Ultrasound-Based Deep Learning Radiomics Nomogram for the Assessment of Lymphovascular Invasion in Invasive Breast Cancer: A Multicenter Study.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to develop a deep learning radiomics nomogram (DLRN) based on B-mode ultrasound (BMUS) and color doppler flow imaging (CDFI) images for preoperative assessment of lymphovascular invasion (LVI) status in invasive breast cancer (IBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this multicenter, retrospective study, 832 pathologically confirmed IBC patients were recruited from eight hospitals. The samples were divided into training, internal test, and external test sets. Deep learning and handcrafted radiomics features reflecting tumor phenotypes on BMUS and CDFI images were extracted. The BMUS score and CDFI score were calculated after radiomics feature selection. Subsequently, a DLRN was developed based on the scores and independent clinic-ultrasonic risk variables. The performance of the DLRN was evaluated for calibration, discrimination, and clinical usefulness. RESULTS: The DLRN predicted the LVI with accuracy, achieving an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.93 (95% CI 0.90-0.95), 0.91 (95% CI 0.87-0.95), and 0.91 (95% CI 0.86-0.94) in the training, internal test, and external test sets, respectively, with good calibration. The DLRN demonstrated superior performance compared to the clinical model and single scores across all three sets (p < 0.05). Decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve confirmed the clinical utility of the model. Furthermore, significant enhancements in net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) indicated that the two scores could serve as highly valuable biomarkers for assessing LVI. CONCLUSION: The DLRN exhibited strong predictive value for LVI in IBC, providing valuable information for individualized treatment decisions.

Exploring psychological and psychosocial correlates of non-suicidal self-injury and suicide in college students using network analysis.

BACKGROUND: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicide are a serious health concern in young people. Remarkable progress has been made in understanding the correlates and risk factors for suicidality. However, it remains unclear the complex interplay between different factors and which factors are most saliently associated with NSSI and suicide risk and should be targeted for interventions. METHODS: This study utilized network analysis to examine the interrelationship between NSSI, suicide and a variety of psychological (e.g., depression, psychotic-like experiences) and psychosocial (e.g., childhood maltreatment, family dysfunction, being bullied and social support) correlates in a sample of Chinese first year college students (n = 2328). RESULTS: The severity of depressive symptoms was the only factor connected to both NSSI and suicide. Other psychiatric factors like psychotic experiences could only act in an indirect way via the bridging effect of depression. Emotional abuse, compared with other forms of childhood adversities, was found to be the most influential maltreatment form associated with suicidal ideation and attempts. Finally, social support showed the potential to lower the risk of self-injury and suicide in young people. LIMITATIONS: Only a subset of risk and resilience factors of NSSI and suicide were included. Causal inference was impossible due to the cross-sectional design. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlighted the importance of identifying risk groups with mental illnesses or negative childhood events, and providing additional support during the key time of transitioning into higher education.

Chain mediating effect of insomnia, depression, and anxiety on the relationship between nightmares and cognitive deficits in adolescents.

BACKGROUND: The study explored the differences in nightmare, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and cognitive deficits among adolescents and the chain mediating effects of insomnia, depression, and anxiety on the relationship between nightmares and cognitive deficits in adolescents. METHODS: An online survey was used to collect demographic data of 6014 adolescents and assess nightmare, insomnia, depression, anxiety, and cognitive deficits using the Chinese Version of Nightmare Distress Questionnaire, Insomnia Severity Index, Patient Health Questionnaire 9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7, and Perceived Deficits Questionnaire-Depression. Spearman correlation analysis and the SPSS function "PROCESS macro" were used for correlation and mediation analyses, respectively. RESULTS: Female adolescents, senior high school, and poor academic performance had higher nightmare, insomnia, and cognitive deficit scores; those living in the city had higher depression and anxiety scores. Cognitive deficits were positively correlated with nightmares, insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Further, insomnia, depression, and anxiety had a chain mediating effect between nightmares and cognitive deficits in adolescents. Nightmares indirectly affect cognition deficits by affecting insomnia and then depression and anxiety symptoms. LIMITATIONS: As this was a cross-sectional study, the causal relationship between the variables could not be determined. Moreover, reporting bias and volunteer bias might be present. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that clinicians should identify adolescents with frequent nightmares early and provide timely treatment to minimize negative outcomes and possibly limit the chronicity of nightmare disorder. It is significant to maintain the physical and mental health development of adolescents to reduce the risk of insomnia, depression, anxiety, and cognitive deficits.

[Clinical features of intestinal polyps and risk factors for secondary intussusception in children: an analysis of 2 669 cases]. / 2 669ä¾‹å„¿ç«¥è‚ æ¯è‚‰çš„ä¸´åºŠç‰¹å¾åŠç»§å‘è‚ å¥—å çš„å±é™©å› ç´ åˆ†æž.

OBJECTIVES: To study the clinical features of intestinal polyps and the risk factors for secondary intussusception in children. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the medical data of 2 669 children with intestinal polyps. According to the presence or absence of secondary intussusception, they were divided into two groups: intussusception (n=346) and non-intussusception (n=2 323). Related medical data were compared between the two groups. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the risk factors for secondary intussusception. RESULTS: Among the children with intestinal polyps, 62.42% were preschool children, and the male/female ratio was 2.08∶1; 92.66% had hematochezia as disease onset, and 94.34% had left colonic polyps and rectal polyps. There were 346 cases of secondary intussusception, with an incidence rate of 12.96% (346/2 669). Large polyps (OR=1.644, P<0.001), multiple polyps (≥2) (OR=6.034, P<0.001), and lobulated polyps (OR=93.801, P<0.001) were the risk factors for secondary intussusception. CONCLUSIONS: Intestinal polyps in children often occur in preschool age, mostly in boys, and most of the children have hematochezia as disease onset, with the predilection sites of the left colon and the rectum. Larger polyps, multiple polyps, and lobulated polyps may increase the risk of secondary intussusception, and endoscopic intervention is needed as early as possible to improve prognosis.

Screening and predicting progression from high-risk mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's disease.

Individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) are clinically heterogeneous, with different risks of progression to Alzheimer's disease. Regular follow-up and examination may be time-consuming and costly, especially for MRI and PET. Therefore, it is necessary to identify a more precise MRI population. In this study, a two-stage screening frame was proposed for evaluating the predictive utility of additional MRI measurements among high-risk MCI subjects. In the first stage, the K-means cluster was performed for trajectory-template based on two clinical assessments. In the second stage, high-risk individuals were filtered out and imputed into prognosis models with varying strategies. As a result, the ADAS-13 was more sensitive for filtering out high-risk individuals among patients with MCI. The optimal model included a change rate of clinical assessments and three neuroimaging measurements and was significantly associated with a net reclassification improvement (NRI) of 0.246 (95% CI 0.021, 0.848) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) of 0.090 (95% CI - 0.062, 0.170). The ADAS-13 longitudinal models had the best discrimination performance (Optimism-corrected concordance index = 0.830), as validated by the bootstrap method. Considering the limited medical and financial resources, our findings recommend follow-up MRI examination 1 year after identification for high-risk individuals, while regular clinical assessments for low-risk individuals.

[Clostridium difficile infection and its susceptibility factors in children with inflammatory bowel disease].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence rates of Clostridium difficile colonization and Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the susceptibility factors for CDI in children with IBD. METHODS: A total of 62 children diagnosed with IBD were enrolled as the IBD group. Forty-two children who attended the hospital due to persistent or chronic diarrhea and were excluded from IBD were enrolled as the non-IBD group. The incidence rate of CDI was compared between the two groups. According to the presence or absence of CDI, the IBD group was subdivided into two groups:IBD+CDI (n=12) and non-CDI IBD (n=50), and the clinical data were collected from the two groups to analyze the susceptibility factors for CDI. RESULTS: The IBD group had a significantly higher incidence rate of CDI[19% (12/62) vs 2% (1/42); P < 0.05] than the non-IBD group (P < 0.05). Compared with the non-CDI IBD group, the IBD+CDI group had a significantly longer disease course (P < 0.05), and a significantly higher proportion of children with fever, diarrhea, or abdominal pain (P < 0.05). The IBD+CDI group had significantly higher activity indices of pediatric Crohn's disease, C-reactive protein levels and erythrocyte sedimentation rate than the non-CDI IBD group (P < 0.05). The univariate analysis showed that compared with the non-CDI IBD group, the IBD+CDI group had a significantly higher proportion of children with moderate-to-severe disease, use of glucocorticoids, or treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics for more than 14 days before diagnosis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The children with IBD have a higher incidence of CDI than those without IBD. Severe disease conditions and use of broad-spectrum antibiotics or glucocorticoids may be associated with an increased incidence of CDI in children with IBD.

Diabetes inhibits corneal epithelial cell migration and tight junction formation in mice and human via increasing ROS and impairing Akt signaling.

Corneal wounds usually heal quickly; but diabetic patients have more fragile corneas and experience delayed and painful healing. In the present study, we compared the healing capacity of corneal epithelial cells (CECs) between normal and diabetic conditions and the potential mechanisms. Primary murine CEC derived from wild-type and diabetic (db/db) mice, as well as primary human CEC were prepared. Human CEC were exposed to high glucose (30 mM) to mimic diabetic conditions. Cell migration and proliferation were assessed using Scratch test and MTT assays, respectively. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in the cells was measured using dichlorofluorescein reagent. Western blot was used to evaluate the expression levels of Akt. Transepithelial electrical resistance (TEER) and zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) expression were used to determine tight junction integrity. We found that the diabetic CEC displayed significantly slower cell proliferation and migration compared with the normal CEC from both mice and humans. Furthermore, ROS production was markedly increased in CEC grown under diabetic conditions. Treatment with an antioxidant N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, 100 µM) significantly decreased ROS production and increased wound healing in diabetic CEC. Barrier function was significantly reduced in both diabetic mouse and human CEC, while NAC treatment mitigated these effects. We further showed that Akt signaling was impaired in diabetic CEC, which was partially improved by NAC treatment. These results show that diabetic conditions lead to delayed wound-healing capacity of CEC and impaired tight junction formation in both mice and human. Increased ROS production and inhibited Akt signaling may contribute to this outcome, implicating these as potential targets for treating corneal wounds in diabetic patients.

Protective properties of Huperzine A through activation Nrf2/ARE-mediated transcriptional response in X-rays radiation-induced NIH3T3 cells.

Huperzine A (HupA), derived from Huperzia Serrata, has exhibited a variety of biological actions, in particular neuroprotective effect. However, the protective activities of HupA on murine embryonic fibroblast NIH3T3 cells after X-rays radiation have not been fully elucidated. Herein, HupA treatment dramatically promoted cell viability, abated a G0/G1 peak accumulation, and ameliorated increase of cell apoptosis in NIH3T3 cells after X-rays radiation. Simultaneously, HupA notably enhanced activities of anti-oxidant enzymes, inhibited activity of lipid peroxide, and efficiently eliminated production of reactive oxygen species in NIH3T3 cells after X-rays radiation. Dose-dependent increase of antioxidant genes by HupA were associated with up-regulated Nrf2 and down-regulated Keap-1 expression, which was confirmed by increasing nuclear accumulation, and inhibiting of degradation of Nrf2. Notably, augmented luciferase activity of ARE may explained Nrf2/ARE-mediated signaling pathways behind HupA protective properties. Moreover, expression of Nrf2 HupA-mediated was significant attenuated by AKT inhibitor (LY294002), p38 MAPK inhibitor (SB202190) and ERK inhibitor (PD98059). Besides, HupA-mediated cell viability, and ROS production were dramatically bated by LY294002, SB202190, and PD98059. Taken together, HupA effectively ameliorated X-rays radiation-induced damage Nrf2-ARE-mediated transcriptional response via activation AKT, p38, and ERK signaling in NIH3T3 cells.

MicroRNA-125b inhibits cell proliferation and induces cell apoptosis in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma by targeting BMF.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been reported to regulate the expression of genes by suppressing translation or facilitating mRNA decay. Their expression regulates a wide variety of cellular processes, including the development and progression of cancer. Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a malignant cancer with high morbidity and recurrence in Asia. In the present study, the biological function of miR-125b and its underlying mechanism in ESCC were explored. The results revealed that miR-125b expression was significantly decreased in ESCC tissues and cell lines. A decrease in miR-125b was markedly related to lymphatic metastasis in patients. Functional analysis revealed that the overexpression of miR-125b using miR-125b mimics significantly inhibited cell growth and induced cell apoptosis, and increased the G1 phase of the cell cycle in EC109 and EC9706 cells. Notably, the miR-125b inhibitors revealed the opposite effect. Additionally, overexpression of miR-125b significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo. Furthermore, BCL-2-modifying factor (BMF) was considered to be a potential candidate target of miR-125b based on miRNA target databases. miR-125b negatively regulated BMF expression by directly binding to its 3'-untranslated region. BMF was a functional target of miR-125b in the regulation of cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and the cell cycle in EC109 and EC9706 cells. In clinical ESCC specimens, BMF expression was upregulated, and negatively correlated with that of miR-125b. In conclusion, miR-125b had an antitumor role in ESCC cells mediated by targeting BMF, which can be potentially useful for tumorigenesis in ESCC.

A novel and quick PCR-based method to genotype mice with a leptin receptor mutation (db/db mice).

db/db mice is one of most widely used animal models in studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms of metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and obesity. The mice carry spontaneous point mutations in the gene encoding the leptin receptor, leading to leptin receptor inactivation. Since homozygous db/db mice are sterile, the maintenance of db/db mice requires breeding between heterozygous pairs, which makes genotyping essential for the identification of offspring. The aim of this study was to develop a quick and highly repeatable method for genotyping db/db mice, which comprised only three simple steps: genomic DNA is extracted from either tail tips or ear notches via alkaline lysis (∼20 min); samples are then subjected to tetra-primer amplification refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction (ARMS-PCR) using specially designed and validated primer sets (∼1.5 h); finally, genotypes are be determined by resolving PCR products on regular DNA electrophoresis (∼10 min). The entire db/db mice genotyping procedure can be performed using regular Taq polymerase and PCR amplification within 2 h. Other advantages of this method include high sensitivity and reproducibility. Minimal amounts of tissue from mice are required, and genomic DNA samples can be stably stored at room temperature for up to one month. In conclusion, the method is simple, cost effective, sensitive and reliable, which will greatly facilitate studies using db/db mice.

Yangxin Tongmai Formula ameliorates impaired glucose tolerance in children with Graves' disease through upregulation of the insulin receptor levels.

Graves' disease (GD) is the leading cause of hyperthyroidism, and the majority of GD patients eventually develop disorders of glucose handling, which further affects their quality of life. Yangxin Tongmai formula (YTF) is modified from a famous formula of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In this study we investigated the potential effects of YTF in the treatment of pediatric GD patients with impaired glucose tolerance. Forty pediatric GD patients and 20 healthy children were recruited for this clinical study. Based on the glucose tolerance, the GD patients were divided into two groups: 20 patients displayed impaired glucose tolerance, while the other 20 patients displayed normal glucose tolerance. YTF was orally administered for 60 days. YTF administration significantly ameliorated the abnormal glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in the GD patients with impaired glucose tolerance. To determine the molecular mechanisms of this observation, the number of plasma insulin receptors was determined by ELISA. Before treatment, the fasting and postprandial levels of the insulin receptor were significantly lower in patients with impaired glucose tolerance compared with those in patients with normal glucose tolerance and healthy children. After YTF treatment, both the fasting and the postprandial circulating insulin receptor levels were upregulated, and close to those in healthy children. Therefore, YTF is a potential effective treatment to enhance glucose handling in GD children with impaired glucose tolerance.

Emerging roles of circular RNA hsa_circ_0000064 in the proliferation and metastasis of lung cancer.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs), a novel class of widespread and diverse endogenous RNAs, can regulate gene expression in mammals. CircRNAs have recently been identified as microRNA sponges and involved in the development of some human diseases. However, the role of circRNAs in the process of tumorigenesis and development of lung cancer remains vague. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of circRNAs in the lung cancer. In this study, we chose hsa_circ_0000064 as a targeted circRNA to investigate its clinical significances in lung cancer patients. The result indicated that hsa_circ_0000064 was up-regulated in lung cancer tissues and lung cancer cell lines (A549 and H1229). Moreover, its aberrant expression was correlated with several clinical characteristics, including T stage, lymphatic metastasis, and TNM stage. Fluorescence in situ hybridization detected that hsa_circ_0000064 was mostly located in the cytoplasm in A549 and H1229 cells. In addition, knockdown of hsa_circ_0000064 with siRNA dramatically attenuated the proliferation, blocked cell cycle progression, and promoted cell apoptosis. Western blot analysis showed that the protein levels of caspase-3, caspase-9, bax, p21, CDK6 and cyclin D1 significantly restrained by si-hsa_circ_0000064, while the expression of bcl-2 notably increased in A549 and H1229 cells. Further, si-hsa_circ_0000064 also abated migration and invasion activities of A549 and H1229 cells, which may be associated with reduced expressions of MMP-2 and MMP-9. In general, our data suggest that hsa_circ_0000064 represents a novel potential biomarker and therapeutic target of lung cancer.

[Novel PHEX gene mutations in patients with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets: an analysis of 2 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate PHEX gene mutations in 2 patients with X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets (XLH) and their families and to clarify the genetic etiology. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for the clinical data of two patients with XLH. High-throughput sequencing was used to detect the PHEX gene, a pathogenic gene of XLH. PCR-Sanger sequencing was used to verify the distribution of mutations in families. RESULTS: Both patients had novel mutations in the PHEX gene; one patient had a frameshift mutation, c.931dupC, which caused early termination of translation and produced the truncated protein p.Gln311Profs*13; the other patient had a splice site mutation, IVS14+1G>A, which caused the skipping of exon 15 and produced an incomplete amino acid chain. Their parents had normal gene phenotypes. CONCLUSIONS: c.931dupC and IVS14+1G>A are two novel mutations of the PHEX gene and might be the new pathogenic mutations of XLH.

[Clinical application of single-balloon enteroscopy in children with small intestinal bleeding].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic value and safety of single-balloon electronic enteroscopy in children with small intestinal bleeding. METHODS: Seventy children with clinically suspected small intestinal bleeding, including 38 males and 32 females aged 4-13 years, underwent single-balloon enteroscopy under general anesthesia. Twenty-six cases underwent the procedure through the mouth, 32 cases through the anus, and 12 cases through both. RESULTS: Of the 70 children, 58 (83%) had small bowel disease according to the single-balloon enteroscopy results, including 24 cases of non-specific inflammation, 12 cases of allergic purpura, 8 cases of Crohn's disease, 8 cases of Meckel's diverticulum, and 6 cases of Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Single-balloon enteroscopy is a safe, effective means for the diagnosis of small intestinal bleeding among children.

Gambogenic acid induction of apoptosis in a breast cancer cell line.

BACKGROUND: Gambogenic acid is a major active compound of gamboge which exudes from the Garcinia hanburyi tree. Gambogenic acid anti-cancer activity in vitro has been reported in several studies, including an A549 nude mouse model. However, the mechanisms of action remain unclear. METHODS: We used nude mouse models to detect the effect of gambogenic acid on breast tumors, analyzing expression of apoptosis-related proteins in vivo by Western blotting. Effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis and apoptosis-related proteins in MDA-MB-231 cells were detected by MTT, flow cytometry and Western blotting. Inhibitors of caspase-3,-8,-9 were also used to detect effects on caspase family members. RESULTS: We found that gambogenic acid suppressed breast tumor growth in vivo, in association with increased expression of Fas and cleaved caspase-3,-8,-9 and bax, as well as decrease in the anti-apoptotic protein bcl-2. Gambogenic acid inhibited cell proliferation and induced cell apoptosis in a concentration-dependent manner. CONCLUSION: Our observations suggested that Gambogenic acid suppressed breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cell growth by mediating apoptosis through death receptor and mitochondrial pathways in vivo and in vitro.

[Related factors on patients with depression related to Alzheimer's disease based on the improved cumulative logistic regression].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the determinants of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients with depression. METHODS: The degree of depression on AD patients was assessed by the geriatric depression scale. Improved cumulative logistic regression (ICLR) was used to analyze the determinants of AD patients with depression. RESULTS: 196 AD patients were investigated. Among the 196 AD patients, there were 60 (30.6%) males and 136 (69.4%) females, at 58 - 89 years of age (72.3 ± 6.0). Physical activity, diabetes, MoCA, hearing, economic sources and alcohol were related to the degree of depression of AD patients (P < 0.10). The difference between "normal" and "mild depression" was smaller than difference between "mild depression" and "severe depression". CONCLUSION: AD patients with mild depression were the target population for prevention and they were influenced by several factors listed above.

Front-side illuminated CdS/CdSe quantum dots co-sensitized solar cells based on TiO2 nanotube arrays.

We fabricated a front-side illuminated CdS/CdSe quantum dots co-sensitized solar cell based on TiO(2) nanotube arrays. The freestanding TiO(2) nanotube arrays were first detached from anodic oxidized Ti foils and then transferred to the fluorine-doped tin oxide to form photoanodes. An opaque Cu(2)S with high electrochemical activity was used as the counter electrode. A photovoltaic conversion efficiency as high as 3.01% under one sun illumination has been achieved after optimizing the deposition time of CdSe quantum dots and the length of the TiO(2) nanotube arrays. It is observed that the power conversion efficiency of quantum dots sensitized solar cells from the front-side illumination mode (3.01%) is much higher than that of the back-side illumination mode (1.32%) owing to the poor catalytic activity of Pt to polysulfide electrolytes and light absorption by the electrolytes for the latter.

Effect of Chinese herbal medicine for calming Gan (肝) and suppressing hyperactive yang on arterial elasticity function and circadian rhythm of blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Chinese herbal medicine for calming Gan (肝) and suppressing hyperactive yang (平肝潜阳, CGSHY) on arterial elasticity function and the circadian rhythm of blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension (EH). METHODS: Adopting a parallel, randomized design, sixty-four patients with EH of stages I and II were randomly divided into two groups according to a random number table, with 32 in each group. The patients in the treatment group were treated with CGSHY and those in the control group were treated with Enalapril. All patients were given 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) before and after a 12-week treatment. Trough/peak (T/P) ratios of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP & DBP) of each group were calculated. The circadian rhythm of their blood pressure was observed at the same time. The changes in elasticity of the carotid artery in the patients, including stiffness parameter (ß), pressure-strain elastic modulus (Ep), arterial compliance (AC), augmentation index (AI), and pulse wave velocity (PVWß) were determined by the echo-tracking technique before and after a 12-week treatment. In the meantime, their levels of nitric oxide (NO) and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured respectively. RESULTS: After treatment, all parameters in the 24-h ABPM and the elasticity of the carotid artery (ß, Ep, AC and PVWß) were markedly improved, the level of NO was increased, and ET-1 was decreased in both groups as compared with values before treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Further, the improvements in the ratio of T/P of SBP & DBP and in the level of NO and ET-1 in the treatment group were more significant than those in the control group (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in all parameters in the ABPM monitoring and the elasticity of the carotid artery, the recovery of blood pressure circadian rhythm, and the therapeutic effect of antihypertension in EH patients between the two groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Chinese herbal medicine for CGSHY may lower the blood pressure smoothly and recover the circadian rhythm of blood pressure in EH patients. They may also improve the carotid elasticity of EH patients similar to that of Enalapril. The mechanism of action of Chinese herbs on EH might be related to the regulation of vascular endothelium function.

[Efficacy observation of electroacupuncture intervention on severe acute pancreatitis at early stage complicated with intestinal paralysis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture intervention on severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) at early stage complicated with intestinal paralysis. METHODS: Sixty-eight cases of SAP were randomly divided into observation group (48 cases) and control group (20 cases). In observation group, according to the course of sickness, the early-stage subgroup (30 cases, hospitalized in 3 d) and late-stage subgroup (18 cases, hospitalized in 3-7 d) were subdivided. In control group, the conventional treatment was applied. In observation group, based on the same treatment as control group, electroacupuncture was supplemented at Zhongwan (CV 12), Zusanli (ST 36), Neiguan (PC 6), Hegu (LI 4), etc. Acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) II scores, the recovery time of intestinal paralysis and laboratory indices, complications, operation transfer rate, death rate and the admission time were compared among groups after treatment. RESULTS: The total effective rate was 83.3% (25/30) in early-stage subgroup, which was superior to 72.2% (13/18) in late-stage subgroup and 65.0% (13/20) in control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In early-stage subgroup, the remission time of abdominal pain, the remission time of abdominal distention, the recovery time of borborygums, the recovery time of gas discharge, and the recovery time of defecation were all shorter significantly than those in late-stage subgroup and control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). In early-stage subgroup, APACHE II scores, the recovery time of WBC and blood/uric amylase, complications, operation transfer rate, death rate and admission time were all lower remarkably than those in late-stage subgroup and control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01); but, there were no statistical significant differences in comparison between late-stage subgroup and control group (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture intervention on SAP complicated with intestinal paralysis is superior remarkably to that of conventional treatment, and the efficacy of electroacupuncture intervention at early stage is better than that at late stage.

Waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio in Han Chinese children living in Chongqing, south-west China.

OBJECTIVE: To derive age- and sex-specific reference values for waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) for Han Chinese children and adolescents and to establish the prevalence of excess central adiposity in our study population. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of schoolchildren attending randomly selected primary and secondary schools in south-west China in October 2003 and April 2004. Anthropometry was measured using standard procedures. The LMS method was used to construct smoothed WC and WHtR percentile curves. Overweight and obesity were defined by the International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) criteria and the Working Group on Obesity in Children. Excess central adiposity fat was defined by previously published WC cut-points and a WHtR ≥ 0.5. SETTING: Primary and secondary schools in Chongqing, south-west China. SUBJECTS: A total of 7326 (49.2 % boys) Han Chinese students at 5-17 years old. RESULTS: On the basis of the IOTF criteria, 26.4 % of boys were overweight or obese compared with 16.4 % of girls (P < 0.001). WC cut-points identified 31 % of boys and 28 % of girls as having excess central adiposity, whereas using the WHtR criterion, 14.8 % of boys and 5.6 % of girls were identified. Young boys (5-12 years) had a significantly (P < 0.001) higher WHtR than girls. CONCLUSIONS: We have constructed WC and WHtR percentile curves for Han Chinese children and adolescents living in Chongqing. Our measurements were based on a student population with a relatively high rate of overweight and obesity. These data will provide a point of reference for future studies measuring the prevalence of overweight and obesity in China.