Improved Coarse-Grained Model for Nanoparticles Based on the Martini Force Field and Its Application in Molecular Dynamics Simulation on Gel Ink.

Research on the dispersion and stability of nanoparticles in liquid media is one of the key subjects for nanomaterial utilization. In consideration of the preponderance of coarse-grained (CG) molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in following and understanding the structure and dynamics on the nanoscale, an improved CG model for nanoparticles based on the Martini force field is established to facilitate the more extensive applications of this simulation method and further studies on complex nanoparticle liquid systems. Gel ink is selected as the liquid system for nanoparticles to validate the improved CG model on the one hand and introduce the CGMD simulation method into the studies of this system on the other. The calculation shows that the improved model can provide relatively precise results and has good computational stability. The effect mechanisms of the thickener and disperser on the carbon black nanoparticle are similar, namely the result of a delicate balance between the interaction of the thickener/disperser with the carbon black nanoparticle and the interaction of the thickener and disperser with each other. Furthermore, the phase assimilating effect of disperser molecules is key for separating the agglomerated carbon black nanoparticles; thereafter, the space steric hindrance effect and the electrostatic hindrance effect play main roles in maintaining the dispersion of carbon black nanoparticles.

Relationship between water iodine and children's goiters.

Excessive iodine can lead to goiters. However, the relationship between the water iodine concentration (WIC) and goiter rate (GR) is unclear. This study aims to explore the factors that influence children's GR in areas with high WIC and analyse the threshold value of the GR increase associated with the WIC. According to the monitoring of the areas with high WIC in China in 2018-2020, a total of 54 050 children in eight high water iodine provinces were chosen. Drinking water, urine and edible salt samples of children were collected. The thyroid volume (Tvol) was measured. A generalised additive model (GAM) was used to analyse the relationship between the WIC and GR in children. Among the 54 050 children in areas with high WIC, the overall GR was 3·34 %, the median of water iodine concentration was 127·0 µg/l, the median of urinary iodine concentration was 318 µg/l and the non-iodised salt coverage rate (NISCR) was 63·51 %. According to the GAM analysis results, water iodine and urinary iodine are factors that influence the Tvol and GR, while the NISCR affects only the GR. When the WIC was more than 420 µg/l or the urinary iodine concentration was more than 800 µg/l, the GR increased rapidly. When the NISCR reached more than 85 %, the GR was the lowest. Thus, in areas with high WIC, WIC more than 420 µg/l may increase the risk of goiter, and the NISCR should be increased to over 85 % to avoid goiters in children.

Iodine status of 8 to 10 years old children within 20 years following compulsory salt iodization policy in Shanghai, China.

BACKGROUND: In 1996, Shanghai implemented universal salt iodization and has became the last provincial unit in China to carry out this intervention. In this study, we summarized achievements in past 20 years, to provide suggestions and evidence for the next stage of iodine supplementation. METHODS: This study summarized and analyzed monitoring data of children from 1997, 1999, 2005, 2011, 2014, and 2017 in Shanghai. In each monitoring year, 30 streets or towns were selected using the probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique. One primary school was selected from each street or town by a simple random sampling technique. From each school, 40 children aged 8 to 10 years were randomly selected. The number of children was divided equally by sex and age. RESULTS: In 1997, 1999, 2005, 2011, 2014, and 2017, median urinary iodine (MUI) was 227.5 µg/L, 214.3 µg/L, 198.1 µg/L, 181.6 µg/L, 171.4 µg/L, and 183.0 µg/L, goiter rate was 3.07, 0.40, 0.08, 0.08, 0.86, and 1.90%, and median thyroid volume (MTvol) was 2.9 mL, 1.2 mL, 2.4 mL, 1.0 mL, 1.8 mL, and 2.8 mL, respectively. There was a linear correlation between goiter rate and median thyroid volume (MTvol) (r = 0.95, P = 0.014). Household salt iodine concentration (SIC) was dropping every monitoring (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference among different household SIC groups in MUI in 1999 and 2017, and in MTvol in 1999 (P < 0.05). No significant differences were detected in the other years. CONCLUSIONS: In Shanghai, the iodine status of 8 to 10 years old children is adequate. Household SIC have little effect on iodine status of children. Future studies should analyze the dietary sources of iodine, especially from pre-packaged and prepared-away-from-home foods or meals. The regular monitoring of iodine status is important to human health.

Noncoherent Decision Fusion over Fading Hybrid MACs in Wireless Sensor Networks.

In this paper, we consider the problem of decision fusion for noncoherent detection in a wireless sensor network. Novel to the current work is the integration of the hybrid multi-access channel (MAC) in the fusion rule design. We assume that sensors transmit their local binary decisions over a hybrid MAC which is a composite of conventional orthogonal and nonorthogonal MACs. Under Rayleigh fading scenario, we present a likelihood ratio (LR)-based fusion rule, which has been shown to be optimal through theoretical analysis and simulation. However, it requires a large amount of computation, which is not easily implemented in resource-constrained sensor networks. Therefore, three sub-optimal alternatives with low-complexity are proposed, namely the weighed energy detector (WED), the deflection-coefficient-maximization (DCM), and the two-step (TS) rules. We show that when the channel signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is low, the LR-based fusion rule reduces to the WED rule; at high-channel SNR, it is equivalent to the TS rule; and at moderate-channel SNR, it can be approached closely by the DCM rule. Compared with the conventional orthogonal and nonorthogonal MACs, numerical results show that the hybrid MAC with the proposed fusion rules can improve the detection performance when the channel SNR is medium.

Assessment of thyroid function in children, adults and pregnant and lactating women after long-term salt iodisation measurements.

Universal salt iodisation (USI) has been successfully implemented in China for more than 15 years. Recent evidence suggests that the definition of 'adequate iodine' (100-199 µg/l) be revised to 'sufficient iodine' (100-299 µg/l) based on the median urinary iodine concentration (MUI) in school-age children. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in populations after long-term salt iodisation and examine whether the definition of adequate iodine can be broadened to sufficient iodine based on the thyroid function in four population groups. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in six provinces in the northern, central and southern regions of China. Four population groups consisting of 657 children, 755 adults, 347 pregnant women and 348 lactating women were recruited. Three spot urinary samples were collected over a 10-d period and blood samples were collected on the 1st day. In the study, among the adults, pregnant women and lactating women, the prevalence rates of elevated thyroglobulin antibody and thyroid microsomal antibody levels were 12·4, 8·5 and 7·8 %, and 12·1, 9·1 and 9·1 %, respectively. Abnormally high thyroid dysfunction prevalence was not observed after more than 15 years of USI in China because the thyroid dysfunction rates were all <5 %. The recommended range should be cautiously broadened from adequate iodine to sufficient iodine according to the MUI of school-age children considering the high levels of hormones and antibodies in the other populations. Adults, particularly pregnant women positive for thyroid antibodies, should be closely monitored.

Should urinary iodine concentrations of school-aged children continue to be used as proxy for different populations? Analysis of data from Chinese national surveys.

I deficiency is a worldwide public health problem. Median urinary I concentration in school-aged children has been used globally as a proxy for all populations. This study aims to determine whether median urinary I concentration of school-aged children is an appropriate indicator of I nutritional status in different adult populations. This is a secondary data analysis of two national I Deficiency Disorder surveys (2011, 2014) and two regional surveys (in coastal areas, 2009, and in high-risk areas, 2009-2014). Population groups included in these surveys were school-aged children (8-10 years), pregnant women, lactating women, women of childbearing age and adults (men and women, 18-45 years). All participants were self-reported healthy without history of thyroid diseases or were not using thyroid medicines. The median urinary I concentration of school-aged children was matched with that of the other population at the county level. The matched populations had similar iodised salt supply, food and water I, food composition and I content in salt. Weak or moderate correlation of median urinary I concentrations was observed between school-aged children and pregnant women and between children and lactating women. However, the agreement was stronger between children and women of childbearing age and between children and adult men and women. The results could be affected by cut-off values, data aggregation level and sample size. Using median urinary I concentration of school-aged children tends to overestimate that of pregnant women and lactating women. Median urinary I concentration of school-aged children can be used for assessing I nutrition in the adult population.

[Study on normal ranges of thyroglobulin of total population in iodine-replete region of China].

OBJECTIVE: To deduce normal ranges of thyroglobulin of total population in iodine-replete region by determining the human serum thyroglobulin in normal population of part full iodine region. METHODS: Typical survey was used in this present study. Children aged 8-10 years, adults aged 18-45 years, pregnant woman and lactating women were chosen as our subjects. Morning fasting blood samples of subjects were collected. Thyroglobulin and thyroid function were determined, and the measured value of those subjects with normal thyroid function was analyzed. RESULTS: The normal ranges of thyroglobulin of the subjects were as following: Children aged 8-10 years: male (1.40, 10.18) microg/L,female (1.41, 11.44) microg/L, adults aged 18-45 years: male (1.55, 39.88) microg/L, female (1.44, 23.22) microg/L, pregnant woman: (0.94, 11.91) microg/L, lactating women: (0.12, 15.05) microg/L. CONCLUSION: The research confirmed the serum Tg normal reference of different populations under the adequate iodine level, regarding this, Tg was adviced to be involed in the IDD survey indicators.

CD40 C/T-1 polymorphism plays different roles in Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis: a meta-analysis.

CD40 plays a pathogenic role in various autoimmune diseases. However, studies investigating the association between CD40 C/T-1 polymorphism and autoimmune thyroid diseases risk have reported conflicting results and their relative population effect remains unclear; therefore, a meta-analysis was conducted. The data for this meta-analysis included 14 (4214 cases and 3851 controls) and 4 studies (623 cases and 774 controls) for the association of the CD40 C/T-1 polymorphism with Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), respectively. Results suggested significant association for CD40 C/T-1 polymorphism (odds ratio 1.267 per C allele, p = 0.000) with GD but without HT. The individuals who carried the C/C or C/T genotype have significantly increased GD risk compared with those who carried T/T genotype (C/C vs. T/T: OR = 1.596, 95% CI, 1.256~2.028; C/T vs. T/T: OR = 1.210, 95% CI, 1.032~1.419; dominant model: OR = 1.366, 95% CI, 1.175~1.587; recessive model: OR = 1.322, 95% CI, 1.147~1.523), while no association was observed in HT. When stratified by ethnicity, the significant association between polymorphism and GD risk of Caucasians was found only in recessive models; but that of Asians was found in all models. In the subgroup analysis of study design, we found thyroid antibody status should be ascertained in controls and euthyroidism subjects with higher levels of thyroid antibody should be excluded from control and included into HT to avoid bias. Our meta-analysis showed that CD40 C/T-1 polymorphism plays different roles in GD and HT. Further studies will be needed to confirm our findings.

Assessment of cystitis glandularis by transvaginal sonography in women.

OBJECTIVES: The aims of this retrospective study were to determine the accuracy of transvaginal sonography for diagnosing cystitis glandularis in women and to describe the sonographic features of cystitis glandularis masses in confirmed cases. METHODS: For 90 patients with clinically or sonographically suspected cystitis glandularis, we retrospectively reviewed the imaging files. Twenty-one cases were confirmed by histopathologic examination. All patients had undergone transvaginal sonography to evaluate bladder masses in a standardized manner no more than 1 week before histopathologic examination. Findings from preoperative transvaginal sonography of the masses were described and compared with histopathologic findings. RESULTS: Cystitis glandularis masses were correctly identified on transvaginal sonography in 15 of 21 cases (71.4%), whereas 6 of 21 (28.6%) had negative preoperative sonographic findings. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of transvaginal sonography for diagnosing cystitis glandularis were 71.4% (15 of 21), 92.8% (64 of 69), 75.0% (15 of 20), and 91.4% (64 of 70), respectively, and the total accuracy was 87.8% (79 of 90). CONCLUSIONS: Detection of cystitis glandularis masses by transvaginal sonography depends on the mucosal surface roughness, bladder wall thickness, outer bladder wall continuity, mixed echoes, sparse vessels, and mobility of the cervix. Transvaginal sonography is a promising modality for identifying cystitis glandularis masses.

Geographical distribution of drinking-water with high iodine level and association between high iodine level in drinking-water and goitre: a Chinese national investigation.

Excessive iodine intake can cause thyroid function disorders as can be caused by iodine deficiency. There are many people residing in areas with high iodine levels in drinking-water in China. The main aim of the present study was to map the geographical distribution of drinking-water with high iodine level in China and to determine the relationship between high iodine level in drinking-water and goitre prevalence. Iodine in drinking-water was measured in 1978 towns of eleven provinces in China, with a total of 28,857 water samples. We randomly selected children of 8-10 years old, examined the presence of goitre and measured their urinary iodine in 299 towns of nine provinces. Of the 1978 towns studied, 488 had iodine levels between 150 and 300 µg/l in drinking-water, and in 246 towns, the iodine level was >300 µg/l. These towns are mainly distributed along the original Yellow River flood areas, the second largest river in China. Of the 56 751 children examined, goitre prevalence was 6.3 % in the areas with drinking-water iodine levels of 150-300 µg/l and 11.0 % in the areas with drinking-water iodine >300 µg/l. Goitre prevalence increased with water and urinary iodine levels. For children with urinary iodine >1500 µg/l, goitre prevalence was 3.69 times higher than that for those with urinary iodine levels of 100-199 µg/l. The present study suggests that drinking-water with high iodine levels is distributed in eleven provinces of China. Goitre becomes more prevalent with the increase in iodine level in drinking-water. Therefore, it becomes important to prevent goitre through stopping the provision of iodised salt and providing normal drinking-water iodine through pipelines in these areas in China.

Sonographic findings predictive of the need for surgical management in pediatric patients with small bowel intussusceptions.

PURPOSE: This study aims to evaluate ultrasound findings that are predictive of the need for surgical management in pediatric patients with small bowel intussusceptions (SBIs). METHODS: A retrospective review of pediatric patients with SBIs treated from 2004 to 2009 was conducted. Patients were divided into surgical and non-surgical groups. Demographic data, ultrasound findings, treatments, and outcomes were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: There were 56 cases of SBIs in 31 males and 25 females ranging in age from 4 months to 9 years; 39 patients were managed conservatively and 17 patients underwent surgery. The mean length and diameter of the intussusception in the surgical group were 6.53 and 2.78 cm, respectively, and 3.21 and 1.81 cm, respectively in the non-surgical group (both, P < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that diameter, length, and thickness of the outer rim were independent predictors of surgery. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated an intussusception diameter ≥2.1 cm, length ≥4.2 cm, and thickness of the outer rim ≥0.40 cm were optimal cutoff values for predicting the need for surgery. CONCLUSIONS: A diameter ≥2.1 cm, length ≥4.2 cm, and thickness of the outer rim ≥0.40 cm predict the need for surgical management in pediatric patients with SBIs.

A Robust Recovery of Ni From Laterite Ore Promoted by Sodium Thiosulfate Through Hydrogen-Thermal Reduction.

Laterite ore is one of the important sources of nickel (Ni). However, it is difficult to liberate Ni from ore structure during reduction roasting. This paper provided an effective way for a robust recovery of Ni from laterite ore by H2 reduction using sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) as a promoter. . It was found that a Ni content of 9.97% and a Ni recovery of 99.24% were achieved with 20 wt% Na2S2O3 at 1,100°C. The promoting mechanism of Na2S2O3 in laterite ore reduction by H2 was also investigated. The thermogravimetric results suggested the formation of Na2Mg2SiO7, Na2SO3, Na2SO4, and S during the pyrolysis of laterite with Na2S2O3, among which the alkali metal salts could destroy the structures of nickel-bearing silicate minerals and hence release Ni, while S could participate in the formation of the low-melting-point eutectic phase of FeS-Fe. The formation of low-melting-point phases were further verified by the morphology analysis, which could improve the aggregation of Ni-Fe particles due to the capillary forces of FeS-Fe as well as the enhanced element migration by the liquid phase of sodium silicates during reduction.

Determination of Reference Intervals of Ratios of Concentrations of Urinary Iodine to Creatinine and Thyroid Hormone Concentrations in Pregnant Women Consuming Adequate Iodine in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province.

The objectives of this study were to explore reference intervals of ratios of concentrations of urinary iodine to creatinine (UIC/UCr) in pregnant women, to determine specific reference intervals for thyroid hormone concentrations (FT3, FT4, TSH) in the first trimester of pregnancy, and provide a comprehensive evaluation of iodine nutritional status and thyroid function. Cross-sectional data analysis, including questionnaires and thyroid ultrasonograms, were used to exclude subjects who had a history of thyroid disease, a family history of thyroid disease, or thyroid morphological abnormalities. Tests of thyroid hormone were evaluated together with urinary iodine concentration (UIC), urinary creatinine concentration (UCr), and salt iodine concentration in pregnant women. For the sample of pregnant women eligible for inclusion, the 95% reference intervals of the bilateral limits of UIC/UCr and thyroid hormone concentrations in pregnant women were determined by the percentile method. Pregnant women were recruited in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, a particular geographical area of China, where iodine nutrition is adequate. The median UIC was 141.47 µg/L, while the median UIC/UCr was 141.12 µg/g. The reference intervals of thyroid hormone concentrations in the first trimester were FT3 3.63-6.12 pmol/L, FT4 11.89-22.91 pmol/L, and TSH 0.013-3.814 mIU/L. The reference intervals of UIC/UCr were 52.47 to 532.09 µg/g (first trimester 47.25-353.91 µg/g, second trimester 57.95-639.08 µg/g, third trimester 46.98-494.73 µg/g).The established UIC/UCr medical reference intervals and thyroid hormone concentration reference intervals may be used for iodine nutritional assessment and thyroid disease screening in pregnant women.

New Strategy toward Household Coal Combustion by Remarkably Reducing SO2 Emission.

A large amount of sulfur dioxide (SO2) will be released during rural household coal combustion, causing serious environmental pollution. Therefore, it is very urgent to develop a clean and efficient fuel to substitute rural household coal controlling SO2 emission. In this paper, a new strategy toward scattered coal combustion with remarkably reducing SO2 emission was proposed. Coal and compound additive of Al2O3 and CaCO3 were blended and then copyrolysis at 1050 °C was performed to produce clean coke. First, the sulfur content of clean coke was reduced, meanwhile, generating sulfur fixation precursor during pyrolysis. Then, clean coke is used for efficient sulfur fixation during the subsequent combustion process to reduce SO2 emissions. The effects of combustion temperature, Al/S molar ratio, and the mechanism of sulfur retention during clean coke combustion were studied in the tube furnace and muffle furnace. The mechanism can be attributed the following reason: (a) CaS produced during pyrolysis and CaO decomposed by complex additives were oxidized during combustion, and CaO captured the SO2 released from clean coke combustion, which formed CaSO4. (b) CaSO4 reacts with Al2O3 to produce calcium sulfoaluminate at high temperatures, which improves the sulfur fixation efficiency of clean coke combustion at high temperatures. In a word, this new strategy can greatly reduce the emission of SO2, thus helping to solve rural household coal pollution problems.

Appropriate Range of Median Urinary Iodine Concentration in 8- to 10-Year-Old Children Based on Generalized Additive Model.

Background: The appropriate range of median urinary iodine concentration (MUI) in children has always been controversial. To prevent the occurrence of a goiter epidemic in Shanghai, we explored the appropriate range of MUI by integrating multiple monitoring results. Methods: This study summarized and analyzed the monitoring data from 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, and 2017 of children living in Shanghai. In each monitoring year, the probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique was used to select 30 sampling units. In each sampling unit, one primary school was randomly selected. From each selected school, 40 children 8- to 10-year-old were randomly recruited to measure thyroid volume (Tvol) and their household salt iodine intake. Results: In 1997, 1999, 2011, 2014, and 2017, MUI of 8- to 10-year-old children was 228, 214, 182, 171, and 183 µg/L, and median Tvol (MTvol) was 2.9, 1.2, 1.0, 1.8, and 2.8 mL, respectively. There was a linear correlation between goiter rate and MTvol (r = 0.95, p = 0.014; 100 × goiter rate = 1.314 × MTvol -1.287). Generalized additive model (GAM) was used to predict MTvol as follows, MTvol = 0.60689 + 0.00302 MUI +0.999928 s (MUI) -0.05172 mean salt iodized concentrations (MSIs) +0.03481 × 100 × iodized salt coverage rate +0.00000969 per capita disposable income +0.271422 s (per capita disposable income) -0.38772 × monitoring year gap. The results revealed that the average relative error between predicted and actual value was 15.2%. GAM results showed that at 27-277 µg/L MUI, the goiter rate was <5%. Conclusions: Iodine status is appropriate in Shanghai. Under the existing economy and MSI, the optimal range of MUI should be 70-277 µg/L in 8- to 10-year-old children living in Shanghai.

Measuring urethral tissue heat injury temperature of healthy male rabbits during interstitial radiofrequency ablation.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate urethral tissue heat injury in a rabbit model. Histopathology analysis was used to determine the minimum temperature required to achieve urethral tissue injury following interstitial radiofrequency ablation (RFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 37 healthy rabbits were divided into 6 groups randomly and treated with interstitial RFA in the penial parenchyma. The temperatures of urethra were monitored and controlled to 48 degrees , 49 degrees , 50 degrees , 51 degrees 52 degrees and 53 degrees C respectively. The urethral tissue acute heat injury (48 h after heating) was assessed by HE stain, Terminal Deoxylnucleotidyl Transferase Mediated-dUTP Nick End Labeling (TUNEL) stain and quantitative analysis in tissue sections. RESULTS: Histologically, the main feature of acute heat damage was necrosis or vascular congestion or thrombosis of blood vessels of the urethral wall. This occurred only in one out of five cases at 49 degrees C and 50 degrees C heating, but in four out of five cases at 52 degrees and 53 degrees C. The percentage of necrosis was significantly different at tissue temperature of 52 degrees C and above. Quantitative image analyses of TUNEL stain sections demonstrated a significant increase in the positive staining for apoptotic cell at tissue temperatures of 50 degrees C and above. It indicated that the TUNEL stain to detect cell death was more sensitive than routine histology. CONCLUSION: The results from this in vivo study indicate that 50 degrees C and 5 min heating of rabbit urethra during interstitial RFA is the minimum temperature for heat injury of the normal rabbit urethra as measured at 48 h after treatment.

A Comparative Study of Iodized Salt Programs: Shanghai and Switzerland.

Both Shanghai and Switzerland are developed regions with long-standing salt iodization programs and periodic monitoring. However, the two regions have their own approach to the implementation of the iodized salt policy. In Shanghai, monitoring was carried out every few years, using probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique to select 30 sampling units. Each unit consisted of more than 12 pregnant women and one randomly selected primary school. Urine samples were then taken from the chosen pregnant women and randomly recruited students of that school for iodine test. Data of Switzerland used in this comparative study was extracted from published researches. In Shanghai, the median urinary iodine concentration (UIC) in 2014 was 20% lower than in 1999 (P < 0.05). The median UIC of pregnant women in 2014 was 9.5% lower than that in 2011 (P < 0.05). In terms of iodized salt concentration, opposite to the increasing in Switzerland, it has exhibited a downward trend in Shanghai (P < 0.05). For the years monitored, the iodized salt concentration in Shanghai was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in Switzerland. Though the UIC of children exhibited a downward trend in Shanghai (P < 0.05), it was still significantly (P < 0.05) higher than in Switzerland over the same monitoring period. However, the UIC in pregnant women was a totally different story, which was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in Shanghai than in Switzerland. Iodized salt is very important for maintaining sufficient iodine level in the population. Appropriate concentration of iodine in fortified salt needs to be decided according to local conditions. Special attention should be paid to the iodine level of pregnant women in Shanghai, and more education about iodine is necessary for the public health.

A Comparison of Iodine Status in Children and Pregnant Women After a Policy Change in the Iodized Salt Standard in Shanghai, China.

In Shanghai, a new iodized salt standard was implemented in 2012. To provide evidence to the government, we compared iodine status before (35 mg/kg) and after (30 mg/kg) adjustment in vulnerable populations living in Shanghai. The probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique was used to select at least 360 pregnant women for urine iodine test and at least 1200 students for thyroid measurement and the household salt test. Of these students, at least 360 performed urine iodine test. The median thyroid volume and the median household salt iodine concentration of children aged 8-10 years were 1.80 ml and 24.8 mg/kg in 2015, and 0.97 ml and 28.3 mg/kg in 2011. The median urine iodine concentration (UIC) of pregnant women was 126.52 and 139.77 µg/L in 2015 and 2011. All differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The median UIC of students was 171.40 and 181.63 µg/L in 2015 and 2011, the difference was not statistically significant. Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that thyroid volume in children was associated with sex, age, region, and household salt iodized concentration. The current iodized salt concentration meets the basic needs of the population's iodine requirements except for pregnant women. Periodic monitoring is necessary particularly in vulnerable groups.

Dynamic Changes in the Bivariable Distribution of Urinary Iodine Concentration and Thyroid Volume in Children Aged 8 to 10 Years in China.

National iodine-deficiency disorder surveillance surveys were conducted in 1999, 2005, and 2011 in China. Probability-proportional-to-size sampling technique was used to select sampling units. The mean of thyroid volume (Tvol) in the 100 to 199 µg/L UIC (urinary iodine concentration) group was significantly lower than that in the 200 to 299 µg/L UIC group in 2011 ( P < .05). The status in the 100 to 199 µg/L versus ≥300 µg/L and 200 to 299 µg/L versus ≥300 µg/L groups in 1999, and 100 to 199 µg/L versus ≥300 µg/L group in 2011 were the same ( P < .05). The mean Tvol in the <100 µg/L UIC group was significantly higher than that in the 100 to 199 µg/L UIC group in 1999 ( P < .05). Both insufficient and excess iodine may be associated with an increase in Tvol, and adequate iodine intake should be defined as median UIC 100 to 299 µg/L.

Jagged1 modulated tumor-associated macrophage differentiation predicts poor prognosis in patients with invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast.

OBJECTIVES: Invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast (IMPC) constitutes a unique and aggressive subtype of breast cancer. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of the Jagged1 (a ligand of the Notch pathway) expression, and infiltration density of tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) in patients with IMPC. METHODS: Jagged1 expression and CD163+, CD68+ macrophage infiltration were evaluated by immunohistochemistry in 222 tumor samples, and the clinical significance was analyzed. mRNA level of Jagged1 was analyzed by real time PCR in tumor tissues. RESULTS: The IMPC patients showed larger tumor size, more lymphatic invasion, higher expression levels of estrogen receptor (ER), increased Ki67 index, higher Jagged1 protein level, and denser infiltration of CD163+ macrophages compared to patients with invasive breast ductal carcinoma. In the IMPC cohort, positive Jagged1 expression was related to aggressive features including large tumor size, lymphatic invasion, and Ki67 overexpression. Statistical significance was found between CD163+ macrophage infiltration and Jagged1 expression levels. Cox regression analysis revealed that ER negativity, positive Jagged1 expression, and a high degree of CD163+ macrophage infiltration were independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival, and positive Jagged1 expression was an independent prognostic factor for overall survival. The level of Jagged1 mRNA was higher in tumor tissues of patients with IMPC. CONCLUSION: Jagged1, by modulating TAMs infiltration, is associated with a less favorable prognosis for patients with IMPC. Our results have important implications for therapies targeting Jagged1-Notch signaling and re-educating TAMs polarization for patients with IMPC.