Objective To discuss the effect of comprehensive intervention on the quality of life of esophageal cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.Methods 100 patients with esophageal carcinoma treated with radiotherapy for the first timewere selected between October 2012 and December 2014 in Nantong Tumor Hospital in Jiangsu Province and randomly divided into control group and observation group (n =50 in each group) with a random number table.In the control group,routine dietary instruction,fluid infusion support and symptomatic intervention were used;comprehensive intervention was added in the observation group.Scores of core quality of life questionnaire (QLQ-C30) and nutritional indexesbefore and after radiotherapy in the two groups were compared.Results There were no statistically significant differences in QLQ-C30 scores and nutritional indexes between the two groups before radiotherapy (all P＞0.05).After radiotherapy,the physical [(75.6 ±13.1) vs.(63.8 ± 12.4)] and emotional function [(61.9 ± 14.3) vs.(52.5 ± 13.7)],fatigue [(36.6 ± 13.2) vs.(45.8±15.0)],pain [(34.8±16.1) vs.(44.3±17.0)],insomnia [(49.2±15.7) vs.(57.2±14.3)],loss of appetite [(50.2 ± 16.2) vs.(59.0 ± 15.8)],nausea and vomiting [(21.5 ± 10.3) vs.(29.9 ±11.3)],general health status [(68.8 ± 13.4) vs.(58.2 ± 12.8)] inthe observation group were significantly better than in the control group (all P ＜0.05).Innutritional status,body weight [(59.3 ± 8.5) kg vs.(54.4 ± 7.3) kg],body mass index [(21.9 ±2.1) kg/m2 vs.(18.4 ±2.8) kg/m2],hemoglobin [(125.9 ± 8.9) g/Lvs.(107.3±9.5) g/L],albumin [(35.1±6.9) g/Lvs.(29.0±5.3) g/L],and prealbumin [(213.54 ±37.47) mg/L vs.(174.56 ±36.26) mg/L] in the observation group were all higher than thosein the control group after radiotherapy (all P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion Comprehensive intervention for esophageal cancer patients receiving radiotherapymay improve nutritional status,reduce esophagitis,thirsty,fatigue,loss of appetite and other symptoms,improve the quality of life,ensure the completion of radiotherapy.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of hypertension among primary and middle school students living in Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, so as to provide insights into comprehensive hypertension control among children and adolescents. Methods: Primary and middle school students at ages of 7 to 17 years were recruited for a questionnaire survey in Suzhou City using the stratified cluster random sampling method from September to December, 2020, and the height and body weight were measured. Blood pressure was measured at three separate clinic visits according to the national criteria Reference of Screening for Elevated Blood Pressure among Children and Adolescents Aged 7-18 Years ( WS/T 610-2018 ), and the detection of elevated blood pressure was estimated at three separate visits. In addition, factors affecting elevated blood pressure were identified. Results: A total of 3 713 students were enrolled, including 1 924 boys ( 51.82% ) and 1 789 girls ( 48.18% ). The detection of elevated blood pressure was 13.63%, 5.36%, and 3.37% at three separate visits, respectively, and the prevalence of hypertension ( elevated blood pressure at all three visits ) was 3.37%. The detection rates of elevated blood pressure were all higher at three visits ( 16.90%, 8.40%, and 5.26% ) among students at ages of 12 to 17 years than among students at ages of 7 to 11 years ( 9.65%, 1.67%, and 1.07%, P<0.05 ). The detection of elevated blood pressure was significantly higher in boys ( 15.23% ) than in girls (11.91%) at the first visit ( P<0.05 ), while no significant differences were seen at the second or third visit ( P>0.05 ). In addition, higher detection rates of elevated blood pressure were seen in obese ( 27.62%, 11.51%, and 7.06% ) and overweight students ( 17.45%, 6.95%, and 4.85% ) than in students with normal weight ( 9.44%, 3.54%, and 2.15% ) at all three visits, and greater detection rates of elevated blood pressure were found in obese students than in overweight students at the first and second visits ( P<0.017 ). Conclusions The prevalence of hypertension was 3.37% based on three separate visits among primary and middle school students in Suzhou City. Measurement of blood pressure at three separate visits within different days is effective to reduce the false positive rate of hypertension and decrease misdiagnosis among children and adolescents.

Objective: To explore body mass index (BMI) changes among children and adolescents in Suzhou before and after COVID-19 outbreak, and to provide a reference for improving physical health of children and adolescents. Methods: A total of 569 children and adolescents who had complete BMI information in 2019 were enrolled through stratified cluster sampling from June to July, 2020. Questionnaire survey was conducted, and height and weight were measured to calculate BMI and BMI Z scores. Results: After the epidemic, overweight/obesity rate were 32.0%, compared to 31.6% before the epidemic(χ 2=0.07, P>0.05). Difference of BMI Z scores before (0.37±1.28) and after (0.38±1.27) the epidemic did not show statistically significant (t=-0.28, P>0.05), No significant changes in BMI Z score were found before and affer COVID-19 outbreak similar results were observed (P>0.05), BMI Z scores after the epidemic (0.45±1.32) was higher than it before the epidemic (0.37±1.35) among primary school group (t=2.57, P=0.01), while BMI Z scores after the epidemic (0.27±1.17) was lower than it before the epidemic (0.39±1.18) among middle school group (t=-4.29, P<0.01). Proportion of sweet food consumption and outdoor activities was statistically different before and after the epidemic(P>0.05), proportion of sugar-sweetened beverages consumption and fried food intake were statistically different before and after the epidemic (P<0.05), sleep time after the epidemic (8.52±1.83)h was higher than it before the epidemic (8.05±1.70)h (t=4.96, P<0.05). Conclusion Before and after COVID-19 outbreak, BMI and overweight/obesity rates are significantly different among children and adolescents in Suzhou, and there is a slight difference in different studying phases.

AIM:We investigated how AT 1-R stimulated by mechanical stresses induces cardiac fibrosis .METHODS:We produced in vivo cardiac pressure overload model in angiotensinogen knockout ( ATG-/-) mice and in vitro mechanically-stretched cell model in cultured neonatal cardiac cells of ATG-/-mice both lack the participation of Ang II .RESULTS: Pressure overload for 4 weeks in ATG-/-mice induced myocardial hypertrophy accompanied by the significant interstitial fibrosis , however , the TGF-β, a key regulatory factor of fibrosis, was not significantly increased in these ATG-/-mice.Meanwhile, the inhibitor for AT1-R significantly inhibited mechani-cal stress-induced cardiac fibrosis in these ATG-/-models whereas inhibition of TGF-βdid not.CONCLUSION:The results showed that mechanical stress-induced fibrotic responses through AT 1-R required the phosphorylation of Smad 2 but not the involvement of TGF-β.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of echocardiography-guided closed-chest repeated intraventricular blood sampling in mice, and to clarify the maximum blood volume that can be collected by this method, and whether the method can be used for long-term repeated blood collection in mice. Methods: Twenty-four male C57BL/6J mice (10-14 weeks old) were divided into the terminal experiment group (n=4, for investigating the maximum blood amount that could be sampled at one time), the repeated 0.5 ml blood collection group (n=10, sampling 0.5 ml whole blood each time, once every two days for consecutive 4 weeks), and the repeated 0.75 ml blood collection group (n=10, sampling 0.75 ml whole blood each time, once every two days for consecutive 4 weeks). High-frequency echocardiography was used to display the largest section of the left ventricle, guiding the insulin syringe needle through the thorax into the left ventricle for blood collection. In the repeated 0.5 ml blood collection group, echocardiography was used to detect the cardiac structure and function before blood collection, three minutes after blood collection, and one week after the last (the 14th) blood collection. Results: We successfully performed echocardiography-guided closed-chest intraventricular blood sampling, with an average operating time (88±19)s per mouse, and a maximum blood volume (1.43±0.11)ml per mouse. In the repeated 0.5 ml blood collection group, heart rate, left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular fractional shortening, left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and left ventricular posterior wall end-diastolic thickness remained uncganged before the first blood collection and after 4 weeks of repeated blood collection (all P>0.05). No death in the repeated 0.5 ml blood collection group. However, in the 0.75 ml blood collection group, two mice died before the end point. Conclusions The echocardiography-guided closed-chest intraventricular blood sampling is a safe, minimally invasive, convenient and efficient method, and can be used repeatedly for long-term blood collection in mice.