Ethnopharmacological relevance: Peach kernel (taoren: TR) is the dried mature seedof peach, Prunus persica (L.) Batsch, which belongs to the Rosaceae family. Rhubarb(dahuang: DH) is the dried root and rhizome of rhubarb (Rheum tanguticum Maxim. ex Balf.). (DH-TR or DT) is a traditional Chinese medicine herb pair that promotes blood circulation and mitigates blood stasis. DT has been used frequently in recent years, yet the differences in the efficacies of DT drugs of different proportions are still unclear. Aim of study: The purpose of this study was to investigate the composition and pharmacodynamic difference of rhubarb-peach kernel drug pairs with different proportions. Methods: Samples of different ratios of DH to TR (Group A 1:1, B 2:3, C 3:2) were analyzed based on gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry non-targeted metabolomics technique.Results: A total of 240 primary metabolites were detected. Forty-one differential metabolites involved nine differential metabolic pathways, of which four were closely related to the efficacy of DT in the treatment of heat and blood stasis syndrome. These pathways included the biosynthesis of amino acid (phenylalanine tyrosine and tryptophan), flavonoids, unsaturated fatty acids, and the glycolysis/glycogenesis pathway.Conclusion: There were significant differences in the efficacy of DT drugs of different proportions. The optimal ratio of DT in treating heat and blood stasis syndrome was 1:1.
Background Evidence of the association between serum lipid profiles and intraplaque neovascularization (IPN) is still limited. We aimed to study the value of a novel Doppler method, superb microvascular imaging, in correlating serum lipid profiles and evidence of IPN in a population with a high risk of stroke. Methods and Results A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in Beijing, China. Residents (aged ≥40 years) underwent questionnaire interviews, physical examinations, and laboratory testing in 2018 and 2019. Subjects with a high risk of stroke were then selected. Standard carotid ultrasound and carotid plaque superb microvascular imaging examinations were then performed on the high-stroke-risk participants. Logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationship between serum lipid profiles and carotid plaque IPN. Overall, a total of 250 individuals (mean age, 67.20±8.12 years; 66.4% men) met the study inclusion criteria. Superb microvascular imaging revealed carotid plaque IPN in 96 subjects (38.4%). Subjects with IPN were more likely to be current smokers (34.0% versus 46.9%, P=0.046), and their identified carotid plaques were much thicker (2.35±0.63 mm versus 2.75±0.80 mm, P=0.001). Serum lipids, including total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were positively associated with the presence of IPN (4.33±1.00 mmol/L versus 4.79±1.12 mmol/L, P=0.001; 2.96±0.92 mmol/L versus 3.40±1.01 mmol/L, P=0.001; 2.18±0.76 mmol/L versus 2.46±0.80 mmol/L, P=0.005, respectively), and after adjustment for other confounders, the positive relationship remained significant. Furthermore, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (odds ratio, 2.62 [95% CI, 1.35-5.06]) was significantly associated with the presence of carotid plaque IPN even after adjusting for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Conclusions Total cholesterol, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were positively associated with the presence of carotid IPN in a Chinese high-stroke-risk population. Further prospective studies should be conducted to better understand how much finding IPN adds to current stroke prediction tools.
In the perspective of fossil fuel depletion, the importance of renewable and substitute fuels is remarkable. In this study, clean liquid-fuel was obtained from tar through catalytic hydrorefining method. Hydrorefining catalysts were prepared by impregnation, containing tungsten-nickel (W-Ni), molybdenum-nickel (Mo-Ni), tungsten-molybdenum-nickel (W-Mo-Ni), and tungsten-molybdenum-cobalt (W-Mo-Co). γ-alumina was used as catalysts supporter. The clean liquid fuel product was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, elemental analyzer, octane number for gasoline fraction and cetane-number for diesel fraction, and Engler distillation range. The rules of sulfur and nitrogen content were also investigated. The overall product yield was up to 97%, and the sulfur and nitrogen content was less than 70 ppm. The W-Mo-Ni/γ-Al2O3 catalyst showed high performance in catalytic hydrofinishing and good stabilization under required conditions.
Background: To explore the diagnostic value and feasibility of shear wave elastography and superb microvascular imaging in the grading diagnosis of glioma intraoperatively.Materials and Methods: Forty-nine patients with glioma were included in this study. B-mode ultrasonography, Young's modulus in shear-wave elastography(SWE) and vascular architecture in superb microvascular imaging(SMI) of tumor tissue and peritumoral tissue were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic effect of SWE. Logistic regression model was used to calculate the prediction probability of HGG diagnosis.Results: Compared with LGG, HGG was often characterized by peritumoral edema in B mode(P<0.05). There was a significant difference in Young's modulus between HGG and LGG; the diagnostic threshold of HGG and LGG was 13.05 kPa, the sensitivity was 78.3%, and the specificity was 76.9%. The vascular architectures of the tumor tissue and peritumoral tissues of HGG and LGG were significantly different (P<0.05). The vascular architectures of peritumoral tissue in HGG often characterized by distorted blood flow signals surrounding the tumor(14/26,53.8%); in the tumor tissue, HGG often presents as dilated and bent vessels(19/26,73.1%). The elasticity value of SWE and the tumor vascular architectures of SMI were correlated with the diagnosis of HGG.Conclusion: Intraoperative ultrasound(ioUS), especially SWE, and SMI are beneficial for the differentiation of HGG and LGG and may help optimize clinical surgical procedures.
Dementia, a condition that frequently afflicts patients in advanced stages of Parkinson's disease (PD), results in decreased quality of life and survival time. Nevertheless, the pathological mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) are not completely understood. The symptoms characteristic of PDD may be the result of functional and structural deficiencies. The present study implicates the accumulation of Lewy bodies in the cortex and limbic system as a potent trigger in the development of PDD. In addition, significant Alzheimer-type pathologies, including amyloid-β (Aβ) plaques and NFTs, are observed in almost half of PDD patients. Interestingly, links between PDD pathogenesis and the mechanisms underlying the development of insulin resistance have begun to emerge. Furthermore, previous studies have demonstrated that insulin treatment reduces amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and normalizes the production and functionality of dopamine and ameliorates motor impairments in 6-OHDA-induced rat PD models. GSK3β, a downstream substrate of PI3K/Akt signaling following induction by insulin and IGF-1, exerts an influence on AD and PD physiopathology. The genetic overexpression of GSK3β in cortex and hippocampus results in signs of neurodegeneration and spatial learning deficits in in vivo models [26], whereas its inhibition results in improvements in cognitive impairment in these rodents, including AD and PD. Accordingly, insulin- or IGF-1-activated PI3K/Akt/GSK3β signaling may be involved in PDD pathogenesis, at least in the pathology of PD-type + AD-type.
Objective
To explore the application value of ultrasound medical imaging workstation in quality control of ultrasound reports issued by resident doctors.
Methods
The pancreatic ultrasound reports of outpatients provided by resident doctors with 6 months and 12 months of training were derived from the ultrasound medical imaging workstation as 6-month group (G6M) and 12-month group (G12M), respectively. There were 1582 ultrasound reports in the G6M, including 420 for males and 962 for females, with 1318 for patients<65 years old and 264 for patients≥65 years old. There were 2723 ultrasound reports in the G12M, including for 760 males and 1963 for females, with 2323 for patients <65 years old and 400 for patients ≥65 years old. Frequency of unclear tail of the pancreas in the report, standard image, and body markers were recorded. The chi-square test was used to compare patient gender, age, and the quality of resident reports between the two groups.
Results
The chi-square test showed that there was no significant difference in sex or age composition between the two groups (all P>0.05). The number of cases of unclear tail of the pancreas reported in the G6M and G12M was 554 (35.02%) and 734 (26.96%), respectively, and there was a statistical difference between the two groups (χ2=31.029, P 0.05). As to map without marker and map with marker, there were 337 (60.83%) vs 209 (37.73%) and 308 (41.96%) vs 412 (56.13%) in the G6M and G12M, respectively, and the chi-square test showed that there were significant differences between the two groups (χ2=44.960 and 42.834, all P<0.001).
Conclusion
Ultrasound medical imaging workstation can be used for periodic spot check, evaluation, and feedback of resident reports, which has a positive role in promoting the quality control of ultrasound reports.
Key words:
Ultrasonography; Resident doctor; Quality control
Abstract Background Vascular features are not commonly used to evaluate thyroid nodules by conventional ultrasound due to the low sensitivity. Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) is a new ultrasonic Doppler technology that specializes in depicting microvessels and low-speed flow. The objective of this study was to explore the value of microflow features on SMI in differentiating malignant from benign thyroid nodules. Methods One hundred and seventy-seven adult patients with thyroid nodules in our center from October 2021 to June 2022 with available histopathological results were recruited, including 125 malignant nodules and 123 benign nodules. Preoperative ultrasound was performed using greyscale, Color Doppler Flow Imaging (CDFI), monochrome SMI (mSMI) and color SMI (cSMI). Vascular features such as flow richness, microflow distribution and microflow patterns of malignant thyroid nodules were compared with those of benign nodules. Results Penetrating vessel ≥ 1 (82.4% in the malignant group vs. 30.9% in the benign group, P < 0.001), the crab claw-like pattern (64.0% vs. 10.6%, P < 0.001) and the root hair-like pattern (8.0% vs. 2.4%, P = 0.049) were common in malignant thyroid nodules, among which the crab claw-like pattern was an independent risk factor for malignant thyroid nodules. The wheel-like pattern (1.6% in the malignant group vs. 33.3% in the benign group, P < 0.001) and the arborescent pattern (0 vs. 19.5%, P < 0.001) were more likely to appear in benign nodules. The diagnostic specificities of the crab claw-like pattern and the root hair-like pattern for malignant thyroid nodules were 0.894, 0.976, and the positive predictive values were 0.860, 0.769. The diagnostic specificities of the wheel-like pattern and the arborescent pattern for benign thyroid nodules were 0.984, 1.000, and the positive predictive values were 0.953, 1.000. Conclusions The crab claw-like pattern and the root hair-like pattern were microflow characteristics of malignant thyroid nodules. The wheel-like pattern and the arborescent pattern could help exclude the diagnosis of thyroid cancer.
Objective: Substance P. neuropeptide Y and somatostatin belong totally to neurotransmitter, they elicit very important role in regulating neuroendocrine activities of whole body. The purpose of this study was to observe the existence and distribution of these neurotransmitters in rat sublingual gland. Methods: Wax-embedded specimen preparation and immunohistochemical ABC method were done routinely. All antisera were purchased from Sigma and INC Company USA. Results: The striated ducts of epithelial cell in rat sublingual gland showed SP, NPY and somatostatin immunoreaction positive,but the acinar cells negative. Conclusion: In the gland epithelial cells, there exist three neuropeptides which might directly participate in the regulation of secretory activity and local blood supply or indirectly exert control over the regulation through the involvement of intermedia such as hormone.
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