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OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical value of the Global Registry of Arterial Events in Acute Coronary Syndromes (GRACE) score combined with the D-dimer/fibrinogen ratio (DFR) in predicting the short-term prognosis of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) early after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 102 patients who underwent PCI early after thrombolysis for AMI during April 2020 to January 2022 in our hospital were picked as study subjects. These subjects were assigned as the good prognosis group (without adverse cardiovascular events) and poor prognosis group (with adverse cardiovascular events) according to whether adverse cardiovascular events occurred during hospitalization and follow-up. Changes in GRACE scores and DFR levels in patients with different prognoses were analyzed. The GRACE score and DFR level of patients with different prognosis were analyzed. The clinic pathological characteristics were collected, and the risk factors for poor prognosis of AMI patients were analyzed by logistic risk regression; ROC curve was used to analyze the prognostic value of GRACE score combined with DFR in early PCI patients after AMI thrombolysis. RESULTS: Compared with the good prognosis group, the GRACE score and DFR level in the poor prognosis group were much higher (p<0.001). Significant differences existed in blood pressure, ejection fraction, number of diseased branches, and Killip grading between the patients with good prognosis and those with poor prognosis (p<0.05). There existed no significant difference in clinical medication between the patients with good prognosis and those with poor prognosis (p>0.05). Logistic multivariate analysis indicated that GRACE score, DFR, ejection fraction, number of lesion branches, and Killip grade were all risk factors influencing the prognosis of patients undergoing early PCI after thrombolysis in AMI (p<0.05). The ROC curve was established and the area under the curve (AUC) of GRACE score, DFR, and combined detection were 0.815, 0.783, and 0.894, respectively, and the sensitivity and specificity were 80.24%, 60.42%, 83.71%, 66.78%, 91.42% and 77.83%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, and specificity of combined detection were higher than those of the two alone and had a higher predictive value for the short-term prognosis of patients. CONCLUSIONS: The GRACE score combined with DFR was of great value in diagnosing the short-term prognosis of patients undergoing PCI early after thrombolysis for AMI. Furthermore, the GRACE score, DFR, ejection fraction, number of lesion branches, and Killip classification were all important factors influencing the short-term prognosis of patients, which were of great significance in determining the prognosis of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth process and magnetic properties of PbO-type α-FexSe nanostructures with shape changing from nanocacti to nanopetals and then to nanosheets are investigated. With iron acetylacetonate [Fe(acac)3] and Se powder as raw materials, the diffusion process of Fe atoms dominates the synthesis of α-FexSe nanocacti following phase transitions from FeSe2 to Fe3Se4 and finally to α-FexSe. When a mixed solution containing Se precursor and Fe(acac)3 was used as the raw material, the formation of FeSe2 and Fe3Se4 can be avoided and, bended α-FexSe nanopetals can be prepared at 345 °C, which became flat nanosheets with a [001] preferred orientation as extending the reaction time from 1 to 4 h. No superconducting transition occurs in the α-FexSe (0.84⩽x⩽1.05) nanostructures due to composition heterogeneity or size effect. Magnetic measurements indicate that an antiferromagnetic component with a Néel point at about 45 K dominates the magnetic properties of the α-Fe0.87Se nanosheets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common malignancy for cancer- associated death. This study aimed to investigate the effects of microRNA-124 (miR-124) on tumor proliferation of CRC in vivo and in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MiR-124 mimics were synthesized and transfected into SW620 cells, which were divided into SW620, microRNA- normal control (miR-NC) and miR-124 mimics group. Quantitative Real Time-Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to examine miR- 124, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand-20 (CCL20), tankyrase-2 (TNKS2), phospholipase Cbeta1 (PLCB1) and Wnt4. Cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) was employed to evaluate cell proliferation. The interaction between miR-124 and PLCB1 was tested with the Dual-Luciferase assay. Cell cycle, apoptosis and invasion were also evaluated. CRC xenograft mouse model was established and tumor size was measured. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) was used to examine inflammation. Western blot was utilized to detect Wnt4. RESULTS: MiR-124 was over-expressed in SW620 cells, significantly reduced CCL20 and enhanced TNKS2 compared to that of the miRNC group (p<0.05). MiR-124 might play roles by initiating PLCB1 expression. MiR-124 significantly decreased cell viability compared to the miR-NC group (p<0.05). MiR-124 regulated cell cycle and markedly induced apoptosis and inhibited cell invasion compared to the miR-NC group (p<0.05). MiR-124 significantly decreased tumor size of CRC models compared to miR-NC mice (p<0.05). MiR-124 remarkably alleviated inflammation of tumor tissues. MiR-124 markedly enhanced Wnt4 expression compared to the miR-NC group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: MiR-124 inhibited tumor cell proliferation in vitro and suppressed tumor growth in vivo by interacting with PLCB1 and regulating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To study the inflammatory factors in donor livers and its effect on recipient myocardial injury after liver transplantation recipients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: E ighteen p atients who underwent orthotopic liver transplantations between January 2014 and December 2015 in our hospital were selected. A portion of the hepatic venous blood of donor's livers was preserved in heparinized tubes after partial resection. The concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), cardiac troponin I (cTnI), creatine kinase isoenzyme (CK-MB), and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum were measured. The concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6, cTnI, and CK-MB, and the activity of LDH in serum from the central venous blood of recipients were measured at several time points. RESULTS: Persistent myocardial injuries were found in five patients, six experienced a transient increase of cardiac markers after surgery and returned to normal levels 24 h after surgery, and the others were normal. The comparison of the levels of inflammatory factors in serum between the five donors and recipients at different stages showed that the levels of myocardial markers of the donor livers which were supplied to the five cardiac injured patients were all significantly higher than those of other donor's livers, while the levels of serum inflammatory factors in recipients showed no changes during the T0-T2 stage but increased significantly during T3-T5 (p < 0.05). The cardiac function after surgery was significantly different from that before surgery and that of the recipients without myocardial injury (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Blood pressure changes before surgery may affect the levels of inflammatory factors in donor's liver and cause postoperative myocardial injury in recipients. Proper hypotensive therapy for donors before partial liver resection can prevent postoperative myocardial injury in recipients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 267-m-long, 54-m-wide, and 14.9–16.4-m-deep multipropped deep excavation with three cross walls in Shanghai soft clay was constructed at a side of an existing metro station. To investigate the performance of this deep excavation and the effect of this deep excavation on adjacent metro station and shield tunnels, the ground deformation and structure responses were extensively monitored. Based on the field observations, the deflections and vertical movements of diaphragm walls, surface settlements, vertical and horizontal displacements of the up track and the down track within the station and nearby shield tunnels, as well as tunnel convergence were extensively analyzed. By adopting cross walls, jet grouting and large dimension concrete struts, the measured maximum lateral wall deflection and ground deformation were much smaller than those at other sites without installing cross walls in Shanghai soft clay. The maximum excavation-induced lateral wall movements and ground settlement behind the retaining wall were 0.11% He (final excavation depth) and 0.12% He, respectively. Because of stress relief resulting from the deep excavation, the metro station experienced heave with a maximum value of 9.6 mm. Due to horizontal stress relief resulting from the adjacent basement excavation, the existing tunnel moved as much as 5.5 mm toward the basement. Affected by the horizontal stress reduction around the tunnel lining, the existing tunnel became horizontally elongated by up to 4.9 mm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation and rainfall are two important factors affecting soil erosion and the resulting nutrients loss on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Field experiments under simulated rainfall condition were conducted to investigate the effect of rainfall intensity and vegetation (Caragana korshinskii) cover on soil loss, sediment-associated nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss, and particle size distribution (PSD) of the eroded sediment. Treatments included three rainfall intensities (60, 100, and 140 mm h-1 [2.364, 3.94, and 5.516 in hr-1) with each producing 60 mm of rainfall and three plots (0%, 30%, and 80%) with the same gradient of 15°. The results showed that vegetation cover, rainfall intensity, and their interaction all had significant effect on sediment and the associated N and P loss. In general, higher rainfall intensity and lower coverage produced higher sediment and consequently higher nutrient loss but led to a lower enrichment ratio for N (ERN) in sediments. Vegetation cover had no marked effect on enrichment ratio of P (ERp).A strong positive linear relation was observed between soil loss and N and P loss. The eroded sediment contained more fine particles (clay and silt, < 20 μm [7.874 × 10-4 in]) compared to the original surface soil. Under the same cover condition, the percentage of clay significantly decreased with increasing rainfall intensity (p < 0.05). The ERN and ERp, were positively correlated with ER clay. This suggested that the clay fraction (<2 μm [7.874 × 10-4 in]) was preferentially eroded and that N and P were mainly adsorbed onto or contained within this particle fraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use has a significant effect on soil properties, and therefore on soil erodibility. In many cases, land use controls soil erosion to a greater extent than does climate change or other system properties, yet only a few studies have quantified the effect of land use on soil detachment rates. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of land use on soil detachment of natural, undisturbed soil samples, which were taken from fields under five typical land uses in the Loess Plateau of China. Flow discharges ranged from 0.25 to 2.0 L s-1 and slope gradients varied from 8.8% to 46.6%. The results indicated that soil detachment rates were significantly influenced by land uses. Cropland soil was most easily detached, followed by grassland, shrub land, wasteland, and woodland soils. The average ratios of detachment rates of cropland soil to grassland, shrub land, wasteland, and woodland soils were 2.05, 2.76, 3.23, and 13.32, respectively. Detachment rates were shown to be a power function of flow discharge and slope gradient (R² ≥ 0.93, NSE ≥ 0.87). Both critical shear stress and erodibility were affected by land use. The different land uses in this study resulted in erodibility ranging from 0.0021 to 0.164 s m-1 and critical shear stress ranging from 2.08 to 6.30 Pa. No superiority was found if shear stress was replaced by stream power for detachment prediction, and either one could simulate rill detachment rates well. The result indicated that soil detachment rates in rill erosion could be well simulated by hydraulic parameters of stream power, slope, and runoff density and by soil properties of clay content, bulk density, aggregate median diameter, and soil strength. Further studies are needed to quantify the potential effects of plant root systems on detachment rates and to investigate the potential temporal variability of soil detachment rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]