Long-range inhibition synchronizes and updates prefrontal task activity.

Changes in patterns of activity within the medial prefrontal cortex enable rodents, non-human primates and humans to update their behaviour to adapt to changes in the environment-for example, during cognitive tasks1-5. Parvalbumin-expressing inhibitory neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex are important for learning new strategies during a rule-shift task6-8, but the circuit interactions that switch prefrontal network dynamics from maintaining to updating task-related patterns of activity remain unknown. Here we describe a mechanism that links parvalbumin-expressing neurons, a new callosal inhibitory connection, and changes in task representations. Whereas nonspecifically inhibiting all callosal projections does not prevent mice from learning rule shifts or disrupt the evolution of activity patterns, selectively inhibiting only callosal projections of parvalbumin-expressing neurons impairs rule-shift learning, desynchronizes the gamma-frequency activity that is necessary for learning8 and suppresses the reorganization of prefrontal activity patterns that normally accompanies rule-shift learning. This dissociation reveals how callosal parvalbumin-expressing projections switch the operating mode of prefrontal circuits from maintenance to updating by transmitting gamma synchrony and gating the ability of other callosal inputs to maintain previously established neural representations. Thus, callosal projections originating from parvalbumin-expressing neurons represent a key circuit locus for understanding and correcting the deficits in behavioural flexibility and gamma synchrony that have been implicated in schizophrenia and related conditions9,10.

Similar Midterm Clinical Outcomes and Aortic Remodeling in Bifurcated and Straight Aortic Stent Grafts Used to Treat Isolated Abdominal Aortic Dissection.

PURPOSE: The optimal treatment for isolated abdominal aortic dissection (IAAD) is currently unknown. We compared the effects of straight and bifurcated aortic stent grafts on postoperative aortic remodeling in patients with IAAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From February 2012 to December 2019, 57 patients with IAAD were treated using endovascular methods, including either a bifurcated or a straight aortic stent graft. The clinical features, risk factors, computed tomography angiograms, midterm follow-up results, and aortic remodeling of these patients were reviewed and analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 44 (77%) patients were treated with a bifurcated graft and 13 (23%) patients were treated with a straight graft. Patients treated with straight grafts had fewer common iliac arteries involved (38% vs 73%, p=0.023), the dissection length was shorter (76.3 ± 40.0 vs 116.2 ± 56.7 mm, p=0.011), and the preoperative aortic diameter (26.0 ± 5.6 vs 35.2 ± 12.1 mm) and the false lumen diameter (13.1 ± 5.2 vs 21.2 ± 11.3 mm) were smaller. During the procedure, there were 3 (5.3%) type I endoleaks, 1 (1.8%) surgical conversion and 1 (1.8%) partial renal artery coverage without perioperative mortality. Patients with straight grafts had shorter operative time (96.5 ± 24.4 vs 144.2 ± 49.0 minutes, p<0.0001). The median follow-up duration was 37.6 ± 21.0 (range = 3-89) months with 1 (1.8%) aortic-related death. Type A aortic dissection occurred in 1 (1.8%) patient. New descending aortic dissection occurred in 3 (5.3%) patients, and 1 patient advanced to type A aortic dissection 3 months later. Two (3.5%) patients had limb occlusion. There was no significant difference in aortic remodeling, survival, and freedom from all adverse events between the 2 treatment strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular treatment provides a safe, minimally invasive treatment for IAAD in midterm follow-up. Compression of the true lumen at the aortic bifurcation is the main concern after treatment with a bifurcated graft. Straight grafts are an excellent alternative for some patients, with the benefit of reduced procedural time, effective aortic remodeling, and excellent clinical prognosis. More experience is needed to offer clear recommendations for making treatment decisions as well as determine long-term effectiveness and durability.

Construction and validation of a revised satisfaction index model for the Chinese urban and rural resident-based basic medical insurance scheme.

BACKGROUND: Quality is the most important factor in satisfaction. However, the existing satisfaction index model of urban and rural resident-based basic medical insurance scheme (SIM_URRBMI) lacks the segmentation of perceived quality elements, it couldn't provide a reference for quality improvement and satisfaction promotion. This study aims to construct a revised SIM_URRBMI that can accurately and detailly measure perceived quality and provide feasible and scientific suggestions for improving the satisfaction of urban and rural residents' basic medical insurance scheme (URRBMI) in China. METHODS: Based on the theoretical framework of the American Customer Satisfaction Index, the elements of perceived quality were refined through literature review and expert consultation, and a pool of alternative measurement variables was formed. A three-stage randomized stratified cluster sampling was adopted. The main decision makers of URRBMI in the families of primary school students in 8 primary schools in Changsha were selected. Both the classic test theory and the item response theory were used for measurement variables selection. The reliability and validity of the model were tested by partial least squares (PLS)-related methods. RESULTS: A total of 1909 respondents who had URRBMI for their children were investigated. The SIM_URRBMI1.0 consists of 11 latent variables and 28 measurement variables with good reliability and validity. Among the three explanatory variables of public satisfaction, perceived quality had the largest total effect (path coefficient) (0.737). The variable with the greatest effect among the five first-order latent variables on perceived quality was the quality of the medical insurance policy (0.472). CONCLUSIONS: The SIM_URRBMI1.0 consists of 28 measurement variables and 11 latent variables. It is a reliable, valid, and standard satisfaction measurement tool for URRBMI with good prediction ability for public satisfaction. In addition, the model provides an accurate evaluation of the perceived quality, which will greatly help with performance improvement diagnosis. The most critical aspects of satisfaction improvement are optimizing the scope and proportion of reimbursement as well as setting appropriate level of deductible and capitation of URRBMI.

Spatial distribution of stroke readmission within 30 days and the influencing factors in Hunan Province. / 湖南省脑卒中30 då†å ¥é™¢çš„ç©ºé—´åˆ†å¸ƒåŠå ¶å½±å“å› ç´ .

OBJECTIVES: Stroke readmission increases financial burden on the family and the consumption of medical resources, and 30-day readmission rate is an important indicator for quality evaluation on health services. The influential factors for readmission mainly include patient-related factors, hospital factors, and society-related factors, with regional differences. This study aims to explore the spatial distribution and its main relevant factors for 30-day readmission of stroke patients in Hunan Province, and to provide the useful information for the improvement of regional prevention and control of stroke readmission. METHODS: Stroke patients in Hunan Province who were hospitalized in 2018 and readmitted within 30 days were included in the study. The vector map of the county boundary in Hunan Province was used as the basic map since county was the spatial analysis unit. SPSS 26.0 and ArcGIS 10.8 were used for statistical analysis that contains descriptive analysis of the general situation and the distribution map of readmission rate within 30 days of stroke patients. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and spatial regression analysis were further used to find the spatial clusters of the 30-day readmission rate of stroke and the local relationship between the readmission rate and main influential factors. RESULTS: In 2018, a total of 172 800 stroke patients were hospitalized in Hunan Province, of which 6 953 patients were re-hospitalized within 30 days after discharging due to stroke. The 30-day readmission rate was 4.09% in Hunan Province. The clusters of stroke readmission rates were mainly concentrated in the northeast and western regions in Hunan Province. The geographically weighted regression revealed that proportion of patients with complications, number of hospitals per 10 000 population and number of primary medical and health care institution per 10 000 population were the main relevant factors for stroke readmission, and there were differences both in the direction and degree of the effect on readmission in different regions. CONCLUSIONS: The 30-day readmission rate for stroke patients in Hunan province and its main influential factors had spatial heterogeneity. The key prevention and control areas were mainly concentrated in the northeast and western regions. It is recommended that the prevention and treatment of stroke complications and the construction of medical institutions need to be strengthened to improve the quality of medical services, particularly in the western region. The importance to the treatment of stroke complications should be attached in the northern region, and the primary health care should be reinforced in the northeast region. All counties should take prevention and control measures according to local conditions, so as to effectively control the readmission rate of stroke within 30 days.

Mixed methods research on satisfaction with basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents in China.

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies on satisfaction with integrated basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents (URRBMI), and satisfaction with URRBMI is not very high because of the complexity of its policies and differences among the insured. The aim of the present study was to explore the factors that influence satisfaction with URRBMI in China and to provide scientific suggestions to the government for how to effectively manage and improve the policy. METHODS: An explanatory sequential design of mixed methods research was used. A quantitative research using a three-stage stratified cluster sampling method was used to randomly select the guardians of pupils who participated in URRBMI (n = 1335). The quantitative research was conducted to calculate the latent variables' scores and path coefficients between latent variables using SmartPLS3.0. With public trust, public satisfaction, and perceived quality as the target variables, important-performance analysis (IPA) was used to explore the important but underperforming factors, which were the key elements to improving satisfaction with URRBMI. A purposeful sampling strategy according to satisfaction level was used to obtain qualitative research subjects from among the quantitative research subjects. A qualitative research was conducted using semi-structured interviews, and the thematic analysis method was used to summarize the interview data. RESULTS: The three strongest paths were perceived quality to public satisfaction, with a total effect of 0.737 (t = 41.270, P < 0.001); perceived quality to perceived value, with a total effect of 0.676 (t = 31.964, P < 0.001); and public satisfaction to public trust, with a total effect of 0.634 (t = 31.305, P < 0.001). IPA revealed that public satisfaction and perceived quality were key factors for public trust and that perceived quality was of high importance for public satisfaction but had low performance. The policy quality was a determining factor for perceived quality. The qualitative research results showed that the most unsatisfactory aspect for the insured was the policy quality. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that improving quality is key to improving public satisfaction with and public trust in URRBMI. The government should improve the compensation level by broadening the channel of financing for the URRBMI fund, rationally formulating reimbursement standards, and broadening the scope of the drug catalog and the medical treatment projects. The government should establish a stable financing growth mechanism and effective methods of providing health education to improve public satisfaction and public trust.

Application of satisfaction index of basic medical insurance for rural and urban residents to pupils' familial decision making in Kunming and Changsha City. / åŸŽä¹¡å± æ°‘åŸºæœ¬åŒ»ç–—ä¿é™©æ»¡æ„åº¦æŒ‡æ•°æ¨¡åž‹åœ¨æ˜†æ˜Žå¸‚å’Œé•¿æ²™å¸‚å°å­¦ç”Ÿå®¶åº­å†³ç­–è€ ä¸­çš„åº”ç”¨.

OBJECTIVES: To verify the applicability and extensibility of the satisfaction index of basic medical insurance for rural and urban residents, and to explore the mechanism responsible for the satisfaction index in Kunming and Changsha City, and provide references for effective management and policy making. METHODS: A stratified cluster sampling method was conducted. A total of 560 familial decision makers were randomly selected in 24 classes of 14 schools of Kunming and Changsha City. Model reliability was tested by SPSS18.0. In addition, Smart PLS 3.0 was applied to conduct model validity test, calculate the satisfaction index, and to compare the model path coefficients of Kunming and Changsha by multi-group analysis. RESULTS: In the application of the satisfaction index of basic medical insurance for rural and urban residents in Kunming, Cronbach's α of the model was 0.93, split-half reliability coefficient was 0.90, and the latent variable composite reliability coefficient values were more than 0.86; the latent variable average variance extraction (AVE) values were greater than 0.66, and the square root of the AVE of each latent variable (all greater than 0.66) was larger than the correlation coefficient with other latent variables. The factor loading values were greater than 0.70, with statistical significance. The basic health insurance satisfaction index of Kunming and Changsha was 60.40 and 52.05, respectively. The difference between the path coefficient of Kunming and Changsha was not statistically significant except the path from public satisfaction to public loyalty. Perceived value had the largest direct and total effect on public satisfaction latent variable in Kunming City. While the perceived value had the largest direct effect on public satisfaction, and the perceived quality had the largest total effect on public satisfaction in Changsha City. CONCLUSIONS: The satisfaction index model reflects the satisfaction of pupils' basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents, and it also shows good reliability and validity in Changsha and Kunming. What's more the model can be extended to the national level to evaluate the satisfaction of basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents for primary school students. The basic health insurance satisfaction index of familial decision makers in Kunming is higher than that of Changsha. There are differences between Kunming and Changsha in the influential mechanism of the satisfaction index of for Chinese pupils with basic medical insurance for rural and urban residents, and the measures taken by the government and relevant departments to improve the satisfaction of basic medical insurance should be based on local conditions.

Effect of Vision Therapy on Accommodative Lag in Myopic Children: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

SIGNIFICANCE: Accommodative dysfunction has been suggested to be related to the development and progression of myopia. Office-based accommodative/vergence therapy (OBAVT) improved accommodative facility in Chinese myopic children, but it is unclear if such improvement has a role in decreasing myopic progression. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of OBAVT with home reinforcement and office-based placebo therapy (OBPT) as a treatment to improve accommodative functions (i.e., lag, amplitude, and facility) in myopic children with poor accommodative accuracy. METHODS: This was a prospective, single-masked, randomized clinical trial. Thirty-four Chinese children 8 to 12 years old with myopia and at least 1 diopter of lag of accommodation measured by autorefraction were enrolled. The participants were randomly assigned to the OBAVT or OBPT group. The primary outcome measure was the change in the monocular lag of accommodation from the baseline visit to the 13-week visit measured by a Shin-Nippon open-field autorefractor. Secondary outcome measures were changes in accommodative amplitude and monocular accommodative facility. RESULTS: A total of 33 participants completed the study. After 12 weeks of treatment, there were significant improvements in the lag of accommodation in both the OBAVT and OBPT groups (OBAVT: -0.30 ± 0.29 diopters [P < .001; Cohen's d effect size, 1.29]; OBPT: -0.24 ± 0.30 diopters [P = .005; Cohen's d effect size, 1.24]). There was no statistically significant difference between the improvements in the two groups (P = .50). There was statistically significant improvement in monocular accommodative facility only in the OBAVT group (OBAVT: 7.7 ± 4.7 cycles per minute [P < .001; Cohen's d effect size, 2.20]; OBPT: 1.9 ± 4.4 cycles per minute [P = .072]). The change in the OBAVT group was statistically significantly larger than that in the OBPT group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Office-based accommodative/vergence therapy was no more effective than OBPT in reducing the lag of accommodation in children 8 to 12 years old with low to moderate myopia. It did improve accommodative facility in Chinese myopic children, but it is unclear if such an improvement has a role in decreasing myopic progression.

[Association rule regarding chronic disease-relevant risk factors for the adults in Haidian District].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association patterns of chronic disease-relevant risk factors for the adults in Haidian District.
 Methods: Data for chronic disease-relevant risk factors for 3 219 adults in Haidian District in 2014 were collected and analyzed. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical description and logistic regression. SPSS Modeler 14.1 was used to explore the association among the chronic disease-relevant risk factors.
 Results: Among men, 5 patterns of chronic disease-relevant risk factors were identified, which suggested that heavy drinking, inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables, and physical inactivity were associated with smoking while inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables and smoking were associated with physical inactivity. Among women, one pattern of chronic disease-relevant risk factor was identified, which suggested that inadequate intake of fruit and vegetables was associated with physical inactivity.
 Conclusion: Chronic disease-relevant risk factors are intercorrelated among the adults in Haidian District. Information on patterns of chronic disease-relevant risk factors could assist interventions targeting multiple behaviors simultaneously.

[Comprehensive evaluation on the prescription behavior for outpatients in primary health care institutions of Yiyang].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prescription behavior for outpatients in primary health care institutions of Yiyang and to provide scientific basis for promoting the rational use of drugs.
 METHODS: A multi-stage random sampling method was conducted in 21 primary health care institutions from Yiyang. Fifteen prescriptions were randomly selected in every month from each institution and a total of 3780 prescriptions were eventually collected in a year.
 RESULTS: Both the number of drugs and percentage of injection in a prescription were greater than the international standards. Children were more likely to be prescribed by multiple prescriptions, antibiotics prescriptions, hormones and injections prescriptions. The utilization of essential drug was more frequent in female. Antibiotics and hormones were more frequently used in summer and autumn season. Polypharmacy, antibiotics, injections and essential drugs were more frequently used in hospitals of small town. The skin and subcutaneous tissue diseases were often treated with multiple prescriptions, while the respiratory diseases were often treated with antibiotics, hormones and injections. Most primary health care institutions were at the upper limit of rational drug use.
 CONCLUSION: The usage of prescription drug in most primary health care is rational, but some still surpass international standards. Thus, primary health care physicians should strictly control their prescriptions behavior.

[Study on out-of-pocket expenditure and related factors among cancer inpatients with Hunan Provincial Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the level and influential factors for out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure regarding Hunan Provincial Urban Employee Basic Medical Insurance (UEBMI) and to provide evidence for improvement of medical insurance payment system.
 METHODS: Stratified random sampling method was used to obtain 10 527 records of cancer inpatients from January 2011 to December 2014. Social demographic and expenditure information were collected from UEBMI information system. The proportion of OOP expenditure for inpatient and each part of the cost was described. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze main related factors of OOP expenditure.
 RESULTS: The median proportion of OOP for inpatients costs was 20.11%, and remained stable from 2011 to 2014. The main related factors for OOP expenditure were age, civil servant, retirment status, hospital level, cost of hospitalization, hospitalization duration, medicine cost, proportion of general medical service charges, treatment cost, expenses of examination and laboratory test, and cancer type.
 CONCLUSION: OOP expenditure among UEBMI cancer inpatients was under control and stable. The level can well reflect the policy preferences. It could be further improved through the control of related factors, particularly the hospital level.

[Effect of implementation of essential medicine system in the primary health care institution in China].

Our primary health care institution began to implement national essential medicine system in 2009. In past fi ve years, the goal of national essential medicine system has been initially achieved. For examples, medicine price is steadily reducing, the quality of medical services is improving and residents' satisfaction is substantial increasing every year. However, at the same time, we also found some urgent problems needed to be solved. For examples, the range of national essential medicine is limited, which is difficult to guarantee the quality of essential medication. In addition, how to compensate the primary health care institution is still a question.

Quality of asynchronous webchats vs in-person consultations for postpartum depression in China: a cross-sectional, mixed methods study using standardized patients.

Background: Prompt professional care for postpartum depression (PPD) is difficult to obtain in China. Though online consultations improve accessibility and reduce stigma, the quality of services compared to in-person consultations is unclear. Methods: Five trained, undisclosed "standardized patients" (SPs) made "asynchronous webchats" visits and in-person visits with psychiatrists. Visits were made to 85 psychiatrists who were based in 69 hospitals in ten provincial capital cities. The care between online and in-person consultations with the same psychiatrist was compared, including diagnosis, guideline adherence, and patient-centeredness. False discovery rate (FDR) was used to adjust p values. Third visits using asynchronous webchats were made to psychiatrists who offered discrepant diagnoses. Thematic content analysis was used for the discrepancies. Findings: The proportion of diagnostic accuracy was lower for online than in-person visits (76.5% [65/85] vs 91.8% [78/85]; pFDR = 0.0066), as were the proportions of completing questions involving clinical history (16.6% vs 42.7%; pFDR < 0.0001), and management decisions (16.2% vs 27.5%; pFDR < 0.0001) consistent with recommended guidelines. Patient-centeredness was lower online than in-person (pFDR < 0.0001). Fifteen of 16 psychiatrists completed third visits, most of them considered lack of nonverbal information online as a key barrier. Interpretation: Online consultations using asynchronous webchats were inferior to in-person consultations, with respect to diagnostic accuracy, adherence to recommended clinical guidelines, and patient-centeredness. To fully realise the potential benefits of online consultations and to prevent safety issues, there is an urgent need for major improvement in the quality and oversight of these consultations. Funding: China Medical Board, National Natural Science Foundation of China, and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation Global Cooperation Department.

Seasonal impact of diurnal temperature range on intracerebral hemorrhage in middle-aged and elderly people in central China.

Objectives: This study investigated the seasonal impact of diurnal temperature range (DTR) on hospitalization rates for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in middle-aged and elderly adults. Methods: We collected data on the DTR and hospitalization records of ≥45-year-old patients with ICH in 2019 in Hunan Province, central China. Time-series analyses were performed using a distributed lag nonlinear model. Results: Overall, 54,690 hospitalizations for ICH were recorded. DTR showed a nonlinear relationship with ICH hospitalization in both middle-aged and elderly populations (45-59 and ≥60 years, respectively). During spring, a low DTR coupled with persistently low temperatures increased ICH risk in both age groups, while a high DTR was associated with an increased risk in the middle-aged group only (relative risk [RR], 1.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21 to 1.27). In the summer, a low DTR combined with persistently high temperatures was linked to a higher risk exclusively in the middle-aged group. A high DTR in the autumn was correlated with increased risk in both age groups. In winter, either a low DTR with a continuously low temperature or a high DTR elevated the risk solely in the elderly population (RR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.00 to 1.69). In the elderly group, the impact of DTR on hospitalization risk manifested within a 5-day period. Conclusion: The impact of DTR on ICH hospitalization risk differed significantly across seasons and between age groups. Elderly individuals demonstrated greater sensitivity to the impact of DTR. Weather forecasting services should emphasize DTR values, and interventions targeting sensitive populations are needed.

2P-NucTag: on-demand phototagging for molecular analysis of functionally identified cortical neurons.

Neural circuits are characterized by genetically and functionally diverse cell types. A mechanistic understanding of circuit function is predicated on linking the genetic and physiological properties of individual neurons. However, it remains highly challenging to map the functional properties of transcriptionally heterogeneous neuronal subtypes in mammalian cortical circuits in vivo. Here, we introduce a high-throughput two-photon nuclear phototagging (2P-NucTag) approach optimized for on-demand and indelible labeling of single neurons via a photoactivatable red fluorescent protein following in vivo functional characterization in behaving mice. We demonstrate the utility of this function-forward pipeline by selectively labeling and transcriptionally profiling previously inaccessible 'place' and 'silent' cells in the mouse hippocampus. Our results reveal unexpected differences in gene expression between these hippocampal pyramidal neurons with distinct spatial coding properties. Thus, 2P-NucTag opens a new way to uncover the molecular principles that govern the functional organization of neural circuits.

Development and validation of a nomogram model for mortality prediction in stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A prospective observational study in the RealDTC cohort.

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide. There is no nomogram model available for mortality prediction of stable COPD. We intended to develop and validate a nomogram model to predict mortality risk in stable COPD patients for personalised prognostic assessment. Methods: A prospective observational study was made of COPD outpatients registered in the RealDTC study between December 2016 and December 2019. Patients were randomly assigned to the training cohort and validation cohort in a ratio of 7:3. We used Lasso regression to screen predicted variables. Further, we evaluated the prognostic performance using the area under the time-dependent receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calibration curve. We used the AUC, concordance index, and decision curve analysis to evaluate the net benefits and utility of the nomogram compared with three earlier prediction models. Results: Of 2499 patients, the median follow-up was 38 months. The characteristics of the patients between the training cohort (n = 1743) and the validation cohort (n = 756) were similar. ABEODS nomogram model, combining age, body mass index, educational level, airflow obstruction, dyspnoea, and severe exacerbation in the first year, was constructed to predict mortality in stable COPD patients. In the integrative analysis of training and validation cohorts of the nomogram model, the three-year mortality prediction achieved AUC = 0.84; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.81, 0.88 and AUC = 0.80; 95% CI = 0.74, 0.86, respectively. The ABEODS nomogram model preserved excellent calibration in both the training cohort and validation cohort. The time-dependent AUC, concordance index, and net benefit of the nomogram model were higher than those of BODEx, updated ADO, and DOSE, respectively. Conclusions: We developed and validated a prognostic nomogram model that accurately predicts mortality across the COPD severity spectrum. The proposed ABEODS nomogram model performed better than earlier models, including BODEx, updated ADO, and DOSE in Chinese patients with COPD. Registration: ChiCTR-POC-17010431.

[Clinical predictive factors of coronary artery stenosis located distally to myocardial bridging].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical predictive factors of coronary artery stenosis located distally to myocardial bridging (MB). METHODS: A total of 603 patients with MB-mural coronary artery (MB-MCA) diagnosed by angiography initially were enrolled during May 2004 to May 2009. Their angiographic and clinical data were collected according to an uniform protocol. And standard questionnaires were used to acquire demographic information and clinical examinations. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to explore the related clinical predictive factors. RESULTS: A total of 644 MB-MCAs were detected. Diastolic vessel diameters in MCAs were significantly smaller than those in reference segments ( (2.29 ± 0.39) vs (2.48 ± 0.40) mm, P < 0.001) . Lesions located distally to MB detected in 36 patients were significantly fewer than those proximally to MB in 382 patients (5.9% vs 62.4%, P < 0.001) . Univariate analysis suggested that the narrowing degree of vessel located proximally to MB, the narrowing degree and the number of diseased coronary vessels of non-MB-MCAs and course of hypertension were positively correlated with the narrowing degree of vessel located distally to MB (all P < 0.05) . Multivariate Logistic regression analysis suggested that the number of cigarettes per day, the narrowing degree of diseased coronary vessels of non-MB-MCAs, the narrowing degree of vessel located proximally to MB and diastolic narrow rate of MCA were positively correlated with the occurrence of coronary artery stenosis located distally to MB (all P < 0.05) . Their standardized coefficients (ß) were 0.763, 0.727, 0.420 and 0.403 respectively. And the corresponding Exp (ß) were 2.146 (1.089-4.229) , 2.070 (1.371-3.125) , 1.521 (1.050-2.204) and 1.496 (1.094-2.045) . CONCLUSION: The number of cigarettes per day, the narrowing degree of diseased coronary vessels of non-MB-MCAs, the narrowing degree of vessel located proximally to MB and diastolic narrowing rate of MCA are likely to be important clinical predictive factors of coronary artery stenosis located distally to MB.

[Imaging and clinical characteristics of patients with coronary artery stenosis located proximally to myocardial bridging].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the imaging and clinical characteristics and related risk factors of patients with coronary artery stenosis located proximally to myocardial bridging. METHODS: This study enrolled 603 patients with angiography evidenced myocardial bridging-mural coronary artery between May 2004 to May 2009. Angiographic and clinic data were collected according to uniform protocol and standard questionnaires were used to obtain patients' demographic and clinical information. Univariate and multivariate analysis were performed to explore related risk factors. RESULTS: Chest pain was present in 247 cases (41.0%). Dynamic ST-T changes were found in 229 cases (38%). A total of 644 myocardial bridging-mural coronary arteries were detected including 382 (62.4%) segments located proximally to myocardial bridging. Diastolic vessel diameters in the myocardial bridging segment were significantly smaller than reference segments (all P < 0.01). Stepwise multiple regression analysis suggested that vascular bifurcation lesions, the degree of narrowing and the number of diseased coronary vessels of non- myocardial bridging-mural coronary arteries, age, LDL-C/HDL-C, male gender, diabetes, and systolic narrow rate of myocardial bridging-mural coronary arteries were positively related with the narrowing degree of the first coronary artery stenosis located proximally to myocardial bridging (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Vascular bifurcation lesions, the degree of narrowing and the number of diseased coronary vessels of non- myocardial bridging-mural coronary arteries, age, LDL-C/HDL-C, male, diabetes and dyslipidemia were positively related with the narrowing degree of the most severe coronary artery stenosis located proximally to myocardial bridging (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Myocardial ischemia is common in patients with myocardial bridging and the artery segments located proximally to myocardial bridging are prone to stenosis. Systolic narrow rate of myocardial bridging-mural coronary arteries is one of major determinants of coronary artery stenosis located proximally to myocardial bridging. Whereas the other coronary heart disease risk factors are likely to play more important roles.

Geospatial analysis of the hospitalisation rate of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in Hunan: a cross-sectional Chinese study.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about spatial variability of hospitalisation rate (HR) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) worldwide, especially in China. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients with RA admitted to hospitals in Hunan Province. Global Moran's I and local indicators of spatial association were used to explore the geospatial pattern of the HR of patients with RA. Generalised estimating equation analysis and geographically weighted regression were used to identify the potential influencing factors of the HR of patients with RA. RESULTS: There were a total of 11 599 admissions, and the average HR was 1.57 per 10 000 population in Hunan. We detected different cluster patterns of the HR among patients with RA by local indicators of spatial association. Age, ethnicity, average temperature, average temperature range, average rainfall, regions, gross domestic product per capita, and doctors and hospitals per 10 000 people were risk factors for the HR. However, only average temperature, gross domestic product per capita and hospitals per 10 000 people showed different regression coefficients on the HR in different counties. The increase in hospitals increased the probability of HR from east to west in Hunan with a positive coefficient, while temperature decreases increased the risk of HR from south to north negatively. Similarly, the growth of gross domestic product per capita decreased the probability of HR from southwest to northeast. CONCLUSION: A non-random spatial distribution of the HR of patients with RA was demonstrated in Hunan, and average temperature, gross domestic product per capita and hospitals per 10 000 people showed different regression coefficients on the HR in different counties. Our study indicated that spatial and geostatistics may be useful approaches for further study among patients with RA.

Reliable knowledge graph fact prediction via reinforcement learning.

Knowledge graph (KG) fact prediction aims to complete a KG by determining the truthfulness of predicted triples. Reinforcement learning (RL)-based approaches have been widely used for fact prediction. However, the existing approaches largely suffer from unreliable calculations on rule confidences owing to a limited number of obtained reasoning paths, thereby resulting in unreliable decisions on prediction triples. Hence, we propose a new RL-based approach named EvoPath in this study. EvoPath features a new reward mechanism based on entity heterogeneity, facilitating an agent to obtain effective reasoning paths during random walks. EvoPath also incorporates a new postwalking mechanism to leverage easily overlooked but valuable reasoning paths during RL. Both mechanisms provide sufficient reasoning paths to facilitate the reliable calculations of rule confidences, enabling EvoPath to make precise judgments about the truthfulness of prediction triples. Experiments demonstrate that EvoPath can achieve more accurate fact predictions than existing approaches.

[Content validity index in scale development].

Content validity is the degree to which an instrument has an appropriate sample of items for the construct being measured and is an important procedure in scale development. Content validity index (CVI) is the most widely used index in quantitative evaluation. There are 2 kinds of CVI: I-CVI and S-CVI. A method to compute a modified kappa statistic (K*) can be used to adjust I-CVI for chance agreement. S-CVI/UA and S-CVI/Ave are both scale level CVI with different formulas. Researchers recommend that a scale with excellent content validity should be composed of I-CVIs of 0.78 or higher and S-CVI/UA and S-CVI/Ave of 0.8 and 0.9 or higher, respectively. The characteristics and qualifications of the experts, process and main results of content validity evaluation should be reported in scale-related manuscript.