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Objective To investigate the pollution levels of six indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in animal-derived foods in Hebei Province. Methods A total of 96 food samples (including beltfish, snakehead, egg, pork liver, pork and beef meat) were collected from Hebei Province in 2019. The contents of six indicator PCBs (PCB 28, PCB 52, PCB 101, PCB 138, PCB 153 and PCB180) in different food samples were determined using isotope dilution-high resolution gas chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC-HRMS). Results The contents of indicative PCBs in fish samples ranged from 0.12 to 0.32 ngg-1 fresh weight, while the content of PCBs in other samples ranged from 0.11 to 1.10 ng g-1 fat. PCB 138 and PCB 153 were the main compounds detected in fish samples, while PCB 28 and PCB 52 were the main compounds detected in other samples. The average estimated daily dietary intake of PCBs for residents in Hebei Province was 0.14 ng kg-1·bw-1·d-1, and the highest contribution rate was beltfish (61.52%). Conclusion The pollution levels of indicator PCBs in animal-derived foods in Hebei Province are relatively low, and the residents has lower health risks through dietary intake of indicator PCBs.
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Objective@#To prepare a kind of lipid nanoparticle ultrasound contrast agents with the ability to target to viable myocardium for diagnosis.@*Methods@#The agent was a biotinylated, fluorescent-labelled, lipid-coated, liquid perfluorocarbon emulsion. Physico-chemical properties of the agent were measured, including size distribution, Zeta Potential, concentration and so on. Ischemia-reperfusion models were created in rats, and then exposed to biotinylated anti-MCP-1 monoclonal antibody, rhodamine avidin and biotinylated, FITC-labelled nanoparticles, respectively. Echocardiography was taken before and after injection. Frozen sections of their hearts were observed under fluorescence microscope.@*Results@#The particle diameter, zeta potential and concentration of lipid nanoparticles were (172.30±52.06)nm, (-33.10±6.50)mV and (2.28±0.46)×1011/ml, respectively. From the short-axis view, the myocardium under endocardium of anterior wall was enhanced obviously. While myocardium of other walls were still. The lipid nanoparticles located in the myocardium of anterior wall and gave out bright green and red fluorescence under fluorescence microscope, while neither lipid nanoparticles nor fluorescence were found in other sites of ventricular myocardium.@*Conclusions@#The viable myocardium can be targeted and acoustically enhanced by the self-made nano-scale ultrasound contrast agent. This new agent has potential to improve sensitivity and specificity for noninvasive identifying viable myocardium.
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Objective To prepare a kind of lipid nanoparticle ultrasound contrast agents with the ability to target to viable myocardium for diagnosis . Methods T he agent was a biotinylated ,fluorescent‐labelled ,lipid‐coated , liquid perfluorocarbon emulsion . Physico‐chemical properties of the agent were measured ,including size distribution ,Zeta Potential ,concentration and so on . Ischemia‐reperfusion models were created in rats ,and then exposed to biotinylated anti‐MCP‐1 monoclonal antibody ,rhodamine avidin and biotinylated ,FITC‐labelled nanoparticles ,respectively . Echocardiography was taken before and after injection . Frozen sections of their hearts were observed under fluorescence microscope . Results T he particle diameter ,zeta potential and concentration of lipid nanoparticles were ( 172 .30 ± 52 .06) nm ,( －33 .10 ± 6 .50) mV and ( 2 .28 ± 0 .46 ) × 1011/ml ,respectively . From the short‐axis view ,the myocardium under endocardium of anterior wall was enhanced obviously . While myocardium of other walls were still . T he lipid nanoparticles located in the myocardium of anterior wall and gave out bright green and red fluorescence under fluorescence microscope ,w hile neither lipid nanoparticles nor fluorescence were found in other sites of ventricular myocardium . Conclusions The viable myocardium can be targeted and acoustically enhanced by the self‐made nano‐scale ultrasound contrast agent . T his new agent has potential to improve sensitivity and specificity for noninvasive identifying viable myocardium .
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Objective To evaluate the changes of left ventricular (LV) bulk rotation and untwisting in transplanted hearts using 2-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(STI).Methods Basal and apical LV short-axis images were acquired in 15 heart transplant recipients 3 months post surgery(HT group) and 56 healthy control subjects.Basal and apical rotation versus time profiles were drawn using 2-dimensional STI software.Appropriate values were chosen from the dataset obtained and compared between two groups.Results ①Compared with the control group,the heart rate,anterior-posterior diameter of left atrium,enddiastolic interventricular septum thickness,left ventricular posterior wall thickness,isovolumic relaxation time and E/e ratio were significantly increased,e and a values were decreased significantly in HT group (P ＜ 0.05).② No significant difference was noticed in the peak degrees of LV bulk rotation,the degrees of LV bulk rotation at the time of aortic valve closure and mitral valve opening (P =0.700,0.984,0.495,respectively) between 2 groups.In both groups,systolic rotation reached its maximum at end-systole [(96.1 ± 8.4) ％ in HT group vs (100.5 ± 6.3) ％ in control group,P =0.065].③Significant decreases in untwisting rate and trend untwisting variables were observed in the HT group(P ＜0.001).Conclusions 3 months after transplanted,left ventricular bulk rotation of cardiac allografts remained normal,and significant decreases in both untwisting rate and trend untwisting variables showed that the diastolic function of cardiac allografts was impaired.
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Objective To evaluate left ventricular(LV) systolic function by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging(2D-STI) in severe aortic stenosis(AS) patients.Methods Standard echocardiography and 2D-STI examinations were performed in a total of 54 subjects including 26 consecutive patients with severe AS with LV ejection fraction(LVEF) ≥50％ and 28 controls.2D-STI including systolic longitudinal strain (LS) and strain rate(LSr) were assessed from the apical 4-chamber,3-chamber and 2-chamber views,the circumferential strain(CS) and strain rate(CSr),radial strain(RS) and strain rate(RSr) were measured from the standard short axis views (averaging 6 segments per view).The above parameters of AS groups were compared with those of normals.The repeatability of LVEF,LS and RS was evaluated in 6 AS patients and 6 normal volunteers selected at random from the investigation.Results ① There was no significant difference between AS group and control group in LVEF,LV end-diastolic dimension(LVEDD),LV endsystolic dimension (LVESD) and midwall fractional shortening (mwFS) (P ＞ 0.05).② Significant differences were detected between the two groups.LS,RS,CS,LSr,RSr,and CSr were obviously decreased in AS group(P ＜0.05).③The repeatability of LVEF,LS and RS was good by consecutive measurement of identical and independent observers.Conclusions Despite the presence of normal LVEF,the LV systolic function is impaired in severe AS patients.
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Objective To quantify the expression levels of calpain 1 and caspase-3 in lichen planus (LP) lesions and their relationship with the apoptosis in keratinocytes.Methods Biopsy samples were obtained from the lesions of 20 patients with LP and normal skin of 10 healthy controls,and embedded in paraffin.Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) was used to evaluate the apoptosis in keratinocytes,and immunohistochemical staining to detect the expressions of calpain 1 and caspase-3,in these tissue specimens.Data were processed by SPSS 13.0 software.Comparison analysis was carried out by t test for apoptosis index,and by rank sum test for the expressions of calpain 1 and caspase-3.Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between these parameters.Results The apoptosis index of keratinocytes was higher in LP lesions than in the normal skin (67.59 ± 13.50 vs.28.26 ± 7.56,t =8.52,P ＜ 0.01).Significantly increased expressions of calpain 1 and caspase-3 were observed in the epidermis of LP lesions compared with the normal skin (T =78.00 and 77.00,respectively,both P ＜ 0.01).The expressions of both calpain 1 and caspase-3 were positively correlated with apoptosis index of keratinocytes (r =0.71 and 0.74,respectively,both P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions The expressions of calpain 1 and caspase-3 are upregulated in LP lesions,which may be closely associated with the accelerated apoptosis in keratinocytes.
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Objective To evaluate the clinical value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of aorticoleft ventricular tunnel.Methods The echocardiographic and clinical characteristics were retrospectively analyzed in 6 patients with aortico-left ventricular tunnel we reported and 147 cases that documents reported.Results Six patients were confirmed by operation.The main echocardiographic characteristics of aortico-left ventricular tunnel were as follows:An abnormal communication began in the ascending aorta above the level of the coronary arteries,bypassed the aortic valve,and terminated in the left ventricle.The color Doppler flow imaging demonstrated to-and-fro flow,with or without aortic valve involvement.According Hovaguimian and his colleagues,2 cases were type Ⅰ,2 cases were type Ⅲ,1 case was type Ⅳ,1 case was type Ⅱ (showed as recanalization).Base on all of the 153 patients that we and documents reported,the accuracy rate of ultrasound diagnosis was 79.6％,the misdiagnosis rate was 17.1％,and missed diagnosis rate was 3.3 ％.Conclusions Echocardiography is the non-invasive and sensitive tool in the diagnosis of the type of aortico-left ventricular tunnel and structure of cardiac involvement,and is the preferred method for preoperative.
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Objective To investigate the value of left ventricular global two-dimensional strain and strain rate index measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) in assessing myocardial injury in various degree of rats following acute myocardial infarction. Methods Fifty-five Wistar rats were randomly divided into myocardial infarction(MI) group ( n =45) and sham-operation(SO) group ( n = 10).To establish rats acute myocardial infarction model with different infarct extent, MI group were randomly divided into MI15 group,MI30 group and ML60 group( n = 15,respectively) which underwent occlusion of left anterior descending coronary artery for 15 minutes, 30 minutes and 60 minutes respectively. Echocardiography was performed at baseline and 24 hours after reperfusion. High frame rate twodimensional images were recorded from the left ventricular short-axis views at the papillary muscle level.Left ventricular global circumferential strain(GSc) and strain rate(GSRc) were measured using EchoPAC work station. Left ventricular internal diameter at diastole (LVIDd) and systole ( LVIDs), fractional shortening(FS) and ejection fraction(EF) were measured by anatomical M-model echocardiography. Area of necrosis(AN) of each segment was measured after triphenyl tetrazolium chloride(TTC) staining. Results ① Compared with baseline and SO group, LVIDd and LVIDs of MI15, MI30 and MI60 group significantly increased respectively,whereas FS and EF significantly decreased( P <0. 05). Compared with MI15 group and MI30 group, LVIDd and LVIDs of MI60 group significantly increased, whereas FS and EF significantly decreased(P <0. 05). ② Compared with baseline and SO group,GSc and GSRc of MI15 group, MI30 group and MI60 group significantly decreased. GSc and GSRc of MI group decreased with ischemia duration ( P <0.05). ③ GSc and GSRc significantly correlated with AN respectively ( P <0. 01) while the correlation coefficient was 0. 90 and 0. 88 respectively, and GSc and GSRc were significantly predictors of AN( P <0.01) while the Beta was 0.558 and 0.491 respectively.④AN increased with ischemia duration( P <0.05). Conclusions Left ventricular global circumferential strain and strain rate index measured by 2D-STI,which decreased significantly as the area of necrosis increased, can accurately assess myocardial injury after myocardial infarction in various degree.
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Objective To assess left ventricular (LV) global systolic function in patients with essential hypertension with normal geometric LV by 3-dimensional ultrasound speckle tracking imaging(3D-STI). Methods Fifty patients with essential hypertension were enrolled in this study, 29 normal subjects matched with age and sex were selected as control groups. LV global longitudinal peak systolic strain (GLS), radial peak systolic strain (GRS), circumferential peak systolic strain (GCS), LV global 3-dimentional radial peak systolic strain (3DGRS) were measured in all subjects by 3D-STI from the apical full-volume image and compared between groups. LV ejection fraction (LVEF) was acquired from 3D-STI.Results Compared with controls, LV GLS, GRS, GCS and 3DGRS were significantly reduced in patients with hypertension ( P ＜ 0.05 for all). A Pearson correlate revealed that LV GCS, GLS and GRS corresponded with LVEF( r1 =0.930, P1 ＜0.001; r2 = 0.705, P2 ＜0.001; r3 =0.474, P3 =0.001,respectively) in patients with hypertension, and LV GCS, GLS correlated with LVEF( r1 = 0. 838, P1 ＜0. 001; r2 = 0. 697, P2 ＜ 0. 001, respectively) in normal subjects. Conclusions LV global 3D strain decreases in patients with hypertension in the early period,3D-STI could evaluate the early change of heart function in patients with hypertension. LV circumferential movement plays a major role in the LV 3D movement and impacts on LVEF.
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Objective To explore the value of transthoracic echocardiography in diagnosis of univentricle and analyze the sonogram typing. Methods The results of 66 patients with univentricle were reviewed retrospectively,and analayzed their typing connected with the reports in the literature. Results There were 3 ultrasonic types in 66 cases:①Type A(single left ventricle) 19 cases,single ventricle with left ventricular shape,residual cavity in front of it. ②Type B(single right ventricle) 38 cases, single ventricle with right ventricular form,and residual cavity in the rear.③Type C (solitary single-ventricle) 9 cases,there was only one ventricle. Thirty-one of them were treated surgically, 5 cases without operation had MRI or cardiac catheterization examination and the remaining 26 patients were only observed by echocardiography,the positive rate of diagnosis in type was 100%, the results were compared with cardiac catheterization or MRI examination and the operation: 1 cases of mixed type total anomalous pulmonary venous connection was misdiagnosed as heart-type total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage. But 1 case of descending aorta limitations narrow complicated patent ductus arteriosus(PDA), PDA was missed. The rest were completely correct diagnosis. Conclusions The transthoracic echocardiography can be used to evaluate types and all containing malformations of univentricle,and offers reliable information for operation.