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.

Association between periconceptional supplementation of folic acid or multiple-micronutrients containing folic acid and preterm delivery in women / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the association between periconceptional supplementation of folic acid or multiple-micronutrients containing folic acid(MMFA) and risk of preterm delivery in women with natural conception, singleton pregnancy and vaginal delivery.@*METHODS@#A retrospective cohort study was performed based on the prenatal health care system and hospital information system of Tongzhou Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Beijing and the women who had their prenatal care in the hospital from January 2015 to December 2018 were included. The information of 16 332 women who conceived naturally, had a singleton pregnancy, and delivered vaginally was collected. Compliance scores were constructed based on the time of initiation and the frequency of taking nutritional supplements. The association between maternal periconceptional micronutrient supplementation, including pure folic acid (FA) pills or MMFA and the rate of preterm delivery was evaluated using Logistic regression models.@*RESULTS@#The preterm delivery rate (gestational week < 37 weeks) of the study population was 3.8%, and the mean (standard deviation) of gestational age was (38.98±1.37) weeks. A total of 6 174 (37.8%) women took FA during the periconceptional period, 8 646 (52.9%) women took MMFA, and 1 512 (9.3%) women did not take any nutritional supplements. The association between periconceptional supplementation of FA or MMFA and risk of preterm delivery in women was not statistically significant [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.01, 95%CI: 0.74-1.37]. The associations with preterm birth were not statistically significant in further analysis by the type of nutritional supplements, time of initiation, and the frequency of supplementation. In addition, the association between the compliance score of taking supplements and the rate of preterm delivery was not statistically significant, either.@*CONCLUSION@#This study did not find an association between the risk of preterm delivery and the use of FA or MMFA during the periconcep-tional period in women with natural conception, singleton pregnancy, and vaginal delivery. In the future, multicenter studies with large-scale prospective cohort or population-based randomized controlled trials are warranted to confirm the association between taking FA or MMFA during the periconceptional period and preterm delivery among women.

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.

Relationship between micronutrients supplementation during periconceptional period and serum concentration of vitamin E in the 1st trimester of gestational period / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the association of maternal periconceptional folic acid or multiple micronutrients supplementation during periconceptional period and the serum vitamin E (Vit.E) concentration in the 1st trimester of gestational period.@*METHODS@#A retrospective cohort study was conducted based on the prenatal health care system and clinical laboratory information system. Totally, 22 171 pregnant women who had their prenatal health care and gave birth in Tongzhou Maternal & Child Health Hospital of Beijing from Jan. 2016 to Dec. 2018 were recruited. The usage patterns of nutritional supplements [folic acid (FA) or multiple micronutrients (MM)] during periconceptional period were independent variables, and serum Vit.E concentration and serum Vit.E concentration≥11.2 mg/L in the 1st trimester of gestational period were outcome variables for generalized linear regression model and Logistic regression model, respectively, to analyze the relationships between the independent and outcome variables.@*RESULTS@#The range of the serum Vit.E concentration in the 1st trimester of gestational period was 5.2-24.0 mg/L, and the median concentration was 10.1 (8.8-11.6) mg/L; the excess rate of the serum Vit.E of those who took MM supplementation was 0.3%, and the rates for the groups of FA only or no nutritional supplements used were both 0.1%. Compared with women without nutritional supplement or the women taking FA, the women who took MM had higher serum Vit.E levels in the 1st trimester of gestational period (both P < 0.05). The women taking FA or MM initiated before the conception showed that the serum Vit.E concentration in the 1st trimester of gestational period was higher than that after the conception (P < 0.05), and the serum Vit.E concentration of women who took regularly was higher than that of irregular taking (P < 0.05); with taking compliance elevated, the serum Vit.E concentration of the two groups of women taking FA or MM increased (P < 0.05). The risk of serum Vit.E concentration≥11.2 mg/L among the women taking MM was higher than that of the women without nutritional supplements or taking FA only [odds ratio (OR)=1.36, 95% confidence interval (95%CI): 1.21-1.53; OR=1.39, 95%CI: 1.31-1.48)]; women who took FA or MM showed a lower risk for serum Vit.E concentration≥11.2 mg/L of taking it after the conception than before, the ORs (95%CI) were 0.86 (95%CI: 0.77-0.96) and 0.88 (95%CI: 0.81-0.95), respectively; the women taking the two supplements regularly had higher risk for serum Vit.E concentration≥11.2 mg/L than irregular taking, the ORs (95%CI) were 1.16 (95%CI: 1.05-1.29) and 1.13 (95%CI: 1.04-1.22) for FA and MM users, respectively; with the compliance increasing, the women taking MM had a higher risk of serum Vit.E levels≥11.2 mg/L in the 1st trimester [OR (95%CI) was 1.10 (1.07-1.14)], but for FA users, the OR (95%CI) was 1.04(1.00-1.08).@*CONCLUSION@#Vit.E nutritional status in women in early gestational period in Beijing was generally good, and the excess rate of serum Vit.E was higher in women who took MM during periconceptional period than those without nutritional supplement or taking FA only, suggesting that women need to consider their own Vit.E nutritional status to choose the type of nutritional supplements during periconceptional period, so as to avoid related health hazards.

Development of the Mandarin Phoneme Detection Score Sheet as a Screening Tool

Background and Objectives@#Hearing thresholds across frequencies must be obtained for hearing aid fitting. Narrow-band noise (NBN) and speech sounds are often used as stimuli in pediatric audiologic assessments to elicit children’s attention due to their wider frequency ranges as compared to pure tones. However, obtaining complete responses across frequency ranges is challenging in pediatric practice. Therefore, we developed a frequency-specific phoneme screening tool, the Mandarin Phoneme Detection Score Sheet, to help clinicians evaluate aided performance in pediatric practice. @*Subjects and Methods@#A total of 30 adults with typical hearing and 30 children aged 3-12 years with hearing loss were recruited. Threshold ranges for the aided detection of Mandarin phonemes and NBN were measured using 95% confidence intervals. A stepwise regression analysis was then performed to identify the Mandarin phonemes that can predict NBN detection performance. @*Results@#The Mandarin Phoneme Detection Score Sheet was developed based on the results of the regression analysis. It was shown that the phonemes /ɤ, a, tɕh/ could predict detection performance at different frequencies. @*Conclusions@#The Mandarin Phoneme Detection Score Sheet can allow audiologists and early intervention professionals to determine the benefits of hearing aids for pediatric patients in the early stage of hearing loss conditions.

The association of anxiety, depression, tinnitus and sleep quality in patients with occupational noise-induced deafness / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the status and association of anxiety, depression, tinnitus and sleep quality in patients with occupational noise-induced deafness(ONID). METHODS: A total of 302 ONID patients were selected as research subjects using judgment sampling method. Their status of anxiety, depression, tinnitus and sleep quality were investigated using questionnaires of Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. RESULTS: Among the study subjects, there were 123 cases with no anxiety or depression, 46 cases with simple anxiety or depression, and 133 cases with combined anxiety and depression, accounting for 40.7%, 15.3% and 44.0%, respectively. The incidence of tinnitus and sleep disorder were 77.8%(235/302) and 48.0%(145/302), respectively. The total scores of tinnitus and sleep quality in simple anxiety or depression group were higher than those with no anxiety or depression(all P<0.01). The total scores of tinnitus and sleep quality in combined anxiety and depression group were higher than that with no anxiety and depression, and simple anxiety or depression group(all P<0.01). Among the research subjects, the incidence of tinnitus and sleep disorder from high to low were combined anxiety and depression group, simple anxiety or depression group, and no anxiety and depression group(tinnitus: 85.7% vs 76.1% vs 69.9%, sleep disturbance: 82.0% vs 37.0% vs 15.5%, all P<0.01). The standard scores of anxiety and depression in ONID patients were positively correlated with the total scores of tinnitus and sleep quality(correlation coefficients were 0.63, 0.72, 0.63, 0.69, all P<0.01). CONCLUSION: ONID patients can be accompanied by varying degrees of anxiety and depression. The existence of anxiety and depression may lead to increased tinnitus and decreased sleep quality in ONID patients.

Effects of collagen-bioactive glass-polycaprolactone scaffold on proliferation, migration and differentiation of human dental pulp cells / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Collagen-bioglass-polycaprolacton (COL-BG-PCL) composites have good biocompatibility, mechanical properties and biodegradability that are beneficial to cell adhesion, proliferation and angiogenesis. OBJECTIVE:To study the effect of COL-BG-PCL bioactive scaffold on the proliferation, migration and differentiation of human dental pulp cells (hDPCs). METHODS:hDPCs were isolated and cultured on the COL-BG-PCL bioactive scaffold. MTT, cell scratch test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) assay were used to detect the proliferation, migration and differentiation abilities of hDPCs before and at 1, 3, 7, 14, 24 days after inoculation onto the COL-BG-PCL bioactive scaffold. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Compared with the cells without inoculation onto the COL-BG-PCL bioactive scaffold, (1) the proliferation ability of the cells cultured on the COL-BG-PCL scaffold was significantly enhanced (P<0.01), and with the prolongation of the inoculation time, the cell proliferation ability was gradually increased; (2) the cell migration ability of the cells cultured on the COL-BG-PCL scaffold was significantly enhanced (P<0.01), and with the prolongation of the inoculation time, the migration ability of the cells cultured on the COL-BG-PCL scaffold was gradually increased; (3) the level of alkaline phosphatase in the supernatant of the cells cultured on the COL-BG-PCL scaffold was significantly increased (P<0.01), and with the prolongation of the inoculation time, the level of alkaline phosphatase in the supernatant was gradually increased. In summary, the COL-BG-PCL scaffold can promote the proliferation, migration and differentiation of hDPCs.

Inhibition of Erythroid Differentiation of Human Leukemia K562 Cells by N-acetylcysteine and Ascorbic Acid through Downregulation of ROS / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

This study investigated the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and ascorbic acid (AA) on hemin-induced K562 cell erythroid differentiation and the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in this process. Hemin increased ROS levels in a concentration-dependent manner, whereas NAC and AA had opposite effects. Both NAC and AA eliminated transient increased ROS levels after hemin treatment, inhibited hemin-induced hemoglobin synthesis, and decreased mRNA expression levels of β-globin, γ-globin, and GATA-1 genes significantly. Pretreatment with 5,000 μmol/L AA for 2 h resulted in a considerably lower inhibition ratio of hemoglobin synthesis than that when pretreated for 24 h, whereas the ROS levels were the lowest when treated with 5,000 μmol/L AA for 2 h. These results show that NAC and AA might inhibit hemin-induced K562 cell erythroid differentiation by downregulating ROS levels.

Effect of Huangqi San on AMPK/ACC/CPT1 pathway in hyperlipidemia rats / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the mechanism of the treatment of hyperlipidemia rats induced by Huangqi San. The 40 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, model group, Huangqi San low and high dose group (1, 2 g·kg⁻¹), and positive lipitor group (2 mg·kg⁻¹). The normal group feeds on base feed, and other groups feed on high-fat feed. After 8 weeks, the hyperlipidemia model was successful. After intervention by drugs for 13 weeks, fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol content of all rats were measured. The pathological changes of liver and skeletal muscle of rats were observed in rats. Real-time PCR and Western blot were used to detect the mRNA and protein expression levels of AMPK signaling pathway in the liver and skeletal muscles (AMPK, ACC, CPT1A, SREBP2, HMGCR). The degree of FPG, TC, TG and LDL-C were the highest in the model group, and the liver and skeletal muscle pathology were the most obvious. After intervention by Huangqi San and lipitor, a significant reduction in the blood sugar blood fat, liver, and skeletal muscle injury has improved significantly, except SREBF2 and HMGCR mRNA and protein expression of this enzyme is reduced, other AMPK pathway related mRNA and protein expression increased significantly. Huangqi San effect is superior to lipitor. Huangqi San may improve hyperlipidemia by regulating the AMPK signaling pathway, increasing the oxidation of fatty acids and inhibiting cholesterol synthesis.

Effect of anti-androgen and progesterone on development of regrowth antlers in 6 year old sika deer / 中国中药杂志

To investigate the effects of anti-androgen drugs and melengestrol acetate (MGA) on development of regrowth antlers in 6 year old sika deer, twenty healthysika deerwith similar body weight and antler weightwere randomly divided into five groups by using single factor test design: flutamide (=4), bicalutamide (=4), progesterone acetate (CPA, =4), melengestrol acetate (MGA, =4), control(=4). All deer were fed with same diets and were housed outside together in an opened fence of 15 m×30 m with free access to water and feed. Treatment groups were injected subcutaneously sustained-release agents of the four drugs respectively when two-branched antlers were harvested. The control group had no special treatment. In the experiment period of 60 d, blood sampleswere collected for 4 times for each deer. The concentration of testosterone in plasma was tested and analyzed to compare the changes between different groups. Development of regrowth antlers was observed. At the end of the experiment, regrowth antlers were weighted and analyzed. The resultsshowed that the weights of regrowth antlers in treatment groups were significantly greater than those from control group and the weight gain (as compared with the control group) was 100.50%, 64.46%, 87.16% and 117.46% respectively in flutamide group, bicalutamide group, progesterone acetate group and melengestrol acetate group. For plasma testosterone concentration, it was not significantly different in the early stage (in the first 35 d), but at the end of the experimen, it was significantly higher than that of earlier stage (<0.01) in various groups. Testosterone concentration of flutamide treated group was significantly lower than that of the other groups (<0.01), while the level inbicalutamide and MGA treated groups was significantly higher than that in other groups (<0.01). The results showed that both anti-androgen drugs and MGA treatment promoted the development of regrowth antlers and increased the weight of regrowth antlers, where the effect was most significant by MGA treatment. From the morphological observation of the antlers, it was found that anti-androgen and MGA treatments prolonged the growth period of regrowth antlers through delaying the ossification of antlers. However, plasma testosterone concentration was not affected by the treatments.

Effects of CNTF Antibody Block to the Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantated by Abdominal Aortic on the Downstream Signaling Pathways STAT3/Caspase-9 in Spinal Cord Ischemic Reperfusion Injuried Rats / 昆明医科大学学报

Objective To investigate the functional recovery and the effect of CNTF antibody block to the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) transplantated by Abdominal aortic on the downstream signaling pathways STAT3/Caspase-9 in spinal cord ischemic reperfusion injury in rats.Methods Adult female SD ratswere assigned randomly to 4 groups. The neurological functional status of the animals was assessed with BBB scores, the Motor evoked potentials (MEP) and Cortical somatosensory evoked potentials (CSEP).The IHC were used to detect the the expressional changes of CNTF, then Western blot and RT-PCR were used to detect the expressional changes of STAT3、p-STAT3、CNTF and Caspase-9 in the ischemic segments of spinal cord.Results Compared with the sham group, in the SCIRI rats, the BBB scores were markedly decreased at all time points (P＜0.01), the latency and the amplitude of MEP and CSEP was longer and lower at 14 d post operation (P＜0.01), and this change was the most significant in the control group the second in the CNTF block group, and the last in the transplantation group, Resutts between each two groups were statistically significant (P＜0.05). At 7 d post operation, compared with the sham group, the immunoreactive products of CNTF were decreased in the CNTF block group (P＜0.05), but were increased (P＜0.05) in the control group and the transplantation group (P＜0.05), and results in the transplantation group were higher than in the control group (P＜0.05). At 7 d post operation, compared with the sham group, the m RNA and protein level of CNTF、STAT3、 p-STAT3 were decreased obviously in CNTF block group (P＜0.05), the levels were increased in the control group and the transplantation group (P＜0.05), and the levels in the transplantation group were higher than that in the control group (P＜0.05); but the m RNA and protein level of Caspase-9 were only decreased in the transplantation group (P＜0.05), the level was increased in the CNTF block group and the control groups (P＜0.05), and the level in the CNTF block group was more significantly increased than that in the control group (P＜0.05). At 14 d post operation, in CNTF block group, the m RNA and protein level of CNTF、STAT3、p-STAT3 were significantly higher than that in the sham group and the control group (P＜0.05), and the m RNA and protein level of caspase-9 was higher than that in the sham group (P＜0.05), but lower than that in the control group (P＜0.05), there were not statistically different in the level of each factor compared with transplantation group (P＞0.05). Conclusions BMSCs, transplanted by the abdominal aorta, can promote the expression of CNTF in the injuried spinal cord and significantly improve the hind limb function recovery by CNTF-mediated signaling pathway downstream of STAT3/Caspase-9 SCIRI in rats, but the role of BMSCs can be weakening by CNTF block that inhibited STAT3/Caspase-9 signaling pathway.

Research progress on identification and quality control of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum / 中国中药杂志

Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, as a traditional Chinese medicine, has great potential for development. However, the identification and quality control system is not perfect, leading to the market chaos and chronic slow growth in deep processing of Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum. This paper gives an overview of present situation in identification and quality control system of the Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum, and analyzes present problems. Based on these results, the feasibility study scheme in identification and quality control system for Cervi Cornu Pantotrichum would be then put forward, providing ideas to establish its comprehensive evaluation system.

Postprocedural Outcomes and Risk Factors for Arrhythmias Following Transcatheter Closure of Congenital Perimembranous Ventricular Septal Defect: A Single-center Retrospective Study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Currently, transcatheter closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defect (pmVSD) is a widely accepted therapeutic modality. However, arrhythmias, especially postprocedural heart blocks, are a concern and outcomes are not very clear. This study explored the outcomes and risk factors of arrhythmias associated with transcatheter device closure of pmVSD.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 395 patients diagnosed with pmVSD who successfully underwent transcatheter intervention between January 2010 and December 2015 in our center were retrospectively reviewed. Electrocardiographic data before and after the procedure were collected and analyzed. We first evaluated the potential risk factors including gender, age, weight, inlet and outlet diameters of defect, subaortic rim length, occluder size, corrected occluder size into body surface area, fluoroscopy time, presence of aneurysm, and deployment position. We compared the potential risk factors between arrhythmia and nonarrhythmia groups using univariate analysis, followed by logistic analysis for independent risk factors.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Various arrhythmias were detected in 95 cases (24.1%) following transcatheter closure procedure. Logistic regression analysis revealed that eccentric (odds ratio [OR] 2.9, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.2-7.2) and large occluders (OR 2.0, 95% CI: 1.6-2.5), as well as long fluoroscopy time (OR 1.1, 95% CI: 1.1-1.2), were correlated with postprocedural arrhythmia. During 35.5 months (range: 9-80 months) of follow-up, most of the patients (74 out of 95) reverted to normal heart rhythm.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The mid-term outcome of patients with arrhythmias after transcatheter closure of pmVSD was satisfactory as most of the patients recovered normal rhythm. Eccentric, large device and long fluoroscopy time increase the risk of arrhythmias after transcatheter closure of pmVSD.</p>

Beneficial effects of bipolar hemiarthroplasty replacement and fosamax in the retrospective cohort study of refracture and mortality of hip fractured patients

The epidemiological hip fracture leads to a high death rate in the elderly with osteoporosis worldwide. However, the appropriate surgical styles or anti-osteoporotic therapy could prevent these patients with hip fractures from suffering refracture, but the efficacy of such treatment remains elusive for first hip fractured patients. Our retrospective analysis was conducted on 508 hip fracture patients who were enrolled from Show Chwan Memorial Hospital from January 2005 through December 2011 and followed up until the end of 2012. However, bipolar hemiarthroplasty replacement and open reduction internal fixation [ORIF] are treatment options for femoral neck and intertrochanic hip fracture in our study population. Among these patients, 82 suffered 2nd hip fracture [refracture] with femoral neck or intertrochanteric fracture and 39 died after surgical intervention accompanied complications. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a better outcome in patients with bipolar hemiarthroplasty replacement or fosamax therapy of hip fractured patients than those with femoral neck/ ORIF and intertrochanteric/ ORIF or without fosamax therapy. Multivariate cox regression analysis revealed the lowest incidence of refracture and mortality in hip fracture patients with received bipolar hemiarthroplasty replacement surgical intervention [OR=0.732, €1=0.587-0.912; P=0.006]. It is therefore concluded that fosamax therapy may improve bone density and increase bone tissue repair to prevent patients with hip fracture from refracture, and bipolar hemiarthroplasty replacement may promote patients who undertake outdoor activities to produce more vitamin D than those who have received ORIF

Influencing factors and quality of life in patients with occupational pneumoconiosis / 中国职业医学

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the current status of quality of life( QOL) in patients with occupational pneumoconiosis,and explore the effects of the social demographic data and disease-related information on their QOL.METHODS: By the convenience sampling method,144 male patients with occupational pneumoconiosis were selected. The St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire( SGRQ) was used in the study and the stepwise regression analysis method was used to analyze the influencing factors of QOL in these patients. RESULTS: The SGRQ total score was( 60. 0 ± 18. 0),respiratory symptom dimension score was( 61. 2 ± 19. 7),limitation of motion dimension score was( 64. 0 ± 21. 5) and the disease influence dimension score was( 57. 7 ± 19. 5). The QOL of 52. 08%( 75 /144) of the patients were below the average level. The stage of pneumoconiosis was positively correlated with SGRQ total score and the above three dimension scores( P < 0. 01). The length of disease was negatively correlated with respiratory symptom dimension score( P < 0. 05);the educational level was negatively correlated with limitation of motion dimension score( P < 0. 01); the lung function was positively correlated with limitation of motion dimension score( P < 0. 05). CONCLUSION: The QOL of patients with pneumoconiosis was below the average level. The stage of pneumoconiosis,length of diagnosis,the educational level and lung function are the important factors affecting the QOL of these patients.

The role of ROS in hydroquinone-induced inhibition of K562 cell erythroid differentiation / 生物医学与环境科学（英文）

The role of ROS in hydroquinone-induced inhibition of K562 cell erythroid differentiation was investigated. After K562 cells were treated with hydroquinone for 24 h, and hemin was later added to induce erythroid differentiation for 48 h, hydroquinone inhibited hemin-induced hemoglobin synthesis and mRNA expression of γ-globin in K562 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. The 24-h exposure to hydroquinone also caused a concentration-dependent increase at an intracellular ROS level, while the presence of N- acetyl-L-cysteine prevented hydroquinone- induced ROS production in K562 cells. The presence of N-acetyl-L-cysteine also prevented hydroquinone inhibiting hemin-induced hemoglobin synthesis and mRNA expression of γ-globin in K562 cells. These evidences indicated that ROS production played a role in hydroquinone-induced inhibition of erythroid differentiation.

FDG PET or PET/CT in Evaluation of Renal Angiomyolipoma

OBJECTIVE: Angiomyolipoma is the most common benign kidney tumor. However, literature describing FDG PET findings on renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is limited. This study reports the FDG PET and PET/CT findings of 21 cases of renal AML. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study reviews FDG PET and PET/CT images of 21 patients diagnosed with renal AML. The diagnosis is based on the classical appearance of an AML on CT scan with active surveillance for 6 months. The study is focused on the observation of clinical and radiographic features. RESULTS: Six men and 15 women were included in our study. The mean age of the patients was 57.14 +/- 9.67 years old. The mean diameter of 21 renal AML on CT scans was 1.76 +/- 1.00 cm (Min: 0.6 cm; Max: 4.4 cm). CT scans illustrated renal masses typical of AMLs, and the corresponding FDG PET scans showed minimal FDG activities in the area of the tumors. None of the 21 AMLs showed a maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) greater than 1.98. No statistically significant correlation was present between SUVmax and tumor size. CONCLUSION: Renal AMLs demonstrate very low to low uptake on FDG PET and PET/CT imaging in this study. When a fat-containing tumor in the kidney is found on a CT scan, it is critical to differentiate an AML from a malignant tumor including an RCC, liposarcoma, and Wilms tumor. This study suggests that FDG PET or PET/CT imaging is useful for differentiating a renal AML from a fat-containing malignant tumor.

Magnetic resonance imaging of congenital fibrosis of extraocular muscle associated with limb movement disorder in a family / 中华实验眼科杂志

Background Congenital fibrosis of extraocular muscles (CFEOM) affects patient' s appearance and quality of life,and no effective treatment for this disease is available.Imaging study is helpful for exploring the pathogenesis of CFEOM.Objective This study was to describe the characteristics of CFEOM associated with limb movement disorder using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Methods A family with CFEOM associated with limb movement disorder was investigated in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University.Disease history was collected and the pedigree was investigated.Ophthalmologic examinations,including corrected visual acuity,refractive error,slitlamp examination,ophthalmoscopic examination,force of levator palpebrae superioris,ocular movement,eye position,forced duction test,and bell phenomenon examination,were performed.Ocular orbital and cranial MRI was performed in 4 CFEOM patients and 10 normal subjects to compare the structures of the extraocular muscles,motor nerve and cranium.Oral informed consent was obtained from each patient prior to any medical examination.Results A total of 1 1 members from 3 generations were investigated in this study,presenting with 4 cases of disease.The mode of inheritance of this family complied with the Mendelian autosomal dominant inheritance law.Clinical signs included disturbance of eye movement,deviation of eye position,ptosis,lack of Bell sign and positive reaction of passive pull test.In addition,unstable gait,improper body limb alignment,dysphasia and mental retardation were ohserved in 1 patient,which coincided with the diagnostic criteria of type 3 CFEOM.MRI results demonstrated that the levator palpebrae superioris,superior rectus and superior oblique muscle were clearly thinner,and the medial rectus,lateral rectus,inferior rectus muscle were thinning in the patients,showing significant differences in comparison with the normal controls(P＜O.05).The oculomotor and abducens nerves became thinner and even absent in the patients.Cranial MRI showed that Ⅲ-3 in the pedigree with callosum was shorter than that of the normal controls,suggesting that patient suffered from corpus callosum hypoplasia.Meanwhile,cranial MRI indicated the presence of cerebellar hypoplasia and the expansion of the fourth ventricle.Conclusions MRI demonstrates consistent abnormalities of the oculomotor nerves and abducens nerves in the affected individuals in this CFEOM 3 family,and some affected members exhibit two types of central nervous system abnormalities-corpus callosum and cerebellar hypoplasia.These findings suggest that CFEOM 3 is primarily a neuronal disease.

Clinical analysis of radiofrequency transcatheter ablation for treatment of tachyarrhythmia in 261 children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective To investigate the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency catheter ablation(RFCA) treatment for children with tachyarrhythmia of various types.Methods Two hundred and sixty-one cases with tachyarrhythmia who received RFCA at Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University from Aug.2000 to Dec.2012 were selected.All electrocardiogram(ECG) and echocardiography data were obtained.All of the 261 patients underwent electrophysiological study and RFCA.The clinical data of the pediatric patients with tachyarrhythmia after RFCA in Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University were retrospectively analyzed and the curative effect and the complication rate of RFCA treatment for children with tachyarrhythmia of various types were investigated.Results (1)Among the 261 cases,4 cases had tachyarrhythmia associated with tachycardia induced cardiomyopathy,and 1 case had tachycardia associated with heart failure.(2)One hundred and forty-six cases had atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia(AVRT) ;74 cases had atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia(AVNRT) ;32 cases had idiopathic ventricular tachycardia(IVT) ;6 cases had atrial tachycardia(AT) ;and 3 cases had atrial flutter(AF).Ten children with tachyarrhythmia associated with organic heart disease received RFCA successfully.(3) The average operation time was (101.23 ±51.37) minutes and the average X-ray exposure time was(21.85 ± 17.10) minutes.(4)The total successful rate of RFCA was 98.08％ (256/261 cases),1 case(0.38％) suffered from pneumothorax after operation,and recovered after treatment.There was no serious complications nor deaths of all the patients.(5) Twenty-two cases recurred,and the total recurrence rate was 8.43％ (22/261 cases),time to relapse was 3 days to 5 years,and the average time was 7 months.There were 9 cases in IVT(9/32 cases,28.13％),7 cases in AVRT(7/146 cases,4.79％),4 cases in AVNRT(4/74 cases,5.41％),2 cases in AT(2/6 cases,33.33％).Eighteen cases received successful RFCA for second time,and 4 cases had good effect after drug control.Conclusions (1) RFCA in pediatric patients of tachyarrhythmia is relatively convenient,and this therapy can be performed safely and effectively that can cure certain tachyarrhythmia.(2) AVRT is the common type of tachyarrhythmia in children,followed by AVNRT,IVT,AT and AF.(3) The total recurrence rate of RFCA in children is low,but is relatively high in IVT and AT.(4) The success rate of RFCA is the same in children combined organic heart disease.

Research progress and prospect of universal influenza vaccine / 病毒学报

The constant outbreaks of influenza in a global scale have aroused great concern all over the world. Vaccine has been the most effective and economic means against influenza. However, the broad tropism and high mutation of influenza viruses have limited the effectiveness of influenza vaccines. Current influenza virus vaccines provide effective protection against virus strains that are identical or highly similar to the vaccine strain. Once a highly mutated or new strain of influenza virus appears, the current vaccine would lose its effectiveness. Therefore, the development of a universal vaccine against highly mutated or new influenza virus subtypes has become a hot spot in the field of influenza vaccine research. The major methods of developing the universal influenza vaccine are to select a conserved protein of influenza virus as an antigen. At least three universal influenza vaccines have been tested in clinical trials. Moreover, changing the routes of vaccine immunization and immunization schemes could also improve the effect of heterosubtypic immunity. This review summarized the research progresses of universal influenza vaccines and provided our prospective on universal influenza vaccine research.