Objectives To study the characteristics of VEGFR-3, podoplanin or CD34 positive vessels in colorectal cancer (CRC) and their correlation with metastasis. Methods The characteristics of VEGFR-3, podoplanin or CD34 positive vessels in 96 cases with CRC and normal mucosa were evaluated by single-labeling or double-labeling immunohistochemistry with anti-human VEGFR-3, podoplanin or CD34 antibody respectively, and their relationship with metastasis of the cancer was analyzed. Results The density of VEGFR-3, podoplanin or CD34 positive vessels at the peripheral region of CRC was significantly higher than that of other regions of CRC or that in normal mucosa (P

Objective:To test the reliability and validity of a multi-dimensional, quantitative video evaluation system (the Multi-dimensional system) for evaluating hand dysfunction among stroke survivors so as to provide an objective basis for its clinical application.Methods:Sixty stroke survivors with single dysfunctional hand were evaluated using the Multi-dimensional system and also using the Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Assessment (FMA-UE) and the Action Research Arm Test (ARAT) and in terms of their active range of hand motion (AROM-H). The Multi-dimensional system′s internal consistency, composite reliability, split-half reliability, parallel-forms reliability as well as intra- and inter-observer reliability were quantified. Its validity was tested in terms of content validity, structural validity, convergent validity and criterion validity.Results:The system′s Cronbach′s α was determined to be 0.86. Its one-dimension composite reliability was 0.939, its split-half reliability coefficient was 0.88 and its parallel-forms reliability was 0.922. The inter-evaluator reliability was between 0.965 and 0.998 [95%CI= (0.919, 0.999)], and the single evaluator ICC value was 0.973 to 0.998 [95%CI= (0.937, 0.999)]. The validity test produced a content validity index of 1, and the Pearson correlation coefficients between each sub-item and the total score were all greater than 0.60. The KMO value for structural validity was 0.882, and there was a common factor in the component matrix which reflected 60.9% of the information in the original variables. The system′s convergent validity AVE was 0.609 with Pearson correlation coefficients between the multidimensional system and the FMA-UE and ARAT both > 0.70.Conclusion:The multi-dimensional quantitative video evaluation system has good reliability and validity in the evaluation of stroke survivors with hand dysfunction.

Due to the flaws inherited in synchronicity, statistical association and survivor bias on variables under measurement, a common 'consensus’ has been reached on "cross-sectiional studies (CSS) can lead to failure on causal inference". In this paper, under both causal thinking and diagram, the real and measured cross-sections are clearly defined that these two concepts only exist theoretically. In real CSS research, the temporal orders of measured variables are all non-synchronic, equivalent to the assumption that measurement variables are independent to each other, or there is no differentiated classification bias. Similar to cumulative case-control or historical cohort studies, both exposure and outcome that exist or occur before their measurements in cross-sectional studies, are actions of historical reconstruction or doing 'Archaeology’. One of the common preconditions for causal inference in such studies is that: there must be a causal relation between the measured variables and their historical counterparts. The measured variables are all agents of their corresponding real counterparts, and the temporal orders are not that important in causal inference. It is necessary to better understand the analytic role of the CSS.