), LVPWTd (β=0.085, P<0.01), and LVMI (β=0.806, P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#Plasma miRNA-29a level is positively associated with LVH in hypertensive patients, and future studies are warranted to explore if miRNA-29a could be used as a potential biomarker for LVH assessment in hypertensive patients.

Association between PM2.5 pollution in ambient air and cardio-cerebrovascular mortality in Suzhou in 2016：a time series analysis / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To explore the effect of PM2.5 on the mortality of cardio-cerebrovascular disease in Suzhou, China. Methods The death data, air pollutant data and meteorological data from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017 in Suzhou were collected. The general additive Poisson regression model was used to analyse the association of exposure to PM2.5 with the daily deaths due to cardio-cerebrovascular disease, and to calculate the relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in PM2.5. Results The number of deaths from cardio-cerebrovascular disease was 30 200. On average, there were approximately 41 deaths per day. The daily median concentration of PM2.5 was 37.13 μg/m3 and IQR was 30.75 μg/m3. The RR values of single-day death and average death from cardio-cerebrovascular disease were 1.017(1.001-1.034) and 1.055(1.019-1.093)with an IQR increase of PM2.5 concentration, respectively. Stratified by gender and age, female and the elderly aged over 65 had higher risks of death from the cardio-cerebrovascular disease. Conclusion The elevated level of ambient PM2.5was positively associated with the increase of mortality of cardio-cerebrovascular disease.

Application of Lee-Carter model in the prediction of mortality risk in digestive tract cancer in Suzhou / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective A Lee-Carter model was used to predict the risk and trend of mortality in the digestive tract cancer in Suzhou from 2002 to 2016. Methods The crude and standardized mortality rates were calculated based on deaths of digestive tract cancer which was identified from Suzhou chronic disease surveillance system.We used Lee-Carter model to predict the trend of mortality in digestive tract cancer. Results The effectiveness of the results forecasted by Lee-Carter model was validated in the data of digestive tract cancer mortality from 2012 to 2016 in Suzhou. The mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) values for the model were 2.48% and 4.13% for the age and year respectively, which indicated a well accepted prediction value. The mortality index was on the down trend in overall digestive tract cancer from 2002 to 2016, among which the mortality index in upper digestive tract cancer decreased, while the mortality index in lower digestive tract cancer increased. The mortality rate of upper digestive tract cancer was 4.23 fold higher than that of lower digestive tract cancer, and mortality rate in male was 2.17 times higher than that in female. Conclusions Our study observed a downward mortality trend in digestive tract cancer overall. Notably, the male mortality rate of lower digestive tract cancer was on an upward trend. In recent years, Suzhou has been undergoing a rapid population aging with medical and health level was increasing as well.