Objective: To explore the factors affecting carotid plaque formation among high-risk populations for stroke, so as to provide the reference for early intervention for carotid atherosclerosis among the populations. Methods: Permanent residents were selected from Minhang District, Shanghai Municipality using the multi-staged cluster random sampling method from April to September 2021. Basic information, family history of stroke and past medical history were collected by the Community and Township Population Screening Scale for Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Risk Factors. High-risk populations for stroke were identified according to the Technical Specifications for Stroke Screening and Prevention. Carotid plaque status was assessed using carotid ultrasonography. Factors affecting carotid plaque formation were analyzed using a multivariable logistic regression model. Results: Among the 25 666 permanent residents surveyed, 8 459 were identified as high-risk populations for stroke, including 3 362 males and 5 097 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 0.66︰1. The median age was 66.00 (quartile range, 11.00) years. Carotid plaque were detected in 4 305 cases among high-risk population for stroke, accounting for 50.89%. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age (OR=1.052, 95%CI: 1.043-1.061), family history of stroke (OR=1.297, 95%CI: 1.103-1.526), hypertension (OR=1.245, 95%CI: 1.025-1.512) and diabetes (OR=1.439, 95%CI: 1.241-1.669) were associated with a higher risk of carotid plaque formation in male high-risk population for stroke, advanced age (OR=1.058, 95%CI: 1.051-1.066), lack of exercise (OR=1.138, 95%CI: 1.001-1.294), family history of stroke (OR=1.201, 95%CI: 1.062-1.357), significant overweight or obesity (OR=1.269, 95%CI: 1.127-1.430) and hypertension (OR=1.169, 95%CI: 1.003-1.362) were associated with a higher risk of carotid plaque formation in female high-risk population for stroke. Conclusion The main influencing factors for carotid plaque formation among high-risk populations for stroke include age, family history of stroke, exercise, significant overweight or obesity, hypertension and diabetes, with gender differences observed.

Background Precise evaluation of the live donor's liver is the most important factor for the donor's safety and the recipient's prognosis in living donor liver transplantation (LDLT).Our study assessed the clinical value of computer-assisted three-dimensional quantitative assessment and a surgical planning tool for donor evaluation in LDLT.Methods Computer-assisted three-dimensional (3D) quantitative assessment was used to prospectively provide quantitative assessment of the graft volume for 123 consecutive donors of LDLT and its accuracy and efficiency were compared with that of the standard manual-traced method.A case of reduced monosegmental LDLT was also assessed and a surgical planning tool displayed the precise surgical plan to avoid large-for-size syndrome.Results There was no statistically significant difference between the detected graft volumes with computer-assisted 3D quantitative assessment and manual-traced approaches ((856.76±162.18) cm3 vs.(870.64±172.54) cm3,P=0.796).Estimated volumes by either method had good correlation with the actual graft weight (r-manual-traced method:0.921,r-3D quantitative assessment method:0.896,both P ＜0.001).However,the computer-assisted 3D quantitative assessment approach was significantly more efficient taking half the time of the manual-traced method ((16.91±1.375) minutes vs.(39.27±2.102) minutes,P ＜0.01) to estimate graft volume.We performed the reduced monosegmental LDLT,a pediatric case,with the surgical planning tool (188 g graft in the operation,which was estimated at 208 cm3 pre-operation).The recipient recovered without large-for-size syndrome.Conclusions Computer-assisted 3D quantitative assessment provided precise evaluation of the graft volume.It also assisted surgeons with a better understanding of the hepatic 3D anatomy and was useful for the individual surgical planning tool.

Objective To investigate the iodine nutritional level and thyroid function of pregnant and lactating women in rural areas of Jilin province. Methods The investigation sites were selected from rural areas of three towns (Baoshan, Mingcheng and Yantongshan of Panshi county, Jilin province) in 2009. The pregnant and lactating women were selected as subjects in these three towns. The blood samples were collected and the thyroid function (including serum TT3, TT4, FT3, FT4) were measured with chemiluminescence, and serum thyroglobulin antibodies(TgAb), thyromicrosome antibody(TMAb), and thyroglobulin(Tg) were measured with radioimmunoassay (RIA). The urine samples were collected three times within one month and were measured for iodine concentration by As-Ce catalytic spectrophotometry method. Results In the pregnant women, serum TT3 was higher than that of healthy pregnant women, accounted for 14.3%(8/56), while serum TT4, TT3, FT4 were lower than those of healthy pregnant women, accounted for 3.6%(2/56),5.4% (3/56), and 1.8%(1/56), respectively. In the lactating women,serum TT3 was higher than that of healthy lactating women, accounted for 3.6%(2/56), while serum TT4, FT4 were lower than those of healthy lactating women, accounted for 1.8%(1/56), respectively. Five per cent to 20% of the pregnant and lactating women had higher TgAb and TMAb. Conclusions Existing salt iodine level is appropriate for pregnant women and lactating women, but there was a tendency towards hypothyroid in some women. Routine monitoring of urinary iodine and thyroid function should be carried out among pregnant and lactating women.

OBJECTIVEFurther studies have been conducted to evaluate the roles of Ngn3 in adult islet maintenance and renewal.

METHODSIslets were isolated from 6 - 8 week old male C57BL/6 mice. After common bile duct cannulation, the pancreas was resected and digested in collagenase V (2.5 mg/ml). Islets were then handpicked and 10 - 12 islets were plated in 60 mm culture dish and cultivated with RPMI-1640, which contained 12.5 mmol/L HEPES, 5.2 mmol/L glucose and 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS). Islet cells were analyzed by immunocytochemistry methods for A6, insulin, glucagon, nestin, Ngn3 and 5-bromo-2'-deoxy-uridine (BrdU).

RESULTSThe results of these studies indicated that less than 15 percent of proliferated islet cells were Ngn3 expressing cells, in which about one third of the Ngn3 positive cells co-expressed A6. The existence of Ngn3 in cultured islet cells is consistent with the results from other's findings both in embryogenesis and adult islet studies. A significant finding of our study is that the existence of A6 and Ngn3 co-expressing cells in the cultured islet. A6 is a marker for identifying bile duct epithelial cell oriented hepatic progenitor cells. Islet-derived A6 cells are possibly born in the adult pancreatic duct and migrate into islets. A6 cells co-express Ngn3 when these cells commit to endocrine lineage within the islets. More interestingly, islet-derived A6 positive cells have the potential to transdifferentiate into hepatic cells.

CONCLUSIONThe presence of Ngn3(+) and A6(+) cells in the cultured islets suggests that the four established islet cell types arise from a common endocrine lineage residing within the adult islets. A6 and Ngn3 are useful markers for understanding intra-islet adult stem cell lineages in our future studies. This approach may allow for significant advances in understanding the IPC proliferation and differentiation, and open the possibility of using intra-islet adult stem cells for diabetes treatment.

Animals ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ; Cell Differentiation ; Cell Lineage ; Cells, Cultured ; Islets of Langerhans ; cytology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microfilament Proteins ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; biosynthesis ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases ; biosynthesis ; Stem Cells ; cytology ; metabolism

Objective The impact of late incomplete stent apposition(ISA)post sirolimus eluting stent(SES)implantation in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS)on long-term clinical outcomes remainB controversial.The alm of the present study was to eva]uate the association between late ISA and clinical outcomes in patients with ACS compared with that with stable angina(SA).Methods From February 2005 to March 2007,54 ACS patients and 83 SA patients were enrolled in this study,late ISA was determined by meallS of threc-dimensional volumetric intravaaculair ultrasound(IVUS)analyses one year after SES implantation and clinical outcomes one year post IVUS were obtained in these patients.Results In 219 treated lesions of the 137 patients,late ISA wag documented in 25 lesions in 16 patients(20 ISA in 12 ACS patients vs.5 ISA in 4 SA patients,P＜0.001).Thoush lunlen area in reference and stented segment,neointimal hyperplasia(NIH)area and percentage of NIH in stented segment,and external elastic membrane(EEM)area in reference segment were similar between two groups,EEM area in stented segment [(15.34±5.44)mm2vs.(13.83±4.51)mm2,P=0.026],stented/reference segment EEM area ratio (1.13±0.22 vs.1.02±0.18,P＜0.001),plaque and media area[(8.43±3.93)mm2vs.(7.01±2.93)mm2,P=0.002]was significantly lager in ACS group than that in SA group.Multivariable logistic analysis showed that ACS(OR 6.477 with 95%CI from 2.297 to 18.263,P＜0.001)and stent length≥23 mm(OR 3.680 with 95% CI from 1.181 to 11.469,P=0.025)were main independent factors of occurrence of late ISA.Incidence of main adverse cardiac events(MACE)one year post IVUS Wag similar between the two groups.Conclusion Compared with patients with SA,ACS patients had larger stented segment EEM area,plaque and media areaas well as increased incidence of ISA.However,the incidence of MACE was similar in ACS and SA patients one year after IVUS.

Background Vascular anomalies are common and multidisciplinary involved diseases. The greatest impediment to their treatment in the past was their confusing terminology and clinical heterogeneities. This hospital-based retrospective study assessed some clinical characteristics, diagnosis, therapies and outcomes of patients with vascular anomalies in southeast China.Methods A total of 592 vascular anomalies patients (patients with intracranial tissues or viscera involved were excluded), admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University from January 2006 to September 2009, were enrolled in the study. Data for clinical characteristics, diagnosis, therapies and outcomes were collected and analyzed.Results Of the 592 patients, the male:female ratios in the vascular tumor group (n=187) and the vascular malformation group (n=405) were 1∶1.49 and 1∶1.06 respectively, with no significant difference between them. The mean onset age of the vascular tumor group was significantly younger than that of the vascular malformation group (P ＜0.001). The head and neck were the most commonly (31.4％) involved areas in vascular anomalies. A total of 23.8％ of the patients with vascular anomalies had definite symptoms caused by the vascular lesions. In the vascular tumor group, 94.1％ of them were infantile hemangiomas. Venous malformation was the most common (41.0％) subtype of vascular malformations.Surgical therapy was undertaken in 94.2％ of the patients with vascular anomalies. Of the 519 patients available for the 16-58 month follow-up, 322 patients (62.0％) were cured, 108 patients (20.8％) were markedly improved, 57 patients (11.0％) were partially improved, and 32 patients (6.2％) were uncured.Conclusions Vascular anomalies are clinically heterogeneous. While the outcome is generally favorable, further effort should be made to determine the appropriate terminology and management.

objective To study the character of facial nerve palsy due to four difierent auris diseases including chronic otitis media,Hunt syndrome,tumor and physical or chemical factors,and to discuss the principles of the surgical management of otogenic facial nerve palsy.Methods The clinical charaeters of 24 patients with otogenic facial nerve palsy because of the four different auris diseases were retrospectively analyzed,all the cases were performed surgical management from October 1991 to March 2007.Facial nerve function Was evaluated with House-Brackmann(HB) grading system.Results The 24 patients including 10 males and 14 females were analysised,of whom 12 cases due to cholesteatoma,3 cases due to chronic otitis media,3 cases due to Hunt syndrome,2 cases resulted from acute otitis media,2 cases due to Dhysical or chemical factors and 2 cases due to tumor.All cases were treated with operations included facial nerve decompression,lesion resection with facial nerve decompression and lesion resection without facial nerve decompression,I patient'S facial nerve was resected because of the tumor.According to HB grade system,I degree recovery was attained in 4 cases,while Ⅱ degree in 10 cases,Ⅲ degree in 6 cases,Ⅳ degree in 2 cases,V degree in 2 cases and Ⅵ degree in 1 case.Conclusions Removing the lesions completely Was the basic factor to the surgery of otogenie facial palsy,moreover,it was important to have facial nerve decompression soon after lesion removal.

Objective To analyze the status of quality indicators(QI) on specimen acceptability and establish preliminary qual ity specification.Methods Web based External Quality Assessment system was used to collect data of laboratories partici pated in "Medical quality control indicators in clinical laboratory" from 2015 to 2017,including once in 2015 and 2017 and twice in 2016.Rate and sigma scales were used to evaluate incorrect sample type,incorrect sample container,incorrect fill level and anticoagulant sample clotted.The 25th percentile (P25) and 75th percentile (P75) of the distribution of each QI were employed to establish the high,medium and low specification.Results 5 346,7 593,5 950 and 6 874 laboratories sub mitted the survey results respectively.The P50 of biochemistry (except incorrect fill level),immunology and microbiology reach to 6σ.The P50 of clinical laboratory is 4 to 6σ except for incorrect sample container.There is no significant change of the continuous survey results.Based on results in 2017 to establish the quality specification,the P25 and P75 of the four QIs is 0 and 0.084 4 ％,0 and 0.047 6 ％,0 and 0.114 2 ％,0 and 0.078 4 ％,respectively.Conclusion According to the results of the survey,most laboratories had a faire performance in biochemistry,immunology and microbiology,and clinical laboratory needs to be strengthened.Laboratories should strengthen the laboratory information system construction to ensure the actual and reliable data collection,and make a long time monitoring to achieve a better quality.

Predatory hunting is an important type of innate behavior evolutionarily conserved across the animal kingdom. It is typically composed of a set of sequential actions, including prey search, pursuit, attack, and consumption. This behavior is subject to control by the nervous system. Early studies used toads as a model to probe the neuroethology of hunting, which led to the proposal of a sensory-triggered release mechanism for hunting actions. More recent studies have used genetically-trackable zebrafish and rodents and have made breakthrough discoveries in the neuroethology and neurocircuits underlying this behavior. Here, we review the sophisticated neurocircuitry involved in hunting and summarize the detailed mechanism for the circuitry to encode various aspects of hunting neuroethology, including sensory processing, sensorimotor transformation, motivation, and sequential encoding of hunting actions. We also discuss the overlapping brain circuits for hunting and feeding and point out the limitations of current studies. We propose that hunting is an ideal behavioral paradigm in which to study the neuroethology of motivated behaviors, which may shed new light on epidemic disorders, including binge-eating, obesity, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
Animals ; Zebrafish ; Hunting ; Predatory Behavior/physiology* ; Neurons/physiology* ; Motivation

Arsenic/toxicity* ; Bangladesh ; Female ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Premature Birth/chemically induced* ; Rural Population ; Zinc