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Aim: The relationship between fibrinogen/albumin ratio (FAR) and carotid artery plaques (CAPs) was investigated in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: A total of 11,624 patients with CHD were enrolled and divided into quartiles based on the FAR (Q1: FAR index ≤ 0.0663; Q2: 0.0664 ≤ FAR index ≤ 0.0790; Q3: 0.0791 ≤ FAR index ≤ 0.0944; Q4: FAR index > 0.0944). Patients were classified into three groups according to their blood glucose levels: normal glucose regulation (NGR), prediabetes mellitus (pre-DM), and diabetes mellitus (DM) groups. Carotid ultrasonography was performed to detect CAPs. The relationship between FAR and CAPs was evaluated using logistic and subgroup analyses. Results: Among 11,624 participants, 8738 (75.14%) had CAPs. Compared with Q1, the odds ratio (OR) of Q4 in patients with CHD was 2.00 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.71–2.34) after multivariate adjustment. Taking Q1 as a reference, a higher OR was observed in Q4 of FAR for CAPs in men [OR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.73–2.95] in the multi-adjusted models. Moreover, multivariate adjustment indicated that the highest OR was observed in patients with CHD and DM (OR: 2.36; 95% CI: 1.80–3.10). Conclusions: A significant association between FAR and CAPs was observed in patients with CHD, regardless of sex or blood glucose levels. Therefore, FAR may be used as an effective indicator to identify patients at a high risk of CAPs among patients with CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive and fatal fibrotic lung disease and associated with a high mortality rate. In the study, the prevention and treatment effects of fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF-21) in bleomycin (BLM)-induced pulmonary fibrosis were investigated in vivo and vitro. In the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis studies, the results showed that interdict of FGF-21 could reduce the related gene and protein expression levels of pulmonary fibrosis. In addition, FGF-21 significantly reduced both the aggregation of inflammatory cells and deposition of collagen in the lung by histopathology. In therapy of pulmonary fibrosis studies, the results indicated that treatment with FGF-21 resulted in an amelioration of the pulmonary fibrosis in mice with reductions of the pathological score, collagen deposition and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expressions in the lung tissues at fibrotic stage, and late administration was also able to reduce the degree of pulmonary fibrosis and even better than these in the prevention group. Furthermore, BLM-induced THP-1 macrophage model was verified using FGF-21; the result showed that FGF-21 decreased the related gene expression level of pulmonary fibrosis. FGF-21 may have preventive and therapeutic effects on BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis via inhibiting myofibroblast differentiation and inflammatory. Thus, FGF-21 represents a potential drug for the prevention and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is considered a powerful biomarker of dyslipidemia and atherosclerosis (AS). However, limited evidence is available regarding the relationship between the AIP and carotid artery plaques (CAPs) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: This retrospective study included 9281 patients with CHD who underwent carotid ultrasound. Participants were divided according to the AIP tertiles: T1, AIP < 1.02; T2, 1.02 ≤ AIP < 1.25; and T3, AIP ≥ 1.25. The presence or absence of CAPs was assessed using carotid ultrasound. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the AIP and CAPs in patients with CHD. The relationship between the AIP and CAPs was assessed according to sex, age, and glucose metabolic status. Results: The baseline characteristics revealed significant differences in related parameters among patients with CHD after stratification into the three groups according to the AIP tertiles. Compared with T1, the odds ratio (OR) of T3 in patients with CHD was 1.53 (95% confidence interval [CI]:1.35–1.74). The association between AIP and CAPs was higher in females (OR: 1.63; 95% CI: 1.38–1.92) than in males (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 1.12–1.70). The OR for patients aged ≤60 years (OR: 1.40; 95% CI: 1.14–1.71) was lower than that for patients aged >60 years (OR: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.26–1.76). AIP was significantly associated with the risk of CAPs formation in different glucose metabolic states, with diabetes having the highest OR value (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.19–1.43). Conclusion: The AIP and CAPs were significantly associated in patients with CHD, and the association was higher in female than in male patients. The association was lower in patients aged ≤60 years than in patients aged >60 years. Under different glucose metabolism statuses, the association between the AIP and the CAPs among patients with CHD was highest in patients with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thyroid hormones affect lipid metabolism via central and peripheral regulation. However, there have been few studies on the association between thyroid hormone sensitivity and dyslipidemia. We aimed to investigate the association between thyroid hormone sensitivity and dyslipidemia in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: A total of 31,678 patients with CHD were included in this large multicenter retrospective study. Central thyroid hormone sensitivity was evaluated using the thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI), parametric thyroid feedback quantile-based index (PTFQI), thyroid-stimulating hormone index (TSHI), and thyrotropin thyroxine resistance index (TT4RI); peripheral thyroid hormone sensitivity was assessed by the ratio of free triiodothyronine (FT3)/free thyroxine (FT4). Logistic regression analysis was used to analyze the association between thyroid hormone sensitivity and dyslipidemia. Results: Among 31,678 participants, 21,648 (68.34%) had dyslipidemia. In the multi-adjusted models, the risk of dyslipidemia was positively correlated with TFQI (odds ratio [OR]: 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03–1.05), PTFQI (OR: 1.09; 95% CI: 1.06–1.12), TSHI (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.06–1.11), and TT4RI (OR: 1.08; 95% CI: 1.05–1.11). Conversely, the risk of dyslipidemia was negatively correlated with FT3/FT4 (OR: 0.94; 95% CI: 0.92–0.97). In stratified analyses, the association between thyroid hormone sensitivity and dyslipidemia was statistically significant for different sexes, glucose levels, and blood pressure states. Conclusion: There is a significant association between sensitivity to thyroid hormones and dyslipidemia, regardless of sex, glucose level, or blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Thyroid dysfunction is closely related to arrhythmia. However, the relationship between sensitivity to thyroid hormone and risk of arrhythmia remains unknown. This study aimed to investigate the association between the thyroid system complex index and risk of arrhythmia in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Methods: This large, multicenter study included 28,413 patients with CHD. Central sensitivity to thyroid hormone was assessed by calculating the thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI). Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between sensitivity to thyroid hormone and risk of arrhythmia. This study also assessed the relationship between sensitivity to thyroid hormone and risk of arrhythmia in different sexes, ages, and glucose regulation and blood lipid states. Results: Of the 28,413 participants, 8935 (31.4%) patients with CHD had arrhythmia. There was a remarkable association between TFQI and risk of arrhythmia (odds ratio [OR]: 0.783; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.735–0.836). Furthermore, the association between the TFQI and risk of arrhythmia in women (OR: 0.731; 95% CI: 0.667–0.802) was stronger than that in men (OR: 0.894; 95% CI: 0.816–0.910), as well as higher in elder (OR: 0.779; 95% CI: 0.721–0.843) than middle-aged (OR: 0.789; 95% CI: 0.703–0.886) patients. Furthermore, the association was strong in the state of diabetes (OR: 0.635; 95% 0.569–0.709) and dyslipidemia (OR: 0.706; 95% CI: 0.644–0.774). Conclusion: There is a remarkable association between sensitivity to thyroid hormone and risk of arrhythmia in patients with CHD, which is more pronounced among women and the elderly. The association is also stronger in CHD patients with dyslipidemia or diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pickled wastewater with high concentrations of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), ammonia nitrogen (NH4+-N), and sodium chloride (NaCl) has an adverse effect on the environment, and it is challenging to treat pickle wastewater efficiently by traditional biological methods. It is urgent to develop reasonable treatment methods for ensuring water quality and security. Thus, the purposes of this study were to (1) examine the effect of various factors on the removal efficiency of pollutants (COD, TP, and NH4+-N) from simulated pickle wastewater by plant biomass carbon (PBC) and (2) determine the best technical parameters and verify the treatment effect of real pickle wastewater. The adsorbent type and action mode had a significant impact on removing COD, TP, and NH4+-N in the simulated pickle wastewater. The Fenton oxidant could significantly improve the COD removal rate. The quality difference had no significant effect on removing COD and TP. However, the difference between 0.2 and 0.4 g had a significant impact on removing NH4+-N. The optimal treatment was found by P3 (0.4 g, first use) and a Fenton oxidant oscillating for 120 min. The removal rates of COD, TP, and NH4+-N in real pickle wastewater were 53.06%, 79.96%, and 8.06%, respectively, using optimized parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the rolling process of profile ring, the design of the rolling cavity directly affects the forming quality of the final ring and the production cost of the rolling process. To improve the cavity filling rate and reduce the production cost, the response surface method (RSM) is combined with a verified three-dimensional thermodynamic coupled finite element model to optimize the design of the rolling cavity for the profile ring rolling process. Firstly, a universally applicable design method for profile ring rolling cavity is proposed, and based on the description of the rolling cavity, three design variables and two corresponding response objectives are defined to achieve multi-objective optimization. Secondly, a verified finite element model is established to simulate the rolling process. Based on the simulation results, a response model is developed and modified by significance analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Then through this response model, the effects of different variables on the optimization objectives are studied comprehensively. Finally, the optimal rolling cavity size is determined by combining the response optimization diagram, and the effectiveness of the optimization method is verified by forming experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between remnant cholesterol (RC) and glucose metabolic states in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients with angina pectoris. Methods: This study collected data from 11,557 CHD patients with angina pectoris aged 35–75 years in Tianjin, China. Participants were divided into normal glucose regulation (NGR), prediabetes (Pre-DM) and diabetes mellitus (DM) groups according to glucose metabolic states. Linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between glucose metabolism [fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c)] and RC levels. Logistic regression was performed to analyze the relationship between RC levels and glucose metabolic states. Results: Among all participants, 5883 (50.9%) had a DM state and 4034 (34.9%) had a Pre-DM state. FBG levels and HbA1c levels were positively related with RC in all patients (P < 0.001). NGR was used as a reference, multi-adjusted model showing that RC level was significantly associated with Pre-DM [Odds ratio (OR): 1.37; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.19–1.56; P < 0.001] and DM state (OR:1.47; 95% CI 1.29–1.67; P < 0.001). When considering RC as categorical variables (tertiles), using T1 as a reference, T3 had the strongest relationship between RC levels and Pre-DM and DM state in univariate model and multivariate model. In the stratified analyses, the association between RC levels and pre-DM and DM in women was higher than that in men, and the elderly patients was higher than in the middle-aged patients. Conclusion: The study demonstrated a significant association between RC levels and pre-DM and DM state among CHD patients with angina pectoris, and the relationship was stronger in women and elderly patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is one of the main air pollutants, formed due to both natural and anthropogenic processes, which has a significant negative impact on human health. The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted countries to take various measures, including social distancing or stay-at-home orders. This study analyzes the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures on nitrogen dioxide (NO2) changes in Central Asian countries. Data from TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on the Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite, as well as meteorological data, make it possible to assess changes in NO2 concentration in countries and major cities in the region. In particular, the obtained satellite data show a decreased tropospheric column of NO2. Its decrease during the lockdown (March 19–April 14) ranged from − 5.1% (Tajikistan) to − 11.6% (Turkmenistan). Based on the obtained results, it can be concluded that limitations in anthropogenic activities have led to improvements in air quality. The possible influence of meteorology is not assessed in this study, and the implied uncertainties cannot be quantified. In this way, the level of air pollution is expected to decrease as long as partial or complete lockdown continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reproducing kernel (RK) approximation based direct collocation method (DCM) requires the complex and time-consuming derivatives calculation of the approximation function, and the DCM has the poor accuracy and stability, which hinder the extensive application of this method. Therefore, in this work, we propose a gradient reproducing kernel (GRK) based stabilized collocation method (SCM) which can manage the computational complexity of the RK derivatives calculation and significantly improve the efficiency by directly constructing the GRK approximations, and handle the accuracy and stability problems of the DCM by employing the SCM. Moreover, the computation cost of the SCM is about the same level of the DCM, which is much more efficient than the Galerkin meshfree methods. The proposed method is particularly suitable for solving the thin beam and plate problems which requests the fourth-order differentiation in the strong form. The implementations of this method for the static and dynamical problems are detailedly exhibited. Numerical examples confirm that the presented algorithm provides high efficiency and good performance for the beam and plate simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intestinal inflammatory reactions and resulting tissue injuries are two major aspects of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The regulatory factors involved in the pathogenesis of IBD remain unclear. Recent studies showed that musculin (MSC) as a transcription suppressor participates in the regulation of certain immune functions. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of MSC deficiency on colonic injury and inflammatory reaction under IBD, where wild-type (WT, +/+) and MSC-knockout (MSCKO, MSC−/−) mice were induced for disease by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in drinking water. Immunohistochemistry hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) were used to analyze the matching samples from groups of different genotypes. The colonic epithelial injury in the MSC−/− IBD group was much severer than that in the +/+ IBD group, concurrent with higher IL-22 levels from the supernatant of ex vivo cultured colon tissues in the MSC−/− IBD group than those in the +/+ IBD group. The mRNA levels of IL-22 in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) also manifested similar tendency. MSC deficiency may enhance the inflammatory reactions in the gut via excessive secretion of IL-22, leading to aggravated colonic epithelial injury under IBD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]