Spontaneous quantitative processing in Chinese singular and plural picture naming: An event-related potentials analysis.

Chinese nouns lack inflection and cannot reflect the quantitative relationship between singular and plural numbers. However, neural processes of picture naming are different from those of words. We assume that Chinese single and plural picture naming is different, and they may involve quantitative processing. Therefore, Experiment 1 was designed by picking picture naming as the task and Chinese as the target language and compared the accuracy, reaction time, and event-related potentials (ERPs) between single and plural picture naming, where two types of pictures were mixed. Although the T-test showed no significant differences in behavioral data, there were differences in ERPs. ERP differences involved two effects: P1 of 160-180 ms and P2 of 220-260 ms in the parietal-occipital lobe. These differences are suggested to reflect the neural differences in quantitative processing. Therefore, Chinese singular and plural picture naming consists of word production and implicit quantitative processing simultaneously. To explore the relationship between the two processings, we added a semantic factor (inanimate vs. animate items) to the quantity factor of Experiment 1 and carried out Experiment 2, with the observation indexes unchanged. There were no significant differences in behavioral data among the four conditions. After variance analysis, ERPs results indicated an interaction between semantic and quantitative factors in the central area at 180-280 ms. In summary, we suggest that Chinese singular and plural picture naming includes two simultaneous neural processing tasks: word production and quantitative processing, which interact in the central area at 180-280 ms.

Tertiary lymphoid structures generate and propagate anti-tumor antibody-producing plasma cells in renal cell cancer.

The presence of intratumoral tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) is associated with positive clinical outcomes and responses to immunotherapy in cancer. Here, we used spatial transcriptomics to examine the nature of B cell responses within TLS in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). B cells were enriched in TLS, and therein, we could identify all B cell maturation stages toward plasma cell (PC) formation. B cell repertoire analysis revealed clonal diversification, selection, expansion in TLS, and the presence of fully mature clonotypes at distance. In TLS+ tumors, IgG- and IgA-producing PCs disseminated into the tumor beds along fibroblastic tracks. TLS+ tumors exhibited high frequencies of IgG-producing PCs and IgG-stained and apoptotic malignant cells, suggestive of anti-tumor effector activity. Therapeutic responses and progression-free survival correlated with IgG-stained tumor cells in RCC patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Thus, intratumoral TLS sustains B cell maturation and antibody production that is associated with response to immunotherapy, potentially via direct anti-tumor effects.

Sleep quality mediating the association of personality traits and quality of life among underground workers and surface workers of Chinese coal mine: A multi-group SEM with latent response variable mediation analysis.

The aim of this study was to examine whether the association between personality traits and quality of life (QOL) was mediated by sleep quality in coal miners and to explore whether the relationship between surface workers and underground workers was different. The cross-sectional study including 3090 coal mine workers aged 20 to 65 years from Shanxi province of China was conducted. Personality traits, QOL and sleep quality were respectively assessed using Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised Short Scale for Chinese, World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF, and sleep status questionnaire. The multi-group SEM with latent response variable method was conducted to evaluate the association between personality traits and QOL mediated by sleep quality. The difference of indirect effects between two subgroups was examined by Wald chi-square test. For surface workers, underground workers and overall sample, passive personality traits had a negative impact on QOL through poor sleep quality, whereas the active personality traits acted the opposite. However, the difference of indirect effect between two subgroups was not statistically significant. These results indicated that sleep quality may act as a partial mediator in the relationship between personality traits and QOL, and the relationship may not be affected by working environment.

Transforming growth factor-ß signaling in systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a complex, multiorgan autoimmune disease of unknown etiology. Manifestation of the disease results from an interaction of three key pathologic features including irregularities of the antigen-specific immune system and the non-specific immune system, resulting in autoantibody production, vascular endothelial activation of small blood vessels, and tissue fibrosis as a result of fibroblast dysfunction. Given the heterogeneity of clinical presentation of the disease, a lack of universal models has impeded adequate testing of potential therapies for SSc. Regardless, recent research has elucidated the roles of various ubiquitous molecular mechanisms that contribute to the clinical manifestation of the disease. Transforming growth factor ß (TGF-ß) has been identified as a regulator of pathological fibrogenesis in SSc. Various processes, including cell growth, apoptosis, cell differentiation, and extracellular matrix synthesis are regulated by TGF-ß, a type of cytokine secreted by macrophages and many other cell types. Understanding the essential role TGF-ß pathways play in the pathology of systemic sclerosis could provide a potential outlet for treatment and a better understanding of this severe disease.

Circulating miR-125a but not miR-125b is decreased in active disease status and negatively correlates with disease severity as well as inflammatory cytokines in patients with Crohn's disease.

AIM: To determine the association of circulating miR-125a/b expression with the risk and disease severity of Crohn's disease (CD), and with inflammatory cytokines. METHODS: Plasma samples were collected from patients with active CD (A-CD), or CD in remission (R-CD) and from healthy controls (HCs). The levels of the inflammatory cytokines interleukin-17 (IL-17), tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The expression of miR-125a/b was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). RESULTS: Twenty-nine A-CD patients, 37 R-CD patients, and 37 HCs were included in the study. Plasma miR-125a expression was decreased in A-CD patients compared with that in R-CD patients (P < 0.001) and HCs (P < 0.001). miR-125a expression levels enabled the differentiation of A-CD from R-CD patients [area under curve (AUC) = 0.854] and from HCs (AUC = 0.780), whereas miR-125b expression did not. miR-125a was negatively correlated with C-reaction protein (CRP) (P = 0.017), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (P = 0.026), Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) (P = 0.003), IL-17 (P = 0.015), and TNF-α (P = 0.004) in A-CD patients. Furthermore, miR-125a was negatively associated with CRP (P = 0.038) and CDAI (P = 0.021) in R-CD patients. Regarding miR-125b, no association with CRP, CDAI, IL-17, TNF-α, or IFN-γ was found in A-CD or in R-CD patients. miR-125a levels gradually increased in A-CD patients who achieved clinical remission (P = 0.009) after 3-mo treatment, whereas they remained unchanged among patients who failed to achieve remission. No changes in miR-125b expression were detected in remission or non-remission patients after treatment. CONCLUSION: Circulating miR-125a but not miR-125b is decreased in patients with active disease status and negatively correlates with disease severity and inflammatory cytokines in patients with CD.

Prevalence of dyslipidaemia and risk factors in Chinese coal miners: a cross-sectional survey study.

BACKGROUND: Although coal miners are susceptible to dyslipidaemia owing to their highly risky and stressful working environment as well as unhealthy lifestyle, very few studies have focused on this issue thus far. Therefore, this study investigated the current epidemiological characteristics of dyslipidaemia among Chinese coal miners. METHODS: Demographic, anthropometric, and biochemical data were gathered from 4341 coal miners in China. Dyslipidaemia was diagnosed based on the serum lipid levels. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the related risk factors for dyslipidaemia. RESULTS: The average concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were 5.01 ± 0.93 mmol/L, 1.90 ± 1.72 mmol/L, 1.21 ± 0.35 mmol/L, and 3.15 ± 0.80 mmol/L, respectively. Additionally, 38.08% of participants had a high TC level, 25.84% had a low HDL-C level, 35.08% had a high LDL-C level, and 40.46% had a high TG level. The overall prevalence of dyslipidaemia was 68.28% (95% CI: 66.90-69.66%). Factors associated with dyslipidaemia were age, sex, marital status, monthly family income, type of work, length of service, smoking status, smoking index, drinking status, alcohol consumption per day, elevated fasting glucose, hypertension, obesity and abdominal obesity. CONCLUSIONS: Our study's results indicated a very high prevalence of dyslipidaemia among Chinese coal miners and identified various risk factors for dyslipidaemia.

TIPS versus endoscopic therapy for variceal rebleeding in cirrhosis: A meta-analysis update.

Endoscopic therapy (ET) is most common method for preventing variceal bleeding in cirrhosis, but the outcomes are not perfect. Recently, transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is introduced into clinical practice. However, the beneficial effects of TIPS compared to ET on cirrhotic patients is unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the effects of TIPS with those of the most frequently used ET for prevention of variceal rebleeding (VRB) in liver cirrhosis. The Pub-Med, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases were searched from inception to February 2017. The primary study outcomes included the incidence of VRB, all-cause mortality, bleeding-related death, and the incidence of post-treatment hepatic encephalopathy (PTE). The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were pooled for dichotomous variables. Subgroup analyses were performed. Twenty-four studies were eligible and they included 1120 subjects treated with TIPS and 1065 subjects treated with ET. Although there was no significant difference in survival and PTE, TIPS was superior to ET in decreasing the incidence of VRB (OR=0.27; 95% CI, 0.19-0.39, P<0.00001), and decreasing the incidence of bleeding-related death (OR=0.21; 95% CI, 0.13-0.32, P<0.00001). Subgroup analysis found a lower mortality (OR=0.48; 95% CI, 0.23-0.97; P=0.04) without any increased incidence of PTE (OR=1.37; 95% CI, 0.75-2.50; P=0.31) in the studies of a greater proportion (≥40%) of patients with Child-Pugh class C cirrhosis receiving TIPS, and TIPS with covered stent did not increase the risk of PTE compared to ET (OR=1.52, 95% CI =0.82-2.80, P=0.18). It was concluded that TIPS with covered stent might be considered the preferred choice of therapy in patients with severe liver disease for secondary prophylaxis.

External validation of non-invasive prediction models for identifying ultrasonography-diagnosed fatty liver disease in a Chinese population.

Several prediction models for fatty liver disease (FLD) are available with limited externally validation and less comprehensive evaluation. The aim was to perform external validation and direct comparison of 4 prediction models (the Fatty Liver Index, the Hepatic Steatosis Index, the ZJU index, and the Framingham Steatosis Index) for FLD both in the overall population and the obese subpopulation.This cross-sectional study included 4247 subjects aged 20 to 65 years recruited from the north of Shanxi Province in China. Anthropometric and biochemical features were collected using standard protocols. FLD was diagnosed by liver ultrasonography. We assessed all models in terms of discrimination, calibration, and decision curve analysis.The original models performed well in terms of discrimination for the overall population, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) around 0.85, while AUCs for obese individuals were around 0.68. Nevertheless, the predicted risks did not match well with the observed risks both in the overall population and the obese subpopulation. The FLI 2006 was 1 of the 2 best models in terms of discrimination (AUCs were 0.87 and 0.72 for the overall population and the obese subgroup, respectively) and had the best performance in terms of calibration, and attained the highest net benefit.The FLI 2006 is overall the best tool to identify high risk individuals and has great clinical utility. Nonetheless, it does not perform well enough to quantify the actual risk of FLD, which need to be (re)calibrated for clinical use.

Relationship Between Physical Activity Patterns and Metabolic Syndrome Among Male Coal Miners of Shanxi Province in China.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and physical activity (PA) in different domains among male coal miners of Shanxi Province in China. METHOD: The study was conducted from July 2013 to December 2013. A two-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used. Data regarding the general information of participants were collected by well-trained interviewers. MetS was defined according to IDF criteria. Self-reported PA was obtained with the IPAQ and categorized into three tertiles of intensity levels across occupation, transportation, household, and leisure-time domains. Univariate and multiple logistic regression analysis were applied to compute the odds ratios and their 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total of 3076 males aged 18-65 years old were recruited in this cross-sectional study. The prevalence of MetS was 40.5% in the study subjects. The percentages of vigorous-intensity PA in MetS and non-MetS groups were 70.07% and 62.92%, respectively. Participants spent most of their time on occupation (2034 MET-min/w) and transportation (693MET-min/w) domains. Higher-intensity levels in occupation domains were significantly associated with lower risk of MetS (OR: 0.759, 95% CI: 0.633-0.911; OR: 0.627, 95% CI: 0.516-0.762). CONCLUSIONS: Across four types of workers, the relationships between PA domains and MetS were different. For underground and underground auxiliary workers, the negative relationship was found between occupation PA and MetS. For office workers, the negative relationship was found between household PA and MetS. For ground workers, only leisure-time PA had positively related to MetS.

Gender Differences in Dietary Patterns and Their Association with the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome among Chinese: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Few studies have investigated gender differences in dietary intake. The objective of this cross-sectional study was to examine gender differences in dietary patterns and their association with the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. The food intakes of 3794 subjects enrolled by a two-stage cluster stratified sampling method were collected using a valid semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was defined according to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its prevalence was 35.70% in the sample (37.67% in men and 24.67% in women). Dietary patterns were identified using factor analysis combined with cluster analysis and multiple group confirmatory factor analysis was used to assess the factorial invariance between gender groups. The dominating dietary pattern for men was the "balanced" dietary pattern (32.65%) and that for women was the "high-salt and energy" dietary pattern (34.42%). For men, the "animal and fried food" dietary pattern was related to higher risk of MetS (odds ratio: 1.27; 95% CI: 1.01-1.60), after adjustment for age, marital status, socioeconomic status and lifestyle factors. For women, the "high-salt and energy" dietary pattern was related to higher risk of MetS (odds ratio: 2.27; 95% CI: 1.24-4.14). We observed gender differences in dietary patterns and their association with the prevalence of MetS. For men, the "animal and fried food" dietary pattern was associated with enhancive likelihood of MetS. For women, it was the "high-salt and energy" dietary pattern.

Associations of Individual-Related and Job-Related Risk Factors with Nonfatal Occupational Injury in the Coal Workers of Shanxi Province: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the relationships between the risk factors and the incidence of nonfatal occupational injury of coal mine workers of Shanxi Province. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2013 to December 2013, and 4319 workers were recruited from more than 200,000 coal mine employees who are exposed to continuous potential risk of occupational injuries by using a two-stage stratified cluster sampling method. Trained interviewers having necessary medical knowledge conducted face-to-face interviews with the participants. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and the 95% confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: A total number of 3618 effective respondents were got from 4319 participants (83.77%) and the mean age of the participants was 41.5 years with the standard deviation of 8.65. Significant crude odds ratios were observed for all factors considered except for marital status, education, work duration, BMI, EPQ-RSC(P) scale and EPQ-RSC(L) scale. Results from multivariable logistic regression model showed significant adjusted odds ratios for risk factors including gender (female vs male 0.275, 0.094-0.800), age (≥55 vs ≤25yr 0.169, 0.032-0.900), work type (light physical labor vs heavy physical labor 0.504, 0.328-0.774), workplace (underground auxiliary vs underground front-line 0.595, 0.385-0.919), length of shiftwork experience (0~5yr vs no shift 2.075, 1.287-3.344 and ≥15yr vs no shift 2.076, 1.230-3.504) and EPQ-RSC(E) score (extraversion vs introversion 0.538, 0.334-0.867). CONCLUSIONS: Several risk factors of nonfatal occupational injury were identified including male, age, heavy physical labor, underground front-line, length of shiftwork experience and introversion. The coal mining enterprises should pay attention to controlling the hazards associated with frontline physical work. Workers' behaviors, life styles and personality traits should also be considered, so that the enterprises could set achievable targets for workers and lessen the exposed period to the risky underground workstation.

Correlation between changes in regional cerebral blood flow and pain relief in complex regional pain syndrome type 1.

OBJECTIVE: Analyzing changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with SPECT in complex regional pain syndrome type 1 (CRPS 1), formerly known as reflex sympathetic dystrophy, is an optimal method for evaluating effective pain relief. We attempted to investigate the correlation of changes in rCBF with pain relief during treatments of sympathetic blockade and multimodal epidural pain control. CASE REPORT: We describe a patient with severe CRPS 1 in whom conventional treatment failed to relieve the pain. Combined repeated lumbar sympathetic blocks and long-term epidural morphine, bupivacaine, and ketamine administration provided satisfactory pain relief and functional activity recovery. Six normal control subjects having one Tc-99m HMPAO scan each and the patient with CRPS having 3 Tc-99m HMPAO scans (once before treatment and twice at 4 months and 6 months after treatment, respectively). The patient with CRPS showed lower rCBF than normal controls in the left thalamus and higher rCBF than normal controls in the right parietal lobe and left frontal lobe. After subsequent treatment, the subtraction images showed increased rCBF in the left thalamus and decreased rCBF in the right parietal and left frontal lobes. CONCLUSIONS: Tc-99m HMPAO SPECT showed a relationship of rCBF in the thalamus, parietal lobe, and frontal lobe with pain relief. rCBF alterations may provide an indicator for the quality of pain management for neuropathic pains. Subtraction analysis between pre- and posttreatment, by using statistical parametric mapping (version 2), can be used as an objective indicator for the effectiveness of therapy.

Presence of spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 gene mutation in a patient with apparently sporadic Parkinson's disease: clinical implications.

Among 242 patients with apparently sporadic Parkinson's disease, a 70-year-old man with a CAG repeat number of 37 in the SCA2 gene was identified. He has remained responsive to levodopa 14 years after onset and has had no overt signs suggesting cerebellar dysfunction. Although it is not possible to confirm if this patient has a de novo mutation of the SCA2 gene, this genetic defect seems to be contributing to his parkinsonian features and further supports the concept that apparently sporadic, late-onset, levodopa-responsive Parkinson's disease may have multiple causes.

Selective hypoperfusion of anterior cingulate gyrus in depressed AD patients: a brain SPECT finding by statistical parametric mapping.

This study tests the hypothesis that depression in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is due to a specific pathogenesis rather than a reactive phenomenon. Forty-three AD patients received a psychiatrist's interview, neuropsychological assessments, and a 99mTc-hexamethyl propyleneamine oxime single photon emission computed tomography (HMPAO-SPECT). Analysis by statistical parametric mapping (SPM) showed that the depressed group had selective hypoperfusion in the bilateral anterior and posterior cingulate gyri and precuneus. Using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale as a parameter, an inverse correlation was found between cerebral perfusion and the severity of depression. The right anterior cingulate gyrus demonstrated a most significant reduction in perfusion. These locations are akin to the imaging findings in patients with primary depression, indicating a specific pathogenesis for depression in AD.

Statistical parametric mapping of brain SPECT perfusion abnormalities in patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Brain perfusion in 20 patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), 20 patients with moderate AD and 20 control subjects (matched for age, gender and education) were assessed by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) using technetium-99m hexamethylpropylene amine oxime ((99m)Tc-HMPAO). SPECT images were transformed to a standard size and shape for group comparisons by the voxel-based t test of the statistical parametric mapping techniques. Cerebral hypoperfusion in the left lower parietal area was found in mild AD patients. In moderate AD patients, significant cerebral hypoperfusion was located in bilateral posterior parietotemporal cortices, contiguous anterior occipital lobes, posterior cingulate gyri and, to a lesser extent, in frontal areas.

Clinical, 18F-dopa PET, and genetic analysis of an ethnic Chinese kindred with early-onset parkinsonism and parkin gene mutations.

We report on clinical (18)F-labeled 6-fluorodopa ((18)F-dopa) positron emission tomography (PET) and molecular genetic analyses of an ethnic Chinese family in which three siblings presented with early-onset Parkinson's disease. As described in some parkin patients, neither sleep benefit nor diurnal fluctuation was noted. Interestingly, depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders were manifest. The (18)F-dopa PET scans showed bilateral presynaptic dopaminergic dysfunction without marked lateralization. Molecular genetic analysis showed identical chromosome 6 haplotypes inherited by affected subjects, with alternate allelic deletions of parkin exons 3 and 4. Furthermore, mRNA analyses identified aberrantly spliced parkin transcripts, suggesting that unusual parkin protein isoforms may be expressed in the brain and retain some function.