Benefits of the Seattle biopsy protocol in the diagnosis of Barrett's esophagus in a Chinese population

AIMTo investigate the benefits of the Seattle protocol in the diagnosis of Chinese individuals with Barrett’s esophagus.METHODSSubjects enrolled were patients from one center with endoscopically-suspected esophageal metaplasia. These patients first received narrow-band imaging-targeted biopsy, and later, the Seattle protocol-guided biopsy, within a period from October 2012 to December 2014. Those cases without initial pathologic patterns of intestinal metaplasia （IM） and then appearance or loss of IM tissue were designated as Group A or B, respectively. Those with initial pathologic patterns ofIM, which then persisted or were lost were designated as Group C or D, respectively.RESULTSThe number of cases for each group was as follows： A： 20, B： 78, C： 31 and D： 14. The distribution of the Prague criteria M levels of Group A was significantly higher than Group B （ P = 0.174）. Among these groups, Group C had the highest proportions of hiatus hernia （54.8%）, long segment Barrett’s esophagus （29%）, and also the highest Prague criteria M levels. The sensitivity of IM detection was 69.2% for the narrow-band imaging-targeted biopsy and 78.5% for the Lee SW et al . Seattle protocol for Barrett’s esophagusSeattle protocol-guided biopsy. The difference was not signifcant （P = 0.231）. The number of detectable dysplasias increased from one case via the NBI-target biopsy to five cases via the Seattle protocol-guided biopsy, including one case of adenocarcinoma.CONCLUSIONThe Seattle protocol improved the IM detection in our subjects with higher Prague criteria M levels and disclosed more cases with dysplastic tissues.

Sinology in Seattle: The University of Washington and its Influence on the Study of Chinese Medicine

The University of Washington has played a pivotal role in the field of sinology with faculty and alumni producing major publications in Chinese history,literature,phonetics,and linguistics.These contributions have been instrumental in the development of sinology as a field and have both directly and indirectly influenced the study of Chinese Medicine.By tracing the history of the Department of Asian Languages and Literature and examining several major figures,we can better understand how these individuals shaped the development of Chinese Medicine and contributed to its spread worldwide.

BUILDING UP AN OCEAN-CROSSING BRIDGE FOR SINO-US TRADE-To mark the 20th anniversary of Liulinhai's voyage to port Seattle, USA

It is April 18th again,an unforgettable date for us. 20 Vears ago, liulinhai from China Ocean Shipping Company(COSCO), the first cargo ship anchored at Seattle. It ushered in a new chapter and therefore bullt up an ocean-crossing bridge of Sino-US shipping business. Over the past 20 yearS,ships of COSCO. which shuttled between China and the United States, carrying friendship between the two countries and best wishes for peace and development, promoted greatly the Sino-US trade.

Introduction to the Port City of Seattle

Seattle Located on a neck of land between the Elliott Bay (the Puget Sound) and Lake Washington, Seattle is a major city of Washington State and the largest metropolis of the Pacific Northwest in the USA. It is a port of entry and gateway to Asia and Alaska. The city has an area of 84 square miles and a population of about 516,000 (1992), with a density of 10,879 per Square mile.

Rain of Seattle

I’ve got a deep secret few people understand and even fewer will admit to sharing. It’s time to tell the truth: I love the rain, deeply and passionately and more than the sun. At least I live in the right place, famous for its damp weather and spawning its own genuine rainforest. I can’t imagine living anywhere else than the Pacific Northwest. The sun shines so infrequently that my friends forget where they put their sunglasses. Gloomy clouds cause many people around here to suffer from seasonal affective disorder. Yet I welcome the rain. Seattleites well say they like how rain keeps the city green, how clean the air tastes afterwards. My real reason for enjoying the rain is steeped in pure selfishness—when it’s mucky outside, I don’t have to do anything. I can spend the afternoon curled up reading, build a fire and make a big pot of spiced tea. I can sleep in late, waking up occasionally to hear soothing patter on the roof, water racing down the gutter. Nobody expects me to leave my house or do anything overly productive. Maybe I’ll invite a few friends over to watch an old movie or play a board game. Friends’ expectations are low and easy to meet.

Lai Guolong,Excavating the Afterlife: The Archaeology of Early Chinese Religion.Seattle: University of Washington Press,2015

Lai Guolong’s book is a new attempt at understanding early Chinese religion by integrating archaeological, art historical, anthropological, philological, and historical methods. Lai has successfully demonstrated that careful rereading of artifacts and texts from excavations, as well as received texts, supported by balanced use of comparative materials from other cultures and anthropological and religious theories.

多线程异地备份发动机数据软件设计与应用

通过开发发动机信息管理系统后台数据的异地备份软件,介绍了以Delphi 10Seattle为开发工具,应用Indy组件,多线程方式实现客户端向服务器端发送备份指令,完成数据的备份、加密压缩以及向异地客户端推送数据,以客户端完成压缩数据的接收结束异地传输,同时服务器端实时向不同客户端发送执行过程信息。因发动机数据量较大,备份和传输时间较长,在异地客户端采用同步进度条显示。软件设计采用TCP可靠传输,提高数据传输的安全性。

Multinational survey on the preferred approach to management of Barrett’s esophagus in the Asia-Pacific region

BACKGROUND Major societies provide differing guidance on management of Barrett’s esophagus(BE),making standardization challenging.AIM To evaluate the preferred diagnosis and management practices of BE among Asian endoscopists.METHODS Endoscopists from across Asia were invited to participate in an online questionnaire comprising eleven questions regarding diagnosis,surveillance and management of BE.RESULTS Five hundred sixty-nine of 1016(56.0%)respondents completed the survey,with most respondents from Japan(n=310,54.5%)and China(n=129,22.7%).Overall,the preferred endoscopic landmark of the esophagogastric junction was squamocolumnar junction(42.0%).Distal palisade vessels was preferred in Japan(59.0%vs 10.0%,P<0.001)while outside Japan,squamo-columnar junction was preferred(59.5%vs 27.4%,P<0.001).Only 16.3%of respondents used Prague C and M criteria all the time.It was never used by 46.1%of Japanese,whereas 84.2%outside Japan,endoscopists used it to varying extents(P<0.001).Most Asian endoscopists(70.8%)would survey long-segment BE without dysplasia every two years.Adherence to Seattle protocol was poor with only 6.3%always performing it.73.2%of Japanese never did it,compared to 19.3%outside Japan(P<0.001).The most preferred(74.0%)treatment of non-dysplastic BE was proton pump inhibitor only when the patient was symptomatic or had esophagitis.For BE with low-grade dysplasia,6-monthly surveillance was preferred in 61.9%within Japan vs 47.9%outside Japan(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Diagnosis and management of BE varied within Asia,with stark contrast between Japan and outside Japan.Most Asian endoscopists chose squamo-columnar junction to be the landmark for esophagogastric junction,which is incorrect.Most also did not consistently use Prague criteria,and Seattle protocol.Lack of standardization,education and research are possible reasons.

Efficacy of Yiqi Fumai (Freeze-Dried Powder) on Ischemic Diastolic Heart Failure

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of Yiqi Fumai freeze-dry powder (YFP) on ischemic diastolic heart failure. Methods: 100 patients diagnosed with unstable angina accompanying ischemic diastolic heart failure (IDHF) were selected randomly. 52 patients with TCM syndrome of qi-yin deficiency were divided into Chinese and Western combination therapy group. 48 patients have no TCM syndrome of qi-yin deficiency, and were treated with standard western medicine. After treatment, Seattle Angina Questionnaire Evaluation, ECG, conventional and stress echocardiography (SE) index, NT-proBNP were compared between before and after treatment. Results: The differences of PL, TS, DP between before and after treatment by YFP were statistically significant

Assessment of Acute Episodes in Chronic Stable Angina: A Clinical-Laboratory Approach to the Use of the Coronary Vasodilator Propatyl Nitrate

Background/Objectives: Propatyl nitrate is a coronary vasodilator with immediate and prolonged action, indicated in the treatment and prevention of acute angina pectoris episodes. Methods: This was an open, self-paired comparative study performed at UNIFESO Medical School evaluating the clinical and laboratory results of treatment with propatyl nitrate in patients with chronic stable angina pectoris. Subjects received 10 mg of propatyl nitrate, at the dose of three sublingual tablets per day, to be taken at 8:00 A.M., 2:00 P.M., and 8:00 P.M. Subjects returned to the study center after 15 days of treatment for Visit 2 assessments, and at the end of the 30-day treatment period (Visit 3). Results: A total of 200 subjects were included in the study. There was a statistically significant reduction in blood pressure (p < 0.0001) and heart rate (p = 0.0001), but no change in respiratory rate (p = 0.23). Laboratory results did not vary throughout the treatment period. There was no significant change from pretreatment in the SAQ Physical Limitation scale (p = 0.7415). The Angina Stability, Angina Frequency, and Treatment Satisfaction, and Quality of Life scales showed a significant improvement from pretreatment (p < 0.0001). Adverse events were observed among 41 subjects at Visit 2 and 35 subjects at Visit 3. Conclusions: Propatyl nitrate was safe and effective in treating chronic stable angina pectoris over the course of the 30-day treatment period. Treatment with propatyl nitrate increased angina stability and reduced angina frequency while increasing treatment satisfaction and quality of life in the patient population evaluated.

肝窦阻塞综合征诊断标准综述

肝窦阻塞综合征(HSOS)是肝血窦、肝小叶中央静脉和/或小叶间静脉内皮细胞损伤导致管腔狭窄或闭塞,以肝损伤和急性窦性门静脉高压为特征的一种肝脏血管性疾病。大多数HSOS为轻型经过,但严重患者可导致多器官功能障碍/衰竭,病死率高达70%~80%。因而尽早识别HSOS,并给予及时的治疗至关重要。现介绍目前临床上用于诊断HSOS的标准,包括改良Seattle标准、Baltimore标准和"南京标准",并对其特点、适用范围和局限性进行综述。

Effect of Shenshao Tablet(参芍片) on the Quality of Life for Coronary Heart Disease Patients with Stable Angina Pectoris

Objective： To observe the effect of Chinese medicine Shenshao Tablet （参芍片, SST） on the quality of life in coronary heart disease （CHD） patients with stable angina pectoris （SAP）. Methods： Sixty-six patients with SAP confirmed by coronary angiography were enrolled and assigned to two groups by means of PROC PLAN using a SAS 6.12 software in a double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled design. Patients in the treated group were treated with SST, and the others in the control group were given placebo. The weekly angina frequency, quality of life scale [Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ）] and incidence of important clinical events were observed to evaluate the intervention effect of SST on the quality of life for CHD patients with SAP. Results： During the study, one case dropped out in the treated group and two cases in the control group, respectively, and 63 cases including 32 cases in the treated group, and 31 cases in the control group completed the trial. After four weeks of treatment, the weekly angina frequency of the treated group （5.32± 2.46 times per week） was significantly less than that of the control group （7.32± 3.20 times per week, P 〈 0.05）. The total score of the quality of life in the treated group （71.30± 5.44） was obviously higher than that in the control group （63.50± 4.60, P 〈 0.01）, and the angina stability, angina frequency, and treatment satisfaction were significantly superior to those in the control group （P〈 0.01）. The incidence of important clinical events of the treated group （3.1%） was lower than that of the control group （6.5%） during the six-month follow-up period, but the difference was insignificant （P 〉 0.05）. Conclusion： SST could lower the angina frequency and greatly improve the quality of life in CHD patients with SAP.

Effect of Yiqi Yangyin Decoction(益气养阴方) on the Quality of Life of Patients with Unstable Angina Pectoris

Objective： To observe the effect of Yiqi Yangyin Decoction （益气养阴方, YQYYD） on the quality of life （QOL） of patients with unstable angina pectoris （UAP）. Methods： A total of 108 patients with UAP of qi-yin deficiency syndrome confirmed by coronary angiography were enrolled and assigned to the treated group （treated with YQYYD and conventional therapy of Western medicine） and the control group （treated with conventional therapy of Western medicine）, by the use of the PROC PLAN of the SAS 6.12 software, in a prospective, randomized, controlled design. The clinical total effective rate, symptom score, QOL scale [Seattle Angina Questionnaire （SAQ）] and incidence of important clinical events were defined as the observation indices to evaluate the interventional effect of YQYYD on the QOL of patients with UAP of the qi-yin deficiency syndrome. Results： During the study, three cases dropped out in the treated group, one case dropped out in the control group, and 104 cases, including 51 cases in the treatment group and 53 cases in the control group, finished the trial. After four weeks of treatment, the total clinical effective rates in the treated group and the control group were 80.4% and 75.5% respectively, and there was no obvious difference between them （P〉0.05）. However, the symptom score of the treated group （9.31 ± 2.02） was significantly lesser than that of the control group （11.62 ± 3.04, P〈0.05）, and the total score of the QOI scale of the treated group （68.76 ± 5.74） was significantly higher than that of the control group （61.06 ±3.31, P〈0.01）. Among those in the treated group physical limitation, angina stability, angina frequency, and treatment satisfaction were significantly ameliorated when compared with the control group after treatment （P〈0.05, P〈0.01）. The incidence of important clinical events in the treated group （3.9%） was lower than that in the control group （5.7%） during the 8-month follow-up period, but the difference was insignificant （P〉0.05）. Conclusion： YQYYD could improve the clinical symptoms of patients with UAP of qi-yin deficiency syndrome and greatly improve their QOL.

Effect of Liandouqingmai recipe on quality of life and inflammatory reactions of patients with coronary heart disease

OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Liandouqingmai recipe(Chinese herbal medicine compound preparation) on the quality of life(QOL) and inflammatory reaction of patients with coronary heart disease(CHD).METHODS: A total of 101 CHD patients were randomized into two groups: treatment group(n=45)receiving standard treatment for CHD plus Liandouqingmai recipe, and control group(n=56) receiving standard treatment only. The control group contained 16 normal healthy subjects. Changes in hs-C-reactive protein(CRP), peripheral blood leucocytes(PBL), and interleukin(IL)-6 and IL-10 levels were measured. The Seattle Angina Questionnaire(SAQ) was used to determine patient QOL before and after treatment for 2 weeks.RESULTS: Before treatment, SAQ scores [physical limitation(PL), angina stability(AS), angina frequen-cy(AF), treatment satisfaction(TS), and disease perception(DP)] were not statistically different between groups. After treatment, AS and DP levels of controls were significantly increased compared with the other groups, while PL, AS, AF, TS, and DP levels of the treatment group were significantly increased compared with controls. Treatment group SAQ scores(PL, AS, AF, TS, and DP) were significantly higher than for controls. CHD patient IL-6 and IL-10 levels were significantly higher than controls.Before treatment, mean levels of IL-6, hs-CRP and PBL of the two groups were not statistically different. After treatment, mean levels of IL-6, IL-10,hs-CRP and PBL of the two groups were significantly decreased compared with their before treatment values, and levels of IL-6, hs-CRP, and PBL of the treatment group were lower than controls. Although mean IL-10 levels of both groups decreased, there was no significant difference in between-group and in-group comparisons before and after treatment. Mean levels of IL-6 and IL-10 in the normal group were lower than in CHD patients.SAQ scores of QOL were negatively associated with the inflammatory index(IL-6/IL-10), and there was a significant negative association of IL-10 with AS(r=﹣0.15, P<0.05).CONCLUSION: Inflammatory reactions in CHD patients are related to angina status. Coadministration of CHD standard treatment and Liandouqingmai recipe increased patient SAQ scores by decreasing IL-6, IL-10, hs-CRP, and PBL levels in CHD patients, which might inhibit endothelial inflammation to improve patient QOL.

Effectiveness of Shenshu Guanxin recipe granules(参术冠心方颗粒)for improving exercise tolerance in patients with stable angina pectoris:a randomized,double-blind,placebo-controlled trial

OBJECTIVE:To assess the effectivess of Shenshu Guanxin recipe granules(参术冠心方颗粒,SGR)in improving exercise tolerance and the quality of life in patients with Stable Angina Pectoris(SAP).METHODS:A total of 189 patients were consecutively enrolled between December 2012 and December 2014.The included patients were randomly assigned to SGR and placebo groups.The primary endpoints included mainly the results of treadmill exercise test and Seattle Angina Questionnaire(SAQ)during 12 weeks of treatment.RESULTS:After 12 weeks of treatment,SGR extended the time of exercise-induced ST-segment depression of 0.1 MV,lowered the maximum ST-segment depression,and shortened the duration of ST-segment depression in patients with SAP in southern China.Besides,the study also proved that SGR could improve the quality of life and functional status of patients with SAP.CONCLUSIONS:SGR showed a positive effect on exercise tolerance compared with the placebo besides optimal medical therapy.Also,the study proved that SGR could improve the SAQ score of the patients.