Objective:To explore the correlation between fluoride intake and serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in pregnant women of different gestational periods in endemic fluorosis area.Methods:Pregnant women in Rencheng District, Jinxiang County, Jiaxiang County of Jining City and Yuncheng County of Heze City were selected in April 2020. According to the gestational weeks, pregnant women were divided into early pregnancy group (0 - 12 weeks), middle pregnancy group (13 - 27 weeks) and late pregnancy group (> 27 weeks). The levels of urinary fluoride, ALP, osteocalcin (BGP), C-terminal peptide of β-Ⅰ collagen (β-CTX) and N-terminal propeptide of type Ⅰ collagen (PINP) of pregnant women in each group were measured, and the correlation between urinary fluoride and ALP, BGP, β-CTX, and PINP in pregnant women of different gestational periods was analyzed.Results:A total of 372 pregnant women were selected, including 97 cases in early pregnancy group, 169 cases in middle pregnancy group and 106 cases in late pregnancy group. There was no significant difference in urinary fluoride level between the three groups [(1.20 ± 0.25), (1.23 ± 0.19), (1.24 ± 0.30) mg/L, P > 0.05]. There was significant difference in serum ALP among the three groups ( P < 0.05), among them, the ALP level in early pregnancy was significantly lower than those of middle pregnancy group and late pregnancy group ( P < 0.05), and the ALP level in middle pregnancy was significantly lower than that of late pregnancy group ( P < 0.05). There was no significant differences in serum β-CTX among the three groups ( P > 0.05). There were significant differences in serum BGP and PINP levels among the three groups ( P < 0.05). The serum BGP and PINP levels in late pregnancy group were significantly higher than those of early pregnancy group and middle pregnancy group ( P < 0.05), and there were no significant differences in serum BGP and PINP levels between early pregnancy group and middle pregnancy group ( P < 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between urinary fluoride and ALP in early pregnancy group ( r = 0.364, P < 0.05), but no significant correlation between urinary fluoride and BGP, β-CTX and PINP ( r = 0.164, 0.117, 0.136, P > 0.05). There was a significant positive correlation between urinary fluoride level and ALP in middle pregnancy group ( r = 0.417, P < 0.05), but no significant correlation between urinary fluoride level and BGP, β-CTX and PINP ( r = 0.127, 0.108, 0.129, P > 0.05). There was no significant correlation between urinary fluoride level and ALP, BGP, β-CTX and PINP in late pregnancy group ( r = 0.179, 0.158, 0.184, 0.149, P > 0.05). Conclusions:The urinary fluoride level of pregnant women in endemic fluorosis area is relatively stable in gestational period. The urinary fluoride level affects the ALP secretion of pregnant women in early and middle pregnancy. It is still necessary to strengthen the measures of improving water quality and defluoridation to reduce the impact of excessive fluoride intake on pregnancy complications in endemic fluorosis area.

Objective To investigate the influencing factors of thirst among intensive care unit patients. Methods A total of 354 intensive care unit patients were selected from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, and the occurrence of thirst was investigated with the general information questionnaire, xerostomia inventory in the first 48 hours in ICU. The relationship of general information and clinical data was analyzed. Results Thirst was common in patients with ICU.Logistic regression analysis showed that age,personal history,past medical history,balance quantity of 24 hours, diuretic, vasoactive drugs, oxygen way, serum sodium concentration, osmotic pressure, PaO2were independent factors of thirst. Conclusions The conditions of thirst in different patients are different and are affected by many factors.Interventions should be taken aimed at the influencing factors to improve the intervention quality.

Objective:To observe the effect of enriched rehabilitation on dual-task gait disorder after a transient ischemic attack (TIA) and explore its mechanism.Methods:Sixty TIA patients were randomly divided into a control group and an observation group, each of 30. Another 30 healthy counterparts were selected to form a healthy control group. All of the TIA patients were given routine medication to lower blood pressure and improve brain function, while the observation group was additionally provided with enriched rehabilitation training for 12 weeks. Before and after the intervention, the gait and cognitive functioning of all of the subjects were quantified and their event-related potentials (P300s) and serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels were also measured.Results:Before the treatment there were significant differences between the TIA groups and healthy controls in all of the measurements, but there were no significant differences between the control and observation groups. After the treatment, no significant improvement was observed in any of the control group′s results, but there was significant improvement in the observation group′s gait parameters, cognitive functioning, average serum BDNF concentration and in the average latency and amplitude of its P300 signals.Conclusions:Enriched rehabilitation can improve the gait of TIA patients, perhaps through increasing their serum BDNF concentration and improving their cognition.

Objective:To study the iodine nutritional status of pregnant women in the third trimester in the Southwest of Shandong Province, analyze its impact on their cardiac electrical activity, and provide a basis for scientific supplementation of iodine during pregnancy.Methods:From January 2021 to June 2022, a cross-sectional survey was conducted using cluster random sampling method. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 200 pregnant women in the third trimester were selected from 3 tertiary hospitals in three cities in the Southwest of Shandong Province, and were divided into the third trimester group ( n = 600), and 100 non-pregnant women were selected as the control group ( n = 300). The urinary iodine content was detected by arsenic-cerium catalytic spectrophotometry, and the pregnant women in the third trimester group were subdivided into iodine deficiency subgroup [G1 subgroup, median urinary iodine (MUIC) < 150 μg/L] based on the MUIC, iodine excess subgroup (G2 subgroup, MUIC≥500 μg/L) and moderate iodine subgroup (G3 subgroup, 150 μg/L≤MUIC < 500 μg/L). Chemiluminescence immunoassay was used to measure the serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT 4) and free triiodothyronine (FT 3). The cardiac electrical indexes were detected by a 12-lead surface electrocardiogram (ECG) machine. Results:There was no statistically significant difference in urinary iodine levels between pregnant women in the third trimester group and non-pregnant women in the control group among the 3 tertiary hospitals in the Southwest of Shandong Province ( H = 3.63, 3.27, P > 0.05). In the third trimester group, the proportion of pregnant women in the G1, G2 and G3 subgroups was 27.67% (166/600), 6.83% (41/600) and 65.50% (393/600), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in urinary iodine levels between the subgroups and the control group ( H = 11.56, P < 0.001). The serum FT 3 and FT 4 levels in the G2 subgroup were lower than those in the G1 and G3 subgroups ( P < 0.001), but there was no statistically significant difference in serum TSH levels among the three subgroups ( P > 0.05). The normal rates of ECG in the G1, G2, G3 subgroups, and the control group were 38.55% (64/166), 41.46% (17/41), 92.37% (363/393), and 95.33% (286/300), respectively. The difference between the groups were statistically significant (χ 2 = 461.25, P < 0.001), the normal rate of ECG in the G1 and G2 subgroups was lower than that in the control group ( P < 0.001). Short P-R intervals and ST-T changes were the most common abnormal ECG in the third trimester group. Conclusions:The incidence of iodine deficiency, iodine excess, and other abnormal iodine nutritional status in pregnant women in the third trimester of the Southwest of Shandong Province is relatively high. Short P-R intervals, ST-T changes, and other arrhythmia caused by this are more common. It is necessary to strengthen monitoring of iodine nutritional status and ECG during pregnancy, and adjust intervention strategies such as iodine supplementation in a timely manner.

Objective To analyze the echocardiographic features of patients with aortico‐left ventricular tunnel ( ALV T ) and explore the value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of ALV T . Methods Echocardiographic features of 23 patients with ALV T w ho were admitted to Fuwai Hospital from July 2002 to February 2019 were reviewed and analyzed . T he accuracy of echocardiographic diagnosis of ALVT was investigated by comparing the results of echocardiographic diagnosis with intraoperative and cardiac catheterization and CT . T he diagnosis methodology was summarized . T he reasons for misdiagnosis by echocardiography were analyzed . Results Among the 23 patients with ALVT , 1 case was diagnosed through CT examination prior to the operation and died from the cardiac arrest , 1 case was diagnosed through cardiac catheterization and ventriculography , the remaining 21 patients ( 91 .3% ) received the surgical operation and were diagnosed as ALV T . Eighteen patients ( 78 .2% ) were accurately diagnosed by echocardiography . One case was misdiagnosed as aortic valve insufficiency ,one case was diagnosed as aortic bicuspid valve and regurgitation ,two cases misdiagnosed as aortic valve dysplasia and insufficiency ,and one case was misdiagnosed as aortic dissection . According to Hovaguimian classification : 8 cases ( 34 .8% ) were of type Ⅰ ,12 cases ( 52 .2% ) of type Ⅱ ,1 case ( 4 .3% ) of type Ⅲ ,and 2 cases ( 8 .7% ) of type Ⅳ . Different types of patients are treated with different surgical methods . Conclusions ALV T can be accurately diagnosed with echocardiography , but it needs to be differentiated from other aorta to left ventricular shunt or reflux diseases . The establishment of the optimal diagnosis process is helpful to avoid and reduce the missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis to the greatest extent ,and provides a reliable basis for the selection of surgical methods .

To provide references for the diagnosis and treatment of congenital granular cell tumor (CGCT), by comprehensive analysis of the clinical data, histopathological and immunohistochemical results. Patients with CGCT were involede, from March 2015 to November 2020, at the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. A total of 6 children, aged 3-16 days, 1 male and 5 female, 5 maxillary and 1 mandibular, with maximum tumor diameter of 6-70 mm, were included. The lesions of CGCT were single and connected to the alveolar ridge by a pedicle. The surface of the tumor was covered with a vascular network, and two cases had ulcers on the surface of the tumor. All 6 cases had the tumor removed surgically and there was no recurrence or metastasis in the follow-up visit. Although CGCT is rare, it is a benign tumor and generally does not recur or metastasize after surgery, and has a good prognosis. The prenatal imaging, clinical manifestations after delivery, pathological characteristics and immunohistochemical analyses may provide reference for early diagnosis and treatment of CGCT.
Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Gingival Neoplasms/surgery* ; Granular Cell Tumor/surgery* ; Humans ; Male ; Pregnancy

Humans ; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck ; RNA, Messenger ; Immunohistochemistry ; Papillomavirus Infections/diagnosis* ; Oncogene Proteins, Viral/genetics* ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p16 ; Papillomaviridae ; Papillomavirus E7 Proteins/genetics* ; DNA, Viral

A population-based case-control study was conducted to evaluate the relative factors in the environments, agricultural works, outdoor activities, and the effectiveness of Lyme borreliosis (LB)- associated personal protective measures in Beijing. Thirty-four cases and 272 controls were personally interviewed by well-trained interviewers. Venous blood samples were taken from each subject. Sowing or harvesting in summer (OR=2.571, 95% CI: 1.109-5.962), living in house with weeding in the yard (OR=2.247, 95% CI: 1.062-4.755), and residence at the plain area (OR=2.630, 95% CI: 1.050-6.588) were the independent relative factors for seropositive LB. Wearing long pants and clothes with cuffs was the only protective behavior against tick bite (OR=0.186, 95% CI: 0.041-0.846). The findings showed that local farmers were easily infected with LB and almost no protective measure was taken against LB infection. Infection with LB was easier in residents of plain regions. Pets raising and outdoor activities were not the risk factors for infection with LB. Further studies are needed to fully understand the risk of infection with LB in China.
Adult ; Aged ; Agriculture ; Case-Control Studies ; China ; epidemiology ; Cities ; Environment ; Female ; Human Activities ; Humans ; Lyme Disease ; epidemiology ; microbiology ; prevention & control ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Young Adult

BackgroundFunctional dyspepsia (FD) is a common upper gastrointestinal disorder worldwide, but the current treatments for FD are still unsatisfactory. The aims of this study were to investigate the efficacy and safety of Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules in patients with postprandial distress syndrome (PDS)-predominant FD.

MethodsThe study was conducted as a randomized, double-blinded, multicenter, placebo-controlled design in 197 patients with PDS. All participants received placebo treatment for 1 week. Patients whose total symptom score decreased by <50% after the placebo treatment were recruited into the 4-week treatment period, in which they were randomly assigned to be treated with either Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules or placebo. The patients were then followed for 2 weeks without any treatment. Dyspeptic symptoms were scored at weeks 2 and 4 during the random treatment period and 2 weeks after the treatment. Anxiety and depression symptoms were also scored and compared.

Results(1) The total effective rates in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group at weeks 2 and 4 during the random treatment period and 2 weeks after treatment were all significantly higher than those in the placebo group (38.82% vs. 8.75%, P < 0.001; 69.14% vs. 16.25%, P < 0.001; 77.65% vs. 21.25%, P < 0.001). (2) The total dyspeptic symptoms scores in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group at weeks 2 and 4 and 2 weeks after treatment were significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (3) The severity and frequency of each dyspeptic symptom at weeks 2 and 4 and the follow-up period were all significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (4) The anxiety scores in the Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules group were significantly lower than those in the placebo group. (5) Qi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules did not have more adverse effects than the placebo.

ConclusionQi-Zhi-Wei-Tong granules offer significant symptomatic improvement in PDS with no more adverse effects than placebo.

Trial Registrationhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/, NCT02460601.

Marsdeniae tenacissimae extract (MTE), commonly known as Xiao-Ai-Ping in China, is a traditional Chinese herb medicine capable of inhibiting proliferation and metastasis and boosting apoptosis in various cancer cells. However, little is known about the contribution of MTE towards tumor angiogenesis and the underlying mechanism. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of MTE on the proliferation and apoptosis of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the molecular mechanism. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfopheny)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt (MTS) and PI-stained flow cytometry assays revealed that MTE dose-dependently reduced the proliferation of HUVECs by arresting cell cycle at S phase (P < 0.05). Annexin V-FITC/PI-stained flow cytometry confirmed that MTE (160 μL·L) enhanced the apoptosis of HUVECs significantly (P < 0.001). Real-time quantitative RT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed an increase in Bax expression and a sharply decline in Bcl-2 expression; caspase-3 was activated simultaneously in a dose-dependent manner (P < 0.05). Further study observed the dose-dependent down-regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), P2Y6 receptor (P2Y6R), and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL-2), along with the activation of PKC Δ and up-regulation of p53 in a dose-dependent manner in MTE-treated selected cells (P < 0.05). Collectively, the results from the present study suggested that MTE suppressed the proliferation by attenuating CCL-2-mediated VEGF/VEGFR2 interactions and promoted the apoptosis through PKCΔ-induced p53-dependent mitochondrial pathway in HUVECs, supporting that MTE may be developed as a potent anti-cancer medicine.
Apoptosis ; drug effects ; Cell Cycle ; drug effects ; Cell Proliferation ; drug effects ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Humans ; Marsdenia ; chemistry ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Protein Kinase C ; genetics ; metabolism ; Signal Transduction ; drug effects ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A ; genetics ; metabolism ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-2 ; genetics ; metabolism