Objective To investigate the endothelial dysfunction in pre-hypertension and its influencing factors.Methods A total of 373 youth were divided as the subjects into hypertension group (HBP group),prehypertension group (PHT group) and normal blood pressure group (NBP group).Endothelial function was assessed based on carotid intima-media thickness (IMT),brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV).Results IMT and baPWV in PHT group were higher than those in NBP group (P＜0.05),but did not reach the significant difference when compared with HBP group (P＞0.05).Compared with HBP,the levels of FMD in PHT group significantly increased (P＜ 0.05);however,no difference was observed in comparison with NBP group (P＞0.05).In the early stage of hypertension,diastolic BP (β=-0.120,P＜0.05) and body mass index (β=-0.115,P＜0.05) were negatively correlated with FMD;diastolic BP (β=0.146,P＜0.05),2-hour glucose (β=0.147,P＜0.05),high-density lipoprotein cholestrol (β=0.150,P＜0.05),and waist-hip ratio (β=0.126,P＜0.05) showed a positive correlation with IMT.baPWV was correlated with systolicBP (β=0.358,P＜0.01),waist circumference (β=0.254,P＜0.05),fasting glucose (β=0.155,P＜0.05),postprandial 2 h blood glucose (β =0.152,P ＜0.05),uric acid (β =0.206,P ＜ 0.05),and C-reactive protein (β=0.099,P＜0.05).Corclusion Our study shows that endothelial dysfunction may exist in the prehypertensive young,and several cardiovascular risks contribute to its development in the early stage of hypertension.

Objective To investigate prospectively the diagnostic significance of ulnar/median nerve amplitude ratio in motor neuron disorders.Methods Patients referral to our department between May 2009 and February 2012,due to muscle weakness,inflexible,cramps and atrophy,were consecutively enrolled.Conventional nerve conduction studies of 4 extremities (using surface electrodes) and needle electromyography were performed in all patients with fixed examiner.The compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) were recorded from abductor digiti minimi (ADM) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) with stimulation of ulnar and median nerve at wrist,respectively.Moreover,the ratio of CMAP amplitude between ADM and APB (ADM/APB) was calculated in the patients who met the diagnostic criteria for definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Hirayama disease (HD).The patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and other popyneuropathies (PN) were served as case-controls,and 34 healthy volunteers (aged (45.7 ± 16.3) years) as normal-controls.Results (1) There were 78 cases with ALS,25 HD,51 GBS and 140 other PN,with the mean age(years) of 54.7 ± 11.6,17.6 ± 2.2,41.3 ± 18.4 and 57.1 ± 14.3,respectively.(2) ADM/APB in the ALS subgroup was 2.28 ±2.87 (0.12-22.38),HD0.66±0.36 (0.05-1.34),GBS 1.42 ± 1.33 (0.25-9.85),other PN 1.36 ± 1.48 (0.08-14.44) and normal-controls 1.07 ± 0.28 (0.61-1.64,F =6.872,P =0.000),respectively.(3) The areas under receiver operator characteristic curve in patients with ALS was 0.830 (s-x =0.039) and HD 0.691 (sx =0.039,P =0.000) ; the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for ALS patients were 36.7％ and 93.3％,respectively,with cutoff value of ADM/APB =2; and the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for HD patients were 53.6％ and 89.0％,respectively,with cutoff value of ADM/APB =0.7.Conclusions The ulnar/median CMAP amplitude ratio increases in ALS,but decreases in HD,which may be served as a relatively specific electrophysiological index.ADM/APB amplitude ratio ＞ 2.0 is suggested to be a diagnostic parameter for ALS and ＜ 0.7 for HD.

Soil water is one of the most important components in hydrological cycle. The stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in soil water have been increasingly used in the ecological, environment and hydrological research. In view of different techniques for extracting soil water, there is significant difference in theδD andδ18 O composition. This paper presents a method for analyzing hydrogen and oxygen isotopes in soil water by using elemental analyzer and isotope ratio mass spectrometry with accelerated solvent extraction for sample pretreatment. The conditions are: extraction solvent: dichloromethane, temperature: 100 ℃, pressure of 10. 3 MPa, static time:10 min. The samples were extracted three times, and with cycle values of four, four and three, respectively. Comparing with the added water, the deuterium and oxygen isotope values in the extracted soil water enrich 2. 12‰-4. 58‰ and 0. 17‰-0. 93‰, respectively. The reproducibility of replicate extractions of soil water is around ±0. 89‰ for δD and ±0. 37‰ for δ18 O.

Objective To develop a real-time QRS complex detection algorithm of dynamic ECG signals for the GPRS mobile telemonitoring system. Methods Before the first and second derivatives of ambulatory ECG signals were processed by moving average method, the signals sampled from CM5 monitoring lead were filtered with the average of continuous four ECG sample signal points. The R waves could be detected precisely by local minima of second derivatives and Q & S waves were located correctly by cross-zero points of first derivatives of ambulatory ECG signals in a short-time searching windows. The QRS recognition thresholds, which could revise themselves according to the detected values and vary with the analyzing signals, were designed in this paper. Results With a polynomial computation complexity, the novel algorithm insensitive to baseline draft and noise caused by mobile communication filtered power-line interference and most of muscle noise and reduced the search time below 0.02 s during detecting each Q wave, R wave and S wave. For the normal and clinical patients, this algorithm correctly detected up to 99.8% of the QRS complex of ambulatory ECG signals. Conclusion The algorithm can meet the need of real-time QRS complex detection and analysis for the GRRS mobile ECG telemonitoring system.

Objective To evaluate the reliability of Amsterdam Preoperative Anxiety and Information Scale (APAIS) score in evaluating the preoperative anxiety of Chinese people.Methods One hundred sixty Chinese patients of both sexes, aged 18-60 yr, of American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status Ⅰ-Ⅲ, scheduled for elective surgery, were enrolled.Preoperative anxiety of the patients was assessed with APAIS score and Spielberger's State-Anxiety Inventory (S-AI) questionnaire during the preoperative interview.Cronbach's alpha of total anxiety and need for information scores was calculated.Four thresholds of total anxiety score in identifying preoperative severe anxiety was set as 10, 11, 12 and 13.S-AI questionnaire was considered as the standard, and the correlation between total anxiety score and S-AI questionaire was tested.Results The Cronbach's alpha of total anxiety and need for information scores was 0.84 and 0.71, respectively.When the threshold of total anxiety score in identifying preoperative severe anxiety was 12, the total anxiety score was highly correlated with S-AI questionnaire, the Kappa value was 0.62, 95％ confidence interval was 0.46-0.78, the sensitivity was 0.71, the specificity was 0.90, and the positive predictive value was 0.78.Conclusion APAIS score can be used to assess the preoperative anxiety of Chinese people.

Objectives To observe the changes of apoptosis-related proteins during the development of sarcopenia and to explore the effect and mechanism of long-term aerobic exercises and heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) on those changes for the natural aging C57BL/6 mice.Methods After 1 week of acclimatization,50 27-week-old male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into a young sedentary control (YS) group,an old sedentary control (OS) group and an old exercises (OE) group.After the gripstrength was measured the mice from group YS were sacrificed at the age of 28 weeks.The mice from group OE exercised on a fiat treadmill at 12rn/minute for 50 min 3 or 4 times a week for 30 weeks with the intensity of 75％ VO2max.At the age of 60 weeks,the mice of group OS and OE were killed after their grip-strength was measured.The gastrocnemius muscle of each group were isolated and weighted,and the sarcopenia index (SI) was measured.Then the total protein of the gastrocnemius muscle was extracted.HSP70 and cleaved caspase-9 expression were examined.The binding rate of HSP70 and Apaf-1 was measured using Co-Immunoprecipitation.TUNEL staining was performed to detect the apoptosis of the gastrocnemius muscle.Results (1) Compared with group YS,SI of group OS decreased significantly by 23.09％,but significant increase was observed in group OE compared to group OS by 30.48％.(2) The grip strength per gram of body weight of group OS decreased significantly by 42.74％ compared to group YS,while that of group OE increased significantly by 21.51％ compared to group OS.(3) The apoptosis index increases by 475.28％ with age.However,the index decreased by 46.41％ in group OE over group OS.(4) Western blotting showed that the expression of cleaved caspase-9 increased significantly by 45.4％ in group OS compared to group YS,while that of group OE decreased significantly by 33.4％ compared to group OS.(5) The binding rate of HSP 70 with Apaf-1 of group OS decreased significantly by 67.11％ compared to group YS,while that of group OE increased significanlty by 306.31％ compared to group OS.Conclusions (1) Gastrocnemius atrophy occurring to mice of 60 weeks can be significanlty delayed through 30-week exercises training.(2) The increasing apoptosis may be involved in the development of age-related sarcopenia and 30-week exercises can significantly attenuate such apoptosis in rodent skeletal muscle.(3) Aerobic exercises increases HSP70/Apaf-1 interaction,which might play an important role in reducing age-related cellular damage and cell death in the skeletal muscle of rats.

ObjectiveTo provide the early diagnosis of Alzheimer\'s disease(AD), the memory in the patients with mild cognitive impairment(MCI) was detected under the functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI), combined with the behavioral experiment.Methods9 patients with MCI and 9 controls matched for the age, gender, level of education and handedness performed encoding and retrieval of nonsense line drawings, presented visually while the MR machine was scanning. ResultsCompared with the controls, the patients manifested longer reaction time and lower correct ratio. The patients\' brain activation showed: the first episode of encoding of nonsense line drawings elicited distributed activation in bilateral dorsal lateral frontal lobes, left parahippocampus, bilateral temporal-occipital conjunction, parietal lobes and visual cortex in the control subjects. While these activations decreased in the second episode of encoding of the same stimuli, much stronger activation was found in most same areas during the retrieval phase except for the right parietal lobe, in which the patients showed stronger activation. Moreover, activation in the anterior cingulate cortex was observed only in the retrieval phase. The patients showed weaker and smaller activation in almost all activation areas during all tasks in the normal subjects. ConclusionThe patients with MCI have the deficit in memory. The examination of encoding and retrieval of nonsense line drawings by means of the behavioral experiment and fMRI test can offer a powerful reference for the early diagnosis of AD.

Objective To explore the association between ACTN3 gene R577X polymorphism and serum lipid levels in an elderly Chinese Han population.Methods This study was based on the ageing arm of The Rugao Longevity and Ageing Study (RtLAS).Genotyping was performed by Taqman MGB method.Lipids includedtotal cholesterol (TC),triglyceride (TG),high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C).Cut points of dyslipidemia were based on that reported in the NCEP ATPIII.We explored the associations between R577X polymorphism loci and dyslipidemia by using analysis of covariance and logistic regression analysis.Results Overall 1 618 samples was included (741 males and 877 females) in this study.Covariance analysis found that TC level of RR,XX and RX genotype in the general population were 1.34,1.37,1.43 mmol/L with an increasing trend (P =0.024);TC and LDL-C levels of RR,XX and RX genotype (TC:5.13,5.29,5.43 mmol/L,P =0.004;LDL-C:2.76,2.88,3.00 mmol/L,P =0.004) were significantly different in females.Logistic regression analysis showed that the increased copies of X allele were significantly associated with increased TC and LDL-C levels in the general population and females.For the general population,TC:OR=1.184,95％CI:1.030-1.361,P =0.018;LDL-C:OR =1.334,95％CI:1.101-1.588,P=0.003;For females,TC:OR=1.332,95％ CI:1.102-1.616,P =0.003;LDL-C:OR =1.549,95 ％CI:1.208-1.986,P =0.001.After adjusting for other covariates,the above associations remained significant.Conclusions ACTN3 gcnc R577X polymorphism is associated with plasma TC and LDL-C levels in elderly woman of Han populations in Rugao,China.

Objective To evaluate the best mean for the treatment of varicocele. Methods The clini-cal effects of the high ligation of spermatic vein under the small incisal opening of the poritneum meta abdom-inal membrane and the ligation of spermatic vein under the laparoscope for the varicocele were retrospectively reviewed. The operating time, the postoperative days and the cost of hospitalization were compared of the two methods. Results Comparing with the group of operation and the group of laparoscope. Among the 158 vat-icocele patients with unilateral or bilateral varicocele, there was not statistical difference in the operating time between the two methods (P > 0. 05), whi]e there was significant difference in the postoperative days and the cost of hospitalization(P <0. 05). Conclusions When the bilateral varicoceles were simultaneously ligated, the high ligation of spermatic vein under the laparoscope was the best selection; if the unilateral varicocele was highly ligated or the patients were unconditional or the patients were not fit for laparoscopic operation, the high ligation of spermatic vein under the small incisal opening of peritoneum was the best operating method.

Objective To evaluate the effect of combination therapy of tolterodine and tamsulosin in improving symptoms in patients with indwelling double-J ureteral stents.Methods A total of 96 patients underwent placement of a double-J ureteral stent after retrograde ureteroscopy for urinary stone disease,which were prospectively randomized ( random numbers table) into two groups.The tamsulosin group ( n =48) was administered tamsulosin 0.2 mg once daily,the combination group (n =48) was administcred tamsulosin 0.2 mg once daily and tolterodine 2 mg twice daily.All the patients completed a validated Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire (USSQ),the Overactive Bladder Symptom Score (OABSS),the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) one day before he placement and 4 weeks after stent placement of stent.Results The mean urinary symptom index score (25.4 ± 4.0 vs 15.3 ± 2.9,P ＜ 0.0001 ),the mean pain index score (15.0 ±2.6 vs10.3 ±2.1,P ＜0.0001),the mean general health index score (15.4 ±2.2 vs 11.0±1.5,P＜0.0001),the work performance index score (13.0±2.2vs9.7±1.9,P＜0.0001),the sex index score (3.6 ± 1.1 vs 2.2 ± 0.9,P ＜0.0001 ) improved significantly in combination group than those in tamsulosin group.There was a statistically significant difference between tamsulosin group and combination group in the IPSS score ( 12.8 ± 2.0 vs 9.2 ± 1.7,P ＜ 0.0001 ) and OABSS score ( 6.7 ± 1.4 vs 4.2 ± 1.4,P ＜ 0.0001 ) at the 4 weekfollow-up.Conclusions Indwelling ureteral stents have a significant impact on health related quality of life.It is effective for improving symptoms in patients with indwelling double-J ureteral stents by combination therapy with tolterodine and tamsulosin.