Sestamibi Single-Positron Emission Computed Tomography/Diagnostic-quality Computed Tomography for the localization of abnormal parathyroid glands in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: What clinicopathologic factors affect its accuracy?

PURPOSE: Sestamibi Single-Positron Emission Computed Tomography/Diagnostic-quality Computed Tomography (MIBI-SPECT/CT) is a common technology used for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) localization in clinical practice. However, the clinicopathologic factors affecting the accuracy of MIBI-SPECT/CT and the potential limitations remain unclear. METHODS: Retrospectively enrolled PHPT patients (n = 280) were analyzed from August 2017 to December 2019. RESULTS: Of 96 patients with PHPT (mean age, 54 years; 63 females), 17 had discordance between MIBI-SPECT/CT and intraoperative findings. Among the 17 patients with discordance, 58.8% had major discordance, which occurred in most patients with multigland disease (MGD). Compared with concordant patients, discordant patients exhibited increased frequencies of autoimmune thyroid disease (29.4% vs 10.1%, p = 0.035), MDG (41.2% vs 3.8%, p = 0.035), higher PTH (296 pg/mL vs 146 pg/mL; p = 0.012),and lower phosphorus levels (0.77 mmol/L vs 0.90 mmol/L; p = 0.024). MDG (odds ratio [OR], 16.95; 95% CI 2.10-142.86), parathyroid lesion size of 12 mm or less (OR, 6.93; 95% CI 1.41-34.10), and a PTH level higher than 192.5 pg/mL (OR, 12.66; 95% CI 2.17-71.43) were independently associated with discordant MIBI-SPECT/CT results. CONCLUSION: MGD was most strongly associated with discordance between MIBI-SPECT/CT and intraoperative findings followed by a PTH level higher than 192.5 pg/mL and parathyroid lesion size of 12 mm or less. Surgeons should recognize these potential limitations, which may improve the preoperative procedure by encouraging further localization imaging and promptly facilitate intraoperative troubleshooting.

Granular measures of agricultural land use influence lake nitrogen and phosphorus differently at macroscales.

Agricultural land use is typically associated with high stream nutrient concentrations and increased nutrient loading to lakes. For lakes, evidence for these associations mostly comes from studies on individual lakes or watersheds that relate concentrations of nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) to aggregate measures of agricultural land use, such as the proportion of land used for agriculture in a lake's watershed. However, at macroscales (i.e., in hundreds to thousands of lakes across large spatial extents), there is high variability around such relationships and it is unclear whether considering more granular (or detailed) agricultural data, such as fertilizer application, planting of specific crops, or the extent of near-stream cropping, would improve prediction and inform understanding of lake nutrient drivers. Furthermore, it is unclear whether lake N and P would have different relationships to such measures and whether these relationships would vary by region, since regional variation has been observed in prior studies using aggregate measures of agriculture. To address these knowledge gaps, we examined relationships between granular measures of agricultural activity and lake total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations in 928 lakes and their watersheds in the Northeastern and Midwest U.S. using a Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach. We found that both lake TN and TP concentrations were related to these measures of agriculture, especially near-stream agriculture. The relationships between measures of agriculture and lake TN concentrations were more regionally variable than those for TP. Conversely, TP concentrations were more strongly related to lake-specific measures like depth and watershed hydrology relative to TN. Our finding that lake TN and TP concentrations have different relationships with granular measures of agricultural activity has implications for the design of effective and efficient policy approaches to maintain and improve water quality.

Inactivation of Enterobacter sakazakii by water-soluble muscadine seed extracts.

Hot and cold water-soluble muscadine (Vitis rotundifolia) seed extracts and their polar and polyphenol fractions from two Muscadine cultivars ('Ison', purple and 'Carlos', bronze) were investigated for their inhibition of Enterobacter sakazakii. The heat treatment on each seed extract not only increased total phenolics and tannic acid but also enhanced antimicrobial activity against two strains of E. sakazakii. Within 1 h, all seed extracts reduced an initial population (approximately 6 log CFU/mL) of E. sakazakii to a non-detectable level (minimum detection limit, 10 CFU/mL). Regardless of extraction method and cultivar, only the polar fractions which contained malic, tartaric and tannic acids showed antimicrobial activity against two strains of E. sakazakii. The polyphenol fractions which contained gallic acid, catechin, epicatechin, ellagic acid and pigments showed slight inhibition against E. sakazakii. Results showed that water-soluble muscadine seed extracts (pH 3.3-3.78) contained strong antimicrobial inhibitors against E. sakazakii while acidified peptone water (pH 3.3) did not show any antimicrobial activity.

Antimicrobial effect of water-soluble muscadine seed extracts on Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Water-soluble extracts were prepared from purple (cultivar Ison) and bronze (cultivar Carlos) muscadine seeds with or without heating. The Ison extracts had strong antimicrobial activity against a cocktail of three strains of Escherichia coli O157: H7. This extract had higher acidity (pH 3.39 to 3.43), total phenolics (2.21 to 3.49 mg/ml), tartaric acid (5.6 to 10.7 mg/ml), tannic acid (5.7 to 8.1 mg/ml), and gallic acid (0.33 to 0.59 mg/ml) than did the Carlos extracts. Heat treatment on both extracts increased antimicrobial activity, possibly because of increased acidity, tartaric acid, total phenolics, and individual phenolics. Heating of Ison extracts increased ellagic acid up to 83%. Up to 10.7 mg/ml tartaric acid alone was not as effective against E. coli O157:H7 as were water-soluble seed extracts. This finding suggests the involvement of other factors, such as tannic and gallic acids, in inactivation of this pathogen. Water-soluble muscadine seed extracts may be useful for incorporation into juice and other beverage products as natural preservatives.

Capillary electrophoretic determination of the constituents of Artemisiae Capillaris Herba.

Two capillary electrophoretic methods, a micellar electrokinetic electrophoretic (MEKC) one and a capillary zone electrophoretic (CZE) one, were developed for the separation of 12 constituents in Artemisiae Capillaris Herba. Detection at 254 nm with 20 mM sodium dodecyl sulfate and 20 mM sodium borate buffer (pH 9.82) in MEKC or with 25 mM sodium borate and 6.75 mg/ml 2,3,6-tri-O-methyl-beta-cyclodextrin buffer in CZE was found to be the most suitable approach for this analysis. Within 42 min, the MEKC method could successfully separate 12 authentic constituents, whereof chlorogenic acid, however, appeared as a broad and split peak, and capillarisin and chlorogenic acid overlapped partially with other coexisting substances in crude extract of the herb. The CZE method could completely overcome these problems and was used to determine the amounts of capillarisin, chlorogenic acid, scopoletin and caffeic acid in the extract. The effect of buffers on the constituent separation and the validation of the two methods were discussed.

[Discovery and brief developmental history of electro -- convulsive therapy in mental diseases].

With its introduction in 1938, electro -- convulsive therapy (ECT) rapidly became accepted as a mainstream treatment. Its usage opened a new era treatment of mental diseases. ECT is a very effective treatment for major psychosis with high incidence such as endogenous depression, catatonia in schizophrenia and so on. Until recently it still has a place in psychiatric disorders even when effective antipsychotic chemicals are applied today.

[Clinical observation on ganrening granule in treating common cold].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the therapeutic effect of Ganrening Granule (GRN) in treating common cold. METHODS: Four hundred cases of common cold were randomly divided into three groups, the GRN group (160 Patients), the control group (100 Patients) and the opened group (140 Patients). The changes in symptoms and body temperature of patients were observed before and after treatment by single blind method, and the therapeutic effect was assessed according to the "Guideline of Clinical Research of TCM New Drugs". RESULTS: The markedly effective rate and total effective rate of the GRN group were 81.25% and 96.88% respectively, while those of the control group were 44.44% and 88.00% respectively. The difference between the two groups was significant (P < 0.01). GRN showed significant effect in subsiding fever. CONCLUSION: GRN has good effect in treating common cold (Syndrome of both Weifen and Qifen). No adverse effect was found in the clinical trial.

Comparison of the expression of two immediate early gene proteins, FosB and Fos in the rat preoptic area, hypothalamus and brainstem during pregnancy, parturition and lactation.

Medial preoptic area (MPA), supraoptic nucleus (SON), magnocellular (MaPVN) and parvocellular (PaPVN) paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei, and mesencephalic lateral tegmentum (MLT) are involved in maternal behavior, parturition and lactation. This study investigated the FosB and Fos immunoreactivity in these regions of virgin, pregnant, parturient, lactating, and lactating-arrested rats. The patterns of FosB and Fos expression were compared between the sections taken from the same animals. Quantitative immunohistochemistry revealed a significant increase in the numbers of FosB-positive neurons in the MPA, SON, MaPVN, and MLT of parturient and lactating females as compared with pregnant or virgin animals. In lactating rats, the numbers of FosB-positive neurons in the MPA, PaPVN, and MLT were increased, but the numbers in the SON and MaPVN were decreased as compared with parturient females. Many Fos-positive neurons were also seen in parturient and lactating rats, and the patterns of Fos expression in each region were quite similar to those of FosB. Moreover, double-labeling immunohistochemistry revealed that: (1) many FosB-positive nuclei were observed in oxytocin and vasopressin neurons of the SON and PVN in parturient rats; (2) within FosB-positive neurons, 89.5% in the MPA, 86.8% in the MLT of parturient rats, and 92% in the MPA and 90.8% in the MLT of lactating animals were also Fos-positive. Only a small number of FosB and Fos-positive neurons were seen in females that were killed in the early stage of parturition. Removal of the litters immediately after parturition completely eliminated FosB and Fos expression in each region in the dams. Taken together, the present results suggest that FosB expression is co-involved with Fos in the neural activation during parturition and lactation in rats.

[Efficacy of epimedium compound pills in the treatment of the aged patients with kidney deficiency syndrome of ischemic cardio-cerebral vascular diseases].

One hundred-twenty aged patients with kidney deficiency syndrome of ischemic cardio-cerebral vascular diseases were treated with Epimedium compound granules. The results showed that after therapeutic period the total and marked effective rates were 96.7%, 39.5% respectively in treatment group. The rates of improvement were 70% in electrocardiogram of the patients with coronary heart diseases, and 75% in electro-encephalogram of the patients with cerebral arterosclerosis. The therapeutic effectiveness in treatment group was better than that in control group treated with Su-Guan-Bian. According to experimental observation, the therapeutic effectiveness was related to the facts that Epimedium compound granules lower blood lipid have anti-free radicals and adjust balance between prostacyctin I2 and thromboxane A2(TXA2/PGI2).

[Study on experimental parameters for diagnosing ganyang huafeng syndrome of cerebral infarction].

One hundred patients with cerebral infarction were observed, the results showed that Ganyang Huafeng Syndrome (GYHFS) was the major syndrome of acute cerebral infarction which was accounted for 60% and Qiyin Liangxu Syndrome (QYLXS), Qixu Xueyu Syndrome (QXXYS) were mainly observed at convalescent stage of this disease which was accounted for 37.78% and 31.11% respectively. This study chose plasma norepinephrine (NE), epinephrne (E), thromboxane B2(TXB2), 6-keto-PGF1 alpha, cortisol (F) and serum triiodothyroidoglobulin (T3) as the monitoring parameters, and the results showed that the increase of plasma NE,F,TXB2, the decrease of serum T3 could be considered as the comprehensive experimental parameters for diagnosing GYHFS of cerebral infarction.

[Clinical study in treating qi-deficiency and blood-stasis syndrome of angina pectoris with qi xue granule].

UNLABELLED: 55 cases of Qi-deficiency and Blood-Stasis syndrome of coronary heart disease (CHD) and angina pectoris (AP) were divided randomly into two groups. Qi Xue granule (QXG) was administered to 30 cases of treated group, while compound Salvia tablet (CST) was administered to 25 cases of control group. Besides, both group were also given one placebo tablet or granule so as to eliminate the patient's psychological effects. RESULTS: (1) Effects on clinical symptoms: Total effective rate for AP: 90% in QXG group, marked effective rate and effective rate for ischemic ECG changes were 30% and 46.6% respectively. All of these were better than that of CST group significantly (P < 0.05). Besides, QXG group could alleviate symptoms including asthenia. (2) Effects on submaximal paddle work load test: QXG group could prolong the capacity of exercise (from 336.2 +/- 34.7 to 437.5 +/- 43.8 seconds, P < 0.05), magnify the work load (from 73 +/- 7.18 to 94 +/- 8.5 W, P < 0.05) and elevate the ST segment (from 0.218 +/- 0.03 to 0.176 +/- 0.03 mV) significantly in comparison with CST group, which had little change only. (3) Effects on plasma TXB2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha (6 Kp) level and ration of TXB2/6Kp in 10 normal subjects were 165 +/- 12.1 pg/ml, 142.6 +/- 17.4 pg/ml and 1.16 +/- 0.19 pg/ml respectively, while in 36 cases AP were 390.6 +/- 14.3, 106.0 +/- 7.9 and 3.67 +/- 0.85 pg/ml respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Clinical study on "liver yang exuberance syndrome"].

In order to study the nature of Liver Yang Exuberance Syndrome (LYES), and find new effective drug prescription to treat diseases with the syndrome, the authors chose 97 cases with LYES of hypertension, climacteric syndrome and hyperthyroidism. A clinical study was carried out on different diseases with the syndrome including the stagnancy of Liver Qi, excess of Liver Wind and rising of Liver Fire with a new prescription according to TCM theory. While another 83 cases with Yin Deficiency Yang Excess Syndrome (YDYES) of the same three diseases were employed as control group. The results showed that their total effective rates were 81.4% (in lowering blood pressure), 100% and 88.9% respectively. The marked effective rate of LYES of hypertension group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P less than 0.05), which showed the special characteristics of the TCM syndrome. Before and after treatment, the patients with LYES of the three diseases were examined in certain laboratory tests including function of autonomic nervous system, urinary MHPG-SO4, CA, plasma cAMP and TXB2, 6-keto-PGF1 alpha etc. The similar changes were found in different diseases with the same syndrome. The laboratory results of the cases got markedly improved with the improvement of their symptoms, which showed that these tests had active significance for comprehending the nature of LYES.