Objective To investigate the effects of kidney-deficiency on auditory cortex metabolism in the elderly by using the proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy(1H-MRS).Methods 50 volunteers,including 20 young subjects and 30 older subjects matched for gender,were measured by pure tone audiometry、“kidney-deficiency”-related test and were executed 3.0 T multi-voxel 1H-MRS tests,The ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA),choline (Cho) and lactate (Lac) to creatine (Cr) were measured and were compared between the two groups.The t-test analysis were used for statistic process.The relationship between auditory cortex metabolism and the symptom of kidney-deficiency was also analyzed.Resnlts The result of kidney-deficiency-related test and pure tone audiometry revealed that there was significant difference between the two groups and the older subjects had the more severity kidney-deficiency and high-frequency hearing loss (t=6.335、19.558,P＜0.05).The NAA/Cho ratio in the auditory cortex in the older group was significantly lower than that in the younger group (t=2.90,P＜0.05).There were no significant differences between two groups for the ratios of NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr (t=1.415、0.927,P＞0.05).Decrease of the ratio of NAA/Cho in the older group is significantly related with kidneT-deficiency(r=- 0.773,P=0.025).Conclusion kidney-deficiency play a very important role in the hearing loss and reduction of the number of neurons in auditory cortex of older healthy subjects.It suggests one possible underlying mechanism for the speech perception difficulties exhibited by aging adults.

Objective:To investigate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder(PTSD)symptoms in middle school students after Wenchuan earthquake.Methods:The PTSD Checklist-Civilian version( PCL-C),which included three symptom groups(A,B,and C),was used to assess the PTSD symptoms in 1960 middle school students in the disaster region through self-questionnaire.Results:(1)The general positive rate of PTSD symptoms was 78.3%,and that of B group was the highest(68.9%).(2)The rates of general PTSD and three symptom groups of PTSD were higher in girls,high grade students,minority groups,rural students,injured in earthquake and those who lost family property than in boys,low grade students,the Han nationality,urban students,not injured in earthquake and those who did not lost family property[such as,the general positive rate of PTSD symptoms:girls 82.2%,boys 73.9%,P<0.05].(3)The rates of severe PTSD symptoms in girls and rural students were higher than that in boys and urban students(27.9% vs.19.9%,26.7% vs.21.4%,Ps<0.05).Conclusions:PTSD symptoms are common among middle school students in earthquake region.Targeted measures should be taken to protect middle school students from PTSD in earthquake region.

Objective:To explore the effects of "2+1" PAD class based on online course in medical statistics undergraduate teaching.Methods:A total of 326 clinical undergraduates who took medical statistics in the spring term of 2017 were randomly divided into experimental group ( n=186) and control group ( n=140). Students in the experimental group were taught by "2+1" teaching method, which included self-study on line, classroom teaching, discussion and so on. While students in the control group were taught traditionally. Feedbacks about the teaching progress and effects from the students in the two groups were compared. SAS 9.4 was used for quantitative data description, t-test and rank sum test. Results:according to the students, the online-based "2+1" teaching method paid more attention to interdisciplinarity than traditional method ( P<0.01), and the new teaching method was more beneficial for the improvement of students' capacity ( P=0.008) and more conducive for students to engaging in scientific research ( P=0.012). Students in the experimental group had higher overall satisfaction scores ( P<0.01) and better ability for solving comprehensive problems ( P<0.01). Conclusion:The "2+1" PAD class teaching model based on online courses has more advantages than traditional teaching methods does, which should be recommended and adopted in undergraduate teaching.

Objective To study the needs, demands and utilization levels of health services for residents in Shenzhen, and to provide a basis for the rational allocation of health resources and formulation of relevant policies. Methods Using stratified random sampling, 6 072 residents from 2 365 households in 7 districts of Shenzhen were selected. The residents’ health status, health service demand and utilization were investigated by a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire survey response rate was 98.5%, and there was no significant difference between the sample and the population in age distribution (χ²=5.60，P=0.47). Results The average score of self-health assessment was 84.9. The prevalence rate of chronic diseases was 21.1%. The two-week disease prevalence rate was 21.5%, and the doctor visit rate of the two-week disease was 19.5%. The hospitalization rate was 7.2% in the past year. The average outpatient cost was 500 yuan, and the average cost of hospitalization was 10 567 yuan. The average length of hospital stay was 7.3 days. A total of 652 (55%) patients had their first outpatient visit at the community health service centers, and 82.2% of the families were within 1 kilometer from the nearest medical institutions. Conclusion Compared with that of the national population, the overall health service needs of Shenzhen residents were relatively low, but there is a problem that the hospitalization demand has not been effectively released. The prevention and treatment of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension should not be ignored, and the construction of the public health system needs to be strengthened. The "health gatekeeper" system has initially taken shape, but the residents' sense of acquisition needs to be further improved.

OBJECTIVETo investigate the preventive effects of garlic oil (GO) on benzene-induced hematotoxicity in mice.

METHODSSpecific pathogen-free male Kunming mice were randomly divided into 5 groups, i.e., control group, model group, and low-, middle-, and high-dose GO groups (n = 20 in each group). Mice in GO groups were orally given GO at 20, 40, or 80 mg/kg BW, while mice in the other two groups received an equal volume of corn oil. Two hours later, mice in model group and GO groups were orally given benzene (20%, v/v, dissolved in corn oil, 10 ml/kg BW) for 21 days consecutively. On the 22nd day, blood was collected from the orbital sinus, to determine the counts of red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), and platelets (PLT) and hemoglobin level using an automatic blood cell counter. The mice were sacrificed thereafter. The spleen was excised and weighed for calculation of the spleen index (spleen weight/body weight×100%).

RESULTSThe counts of WBC, RBC, and PLT and Hb level in the model group were reduced by 40%, 18%, 28%, and 23.6%, respectively, as compared with those in the control group (P < 0.01). Compared with those in the model group, WBC and PLT counts in the high-dose GO group increased by 95% and 66%, respectively (P < 0.01), wherein lymphocytes and monocytes increased by 142% and 100%, respectively (P < 0.01); the RBC count and Hb level in the low-dose GO group increased by 15% and 16%, respectively (P < 0.05). GO significantly suppressed benzene-induced decreases in spleen weight and spleen index.

CONCLUSIONGO is capable of suppressing benzene-induced hematotoxicity in mice. One possible mechanism may be promotion of hematopoiesis in the spleen.

Allyl Compounds ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Benzene ; poisoning ; Blood Cell Count ; Disease Models, Animal ; Garlic ; chemistry ; Male ; Mice ; Plant Oils ; pharmacology ; Sulfides ; pharmacology

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the survival rate and its prognostic factors for patients with biliary tract cancer, and then a prognostic risk prediction model was constructed to predict the survival probability of patients. Methods: A total of 14 005 patients with biliary tract cancer (including gallbladder cancer, extrahepatic bile duct cancer, and ampulla of Vater cancer), who were diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 in the US National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) were included in the development cohort. The prognostic risk factors of biliary tract cancer were investigated using multivariate Cox regression models. The predictive nomograms were then constructed to predict the overall survival probability of 1, 3, and 5 years, and the predictive discrimination and calibration ability of the nomograms were further evaluated. Meanwhile, 11 953 patients who were diagnosed during 2004 to 2009 from SEER Program were then selected to validate the external predictive accuracy of the prediction models. Results: The 1, 3 and 5-year cumulative survival rates of patients with biliary tract cancer were 41.9%, 20.4% and 15.3%, respectively, in the development cohort. Age greater than 50 years, African Americans and Native Americans and Alaska Natives, higher T, N and M stage and poor histological differentiation grade were risk factors for death, while married status, Asia-Pacific Islanders, insured status and surgery on primary site were protective factors. Gender was not significantly associated with the overall survival. The C statistic of the prediction model was 0.73 (95%CI: 0.72-0.74), and the calibration curve showed that the interaction curves of predictive and actual survival rates of 1, 3 and 5 years were close to the 45 degree diagonal. Results in the validation cohort were similar with those in the construction cohort, with a C statistic of 0.70 (95%CI: 0.69-0.72), indicating high external applicability of the prediction model. Findings from gallbladder cancer, extrahepatic bile duct cancer, and ampulla of Vater cancer are in consistent with the overall biliary tract cancer. Conclusions The survival rate of patients with biliary tract cancer is relatively poor, and the survival prediction model based on prognostic factors has high prediction accuracy. In the future, this prognostic prediction model could be applied to clinical practice to guide individualized treatment for patients with biliary tract cancer.

BACKGROUND: The onset and clinical presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are sex-related. Few studies have investigated the distinctions in clinical characteristics and treatment preferences in male and female SLE patients in the initial cohort. This study aimed to improve the understanding of Chinese SLE patients by characterizing the different sexes of SLE patients in the inception cohort. METHODS: Based on the initial patient cohort established by the Chinese SLE Treatment and Research Group, a total of 8713 patients (795 men and 7918 women) with newly diagnosed SLE were enrolled between April 2009 and March 2021. Of these, 2900 patients (347 men and 2553 women) were eligible for lupus nephritis (LN). A cross-sectional analysis of the baseline demographic characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory parameters, organ damage, initial treatment regimens, and renal pathology classification was performed according to sex. RESULTS: In the SLE group, as compared to female patients, male patients had a later age of onset (male vs. female: 37.0 ± 15.8 years vs. 35.1 ± 13.7 years, P  = 0.006) and a higher SLE International Collaborative Clinic/American College of Rheumatology damage index score (male vs. female: 0.47 ± 1.13 vs. 0.34 ± 0.81, P  = 0.015), LN (male vs. female: 43.6% vs. 32.2%, P < 0.001), fever (male vs. female: 18.0% vs. 14.6%, P  = 0.010), thrombocytopenia (male vs. female: 21.4% vs. 18.5%, P  = 0.050), serositis (male vs. female: 14.7% vs. 11.7%, P  = 0.013), renal damage (male vs. female: 11.1% vs. 7.4%, P < 0.001), and treatment with cyclophosphamide (CYC) (P < 0.001). The frequency of leukopenia (male vs. female: 20.5% vs. 25.4%, P  = 0.002) and arthritis (male vs. female: 22.0% vs. 29.9%, P < 0.001) was less in male patients with SLE. In LN, no differences were observed in disease duration, SLE Disease Activity Index score, renal biopsy pathological typing, or 24-h urine protein quantification among the sexes. In comparisons with female patients with LN, male patients had later onset ages (P  = 0.026), high serum creatinine (P < 0.001), higher end-stage renal failure rates (P  = 0.002), musculoskeletal damage (P  = 0.023), cardiovascular impairment (P  = 0.009), and CYC use (P  = 0.001); while leukopenia (P  = 0.017), arthritis (P  = 0.014), and mycophenolate usage (P  = 0.013) rates were lower. CONCLUSIONS Male SLE patients had more severe organ damage and a higher LN incidence compared with female SLE patients; therefore, they may require more aggressive initial treatment compared to female patients.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Sex Characteristics ; East Asian People ; Severity of Illness Index ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/diagnosis* ; Lupus Nephritis/pathology* ; Registries ; Cyclophosphamide/therapeutic use* ; Thrombocytopenia ; Leukopenia/drug therapy* ; Arthritis