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Background Dyslipidemia is the most important and causal independent risk factor for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) . The prevalence of dyslipidemia in elderly residents in Guangdong Province is high, and it is urgent to analyze the specific prevalence of dyslipidemia and its influencing factors among the elderly, and to carry out targeted preventive and control measures for dyslipidemia. Objective To investigate the epidemiological status of dyslipidemia and its risk factors among elderly residents included in the national basic public health service in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou. Methods A total of 41 469 elderly residents aged 65 years and above with complete important variables were selected as subjects from the information system of community health service center in Yuexiu District, Guangzhou City in 2020, the 2020 health checkup data was used to describe the epidemiological characteristics of the included patients such as basic information, BMI and blood lipid levels. Restricted cubic spline (RCS) fitting Logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between age, BMI and the prevalence of dyslipidemia. Results The prevalence of dyslipidemia in 41 469 elderly residents was 53.65% (22 247/41 469) , with a standardized prevalence of 53.89%. The prevalence of hypercholesterolemia (HTC) , hypertriglyceridemia (HTG) , mixed hyperlipidemia and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was 21.43%, 16.50%, 14.51% and 3.80%, with the standardized prevalence of 21.57%, 16.53%, 14.61%, 3.78%, respectively. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, education level, exercise status, and BMI were all influencing factors for dyslipidemia in elderly residents, among which female, low age group, and high BMI were risk factors for dyslipidemia in elderly residents (P

Traditional diagnostic techniques including visual examination, ultrasound (US), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have limitations of in-depth information for the detection of nail disorders, resolution, and practicality. This pilot study, for the first time, evaluates a dual-modality imaging system that combines photoacoustic tomography (PAT) with the US for the multiparametric quantitative assessment of human nail. The study involved a small cohort of five healthy volunteers who underwent PAT/US imaging for acquiring the nail unit data. The PAT/US dual-modality imaging successfully revealed the fine anatomical structures and microvascular distribution within the nail and nail bed. Moreover, this system utilized multispectral PAT to analyze functional tissue parameters, including oxygenated hemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, oxygen saturation, and collagen under tourniquet and cold stimulus tests to evaluate changes in the microcirculation of the nail bed. The quantitative analysis of multispectral PAT reconstructed images demonstrated heightened sensitivity in detecting alterations in blood oxygenation levels and collagen content within the nail bed, under simulated different physiological conditions. This pilot study highlights the potential of PAT/US dual-modality imaging as a real-time, noninvasive diagnostic modality for evaluating human nail health and for early detection of nail bed pathologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a complex inflammatory disease of colorectum that induces abnormal immune responses and severely affects the quality of life of the patients. Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE) exerts anti‐inflammatory and antioxidant functions in many inflammatory diseases. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of GSPE in UC using a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)‐induced mouse UC model and a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐stimulated RAW264.7 macrophage model. In this study, we found that the GSPE markedly prevented DSS‐induced weight loss and colon length shortening in UC mice. Further investigations showed that GSPE significantly attenuated the expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines TNF‐α, IL‐6, and IL‐1β, and elevated the expression of anti‐inflammatory cytokine IL‐10 in the colon tissues and serum of DSS‐induced colitis mice by suppressing NF‐κB signaling pathway. Furthermore, LPS‐induced inflammation in RAW264.7 cells was also reversed by GSPE. Taken together, our results confirm that GSPE can ameliorate inflammatory response in experimental colitis via inhibiting NF‐κB signaling pathway. This study advances the research progress on a potentially effective therapeutic strategy for inflammatory bowel diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) is an emerging biomedical imaging modality, offering numerous advantages, including high resolution and high contrast. In its application to brain imaging, however, the photoacoustic (PA) signals from brain tissue weaken considerably due to the distortion effects of the skull. This attenuation reduces the resolution and contrast significantly. To address this issue, here we describe a Log-MSR algorithm that combines the logarithmic depth logarithmic enhancement (Log) algorithm and the multi-scale Retinex (MSR) algorithm. In this method, the Log algorithm performs local weighted compensation based on signal attenuation for different depths, while the MSR algorithm improves the contrast of the image. The proposed Log-MSR algorithm was tested and validated using several phantom and in vivo experiments. The enhanced images constructed by the Log-MSR algorithm were qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed in terms of brain structure and function. Our results show that the Log-MSR algorithm may provide a significant enhancement to photoacoustic imaging of deep brain tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investigating adherence to the Atrial Fibrillation Better Care (ABC) pathway management and identifying gaps between the real world and established guidelines can lead to better integrated management of AF. Current data on adherence to ABC pathway management among community elderly patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) in Chinese communities is limited.Aim: To investigate the adherence to ABC pathway management among community elderly patients with AF in China.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from the 2020 National Basic Public Health Service Program database that includes health examination information for all residents > 65 years of age in Yuexiu, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Demographic and clinical characteristics data from 197 community AF patients were obtained.Results: Among the 197 AF patients, 103 (52.3%) were male, 117 (59.4%) were ≥ 75 years of age, 127 (64.5%) had a senior middle school education or above, 84.3% were married, and 195 (99.0%) had medical insurance. The most common comorbidities were hypertension (72.1%, 142/197), dyslipidaemia (28.4%, 56/197), CAD (28.9%, 57/197), and diabetes (24.9%, 49/197). In terms of the ABC management pathway, 21.8% (43/197), 82.7% (163/197), and 31.5% (62/197) of AF patients were classified into the A-adherent group, B-adherent group, and C-adherent group, respectively. The level of adherence to ABC pathway management was very low (9.1%, 18/197) and independently associated with age and multimorbidity.Conclusion: The level of adherence to ABC pathway management in community elderly patients with AF was unsatisfactory. Further research is warranted to improve the integrated management of AF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]