Age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index is associated with the risk of osteoporosis in older fall-prone men: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence linking the age-adjusted Charlson comorbidity index (aCCI), an assessment tool for multimorbidity, to fragility fracture and fracture-related postoperative complications. However, the role of multimorbidity in osteoporosis has not yet been thoroughly evaluated. We aimed to investigate the association between aCCI and the risk of osteoporosis in older adults at moderate to high risk of falling. METHODS: A total of 947 men were included from January 2015 to August 2022 in a hospital in Beijing, China. The aCCI was calculated by counting age and each comorbidity according to their weighted scores, and the participants were stratified into two groups by aCCI: low (aCCI < 5), and high (aCCI ≥5). The Kaplan Meier method was used to assess the cumulative incidence of osteoporosis by different levels of aCCI. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate the association of aCCI with the risk of osteoporosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was adapted to assess the performance for aCCI in osteoporosis screening. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean age of all patients was 75.7 years, the mean BMI was 24.8 kg/m2, and 531 (56.1%) patients had high aCCI while 416 (43.9%) were having low aCCI. During a median follow-up of 6.6 years, 296 participants developed osteoporosis. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed that participants with high aCCI had significantly higher cumulative incidence of osteoporosis compared with those had low aCCI (log-rank test: P < 0.001). When aCCI was examined as a continuous variable, the multivariable-adjusted model showed that the osteoporosis risk increased by 12.1% (HR = 1.121, 95% CI 1.041-1.206, P = 0.002) as aCCI increased by one unit. When aCCI was changed to a categorical variable, the multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios associated with different levels of aCCI [low (reference group) and high] were 1.00 and 1.557 (95% CI 1.223-1.983) for osteoporosis (P <  0.001), respectively. The aCCI (cutoff ≥5) revealed an area under ROC curve (AUC) of 0.566 (95%CI 0.527-0.605, P = 0.001) in identifying osteoporosis in older fall-prone men, with sensitivity of 64.9% and specificity of 47.9%. CONCLUSIONS: The current study indicated an association of higher aCCI with an increased risk of osteoporosis among older fall-prone men, supporting the possibility of aCCI as a marker of long-term skeletal-related adverse clinical outcomes.

Plant Volatiles Modulate Seasonal Dynamics between Hosts of the Polyphagous Mirid Bug Apolygus lucorum.

Plant-derived volatiles play a significant role in host selection of phytophagous insects, but their role in seasonal host shifts remain unclear. The polyphagous mirid bug Apolygus lucorum displays marked seasonal host alternation. During summer, volatiles from flowering plants play a key role in A. lucorum foraging. Though A. lucorum adults deposit overwintering eggs on jujube (Ziziphus jujuba) and grape (Vitis vinifera) during autumn, it is unclear whether plant volatiles equally mediate this host selection behavior. During 2015 and 2016, we found that population densities of A. lucorum adults on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) during August were higher than those in September, whereas the opposite pattern was observed on fruit trees (i.e., jujube and grape). The dispersal factor of the adult population that dispersed from cotton fields during September was higher than in August, whereas opposite patterns were observed in the neighboring jujube/grape orchard. In Y-tube olfactometer trials, A. lucorum adults preferred cotton plant volatiles over fruit tree odors in August, whereas the opposite patterns were found in September. Three electro-physiologically active volatiles (butyl acrylate, butyl propionate and butyl butyrate) were identified from jujube and grape plants. During September, active volatiles are emitted in considerably greater amounts by jujube and grape than in August, while the amount of volatile emissions in cotton decreases in September. Temporal shifts in plant volatile emission thus may modulate host plant foraging of A. lucorum, and appear to guide its colonization of different host plants. Our findings help understand the role of plant volatiles in the host plant selection and seasonal dynamics of polyphagous herbivores.

Perception of and Behavioral Responses to Host Plant Volatiles for Three Adelphocoris Species.

In China, the genus Adelphocoris (Hemiptera: Miridae) includes three dominant pest species (A. suturalis, A. lineolatus and A. fasciaticollis), which cause great damage to cotton, alfalfa and other crops. In this study, we examined the role of the major volatile organic compounds from plants in host location by these three insects. Gas chromatography-electroantennography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analyses identified seven electroantennogram (EAG)-active compounds from 11 host plants. Although the insects responded to all of these compounds in EAG trials, some compounds did not elicit behavioral responses in Y-tube olfactometer bioassays. Adelphocoris suturalis adults showed behavioral responses to four EAG-active compounds, n-butyl ether, butyl acrylate, butyl propionate and butyl butyrate. These four compounds, in addition to p-xylene, were also attractive to A. lineolatus adults. However, A. fasciaticollis adults were attracted only by butyl acrylate, butyl propionate and butyl butyrate. In field trials, A. suturalis and A. fasciaticollis were each attracted to five individual compounds (m-xylene, n-butyl ether, butyl acrylate, butyl butyrate and butyl propionate for A. suturalis and m-xylene, butyl acrylate, butyl butyrate, butyl propionate, and 1,8-cineole for A. fasciaticollis). By contrast, A. lineolatus aduts were attracted to six individual compounds, m-xylene, p-xylene, n-butyl ether, butyl acrylate, butyl butyrate, and butyl propionate. These compounds may be important in host plant location by the Adelphocoris species, and may be useful for developing attractants for adults of these species.

The effectiveness of a self-efficacy-focused structured education programme on adults with type 2 diabetes: A multicentre randomised controlled trial.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of a self-efficacy-focused structured education programme on outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) without insulin therapy. BACKGROUND: Structured education regarding metabolic control in T2DM adults without insulin therapy has not always been effective, and this lack of effectiveness might be due to overlooking self-efficacy. Whether a self-efficacy-focused structured education programme could improve metabolic and psychosocial outcomes for T2DM adults more effectively remains unknown. DESIGN: A multicentre parallel randomised controlled concealed label trial. METHODS: The study conducted in outpatients of four hospitals in China. A total of 265 T2DM adults without insulin therapy were randomly assigned to an intervention group of a self-efficacy-focused structured education programme (n = 133), or to a control group of routine education (n = 132). The differences in metabolic and psychosocial outcomes were investigated at baseline, three- and 6-month follow-ups. RESULTS: The primary outcome of A1C and the secondary outcomes of weight, body mass index, waist circumference, diastolic pressure, self-efficacy, self-management behaviours and knowledge improved significantly in the intervention group compared with the control group at 6-month follow-up. The differences in A1C between groups for patients with a low educational background at 6-month follow-up were significant. No significant differences were found in other secondary outcomes of systolic pressure, the blood lipid profile and diabetes distress between groups at 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This programme can improve glycaemic control, weight control, diastolic pressure, self-efficacy, self-management behaviours and diabetes knowledge for T2DM adults. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This self-efficacy-focused structured education programme is effective and can be incorporated into regular clinical care and led by trained staff (e.g. nurses), and it can be implemented in patients with low educational backgrounds.

Insecticide Toxicity to Adelphocoris lineolatus (Hemiptera: Miridae) and its Nymphal Parasitoid Peristenus spretus (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

In China, Adelphocoris lineolatus (Goeze) (Hemiptera: Miridae) is an important pest of alfalfa, cotton, and other crops, while Peristenus spretus (Chen & van Achterberg) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) is the dominant nymphal parasitoid of this mirid bug. In the present study, the toxicity of 17 common insecticides to A. lineolatus was evaluated, and the susceptibility of P. spretus to the insecticides with high toxicity to A. lineolatus was tested under laboratory conditions. Of the 17 insecticides tested, 12 (beta cypermethrin, deltamethrin, carbosulfan, acetamiprid, emamectin benzoate, imidacloprid, phoxim, chlorpyrifos, acephate, profenophos, hexaflumuron, and abamectin) had a highly toxic effect on second-instar nymphs of A. lineolatus, with LC(50) values ranging from 0.58 to 14.85 mg a.i. (active ingredient) liter(-1). Adults of P. spretus were most sensitive to chlorpyrifos, with LC(50) values of 0.03 mg a.i. liter(-1), followed by phoxim, acetamiprid, profenophos, carbosulfan, acephate, deltamethrin, emamectin benzoate, imidacloprid, beta-cypermethrin, and abamectin, with LC(50) values ranging from 0.06 to 3.09, whereas hexaflumuron exhibited the least toxicity to the parasitoid, with LC(50) values >500 mg a.i. liter(-1). A risk quotient analysis indicated that beta-cypermethrin, emamectin benzoate, abamectin, and hexaflumuron when applied against A. lineolatus were the least toxic to P. spretus.

[Correlation of sex hormones and parathyroid hormone with biochemical markers of bone turnover in aged men].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation of serum sex hormones and parathyroid hormone (PTH) with the biochemical markers of bone turnover in aged men. METHODS: We collected the laboratory data of 465 men aged 60- 93 (73. 1 +/- 8. 3) years old, who came for routine physical examinations in our hospital. We obtained the levels of serum follicle- stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estradiol (E2), testosterone (T), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), PTH, 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (25(OH) D3), and bone turnover markers C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX), osteocalcin (OC) and amino-terminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PINP). We also determined free testosterone (FT) , bioactive testosterone (BT) , testosterone secretion index (TSI) and FT index (FTI), and analyzed the correlation of each index with the biochemical markers of bone turnover. RESULTS: The concentrations of serum FSH, LH, and SHBG increased, while the levels of FT, BT, TSI, FTI, PTH, CTX, OC and PINP decreased with age, especially in those over 80 years old (P <0.05). PTH was positively correlated with CTX, OC and PINP (r =0. 227, 0. 269 and 0. 162, P <0. 01), even after the adjustment for age, while SHBG negatively correlated with OC (r = -0. 100, P <0.05). The bone turnover markers increased with the elevation of the PTH quartiles, with significant differences between the first and the fourth quartile (P <0. 01). Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that age was correlated inversely with CTX, OC and PINP ( beta = -0. 126, -0. 141 and -0. 122, P <0.05) , PTH positively with the three markers (beta = 0. 196, 0.279 and 0.189; P <0. 001), and SHBG negatively with OC ( beta = -0. 100, P <0.05) . CONCLUSION: Aging is the fundamental cause of reduced bone turnover in aged men. The levels serum PTH and SHBG are significantly associated with the biochemical markers of bone turnover.

Clinical and virological characteristics of chronic hepatitis B patients with hepatic steatosis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore clinical and virological characteristics of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients with hepatic steatosis in order to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and control of hepatic steatosis. METHODS: A total of 360 CHB inpatients were recruited from Affiliated Dongnan Hospital of Xiamen University and divided into hepatic steatosis group and non-hepatic steatosis group. The body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg), hepatitis B virus DNA (HBV DNA) and hepatic histological changes were detected and compared between the two groups. The association of these factors with hepatic steatosis was evaluated in CHB patients. RESULTS: BMI, FPG, TG, TC, GGT, AST and HBV DNA showed statistically significant differences between two groups (P<0.01). The patients with hepatic steatosis had markedly higher BMI, FBG, TG and TC than those without steatosis did. No significant differences were found in ALT and HBeAg between two groups (P>0.05). In male patients, there was marked difference in the WHR between two groups (P < 0.01), which was not found in female patients (P > 0.05). The severity of hepatic steatosis increased in patients with hepatic steatosis, compared to those without steatosis (P < 0.01), but the severities of inflammation and fibrosis in the non-hepatic steatosis group were dramatically higher than those in the hepatic steatosis group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: BMI, WHR, FBG, TG and TC appeared to be influencing factors of CHB combined with hepatic steatosis. Hepatic steatosis in CHB patients was closely related to changes in anthropometric indices and metabolic factors but not HBV. It is necessary to improve these factors to effectively prevent hepatic steatosis in CHB patients.

[Risk factors analysis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in Chinese men].

OBJECTIVE: To explore risk factors of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in men in order to provide a theoretical basis for developing more effective NAFLD prevention and control strategies. METHODS: One-hundred-and-two male patients (37.3+/-11.4 years old) hospitalized with NAFLD at the Dongnan Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University between January 2009 and December 2010 were enrolled in the study, along with 23 age-matched healthy men (34.4+/-16.7 years old) to serve as the control group. The correlation(s) of body mass index (BMI; overweight defined as more than or equal to 22.717 kg/m2), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR; central obesity defined as more than or equal to 0.866), fasting plasma glucose (FPG), triglyceride (TG), and total cholesterol (TC) with NAFLD was analyzed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used to select proper thresholds for classification. RESULTS: BMI, WC, WHR, FPG, TG, and TC were significantly different between the cases and controls (P less than 0.01). BMI, WC, WHR, TG and TC were identified as risk factors of NAFLD in these male cases (P less than 0.01). Relative to WC, TG and TC, both BMI and WHR had significant predictive value for NAFLD (odds ratio (OR) = 10.819 and 10.588, respectively). In addition, BMI had the highest diagnostic value for the prediction of NAFLD (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.931) followed by WHR (AUC = 0.879). CONCLUSION: BMI, WC, WHR, TG, and TC are risk factors of NAFLD in Chinese men. BMI and WHR are effective anthroposomatology indices of NAFLD and may be useful factors on which to base future prevention and early diagnosis strategies for NAFLD in males.

Albuminuria independently predicts cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in a middle-aged and elderly Chinese population.

AIM: To investigate the relationship between albuminuria and mortality in a middle-aged-to-elderly Chinese population. METHODS: A total of 2,344 individuals aged over 40 in the same district were interviewed and followed up for 4 years. Information on survival or cause of death was recorded. A total of 2,181 participants with detailed information were finally recruited. Baseline overnight urine samples were obtained to measure urinary albumin and creatinine. The urinary albumin excretion rate was expressed as albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR). Participants were divided into three groups, according to their ACR: normoalbuminuria (ACR < 30 mg/g), microalbuminuria (≥ 30 - < 300 mg/g ACR) and macroalbuminuria (ACR ≥ 300 mg/g). The Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the relationships between albuminuria and cardiovascular and all-cause mortalities. RESULTS: Seventy-seven deaths with known causes were registered. The prevalences of microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria at baseline were 8.3% and 1.6%, respectively. Cardiovascular mortalities in the normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria groups were 2.4, 11.0, and 36.8/1,000 person years (pyrs) respectively, and all-cause mortalities were 6.9, 20.6, and 58.8/1,000 pyrs. After adjusting for confounding factors, the relative risks (RR) of cardiovascular mortality were 2.72 (95% CI, 1.06-4.20) in the microalbuminuria group, and 4.87 (95% CI, 2.46-9.45) in the macroalbuminuria group. Adjusted RRs for all-cause mortality were 2.01 (95% CI, 0.96-4.77) and 3.76 (95% CI, 1.52-7.15) in the two groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Albuminuria is a useful predictor of cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality in the general population.

[Body composition analysis among adults with different body weights].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the characteristics of body composition among male and female adults with different body weights. METHODS: A total of 61 379 healthy adults (39 855 males and 21 527 females) were referred to our health examination center between May 2005 and February 2011. Body mass index (BMI) and body composition contents of fat, water, muscle, protein and mineral salt were measured by anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). The data were analyzed among groups divided by gender, age and BMI. RESULTS: (1) The prevalence of overweight and obesity defined by BMI was significantly higher in the male group than the female of the same age group under 70 years old (all P < 0.01). (2) Within a certain age range (< 60 in males, < 70 in females), the prevalence of both overweight and obesity defined by BMI increased with age (all P < 0.01). (3) The fat mass percentage was significantly higher in females than in males of the same age group. The difference became more and more significant with advancing age. And the most significant difference was found in the upper 70 years old group (fat mass rate of males vs females, 24% ± 7% vs 36% ± 6%, P < 0.01). (4) Body fat mass percentage progressively elevated with increases of BMI while there was a decreasing trend of other body composition contents. The total male subjects had higher percentage of muscle, water and mineral salt than females (percentage of muscle, water and mineral salt of males vs females, 0.708 ± 0.066 vs 0.664 ± 0.063, 0.520 ± 0.044 vs 0.474 ± 0.042, 0.040 ± 0.004 vs 0.036 ± 0.004, all P < 0.01) while the percentage of protein was higher in the total female group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Females has more fat mass than males under the same BMI. So it is more reasonable to introduce adiposity for the evaluation of obesity, especially in females.

[Improvement in left ventricular filling properties after thrombolysis and anticoagulant therapy with heparin for acute pulmonary thromboembolism].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study mainly aimed to evaluate whether thrombolysis and heparin anticoagulation for acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) could improve the abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling induced by acute PTE. METHODS: A total of 71 acute PTE patients (36 males and 35 females; age 64 ± 13 years, range 24 - 87 years) admitted to the emergency intensive care unit of Beijing Anzhen Hospital were consecutively recruited from January of 2006 to June of 2011. Fifty-one age-and gender-matched healthy controls (29 males and 22 females, age 61 ± 9 years, range 31 - 79 years) were also recruited from Health Center during the same period of time. PTE patients were classified into 2 treatment subgroups according to initial therapy, thrombolysis subgroup (n = 37) and direct anticoagulation subgroup with heparin (n = 34). Pre- and post-treatment, trans-thoracic Doppler echocardiography was used to assess left ventricular diameters and diastolic filling patterns. Trans-mitral flow velocities including early (E) and late atrial (A) filling velocities were measured, and E/A ratio was calculated reflecting the relative contribution of early and atrial filling. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, patients with acute PTE had significantly smaller left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (t = 3.629, P < 0.001), lower mitral E velocity and E/A ratio (t = 5.296, 6.510, both P < 0.001), and higher A velocity (t = 3.065, P < 0.01). After initial treatment including thrombolysis and direct anticoagulation with heparin for all patients with acute PTE, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter and end-systolic diameter were enlarged significantly (t = 5.284, 3.983, both P < 0.001), and mitral E velocity and E/A ratio were increased significantly (t = 3.452, 2.604, P < 0.05, respectively). Subgroup analysis revealed that, both thrombolytic therapy and anticoagulation with heparin could significantly enlarge left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (t = 4.145, 3.269, respectively) and end-systolic diameter (t = 4.145, 3.269, respectively, all P < 0.050), and increase mitral E velocity (t = 2.505, 2.492, P < 0.05, respectively). Compared with healthy controls, even after initial treatment with thrombolysis or heparin anticoagulation, PTE patients still showed lower mitral E velocity and E/A ratio (t = 2.615, 3.837, P < 0.05, respectively), and higher A velocity (t = 3.290, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The results strongly suggest that initial treatment for acute PTE with thrombolysis and heparin anticoagulation could improve the abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling induced by acute PTE.

Lethal and sublethal effects of chlorantraniliprole on the migratory moths Agrotis ipsilon and A. segetum: New perspectives for pest management strategies.

BACKGROUND: Agrotis ipsilon and A. segetum are major migratory pests of many crops in China, and frequent regional outbreaks cause severe yield losses. Use of food attractants is one of the most promising control methods against adult lepidoptera, notably through the attract-and-kill strategy. Chlorantraniliprole's acute toxicity and sublethal effects on both moths were evaluated. RESULTS: Chlorantraniliprole showed high activity against both adults of both species, with LC20 and LC50 values of 0.08 and 0.21 mg L-1 (A. ipsilon), and 0.14 and 0.51 mg L-1 (A. segetum). The fecundity, effective oviposition rate, and egg hatching rate of both species in dual-sex exposure treatments were all significantly reduced compared with the control, and the population growth coefficients in the LC50 ♀ × LC50 ♂ treatments were only 0.32% (A. ipsilon) and 3.35% (A. segetum) that of the control. Furthermore, the flight distance was significantly suppressed from 6.67 km (control) to 0.01 km (LC50 ) for A. ipsilon, and from 7.39 km (control) to 0.78 km (LC50 ) for A. segetum. The proportions of robust- and medium-flight individuals of A. ipsilon and A. segetum in exposure treatments were greatly reduced. CONCLUSIONS: Low lethal concentration exposures to chlorantraniliprole can drastically reduce the reproduction and flight performance of A. ipsilon and A. segetum, while inhibiting the production of offspring, suggesting chlorantraniliprole would be an excellent compound for use in combination with food attractants. Chlorantraniliprole has good potential for management of the two long-range migratory pests tested using an attract-and-kill strategy. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Resistance of Lepidopteran Egg Parasitoids, Trichogramma japonicum and Trichogramma chilonis, to Insecticides Used for Control of Rice Planthoppers.

Trichogramma wasps are commonly used as biocontrol agents to manage lepidopteran rice pests in rice fields. However, lepidopteran pests synergistically occur with rice planthoppers which are not targeted by Trichogramma. The use of Trichogramma parasitoids in field-based pest control efforts is greatly affected by the application of insecticides targeting planthoppers. As such, insecticide-resistant strains of Trichogramma are urgently needed for the incorporation of these beneficial natural enemies into integrated pest management programs in rice agroecosystems. In the present study, Trichogramma japonicum Ahmead (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammitidae) and Trichogramma chilonis Ishii (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammitidae) were treated with sublethal doses of four insecticides which target rice planthoppers, to generate tolerant strains in the laboratory. The resistance rate of T. japonicum to imidacloprid was the highest (17.8-folds) after 10 successive treatments and experienced 2.5, 4.72, and 7.41-fold increases in tolerance to thiamethoxam, buprofezin, and nitenpyram, respectively. Tolerance of T. chilonis to imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, buprofezin, and nitenpyram were 8.8, 6.9, 4.43, and 5.67-fold greater, respectively. The emergence and deformity (without spreading wings or short wings) rates of T. japonicum and T. chilonis gradually recovered with an increased exposure time of treatments. The fecundity of T. japonicum treated with thiamethoxam was significantly higher than that of the control and T. chilonis treated with thiamethoxam and nitenpyra. Our results demonstrate that screening for insecticide-tolerant/resistant Trichogramma strains was feasible, especially in the pairing of T. japonicum and imidacloprid, which could provide a valuable biological control tool that can be combined with traditional chemical control strategies for use in IPM of rice agroecosystems.

[Assessment of left ventricular systolic function and diastolic filling characteristics in patients with pulmonary thromboembolism].

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the present study aimed to evaluate the left ventricular systolic function and diastolic filling characteristics in pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). METHODS: A total of 102 patients with PTE, including acute or acute on chronic PTE, were consecutively recruited from January of 2006 to December of 2010. The patients [53 males and 49 females; age (64 ± 14) years, range 23 - 85 years] all underwent Doppler echocardiographic assessment before thrombolytic therapy or within 24 h of hospital admission to the emergency intensive care unit of Beijing Anzhen hospital. Fifty-one age- and gender-matched healthy controls [29 males and 22 females; age (61 ± 9) years, range 31-79 years] were recruited from the Health Center. One hundred and sixty age- and gender-matched coronary artery disease (CAD) patients [90 males and 70 females, age (61 ± 11) years, range 29 - 81 years] with positive coronary artery angiography were also included as controls during the period of January of 2009 through December of 2010. Trans-thoracic Doppler echocardiography was used to assess the trans-mitral filling pattern and left ventricular systolic function in all the subjects. The trans-mitral blood flow peak of early (E) wave less than that of the auricular (A) wave, or the ratio of E/A greater than 2, were defined as abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) greater than 50% was defined as preserved systolic function. The prevalence of abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling and systolic dysfunction were compared with Chi-square test between the PTE patients and the 2 control groups. RESULTS: Tricuspid regurgitation was identified in 72.5% (74/102) of the 102 PTE patients, abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling was detected in 77.5% (79/102) of the PTE patients, and 95.1% (97/102) of the PTE patients had preserved left ventricular systolic function with LVEF of > 50%. Further analysis revealed that the abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling was more frequent in PTE patients with CAD and/or hypertension than in other PTE patients (χ(2) = 5.280, P < 0.05), 85.2% (52/61) and 65.9% (27/41), respectively. Overall, the prevalence of abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling in PTE patients (77.5%, 79/102) was significantly higher than that in healthy controls (25.5%, 13/51, χ(2) = 38.300, P < 0.001), and the fraction of left ventricular systolic dysfunction was significantly lower (4.9%, 5/102) than that in CAD patients (29.4%, 47/160, χ(2) = 23.450, P < 0.001). In the PTE patients with neither CAD nor hypertension, the abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling was still more frequent (65.9%, 27/41) than in healthy controls (25.5%, 13/51, χ(2) = 15.070, P < 0.001), but there was no significant difference when compared with that in CAD patients (73.8%, 118/160, χ(2) = 1.013, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results strongly suggest that abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling constitutes a common and a major form of left ventricular dysfunction in PTE patients. It indicates that enhanced alertness to and early identification of abnormal left ventricular diastolic filling may play an important role in improving prognosis for PTE.

Productivity of Neoseiulus bicaudus (Acari: Phytoseiidae) Reared on Natural Prey, Alternative Prey, and Artificial Diet.

The predatory mite, Neoseiulus bicaudus (Wainstein), is a potential biological control agent against spider mites and thrips. The objective of this experiment was to compare the effects of three diets on the life table of N. bicaudus. The three diets were 1) Tetranychus turkestani (Ugarov & Nikolskii) (Acari: Tetranychidae), the natural prey of N. bicaudus; 2) Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Acari: Acaridae), an alternative prey; and 3) artificial diet primarily consisting of decapsulated shrimp cysts, egg yolk, and honey. The computer simulation was used to project the population growth of N. bicaudus fed on different diets. The preadult developmental time (3.83 d) of N. bicaudus was shortest, and the intrinsic rate of increase (r = 0.2782 d-1) and the net reproductive rate (R0 = 18.98 offspring) were highest when reared on the alternative prey Ty. putrescentiae. The total development time (7.37 d) was longest, and the population parameters were the lowest (r = -0.0081 d-1, R0 = 0.85 offspring) when N. bicaudus was reared on artificial diet. The population projection showed that the population of N. bicaudus reared on Ty. putrescentiae could increase fast. Our results showed that the Ty. putrescentiae was the most suitable prey for mass rearing of N. bicaudus. The artificial diet could not support the N. bicaudus population and needs to be improved.

A molecular detection approach for a cotton aphid-parasitoid complex in northern China.

Aphid-parasitoid interactions have been widely used as a model system in research studies on the structure and functions of arthropod food web. Research on aphid-parasitoid food webs is hindered by their micromorphological characteristics and the high amount of labor associated with their development. Species-specific primers for cotton aphids and their parasitoids were designed and integrated into two multiplex PCRs and six singleplex PCRs, and all PCRs were optimized to achieve high specificity and sensitivity (100-10,000 DNA copies). One cotton aphid (Aphis gossypii) as well as three primary parasitoid and seven hyperparasitoid species or genera were detected using this molecular approach. This group comprises all the primary parasitoids and 97.2-99.6% of the hyperparasitoids reported in cotton fields in northern China. A tritrophic aphid-primary parasitoid-hyperparasitoid food web was then established. The described method constitutes an efficient tool for quantitatively describing the aphid-primary parasitoid-hyperparasitoid food webs and assessing the efficiency of the biological control of parasitoids in cotton fields in northern China.

Simple sequence repeat genetic linkage maps of A-genome diploid cotton (Gossypium arboreum).

This study introduces the construction of the first intraspecific genetic linkage map of the A-genome diploid cotton with newly developed simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers using 189 F(2) plants derived from the cross of two Asiatic cotton cultivars (Gossypium arboreum L.) Jianglingzhongmian x Zhejiangxiaoshanlüshu. Polymorphisms between the two parents were detected using 6 092 pairs of SSR primers. Two-hundred and sixty-eight pairs of SSR primers with better polymorphisms were picked out to analyze the F(2) population. In total, 320 polymorphic bands were generated and used to construct a linkage map with JoinMap3.0. Two-hundred and sixty-seven loci, including three phenotypic traits were mapped at a logarithms of odds ratio (LOD) > or = 3.0 on 13 linkage groups. The total length of the map was 2 508.71 cM, and the average distance between adjacent markers was 9.40 cM. Chromosome assignments were according to the association of linkages with our backbone tetraploid specific map using the 89 similar SSR loci. Comparisons among the 13 suites of orthologous linkage groups revealed that the A-genome chromosomes are largely collinear with the A(t) and D(t) sub-genome chromosomes. Chromosomes associated with inversions suggested that allopolyploidization was accompanied by homologous chromosomal rearrangement. The inter-chromosomal duplicated loci supply molecular evidence that the A-genome diploid Asiatic cotton is paleopolyploid.

[Two-year follow-up for patients with pre-diabetes that reverted to normal glucose in the first year].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the natural outcome in the second year of the patients with impaired glucose regulation (IGR) that reverted to normal glucose tolerance (NGT). METHODS: 463 adults diagnosed as with IGR in the baseline survey based on the criteria of America Diabetic Association 2003 underwent treatment including health education. One and 2 years later blood samples were collected to examine the glucose and lipids. Blood pressure, heart rate, waist, and hip were examined. Questionnaire survey was conducted. RESULTS: One year later 55 of the patients (32.5%) were diagnosed as with isolated impaired glucose tolerance (I-IFG), 86 (50.9%) with I-IGT, and 28 (16.6%) with IFG/IGT at the baseline survey had their diseases reverted to NGT. 53.3% of them remained to be with NGT, 45.6% of them showed the diagnosis transformed into IGR, and the disease in 1.2% of them progressed into diabetes mellitus. In the second year, insulin resistance was significantly relieved and islet beta cell function was significantly improved in the pattern IGR--->NGT-->NGT. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed that fasting plasma glucose (FPG) in the baseline survey and 1 year later were negatively correlated and HBCI were positively correlated with the reversion and maintenance of NGT. In the second year, the ratio of elevated waist circumference, elevated blood pressure, elevated TG, reduced HDL-c, elevated FPG, more than two metabolic abnormalities and metabolic syndrome of the IGR-->NGT-->NGT group were significantly lower than in the IGR-->NGT-->IGR group ( all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: FPG, islet beta cell function and TG can be considered as indicators for reversion from IGR to NGT and maintenance of NGT. Those with less metabolic abnormalities at baseline and with more obvious improvement would be more likely to revert to and maintain NGT.

[Diagnostic value of Blumensaat angle for anterior cruciate ligament injury].

OBJECTIVE: The receiver operator characteristic(ROC) curve was used to determine the best Blumensaat angle for the diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament injury, so as to objectively evaluate the diagnostic value of Blumensaat angle for anterior cruciate ligament injury. METHODS: Total 167 patients who had knee arthroscopic treatment in a hospital from January 2015 to January 2016 were retrospectively studied, and the patients' age, gender, left and right limb condition were recorded. The patients were divided into two groups according to Blumensaat angle measured on the MRI: group A(Blumensaat angle<=0°), and group B(Blumensaat angle >0°). The ROC curve was drawn from the statistical data of the group B to get the best critical value of the anterior cruciate ligament injury when the Blumensaat angle was more than 0°. According to the best critical value obtained by ROC curve, the coincidence rate of the total sample was obtained. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in patients' age, gender, and affected limbs. There were 51 patients in group A, in which 49 patients were diagnosed as anterior cruciate injury under arthroscopy(gold standard for diagnosis of anterior cruciate ligament injury), and 2 patients were diagnosed as no anterior cruciate injury under arthroscopy. When the Blumensaat angle was<0°, the coincidence rate was 96.07%. In group B(116 cases), the area under the ROC curve was 0.910, the best cutoff corresponds to 15°; the sensitivity was 70.0%, and the specificity was 95.8%. When the Blumensaat angle was >=15°, the probability of anterior cruciate ligament injury was greater. When the Blumensaat angle was 0° to 15°, the anterior cruciate ligament was more likely to be not injured. The Blumensaat angle<=0°or>=15° were used to diagnose the injury of anterior cruciate ligament. Compared with the results of arthroscopy, the coincidence rate of the total sample was 92.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Blumensaat angle is helpful to diagnose the ACL injuries. When the Blumensaat angle was <=0° or >=15°, the probability of ACL injury is greater.