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The aim of this study was to identify risk factors of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) in octogenarians who received elective endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).Consecutive patients aged ≥ 80 years undergoing elective EVAR from 2009 to 2020 were retrospectively evaluated. The primary outcome was long-term MACCE. All independent risk factors for outcomes were determined by multivariate logistic analysis or Cox regression analysis.A total of 163 patients were enrolled in this study. The median age was 81 (interquartile range, 80-84) years and 85.9% (140/163) of them were male. MACCE happened in 2.5% (4/163) patients within 30 days. With median follow-up of 28 (interquartile range, 15-46) months, the incidence of long-term MACCE was 26.4% (43/163). Arrhythmia was significantly associated with long-term MACCE (hazard ratio [HR], = 2.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-6.03, P = 0.021). Carotid artery disease was found significantly associated with 2-year MACCE (odds ratio [OR], = 6.50, 95% CI, 1.07-39.51, P = 0.042). Besides, we found that arrhythmia and congestive heart failure (CHF) were predictors for overall survival (arrhythmia, HR = 2.56, 95% CI, 1.05-6.28, P = 0.039; CHF, HR = 8.96, 95% CI, 2.12-37.79, P = 0.003).EVAR in octogenarians had an acceptable perioperative risk and long-term outcome. Considering high risk of 2-year MACCE, intervention strategy should be more cautious for patients with carotid artery disease. Octogenarians with arrhythmia and CHF should receive stricter postoperative management in case of MACCE.

Objective The aim was to compare mid term outcomes between crossed limb (CL) and standard limb (SL) configuration in patients who underwent endovascular aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR). Methods This was a comparative cohort study. Eligible patients who underwent EVAR between September 2011 and March 2019 in a tertiary academic centre were included. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was used to balance the demographic, anatomical and operative baseline characteristics between the two groups. The primary outcome was adverse limb events including type IB endoleak (T1BEL), type III endoleak, and limb occlusion. Cox proportional hazards regression and marginal structural model were performed to compare time to event outcomes. Results The study included 729 patients (194 CL and 535 SL) with a median follow up of 34 months (interquartile range 16 – 62 months). The weighted analyses revealed no significant difference between CL and SL EVAR in terms of adverse limb events, type IA endoleak (T1AEL), type II endoleak (T2EL), re-intervention, and overall survival. In the subgroup analysis of large aneurysm sac, the CL configuration was associated with a significantly decreased risk of T1BEL (hazard ratio [HR] 0.31, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12 – 0.78, p = .014). Similar results were also observed in the subgroup of tortuous iliac arteries (HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.11 – 0.81, p = .017). After stratification by severe neck angulation, no significant difference was found between CL and SL EVAR for T1AEL, but the CL configuration was associated with a significantly increased risk of re-intervention (HR 2.69, 95% CI 1.31 – 5.51, p = .007). In addition, a trend towards a higher risk of adverse limb events in the CL group with severely angulated proximal neck was observed. Conclusion CL configuration in EVAR is safe and may be associated with a lower risk of T1BEL in patients with a large aneurysm sac or tortuous iliac arteries. However, it should be applied cautiously to aneurysms with a severely angulated neck due to the potentially higher risk of re-intervention.

This study investigated the changes in the structural and functional properties of various adlay starch-based polymers that occur during low moisture extrusion. The water absorption index, water solubility index, color, and morphological, pasting, and thermal properties of the adlay flours were investigated. Extrusion significantly decreased their contents (starch > protein > fiber > lipids). The color of the adlay flour darkened after extrusion, primarily due to the Maillard reaction and caramelization. Scanning electron microscopy revealed various cracks, pits, and holes on the surface of the extruded flour without defatting for both the extruded brown adlay and the extruded polished adlay. Extrusion caused molecular degradation of the extruded starch, decreasing its swelling power in hot water. The ΔH values (0.19-0.71 J/g) of the extrudates revealed that the starch granules were not fully gelatinized. These results provide a theoretical basis for further explorations of the interactions of adlay macromolecules by extrusion.

Recent evidence raised the concern that paclitaxel-containing therapy was associated with an increased risk of mortality in patients with peripheral artery diseases (PADs). However, it is unclear whether drug-eluting stent (DES) versus drug-coated balloon (DCB) have a different effect on mortality of PAD patients. Our study aimed to systematically review current literature comparing clinical outcomes of patients treated with DES versus DCB for PAD.MEDLINE and Embase were searched for eligible studies from January 2000 to December 31, 2020. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or cohort studies that reported outcomes of DES versus DCB were included in our study. The primary outcome was 12-month all-cause mortality. A random-effect model was used to pool the odds ratios (ORs) and related 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Our review included 7 studies, involving 2 RCTs and 5 cohort studies. A total of 4,237 patients with DES and 9,234 patients with DCB were analyzed. All included cohort studies were of high quality with Newcastle-Ottawa scores from 7 to 8. No significant difference in 12-month all-cause mortality was found between DES and DCB without significant heterogeneity (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.91-1.14, IThis systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that no significant difference in 12-month all-cause mortality was found between DES and DCB. Primary patency and freedom from target lesion revascularization of lower extremity PAD were also comparable between the 2 groups.

An efficient membrane with good antifouling ability in various complex separation environments is crucial for long-term oily wastewater treatment. Herein, a thermo-modulated nanofibrous skin covered Janus membrane was successfully developed via a scalable synergetic electrospraying/electrospinning method. By introducing carbon nanotubes, the substrate exhibited superhydrophobicity and achieved separation of oil/water mixtures with high fluxes (> 6000 L m-2 h-1) and efficiencies (> 99%) under gravity. Moreover, benefiting from synergistic effect of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) brushes and beadlike skin surface, the opposite thermoresponsive membrane exhibited improved wettability and water permeability (average from 774.6 to 947 and max = 1022.7 L m-2 h-1) with temperature varied from 20 ℃ (below the lower critical solution temperature) to 50°C (above the lower critical solution temperature). Additionally, the hydrophilic side had high oil-in-water emulsion separation fluxes (max = 979.6 L m-2 h-1) and separation efficiencies of > 98% under gravity. Most importantly, the material showed excellent antifouling and cleaning ability resulting from thermoresponsive property. With the water temperature increased from 20°C to 50°C during the cleaning process of the membrane, the flux recovery ratio increased from 59.3% to 82.8%, and the irreversible fouling ratio correspondingly decreased from 40.7% to 17.2%. The thermo-responsive cleaning ability of coating is less limited to the material and morphology of the substrate, which provides a new vision for the antifouling method of membrane. The novel thermoresponsive Janus membrane demonstrated a good oil-water separation performance and remarkable antifouling ability which has a wider application prospect.

Tin oxide (SnO2) is widely used in perovskite solar cells (PSCs) as an electron transport layer (ETL) material. Ethanol usually serves as a solvent of ETL but no one discussed the possible influences caused by ethanol. In this work, the effects of ethanol were investigated systematically. It is clear that ethanol treatment (EtOH-SnO2) can remove surface disorder of mesoporous SnO2 and thus enhance the conductivity as well. As a result, the champion PCE of 21.62% is obtained in PSC with EtOH-SnO2 ETL, which is higher than that of control device (20.70%) due to improved film quality. Meanwhile, compared with control PSCs, the stability of the perovskite layer deposited on EtOH-SnO2 ETL is gradually improved both for the light and thermal stability. Therefore, we make clear that the ethanol treatment can improve the quality of mesoporous SnO2 and perovskite films for optoelectronic device.

Objective To evaluate the quality of published evidence of all frailty tools in major vascular surgery and to determine the effect of frailty on short and long-term outcomes after vascular procedures. Methods MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database and Scopus (updated on May 12, 2018) were searched for studies evaluating the effect of frailty in vascular surgery and data were extracted from the included studies. A modified Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the quality of the included studies. The impact of frailty on outcomes was expressed as odds ratios (OR) or hazard ratios (HR) using a random effects model. Results A total of 22 cohort studies and one RCT were included. Overall frailty was found to be associated with a significantly increased risk of 30 day mortality in patients who underwent vascular surgery (OR 3.83, 95% CI 3.08–4.76), with similar effects in both patients who underwent abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair (OR 5.15, 95% CI 3.91–6.77) and lower extremity revascularisation (OR 3.29, 95% CI 2.53–4.28). Functional status remained the only tool with high quality of evidence predicting 30 day mortality after vascular surgery (OR 4.49, 95% CI 3.81–5.30). As for long-term outcomes, frailty was associated with a significantly increased risk of long-term all cause mortality in the overall studied population (HR 2.22, 95% CI 1.81–2.73), as well as in patients with AAA repair (HR 2.10, 95% CI 1.59–2.79) and lower extremity revascularisation (HR 2.46, 95% CI 1.73–3.49). Central muscle mass was found to be the only tool with moderate quality of evidence predicting long-term survival after major vascular surgery (HR 2.48, 95% CI 1.76–3.49). Other single domain tools were generally scored as low quality, and the modified Frailty Index was the only multi-domain tool with moderate quality while others were scored as low or very low. Conclusion Frailty, assessed by functional status, can predict short-term mortality in elderly patients after vascular surgery; while central muscle mass may help determine long-term survival in abdominal aortic repair. As frailty is associated with both worse short and long-term outcomes, frailty assessment may be considered in patients scheduled for vascular surgery.

The popliteal artery has complex deformations such as axial shortening, bending, squeezing and twisting, as well as specific positions across the knee joint. Up to now there is a high incidence of in-stent restenosis (ISR) after the stent treatment of the popliteal artery. This paper aimed to design a new type of popliteal artery stent -- cross-helical stent.to meet its deformation characteristics. The finite element analysis (FEA) method was used to test the mechanical properties of six stents with different winding height ratios of axial shortening, bending, plate extrusion, and torsional deformation. The results showed that the stents performance was affected by the ratio of winding height, the larger the winding height ratio, the worse the compliance, the worse the axial compressibility, but the better the radial support. And when the stent is torsional, the greater the winding height ratio is, the greater the stress is. In additon, the maximum stress was also related to the direction of torsion deformation, and the stress when the helix has the same direction with the torsion direction of the stent are was greater than that when the helix direction and torsion direction are opposite. Moreover, when the winding height ratio is 3:5, the performance of the stent is better, not only has better flexibility, its radial force, axial compression, and torsional deformation are better. It is concluded that the new cross-helical stent can adapt to the special deformation of popliteal artery and has good mechanical properties.

Adlay seeds are rich in nutrients and can be processed into noodle ingredients. Adding kansui into the dough system is an effective strategy to improve the quality of coarse grain noodles. The effect of kansui (0–1.2%) on the physicochemical, structural properties and quality characteristics of adlay seed flour-fortified wheat noodles was investigated. Alkali increased G′ and G″ of the doughs, which is consistent with the extension of the dough development time and dough stability time. Kansui induced free –SH to participate in the formation of disulfide bonds of doughs, and the starch granules were surrounded by continuous gluten networks. In addition, the increased pasting temperature and reduced breakdown were consistent with the increased degree of order and degree of the double helix, which indicates that kansui could maintain the integrity of starch granules. In terms of noodle quality, the cooking loss and water absorption increased by 45% and decreased by 25%, respectively. Kansui also imparts a yellowish appearance, firm and elastic mouthfeel to the noodles. Pearson's correlation analysis showed that pasting characteristic values were significantly correlated with most parameters in the evaluation of noodle qualities. As a result, 0.6% kansui is the optimal formula to produce adlay seed-wheat noodles.

The spatio-temporal variations of stream water stable isotopes are often assumed to follow atmospheric moisture transport over the Tibetan Plateau (TP). However, the isotopic composition of streamflow can be modified by the extensive variation in landscape properties in large glacierized mountain basins. In this study, the isotopic composition of stream water and its dominant controls in terms of spatial variation and potential water sources of rainfall, snow and glacier melt, and groundwater are analyzed based on synoptic water sampling from September 2018 to August 2019 over the Lhasa River basin (LRB) in the Southern TP. Results showed that: (1) δ18O variation in stream water is linearly proportional to longitude and latitude in the north. This spatial pattern is primarily controlled by cold mountainous environments, where stream water δ18O is more depleted and d-excess is higher towards the northwest and higher elevation in glacier-fed streams. Glacial melt could contribute considerably to streamflow generation, especially in the late monsoon season. (2) In the south, stream water δ18O does not simply follow depleted δ18O in precipitation along the strengthened Indian monsoon moisture gradient, but is enriched by strengthened local moisture recycling and increased groundwater contributions. The rainfall recharge is highly regulated and mixes with storage before it reaches the mainstem of the river. (3) The seasonal variations of stream water δ18O and d-excess are distinct, resulting from different contribution sources and catchment controls. In the pre-monsoon season, the strongest local moisture recycling obscures any simple stream water isotope lapse with elevation. These identified source areas and seasonal variations in the isotopic composition in stream water of LRB help us understand diverse water sources and flow paths to streams in this complex environment, which is a prerequisite for projecting potential future change.

The present research aimed to explore the effects of endogenous proteins and lipids on the physicochemical properties of adlay seed starch. Endogenous proteins and lipids were selectively removed. Morphological images indicated that protein bodies closely surrounded starch granules and served as a “robust rampart” toward starch gelatinization. Removal of protein led to increases in swelling power, crystallinity, gelatinization enthalpy, peak viscosity, breakdown viscosity and the starch hydrolysis degree and caused decreases in gelatinization temperature, setback viscosity, apparent viscosity and viscoelastic moduli. In addition, removal of lipids contributed to increases in gelatinization enthalpy, peak viscosity, setback viscosity, apparent viscosity, viscoelastic moduli and the starch hydrolysis degree and a decrease in gelatinization temperature. After the removal of proteins and lipids, adlay seed flour exhibited its lowest thermal stability. Overall, the role of endogenous proteins in physicochemical changes is more crucial than that of endogenous lipids. This study will be helpful to understand the interaction between starch and proteins/lipids in the adlay seed matrix and to facilitate the development of more palatable and healthier adlay seed foods.

Objective The comparison between paclitaxel-coated balloon (PCB) angioplasty and plain balloon angioplasty (PBA) for hemodialysis (HD) access stenosis or occlusion has not been well investigated. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to compare all-cause mortality, HD access primary patency, and circuit primary patency after endovascular maintenance procedures using PCB angioplasty vs PBA. Methods MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane Databases were systematically searched to identify all the relevant studies on paclitaxel-coated devices for stenosis or thrombosis of HD access. A random effects model was applied to pool the effect measures. Dichotomous data were presented using an odds ratio (OR). Effect data were presented using pooled hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results A total of 16 studies were included in this meta-analysis, 12 randomized controlled trials and 4 cohort studies involving 1086 patients who underwent endovascular treatment for HD access stenosis or occlusion. All-cause mortality rates at 6, 12, and 24 months after intervention were similar between the PCB and PBA groups (6 months: OR, 1.06 [95% CI, 0.38-2.96; P = .907; I2 = 19.2%]; 12 months: OR, 1.20 [95% CI, 0.66-2.16; P = .554; I2 = 0%]; 24 months: OR, 1.43 [95% CI, 0.83-2.45; P = .195; I2 = 0%]). There was a significant improvement of primary patency in the PCB group compared with the PBA group (HR, 0.47; 95% CI, 0.33-0.69; P Conclusions This systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrated that PCB angioplasty is associated with significantly improved primary patency of arteriovenous fistula and central venous stenosis for HD access maintenance, with no evidence of increasing all-cause mortality based on short-term and midterm follow-up. Further large cohort study is needed to investigate long-term mortality.

Women face distinctive challenges when they receive endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) treatment, and according to the previous studies, sex differences in outcomes after EVAR for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains controversial. This study aimed to compare the short-term and long-term outcomes between women and men after EVAR for infrarenal AAA.We conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of all available studies reporting sex differences after EVAR for infrarenal AAA, which were retrieved from the MEDICINE, Embase, and Cochrane Database. The pooled results were presented as odds ratios (ORs) for dichotomous data and hazard ratios for time-to-event data using a random effect model.Thirty-six cohorts were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled results showed that women were associated with a significantly increased risk of 30-day mortality (crude OR, 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50-1.87; P .001; adjusted OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.32-2.26; P .001), in-hospital mortality (OR, 1.90; 95% CI, 1.43-2.53; P .001), limb ischemia (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.73-2.43; P .001), renal complications (OR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.12-2.67; P = .028), cardiac complications (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.01-2.80; P = .046), and long-term all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.09-1.38; P = .001) compared with men; however, no significant sex difference was observed for visceral/mesenteric ischemia (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 0.91-2.88; P = .098), 30-day reinterventions (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 0.95-1.98; P = .095), late endoleaks (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.88-1.56; P = .264), and late reinterventions (OR, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.78-1.41; P = .741). In the intact AAA subgroup, women had a significantly increased risk of visceral/mesenteric ischemia (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.01-3.39; P = .046) and an equivalent risk of cardiac complications (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 0.85-3.17; P = .138) compared with men.Compared with male sex, female sex is associated with an increased risk of 30-day mortality, in-hospital mortality, limb ischemia, renal complications, cardiac complications, and long-term all-cause mortality after EVAR for infrarenal AAA. Women should be enrolled in a strict and regular long-term surveillance after EVAR.

Introduction The plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G polymorphism was considered to be associated with risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE), while evidence remains inadequate. To provide a more accurate estimation of this relationship, we performed an updated meta-analysis of all eligible studies. Materials and Methods A systematical search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Wanfang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Cqvip databases to identify relevant studies published before March 6th 2014. The odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were pooled using the fixed/random-effects model using Review Manager 5.1 and STATA 12.0. Results A total of 34 studies with 3561 cases and 5693 controls were analyzed. Overall, significant association between the PAI-1 4G/5G variant and VTE risk in total population (dominant model: OR = 1.32, 95%CI: 1.13-1.54) was observed. And this variant was also related to the deep vein thrombosis risk (dominant model: OR = 1.60, 95%CI: 1.24-2.06, P = 0.0003). In the subgroup analyses on ethnicity, significant results were obtained in both Asians (dominant model: OR = 2.08, 95%CI: 1.29-3.35, P = 0.003) and Caucasians (dominant model: OR = 1.31, 95%CI: 1.10-1.56, P = 0.003). However, no significant association was found in patients with provoked VTE. In terms of subgroup analyses on co-existence of other thrombotic risk factors, the PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism was significantly associated with VTE risk in patients with factor V Leiden mutation (dominant model: OR = 1.72, 95%CI: 1.17-2.53), but not in patients with cancer or surgery. Conclusion Our findings demonstrate the role of PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism being a risk candidate locus for VTE susceptibility, especially in patients with other genetic thrombophilic disorders.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the important component of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria, contributes to the integrity of the outer membrane and protects the cell against bactericidal agents, including antimicrobial peptides. However, the mechanisms of interaction between antimicrobial peptides and LPS are not clearly understood. Halictines-2 (HAL-2), one of the novel antimicrobial peptides, was isolated from the venom of the eusocial bee Halictus sexcinctus. HAL-2 has exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and even against cancer cells. Here, we studied the interactions between HAL-2 and LPS to elucidate the antibacterial mechanism of HAL-2 in vitro. Our results show that HAL-2 adopts a significant degree of β-strand structure in the presence of LPS. LPS is capable of inducing HAL-2 amyloid formation, which may play a vital role in its antimicrobial activity.

Alternative splicing is typically controlled by complexes of regulatory proteins that bind to sequences within or flanking variable exons. The identification of regulatory sequence motifs and the characterization of sequence motifs bound by splicing regulatory proteins have been essential to predicting splicing regulation. The activation-responsive sequence (ARS) motif has previously been identified in several exons that undergo changes in splicing upon T cell activation. hnRNP L binds to this ARS motif and regulates ARS-containing exons; however, hnRNP L does not function alone. Interestingly, the proteins that bind together with hnRNP L differ for different exons that contain the ARS core motif. Here we undertake a systematic mutational analysis of the best characterized context of the ARS motif, namely the ESS1 sequence from CD45 exon 4, to understand the determinants of binding specificity among the components of the ESS1 regulatory complex and the relationship between protein binding and function. We demonstrate that different mutations within the ARS motif affect specific aspects of regulatory function and disrupt the binding of distinct proteins. Most notably, we demonstrate that the C77G polymorphism, which correlates with autoimmune disease susceptibility in humans, disrupts exon silencing by preventing the redundant activity of hnRNPs K and E2 to compensate for the weakened function of hnRNP L. Therefore, these studies provide an important example of the functional relevance of combinatorial function in splicing regulation and suggest that additional polymorphisms may similarly disrupt function of the ESS1 silencer.

Poly (sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) was used to synthesize biocompatible inorganic calcium carbonate (CaCO3) microspheres. The influence of different functional group unit molar ratios of [PSS]/[Ca2+] to the morphology and crystal phases of CaCO3 microspheres was studied by high scan electrode microscope (HSEM) and X-ray diffraction. These synthesized microspheres were used as the template of microcapsules. Protamine (PRM) and dextran sulfate (DXS) were self-assembled on the surface of the obtained microshperes alternatively for six layers. After the CaCO3 was dissolved the microcapsules were obtained, which were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and TGA. This kind of biocompatible microcapsules could be used as micro-containers to load drugs and micro-reactors to perform chemical reactions.

The effect of gender on outcomes after lower extremity revascularization is controversial. The aim of our systemic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the gender-related outcomes after peripheral vascular interventions.We systematically searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Database, and Scopus to identify studies comparing outcomes after revascularization according to gender. A random-effects model was used to pool outcomes. Time-to-event data were reported using hazard ratios (HRs) and dichotomous data were presented using odds ratios (ORs).Included were 40 studies. Pooling of short-term outcomes after intervention showed that women had significantly increased risks of 30-day mortality (OR, 1.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.11-1.55; P = .001), amputation (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.12; P = .002), early graft thrombosis (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.28-1.90; P .0001), embolization (OR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.24-2.17; P = .0005), incisional site complication (OR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.34-1.80; P .0001), cardiac events (OR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.16-1.26; P .0001), stroke (OR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.19-1.53; P .0001), and pulmonary complication (OR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.03-1.12; P = .0006). No significant differences were found between women and men for short-term reinterventions (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.73-1.54; P = .74) and renal complications (OR, 1.03; 95% CI, 0.76-1.39; P = .86). No significant differences in long-term outcomes between women and men were found, with similar rates of cumulative survival (HR, 1.10; 95% CI, 0.97-1.24; P = .12), primary patency (HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.00-1.30; P = .06), secondary patency (HR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.86-1.34; P = .54), and limb salvage (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.70-1.24; P = .63). However, in the open surgery subgroup, women had significantly reduced survival compared with men (HR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.01-1.44; P = .04).Women have inferior short-term outcomes but similar long-term outcomes compared with men after lower limb revascularization. A higher treatment threshold may be warranted when considering intervening on women with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease owing to the increased risks of postprocedural mortality and complications.

Aim Serum cystatin C (SCysC) has been proposed as a better marker of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) than serum creatinine (Scr). However, few data are available in renal transplant patients, especially, during the early postoperative phase. Methods Thirty-nine renal transplant patients (22 men/17 women) were recruited for determination of SCysC and Scr before operation, at 1 week and at 4 weeks after operation. SCysC was determined by particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay. Creatinine clearance (Ccr) was calculated using the Cockcroft-Gault formula. Results SCysC and Scr levels significantly decreased with the recovery of allograft function. SCysC showed a significant correlation with Scr and Ccr. The relationship between SCysC and Scr showed a positive correlation (r = .849 preoperation, and r = .940 postoperation). The relationship between SCysC and Ccr revealed a negative correlation (r = .857 preoperation, and r = .876 postoperation). At the Ccr level of 50 to 80 mL/min/1.73 m2, the correlation between SCysC and Ccr (r = .778) was significantly better than that between Scr and Ccr (r = .553; P = .032). The concentration of SCysC was not affected by age, gender, height, body weight, hemoglobin, serum protein, glucose, or mycophenolate mofetil or azathioprine dosage. However, corticosteroids slightly increased the level of SCysC and cyclosporine (CsA) decreased it. The area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristic curve for SCysC and Scr are 0.964 and 0.915, respectively (P Conclusion Although the concentration may be slightly influenced by prednisolone and CsA, SCysC is more sensitive than Scr to detect early and moderate deterioration of GFR in adult renal transplant recipients.