This paper briefly introduces the definition, classification and significance of effect modification in epidemiological studies, summarizes the difference between effect modifier and confounders, and analyze the influence as well as the role of effect modification in epidemiological studies and Meta-analysis. In this paper, the possible scenarios of effect modification and related analysis strategy in Meta-analysis are indicated by graphics, aiming to arouse researchers' attention to effect modification. This paper also demonstrates how to identify and deal with effect modification in Meta-analysis through a study case of "Efficacy of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors in patients with type 2 diabetes", and shows the analysis process and interpretation of results of subgroup analysis and Meta-regression methods respectively. The advantages and disadvantages of these two methods are summarized to provide reference for the method selection of future research.

This paper briefly introduces the characteristics, research significance, and global reporting status of effect modification in network Meta-analysis, demonstrates the heterogeneity caused by effect modification in network Meta-analysis, and emphasizes the importance of exploring effect modification in network Meta-analysis. This paper also summarizes the normalized description and analysis strategies of effect modification in network Meta-analysis. Finally, by the case of "comparison of efficacy of three new hypoglycemic drugs in reducing body weight in type 2 diabetes patients", this paper demonstrates the realization of subgroup analysis and network Meta-regression in exploring effect modification, summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the two methods, to provide references for future researchers.

This paper briefly introduces the unique advantages, overall analysis ideas and existing analysis methods of individual patient data Meta-analysis in terms of effect modification. In addition to Meta-regression and subgroup analysis, this paper also introduces the analysis methods based on part of individual patient data integrated with aggregated data and summarizes the current reporting of the above mentioned methods. In addition, the application and results interpretation of the above mentioned methods in individual patient data Meta-analysis are presented in this paper by taking "Effects of sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors on SBP in patients with type 2 diabetes" as an example and by introducing their advantages and limitations.

Brain aging is closely related to cognitive decline,neurodegenerative diseases,and vascular dementia.Hydrogen sulfide(H2S)can delay brain aging by regulating protein homeostasis,anti-oxidative stress,inhibiting inflammation,reducing brain cell apoptosis and improving microcirculation.

Humans ; Incretins/therapeutic use* ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/drug therapy* ; Hypoglycemic Agents/therapeutic use* ; Risk Assessment

Objective: To improve the understanding and diagnosis and treatment level of infant with Takayasu arteritis (TA) by analyzing the clinical features of 14 pediatric patients and reviewing related articles. Methods: The clinical and follow-up data of infants with TA who were admitted to the Children′s Hospital Affiliated to Capital Institute of Pediatrics between July 2016 and May 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.By reviewing related articles, the clinical features of this disease were summarized. Results: The age of 14 patients (including 6 males and 8 females) were between 1 month and 23 days and 28 months.The most common clinical manifestations were fever in 10 cases (71.4%), hypertension in 9 cases (64.3%), weak or no pulse in 5 cases (35.7%). According to the clinical type of lesion vessels, 11 cases (78.5%) were generalized type, 3 cases (21.4%) were brachiocephalic artery type, and there was no thoracic abdominal aorta or single pulmonary artery type in this group.Among 14 infants with TA, 12 cases had common carotid artery, carotid artery, subclavian artery, coronary artery and its branches (anterior descending branch, circumflex branch) involved (85.7%); 11 cases had renal artery involved (78.6%); 9 cases had radial artery involved (64.2%); 8 cases had abdominal aorta involved (57.1%); 6 cases had descending aorta involved (42.9%); 6 cases had thoracic aorta involved (42.9%); 6 cases had superior mesenteric artery involved (42.9%); 5 cases had femoral artery involved (35.7%); 5 cases had pulmonary artery involved (35.7%); and 4 cases had brachial artery involved (28.6%). In those 14 patients, 11 cases were misdiagnosed, and 3 cases had unclear diagnosis, with misdiagnosis duration of 18 days to 2 months.In misdiagnosed cases, 8 cases were misdiagnosed as atypical Kawasaki disease.Among those 14 cases, the ranges of most lesions were gradually decreased, and the slightly involved vessels even completely returned to normal state after treatment in 7 cases.The vascular imaging showed no significant exacerbation or improvement in 4 cases.Nine cases developed hypertension, the blood pressure of whom could be controlled within normal range with hypotensive drugs which could not be interrupted.Physical examination found weak or no pulse in 5 cases who were not improved.Among 14 patients, 7 cases showed normal development, while the height and body mass of another 7 cases were the 25^th percentile below those of normal children of the same age.All 14 patients were followed up for 2-22 months and received regular treatment without recurrence. Conclusions TA patients aged less than 3 years tend to have more blood vessels involved, be in serious condition and have higher rate of misdiagnosis.The disease can be controlled quickly after treatment, but vascular diseases may be developed easily.Some patients have a poor prognosis.

Objective: To explore these adults′ perspective with filial piety and as well to elucidate adults′experience and filial caring behaviour whose parents were diagnosed as advanced cancer. Methods: This is a qualitative study. A semi-structured and individual in-depth interview guide was designed and utilised to explore perspectives of 15 adults whose parents were diagnosed as advanced cancer. Thematic analysis method was adopted to analyse the data, which were synthesised into themes and subthemes. Results: Three main themes were explicated: emotional experience, filial caring behaviours for parents and dilemmas and pressures. These adults adopted obedience, accompany, improving quality of life, completing parents’ wish to fulfil their commitment and filial piety during taking care of their cancer parents. However, they encountered ethical dilemmas regarding disclosure or non-disclosure cancer diagnosis to their parents. Conclusions Due to the profound influence of Chinese traditional culture, the adults whose parents were diagnosed as advanced cancer committed their filial caring behaviour to their parents very wholeheartedly and encountered difficulties and dilemmas. Therefore, oncology nurses are advised to share their love to cancer patients, to work with compassion and sympathy and support them by assisting with taking care of their patients, which in turn may facilitate their filial caring behaviours, decrease their pressure and negative emotions.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy ofErxian Decoction combined with elcatonin for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.Methods Eighty cases of female patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, 40 cases in each group. The control group received intramuscular injections elcatonin treatment, and the treatment group received oralErxian Decoction on the basis of the treatment of the control group, for 12 weeks. The main clinical symptom score, VAS score and bone mineral density (BMD) of L2-L4 and in the tibia of the two groups were observed before and after treatment to assess the therapeutic effect.Results After treatment, VAS scores of the two groups were significantly lower (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the treatment group was 92.5% (37/40); the control group was 75.0 (30/40), with statistical significance (P<0.05). The treatment group was significantly better than the control group in main symptom scores, especially in improving body symptoms (P<0.05). BMD of the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group.ConclusionErxian Decoction combined with elcatonin therapy for postmenopausal women with osteoporosis can significantly improve clinical symptoms and increase BMD.

OBJECTIVETo establish rabbit VX2 colorectal cancer(CRC) model and to compare CT images with gross pathology in order to offer help for TNM staging in patients with CRC.

METHODSVX2 tumor pieces were implanted into colonic wall in 9 New Zealand white rabbits and rectal wall in 2 New Zealand white rabbits. Four weeks after inoculation, Ultravist(370 mg/ml) was injected through ear marginal vein with high pressure injector for stage 3 scanning of chest, abdomen and pelvis, and enhanced CT (collimation 0.5 mm mm × 320, pitch factor 0.828, bulb rotation speed 0.5 s/cycle, 120 kV, automatic ma, range 80 to 100 mAs) was performed to determine the presence of CRC or metastasis once a week for 4-6 weeks. Once inoculated CRC or metastases occurred or 6 weeks after implantation, the rabbits were sacrificed regardless of the presence or absence of CRC or metastasis on the CT images. One rabbit was used for gross anatomy observation. Others were placed in wood boxes with -80centi-degree for 24 hours, then samples of 3 mm thickness were cut using a motorized saw to make macropathology. Each cutting surface of the specimens was photographed in serial number. If certain or suspected lesions were found on the slices, such part was labeled and then placed in 10% phosphate-buffered formaldehyde numbered box for subsequent pathological examination. CT image postprocessing was performed referring to the gross slice specimens and all findings were compared with the pathological reports.

RESULTSAmong 11 rabbits, tumor was successfully established in 8 rabbits. Pathology showed that single lung metastasis (7 to 10 mm) was found in 2 rabbits and liver metastasis (9 mm) in 1 rabbit. Number of lymph node located around the inoculated tumor was 22 and that around mesenteric vessels was 13 with diameter of 2 to 16 mm. Among these 35 lymph nodes from 8 successful rabbits, 9 nodes were positive, including 7 around inoculated tumor and 2 around mesenteric vessels. CT identified above 8 primary inoculated tumors, 2 lung metastatic lesions and 1 liver metastatic lesion, with detection rate of 100%. For the detection of lymph node in CT, 27 nodes were identified in the pericolorectal region (17 nodes) and perimesenteric vessels (10 nodes), in which 6 were positive metastasis (ring-shaped enrichment and central low density necrosis), resulting in a detection rate of 77.1%(27/35 nodes), and positive detection rate of 66.7% (6/9 nodes), respectively.

CONCLUSIONLiving rabbit CT-gross pathological slice(3 mm-cut) of VX2 CRC model can be applied in image evaluation of small metastatic lesion.

Objective To summarize the imaging features of computed tomography (CT)and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) combined with multi-technology imaging and compare its effects in the preoperative evaluation of malignant perihilar biliary obstruction.Methods The clinical data of 20 patients receiving CT and MRI who were diagnosed with malignant perihilar biliary obstruction by pathological examination at the Wuxi Second People's Hospital between January 2008 and April 2014 were retrospectively analyzed.Patients receiving CT combined with negative-contrast CT cholangiopancreatography (nCTCP) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) were allocated into the CT group,and patients receiving MRI combined with magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) were allocated into the MRI group.The images of the 2 groups were analyzed by 2 independent reviewers.The classification of malignant perihilar biliary obstruction,hepatic artery and portal vein invasions and lymph node and organ metastases were evaluated respectively,and then the results of evaluation were compared with the results of surgery and pathological examinations.The comparison between the accuracy of imaging examination in the 2 groups and accuracy of perihilar biliary obstruction classification were analyzed by the chi-square test.The comparison of evaluating accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) among vascular invasion and lymph node and organ metastases were done by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis,and the comparison of its accuracy were done by the z-score test.Results The imagings of bile duct involvement of the 2 groups showed that there were irregular thickening bile duct wall combined with retrograde intrahepatic bile duct dilatation.The symptoms of vascular invasion included the stricture and occlusion of blood vessels or more than half of vascular contact surface with tumor.The symptoms of lymph node metastasis included the enlarging short-axis or round-like circular enhanced lesions.The symptoms of organ involvement included the unclear boundary of lesions or low-density necrotic foci within organ.All the 20 patients underwent the surgical treatment,including 13 patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma and 7 patients with gallbladder carcinoma.Hepatic artery invasions were detected in 5 patients,portal vein invasions in 10 patients,lymph node metastases in 10 patients and organ metastases in 4 patients.The cases of classification of perihilar biliary obstruction,hepatic artery invasion,portal vein invasion,lymph node metastasis and organ metastasis which were evaluated respectively by reviewer 1 and 2 were 18/18,19/18,18/18,17/16 and 18/19 in the CT group and 17/16,14/13,17/16,15/14 and 19/18 in the MRI group.The imaging of the 2 groups were compared with the evaluating accuracies of classification of malignant hilar biliary obstruction,hepatic artery and portal vein invasions,lymph node and organ metastases in the 2 groups,showing no significant differences (x2=12.593,8.889,z=1.823,1.956,0.462,0.817,0.977,0.751,0.233,1.403,P＞0.05).Conclusion CT and MRI for malignant hilar biliary obstruction had the same imaging features,meanwhile,they can provide an equivalent performance in the classification of malignant hilar biliary obstruction,hepatic artery and portal vein invasions and lymph node and organ metastases.