Objective To apply data mining to risk prediction of sudden deafness, and form the association rules.Methods The clinical data of 517 patients with sudden deafness was collected, including the characteristics of 19 attributes: sex, age, season, hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, long-term smoking, alcoholism, mental tension, insomnia, weakness, bedridden, infection, congenital malformation, trauma, tumour and autoimmune diseases. The source database were cleaned, then mapped for mining database. Minimum support to 0.1 and minimum confidence level to 0.9 were set for analysis of association rules. Results One hundred and six strong association rules were formed, and the rules contained the relation between the incidence of sudden deafness and the characteristics of 19 attributes. Conclusion This method is conducive to make the abstract theory of mathematical statistics into useful association rules to guide the practice of disease prevention and control.

Objective To observe the changes of hospitalization rates of patients with goiter in Lianyungang City in a coastal area with mild iodine deficiency in 2002-2010.Methods Medical reports of patients with goiter from county hospitals were studied at county level with a retrospective method.In accordance with the National Iodized Salt Monitoring Program,nine townships(towns) were taken from each county (district) [total of five counties(districts)]; four villages were selected from each township (town); salt samples were taken from eight households in each village,and salt iodine was determined using direct titration of sodium thiosulfate.Results The hospitalization rate of patient with goiter increased from 1.87/10 million in 2002 to 7.05/10 million in 2009,and then fluctuated to 6.06/10 million in 2010(x2 =281.91,P＜ 0.01).Among them,female's hospitalization rates were significantly higher than that of male 's(The variation range of x2 values were 35.23-116.04,all P ＜ 0.01),and the hospitalization rates of people over the age of 40 years were significantly higher than that of people less than 40 years of age(The variation range of x2 values were 33.04-263.04,all P ＜ 0.01),and the hospitalization rates of people in urban areas were significantly higher than that of people in rural areas (The variation range of x2 values were 18.35-140.00,all P ＜ 0.01).Average salt iodine was 27.61-30.13 mg/kg in 2002-2010.The coverage rate of iodized salt and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt both increased year by year (x2 =183.75,211.99,P ＜ 0.01).There was a positive correlation between hospitalization rate of patient with goiter and coverage rate of iodized salt(spearman correlation coefficient was 0.83,P ＜ 0.05).There was a positive correlation between hospitalization rate of patient with goiter and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt too (spearman correlation coefficient was 0.93,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions In Lianyungang City,the hospitalization rate of patient with goiter,the coverage rate of iodized salt and the consumption rate of qualified iodized salt all show upward trend in 2002-2010.The relationship among them is worth further study.

Objective To investigate the correlation of polymorphism of 8473 (T/C,rs5275) in the 3′-untranslated region of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene with bladder cancer. Methods A case-control study on the relation between COX-2 polymorphism and bladder cancer was performed in this study. The Taqman SNP genotyping assay was used to study the COX-2 rs5275 polymorphism. Results The differences in allele or genotype distributions of COX-2 rs5275 between cases and controls (all P < 0.05) were significant. A significantly reduced risk was revealed in bladder cancer patients carrying the TC genotype (adjusted OR =0.178;95%CI:0.119 ~0.264),CC genotype (adjusted OR = 0.087; 95%CI:0.058 ~ 0.129) or (TC/CC) genotype (adjusted OR =0.122;95%CI:0.082~0.181) compared to the control group. Significant difference in genotype distribution of the COX-2 rs5275 site was found associated with sex and smoking (adjusted OR:2.125,0.476;95%CI:1.500 ~3.010,0.325 ~ 0.696);No corelation was found between genetype TT or TC/CC and the pathological features of bladder cancer (P>0.05). Conlusion The separate effect of rs5275 polymorphism of COX-2 is associated with the susceptibility of bladder cancer, the TC/CC genotypes may be a protective factor.

Objective:To explore the effect of repetitive high-frequency magnetic stimulation (H-F rTMS) of the dorsolateral part of the prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) combined with smoking-related cues on nicotine addicts′ cigarette craving, the concentration of exhaled CO and sleep quality.Methods:Sixty nicotine addicts were randomly divided into groups A, B and C, each of 20. All were given H-F rTMS five times a week for two weeks, while those in groups A and B watched smoking and non-smoking pictures for ten minutes, respectively. Before and after the intervention, all of the subjects self-reported their cigarette cravings using a visual analogue scale. Exhaled CO (CO ppm) was measured and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) was evaluated. Results:After the intervention the average craving score, CO ppm and PSQI score had improved significantly in all three groups. The average craving score and CO ppm of group A were both significantly better than in the other two groups. Conclusions:rTMS can significantly improve cigarette craving, CO ppm and sleep quality of cigarette adicts. Viewing smoking-related pictures as an addition to rTMS can even better the effects of rTMS.

RNA has received more attention in the field of forensic medicine and the development of the new biological markers based on RNA shows great significance in the analysis of complex cases. circular RNA (circRNA) is a kind of non-coding RNA which is widely reported recently. Although the regulatory mechanisms of generation and expression are not fully clear, the existing research indicates that circRNA has important biological functions. CircRNA has a cell-type-specific expression with great stability and a high expression level, which makes it meaningful in forensic applications potentially. In this paper, the research progress, the generation and regulation of circRNA as well as its biological characteristics and functions are summarized, which will provide references for related studies and forensic applications.
Forensic Sciences ; Humans ; RNA ; RNA, Circular

Objective To develop a nylon membrane chip for rapid and systematic detection of the diabetes-associated 45 mutant loci in mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA).Methods The mutant-and wild-type probes were designed for detection of 45 mutant loci in mtDNA with Primer Premier 5.0 and NCBI BLAST softwares and the 90 probes with 8 poly T were immobilized on the Hybond N~+ nylon membranes which were treated with 5?SSC Buffer by UV-crosslinking;Then asymmetric PCR was employed to obtain the target single strand DNA(ssDNA).The PCR products were labeled with biotin after purification.NBT/BCIP was used as substrate that yields a very intense purple signal followed by AP-avidin,and the signals were observed in 24 samples with known sequences to evaluate the chips,each sample was repeatedly measured three times.Results The specific target fragments of 45 loci can be amplified under the same condition with nine sets of primers.The annealing temperatures of the wild-type [(59.01?1.42)℃] and mutant-type [(59.34?1.29)℃ ] probes are so close(t=1.046,P =0.301)that hybridization can be performed at the same temperature.The spots on the membrane chip are distinct,regular and well-distributed.The results of positive-and negative-control are perfect.The signals of negative probes and the background are similar.The results of chip were nearly concordant with that of DNA sequences(?~2=113.132,Kappa value =0.888,P = 0.000)except for T16189C mutant.Conclusions We have successfully developed a nylon membrane chip for rapid and systematic detection of the diabetes-associated 44 mutant loci in mtDNA.It could be used for screening for diabetic patients and high-risk people.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) expression and the mechanism underlying mitigation of remifentanil postconditioning-induced protection of diabetic cardiomyocytes.Methods H9c2 cells were cultured in DMEM/F12 culture medium supplemented with 10％ fetal bovine serum.The cells were seeded in 6-well plates (2 ml/well) at a density of 105 cells/ml.After the cells were cultured for 12 h,the cells were attached to the wall and cultured for 48 h in the normoglycemic (5.5 mmol/L) or hyperglycemic (25 mmol/L) DMEM culture medium.The cells were then randomly divided into 6 groups (n =18 each) using a random number table:control group (group CON),hypoxia/reoxygenation group (group H/R),remifentanil postconditioning group (group RPC),hyperglycemia group (group HG),hyperglycemia plus hypoxia/reoxygenation group (group HG-H/R),and hyperglycemia plus remifentanil postconditioning group (group HG-RPC).In H/R,RPC,HG-H/R and HG-RPC groups,the cells were exposed to 95％ N2-5％ CO2 in an incubator for 5 h after changing the culture medium for Tyrode solution.In H/R and HG-H/R groups,the culture medium was changed to the DMEM/F12 culture medium supplemented with 10％ fetal bovine serum and glucose at the corresponding concentration,and the cells were then incubated for 1 h.In RPC and HG-RPC groups,the cells were incubated in the DMEM culture medium containing remifentanil at the final concentration of 1 μmol/L,and the cells were then incubated for 1 h.At 1 h of reoxygenation,the cell viability was measured by CCK-8 assay,the cell apoptosis was detected by AnnexinV-FITC/PI flow cytometry,and the expression of HDAC3 and caspase-3 in cells was detected by Western blot.The apoptotic rate was calculated.Results Compared with group CON,the cell viability was significantly decreased,the cell apoptotic rate was significantly increased,and the expression of caspase-3 and HDAC3 was significantly up-regulated in group H/R (P＜ 0.05).Compared with group H/R,the cell viability was significantly increased,the apoptotic rate was significantly decreased,and the expression of caspase-3 and HDAC3 was significantly down-regulated in group RPC (P＜0.05).Compared with group HG,the cell viability was significantly decreased,the apoptotic rate was significantly increased,and the expression of cspase-3 and HDAC3 was significantly up-regulated in group HG-H/R (P＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the parameters mentioned above between group HG-RPC and group HG-H/R (P＞0.05).Conclusion The mechanism underlying mitigation of remifentanil postconditioning-induced protection of diabetic cardiomyocytes is associated with hyperglycemia-induced up-regulation of HDAC3 expression.

AIM: To investigate the characteristics and surgical management of retinal detachment (RD) after laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in myopia.METHODS: Documents of patients with RD observed in 18342 eyes (9 598 patients) who underwent LASIK were retrospectively reviewed. None of the patients had history of corneal or other diseases before LASIK and preoperative fundus examination was performed. Patients were followed for a mean of 20 months and the clinical features of the eyes which developed RD after LASIK were investigated.RESULTS: Six patients including 2 males and 4 females developed RD, and the incidence of RD after LASIK was 0.33‰. Mean pre-LASIK myopia in these 6 eyes was 9.33D.None of these eyes had prophylactic treatment history of any retinal lesions. Mean time interval between LASIK and RD development was 9.2 months. All RDs happened spontaneously and were managed with vitrectomy and other techniques.Retinal reattachment was achieved at the first retinal detachment surgery in all 6 eyes (100%) at mean follow-up of 9.3months.CONCLUSION: RD after LASIK is not common. The study suggests no cause-effect relationship between RD and LASIK procedure in myopic eyes. However, clinicians should still be aware of retinal pathology in patients undergoing LASIK.

AIM: To assess the efficacy and safety of prophylactic laser photocoagulation for retinal breaks before laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in myopic eyes.METHODS: From April 2000 to April 2004, totally 1 845 eyes ( 1 233 patients ) requesting LASIK had a fundus examination with indirect ophthalmoscopy before the surgery. They were divided into two groups according to the presence (Group 1) or absence of retinal breaks (Group 2). All patients with retinal breaks, though they were asymptomatic, underwent prophylactic laser photocoagulation to seal the breaks before LASIK.RESULTS: Patient age ranged from 18 to 43 ( 25.3±5.7) yaers old. Mean preoperative spherical equivalent refraction (PSER) was -7.44± 2.13 D (range, -1.50 to -14.50 D). Retinal breaks were identified and treated in 37eyes (2.05%) of 32 patients;1 808 eyes of 1 201 patients had no retinal breaks. No statistical difference was found in age ( P ＞0.05) or gender (P ＞0.05) between the two groups. Significant difference of PSER was noted between Group 1 (-9.41± 4.15D) and Group 2 (-7.52±3.71D) (P＜0.05). During a mean 14mo follow-up, none of the patients developed retinal detachment.CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of prophylactic laser photocoagulation for retinal breaks was confirmed.Retinal breaks should be identified and treated by photocoagulation in eyes before LASIK for myopia.

Objective To study the iodine nutritional status of population living in Tibetan pastoral areas,in order to provide a scientific basis for prevention and control of iodine deficiency disorders.Methods Drinking water samples were collected to test iodine content in agricultural town(Kajiaman) and pastoral area(Zuogaiduoma town) of Hezuo in Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture.Thirty of child-bearing age,pregnant and breastfeeding women were selected,respectively,and 90 male adults aged 20-50 from these families(1 from each family) and 90 children aged 8-10 (30 people in each age group) from local schools were randomly sampled at the same time,and urinary iodine (UI) was measured randomly.Edible salt and main food samples were collected to test iodine content from the 10 families of the three types of women,respectively,and they were asked to recall its family intake of food species in the past 24 h excluding spices.The water iodine was determined using arseniccerium redox method (GB/T 5750.1-2006) ; UI with ammonium persulfate digestion-arsenic cerium catalytic spectrophotometric method (WS/T 107-2006) ; salt iodine used direct determination method(GB/T 13025.7-1999); and food iodine with alkali the gray arsenic cerium contact colorimetry.All these work were done in May,2011.Results The average of water iodine was (1.63 ± 0.14)μg/L in agricultural areas and (2.08 ±1.90)μg/Lin pastoral areas of the 10 water samples tested,respectively.The median urinary iodine(MUI) among women of pregnant,lactating and child-bearing age,male adults and children was 141.99,126.65,253.33,258.07,191.0μg/L,respectively,in agricultural areas and 137.26,97.36,126.16,159.48,285.07 μg/L,respectively,in pastoral areas.The difference of MUI in lactating,male adults and children between pastoral and agricultural areas was statistically significant.The proportion of UI ＜ 50 μg/L was less than 20％,and ＜ 100 μg/L was less than 50％ among all population except lactating woman and pregnant women in pastoral areas.The iodized salt coverage rate was 100％(30/30) in agricultural areas and 90％(27/30) in pastoral areas,and the salt iodine was (32.1 ± 7.8)mg/kg in agricultural areas and (32.3 ± 6.0)mg/kg in pastoral areas,respectively.The food structure in agricultural areas was mainly potato,naked oat fruit,cabbage and so on,the average dietary iodine content was 285.7 μg/kg,and in pastoral areas was mainly chow mein,wheat flour,ghee,yogurt,barley and so on,the average dietary iodine content was 51.1 μg/kg.Conclusions There is no iodine deficiency in general in the population in Tibetan areas with low water iodine.However,iodine nutrition of pregnant women can not be guaranteed.It is recommended that classified guidance measures be taken to ensure the sustainable elimination of iodine deficiency disorders in the Tibetan minority areas.