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Objective To explore endovascular treatment for patients with blood blister-like aneurysms (BBA) of the internal carotid artery (ICA). Methods and Results A retrospective analysis of the clinical data of 25 patients with BBA of ICA admitted to The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2018 to January 2022 were conducted. All of them accepted endovascular treatment: 17 cases were treated with single-stent-assisted embolization, including 14 cases using Lvis stents and 3 cases using Enterprise stents; 4 cases were treated with double-stent-assisted embolization, all using Lvis stents; one case was treated with overlapping stent implantation, including 2 Lvis stents and one Enterprise stent; one case was treated with balloon -assisted embolization, and 2 cases were treated with Tubridge flow diverter. No aneurysm rupture occurred during the surgery. One patient had intra-stent thrombosis during the procedure, while other 24 patients showed smooth blood flow on postoperative immediate DSA. The Raymond classification showed that among the patients, there were 17 cases of grade I occlusion, 3 cases of grade II occlusion, and 5 cases of grade III occlusion. Postoperative complications included cerebral infarction (2 cases), cerebral vasospasm due to subarachnoid hemorrhage (one case), and hydrocephalus (2 cases). Six patients had aneurysm recurrence postoperatively (3 cases using a single Enterprise stent, one case using 2 Lvis stents, one case using Tubridge flow diverter, and one case using a balloon-assisted embolization), among whom 5 patients underwent repeat stent-assisted embolization treatment. And one patient still had recurrence after treatment but achieved cure by adjusting antiplatelet therapy regimen; one patient recovered by adjusting antiplatelet therapy regimen. At 12 months after surgery, the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were as follows: 0 in 15 cases, 1 in 6 cases, 2 in 3 cases, and 6 in one case. The disability rate was 12% (3/25), and the mortality rate was 4% (1/25). Conclusions The degree of immediate postoperative occlusion is crucial for preventing aneurysm recurrence postoperatively. For recurrent BBA of ICA, adjustment of antiplatelet therapy should be considered first. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To understand the status quo of children's obesity health literacy among parents of primary school students in Yangzhou City, analyze related influencing factors, and put forward new ideas for optimizing health education of childhood obesity prevention and control. Methods Stratified cluster random sampling was used to randomly select 1 street from each of the 6 counties (cities and districts) in Yangzhou City, and then randomly select 4 primary schools from each street, and randomly select at least 1 class from each grade (grades 1-6) in each primary school. Questionnaire survey was conducted on parents of the students in the whole class. Results A total of 6 097 parents of primary school students were surveyed, among whom 3 615 reached the standard of health literacy, the rate of reaching the standard was 59.29%. The compliance rates of health cognition, health behavior, health knowledge, operation skills and health consciousness were 66.54%, 41.68%, 69.99%, 44.89% and 32.97%, respectively. According to χ² test, there were significant differences in parents' health literacy attainment rates among different places of residence, age, occupation, education level, family income, relationship with children, and student weight status (all P values < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that residence, educational level, occupation and students' weight status were the influencing factors of parents' childhood obesity health literacy. Living in towns and villages (OR = 1.223, 95%CI: 1.092-1.369), profession of production/manufacturing/repair industry (OR = 1.353, 95%CI: 1.059-1.729) and jobless person (OR = 1.514, 95%CI: 1.126-2.036) or others (OR = 1.404, 95%CI: 1.112-1.773), and students' weight status as obesity (OR = 1.203, 95%CI: 1.060-1.366) are risk factors for childhood obesity health literacy of primary school parents, and parents' education of high school or above (OR = 0.265-0.649, 95%CI: 0.133-0.752) are protective factors for childhood obesity health literacy of primary school parents. Conclusion The parents of primary school students in our city have a high level of obesity health literacy, but a low rate of health behavior, operation skills and health awareness. In the process of child obesity prevention and control education, it is necessary to pay attention to the parents of students living in towns and villages, with low education level, unemployment and parents of obese students, and carry out targeted health education activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the interstellar scintillation analysis of fast radio burst (FRB) 20220912A during its extremely active episode in 2022 using data from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST). We detect a scintillation arc in the FRB's secondary spectrum, which describes the power in terms of the scattered FRB signals' time delay and Doppler shift. The arc indicates that the scintillation is caused by a highly localized region. Our analysis favors a Milky Way origin of the ionized interstellar medium (IISM) for the localized scattering medium but cannot rule out a host galaxy origin. We present our method for detecting the scintillation arc, which can be applied generally to sources with irregularly spaced bursts or pulses. These methods could help shed light on the complex interstellar environment surrounding the FRBs and in our Galaxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Clinical Message: Linezolid (LZD) is an efficient addition antibiotic against multidrug‐resistant strains. However, clinicians should pay attention to the adverse reactions such as hypoglycemia and anemia in using LZD, especially in elderly patients and patients with abnormal liver and kidney function who need to use LZD for a long time. Severe hypoglycemia and anemia caused by linezolid (LZD) are rare, with potentially serious adverse effects. The report of LZD‐induced hypoglycemia and anemia is extremely rare. Thus far, this is the first report. We presented LZD‐induced recurrent hypoglycemia and anemia in a 93‐year‐old patient who has been prescribed LZD 600 mg once daily for 42 days for treatment of tuberculosis (TB) pleurisy and pneumonia. The patient began to experience recurrent hypoglycemic episodes and anemia 5 days and 2 weeks after LZD medication, respectively. Using Naranjo's Adverse Drug Reaction Assessment Scale, the patient scored 8 points with the category of "probable". His hypoglycemia and anemia gradually improved 1 month after LZD withdrawal. Clinicians should pay attention to the adverse reactions such as hypoglycemia and anemia in using LZD, especially in elderly patients and patients with abnormal liver and kidney function who need to use LZD for a long time. Patients should regularly monitor blood routine, blood glucose, and liver and kidney functions during LZD exposure, which may avoid adverse reactions and improve their prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evolutions of a neutron star's rotation and magnetic field (B-field) have remained unsolved puzzles for over half a century. We ascribe the rotational braking torques of pulsar to both components, the standard magnetic dipole radiation (MDR) and particle wind flow (MDR + Wind, hereafter named MDRW), which we apply to the Crab pulsar (B0531 + 21), the only source with a known age and long-term continuous monitoring by radio telescope. Based on the above presumed simple spin-down torques, we obtain the exact analytic solution on the rotation evolution of the Crab pulsar, together with the related outcomes as described below: (1) unlike the constant characteristic B-field suggested by the MDR model, this value for the Crab pulsar increases by a hundred times in 50 kyr while its real B-field has no change; (2) the rotational braking index evolves from ∼3 to 1 in the long-term, however, it drops from 2.51 to 2.50 in ∼45 years at the present stage, while the particle flow contributes approximately 25% of the total rotational energy loss rate; (3) strikingly, the characteristic age has the maximum limit of ∼10 kyr, meaning that it is not always a good indicator of a real age. Furthermore, we discussed the evolutionary path of the Crab pulsar from the MDR to the wind domination by comparing with the possible wind braking candidate pulsar PSR J1734-3333. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Central South University is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: X-ray fluoroscopy has been the primary cardiac imaging modality in permanent pacemaker implantation (PPI) operations, but it inevitably results in radiation exposure for both operators and patients. Fluoroscopy is considered a contraindication, especially in certain circumstances, such as gestation, during which the fetus is most sensitive to radiation exposure. Therefore, measures to avoid radiation exposure are necessary, and a more safe and feasible approach is needed for this procedure. Since the EnSite NavX mapping system (ENMS) can create the required geometric contours of those relevant cardiac structures and chambers, it can be used as an alternative to X-ray fluoroscopy in PPI. In addition, because the displacement of atrial leads is a common complication of PPI, lead displacement may occur more readily without fluoroscopic guidance. Therefore, reliable measures are required to prevent leads from displacement.Case Introduction: A 41-year-old woman at the 15th week of gestation was referred to our department with recurrent episodes of syncope and amaurosis fugax for 2 years. Holter monitoring showed sinus rhythm, Mobitz Type II atrioventricular block and high-grade atrioventricular block with ventricular arrest up to 4945 ms. A dual-chamber PPI was performed successfully for the patient under the guidance of the ENMS instead of fluoroscopy. Displacement of atrial lead was effectively avoided by bending the top of atrial lead before implantation and making it a U-shape during operation, which left space for possible subsequent external pulling stress.Conclusions: For PPI, ENMS is a feasible and reliable alternative to traditional X-ray fluoroscopy, especially when performing operations on pregnant patients. By bending the top of the active-fixation atrial lead into a U-shape during operation, the displacement of atrial lead may be avoided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are extremely strong radio flares lasting several micro- to milliseconds and come from unidentified objects at cosmological distances, most of which are only seen once. Based on recently published data in the CHIME/FRB Catalog 1 in the frequency bands 400–800 MHz, we analyze 125 apparently singular FRBs with low dispersion measure (DM) and find that the distribution of their luminosity follows a lognormal form according to statistical tests. In our luminosity measurement, the FRB distance is estimated by using the Macquart relation that was obtained for 8 localized FRBs, and we find it still applicable for 18 sources after adding the latest 10 new localized FRBs. In addition, we test the validity of the luminosity distribution up to the Macquart relation and find that the lognormal-form feature decreases as the uncertainty increases. Moreover, we compare the luminosity of these apparent nonrepeaters with that of the previously observed 10 repeating FRBs also at low DM, noting that they belong to different lognormal distributions with the mean luminosity of nonrepeaters being two times greater than that of repeaters. Therefore, from the two different lognormal distributions, different mechanisms for FRBs can be implied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Rare Metals is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Siraitia grosvenorii (LHG) is widely used as a medicinal and edible material around the world. The objective of this study was to develop an effective method for the authentication of the geographical origin of LHG in its main producing area Guangxi, China, which is identified as Chinese Protected Designation of Origin product, against other producing regions in China. The content of 14 elements (K, Na, Ca, P, Mg, Al, B, Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Zn, and Sr) of 114 LHG samples was determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Multivariate analysis was then performed to classify the geographical origin of LHG samples. The contents of multielement display an obvious trend of clustering according to the geographical origin of LHG samples based on radar plot and principal component analysis. Finally, three supervised statistical techniques, including linear discriminant analysis (LDA), k-nearest neighbours (k-NN), and support vector machine (SVM), were applied to develop classification models. Finally, 40 unknown LHG samples were used to evaluate the predictive ability of model and discrimination rate of 100%, 97.5% and 100% were obtained for LDA, k-NN, and SVM, respectively. This study indicated that it is feasible to attribute unknown LHG samples to its geographical origin based on its multielement content coupled with chemometric techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silicon (Si) particles were functionalized using carbon dots (CDs) to enhance the interaction between the Si particles and the binders. First, CDs rich in polar groups were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method. Then, CDs were loaded on the Si surface by impregnation to obtain the functionalized Si particles (Si/CDs). The phases and microstructures of the Si/CDs were observed using Fourier-transform infrared reflection, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. Si/CDs were used as the active material of the anode for electrochemical performance experiments. The electrochemical performance of the Si/CD electrode was assessed using cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and constant current charge and discharge experiment. The electrodes prepared with Si/CDs showed good mechanical structure stability and electrochemical performance. After 150 cycles at 0.2 C, the capacity retention rate of the Si/CD electrode was 64.0%, which is twice as much as that of pure Si electrode under the same test conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The mortality risk of chronic interstitial lung disease (ILD) is currently assessed using the ILD-GAP score. The present study evaluates whether the addition of cardiopulmonary ultrasound parameters to the ILD-GAP score can further improve the predictive value of ILD-GAP.Methods: Medical records from 91 patients with ILD hospitalized from June 2015 to March 2016 were retrospectively examined. The Lung ultrasound (LUS) score, right ventricular (RV) function, and mechanics were obtained from the cardiopulmonary ultrasound. The ILD-GAP score was calculated from demographic characteristics and pulmonary function parameters. Patients were followed up with until May 2020. The primary endpoint was all-cause death.Results: After exclusions, 74 patients with ILD were included in the analysis. During the follow-up period, 36 patients with ILD survived (ILDs), and 38 patients died (ILDd). Compared to ILDs, the ILDd cases exhibited a higher number of B-lines, LUS score, and RV end-diastolic base dimension (RVD), but lower RV function. In multivariate analysis, the ILD-GAP score (hazard ratio, 2.88; 95% CI 1.38-5.99, P = 0.005), LUS score (hazard ratio 1.13; 95% CI 1.04-1.24, P = 0.006), and RVD (hazard ratio 1.09, 95% CI 1.03-1.16, P = 0.004) were significantly related to the risk of death. Adding the LUS score and RVD to the ILD-GAP score significantly improved the predictive value compared to the ILD-GAP score alone (C statistics 0.90 vs 0.76, P = 0.018).Conclusion: We investigated the utility of a new prognostic model for ILD that includes both cardiopulmonary ultrasound parameters (LUS score and RVD) and the ILD-GAP score. This model better reflects the severity of pulmonary fibrosis and cardiac involvement, and has incremental predictive value over the ILD-GAP score alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Primary cardiac tumors are rare, but papillary fibroelastoma (PFE) is reportedly the most common form, which usually occurs on the left-side valves of the heart. However, PFE involving the tricuspid and pulmonary valves has also been documented. Although PFE is benign and seldom associated with valvular dysfunction, the associated embolic complications may lead to serious consequences. Most patients with PFE lack specific clinical symptoms and the diagnosis is incidental. Surgical resection is the mainstay treatment for PFE in order to prevent the occurrence of embolic complications. In this report, we present a case of a rare asymptomatic PFE of the pulmonary valve, which was incidentally noted during a routine examination with transthoracic echocardiography (TEE). There was neither valvular dysfunction nor hemodynamic change. The PFE was surgically removed, and the diagnosis was further confirmed with histopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the causes of the hemorrage during and after embolization of cerebral aneurysms. Methods and Results We retrospectively analyzed 153 patients who underwent embolization of cerebral aneurysms from January 2015 to April 2017. Raymond Classification following initial treatment indicated 91 cases (59.48%) were in Raymond grade I, 25 cases (16.34%) in Raymond grade II, 37 cases (24.18%) in Raymond grade III. Wide - necked aneurysms were seen in 73 cases (47.71%). Stent assisted embolization was done in 63 cases (41.18%). Intraoperative bleeding rate was 1.31% (2/153), causes of bleeding were rupture after repeated over-selection of coil micro-catheter in place (one case), rupture of aneurysm when release of the first coil after stent opening (one case) and the 2 cases all died. Postoperative rebleeding rate was 1.31% (2/153), both patients were Raymond grade III, one of them died after rebleeding, one with cerebral hematoma clearance and aneurysm clipping, the patient was followed up for one year in a stable condition. Conclusions Rupture of aneurysm wall by improper operation of micro-catheter or micro-guidewire during intracranial aneurysm embolization is the main cause of intraoperative bleeding, and Raymond Classification may be the influencing factor for rebleeding after embolization of cerebral aneurysms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for simultaneous determination of total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant properties of Siraitia grosvenorii, specifically 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH). Partial least squares (PLS) coupled with wavelength selection was applied to develop NIRS calibration models based on a set of 80 samples. All models established were cross- and test set validated. The root mean square error of cross validation (RMSECV) and the coefficient of determination for cross validation R cv 2 were calculated to evaluate the performance of models. The results showed good precision of models for TPC ( R cv 2 = 0.9829, RMSECV = 0.0426), DPPH ( R cv 2 = 0.9477, RMSECV = 0.0279), ABTS ( R cv 2 = 0.8958, RMSECV = 0.0154), and FRAP ( R cv 2 = 0.9137, RMSECV = 0.0176). In addition, 20 unknown samples were used to evaluate the predictive ability of the obtained models, and the ratio performance deviation (RPD) for TPC, ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP ranged from 2.70 to 4.57, which indicate that these models had acceptable predictive ability. These results demonstrated that NIRS has the potential to be a time saving and cost-effective method for the determination of both TPC and antioxidant capacities of Siraitia grosvenorii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the mechanisms of crocin against glycocalyx damage and inflammatory injury in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) mice and LPS-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Methods: Mice were randomly divided into control, LPS, and crocin + LPS (15, 30, and 60 mg/kg) groups. HUVECs were separated into eight groups: control, crocin, matrix metalloproteinase 9 inhibitor (MMP-9 inhib), cathepsin L inhibitor (CTL inhib), LPS, MMP-9 inhib + LPS, CTL inhib + LPS, and crocin + LPS. The potential cytotoxic effect of crocin on HUVECs was mainly evaluated through methylthiazolyldiphenyl-tetrazolium bromide assay. Histological changes were assessed via hemotoxylin and eosin staining. Lung capillary permeability was detected on the basis of wet–dry ratio and through fluorescein isothiocyanate-albumin assay. Then, protein levels were detected through Western blot analysis, immunohistochemical staining, and immunofluorescence. Results: This study showed that crocin can improve the pulmonary vascular permeability in mice with LPS-induced ARDS and inhibit the inflammatory signaling pathways of high mobility group box, nuclear factor κB, and mitogen-activated protein kinase in vivo and in vitro. Crocin also protected against the degradation of endothelial glycocalyx heparan sulfate and syndecan-4 by inhibiting the expressions of CTL, heparanase, and MMP-9 in vivo and in vitro. Overall, this study revealed the protective effects of crocin on LPS-induced ARDS and elaborated their underlying mechanism. Conclusion: Crocin alleviated LPS-induced ARDS by protecting against glycocalyx damage and suppressing inflammatory signaling pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Near-infrared (NIR) diffuse reflectance spectroscopy has become an attractive technique for quality assurance of fruits, drugs, vegetables, and foods. In this work, the information on chemical composition of Siraitia grosvenorii was acquired by NIR, and then a calibration model for the prediction of total sugar content (TSC) was developed using chemometric techniques. One hundred and fifty samples were used as calibration set to develop model, while 40 unknown samples were used for prediction, using phenol-concentrated sulphuric acid assay as reference value. Several spectra preprocessing methods and wavelength selection techniques combined with partial least squares regression were compared, and then standard normal variate coupled with Savitzky–Golay derivative was selected for spectra processing and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling method was applied to extract the informative wavelengths related to the prediction of TSC. The performance of the obtained model has been evaluated by external validation, the square of correlation coefficient (R2) are 0.9097 for a separate blind set consists of 40 unknown samples. Additionally, the result of paired t test (p = 0.3608) illustrated that there is no significant differences between NIR and wet chemistry analysis. These results demonstrated that NIR spectroscopy has the potential to be a time saving and cost-effective method for the determination of the TSC in S. grosvenorii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated the changes of biventricular mechanics at rest and during exercise and examined the association between exercise capacity and biventricular mechanics and functional reserve in nonobstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (NHCM) patients. A total of 50 NHCM patients and 25 controls were consecutively recruited for this study. Using echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle-tracking imaging, an experienced echocardiographer determined the following indices: RV free wall longitudinal strain (RVFWLS), LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), strain rate (SR), and functional reserve of strain values. We also investigated the relationships between biventricular mechanics and exercise capacity using metabolic equivalents (METs). NHCM patients had lower RVFWLS, LVGLS, systolic SR, early diastolic SR, and systolic and diastolic reserve during exercise compared to controls. An association of biventricular mechanics (LVGLS, RVFWLS) with exercise capacity at rest and during exercise was established. Multivariable logistic regression revealed that RVFWLS and LVE/e' during exercise (RVFWLS-exe, E/e'-exe) were independent predictors of exercise intolerance. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated that LVE/e'-exe had a higher area under the curve for predicting exercise intolerance in NHCM patients. In hierarchical analysis, RVFWLS-exe provided an incremental predictive value of exercise intolerance over LVGLS during exercise (LVGLS-exe) and LVE/e'-exe. LVE/e'-exe also changed incrementally compared to LVGLS-exe and RVFWLS-exe. NHCM patients have decreased biventricular mechanics at rest and during exercise and impaired biventricular functional reserve, and biventricular mechanics are associated with functional capacity. We propose that simultaneous evaluation of biventricular function should provide incremental predictive value for exercise intolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Right ventricular (RV) contractile reserve reflects the ability of RV to accommodate the increased afterload and may play an essential role in the evaluation of precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH). This study aimed to assess RV contractile reserve based on exercise stress echocardiography (ESE) and to determine the echocardiographic determinants of exercise capacity in patients with precapillary PH. Methods: A total of 31 patients with precapillary PH and 15 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy control subjects were prospectively recruited. All subjects underwent ESE to assess RV function at rest and under peak exercise. Changes in these parameters during exercise were calculated to quantify the RV contractile reserve. Patients with precapillary PH also underwent cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET), and data pertaining to peak oxygen uptake (peak VO2) and minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production (VE/VCO2) were collected. Results: Right ventricular contractile reserve including change in tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (∆TAPSE), change in RV fractional area change (∆RVFAC), and change in Doppler‐derived tricuspid lateral annular peak systolic velocity (∆S′) was significantly depressed in precapillary PH patients compared with control subjects (P < 0.05). Parameters of RV function and RV contractile reserve were markedly associated with maximal exercise capacity (P < 0.05). ∆RVFAC was an independent predictor of peak VO2 (r2 = 0.601, P < 0.05). Conclusions: Assessment of RV contractile reserve facilitates identification of subclinical dysfunction and evaluation of clinical status and severity of precapillary PH. ESE as a noninvasive method may provide a comprehensive clinical assessment and facilitate therapeutic decision‐making for these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reduced metabolic equivalents (METs) are an indicator of exercise intolerance, which predicts poor prognosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients. We sought to evaluate the changes in left ventricular (LV) mechanics and functional reserves, as well as their association with functional capacity in HCM patients. Methods: Seventy HCM patients and thirty controls were included in this study. LV mechanics were evaluated at rest and during exercise by echocardiography and two‐dimensional speckle‐tracking imaging to obtain parameters of functional reserve, LV global longitudinal strain (LVGLS), strain rate (SR), and circumferential strain. Results: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients had lower LVGLS, systolic SR, early and late diastolic SR at rest and during exercise, and reduced absolute and relative systolic and diastolic reserve compared to controls. LV circumferential strain was significantly higher at rest but lower during exercise in HCM patients. Exercise capacity was markedly reduced in HCM patients, and peak exercise LVGLS (LVGLS‐exe) significantly correlated with exercise capacity. Multivariate regression analyses showed that LVGLS‐exe, LV filling pressure during exercise (E/e'‐exe), and LV mass index (LVMI) were independent predictors of exercise capacity. Moreover, LVGLS‐exe displayed incremental predictive value over E/e'‐exe and LVMI for exercise intolerance. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed LVGLS‐exe had optimal accuracy for predicting exercise intolerance in HCM patients. Conclusions: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) patients have reduced LV mechanics at rest and during exercise and impaired mechanical reserve. LVGLS‐exe is associated with exercise capacity and is an optimal predictive value for reduced exercise capacity in HCM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrasound lung comets (ULCs) are a nonionizing bedside approach to assess extravascular lung water. We evaluated a protocol for grading ULC score to estimate pulmonary congestion in heart failure patients and investigated clinical and echocardiographic correlates of the ULC score. Ninety-three patients with congestive heart failure, admitted to the emergency department, underwent pulmonary ultrasound and echocardiography. A ULC score was obtained by summing the ULC scores of 7 zones of anterolateral chest scans. The results of ULC score were compared with echocardiographic results, the New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification, radiologic score, and N-terminal pro-b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Positive linear correlations were found between the 7-zone ULC score and the following: E/e′, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, severity of mitral regurgitation, left ventricular global longitudinal strain, NYHA functional classification, radiologic score, and NT-proBNP. However, there was no significant correlation between ULC score and left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricle diameter, left ventricular volume, or left atrial volume. A multivariate analysis identified the E/e′, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, and radiologic score as the only independent variables associated with ULC score increase. The simplified 7-zone ULC score is a rapid and noninvasive method to assess lung congestion. Diastolic rather than systolic performance may be the most important determinant of the degree of lung congestion in patients with heart failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the relationship between platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI). We enrolled 5719 patients in 3 tertiary hospitals from January 2005 to December 2010. The PLR was calculated as the ratio of platelet to lymphocyte counts on admission. Serum creatinine level was measured before and within 72 hours after contrast medium administration. To evaluate the relation between PLR and CIN, the 5719 patients were divided into a CIN group and a non-CIN group. Contrast-induced nephropathy occurred in 252 (4.4%) patients. Patients in the CIN group had significantly higher PLR than those in the non-CIN group (173.8 [62.3] and 116.2 [51.7], respectively; P < .001). In logistic regression analysis, PLR was an independent predictor of CIN (odds ratio: 1.432, 95% confidence interval: 1.205-1.816, P = .031), along with age, diabetes mellitus, creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio. In conclusion, a higher PLR was an independent risk factor for the development of CIN in patients with STEMI undergoing pPCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel ternary rare-earth chalcogenides, Yb6Ga4S15 and Lu5GaS9, have been prepared by solid-state reactions of an elemental mixture at high temperatures. Their structures were determined on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Yb6Ga4S15 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/m (no.12) [a = 23.557(2) Å, b = 3.7664(4) Å, c = 12.466(1) Å, β = 90.915(9)°, V = 1105.9(2) Å3 and Z = 2], whereas Lu5GaS9 crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1̅ (no.2) [a = 7.735(3) Å, b = 10.033(4) Å, c = 10.120(4) Å, α = 106.296(4)°, β = 100.178(5)°, γ = 101.946(3)°, V = 714.1(5) Å3 and Z = 2]. Both the structures feature complicated three dimensional frameworks with the unique interlinkages of GaS4 as basic building units. Significantly, photo-electrochemical measurements indicated that title compounds were photoresponsive under visible-light illumination. Furthermore, the UV–visible–near IR diffuse reflectance spectra, thermal stabilities, electronic structures, physical properties as well as a structure change trend of the ternary rare-earth/gallium/sulfur compounds have been evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Detection of B ‐ line in dyspneic patients is often accompanied by abnormal changes of pleural line on transthoracic ultrasonography (TUS). The aim of the study was to evaluate the relevance and diagnostic performance of pleural line abnormalities and B ‐ lines detected on high ‐ resolution TUS against the computed tomography (CT) findings. Methods: Transthoracic ultrasonography was performed in patients admitted to the emergency department with dyspnea. The pleural line and accompanying B ‐ line were assessed using a linear transducer. The TUS findings were assessed against the corresponding high ‐ resolution CT findings in the same location, which were considered to be the gold standard. Results: Out of a total of 116 patients, 68.1% had changes of the pleural line on TUS. The characteristic changes of the pleural line were classified into four types: slightly rough pleural line with confluent B ‐ lines on TUS corresponded with CT findings of ground ‐ glass opacity; irregular and interrupted pleural line with confluent B ‐ lines corresponded with parenchymal infiltration; fringed pleural line with confluent B ‐ lines corresponded with superimposed ground ‐ glass and irregular reticular opacities; and fringed pleural line with scattered B ‐ lines corresponded with irregularly thickened interlobular septa. Wavy pleural line indicated subpleural emphysema. The coexistence of more than one abnormal pleural line was also found in 31 cases (26.7%). Conclusions: High ‐ resolution TUS may help in the initial assessment of lung pathology by its ability to identify pleural line abnormalities and B ‐ lines that are shown to be associated with CT, which could add diagnostic value in the emergency evaluation of dyspneic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the association between platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and clinical outcomes (including all-cause mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, heart failure, serious cardiac arrhythmias and ischemic stroke) in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Based on PLR quartiles, 5886 patients with STEMI were categorized into 4 groups: <98.8 (n = 1470), 98.8 to 125.9 (n = 1474), 126.0 to 163.3 (n = 1478), >163.3 (n = 1464), respectively. We used Cox proportional hazards models to examine the relation between PLR and clinical outcomes. Mean duration of follow-up was 81.6 months, and 948 patients (16.1%) died during follow-up. The lowest mortality occurred in the lowest PLR quartile group (P = 0.006), with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04-1.55), 1.31 (95% CI, 1.18-1.64), and 1.59 (95% CI, 1.33-1.94) in patients with PLR of 98.8 to 125.9, 126.0 to 163.3, >163.3, respectively. Higher levels of PLR were also associated with recurrent myocardial infarction (Ptrend = .023), heart failure (Ptrend = .018), and ischemic stroke (Ptrend = .043). In conclusion, a higher PLR was associated with recurrent myocardial infarction, heart failure, ischemic stroke, and all-cause mortality in patients with STEMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors for hypertensive disorders and to study the main pregnancy outcomes in the Beijing area of China.Study Design: This study randomly sampled 15 hospitals in Beijing from Jun 2013 to Nov 2013 and evaluated 15 194 deliveries. Logistic regression analysis was used to study the association between risk factors and hypertensive disorders. Pregnancy outcomes included preterm birth, cesarean delivery and small for gestational age (SGA).Results: The prevalence of hypertensive disorders, preeclampsia (PE) and severe PE was 4.4, 2.7 and 1.8%, respectively. The risk factors for hypertensive disorders and severe PE were maternal body mass index before pregnancy, gestational weight gain (GWG), gestational diabetes and pre-gestational diabetes, and third trimester cholesterol (CHOL) levels. First trimester high-density lipoprotein was a protective factor for severe PE. The incidence of hypertensive disorders increased with maternal age. Preterm delivery, cesarean delivery and small infant size for gestational age were more prevalent in the severe PE group compared with the non-hypertensive group.Conclusions: In the Beijing area of China, maternal body mass index before pregnancy, GWG, maternal complications of gestational diabetes and pre-gestational diabetes, and third trimester CHOL levels are risk factors for both hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and severe PE. First trimester high-density lipoprotein is a protective factor for severe PE. Severe preeclampsia leads to a higher incidence of preterm delivery, cesarean delivery and SGA infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multi-chamber perforated resonator is a type of silencer which can attenuate broadband noise. In order to address the noise issues originating from the intake system of a turbocharged engine, measurement tests are carried out to characterize the range and the amplitudes of the noise frequencies. A transfer matrix method and a non-linear least-squares optimization algorithm are combined in order to design the multi-chamber perforated resonator. A transmission loss test facility is designed on the basis of the two-load method so as to validate the acoustic performance of the resonator. Despite the difference between the amplitude of the transmission loss from the tests and the amplitude of the transmission loss obtained by the transfer matrix method, the shapes of the two curves have the same trend, and the measured transmission loss can meet the design target in the frequency range of interest. From the comparison between the intake noise spectrum with the resonator and the intake noise spectrum without the resonator, it can be seen that this resonator can efficiently attenuate the broadband intake noise of the engine. Also, a computational fluid dynamics flow simulation analysis of the intake system with the resonator is made so that its flow characteristics can be studied. The simulation results show that the air pressure drop of this resonator is slightly higher than that of the straight pipes but is still relatively low. It is also noted that the diameter and the curvature of the pipes have a great influence on the air velocity as well as on the pressure drop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared via a phase inversion method employing the modification of carboxylated multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs-COOH). Various contents of MWCNTs-COOHs (0.00-0.15 wt%, weight of casting solution) were added into PVDF/PVA/dimethyl sulfoxide systems for the fabrication of the plate UF membrane. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy spectra identified the successful introduction of carboxyl through the CO peak at 1730 cm−1. Scanning electron microscopy images exhibited the external surface and the asymmetric morphology with the appearance of a sponge-like inner structure. Atomic force microscopy analysis determined the roughness values and rougher topography. The hydrophilicity of the composite membrane containing 0.09 wt% of MWCNTs-COOHs improved the most. This sample has the highest pure water flux, approximately doubled (126.6 L·m−2·h−1) compared to the PVDF/PVA membrane (68.6 L·m−2·h−1), an enhanced bovine serum albumin flux recovery rate, showing an increase of 17%, and the best fouling resistance ability. Meanwhile, the porosity and dynamic contactangle also indicate the enhancement of membrane hydrophilicity. Dextran (DEX) 600k rejection reached 91.0%. Break strength, elongation at break, and Young's modulus also had improvements of 60%, 215.5%, and 56.7%, respectively, when the MWCNTs-COOH content was 0.12 wt%. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 56:955-967, 2016. © 2016 Society of Plastics Engineers [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the risk of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes in women with different pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI).Methods: We conducted a cohort study with 14 451 singleton pregnancies in 15 medical centers in Beijing between 20 June 2013 and 30 November 2013 using cluster random sampling. We divided participants into four groups based on pre-pregnancy BMI: Group A (underweight): BMI < 18.5 kg/m(2), Group B (normal): 18.5-23.9 kg/m(2), Group C (overweight): 24-27.9 kg/m(2), Group D (obesity): ≥28 kg/m(2). We used multivariate analysis to evaluate the association of the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and pre-pregnancy BMI.Results: The prevalence of maternal overweight and obesity was 14.82% (2142/14 451) and 4.71% (680/14 451) in the study population, respectively. Higher pre-pregnancy BMI is associated with higher prevalence of gestational diabetes (GDM), macrosomia, Cesarean section (C-section), preeclampsia and postpartum hemorrhage. Pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity increases the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, regardless of GDM status.Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy overweight or obesity is associated with increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Nutrition counseling is recommended before pregnancy in women who have overweight or obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyanidin-3- O-glucoside (C3G), an anthocyanin belonging to the flavonoid family and commonly present in food and vegetables in human diet, has exhibited anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. This study aimed to investigate the protective ability of C3G against inflammatory and oxidative injuries, as well as to clarify the possible mechanism in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in vitro and acute respiratory distress syndrome mouse model in vivo. HUVECs or male Kunming mice were pretreated with C3G 1 h before LPS stimulation. C3G significantly inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL) -6, and IL-1β) in cell supernatants and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Histopathologic examination with hematoxylin and eosinstaining showed that C3G pretreatment substantially suppressed inflammatory cell infiltration, alveolar wall thickening, and interstitial edemain lung tissues. C3G markedly prevented LPS-induced elevation of malondialdehyde and myeloperoxidase levels in lung tissue homogenates, wet to dry ratio of lung tissues, total cells, and inflammatory cells (neutrophils and macrophages) in BALF. Moreover, C3G reduced superoxide dismutase activity in the lung tissue homogenates. Western blot assay also showed that C3G pretreatment significantly suppressed LPS-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathways by blocking the phosphorylation of inhibitor κB-α, NF-κB/P65, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, p38, and c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase in the lung tissues. In summary, C3G may ameliorate LPS-induced injury, which results from inflammation and oxidation, by inhibiting NF-κB and MAPK pathways and playing important anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosed by the IADPSG criteria at 24-28 weeks of gestation but with fasting plasma glucose (FPG) less than 4.4 mmol/L. Research design and methods: A retrospective study was conducted. Medical records of 25 674 pregnant women attending the Peking University First Hospital (PUFH) were analyzed. Women with FPG value <4.4 mmol/L were segregated into those with and without GDM based on the IADPSG criteria. Pregnancy outcomes in the form of birth weight, neonatal hypoglycemia and cesarean delivery were compared between the two groups. Results: The incidence of macrosomia between GDM 7.1% (treated 6.9%; untreated 7.2%) was not different from the non GDM group 6.3%, similarly neonatal hypoglycemia 1.9% (treated 2.0%; untreated 1.7%) was were not significantly different from the non GDM group 1.1%. Rate of cesarean delivery in the untreated GDM group 59.7% was significantly higher compared to both with treated GDM (48.4%) and the non GDM group (47.6%). Conclusions: There is no difference in the incidence of select adverse pregnancy outcomes amongst Chinese women with mild GDM (FPG<4.4 mmol/L) with or without intervention compared to women without GDM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we focus on the development and application of a retention index database for aroma compounds with high structural diversity. Retention indices of over 300 aroma compounds were determined on three capillary columns of different polarity. The capability of the retention index database was evaluated by identification of the components of tobacco flavor. The results showed that the database can be used for qualitative identification. The database also contains a good set of retention index data for study of quantitative structure-retention relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to define an applicability domain for quantitative structure-activity relationship modeling, a combinational strategy of model disturbance and outlier comparison is developed. An indicator named model disturbance index was defined to estimate the prediction error. Moreover, the information of the outliers in the training set was used to filter the unreliable samples in the test set based on 'structural similarity'. Chromatography retention indices data were used to investigate this approach. The relationship between model disturbance index and prediction error can be found. Also, the comparison between the outlier set and the test set could provide additional information about which unknown samples should be paid more attentions. A novel technique based on model population analysis was used to evaluate the validity of applicability domain. Finally, three commonly used methods, i.e. Leverage, descriptor range-based and model perturbation method, were compared with the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A perforated resonator can attenuate the broadband noise generated by the air intake system of a turbocharged engine. This paper mainly focuses on the sound transmission theory of a perforated resonator with a multi-chamber. The numerical decoupling method for a perforated resonator with a single chamber is extended to a perforated resonator with a multi-chamber in order to calculate the transmission loss. To verify the modified algorithm, a two-microphone method is adopted to measure the transmission loss of the resonator. The measurement uncertainty of the experiment is discussed further. The experimental and analytical results on the resonator are presented, and good agreement is found. To determine the optimal structural parameters of the resonator in order to match the given target, a modified algorithm obtained by using the non-linear least-squares method is proposed for the resonator, and a detailed analysis of the selection of the design variables and optimization modes with different design variables is carried out. The optimized results show that all optimization modes can meet the target curve. Therefore, it provides multiple solutions for researchers to determine flexibly the best solution. Finally, a robustness analysis is carried out to show that the variations in the structural parameters have little effect on the transmission loss. It is expected that the research methods and conclusions of the study can provide theoretical support and application guidance for the sound design of a turbocharged engine air intake system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]