A latent profile analysis of psychological resilience associated with work fatigue among Chinese nurses.

Nurses' psychological resilience has been studied using a variable-centered rather than a person-centered approach, impeding a comprehensive understanding of the holistic expression of these different forms of psychological resilience. This study aimed to examine the characteristics of psychological resilience in a sample of Chinese nurses during COVID-19 using latent profile analysis (LPA) and the relationships between these unique profiles and nurses' work fatigue. A total of 471 Chinese nurses were recruited from three hospitals in Hebei Province between June and July 2020. The participant samples were investigated with the psychological resilience scale and the work fatigue inventory. LPA showed that a three-profile model of psychological resilience best fit this study. The resulting profiles were low psychological resilience, medium psychological resilience, and high psychological resilience. Notably, there were significant differences in nurses' work fatigue among different profiles of psychological resilience. The study provided a new view of nurses' psychological resilience, which may be used to effectively reduce nurses' work fatigue and evaluate nursing work status comprehensively.

Increasing nurses' occupational well-being: the role of career shocks, job crafting and supervisor autonomy support.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to explore the influence of career shocks on nurses' occupational well-being through job crafting and the moderating role of supervisor autonomy support. METHOD: The present study used a cross-sectional design. And the study included 714 frontline nurses in China, and we used structural equation modelling (SEM) to test our hypotheses. RESULTS: Job crafting mediated both the relationship between positive career shocks and occupational well-being and the relationship between negative career shocks and occupational well-being. Supervisor autonomy support moderated the indirect relationships. CONCLUSIONS: Positive and negative career shocks could increase and impair nurses' occupational well-being through job crafting, respectively. We contribute to helping nurses make sense of career shocks and preparing for career shocks, and hospital administrators and nurses' direct supervisors can help nurse better cope with career shocks in attending job crafting activities and providing more autonomy supports.

Latent profiles of ethical climate and nurses' service behavior.

BACKGROUND: Hospital ethical climate has important implications for clinical nurses' service behavior; however, the relationships are complicated by the fact that five types of ethical climate (caring, law and code, rules, instrumental, and independence) can be combined differently according to their level and shape differences. Recent developments in person-centered methods (e.g., latent profile analysis (LPA)) have helped to address these complexities. AIM: From a person-centered perspective, this study explored the distinct profiles of hospital ethical climate and then examined the relationships of the profiles with clinical nurses' service behavior (both in-role and extra-role service behavior). RESEARCH DESIGN: A quantitative study was conducted using cluster random sampling. Latent profile analysis and binary coded hexadecimal (BCH) analysis were conducted using Mplus 8.2. PARTICIPANTS AND RESEARCH CONTEXT: A total of 871 clinical nurses in China were surveyed using the Ethical Climate Scale and Nurses' Service Behavior Questionnaire. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: Ethical approval was obtained from the IRB of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University (No. KY-2020-090). RESULTS: A four-profile hospital ethical climate model provided the best fit for the data. The four different profiles not only varied in level, but also in shape: high normative and low egoism (45.8%), high ethical climate (19.9%), low ethical climate (3.6%), and moderate ethical climate (30.8%). These profiles differentially predicted clinical nurses' overall, in-role, and extra-role service behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal new insights into the nature of hospital ethical climate and how different clinical nurses in these profiles can be best managed to accomplish different forms of service behavior.

The effect of perceived organizational support on the work engagement of Chinese nurses during the COVID-19: the mediating role of psychological safety.

The outbreak of COVID-19 undoubtedly aggravated the pressure and workload of nurses' work, which may bring new challenges to nurses' work engagement. This study aims to explore the factors of nurses' work engagement, and it may provide targeted references for clinical intervention. Convenience sampling was used, and 689 nurses from Hebei and Guangxi Province in China were investigated. The results indicated that both perceived organizational support and psychological safety have direct positive impacts on nurses' work engagement, and psychological safety mediates the relationship between perceived organizational support and work engagement. These findings provide new ideas to help nursing managers better understand how to improve work engagement.

The relationship between ethical climate and nursing service behavior in public and private hospitals: a cross-sectional study in China.

BACKGROUND: Workplace climate is a great significant element that has an impact on nurses' behavior and practice; moreover, nurses' service behavior contributes to the patients' satisfaction and subsequently to the long-term success of hospitals. Few studies explore how different types of organizational ethical climate encourage nurses to engage in both in-role and extra-role service behaviors, especially in comparing the influencing process between public and private hospitals. This study aimed to compare the relationship between the five types of ethical climate and nurses' in-role and extra-role service behaviors in public and private hospitals. METHODS: This study conducted a cross-sectional survey on 559 nurses from China in May 2019. The questionnaire was distributed to nurses by sending a web link via the mobile phone application WeChat through snowball sampling methods. All participants were investigated using the Ethical Climate Scale and Service Behavior Questionnaire. SPSS 22.0 was used for correlation analysis, t-test, and analysis of variance test, and Mplus 7.4 was used for group comparison (p < .05). RESULTS: The law and code climate has a much greater influence on nurses' in-role service behavior in private hospitals than on that in public hospitals (ß = - 0.277; CI 95 % = [-0.452, - 0.075]; p < .01), and the instrumental climate has a stronger influence on nurses' extra-role service behavior private hospitals than on that in public hospitals (ß = - 0.352; CI 95 % = [-0.651, - 0.056]; p < .05). Meanwhile, the rules climate has a greater effect on nurses' extra-role service behavior in public hospitals than it does in private hospitals (ß = 0.397; CI 95 % = [0.120, 0.651]; p < .01). CONCLUSIONS: As the relationship between the five types of ethical climate and nurses' in-role and extra-role service behaviors in public and private hospitals were different, the strategies used to foster and enhance the types of ethical climate are various from public to private hospitals. The caring and instrumental climate are the key to promote extra-role service behavior for nurses in private hospitals. And the independent climate has a great effect on extra-role service behaviors for nurses in public hospitals.

Resveratrol restores sensitivity of glioma cells to temozolamide through inhibiting the activation of Wnt signaling pathway.

Malignant gliomas are aggressive primary neoplasms that originate in the glial cells of the brain or the spine with notable resistance to standard treatment options. We carried out the study with the aim to shed light on the sensitization of resveratrol to temozolomide (TMZ) against glioma through the Wnt signaling pathway. Initially, glioma cell lines with strong resistance to TMZ were selected by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Then, the glioma cells were subjected to resveratrol, TMZ, Wnt signaling pathway inhibitors, and activators. Cell survival rate and inhibitory concentration at half maximum value were detected by MTT, apoptosis by flow cytometry, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining, in vitro proliferation by hanging drop method and ß-catenin translocation into nuclei by TOP/FOP-FLASH assay. The expressions of the Wnt signaling pathway-related and apoptosis-related factors were determined by western blot analysis. Nude mice with glioma xenograft were established to detect tumorigenic ability. Glioma cell lines T98G and U138 which were highly resistant to TMZ were selected for subsequent experiments. Resveratrol increased the efficacy of TMZ by restraining cell proliferation, tumor growth, and promoting cell apoptosis in glioma cells. Resveratrol inhibited Wnt2 and ß-catenin expressions yet elevated GSK-3ß expression. Moreover, the Wnt signaling pathway participates in the sensitivity enhancing of resveratrol to TMZ via regulating O 6 -methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) expression. Resveratrol sensitized TMZ-induced glioma cell apoptosis by repressing the activation of the Wnt signaling pathway and downregulating MGMT expression, which may confer new thoughts to the chemotherapy of glioma.

Down-regulation of the long noncoding RNA-HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA inhibits the occurrence and progression of glioma.

This study aims to explore the role of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA)-HOX transcript antisense intergenic RNA (HOTAIR) in the occurrence and progression of glioma. Fresh glioma and normal brain tissues were classified into a glioma group (n = 67) and a normal group (n = 64) respectively. U87 cells were assigned into the blank, sh-NC, and sh-HOTAIR groups. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was utilized to determine HOTAIR expression. Cell proliferation, cell cycle and cell apoptosis rates were detected by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and flow cytometry (FCM). Scratch test and transwell assay were conducted for cell migration and invasion. Orthotopic glioma tumor model in nude mice was established by inoculating tumor cell suspension. Hematoxylin-Eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the growth and invasion of orthotopic glioma tumors. The expression of HOTAIR and cell viability was found to be lowest in the sh-HOTAIR group among the three groups. The sh-HOTAIR group exhibited a higher apoptotic rate and lower number of cell migration compared with the blank and sh-NC groups. Additionally, the speed of wound healing was slower, the migration distance decreased and the survival time of nude mice was extended in the sh-HOTAIR compared to the other groups. Moreover, the sh-HOTAIR group demonstrated reduced lesion sizes and inflammation, no convulsions or hemiplegia and lesser number of satellite metastases. Our findings support that down-regulation of HOTAIR could inhibit cell proliferation, promote cell apoptosis as well as suppress cell invasion and migration in the progression of glioma.

Liraglutide downregulates hepatic LDL receptor and PCSK9 expression in HepG2 cells and db/db mice through a HNF-1a dependent mechanism.

BACKGROUND: Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 (PCSK9), a major regulator of cholesterol homeostasis, is associated with glucose metabolism. Liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, can increase insulin secretion in a glucose-dependent manner and lower blood glucose. We aimed to investigate the relationship between liraglutide and PCSK9. METHODS: At the cellular level, the expressions of PCSK9 and hepatocyte nuclear factor 1 alpha (HNF1α) protein in HepG2 cells stimulated by liraglutide was examined using Western blot. Seven-week old db/db mice and wild type (WT) mice were administered either liraglutide (200 µg/kg) or equivoluminal saline subcutaneously, twice daily for 7 weeks. Fasting glucose level, food intake and body weight were measured every week. After the 7-week treatment, the blood was collected for lipid and PCSK9 levels detection and the liver was removed from the mice for oil red O staining, immunohistochemical analysis, immunofluorescence test and Western bolt. RESULTS: Firstly, liraglutide suppressed both PCSK9 and HNF1α expression in HepG2 cells in a time and concentration dependent manner. Secondly, liraglutide induced weight loss in WT and db/db mice, decreased serum PCSK9, glucose and lipid levels and improved hepatic accumulation in db/db but not WT mice. Thirdly, liraglutide reduced both hepatic PCSK9 and low-density lipoprotein receptor (LDLR) expression with a decrease in HNF1α in db/db mice but not in WT mice. CONCLUSIONS: Liraglutide suppressed PCSK9 expression through HNF1α-dependent mechanism in HepG2 cells and db/db mice, and decreased LDLR possibly via PCSK9-independent pathways in db/db mice.

A soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products inhibits myocardial apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion via the JAK2/STAT3 pathway.

sRAGE can protect cardiomyocytes from apoptosis induced by ischemia/reperfusion (I/R). However, the signaling mechanisms in cardioprotection by sRAGE are currently unknown. We investigated the cardioprotective effect and potential molecular mechanisms of sRAGE inhibition on apoptosis in the mouse myocardial I/R as an in vivo model and neonatal rat cardiomyocyte subjected to ischemic buffer as an in vitro model. Cardiac function and myocardial infarct size following by I/R were evaluated with echocardiography and Evans blue/2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. Apoptosis was detected by TUNEL staining and caspase-3 activity. Expression of the apoptosis-related proteins p53, Bax, Bcl-2, JAK2/p-JAK2, STAT3/p-STAT3, AKT/p-AKT, ERK/p-ERK, STAT5A/p-STAT5A and STAT6/p-STAT6 were detected by western blot analysis in the presence and absence of the JAK2 inhibitor AG 490. sRAGE (100 µg/day) improved the heart function in mice with I/R: the left ventricular ejection fraction and fractional shortening were increased by 42 and 57%, respectively; the infarct size was decreased by 52%, the TUNEL-positive myocytes by 66%, and activity of caspase-3 by 24%, the protein expression of p53 and ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 by 29 and 88%, respectively; protein expression of the p-JAK2, p-STAT3 and p-AKT were increased by 92, 280 and 31%, respectively. sRAGE have no effect on protein expression of p-ERK1/2, p-STAT5A and p-STAT6 following by I/R. sRAGE (900 nmol/L) exhibited anti-apoptotic effects in cardiomyocytes by decreasing TUNEL-positive myocytes by 67% and caspase-3 activity by 20%, p53 protein level and the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio by 58 and 86%, respectively; increasing protein expression of the p-JAK2 and p-STAT3 by 26 and 156%, respectively, p-AKT protein level by 33%. The anti-apoptotic effects of sRAGE following I/R were blocked by JAK2 inhibitor AG 490. The effect of sRAGE reduction on TUNEL-positive myocytes and caspase-3 activity were abolished by PI3K inhibitor LY294002, but not ERK 1/2 inhibitor PD98059. These results suggest that sRAGE protects cardiomyocytes from apoptosis induced by I/R in vitro and in vivo by activating the JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway.

Effect of blood pressure variability on cardiovascular outcome in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with stroke.

BACKGROUND: The association between blood pressure (BP) variability and stroke outcome is controversial, and there are few studies that have focused on the impact of BP variability in diabetic patients with stroke. Therefore, we aimed to examine the impact of BP variability on cardiovascular outcome in diabetic and nondiabetic patients with stroke. METHODS: A total of 373 ischemic stroke patients with large artery atherosclerosis were recruited and followed up. Ambulatory BP monitoring was performed in all patients and divided according to the 25th and 75th percentiles interval of SD of daytime systolic BP (SBP). Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression were used to assess the relationship between BP variability and cardiovascular outcomes including stroke recurrence, vascular events and cardiovascular death. RESULTS: The 339 patients were included in the final analysis. During an average follow-up of 19.0 ± 5.1 months (.6-26.8 months), 69 (20.4%) cardiovascular events occurred in all patients. Kaplan-Meier analysis found that there were no differences in cardiovascular events-free survival among the different BP variability groups in diabetic patients (P = .995); however, nondiabetic patients with greater BP variability showed a lesser cardiovascular events-free survival (P = .039). Through Cox regression we found the SD of daytime SBP (hazard ratio 1.103; 95% CI 1.011-1.203) was associated with cardiovascular outcomes in nondiabetic patients with stroke. CONCLUSIONS: We show that SBP variability is associated with cardiovascular outcomes in stroke patients without diabetes, but we didn't find a correlation between SBP variability and cardiovascular outcomes in stroke patients with diabetes.

Diagnostic value of combined parameters derived from ambulatory electrocardiography for detecting coronary artery disease in non-active chest pain patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The diagnostic value of ST-segment deviation detected by ambulatory electrocardiography (AECG) is controversial in identifying coronary artery disease (CAD) referred for coronary angiography (CAG). Recently, many parameters which evaluate CAD can be derived from AECG. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the diagnostic value of AECG in screening CAD referred for CAG when several parameters were combined. METHODS: We studied the 104 chest pain inpatients. All patients received the CAG and AECG. A lumen diameter reduction of ≥ 50% was considered CAD according to CAG. The parameters derived from AECG included ST-segment deviation, apnea hypopnea index (AHI), QT interval dispersion (QTd) and heart rate variability (HRV). The diagnostic value of AECG in screening CAD was evaluated. RESULTS: Of the 104 patients, 57 (54.8%) had CAD according to CAG. The sensitivity of ST-segment deviation in screening CAD was 64.9%; the specificity was 89.4%; and the Kappa value was 0.528. The sensitivity of at least three combined parameters including ST-segment deviation, AHI, QTd and HRV was 89.5%; the specificity was 87.2%; and the Kappa value was 0.767. CONCLUSION: AECG is very useful in screening CAD referred for CAG, especially while several parameters including ST-segment deviation, AHI, HRV and QTd are combined.

Association between inflammatory biomarkers and hypertension among sedentary adults in US: NHANES 2009-2018.

Our study focuses on the relationship between inflammatory biomarkers and hypertension among sedentary adults in the United States, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) from 2009 to 2018. We categorized 24,614 participants into two groups based on their daily sedentary time: 9607 individuals in the sedentary group (≥7 h) and 15,007 in the non-sedentary group (<7 h). We found that the sedentary group had a significantly higher prevalence of hypertension than the non-sedentary group. Using weighted multiple logistic regression and smoothing curves, we assessed the correlation between inflammatory biomarkers and hypertension among the sedentary adults. The odds ratios for hypertension were 1.92 for the monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR), 1.15 for the systemic inflammation response index (SIRI), and 1.19 for the natural logarithm of the systemic immune-inflammation index (lnSII), all showing nonlinear associations. Furthermore, a significant positive correlation was found between sedentary time and inflammatory biomarkers (MHR, SIRI, and lnSII). Our findings suggest that prolonged sedentary behavior in the US significantly increases hypertension risk, likely due to marked increases in inflammation markers.

Left main coronary artery spasm in a hyperthyroid patient with suspected acute coronary syndrome.

The left main coronary artery (LMCA) vasospasm is rare. We report a suspected acute coronary syndrome patient with hyperthyroidism who had LMCA vasospasm. Coronary angiogram showed 60% stenosis at LMCA. After administering nitroglycerin, re-angiography showed no significant stenosis. Then we evaluated LMCA lesion using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) showing no significant stenosis. We considered that it was a LMCA vasospasm and may be assosiated with hyperthyroid state. After anti-thyroid and anti-spasm treatment, chest pain subsided. In conclusion, hyperthyroidism induced coronary hypersensitivity may contribute to LMCA vasospasm as seen in this case. IVUS may be useful to identify coronary vasospasm.

Understanding green loyalty: A literature review based on bibliometric-content analysis.

Green loyalty is a crucial factor that influences consumers' purchase intentions and is essential for the sustainable development of ecological environments. However, research on this topic is still scattered, and exploring the research hotspots and trends of green loyalty is vital for future studies. This systematic literature review clarified the conceptual content, structure, and measurement of green loyalty. Additionally, the study conducted a bibliometric analysis of 236 articles on green loyalty from 2002 to 2022 in the Web of Science database. The content analysis revealed the theoretical basis, antecedent and outcome variables, and mechanisms of green loyalty, providing important guidance for future research.

Granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor enhances efficacy of nimustine rendezvousing with temozolomide plus irradiation in patients with glioblastoma.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is the most common and most aggressive type of primary brain tumor. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of intranasal granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) administration combined with chemoradiotherapy in patients with glioblastoma who underwent surgery. METHODS: Ninety-two patients were randomly divided into two groups: a control group (n= 46), who received radiotherapy with adjuvant local delivery of nimustine hydrochloride (ACNU) and systemic administration of temozolomide, and an intervention group (n= 46), who received intranasal GM-CSF prior to each cycle of adjuvant chemotherapy in addition to the treatment of the control group. Karnofsky performance status (KPS) scores, progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and adverse effects were calculated and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the intervention group had longer PFS (7.8 vs. 6.9 months, P= 0.016) and OS (19.2 vs. 17.1 months, P= 0.045, without adjustment for interim analyses). The KPS scores were also higher in the intervention group than in the control group after 6 months (84.35 ± 8.86 vs. 80.65 ± 7.72; t= 4.552, P= 0.036). Furthermore, the patients in the intervention group had lower incidence of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia (8.7% vs. 29.5%, P= 0.012; 8.7% vs. 18.2%, P= 0.186). Other adverse events were similar in both groups, and most adverse events were grade I/II and resolved spontaneously. CONCLUSION: Intranasal GM-CSF enhances the efficacy of the local ACNU administration combined with oral temozolomide chemotherapy. The survival and performance status were significantly improved in patients with glioblastoma after surgery. Additionally, the GM-CSF therapy was able to reduce the occurrence of chemotherapy-related neutropenia and thrombocytopenia.

Effect of Ethical Leadership on Moral Sensitivity in Chinese Nurses: A Multilevel Structural Equation Model.

To explore the relationship between ethical leadership (a contextual factor at the higher organizational level) and nurses' moral sensitivity (the individual outcome at a lower level), a cross-sectional quantitative study design was used. Participants were 525 nurses at 65 various departments in public tertiary hospitals. These results showed that ethical climate played a mediating role in the relationship between ethical leadership and nurses' moral sensitivity. Moreover, nurses' employment type moderated the mediating effect of ethical leadership on their moral sensitivity. Additionally, the link between ethical climate and moral sensitivity of contract nurses was stronger than that of nurses employed by the state.

Ultraviolet Irradiation Increased the Concentration of Vitamin D2 and Decreased the Concentration of Ergosterol in Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinus edodes) and Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) Powder in Ethanol Suspension.

Vitamin D deficiency is a serious global health problem. Edible mushrooms are a good source of vitamin D for human health. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the efficiency of converting its precursor ergosterol to vitamin D2 in shiitake mushroom (Lentinus edodes) and oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) powder in ethanol suspension under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. UV irradiation conditions were optimized for several parameters, such as material form, wavelength, wavelength combination, and exposure time. Under the optimal conditions, UV irradiation increased the concentrations of vitamin D2 from undetectable to 40.59 ± 1.16 µg/g (dw) in dry shiitake mushroom powder and to 677.28 ± 40.42 µg/g (dw) (an approximately 16.69-fold increase) in ethanol suspension. The concentration of vitamin D2 increased from undetectable to 23.71 ± 5.72 µg/g (dw) in the dry oyster mushroom powder upon UV irradiation, whereas UV irradiation increased the concentration to 275.32 ± 48.45 µg/g (dw) (an approximately 11.61-fold increase) in the ethanol suspension. Comparing the effects of varying combinations of wavelengths showed that irradiation with UV-A, UV-C, or a combination of both is more effective than UV-B irradiation. In addition, the increase in vitamin D2 in shiitake mushrooms irradiated by UV-C was time-dependent, that is, dose-dependent. Nevertheless, the increase rates decreased with time. The concentration of ergosterol decreased with the increase in vitamin D2, but ergosterol was only partially converted to vitamin D2, whereas most of the ergosterol was probably UV-degraded. Exposure to ultraviolet light in ethanol suspension offers an effective way to increase the concentration of vitamin D2 and thus improve the nutritional value of edible mushrooms, as well as make them more functional as a source of vitamin D to improve the consumer health.

[Characterization of atherosclerotic plaque in patients with unstable angina pectoris and stable angina pectoris by optical coherence tomography].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the characterization of coronary atherosclerotic plaques in patients with unstable angina pectoris (UAP) and stable angina pectoris (SAP) by optical coherence tomography (OCT). METHODS: OCT was performed in 47 patients (23 UAP and 24 SAP) undergoing coronary angiography. Lipid-rich plaque (defined by > or = 2 quadrants of the cross-section area), thin cap fibroatheroma (TCFA), thickness of fibrous cap, plaque rupture, calcification and thrombus visualized by OCT were compared between UAP and SAP patients. RESULTS: OCT imaging was successfully in 44 out of 47 patients (22 UAP, 22 SAP). Proportion of lipid-rich plaques was similar between UAP and SAP groups [91% (20/22) vs. 73% (16/22), P = 0.741]. The minimum thickness of fibrous cap in the UAP group was significantly thinner than that in SAP group [(69.5 +/- 34.7) microm vs. (141.1 +/- 68.5) microm, P = 0.000] and the rate of fibrous cap erosion in the UAP group was significantly higher than that in the SAP group [59% (13/22) vs. 9% (2/22), P = 0.000]. Percents of TCFA [73% (16/22) vs. 14% (3/22), P = 0.000] and plaque rupture [50% (11/22) vs. 9% (2/22), P = 0.003] were significantly higher in UAP group compared those in SAP group. Incidence of thrombus and calcification were similar between two groups. CONCLUSIONS: OCT imaging can clearly define plaque characterization of coronary atherosclerosis. UAP patients have thinner fibrous cap, higher incidences of fibrous cap erosion, plaque rupture and TCFA compared patients with SAP.

[Diagnostic value of 128-slice CT coronary angiography in comparison with invasive coronary angiography].

OBJECTIVE: To observe the diagnostic value of non-invasive 128-slice computed tomography coronary angiography (CTA) in comparison with invasive coronary angiography. METHODS: 128-slice CTA and invasive coronary angiography were performed in 78 unselected consecutive patients (63 patients with suspected coronary artery disease and 15 patients with previous coronary stenting, 56 males, mean age 61 +/- 10 years) and > 50% reduction of minimal lumen diameter was defined as significant coronary stenosis. RESULTS: Fifty-eight out of 879 segments (7%) from CTA were not assessable because of irregular rhythm, vessel calcification or tachycardia. Compared with invasive coronary angiography, segment-based analysis from the 821 segments showed the sensitivity by CTA was 87%, specificity 97%, PPV 83% and NPV 97%. Four out of 22 stents implanted in 15 patients were not assessable by CTA because of poor image quality. Compared with invasive coronary angiography, the sensitivity of diagnosing in-stent restenosis by CTA was 100%, specificity 77%, PPV 63% and NPV 100% for the remaining 18 stents. CONCLUSIONS: One hundred and twenty-eight-slice CTA has a high accuracy for detecting coronary artery disease and in-stent restenosis after coronary stenting and could be considered as a valuable noninvasive technique for screening coronary artery disease in suspected patients.

MicroRNA-499a decelerates glioma cell proliferation while accelerating apoptosis through the suppression of Notch1 and the MAPK signaling pathway.

As the most common and lethal of intracranial tumors, glioma accounts for 81% of all malignant brain tumors. Research data have identified the role of microRNAs (miRs) as functional suppressors in the progression of Glioma. The present study aimed to, ascertain as to whether microRNA-499a (miR-499a) influences cell proliferation and apoptosis through the MAPK signaling pathway by targeting Notch1 in glioma. Both glioma and adjacent tissues between 2012-2016, were obtained from People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University (Henan Provincial People's Hospital). The collected glioma cells were treated with miR-449a mimic, miR-449a inhibitor, siRNA-Notch1, or SB230580 (an inhibitor of the MAPK signaling pathway). Verification of the targeting effect of miR-449a on Notch1 was provided by a dual-luciferase reporter gene assay. The expressions of miR-449a, Notch1, p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK1/2), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), Bcl-2 associated X protein (bax), CyclinD1, and phosphorylation of p38MAPK (p-p38MAPK) and ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) in tissues and cells were detected by means of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and western blot analysis methods. Cellular processes of proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis were evaluated by MTT and BrdU assays as well as flow cytometry, respectively. Notch1 was subsequently identified to be a target gene of miR-499a. After the cells were treated with miR-449a mimic, siRNA-Notch1 or SB230580, decreased expressions of Notch1, Bcl-2, CyclinD1, ERK1/2 and p-ERK1/2, cell proliferation as well as cells arrested at the S stage with elevated expressions levels of p38MAPK, p-p38MAPK, Bax, as well as increased cell apoptosis and number of cells arrested in G0/G1 stage were assessed. Taken together, based on the evidence obtained from the present study, assertions were subsequently made suggesting that MiR-499a targeted-inhibition of Notch1 may be a promising future therapeutic strategy for glioma treatment, by means of overexpressing of miR-499a resulting in the inhibition of glioma cell proliferation and promotion of cell apoptosis through suppression of the MAPK signaling pathway by decreasing Notch1.