Objective:To investigate the feasibility and clinical value of MRI quantitative evaluation technique in detecting sternocleidomastoid muscle fibrosis in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy.Methods:From August 2019 to March 2021, 45 patients with clinically confirmed NPC after radiotherapy and 30 healthy controls who underwent physical examination in Lishui Hospital of Zhejiang University were enrolled in our study. According to the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group/European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (RTOG/EORTC) classification criteria of late radiation reactions respectively, the sternocleidomastoid muscle injury in the NPC group was divided into grade Ⅰ, Ⅱ and Ⅲ, which included 8, 32 and 5 patients respectively. All patients underwent T 1 mapping and T 2 mapping imaging of the neck. Firstly, the mapping images of sternocleidomastoid muscle between the two groups were analyzed and compared. Using NUMARIS/4 software of Siemens image post-processing workstation, the region of interest was manually drawn along the edge of sternocleidomastoid muscle at the level of laryngeal chamber in axial mapping diagram. Then, T 1 and T 2 values and the long and short diameters of sternocleidomastoid muscle were measured respectively. Finally, the differences of the parameters between the two groups were compared by independent sample t-test, Spearman rank correlation was used to analyze the relationship between the average T 1 and T 2 values of bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscles and the grade of late radiation injury. Results:Compared with the control group, the shape of sternocleidomastoid muscle in the NPC group was smaller in shape, with irregular edge and uneven increase of T 1 mapping color scale. There was no significant difference in muscle signal in T 2 mapping. The T 1 values of left and right sternocleidomastoid muscles in the NPC group were (1 524.7±97.6) and (1 496.5±93.2) ms respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the normal control group [(1 231.5±85.3) and (1 275.9±90.9) ms] ( P<0.05), and the T 2 values of left and right sternocleidomastoid muscles in the NPC group were (28.4±4.8) and (28.4±3.6) ms respectively, which were lower than those in the normal control group [(30.4±3.5) and (30.4±3.5) ms] ( P<0.05). The long and short diameters of bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscles in the NPC group were shorter than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The average T 1 and T 2 values of bilateral sternocleidomastoid muscles in NPC patients after radiotherapy were (1 510.6±95.4) and (28.4±4.2) ms respectively, The T 1 value was positively correlated with the classification of advanced radiation injury ( r=0.78, P<0.001), and T 2 value was negatively correlated with the level of advanced radiation injury ( r=-0.87, P<0.001). Conclusion:Mapping quantitative evaluation technique can noninvasively and objectively detect and evaluate sternocleidomastoid muscle fibrosis after NPC radiotherapy, which has potential clinical application value.

Objective To evaluate the effect of sofren injection on acute lung injury (ALI) in septic mice.Methods Ninety-six pathogen-free made Kunming mice,aged 8-10 weeks,weighing 30-35 g,were divided into 4 groups (n =24 each) using a randon number table:sham operation group (group Sham),ALI group,vehicle group (group Vehicle) and sofren injection group (group Sofren).Sepsis was induced by cecal ligation and puncture.In Vehicle and Sofren groups,double distilled water and sofren injection 4 ml/kg were intraperitoneally injected,respectively,after the model was established,followed by repeated admninistration once every 12 h.At 12,24 and 48 h after operation,the animals were sacrificed and lungs were removed for mnicroscopic examination and for determination of wet to dry weight ratio (W/D ratio),malondialdehyde (MDA) content,superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity,and contents of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) in lung tissues (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay).The lung injury score (LIS) was calculated after haematoxylin and eosin staining.Results Compared with group Sham,the LIS,W/D ratio and contents of MDA,TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly increased,and the SOD activity was decreased at each time point in ALI and Vehicle groups (P＜0.05).Compared with group ALI,the LIS,W/D ratio and contents of MDA,TNF-α and IL-6 were significantly decreased,and the SOD activity was increased at each time point in group Sofren (P＜0.05),and no significant change was found in each parameter mentioned above in group Vehicle (P＞0.05).Conclusion Sofren injection can attenuate ALI in septic mice.

The safety of TCM injection triggered attentions and hotspots in recent years in China.The centralized monitoring of TCM injection provided important evidence for analyzing the safety risk of TCM injections,recognizing adverse reactions and contraindications and perfecting the instructions.This study aimed at exploring the ethical problems on centralized monitoring.In this paper,we retrieved and screened the ethical issues of TCM injections over hospital centralized monitoring in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI,1979-Ju1.,2016).Issues over it were put forward and addressed.It is found that the current ethical issues related to hospital centralized monitoring lacks sufficient attentions,corresponding norms and requirements.Based on the ethical issues reflected from the literatures,suggestions should be pressed ahead with the ethical review of centralized surveillance,signing of informed consents,registration of research programs,data statistics and reporting stages,for the better protection of the rights and interests of subjects and improvement of research quality.

Objective To observe the serum level of lipoprotein(a) in high blood pressure patients with low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) standards and its association with carotid atherosclerotic plaques.Methods Five hundred and thirty patients with history of hypertension for over 5 years were recruited for the study.They were stratified by depending on whether or not they reached the LDL-C standards.Then,by depending on whether there was presence of carotid plaques in each layer,they were divided into 4 groups:Group A with LDL-C standards and plaques,Group B with LDL-C standards but without plaques,Group C without LDLC standards but with plaques,Group D without LDL-C standards but without plaques.Close observations were made on the levels of Lp (a) in each groups.Results (1) The Lp (a) levels of the groups with LDL-C standards were lower than those of the groups without LDL-C standards.Statistical significance could be noticed when comparisons were made between them(P ＜ 0.01).(2) In the group with LDL-C standards,the Lp (a) level in the patients of Group A was higher than that in the patients of Group B,but there was no statistical significance when comparisons were made between them (P ＞ 0.05).In the group without LDL-C standards,the Lp (a) level in the patients of Group C was higher than that in the patients of Group D,with statistical significance (P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion For the patients with LDL-C level reaching the required standards at the admission,baseline level of Lp (a) seemed to have no obvious correlation with carotid atherosclerotic plaques.However,for the patients without LDL-C level reaching the required standards at the admission,elevated baseline LDL-C level might be a predicting factor in the formation of carotid atherosclerotic plaques.

At present,the various levels of safety evaluations of traditional Chinese medical (TCM) injections were in force in post-marketing clinical researches,while the process quality is guaranteed with difficulty.Therefore,it is requisite to call for technical guidance.By drawing lessons from the international experience of drug marketing safety evaluation and the related methods,we proposed the key techniques of quality control for clinical safety evaluation of TCM injections from the three aspects:preparation,implementation and summarization of researches,combining with the characteristics of TCM injections.The key techniques contained some scientific problems,ethics,publicity,data management,statistical analysis,specification report,etc.This paper comprehensively introduced the requisite technologies and methods over research quality,laying a foundation for the studies of post-marketing clinical safety evaluation of TCM injections.

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of serum omentin-1 levels in obesity and essential hypertension patients and its related influencing factors. Methods One hundred and thirty patients with obesity admitted to the Cadre Health Care Department of Navy General Hospital from Jun. 2011 to Dec. 2013 were enrolled in this study. According to the blood pressure,130 obesity patients were divided into simple obesity group( n=64 )and obesity hypertension group( n=66 ). Sixty non obesity patients with normal blood pressure were enrolled as control group. Serum omentin-1 levels were assessed by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay ( ELISA). Association between omentin-1 and biochemical parameters( including systolic blood pressure( SBP), diastolic blood pressure(DBP),body mass index(BMI),waist hip ratio(WHR),fasting blood glucose(FBG), triglyceride(TG),total cholesterol(TC),low density lipoprotein cholesterol(LDL-C),high density lipoprotein cholesterol( HDL-C),fasting insulin( FINS),insulin resistance index( HOMA-IR)and high sensitive C reactive protein(hs-CRP))were analyzed. Results Serum omentin-1 levels in control group was(26. 7 ± 5. 1)μg/L, significantly higher than that in simple obesity group and obesity hypertension group((22. 1 ± 3. 2)μg/L,(18. 3 ± 3. 4)μg/L;F=33. 7,P﹤0. 01),and serum omentin-1 levels in obesity hypertension group was significantly lower than that in simple obesity group( t =21. 5,P ﹤0. 05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that serum omentin-1 negatively correlated with BMI,WHR,SBP and HOMA-IR( r = - 0. 447,- 0. 340,- 0. 350,-0. 397;P﹤0. 01). There were no significant relations between omentin-1 and age,DBP,FBG,FBG,TG,TC, LDL-C,HDL-C,FINS and hs-CRP( P ﹥0. 05 ). Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that HOMA-IR, BMI and SBP were independent influencing factors of serum Omentin-1. Conclusion The serum omentin-1 level decreases in the obesity hypertension patients. Omentin-1 is negatively correlated with BMI,SBP,and HOMA-IR, which may contribute to the underlying pathophysiology of obesity and essential hypertension.

Objective To observe the clinical efficacy of acupoint thread embedding in treating simple obesity and its effect on blood lipids and insulin.Method Eighty patients were randomized into a thread embedding group and an acupuncture group. The acupoint thread embedding was given once every week, while acupuncture was given six times a week, both for 8 weeks in total. The body weight, body mass index (BMI), chest circumference, waist circumference, hip circumference, insulin and blood lipids were observed before and after intervention.Result After intervention, body weight, BMI, waist circumference, waist-hip ratio, fasting insulin level, blood lipids, and insulin resistance dropped significantly in both groups (P<0.05); there were no significant differences between the two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion Acupoint thread embedding can reduce body weight and three circumferences, and modulate glucose and lipid metabolisms, through which approaching weight loss in a healthy way.

Objective To establish the pathogenic gene loci on 8q23.3-24.1 and 10p15 in this benigh adult familial myoclonic epilepsy (BAFME) pedigree.Methods After obtaining informed consent, peripheral blood samples were obtained from 7 BAFME patients and 13 control individuals;amplified polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and short tandem repeat (STR) method were employed to conduct linkage analysis;five STRs on chromosomal segments 8q23.3-q24.1 and three STRs on chromosomal segments 10p1 5 were chosen at genetic distances appropriate.Results Negative signal was all obtained for 8q23.3-q24.1 and 10p15 (LOD scores less than-2 for these STRs, respectively;θ=0.0), excluding involvement of these regions in the BAFME pedigree analyzed.Conclusion STR linkage analysis of 8q23.3-q24.1 and 10p 15 does not support linkage to these regions, indicating that the pathogenic gene in the pedigree we studied is not in these chromosome segments.

Objective To explore the cardiovascular function in type 2 diabetic patients by echo tracking (ET) and instanta-neous wave intensity ( WI) .Methods One hundred and thirty-six retired male veterans were divided into the diabetic group ( n=54) and the control group (n=72), by depending upon whether they had diabetes mellitus .They all received blood lipid detection and ul-trasonography .Echo tracking was used to measure stiffness index (β) , Peterson′s pressure modulus ( Ep) , arterial compliance ( AC) , augmentation index (AI), pulse wave velocity derived from β(PWVβ) on ET curve.Wave intensity was employed to detect accelera-ting wave intensity (W1), decelerating wave intensity (W2) and negative area (NA) on WI curve, as well as the interval between the maximum of R wave and that of W1, and the interval between the maximum of W1 and that of W2(1st-2nd).Results (1) No statisti-cal differences could be seen in age , blood pressure , body mass index , left ventricular ejection fraction and blood lipid , when compari-sons were made between the 2 groups.Blood glucose level [(8.28 ±1.19)mmol/L] in the diabetic group was higher than that [(6.14 ±0.60) mmol/L] of the control group, all with statistical significance(p<0.05).(2) No statistical differences could be noticed in the levels of β, Ep, Ac, AI and PWVβ, when comparisons were made between the 2 groups.(3) W1 and W2 [(10.08 ±6.76) × 103,(1.35 ±1.57) ×103 mmHg· m· s-3] for the diabetic group were significantly lower than those [(13.09 ±11.17) ×103,(2.04 ±1.19) ×103 mmHg· m· s-3] of the control group, all with statistical significance(P<0.05).No statistical differences could be seen in NA, R-1st and 1st-2nd, when comparisons were made between the two groups .Conclusion ET index indicated that carotid e-lasticity in type 2 diabetic patients was not decreased , but W1 could detect early subclinical myocardial lesion in diabetic patients .

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Epilepsies, Myoclonic ; genetics ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pedigree ; Young Adult