Association of Monocyte-to-HDL Cholesterol Ratio with Endothelial Dysfunction in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes.

Aims: To explore the relationship between monocyte-to-HDL cholesterol ratio (MHR) and endothelial function in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). Methods: 243 patients diagnosed with T2DM were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Patients were divided into two groups by flow-mediated dilation (FMD) quintile as nonendothelial dysfunction (FMD ≥ 6.4%) and endothelial dysfunction (FMD < 6.4%). The relationship between MHR and FMD was analyzed using Spearman's correlation, partial correlation, and multiple logistic regression analysis. ROC curve was fitted to evaluate the ability of MHR to predict endothelial dysfunction. Results: Endothelial dysfunction was present in 193 (79%) patients. Patients with endothelial dysfunction had higher MHR (p < 0.05) than those without endothelial dysfunction. Furthermore, MHR had a significantly positive correlation with endothelial dysfunction (r = 0.17, p < 0.05), and the positive association persisted even after controlling for confounding factors (r = 0.14, p < 0.05). Logistic regression showed that MHR was an independent contributor for endothelial dysfunction (OR: 1.35 (1.08, 1.70), p < 0.05) and the risk of endothelial dysfunction increases by 61% with each standard deviation increase in MHR (OR: 1.61 (1.12, 2.30), p < 0.05) (model 1). After adjusting for sex, age, BMI, disease course, hypertension, smoking, and drinking (model 2) as well as HbA1c, HOMA-IR, C-reactive protein, and TG (model 3), similar results were obtained. In ROC analysis, the area of under the ROC curve (AUC) for MHR was 0.60 (95% CI 0.52-0.69, p < 0.05). Conclusion: MHR was independently associated with endothelial dysfunction in T2DM patients. It could be a new biomarker for vascular endothelial function assessment.

Simvastatin Reduces NETosis to Attenuate Severe Asthma by Inhibiting PAD4 Expression.

Objective: Patients with severe asthma respond poorly to corticosteroids, and their care accounts for more than 60% of the total costs attributed to asthma. Neutrophils form neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which play a crucial role in severe asthma. Statins have shown anti-inflammatory effects by reducing NETosis. In this study, we investigate if simvastatin can attenuate severe asthma by reducing NETosis and the underlying mechanism. Methods: Mice were concomitantly sensitized with ovalbumin (OVA), house dust mite (HDM), and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) during sensitization to establish a mouse model of severe asthma with neutrophil predominant inflammation (OVA+LPS mice) and treated with or without simvastatin. In inflammatory response, proportions of Th2, Th17, and Treg cells in lung tissue were detected by flow cytometry, and the levels of cytokines, dsDNA, and MPO-DNA in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were analyzed by ELISA. Citrullinated histone H3 (CitH3) and peptidyl arginine deiminase 4 (PAD4) in lung tissue were determined by Western blot and immunofluorescence imaging. PAD4 mRNA was determined by quantitative PCR (qPCR). HL-60 cells were differentiated into neutrophil-like cells by 1.25% DMSO. The neutrophil-like cells were treated with or without LPS, and simvastatin was then stimulated with PMA. CitH3 and PAD4 expressions were determined. Results: Sensitization with OVA, HDM, and LPS resulted in neutrophilic inflammation and the formation of NETs in the lungs. Simvastatin treatment reduced the inflammation score, cytokine levels, total cells, and neutrophil counts in the BALF and reduced proportions of Th2 and Th17 but increased Treg cells in lungs of OVA+LPS mice. Simvastatin-treated OVA+LPS mice show reduced NET formation in BALF and lung tissue compared to control mice. Adoptive transfer of neutrophils was sufficient to restore NETosis and neutrophilic inflammation in simvastatin-treated OVA+LPS mice. Simvastatin reduced PAD4 mRNA and protein expression in lung tissues and neutrophils isolated from lungs of OVA+LPS mice and consequent NET formation. In vitro, simvastatin reduced LPS-induced PAD4 upregulation and NETosis in HL-60-differentiated neutrophil-like cells. Furthermore, PAD4-overexpressed lentiviral transduction was sufficient to restore PAD4 protein expression and NETosis in simvastatin-treated HL-60-differentiated neutrophil-like cells. Conclusions: Simvastatin reduces Th17-mediated neutrophilic inflammation and airway hyperreactivity by reducing PAD4 expression and inhibiting NETosis in a mouse model of severe asthma. Severe asthmatic patients with high levels of circulating NETs or sputum NETs may show improved responses to statin treatment.

Dysregulated Serum Cytokine Production in Pediatric Patients with ß-Thalassemia Major.

ß-Thalassemia major (ß-TM) is an inherited disorder of hemoglobin (Hb) production, which can cause severe anemia. A compromised immune system has been observed in patients with ß-TM, whereas cytokines have a major role in immune modulation. Interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-8, IL-13 and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) are critical in initiating pro-inflammatory responses, and the serum levels of those cytokines may be involved in the pathophysiology of ß-thalassemia (ß-thal). To assess this hypothesis, we studied 23 pediatric patients with ß-TM by measuring serum levels of IL-4, IL-8, IL-13 and TGF-ß, as well as evaluating infection frequency per year, total number of transfusions and serum ferritin (SF) levels, together with age-matched healthy controls. We found that patients with ß-thal had higher IL-8, IL-13 and TGF-ß concentrations than normal controls, whereas markedly decreased serum IL-4 level was documented in patients with ß-TM. Serum IL-4 level of ß-thal patients showed a negative significant correlation with infection frequency, total number of transfusions and SF levels. On the contrary, serum levels of IL-8, IL-13 and TGF-ß exerted a positive relationship with those clinical parameters. Taken together, our study implies that dysregulated cytokine profile might contribute to iron overloads and impair immune cell functions, thus serving as useful biomarkers for diagnosis and evaluation of ß-TM in the future. Our study sheds new light on the pathogenesis of ß-TM.

[Relationship between IKZF3 Gene Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms and Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IKAROS family Zinc finger 3 (IKZF3) gene and the risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children. METHODS: The peripheral blood samples from 286 children with ALL and 382 healthy children were collected and divided into ALL group and control group, respectively. The genotypes of IKZF3 gene at rs62066988 C > T and rs12946510 C > T were detected by quantitative PCR with TaqMan detection system, and their correlation with ALL was analyzed. RESULTS: The distribution frequencies of CC, CT and TT genotypes at rs62066988 in ALL group were 58.39%, 37.06% and 4.55%, respectively, while those in control group were 69.19%, 27.68% and 3.13%, respectively. The distribution frequencies of CC, CT and TT genotypes at rs12946510 in ALL group were 58.16%, 34.75% and 7.09%, respectively, while those in control group were 55.76%, 37.43% and 6.81%, respectively. Compared with the control group, the distribution frequency of CT/TT genotype at rs62066988 was significantly increased in the ALL group (OR=1.59, 95%CI: 1.16-2.19, P=0.004). However, there was no significant difference in the distribution of rs12946510 C > T polymorphism between ALL group and control group. CONCLUSION: The CT/TT genotype of IKZF3 at the site of rs62066988 is associated with the increased risk of ALL in children.

Analysis of research development of endemic fluorosis in China based on bibliometrics and mapping knowledge domains / 中华地方病学杂志

Objective:To review the research progress of endemic fluorosis in China in the past decade, and to provide references for prevention and control of endemic fluorosis.Methods:Using Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform as the information source, research papers in the field of endemic fluorosis from 2008 to 2017 were retrieved, and the publication status, core authors, cooperation status, and research hotspots were analyzed.Results:A total of 2 068 papers were retrieved, with 297 and 298 articles published in 2009 and 2010, while 94 and 103 articles were published in 2016 and 2017, respectively. There were 8 420 authors in 2 068 articles, with an average of 4 authors per article. According to the statistics of the first authors, the number of papers published by the most productive authors was 21. There were 59 first authors who had published more than 4 papers, they had published 371 papers, accounting for 17.94% of the total number of papers. Analysis of the author's cooperation showed that the research teams with larger scale and closer cooperation were from Harbin Medical University, Guizhou Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guizhou Medical University, Shandong Institute for Prevention and Control of Endemic Disease, Shaanxi Provincial Institute for Endemic Disease Prevention and Control, Chongqing Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hulunbuir City Institute for Endemic Disease Prevention and Control of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Qinghai Institute for Endemic Disease Prevention and Control. The hotspots and themes of the study focused on epidemiological investigation of endemic fluorosis, health education, pathogenesis and other related research of endemic fluorosis.Conclusion:In Chinese periodicals, the number of papers published on endemic fluorosis has been reduced, the construction of talent team needs to be strengthened, and the research hotspots and themes are changing steadily.

Long non-coding RNA MALAT1 sponges miR-149 to promote inflammatory responses of LPS-induced acute lung injury by targeting MyD88.

Acute lung injury (ALI) caused by sepsis occurs early and the condition is severe, and is also an important reason for accelerating the death of patients. Increasing evidence has identified long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) metastasis associated in lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1 (MALAT1) as a regulator of ALI. However, the potential mechanism underlying MALAT1 on ALI still needs further identification. To explore the mechanisms of gene regulation expression mediated by MALAT1 through miR-149/MyD88 in lung injury inflammation, we constructed a lung injury inflammatory model using the lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-induced method and quantificated the cytokines and signaling cascade molecules as well as miR-149. The MALAT1, myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), and IL-6 levels were significantly increased, and the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway was activated, but the miR-149 level was decreased in the LPS-induced ALI model. miR-149 directly targeted both lncRNA MALAT1 and the MyD88 gene. Knockdown of MALAT1 down-regulated the levels of MyD88, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6, and inhibited the NF-κB pathway. However, MALAT1 knockdown up-regulated the expression of miR-149. Overexpression of miR-149 down-regulated MyD88, TNF-α, IL-1ß, and IL-6 levels, and inhibited the NF-κB pathway. MALAT1 acts as a pro-inflammatory factor in ALI via the miR-149/MyD88/NF-κB axis and is therefore a potential novel therapeutic target for ALI treatment.

Identification and functional characterization of a C-type lectin gene from Litopenaeus vannamei that is associated with ER-stress response.

C-type lectins (CTLs), which bind carbohydrates in a Ca2+-dependent manner, are involved in many cellular activities, especially immunity. CTLs play important roles in both the antibacterial and the antiviral immune response and are also associated with autoimmunity. Several CTLs have been investigated in crustaceans, primarily with respect to their function in the immune response. In this study, we cloned a novel CTL gene (LvCTLU) from Litopenaeus vannamei. LvCTLU is involved in microbe agglutination and phagocytosis. Downregulating LvCTLU increased the cumulative mortality of L. vannamei after Vibrio parahemolyticus infection. Similar to other reported CTLs, LvCTLU also had antiviral properties. Downregulation of LvCTLU also increased the cumulative mortality of L. vannamei after infection with white spot syndrome virus. More importantly, LvCTLU expression was induced by the unfolded protein response (UPR), which is the key pathway in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-stress response of eukaryotic organism. Our results suggested that this protein might be involved in the shrimp ER-stress response. Reporter gene assay indicated that LvCTLU was regulated by X-box-binding protein 1, which is the key transcription factor in the UPR. Our study thus revealed that LvCTLU plays vital roles in both the anti-pathogen immune response and the ER-stress response.

Effects of antimicrobial peptides on serum biochemical parameters, antioxidant activity and non-specific immune responses in Epinephelus coioides.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are small proteins showing broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity that have been known to be powerful agents against a variety of pathogens (bacteria, fungi and viruses). In this study, the effects of AMPs from Bacillus subtilis on Epinephelus coioides were examined. E. coioides were fed with diets containing AMPs (0, 100, 200, 400 or 800 mg/kg) for four weeks. Results showed that the levels of total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and blood glucose (GLU) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in the serum of E. coioides changed than those of the control group; compared to the control group, the levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), malondialdehyde (MDA) and lysozyme (LZM) levels in E. coioides fed with different dosages AMP diets were also different; in addition, the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1-beta (IL-1ß), and heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) in the tissues of E. coioides were measured, the three genes in the tissues examined were significantly upregulated. The results demonstrated that diets containing AMPs can enhance the antioxidant capacity and innate immune ability of E. coioides, indicating that AMPs might be a potential alternative to antibiotics in E. coioides.

Status, problems and development countermeasures of hospital scientific and technological influence in Shandong / 中华医学科研管理杂志

Objective To understand the overall situation of scientific and technological influence in hospitals of Shandoug Province,analyze the problems and put forward countermeasures for further development.Methods Related data of the influence of science and technology of hospitals in Shandong Province in 2017 were obtained by network investigation.Visualization map of hospital-subject co-occurrence matrix was drawn by using NetDraw visualization tool.Results The scientific and technological influence of hospitals in Shandong Province is in the middle level of the whole country,forming a certain number of superior disciplines and subject clusters,most of which show that the input of science and technology is higher than the output of science and technology and the influence of disciplines.Conclusions The overall level of scientific and technological influence of hospitals in Shandong Province is not high,and the contribution of academic influence and scientific and technological output is not high,there are still some gaps with the construction requirements of national clinical medical resarch platform.It is suggested that the establishment of research-based hospitals should be taken as an opportunity to comprehensively implement various measures to enhance the scientific and technological influence,such as the combination of disciplines,performance evaluation and talent integration.

Analysis of pregnancy outcomes in patients with uterine fibroids after high intensity focused ultrasound treatment / 中国实用妇科与产科杂志

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of high intensity focused ultrasound(HIFU)on pregnancy outcomes inpatients with uterine fibroids.METHODS:From October 2010 to October 2017,241 patients with uterine fibroids whowere pregnant after HIFU treatment in Suining Central Hospital and Chongqing Haifu Hospital were retrospectivelyanalyzed.The efficacy of HIFU ablation and the patient′s pregnancy outcomes were investigated.RESULTS:Among thesepatients,9 of them were conceived within 2 month after HIFU,24 were conceived between 2 and 4 months after HIFU,33 patients were conceived between 4 and 6 months,and 175 patients were conceived after 6 months of HIFU treatment.The median conception time was 9 months after HIFU(range:1 to 26 months).Among them,152 patients had deliveredbabies successfully,12 patients are still in pregnancy,3 patients had ectopic pregnancy,2 patients had incisionalpregnancy,72 patients had abortions,including 66 cases of induced abortion and 6 cases of spontaneous abortion.Causesof induced abortion included:embryonic development stopping(8 cases),increased vaginal bleeding(5 cases),hypothyroidism(1 case),use of drugs during pregnancy and being fear of fetal malformation(6 cases),and unplannedpregnancy(52 cases).Of the 152 patients who had delivered,147 had 148 full-term deliveries(1 had full-term deliverytwice)and 5 had preterm birth.No uterine rupture occured during pregnancy or childbirth,and the newborn is healthy.Before HIFU treatment,136 of 241 patients had a history of abnormal pregnancy,and only 17 of these patients hadabnormal pregnancy after HIFU treatment.The incidence of spontaneous abortion in patients after HIFU treatment wassignificantly lower than before treatment(P<0.05).CONCLUSION:HIFU is a safe and effective treatment for patients whowish to have children.It can also improve the fertility of patients with a history of abnormal pregnancy,with no additionalobstetric risks.

Bevacizumab Combined with Icotinib Overcomes Osimertinib Resistance in a Patient of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

A 61-year-old Chinese woman was diagnosed as primary pulmonary adenocarcinoma of left superior lobe with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) 19 del mutation positive. Treatment with icotinib was given, but her disease progressed after 6 months remission. CT-guide needle biopsy for the new lesion in inferior lobe of left lung demonstrated intrapulmonary metastasis, and EGFR gene panel by Amplification Refractory Mutation System Polymerase Chain Reaction (ARMS-PCR) confirmed EGFR T790M mutation. Treatment with osimertinib was initiated. After 2 months remission, the disease progressed. Re-biopsy was performed for the tumor in the inferior lobe of left lung, and ARMS-PCR demonstrated no other gene mutation except EGFR 19 del. Icotinib was re-challenged, but disease progressed continuously. Bevacizumab was added, and partial response was achieved after 2-cycle of combination therapy. The non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in this case maintained EGFR activating mutation and lost EGFR T790M mutation was a genetic change after osimertinib treatment. This case suggests the re-challenge of the first-generation EGFR-TKIs combined with bevacizumab may overcome the tumor resistance and prolong survival of NSCLC patient.

[Down-Regulation of MiR-125b Reverses Drug Resistance of Doxorubicin-Resistant Leukemia Cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the down-regulation of miR-125b can reverse the drug-resistence of doxorubicine-resistant leukemia cell lines or not, so as to explore a new method for treatment of drug-resistant leukemia patients. METHODS: The expression levels of miR125b in doxorubicine drug-sensitive and doxorubicine drug-resistant leukemia cell lines.HL-60, K562 and HL-60/Dox, the K562/Dox were detected by using RT-qPCR; the up-regulation or inhibition of miR-1256 expression in HL-60/Dox were performed by electroporation transfection, then the viability of cells treated with doxorubicine of different concentration was detected by CCK-8 method, the proliferation inhibition curve of cells was drawed, and the IC50 was calculated. RESULTS: The miR-125b expression was obviously up-regulated in drug-resistant cell lines HL-60/DOX and K562/DOX, as compared with HL-60 and K562 cell lines. The miR-125b expression level in HL-60/DOX and K562/DOX cells was 15 times and 5 times higher than that in HL-60 and K562 cells, respectively. The up-regulating or inhibiting expression of miR-125b in HL-60/DOX cells found that the proliferation inhibition rate in cells transfected with miR-125b mimic significantly decreased, compared with control group (P<0.01), while the proliferation inhibition rate in cells transfected with miR-125b inhibitor significantly increased, compared with control group(P<0.01). CONCLUSION: The miR-125b expression in HL-60/Dox and K562/Dox cells has been up-regulated, down-regulation of miR-125b expression can reverse the drug resistance of leukemia cells to doxorubicine.

Phylogenetic analysis and antifouling potentials of culturable fungi in mangrove sediments from Techeng Isle, China.

To search for more microbial resources for screening environment-friendly antifoulants, we investigated the phylogenetic diversity and antifouling potentials of culturable fungi in mangrove sediments from Techeng Isle, China. A total of 176 isolates belonging to 57 fungal taxa were recovered and identified. The high levels of diversity and abundance of mangrove fungi from Techeng Isle were in accordance with previous studies on fungi from other mangrove ecosystems. Fifteen of the 176 isolates demonstrated high divergence (87-93%) from the known fungal taxa in GenBank. Moreover, 26 isolates recorded in mangrove ecosystems for the first time. These results suggested that mangrove sediments from Techeng Isle harbored some new fungal communities compared with other mangrove ecosystems. The antifouling activity of 57 representative isolates (belonging to 57 different fungal taxa) was tested against three marine bacteria (Loktanella hongkongensis, Micrococcus luteus and Pseudoalteromonas piscida) and two marine macrofoulers (bryozoan Bugula neritina and barnacle Balanus amphitrite). Approximately 40% of the tested isolates displayed distinct antifouling activity. Furthermore, 17 fungal isolates were found to display strong or a wide spectrum of antifouling activity in this study, suggesting that these isolates deserve further study as potential sources of novel antifouling metabolites. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the investigation of the phylogenetic diversity and antifouling potential of culturable fungi in mangrove sediments from Techeng Isle, China. These results contribute to our knowledge of mangrove fungi and further increases the pool of fungi available for natural bioactive product screening.

Repair effect of meisoindigo on myocardial damage in type 1 diabetes mellitus in rats / 中国药理学通报

Aim To observe the influence of meisoindi-go on the alteration of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in type 1 diabetic rats ' myocardium and clarify its role in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy .Methods The type 1 diabetes rat model was established by injec-tion of streptozocin after one-week adaptive feeding . The successful modeling rats were randomly divided in-to DM model group of 4 weeks and 8 weeks, meisoindi-go group of 4 weeks and 8 weeks.Fasting blood glu-cose(FBG) levels were tested.HE staining was used to observe the pathological changes of myocardial struc-tures.The alteration of GSK-3β, p-GSK-3β, Wnt2,β-catenin, NF-κB-p65, p-NF-κB-p65 in myocardium was determined by Western blot and immunohistochem-istry.Results Compared with control group , FBG levels of type 1 diabetic rats significantly increased ( P<0.01 ) , while body weight levels significantly de-creased ( P<0.01 ); compared with DM group , FBG levels of 8 weeks meisoindigo group significantly de-creased ( P <0.01 ) .Myocardial histological analysis revealed that DM induced myocardial focal myocyte hypertrophy , solubility , necrosis , fiber tissue hyperplasi-a; compared with DM group , these symptoms were eased in meisoindigo group of 4 weeks and 8 weeks. Compared with control group , the expression of p-GSK-3β, Wnt2, β-catenin, p-NF-κB-p65 level increased, especially with DM group of 8 weeks(P<0.01).The expression of p-GSK-3β, Wnt2,β-catenin, p-NF-κB-p65 level in meisoindigo group of 4 weeks and 8 weeks decreased significantly(P<0.01).Conclusions The repair effect of meisoindigo on myocardial damage in type 1 diabetic rats may be caused by lowering the ex-pression of proteins in Wnt/β-catenin signaling and in-hibiting the activation of Wnt/β-catenin signaling path-way, participating in the repair of myocardial damage and inflammatory in diabetic rats .Further researches on its mechanism in repairing diabetic myocardial dam-age may find new therapeutic targets for diabetic car-diomyopathy .

Bibliometrics and visualization analysis of papers published in Chinese Journal of Endemiology from 2013 to 2017 / 中华地方病学杂志

Objective To analyze the articles published in Chinese Journal of Endemiology from 2013 to 2017,and to reflect the research status on prevention and treatment of endemic diseases in China.Methods Papers published in Chinese Journal of Endemiology from 2013-2017 were searched as study objects in Wanfang data knowledge service platform.Bibliometrics analysis and knowledge mapping methods were used for analysis.Results A total of 1 128 papers were included.There were 10 authors from 4 work units,who have published more than 20 papers,respectively.From 2013 to 2017,there were 622 major academic institutions that had published papers in Chinese Journal of Endemiology,among which 11 had published more than 20 articles.The types of institutions included research institutes,universities,centers for disease control and prevention and hospitals,etc.;the institutions were mainly in endemic areas.A total of 1 128 academic papers contained 1 586 valid keywords,of which 91 high frequency keywords with a frequency of 7 or above were included,and the main hot words were iodine,urine and fluorosis.The research hotspots in the field of endemic diseases prevention and treatment in China had been related to:①iodine deficiency and high iodine-induced thyroid diseases;②studies related to endemic fluorosis;③pathogenesis of Kaschin-Beck disease and epidemiological study of endemic arsenic poisoning and prevention;④epidemiology and control of other endemic diseases such as plague,brucellosis and Keshan disease.Conclusions Chinese Journal of Endemiology has a variety of research institutions.Research hotspots are covered in a comprehensive way with prominent emphasis.The author team is stable,the type of cooperation between authors is based on internal cooperation within the same institution,the inter-institutional communication and cooperation need to be strengthened.

Effects of health education using therapeutic lifestyle changes method in a population with dyslipidemia / 中华健康管理学杂志

Objective This study evaluated the effects of health education promoting therapeutic lifestyle changes in a population with dyslipidemia. Methods Patients with dyslipidemia were randomly assigned to one of four groups: the current group (CG) received conventional health guidance, the educational course (EC) group attended six lectures as part of an educational course, the phone call (PC) group received twice-monthly follow-up by telephone,and the comprehensive group(EC+PC)attended both the educational course and received follow-up telephone calls. Total cholesterol (TC), total triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C), and the knowledge, attitude, and behavior (KAP) score for blood lipids were compared within each group and among groups. Results A total of 214 patients were enrolled and completed the study: 62 patients in CG,49 patients in EC,56 patients in PC,and 47 patients in EC+PC.There were significant differences in the EC,PC,and EC+PC groups after the 24-week intervention. For example, pre- and post-intervention values for each group were as follows:EC group:(5.74±0.69)mmol/L and(5.14±0.87)mmol/L for TC,35.22±1.67 and 42.96±5.72 for KAP;PC group:(5.63±0.58)mmol/L and(5.22±1.07)mmol/L for TC, 34.54.±0.97and 39.41±5.03 for KAP;EC+PC group:(5.60±0.48)mmol/L and(4.00±0.79)mmol/L for TC,35.44±1.80 and 45.05±3.19 for KAP, respectively (P<0.05). The CG group showed no significant differences before and after treatment:(5.66±0.54)vs.(5.32±1.28)mmol/L for TC,34.37±0.65 vs.35.28±4.02 for KAP(P>0.05).In a comparison among the four groups,the EC and PC groups showed greater improvements than the CG group.Moreover, the EC+PC group showed statistically significant differences in the results compared with the other three groups (P< 0.05). Conclusion An educational course combined with telephone follow-up calls was more effective than a single intervention in improving blood lipids and enhancing the health awareness of patients with dyslipidemia.This combined health education model not only improves the effectiveness of treatment to some degree,but also plays a role in its supervision and management.Furthermore,it may also assist in the implementation of continuous nursing services in medical institutions.

Evaluation of Knees in Asymptomatic Amateur Ice Hockey Players Using 3.0-T Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Case-Control Study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>Background</b>Research on the changes to knee structures in asymptomatic amateur ice hockey players (AAIHPs) has been limited. We aimed to assess the performance of the knees in AAIHPs using 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).</p><p><b>Methods</b>A total of 71 asymptomatic knees (32 AAIHPs and 39 age- and sex-matched controls) were imaged using a 3.0-T MRI scanner at the Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University in April 2017. Two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists were blinded to assess all MRI findings, including bursae around the knee, bone marrow edema (BME), meniscal signal changes, and articular cartilage and ligament damage. Any disagreements were resolved by a third professor of musculoskeletal radiology. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test and continuous variables using the Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test.</p><p><b>Results</b>The most common finding was fluid-filled bursae surrounding the knee. In the AAIHP group, which totaled 32 knees and 416 bursae, 155 (37%) fluid-filled bursae were present. In the control group, there were a total of 39 knees and 507 bursae, and 91 (18%) fluid-filled bursae were present. There was a significant difference in the number of fluid-filled bursae between the two groups (P < 0.05). However, in AAIHPs, the prevalence of meniscal signal changes (16 knees, 50%) was higher than in the control group (2 knees, 5%; P < 0.001). Importantly, 15 of the 19 were grade II signals. Other changes were only found in AAIHPs. Articular cartilage lesions were detected in 47% of their knees, predominantly at the patellofemoral joint, and BME was found in 34% of their knees.</p><p><b>Conclusion</b>The MRI findings of knees in AAIHPs mainly manifested as self-protection reaction, and proper ice hockey exercise could be advocated.</p>

The role of group III, IV elements in Nb4AC3 MAX phases (A = Al, Si, Ga, Ge) and the unusual anisotropic behavior of the electronic and optical properties.

Niobium based Nb4AlC3, Nb4SiC3, Nb4GeC3 and Nb4GaC3 were investigated by means of density functional theory. Together with the known Nb4AlC3, the role of group III, IV elements in various properties of Nb4AC3 (A = Al, Si, Ga, Ge) was systematically investigated, and particularly the bulk moduli, shear moduli, and Young's moduli helped us to approach the ductility. All the studied compounds were found to be mechanically stable, and they also exhibit the metallic nature that results from the Nb-4d states being dominant at the Fermi level. The typical 4d-2p hybridization leads to strong Nb-C covalent bonding and a relatively weaker 4d-3p (4p) hybridization between Nb and A is identified. The latter does perturb the performance of materials. By varying A elements in Nb4AC3, the position and the width of the p states as well as hybridizations are altered, which determine the covalency and the ionicity of the chemical bonds. A high density of states at the Fermi level and the nesting effects in the Fermi surface are identified in Nb4SiC3 and linked to its unusual anisotropic behavior. Furthermore, Nb4GeC3 is predicted to be a very promising candidate solar heating barrier material. Overall, the present work gives insights into the role of A elements in the electronic structure and the physical properties of Nb4AC3 compounds. The tendencies and rules established here will help in the designing of functional ceramic materials with desirable properties.

"""Internet+"" and information construction in grass-root medical and health institutions" / 中华医学图书情报杂志

After the information construction in grass-root medical and health institutions was considered according to the thinking of Internet+, the action plan for Internet+ in grass-root medical and health institutions was elaborated, and the target of Internet+ and information construction in grass-root medical and health institutions was defined, the information communication-oriented, use-oriented, and users-oriented strategies were put forward for the Internet+ and information construction in grass-root medical and health institutions.

Comparative Analysis on Health Technology Assessment Study in China and Abroad / 医学信息学杂志

The paper takes literature in the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) field in Web of Science and " China Academic Journal Network Publishing Database" as its study subject,draws scientific knowledge map with EXCEL,CiteSpace on data like high-frequency keywords and burst terms and analyzes study hotspots and evolution trend.It suggests that HTA theoretical system be perfected,study be converted into demonstration and study cooperation be strengthened to promote study and development of China's HTA.