Objective To compare the orthodontic efficacy of the self-locking appliance and the ordinary straight wire appliance.Methods A total of 144 patients from March 2010 to March 2012 at the Department of Stomatology Orthodontic Surgery,Zhejiang Dongyang City People's Hospital were divided into observation group (n =72) and control group (n =72) according to the random number table.The observation group were treated with the self-locking appliance,and the control group were treated with the ordinary straight wire appliance.Results (1) The number of referral unconventional visits had no statistically significant difference between two groups (U =-1.65,P =0.0990).The number of routine visits of observation group was significantly less than that of the control group (U =-2.80,P =0.0052).(2) The VAS score of observation group was significantly lower than that of the control group (U =-8.47,P =0.0000).Conclusions The orthodontic efficacy of the self-locking appliance is obviously better than the ordinary straight wire appliance,and the former-caused pain is lighter.Therefore,the self-locking appliance is more suitable for orthodontic surgery.

Objective To evaluate the value of the change of B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) in predicting weaning outcome of patients with mechanical ventilation in ICU.Methods We carried out a prospective cohort study on patients in ICU at Fuxing Hospital from July 2013 to January 2014.Patients expected to use mechanical ventilation for more than 24 hours were enrolled in our study.The plasma concentration of BNP was measured at the beginning of spontaneous breathing trial(SBT) and 2 hours after.According to the outcome of SBT,patients were divided into SBT failure group (group A),weaning failure group (group B) and weaning success group (group C).The levels of BNP before and after the SBT were compared among three groups.The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the changes of BNP (△BNP) and the rate of change (△BNP％) in predicting weaning outcome.Results A total of 56 patients were enrolled in our study,12 in group A,11 in group B and 33 in groupC.In groupC,both△BNPand△BNP％ [7.0,(-1.2,45.5) ng/L;6.1 (-2.1,11.5)％]were significantly lower than those in group A [88.0 (58.0,140.0) ng/L,P ＜ 0.05;20.5 (15.3,40.3) ％,P＜0.001]and group B[46.0 (17.5,91.2) ng/L,P＜0.001;24.3(13.0,32.5) ％,P＜0.001].The area under ROC curve (AUC) of △BNP％ to predict weaning success was 0.88 [95％ CI 0.79-0.97;P ＜0.001] and the cut-off value is 13.4％ with relatively high sensitivity(84.8％)and specificity(82.6％).The AUC of △BNP to predict weaning success was 0.80 [95％ CI 0.69-0.92;P ＜ 0.001] and the cut-off value is 80ng/L with high sensitivity 93.4％ and mediocre specificity (47.9％).Conclusion Either △BNP％ or △BNP in the SBT can predict weaning outcome,in which △BNP％ seems better than △BNP.

Objective To assess the reproducibility of long-term blood pressure variability in ischemic stroke and the association between the variability and cerebral microbleeds.Methods Patients with ischemic stroke at the previous 1-6 months were consecutively recruited and followed up 12-18 months.Blood pressure measurements were taken at every interview.Blood pressure variability indicated visit-to visit variability and was quantified by calculating the maximum ( Max),standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV).For these variability might positively correlated with mean of blood pressure,the additional variability measure,SD independent of mean (SDIM),was also calculated.To determine the reproducibility of mean and variability measurements,the intraclass correlation (ICC) was also calculated.MRI was performed at baseline and the end of the study.Cerebral microbleeds were rated using Microbleed Anatomical Rating Scale (MARS).Multiple Logistic regression was used to assess the association between the visit-to-visit blood pressure variability and cerebral microbleeds.Results A total of 720 patients were recruited,of whom 595 (82.6％) subjects were present for 14 blood pressure readings during follow-up.The visit-to-visit blood variability measurements were moderately reproducible according to the ICC:0.46-0.72 for systolic blood pressure (SBP) and 0.42-0.69 for diastolic blood pressure ( DBP),respectively,P ＜0.01 for all measures.Patients with cerebral microbleeds were more likely to have higher mean blood pressure and variability for both SBP and DBP regardless the distribution of cerebral microbleeds.Being SBP Max,SBP SD,SBP CV,SBP SDIM(OR=1.036,95％ CI l.021-1.052,P=0.000; OR=1.060,95％CI 1.001-1.122,P =0.046; OR =1.084,95％ CI 1.000-1.175,P =0.049; OR =1.065,95％ CI 1.002-1.132,P =0.044) and DBP SD,DBP CV ( OR =1.111,95％ CI 1.000-1.233,P =0.049;OR =1.091,95％ CI 1.001-1.190,P =0.047) were the independently risk factors of cercbral microbleeds at deep region; SBP Max( OR =1.049,95％ CI 1.029-1.068,P =0.000) and DBP SD、DBP CV(OR =1.236,95％ CI 1.107-1.379,P=0.000;OR =1.188,95％ CI 1.087-1.298,P=0.000)independently associated with cerebral microbleeds at infratentorial location.There was no significant relation between the long-term variability of blood pressure and cerebral microbleeds at lobar region. Conclusions This study indicates that long-term blood pressure variability is substantial and independently associated with cerebral microbleeds in deep or infratentorial but not with that in lobar region.The different relations between the variability and cerebral microbleeds might indicate the heterogenic mechanisms of cerebral microbleeds.

Objective To evaluate the value of cardiac MRI in the diagnosis of Ebstein anomaly (EA). Methods Twenty patients from February 2014 to April 2017 with EA confirmed by surgery were enrolled into this study. The analysis in all patients was made according to preoperative cardiac MRI, 2D TTE and surgical data, including the changes of tricuspid valve leaflets, Carpentier classification, the size and function of atrioventricle, late Gadolinium enhancement, the total right/left-volume index and cardiopulmonary bypass time,etc.The numbers of apicaldisplaced leaflets and development condition of all the leaflets were compared using the R×C χ2among the three groups.With surgical results as the reference standard, the diagnostic accuracy of the two groups for the development condition of all the leaflets were evaluated. One-way ANOVA was performed to compare the differences of the apicaldisplaced distance of septal leaflet, using these three methods. Comparisons of the total right/left-volume index, surgery-related data between patients with or without late gadolinium enhancement were performed by independent t test.Results (1) The results in anatomicalstructures, such as distance of apicaldisplacedseptal leaflet,displacement of each leaflet and the Carpentier classification, showed nostatistical difference among MRI,2D TTE and operational findings. The leaflet dysplasia defined by MRI and 2D TTE areequivalent to surgically defined severe dysplasia, and surgically defined mild to moderate dysplasia can't be identified by the former two methods. The overall diagnostic accuracy of MRI and 2D TTE to identify leaflet dysplasia were 41.3%(19/46) and 34.7%(16/46), respectively.(2) Functional right ventricular volume index decreased in 1 case, normal in 8 cases, increased in 11 cases;functional right ventricula rejection fraction decreased in 15 cases. Six patients' left ventricular volume index decreased, 13 remained in normal range, 1 showed increased;left ventricula rejection fraction decreased in 14 cases. (3)LGE was identified in 8 patients and non-LGE in 12. Difference of the total right/left-volume index [(7.12 ± 4.06) vs. (3.84 ± 2.10), P=0.029] between two groups was statistically significant. However, there was no statistical difference in extracorporeal circulation time, aorticcross-clamping time, intubation time, ICU residence time and postoperative hospital staybetween the LGE and non-LGE groups.Conclusions Cardiac MRI can relatively accurately evaluate the apicaldisplacement of leaflets and the morphological changes of the atria and ventricles, as well as quantitatively evaluate the ventricular function, which can rovide references for clinical diagnosis and severity evaluation of EA.

The allergen nasal provocation testing（NPT）, in which allergens are applied directly to the nasal mucosa under standard and controlled conditions to provoke the main symptoms of allergic rhinitis（AR）, reproduces the response of the upper respiratory tract to natural exposure to allergens under controlled conditions and is the only test currently available to confirm nasal reactivity to allergens. It is invaluable in studying the mechanisms of AR and in assessing the response to novel anti-allergic treatments. The test may play an increasingly important role in clinical practice, especially in the identification of local AR, the diagnosis of occupational AR, the clarification of the composition of allergens, the assessment of the efficacy of AR treatment and the selection of candidates undergoing allergen immunotherapy. This article reviewed the application of NPT in the diagnosis of allergic and non-allergic rhinitis, and also introduces the indications, contraindications, advantages and limitations of NPT in evaluating nasal response.
Humans ; Allergens ; Rhinitis/diagnosis* ; Nasal Provocation Tests ; Rhinitis, Allergic/diagnosis* ; Nasal Mucosa

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a global health problem that causes major illnesses and disabilities worldwide. Epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of AR has increased progressively over the last few decades in more developed countries and currently affects up to 40% of the population worldwide. Likewise, a rising trend of AR has also been observed over the last 2–3 decades in developing countries including China, with the prevalence of AR varying widely in these countries. A survey of self-reported AR over a 6-year period in the general Chinese adult population reported that the standardized prevalence of adult AR increased from 11.1% in 2005 to 17.6% in 2011. An increasing number of original articles and imporclinical trials on the epidemiology, pathophysiologic mechanisms, diagnosis, management and comorbidities of AR in Chinese subjects have been published in international peer-reviewed journals over the past 2 decades, and substantially added to our understanding of this disease as a global problem. Although guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of AR in Chinese subjects have also been published, they have not been translated into English and therefore not generally accessible for reference to non-Chinese speaking international medical communities. Moreover, methods for the diagnosis and treatment of AR in China have not been standardized entirely and some patients are still treated according to regional preferences. Thus, the present guidelines have been developed by the Chinese Society of Allergy to be accessible to both national and international medical communities involved in the management of AR patients. These guidelines have been prepared in line with existing international guidelines to provide evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of AR in China.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group* ; China ; Comorbidity ; Developed Countries ; Developing Countries ; Diagnosis* ; Epidemiologic Studies ; Epidemiology ; Global Health ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Prevalence ; Rhinitis, Allergic*

The current document is based on a consensus reached by a panel of experts from the Chinese Society of Allergy and the Chinese Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rhinology Group. Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) affects approximately 8% of Chinese adults. The inflammatory and remodeling mechanisms of CRS in the Chinese population differ from those observed in the populations of European descent. Recently, precision medicine has been used to treat inflammation by targeting key biomarkers that are involved in the process. However, there are no CRS guidelines or a consensus available from China that can be shared with the international academia. The guidelines presented in this paper cover the epidemiology, economic burden, genetics and epigenetics, mechanisms, phenotypes and endotypes, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, management, and the current status of CRS in China. These guidelines—with a focus on China—will improve the abilities of clinical and medical staff during the treatment of CRS. Additionally, they will help international agencies in improving the verification of CRS endotypes, mapping of eosinophilic shifts, the identification of suitable biomarkers for endotyping, and predicting responses to therapies. In conclusion, these guidelines will help select therapies, such as pharmacotherapy, surgical approaches and innovative biotherapeutics, which are tailored to each of the individual CRS endotypes.
Adult ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Biomarkers ; China ; Consensus ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Drug Therapy ; Eosinophils ; Epidemiology ; Epigenomics ; Genetics ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Inflammation ; International Agencies ; Medical Staff ; Neck ; Phenotype ; Precision Medicine