Analysis of Ankle-Brachial Index, Waist-Hip Ratio, Ejection-Fraction, Obesity, Smoking, Alcohol Habits, Diabetes and Hypertension as Independent Predictors of Complexity and Severity of Coronary Artery Disease

Background: The present study was conducted to examine the association between various coronary risk factors and clinical parameters, with special emphasis on ankle-brachial index, in predicting the severity and complexity of coronary artery disease. Methods: Patients diagnosed with coronary artery disease at our hospital between September-2012 and December-2014 were examined in this study. Selected patients were screened for cardiovascular risk factors including diabetes, hypertension, smoking, and alcohol habits as well as for clinical parameters including body-mass index, waist-hip ratio, ankle-brachial index, and ejection fraction. All patients underwent coronary angiography and were evaluated for severity of coronary artery disease (based on number of vessels involved) and complexity of coronary angiographic lesions (measured by computer-assisted Syntax score calculator). The collected data were analyzed to determine the role of cardiovascular risk factors and clinical parameters as predictors of complexity and severity of coronary artery disease. Results: A total of 211 patients (mean age: 54.64 ± 9.9 years;81% males) with coronary artery disease were analyzed. Findings revealed that diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), smoking habits (p = 0.036), and low ankle-brachial index (p < 0.001) were independent predictors of complex coronary artery disease as measured by Syntax score. Significant associations were also evident between severity of coronary artery disease and diabetes mellitus (p < 0.001), hypertension (p < 0.001), and ankle-brachial index (p < 0.001). Conversely, other cardiovascular risk factors including body-mass index, alcohol habits, wait-hip ratio, and ejection fraction did not exhibit significant associations with severity and complexity of coronary artery. Conclusions: The early diagnosis of coronary artery can be predicated by evaluating diabetes, hypertension, and smoking habits in patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome. In addition, ankle-brachial index can be used as an effective non-invasive bed-side tool, as an alternative to Syntax score, in predicting the severity and complexity of coronary artery disease.

针刺对单纯性肥胖症体重指数及腰臀围比的影响

目的:观察针刺减肥的疗效。方法:将80例单纯性肥胖患者随机分为针刺组和药物组,每组各40例。针刺组采用体针、电针,配合耳穴贴压的方法,体穴取天枢、关元、三阴交等,耳穴取神门、内分泌、脾等;药物组采用口服西药西布曲明的方法。分别于治疗前后测定患者的体重、体重指数、腰围、臀围及腰臀围比值,并评价减肥疗效。结果:针刺组的总有效率为87.5%,药物组的总有效率为82.5%,2组的治疗结果相近(P>0.05);2组患者治疗后的体重、体重指数、腰围、臀围及腰臀围比值均较治疗前显著下降,并且针刺组患者的腰围及腰臀围比值的改善优于药物组(P<0.05)。结论:针刺减肥的疗效确切,并且针刺能有效地改善单纯性肥胖患者的体重、体重指数、腰围、臀围及腰臀围比值。

用于光子晶体的多孔硅制备条件研究

利用扫描电镜观察了不同电压强度、腐蚀液浓度条件下制备的用于二维光子晶体的多孔硅的微观形貌。研究表明在恒压供电模式下更有利于硅基二维光子晶体的制备;随着腐蚀电压强度的增长,孔径和孔深都呈现增长的趋势,增长的幅度逐渐减小,腐蚀效率比的增长幅度也有逐渐变小的趋势;随着腐蚀溶液浓度的减小,腐蚀速率在降低,但腐蚀效率比在增大,虽然多孔硅的生长速度变慢,但是多孔硅的质量更好。

基于孔隙形状替换的储层孔隙类型预测方法

碳酸盐岩、致密砂岩和页岩等储层具有多种孔隙类型,复杂的孔隙形状导致岩石孔隙度与弹性参数之间的关系非常离散。本文提出了一种基于孔隙形状替换的孔隙类型预测方法,孔隙形状替换表征孔隙形状改变对岩石弹性参数的影响,而岩石矿物成分、孔隙度或流体成分保持不变。基于多孔可变临界孔隙度模型,通过岩石的速度反演得到岩石的等效孔隙纵横比。然后孔隙形状可以被替换为一种新的孔隙形状,或增加或较少另一种孔隙形状的体积含量。理论模型和实际测井数据应用表明,这种孔隙形状替换技术可以用来表征岩石的孔隙类型,排除岩石矿物成分、孔隙度或孔隙流体的影响。

Validation of genetic variants associated with metabolic dysfunctionassociated fatty liver disease in an ethnic Chinese population

BACKGROUND Genetic factors play an important role in the pathogenesis and development of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease(MAFLD).AIM To study the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs),previously identified in Western populations,with the risk of MAFLD in a Singapore Chinese population and their interactions with environmental and medical risk factors.METHODS A retrospective case-control study was conducted with 72 MAFLD cases and 72 controls with no hepatic steatosis on computed tomography,magnetic resonance imaging,or controlled attenuation parameter score.Subjects were recruited from two tertiary hospitals.Genetic alleles such as NCAN,GCKR,LYPLAL1,PNPLA3,PPP1R3B,FDFT1,COL13A1,EFCAB4B,PZP,and TM6SF2 were genotyped using the TaqMan®Predesigned SNP Genotyping Assay.RESULTS Weight and body mass index(BMI)were 1.2-times higher in patients(70.6 kg,95%confidence interval[CI]:57.1-84.1 vs 60.8 kg,95%CI:48.5-73.1,P<0.001 and 26.9 kg,95%CI:23-40.8 vs 23.3 kg 95%CI:19-27.6,P<0.001 respectively).The prevalence of diabetes mellitus in patients was 40.3%and 20.8%in controls(P=0.011).Patients had higher mean triglycerides than controls(P<0.001).PNPLA3 GG was more likely to be associated with MAFLD(43.4%CC vs 69.7%GG,P=0.017,and 44.8%CG vs 69.7%GG,P=0.022).In multivariable analysis,hypertriglyceridemia(odds ratio[OR]:2.0495%CI:1.3-3.1,P=0.001),BMI(OR:1.295%CI:1.1-1.4,P<0.001)and PNPLA3 GG(OR:3.495%CI:1.3-9.2,P=0.014)were associated with MAFLD(area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.823).CONCLUSION Among the Chinese population of Singapore,PNPLA3 homozygous GG allele is a strong predictor of MAFLD,whereas LYPLAL1,GCKR,FDFT1,COL13A1,PZP,and TM6SF2 are not significantly associated.Hypertriglyceridemia,high BMI,and PNPLA3 GG are independent predictors of MAFLD.

增量成本效果比(ICER)的决策含义辨析

增量成本效果比是卫生经济学评价中重要的评价指标。本文分析了增量成本效果比的定义、内涵和决策意义,并比较了该指标与平均成本效果比的差异,认为增量成本效果比是更优的分析指标,建议在相关决策工作中深入理解其含义并加以恰当应用。

Predicting Metabolic Syndrome Using Anthropometric Indices among Chinese Adolescents with Different Nutritional Status:A Multicenter Cross-sectional Study

Objective To evaluate the predictive performance of anthropometric indices for metabolic syndrome(Met S)among Chinese adolescents with different nutritional status.Methods We recruited 9,513 adolescents aged 10–18 years from seven provinces in China during September 2014.Anthropometric indices and blood pressure were measured at recruitment,and blood samples were collected for determining fasting plasma glucose and lipid profile.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)analyses were used to assess the predictive performance of anthropometric indices,including body mass index(BMI)percentile,waist circumference percentile,waist-height ratio,and waist-hip ratio.Results Overall,the four anthropometric indices showed good accuracy for predicting Met S with areas under ROC curves(AUCs)ranging from 0.86 to 0.94;similar AUCs ranging from 0.73 to 0.99 were observed for participants with normal weight.The performance of all four indices was poor in overweight and obese participants,with AUCs ranging from 0.66 to 0.77 and from 0.60 to 0.67,respectively.Waist circumference showed relatively better performance in all the subgroup analyses.Conclusions We suggest using anthropometric indices with the cutoff values presented here for predicting Met S in the overall and normal-weight adolescent population,but not in the overweight and obese adolescent population where more specific screening tests are required.

Offspring of aged mothers of rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus shows lower sexual propensity than their elder siblings under crowded conditions

Maternal eff ects are one of the most interesting topics in evolutionary ecology as they can aff ect the rate of evolution and population dynamics by phenotypic manipulation of off spring related to fi tness. At present, studies examining the interaction between maternal environment eff ects and maternal age (birth order) eff ects are scarce. We designed an experiment to reveal whether environmentally induced maternal manipulation works equally on off spring across birth orders in rotifer Brachionus calycifl orus. In the experiment, newborn amictic mothers (F0) were cultured parallelly in low (LD) and high (HD) population density. Off spring (F1) of young (YF0) and old (OF0) mothers in both LD and HD groups were cultured under a crowded condition and the mixis ratios of both F1 and F2 were examined. Results show that F1 from HD-YF0 had a signifi cantly higher mixis ratio and those amictic ones produced daughters (F2 ) with higher mixis ratio in response to crowding than those from HD-OF0. In contrast, no such diff erences among F1 siblings were found in the LD-F0 group. Therefore, the eff ect of maternal age on the sexual propensity of the off spring can be aff ected independently by the maternal population density.

Overview of the Prevalence and Associated Risk, Factors of Lifestyle Diseases in University Students

Background: The prevalence of lifestyle diseases is increasing rapidly in Youths (17 - 25 yrs). Factors such as poor diet, little or no physical exercise, and smoking are major contributors to this increase. Lifestyle diseases in youths present a timeline challenge as disease duration is longer and financial burden more costly. Aim: To analyse and synthesize published literature on the prevalence of and risk factors associated with four lifestyle diseases—obesity, hypertension, diabetes and cancer—in university/college students worldwide. Results: The literature indicates that among lifestyle diseases in university/college students, overweight/obesity (Body Mass Index > 25 kg/m2) had the highest prevalence of 45.6% and duration of approximately 5 years. Cardiovascular diseases and hypertension had lower prevalence rates but prehypertension which lingers >4 years was at 32.0%. Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) had a fairly high prevalence in college students (21.7%);type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) was found in much lower percentage (12.95%). Cancer had the lowest prevalence of >2% but was increasing in most regions based on the presence of multiple risk factors. Conclusion: Increase prevalence of these diseases in youths indicates that young people are at high risk of developing these diseases due to poor early lifestyle habits. Early corrective measures can reduce the burden of many lifestyle diseases.