Objective To survey the awareness rate of knowledge about vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in community physicians.Methods A questionnaire survey on the awareness of knowledge about VCI was conducted in 87 community physicians from 4 community hospitals in Beijing Chaoyang District from October to December 2012.Among all participants there were 27 males and 60 females with an average age of (39 ± 11) years,85％ (74/87)had college or university degrees,90％ (78/87) held primary or middle-level professional titles,41％ (36/87),of them were internists.Results All participants completed the questionnaire.The awareness rate about minor and major neurocognitive disorder was 39％ (60/87) ; the rates of various causes of dementia were 51％ (44/87)-100％ (87/87) and various symptoms of cognitive impairment were 79％ (69/87)-99 ％ (86/87),respectively.The awareness rate of cognitive impairment as initial symptom displayed in stroke was 54 ％ (47/87).The awareness rates of knowledge related to diagnosis and treatment of dementia were 57％ (50/87)-97％ (84/87) and 80％ (70/87)-100％ (87/87),respectively.The awareness rates about that Alzheimer's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies were not reversed by early treatment were 46％ (40/87)and 37％ (32/87),respectively.The awareness rates of vascular risk factors were 20％ (17/87)-100％ (87/87)and those about the mode of health education were 52％ (45/87)-95 ％ (83/87).There was 36％ (31/87) community physicians who thought that they possessed VCI-related knowledge.Conclusions The results of survey suggest that community physicians shall upgrade their knowledge of diagnosis and treatment for vascular cognitive impairment.

BACKGROUND: Investigation on epidemiologic features of knee osteoarthritis in many areas of China has been much reported. However, multicenter studies with large samples have been rarely reported. The published papers cannot give a good description about the epidemiologic features of knee osteoarthritis. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the epidemiologic features of knee osteoarthritis in the patients aged over 40 years in China. METHODS: Meta-analysis was used to evaluate the data extracted from papers published 2001-2016 on the epidemiology of knee osteoarthritis in the middle-aged and elderly in China. The prevalence rate of knee osteoarthritis in the patients over 40 years of age was summarized, with every 10 years as group, and then analyzed on Stata 12.0 software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Twenty-six articles were included, involving 42 199 people aged more than 40 years old. The total prevalence rate of knee osteoarthritis at the age above 40 years old in China was 17.0% (95% CI:16.7%-17.4%),the prevalence rate was 12.3% in male and 22.2% in female(P<0.05).Noticeably,the prevalence rate increased with age.The total prevalence rate in northern China was 16.1%(95% CI:15.6%-16.6%),12.2% in male and 21.4% in female;the total prevalence in southern China was 18.0%(95%CI:17.5%-18.5%), 12.3% in male and 23.1% in female. There was no significant difference in the prevalence rate between northern and southern China(P>0.05).The total prevalence rate in rural China was 23.6%(95%CI:16.7%-30.4%),with 15.4% in male and 28.1% in female;and the total prevalence in urban China was 20.0%(95% CI:16.2%-23.9%),with 13.7% in male and 24.3% in female. There was no significant difference in the prevalence rate between rural and urban China (P > 0.05). These results suggest that knee osteoarthritis in China is a common disease, characterized by increased prevalence with age, relatively significant difference between male and female, but no difference between northern and southern China as well as between rural and urban China. It is of great significance to timely propagate and perform interventional strategies for prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis in China.

BACKGROUNDThe most typical cardiac abnormality is conotruncal defects (CTDs) in patients with 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). HIRA (histone cell cycle regulator) gene, as one of the candidate genes located at the critical region of 22q11DS, was reported as possibly relevant to CTD in animal models. This study aimed to analyze the level of expression of the HIRA gene in tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) patients and the potential DNA sequence variations in the promoter region.

METHODSThe messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was examined with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in 39 myocardial tissues of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) from TOF patients and 4 myocardial tissues of RVOT from noncardiac death children. The protein expression was detected using immunohistochemistry in 12 TOF patients and 4 controls. A total of 100 TOF cases and 200 healthy controls were recruited for DNA sequencing.

RESULTSThe mRNA and protein expressions of the HIRA gene in the myocardium of the TOF patients were both significantly lower as compared to the controls (P < 0.05). Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including g.4111A>G (rs1128399), g.4265C>A (rs4585115), g.4369T>G (rs2277837), g.4371C>A (rs148516780), and g.4543T>C (rs111802956), were found in the promoter region of the HIRA gene. There were no significant differences of frequencies in these SNPs between the TOF patients and the controls (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe abnormal lower expression of the HIRA gene in the myocardium may participate in the pathogenesis of TOF.

Alleles ; Cell Cycle Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Female ; Genotype ; Histone Chaperones ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Vitro Techniques ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Tetralogy of Fallot ; genetics ; metabolism ; Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism

Animals ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; blood ; drug therapy ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; therapeutic use ; Interferon-gamma ; blood ; Phytotherapy ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha ; metabolism

Objective:To explore the effect of aerobic exercise on behavioral function in rats with cerebral small vessel disease and its mechanism. Methods:Eight-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into sham group (n = 16), model group (n = 16) and swimming group (n = 16). The model was developed with bilateral common carotid artery ligation. They were assessed with burrowing test after four weeks of swimming exercise. The levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) protein in hippocampus were detected with Western blotting. The development of dendrites and synaptic spines in hippocampal neurons was observed with Golgi staining. The expression of Ki67, doublecortin (DCX) and Neun in hippocampal dentate gyrus was detected with immunofluorescence. Results:Compared with the model group, the burrowing ability improved in the swimming group (P < 0.05), with increase of levels of BDNF and TrkB in hippocampus (P < 0.05), Ki67/DCX and Neun positive cells in hippocampal dentate gyrus (P < 0.05), and extension of dendrites and length of synaptic spine in hippocampal neurons (P < 0.05). Conclusion:Aerobic exercise may promote the proliferation and differentiation of hippocampal neurons through BDNF/TrkB signaling pathway, expression of Ki67/DCX and Neun and development of hippocampal neurons, to improve behavioral function in rats with cerebral small vessel disease.

BACKGROUNDData on the epidemiology of hypertension in Chinese non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are limited. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and control of hypertension in the non-dialysis CKD patients through a nationwide, multicenter study in China.

METHODSThe survey was performed in 61 tertiary hospitals in 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China (except Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan). Trained physicians collected demographic and clinical data and measured blood pressure (BP) using a standardized protocol. Hypertension was defined as systolic BP ≥ 140 mmHg and/or diastolic BP ≥ 90 mmHg, and/or use of antihypertensive medications. BP < 140/90 mmHg and < 130/80 mmHg were used as the 2 thresholds of hypertension control. In multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for sex and age, we analyzed the association between CKD stages and uncontrolled hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients.

RESULTSThe analysis included 8927 non-dialysis CKD patients. The prevalence, awareness, and treatment of hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients were 67.3%, 85.8%, and 81.0%, respectively. Of hypertensive CKD patients, 33.1% and 14.1% had controlled BP to < 140/90 mmHg and < 130/80 mmHg, respectively. With successive CKD stages, the prevalence of hypertension in non-dialysis CKD patients increased, but the control of hypertension decreased (P < 0.001). When the threshold of BP < 130/80 mmHg was considered, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension in CKD 2, 3a, 3b, 4, and 5 stages increased 1.3, 1.4, 1.4, 2.5, and 4.0 times compared with CKD 1 stage, respectively (P < 0.05). Using the threshold of < 140/90 mmHg, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension increased in advanced stages (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe prevalence of hypertension Chinese non-dialysis CKD patients was high, and the hypertension control was suboptimal. With successive CKD stages, the risk of uncontrolled hypertension increased.

Adult ; Aged ; Awareness ; Female ; Humans ; Hypertension ; complications ; epidemiology ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; complications

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography images are easy to misjudge because of their complexity, especially images of solitary pulmonary nodules, of which diagnosis as benign or malignant is extremely important in lung cancer treatment. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a more effective strategy in lung cancer diagnosis. In our study, we aimed to externally validate and revise the Mayo model, and a new model was established. METHODS: A total of 1450 patients from three centers with solitary pulmonary nodules who underwent surgery were included in the study and were divided into training, internal validation, and external validation sets (n = 849, 365, and 236, respectively). External verification and recalibration of the Mayo model and establishment of new logistic regression model were performed on the training set. Overall performance of each model was evaluated using area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Finally, the model validation was completed on the validation data set. RESULTS: The AUC of the Mayo model on the training set was 0.653 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.613-0.694). After re-estimation of the coefficients of all covariates included in the original Mayo model, the revised Mayo model achieved an AUC of 0.671 (95% CI: 0.635-0.706). We then developed a new model that achieved a higher AUC of 0.891 (95% CI: 0.865-0.917). It had an AUC of 0.888 (95% CI: 0.842-0.934) on the internal validation set, which was significantly higher than that of the revised Mayo model (AUC: 0.577, 95% CI: 0.509-0.646) and the Mayo model (AUC: 0.609, 95% CI, 0.544-0.675) (P < 0.001). The AUC of the new model was 0.876 (95% CI: 0.831-0.920) on the external verification set, which was higher than the corresponding value of the Mayo model (AUC: 0.705, 95% CI: 0.639-0.772) and revised Mayo model (AUC: 0.706, 95% CI: 0.640-0.772) (P < 0.001). Then the prediction model was presented as a nomogram, which is easier to generalize. CONCLUSIONS After external verification and recalibration of the Mayo model, the results show that they are not suitable for the prediction of malignant pulmonary nodules in the Chinese population. Therefore, a new model was established by a backward stepwise process. The new model was constructed to rapidly discriminate benign from malignant pulmonary nodules, which could achieve accurate diagnosis of potential patients with lung cancer.
Humans ; Lung ; Lung Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging* ; Multiple Pulmonary Nodules ; Risk Assessment ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule/diagnostic imaging* ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Optimal vision and ergonomics are essential factors contributing to the achievement of good results during microsurgery. The three-dimensional (3D) digital image microscope system with a better 3D depth of field can release strain on the surgeon's neck and back, which can improve outcomes in microsurgery. We report a randomized prospective study of vasoepididymostomy and vasovasostomy using a 3D digital image microscope system (3D-DIM) in rats. A total of 16 adult male rats were randomly divided into two groups of 8 each: the standard operating microscope (SOM) group and the 3D-DIM group. The outcomes measured included the operative time, real-time postoperative mechanical patency, and anastomosis leakage. Furthermore, a user-friendly microscope score was designed to evaluate the ergonomic design and equipment characteristics of the microscope. There were no differences in operative time between the two groups. The real-time postoperative mechanical patency rates were 100.0% for both groups. The percentage of vasoepididymostomy anastomosis leakage was 16.7% in the SOM group and 25.0% in the 3D-DIM group; however, no vasovasostomy anastomosis leakage was found in either group. In terms of the ergonomic design, the 3D-DIM group obtained better scores based on the surgeon's feelings; in terms of the equipment characteristics, the 3D-DIM group had lower scores for clarity and higher scores for flexibility and adaptivity. Based on our randomized prospective study in a rat model, we believe that the 3D-DIM can improve surgeon comfort without compromising outcomes in male infertility reconstructive microsurgery, so the 3D-DIM might be widely used in the future.