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Abstract Background The effects of air pollution on endothelial function remain unclear across populations. We aimed to use brachial artery flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) to identify demographic differences in the effects of air pollution exposure on endothelial dysfunction. Methods We measured FMD in 850 participants from October 2016 to January 2020. Location-specific concentrations of fine particulate matter

Abstract Aims The present study aimed to phenotype the cerebral structural and glucose metabolic alterations in patients with heart failure (HF) using simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance (MR) and to investigate their relationship to cardiac biomarkers and cognitive performance. Methods and results Forty‐two HF patients caused by ischaemic heart disease (mean age 67.2 ± 10.4, 32 males) and 32 age‐ and sex‐matched healthy volunteers (mean age 61.3 ± 4.8, 18 males) were included in this study. Participants underwent simultaneous cerebral fluorine‐18 (18F) fluorodeoxyglucose PET/MR followed by cardiac MR scan, and neuropsychological scores were obtained to assess cognitive performance. The grey matter volume (GMV) and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) were calculated to examine cerebral structural and metabolic alterations. Cardiac biomarkers included cardiac MR parameters and cardiac serum laboratory tests. Mediation analysis was performed to explore the associations among cerebral alterations, cardiac biomarkers, and cognitive performance. HF patients demonstrated notable cognitive impairment compared with normal controls (P

Background: Myocardial segmental motion is associated with cardiovascular pathology, often assessed through myocardial strain features. The stability of the motion can be influenced by myocardial fibrosis. This research aimed to explore the complexity metrics (CM) of myocardial segmental motion curves, observe their correlation with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) transmural extension (TE), and assess diagnostic efficacy combined with segmental strains in different TE segments. Methods: We included 42 myocardial infarction patients, dividing images into 672 myocardial segments (208 remote, 384 viable, and 80 unviable segments based on TE). Radial and circumferential segmental strain, along with CM for motion curves, were extracted. Correlation between CM and LGE, as well as the potential distinguishing role of CM, was evaluated using Pearson correlation, univariate linear regression (F-test), multivariate regression analysis (T-test), area under curve (AUC), machine learning models, and DeLong test. Results: All CMs showed significant linear correlation with TE (P 0.3), with radial frequency drift (FD) displayed the strongest correlation (r = 0.496, P

BackgroundAlthough within the normal range, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels are associated with cardio-metabolic disorders and have an effect on the cardiovascular system. The aim of our study was to assess the prognostic value of normal TSH on long-term mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).MethodsConsecutive STEMI patients who had a TSH level within the normal range (0.55–4.78 μIU/ml) were enrolled from November 2013 to December 2018. Patients were stratified into three groups depending on the tertile of TSH level, and all-cause mortality and cardiac death were compared. TSH concentrations associated with risk of all-cause mortality were evaluated in a continuous scale (restricted cubic splines) and the Cox proportional hazards regression model.ResultsA total of 1,203 patients with STEMI were eligible for analysis. During a median follow-up of 39 months, patients in the 3rd tertile group had higher all-cause mortality (20.1% vs. 12.2% and 14.3%, p = 0.006) and cardiac death (15.4% vs. 7.7% and 12.3%, p = 0.001) as compared to the 1st and 2nd tertile groups. The Cox proportional hazards model showed that TSH was an independent predictor on long-term all-cause mortality (HR: 1.248, 95% CI: 1.046–1.490, p = 0.014). However, subgroup analysis indicated that TSH (HR: 1.313, 95% CI: 1.063–1.623, p = 0.012) was only significantly associated with long-term all-cause mortality in the patients without emergency reperfusion therapy. Restricted cubic spline analyses showed a linear relationship between TSH concentrations and all-cause mortality (P for non-linearity = 0.659).ConclusionsA Higher TSH level - even in a normal range is associated with long-term mortality in patients with STEMI, proposing an additional indication to identify STEMI patients with poor prognosis.

The core goal of higher vocational education is to cultivate students with good professional quality. The employability of college students depends on their professional quality to a large extent. From the perspective of school education, all kinds of higher vocational colleges have entered a new level in practice, but the evaluation of comprehensive quality is still relatively weak. Therefore, in order to enhance the comprehensive ability of higher vocational students and cultivate their excellent comprehensive quality, this paper adopts the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method and puts forward the evaluation method of the comprehensive evaluation system of higher vocational students, so as to provide reference for solving the problem of comprehensive quality evaluation. The specific process is as follows: in this paper, a two-level fuzzy mathematical model is established by using fuzzy mathematics theory and multimedia technology. First of all, according to the educational characteristics such as learning interest, psychological quality when encountering difficulties, and the ability to solve problems cooperatively, a set of secondary indicator system reflecting vocational college students is established. With this indicator, quantitative indicators are fuzzified by introducing membership functions, and a single factor evaluation matrix is established. Then, the specific steps are illustrated with examples to realize the qualitative analysis and quantitative evaluation of students’ comprehensive quality. The results show that the new comprehensive quality evaluation method established in this paper has strong practicality and innovation.

Abstract. Background. The predictive value of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels in non-diabetic patients with myocardial infarction undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is still controversial. This study aimed to evaluate whether HbA1c levels were independently associated with adverse clinical outcomes in non-diabetic patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who had undergone PCI by performing a meta-analysis of cohort studies. Methods. This meta-analysis included non-diabetic patients with CAD who had undergone PCI. A systematic search for publications listed in the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases from commencement to December 2018 was conducted. Studies evaluating the adverse clinical outcomes according to abnormal HbA1c levels in non-diabetic patients diagnosed with CAD who had undergone PCI were eligible. The primary outcomes were long-term all-cause deaths and long-term major adverse cardiac events, and the secondary outcome was short-term all-cause deaths. The meta-analysis was conducted with RevMan 5.3 and Stata software 14.0. Odds ratios (ORs) were pooled using a random or fixed-effects model, depending on the heterogeneity of the included studies. Sub-group analysis or sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity, when necessary. Results. Six prospective cohort studies involving 10,721 patients met the inclusion criteria. From the pooled analysis, abnormal HbA1c levels were associated with increased risk for long-term all-cause death (OR 1.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.16–1.68, P = 0.001, I2 = 45%). Sub-group analysis suggested that abnormal HbA1c levels between 6.0% and 6.5% predicted higher long-term major adverse cardiac event (including all-cause deaths, non-fatal myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization, target vessel revascularization, recurrent acute myocardial infarction, heart failure requiring hospitalization, and stent thrombosis) risk (OR 2.05, 95% CI 1.46–2.87, P

Superconductivity was recently observed in Nd0.8Sr0.2NiO2 films. Here, superconductivity is found to be absent in bulk polycrystalline samples of Sr-doped NdNiO2, raising questions regarding the origin of superconductivity in this material.

Abstract Background Endothelial dysfunction may play a key role in non-obstructive coronary artery atherosclerosis. Our study aimed to evaluate the vascular endothelial function and its influencing factors in patients with non-obstructive coronary artery atherosclerosis. Methods A total of 131 consecutive patients with non-obstructive coronary artery atherosclerosis were enrolled. Flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) was measured at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) were counted by staining the fasting venous blood with antibodies against CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2. Results Systolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and the levels of HbA1c in participants with baseline FMD 6.5% are independent risk factors for endothelial dysfunction in non-obstructive atherosclerotic patients. Elevated peripheral blood EPC counts and decreased levels of serum creatinine are independent predictors of endothelial function improvement.

Abstract Background The combined effects of diabetes mellitus (DM), admission plasma glucose (APG), and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels on predicting long-term clinical outcomes in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) are unknown. Therefore, we evaluated their combined effects on long-term clinical outcomes in STEMI patients treated with pPCI. Methods In total, 350 consecutive patients with STEMI undergoing pPCI were enrolled. Patients were divided into 3 groups according to DM history and APG and HbA1c levels. The cumulative rates of 24-month all-cause deaths and major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs) were calculated. Results Both the incidence of all-cause deaths and cumulative rates of MACCEs were significantly the lowest in patients without a DM history and admission HbA1c level 1 correlated with 24-month all-cause death; HbA1c levels on admission, DM history, APG levels, history of stroke, history of coronary heart disease, and TG levels on admission were significantly associated with MACCEs through the 24-month follow-up. The predictive effects of combining DM and APG and HbA1c levels were such that for STEMI patients undergoing pPCI, DM patients with poor glycemic control or with stress hyperglycemia on admission had worse prognosis than other patients. Conclusion Strict control of glycemic status may improve the survival of patients who have both DM and coronary heart diseases.

Abstract. Background:. The mortality of cardiovascular disease is constantly rising, and novel biomarkers help us predict residual risk. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of serum homocysteine (HCY) levels on prognosis in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods:. The 419 consecutive patients with STEMI, treated at one medical center, from March 2010 to December 2015 were retrospectively investigated. Peripheral blood samples were obtained within 24 h of admission and HCY concentrations were measured using an enzymatic cycling assay. The patients were divided into high HCY level (H-HCY) and low HCY level (L-HCY) groups. Short- and long-term outcomes were compared, as were age-based subgroups (patients aged 60 years and younger vs. those older than 60 years). Statistical analyses were mainly conducted by Student t-test, Chi-squared test, logistic regression, and Cox proportional-hazards regression. Results:. The H-HCY group had more males (84.6% vs. 75.4%, P = 0.018), and a lower prevalence of diabetes (20.2% vs. 35.5%, P

There are several FeSe based superconductors, including the bulk FeSe, monolayer FeSe thin film, intercalated K_{x}Fe_{2-y}Se_{2} and Li_{1-x}Fe_{x}OHFeSe, etc. Their normal states all show metallic behavior. The key player here is the FeSe layer, which exhibits the highest superconducting transition temperature in the form of monolayer thin film. Recently, a new FeSe based compound, CsFe_{4-x}Se_{4}, with the space group of Bmmm was found. Interestingly, the system shows a strong insulatorlike behavior, although it shares the same FeSe planes as other relatives. Density functional theory calculations indicate that it should be a metal, in sharp contrast with the experimental observations. Here, we report the emergence of unconventional superconductivity by applying pressure to suppress this insulatorlike behavior. At ambient pressure, the insulatorlike behavior cannot be modeled as a band insulator, but it can be described by the variable-range-hopping model for correlated systems. Furthermore, the specific heat down to 400 mK has been measured, and a significant residual coefficient γ_{0}=C/T|_{T}_{→0} is observed, which contrasts the insulatorlike state and suggests some quantum freedom of spin dynamics. By applying pressure, the insulatorlike behavior is gradually suppressed, and the system becomes a metal; finally, superconductivity is achieved at about 5.1 K. The superconducting transition strongly depends on magnetic field and applied current, indicating a fragile superfluid density. Our results suggest that the superconductivity is established by diluted Cooper pairs on top of a strong correlation background in CsFe_{4-x}Se_{4}.

Intelligent fault diagnosis algorithm for rolling bearings has received increasing attention. However, in actual industrial environments, most rolling bearings work under severe working conditions of variable speed and strong noise, which makes the performance of many intelligent fault diagnosis methods deteriorate sharply. In this regard, this paper proposes a new intelligent diagnosis algorithm for rolling bearing faults based on a residual dilated pyramid network and full convolutional denoising autoencoder (RDPN-FCDAE). First, a continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is used to convert original vibration signals into time-frequency images. Secondly, a deep two-stage RDPN-FCDAE model is constructed, which is divided into three parts: encoding network, decoding network and classification network. In order to obtain efficient expression of data denoising feature of encoding network, time-frequency images are first input into the encoding-decoding network for unsupervised pre-training. Then pre-trained coding network and classification network are combined into residual dilated pyramid full convolutional network (RDPFCN) for parameter fine-tuning and testing. The proposed method is applied to bearing vibration datasets of test rig with different speeds and noise modes. Compared with representative machine learning and deep learning method, the results show that the algorithm proposed is superior to other methods in diagnostic accuracy, noise robustness and feature segmentation ability.

We report on the synthesis and physical properties of a new compound, ScZrCo, which crystallizes in the Ti _2 Ni structure with the space group of ${\rm{Fd}}\overline{3}{\rm{m}}{\rm{S}}$ without a spatial inversion center. The resistivity at ambient pressure shows a semiconducting-like behavior. Furthermore, specific heat and magnetic susceptibility measurements yield a rather large value of Wilson ratio ≈4.47. Both suggest a ground state with correlation effect. By applying pressure, the up-going behavior of resistivity in the low temperature region is suppressed and superconductivity emerges. Up to 36.1 GPa, a superconducting transition at about 3.6 K with a quite high upper critical field is observed. Our discovery here provides a new platform for investigating the relationship between the correlation effect and superconductivity.

Myrothamnus flabellifolia is the only woody resurrection plant found in the world. It has a strong tolerance to drought and can survive long-term exposure to desiccated environments. However, few genes related to its drought tolerance have been functionally characterized and the molecular mechanisms underlying the stress tolerance of M. flabellifolia are largely unknown. In this study, we isolated a dehydration-inducible bHLH transcription factor gene MfbHLH145 from M. flabellifolia. Heterologous expression of MfbHLH145 enhanced the drought and salt tolerance of Arabidopsis. It can not only promote root system development under short-term stresses, but also improve growth performance under long-term treatments. Further investigation showed that MfbHLH145 contributes to enhanced leaf water retention capacity through the promotion of stomatal closure, increased osmolyte accumulation, and decreased stress-induced oxidative damage through an increase in antioxidant enzyme activities. These results suggest that MfbHLH145 may be involved in the positive regulation of stress responses in M. flabellifolia. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the survival of M. flabellifolia in extreme dehydration conditions.

: As the only woody resurrection plant, Myrothamnus flabellifolia has a strong tolerance to drought and can survive long-term in a desiccated environment. However, the molecular mechanisms related to the stress tolerance of M. flabellifolia are largely unknown, and few tolerance-related genes previously identified had been functionally characterized. WRKYs are a group of unique and complex plant transcription factors, and have reported functions in diverse biological processes, especially in the regulation of abiotic stress tolerances, in various species. However, little is known about their roles in response to abiotic stresses in M. flabellifolia. In this study, we characterized a dehydration-inducible WRKY transcription factor gene, MfWRKY17, from M. flabellifolia. MfWRKY17 shows high degree of homology with genes from Vitis vinifera and Vitis pseudoreticulata, belonging to group II of the WRKY family. Unlike known WRKY17s in other organisms acting as negative regulators in biotic or abiotic stress responses, overexpression of MfWRKY17 in Arabidopsis significantly increased drought and salt tolerance. Further investigations indicated that MfWRKY17 participated in increasing water retention, maintaining chlorophyll content, and regulating ABA biosynthesis and stress-related gene expression. These results suggest that MfWRKY17 possibly acts as a positive regulator of stress tolerance in the resurrection plant M. flabellifolia.