Left atrial automated functional myocardial imaging to identify patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation at high risk of stroke / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the risk factors of non-valvular paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (NVPAF) with cerebral ischemic stroke(CIS) and analyze NVPAF by using left atrial automatic imaging (AFILA). Logistic regression model was established for left atrial(LA) function parameters.Methods:A total of 205 patients with NVPAF were included in the study and divided into the NVPAF group without ischemic stroke (154 patients) and the CIS group (51 patients). The clinical baseline data, blood biochemical results and AFILA ultrasound data of all patients were collected. Univariate analysis was performed to compare the above data between the two groups of patients. The independent risk factors were obtained by multivariate logistic regression analysis. Logistic regression model was compared with CHA2DS2-VASc scoring system in terms of area under ROC curve, sensitivity and specificity.Results:There were significant differences in age, CHA2DS2-VASc score, taking anticoagulant drugs, history of hypertension, diabetes and coronary heart disease, LAEF, S_R, S_CT, WBC, NEUT, HCY, UREA, NDD, NT-proBNP, Fibrinogen(Fib), Cardiac troponin I(cTnI) and NLR between the two groups (all P<0.05). The results of multifactor analysis showed that: age, hypertension, S_ CT, UREA, NLR, Fib and cTnI were independent risk factors associated with CIS in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation[ OR value: 1.608 ( P=0.003), 3.821 ( P=0.019), 1.259 ( P=0.001), 1.326( P=0.001), 1.352 ( P=0.011), 1.502 ( P=0.042), 7.651( P=0.001)]. After adjusting for the age, sex and history of hypertension included in CHA2DS2-VASc score, S_CT significantly led to NVPAF complicated with stroke[ OR value 1.259 (1.095-1.447), P=0.001]. The diagnostic efficacy of Logistic regression model is better than that of CHA2DS2-VASc scoring (AUC of 0.931 vs 0.717, 95% CI: 0.896-0.967 vs 0.634-0.799, sensitivity of 0.883 vs 0.755, specificity of 0.849 vs 0.713, all P<0.001). Conclusions:Age, hypertension, S_CT, UREA, NLR, fibrinogen, cTnI are independently associated risk factors for patients with combined CIS; The diagnostic efficacy of Logistic regression model is better than that of CHA2DS2-VASc scoring model.And the sensitivity and specificity are high.

Market Structure, Medical Arms Race and Health Expense Growth:An Empirical Analysis Based on the Cross-province Data / 中国卫生经济

To analyze the relationship between hospital non-price competition behavior and market structure, analyze the relationship between hospital market construction and health care costs gtowth. Methods:Using cross-province data(SCP) theory to establish the regression function of health cost expenditure, hospital market concentration ratio and the occupancy of public hospital market, process the empirical analysis based on the two-factor effectiveness model of panel data. Results: There is no medical arms race in hospital business under the current market concentration. Conclusion: The reinforcement of market competition played a more important role in the improvement of operational efficiency rather than the differences in the nature of property rights and the profit of hospitals.

Health Expenditure, Human Capital and Economic Growth：Based on Analysis of Simultaneous Equations / 中国卫生经济

Objective: To investigate the function of the heath expenditure in the role of the economic growth through the research on the effect by the human capital. Methods: To establish endogenous growth models and human capital growth models of simultaneous equations, to analyze the mechanism by the method of a three-stage least squares. Results: Growth of human capital is positively related to economic growth, health expenditure growth is negatively related to economic growth, health expenditure growth and growth of human capital is positively correlated. Conclusion: Influences of health expenditure growth on economic growth depends on the comprehensive response.

Assessment of the left ventricular early diastolic synchrony of cardiac resynchronization therapy by real time three-dimensional echocardiographic volume-time curves in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective To evaluate the diastolic function and relationship between diastolic function and early diastolic synchrony in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) by real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) volume-time curves (VTC) after cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).Methods Thirty-nine patients with DCM were enrolled by RT-3DE VTC before and 1 week,6 months,12 months after CRT,draw the left ventricular (LV) 16,12,6 segments LV diastolic early volume standard deviation of the time (Tedv-SD),and with the R-R interval normalized as early diastolic unsynchronized index (DDI) ;draw end-systolic volume (LVESV),LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV),LV ejection fraction (LVEF) ;and calculate the diastolic peak filling rate(PFR),the ratio of early diastolic volume and enddiastolic volume(EDVearly/EDV).Results LVEDV,LVESV had no significant improvement.Compared with the before and 1 week after CRT,but the improvement was statistically significant after 6 months and 12 months (P ＜0.05,P ＜0.01); LVEF after 1 week,6 months and 12 months were statistically significant (P ＜0.05) ;Compared with before,PFR after 6 months was significantly increased (P ＜0.05),EDVearly/EDV at 12 months after CRT was significantly reduced (P ＜ 0.01); There was a significantly shortened in each segment (Tedv-SD)/R-R 1 week after CRT (P ＜0.01),but the parameters had no obvious improvement later.Correlation analysis:△ DDI and △ EDVearly/EDV reduction was significant positive correlation (r =0.52,P ＜0.01),△DDI and PFR has negative correlation (r =-0.40,P ＜ 0.05),△ EDVearly/EDV and △PFR also had a good relationship (r =-0.56,P ＜0.01).Conclusions The LV synchrony and diastolic function were improved after CRT in patients with DCM; PFR,EDVearly/EDV can be used as evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function effectively targets.

Analysis of the Role of Medical Service Quality in the Growth of the Total Expenditure on Health / 中国卫生经济

Objective:To investigate the function of the quality factor in the growth of the total heath expenditure, in order to provide references for making the object of the health policy. Methods: Through the decomposition the identical equation of the growth of the total expenditure on health, to analyze the contribution of medical service quality and its factor. Results: The sustaining improvement of medical service quality in the important factor on the constant growth of the total expenditure on health. Conclusion: The primary objective of health policy is to improve the quality of medical services, and the secondary is to control the expense.

Clinical implications of hedgehog signaling pathway inhibitors / 癌症

Hedgehog was first described in Drosophila melanogaster by the Nobel laureates Eric Wieschaus and Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard. The hedgehog (Hh) pathway is a major regulator of cell differentiation, proliferation, tissue polarity, stem cell maintenance, and carcinogenesis. The first link of Hh signaling to cancer was established through studies of a rare familial disease, Gorlin syndrome, in 1996. Follow-up studies revealed activation of this pathway in basal cell carcinoma, medulloblastoma and, leukemia as well as in gastrointestinal, lung, ovarian, breast, and prostate cancer. Targeted inhibition of Hh signaling is now believed to be effective in the treatment and prevention of human cancer. The discovery and synthesis of specific inhibitors for this pathway are even more exciting. In this review, we summarize major advances in the understanding of Hh signaling pathway activation in human cancer, mouse models for studying Hh-mediated carcinogenesis, the roles of Hh signaling in tumor development and metastasis, antagonists for Hh signaling and their clinical implications.

Tumor shrinkage by cyclopamine tartrate through inhibiting hedgehog signaling / 癌症

The link of hedgehog (Hh) signaling activation to human cancer and synthesis of a variety of Hh signaling inhibitors raise great expectation that inhibiting Hh signaling may be effective in human cancer treatment. Cyclopamine (Cyc), an alkaloid from the Veratrum plant, is a specific natural product inhibitor of the Hh pathway that acts by targeting smoothened (SMO) protein. However, its poor solubility, acid sensitivity, and weak potency relative to other Hh antagonists prevent the clinical development of Cyc as a therapeutic agent. Here, we report properties of cyclopamine tartrate salt (CycT) and its activities in Hh signaling-mediated cancer in vitro and in vivo. Unlike Cyc, CycT is water soluble (5-10 mg/mL). The median lethal dose (LD50) of CycT was 62.5 mg/kg body weight compared to 43.5 mg/kg for Cyc, and the plasma half-life (T1/2) of CycT was not significantly different from that of Cyc. We showed that CycT had a higher inhibitory activity for Hh signaling-dependent motor neuron differentiation than did Cyc (IC50 = 50 nmol/L for CycT vs. 300 nmol/L for Cyc). We also tested the antitumor effectiveness of these Hh inhibitors using two mouse models of basal cell carcinomas (K14cre:Ptch1(neo/neo) and K14cre:SmoM2(YFP)). After topical application of CycT or Cyc daily for 21 days, we found that all CycT-treated mice had tumor shrinkage and decreased expression of Hh target genes. Taken together, we found that CycT is an effective inhibitor of Hh signaling-mediated carcinogenesis.

Effect of Early Rehabilitation on Neurological Function and Cerebral Blood Flow of Patients with Acute Cerebral Infarction / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To investigate the effect of early rehabilitation on neurological function and cerebral blood flow of patients with acute cerebral infarction.Methods100 cases of acute cerebral infarction were randomly divided into the rehabilitation group(53 cases) and control group(47 cases).Both groups received the routine treatment;besides,patients in the rehabilitation group were treated with early rehabilitation training.The treatment efficacy was assessed by neurological function deficit evaluation,and the cerebral blood flow was measured by transcranial Doppler(TCD) before and 30 days after treatment.ResultsThe scores of neurological function deficit evaluation of all patients in each group decreased after treatment,but the scores of the rehabilitation group were obviously lower than that of the control group(P<0.01);and the results of TCD of the rehabilitation group were also superior to that of the control group(P<0.01).ConclusionEarly rehabilitation training may obviously improve neurological function and cerebral blood flow of patients with acute cerebral infarction.