BACKGROUND: With the aging of population, brittle fracture diseases have attracted more and more attention from clinicians. Bone mineral density detection cannot meet the risk assessment of brittle fracture. As one of the new directions and methods to evaluate the risk of brittle fracture, cortical thickness has been studied and discussed by more and more scholars. OBJECTIVE: To explore the correlation of bone cortical thickness values and X-ray gray values in different planes of proximal femur with hip brittle fracture in women aged over 50 years old under X-ray DR photography, so as to evaluate the most appropriate measurement plane for predicting the risk of hip brittle fracture in women among different planes of proximal femur. METHODS: According to the inclusion criteria, relevant clinical data of 100 female patients aged over 50 years old who underwent X-ray DR pelvic radiograph examination at Department of Radiology of the Ninth Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from July 2018 to June 2019 were collected. All patients signed the informed consents and the study was approved by the ethics committee of the hospital. The measurement planes of cortical thickness of the proximal femur were designed to be the middle part of femoral neck, within 1 cm above the lesser trochanter, and within 1 cm below the lesser trochanter, with a total of three groups of measurement planes. The gray value of X-ray was measured by taking the line between the middle point of the great rotor and the small rotor as the rectangular diagonal line to take the rectangular area for measurement. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Women aged 50-64 years were as group A (n=50) and those aged 65 years and older were as group B (n=50). (2) The cortical thickness and X-ray gray value within 1 cm below the lesser trochanter, and within 1 cm above the lesser trochanter in the group B were significantly lower than those in the group A; fracture rate was higher in group A than in group B (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the cortical thickness of middle part of the femoral neck between two groups (P > 0.05). (3) On the whole, cortical thickness values were highest in the within 1 cm below the lesser trochanter, followed by within 1 cm above the lesser trochanter and lowest in the middle part of the femoral neck (P < 0.05). (4) The correlation coefficient of cortical thickness and X-ray gray value of the within 1 cm below the lesser trochanter and within 1 cm above the lesser trochanter and age to brittle fracture was -0.303, -0.205, -0.272, and 0.346 (P < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between cortical thickness of middle part of the femoral neck and brittle fracture (P > 0.05). (5) The difference of cortical thickness within 1 cm below the lesser trochanter and within 1 cm above the lesser trochanter between fracture and non-fracture groups in the group A was significant (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in each index between fracture and non-fracture groups in the group B (P > 0.05). At the age above 50 years, the difference of cortical thickness and X-ray gray value in each measured plane between fracture and the non-fracture groups was significant (P < 0.05). (6) To conclude, the cortical thickness becomes thinner and the gray value of X-ray becomes smaller, and the possibility of brittle fracture of hip becomes higher. When assessing the risk of hip fracture in women aged over 50 years using cortical thickness of the proximal femur, measurement within 1 cm below the lesser trochanter is recommended.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the association of SOX9 expression and clinicopathologic factors and prognosis of gastric cancer.

METHODSA retrospective cohort study including 112 gastric cancer patients admitted to the Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital from 2004 to 2006 was performed. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to evaluate the expression of SOX9 in the 112 specimens of gastric cancer tissues and 70 non-cancerous tissues adjacent to the tumor.

RESULTSLow expression of SOX9 was seen in 5(7.1%) tissues out of 70 non-cancerous tissues adjacent to the tumor. A total of 94(83.9%) patients had varying expression of SOX9, of whom 51(45.4%) had overexpression. Univariate analysis demonstrated that the expression of SOX9 was significantly associated with Lauren classification (P<0.05), tumor invasion(P<0.01), lymph node metastasis(P<0.05), distant metastasis(P<0.05) and tumor stage(P<0.05), however there was no significant association between SOX9 expression and sex, age, histological type, histology differentiation or tumor size. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the 5-year survival rate of patients with SOX9 over-expression was significantly lower than that of patients with low expression(29.4% vs. 49.2%, P=0.031). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that histology differentiation(P=0.046), tumor invasion(P=0.001), and distant metastasis(P<0.01) were independent prognostic factors for gastric cancer, however the over-expression of SOX9 was not significant(P=0.948).

CONCLUSIONSThe expression SOX9 is associated with the growth, invasion, and metastasis of gastric cancer, as well as the prognosis. However, SOX9 expression is not an independent factor for the prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Kaplan-Meier Estimate ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; SOX9 Transcription Factor ; metabolism ; Stomach Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology

Chlorophyll content,leaf mass to per area,net photosynthetic rate and bioactive ingredients of Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum,a skiophyte grown in four levels of solar irradiance were measured and analyzed in order to investigate the response of photosynthetic capability to light irradiance and other environmental factors. It suggested that the leaf mass to per area of plant was greatest value of four kinds of light irradiance and decreasing intensity of solar irradiance resulted in the decrease of leaf mass to per area at every phenological stage. At expanding leaf stage,the rate of Chla and Chlb was 3. 11 when A. heterotropoides var. mandshuricum grew in full light irradiance which is similar to the rate of heliophytes,however,the rate of Chla and Chlb was below to 3. 0 when they grew in shading environment. The content of Chla,Chlb and Chl( a+b) was the greatest value of four kinds of light irradiance and decreasing intensity of solar irradiance resulted in its decreasing remarkably( P<0. 05). The rate of Chla and Chlb decreased but the content of Chla,Chlb and Chl( a+b) increased gradually with continued shading. The maximum value of photosynthetically active radiation appeared at 10: 00-12: 00 am in a day. The maximum value of net photosynthetic rate appeared at 8: 30-9: 00 am and the minimum value appeared at 14: 00-14: 30 pm at each phenological stage if plants grew in full sunlight. However,when plants grew in shading,the maximum value of net photosynthetic rate appeared at about 10: 30 am and the minimum value appeared at 12: 20-12: 50 pm at each phenological stage. At expanding leaf stage and flowering stage,the average of net photosynthetic rate of leaves in full sunlight was remarkably higher than those in shading and it decreased greatly with decreasing of irradiance gradually( P < 0. 05). However,at fruiting stage,the average of net photosynthetic rate of leaves in full sunlight was lower than those in 50% and 28% full sunlight but higher than those in 12% full sunlight. All photosynthetic diurnal variation parameters of plants measured in four kinds of different irradiance at three stages were used in correlation analysis. The results suggested that no significant correlation was observed between net photosynthetic rate and photosynthetically active radiation,and significant negative correlation was observed between net photosynthetic rate and environmental temperature as well as vapor pressure deficit expect for 12% full sunlight. Positive correlation was observed between net photosynthestic rate and relative humidity expect for 12% full sunlight. Significant positive correlation was observed between net photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance in the four light treatments. Only,in 12% full sunlight,the net photosynthetic rate was significantly related to photosynthetically active radiation rather than related to environmental temperature,vapor pressure deficit and relative humidity. In each light treatment,a significant positive correlation was observed between environmental temperature and vapor pressure deficit,relative humidity as well as stomatal conductance. Volatile oil content was 1. 46%,2. 16%,1. 56%,1. 30% respectively. ethanol extracts was 23. 44%,22. 45%,22. 18%,21. 12% respectively. Asarinin content was 0. 281%,0. 291%,0. 279% and 0. 252% respectively. The characteristic components of Asarum volatile oil of plant in different light treatments did not change significantly among different groups.
Asarum ; physiology ; radiation effects ; Chlorophyll ; analysis ; Photosynthesis ; Plant Leaves ; radiation effects ; Sunlight