Integrated analysis of differentially m6A modified and expressed lncRNAs for biomarker identification in coronary artery disease.

N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is the most prevalent internal RNA modification in mammals. However, limited research has been conducted on the role of m6A in coronary artery disease (CAD). We conducted methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing to obtain a genome-wide profile of m6A-modified long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) in human coronary artery smooth muscle cells either exposed to oxidized low-density lipoprotein treatment or not, and the characteristics of the expression profiles were explored using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analyses. The predictive effects of seven selected lncRNAs on CAD were evaluated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The differentially m6A-modified and expressed lncRNAs related genes were predominantly enriched in small GTPase-mediated signal transduction, ErbB signaling, and Rap1 signaling. Additionally, the expression levels of uc003pes.1, ENST00000422847, and NR_110155 were significantly associated with CAD, with uc003pes.1 identified as an independent risk factor and NR_110155 as an independent protective factor for CAD. NR_110155 and uc003pes.1 in PBMCs have the potential to serve as biomarkers for predicting CAD.

Reproductive concerns and its correlation with fear of recurrence and level of family support in patients of childbearing age with gynecologic malignancies.

BACKGROUND: To discuss the current status of reproductive concerns and its correlation with fear of recurrence and level of family support in patients of childbearing age with gynecologic malignancies. METHODS: A convenient sampling method was used to enroll 188 patients with gynecologic malignancies in Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, and Haian Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from September 2022 to April 2023. Patients were assessed using general information questionnaire, Reproductive Concerns After Cancer Scale (RCAC), Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory (FCRI) questionnaire, and Perceived Social Support-Family (PSS-FA) Scale. RESULTS: Among patients of childbearing age with gynecologic malignancies, the total RCAC score was (54.35 ± 7.52), indicating a moderate level of reproductive concerns. Patients scored (20.98 ± 4.51) on FCRI, implying a moderate level of fear of recurrence. The PSS-FA score was (9.57 ± 2.76), denoting a moderate level of family support. The total score and each dimensional score of RCAC were positively correlated with FCRI total score (P < 0.05), and negatively correlated with PSS-FA total score (P < 0.05). Fear of recurrence, family support level, number of children, educational background, treatment modality, and fertility intention were influencing factors for reproductive concerns in patients of childbearing age with gynecologic malignancies (all P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The reproductive concerns, fear of recurrence and family support are all at moderate levels in patients of childbearing age with gynecologic malignancies, and reproductive concerns are positively correlated with fear of recurrence and negatively correlated with family support.

Pan-Cancer Analysis of the Prognostic and Immunological Role of TOMM40 to Identify Its Function in Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer (BRCA) is currently the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women worldwide. Previous studies have demonstrated that mitophagy is important for the prevention and treatment of BRCA. However, few studies have focused on the individual mitochondrial autophagy-related genes (MARG) in human cancers. Based on bioinformatics analyses, TOMM40 was identified as a prognostic DEMARG (PDEMARGs); Kaplan-Meier (KM) survival analysis also indicates that TOMM40 can be useful as a prognostic indicator in BRCAs, with patients in the high expression group having a poorer prognosis. For 20 distinct cancer kinds, there were appreciable differences in the expression of TOMM40 between tumor and normal tissues; in addition, in 21 different cancer types, there were associations between the expression profile of TOMM40 and patient prognosis. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA), functional enrichment analysis, and immunological and drug sensitivity analyses of TOMM40 have indicated its biological significance in pan-cancers. Knockdown of TOMM40 in MDA-MB-231 cells inhibited their proliferation, migration, and invasiveness. In conclusion, we found that TOMM40 has prognostic value in 21 cancers, including breast cancer, by bioinformatics analysis. Based on immune correlation analysis, TOMM40 may also be a potential immunotherapeutic target for the treatment of BRCA. Therefore, our results may provide researchers to further explore the role of MARGs, especially TOMM40, in the developmental process of breast cancer, which may provide new directions and targets for the improvement of prognosis of breast cancer patients and their treatment.

Design, synthesis and activity evaluation of pseudilin analogs against cyanobacteria as IspD inhibitors.

The discovery of safe, effective, and selective chemical algicides is the stringent need for the algicides development, and it is also one of the effective routes to control cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms and to meet the higher requirements of environmental and ecological. In this work, a series of novel bromo-N-phenyl-5-o-hydroxyphenylpyrazole-3-carboxyamides were rationally designed as pseudilin analogs by bioisosteric replacement and molecular hybridization strategies, in which the pyrrole unit of pseudilin was replaced with pyrazole and further combined with the dominant structural fragments of algicide diuron. The synthesis was carried out by a facile four-step routeincluding cyclization, amidation, transanulation, and halogenation. The biological activity evaluation on AtIspD, EcIspD, Synechocystis sp. PCC6803 and Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB905 revealed that most compounds had good EcIspD and excellent cyanobacteria inhibitory activity. In particular, compound 6bb exhibited potent algicidal activity against PCC6803 and FACHB905 with EC50 = 1.28 µM and 0.37 µM, respectively, 1.4-fold and 4.0-fold enhancement compared to copper sulfate (EC50 = 1.79 and 1.49 µM, respectively), and it also showed the best inhibitory activity of EcIspD. The binding of 6bb to EcIspD was explored by molecular docking, and it was confirmed that 6bb could bind to the EcIspD active site. Compound 6bb was proven to be a potential structure for the further development of novel algicides that targets IspD in the MEP pathway.

Risk factors for acute postoperative hypertension in non-cardiac major surgery: a case control study.

PURPOSE: Acute postoperative hypertension (APH) is a common complication during the anesthesia recovery period that can lead to adverse outcomes, including cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents. Identification of risk factors for APH will allow for preoperative optimization and appropriate perioperative management. This study aimed to identify risk factors for APH. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective single-center study, 1,178 cases were included. Data was entered by two investigators, and consistency analysis was performed by another. Patients were divided into APH and non-APH groups. A predictive model was built by multivariate stepwise logistic regression. The predictive ability of the logistic regression model was tested by drawing the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calculating the area under the curve (AUC). Hosmer and Lemeshow goodness-of-fit (GOF) test was performed to reflect the goodness of fit of the model. Calibration curve was created to represent the relationship between predicted risk and observed frequency. Sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate the robustness of the results. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that age over 65 years (OR = 3.07, 95% CI: 2.14 ~ 4.42, P < 0.001), female patients (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.02 ~ 1.84, P = 0.034), presence of intraoperative hypertension (OR = 2.15, 95% CI: 1.57 ~ 2.95, P < 0.001), and use of propofol in PACU (OR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.49 ~ 3.06, P < 0.001) were risk factors for APH. Intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine (OR = 0.66, 95% CI: 0.49 ~ 0.89, P = 0.007) was a protective factor. Higher baseline SBP (OR = 0.90, 95% CI: 0.89 ~ 0.92, P < 0.001) also showed some correlation with APH. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of acute postoperative hypertension increased with age over 65 years, female patients, intraoperative hypertension and restlessness during anesthesia recovery. Intraoperative use of dexmedetomidine was a protective factor for APH.

Identification of circular RNA BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 as a novel biomarker for coronary artery disease and the functional discovery of BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 based on peripheral blood mononuclear cells: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 is a novel circRNA and contains conserved binding sites with RNA-binding proteins. However, BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 has not been fully studied in coronary artery disease (CAD). We aimed to clarify the diagnostic value and the possible functional role of BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 in CAD. METHODS: A total of 276 human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) samples were employed. The circularization of BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 was verified via Sanger sequencing. The expression level of BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 in CAD samples and control individuals was analysed via qRT-PCR. The diagnostic potential of BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 was evaluated using Spearman's analysis, univariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis, and receiver-operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. ChIRP-MS was performed to directly explore the proteins bound to BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563. Bioinformatic analysis was conducted to investigate the possible functions and interactions of proteins bound to BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563. RESULTS: In the present study, BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 was verified as a circular RNA in the PBMCs of CAD patients. The expression level of BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 in the CAD group was significantly lower than that in the control group. The area under the ROC curve was 0.690. ChIRP-MS found seven proteins that were directly bound to BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563. Bioinformatic analysis of these seven proteins showed that the mitophagy and DNA repair pathways were enriched. These proteins interacted with each other to a certain extent. CONCLUSION: BTBD7_hsa_circ_0000563 may be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of CAD and may influence the initiation and progression of CAD. These studies may reveal new possibilities for the diagnosis and treatment of CAD.

Cu(II)-Mediated aerobic oxidative synthesis of sulfonated chromeno[4,3-c]pyrazol-4(2H)-ones.

Herein, starting with propiolates and sulfonyl hydrazides, we developed a concise and facile synthesis of 2-sulfonylated chromeno [4,3-c]pyrazol-4(2H)-ones or 2,5-dihydro-4H-pyrazolo[4,3-c]quinolin-4-ones via Cu(II)-promoted oxidative cascade C-C/C-N bond formation. This protocol has the advantages of atom economy and good functional group tolerance. The primary mechanism studies indicate that the reaction involves a free-radical process as well as terminal alkyne C-H activation.

Nonlinear relationship with saturation effect observed between neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and atherosclerosis in a health examination population: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The relationships between inflammatory indexes and atherosclerosis as well as those between blood lipid indexes and atherosclerosis have been widely studied, but the relationship between the neutrophil to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (NHR) and atherosclerosis had not been investigated until the present study. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, we continuously collected data from a health examination population in the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University from January 2012 to December 2017 (N = 1978). The collected data included clinical data, hematological indexes, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (Ba-PWV). Atherosclerosis was defined as Ba-PWV ≥ 1400 cm/s. The relationship between the NHR and atherosclerosis was explored via univariate regression analysis, multivariate regression analysis, smoothing function analysis, and analysis of a threshold saturation effect. RESULTS: Among 1978 participants, the mean age was 54 years, 1189 participants (60.11%) were male, and 1103 (55.76%) had a history of atherosclerosis. Univariate analysis showed a positive association between the NHR and atherosclerosis [odds ratio (OR) = 1.19, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.27, P < 0.01], and this positive association remained significant on multivariate analyses with adjustments for confounding factors (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06-1.24, P < 0.01). Generalized additive model results revealed a non-linear relationship with a saturation effect between the NHR and atherosclerosis, with a threshold at 3.32. At values ≤ 3.32, the NHR was positively associated with atherosclerosis, but the association was not statistically significant for values > 3.32. CONCLUSION: A nonlinear relationship with a certain saturation effect was observed between the NHR and atherosclerosis in a health examination population.

The overestimated prevalence of hypertension in a population survey: a cross-sectional study from Hebei province, China.

OBJECTIVE: Currently, the prevalence of hypertension is mainly ascertained using a one-visit population survey, which may lead to overestimation. The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of hypertension prevalence determined by a one-visit population survey. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, we continuously enrolled 1116 volunteers without a hypertension history in Hebei province from January 2018 to December 2019. The study population included 511 (45.80%) males and 605 (54.20%) females with a mean age of 48 years. The hypertension prevalence was assessed using two methods: one-visit screening and daytime ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring. We directly compared the performances of daytime ambulatory BP monitoring and one-visit screening in the same group of subjects. In addition, we explored possible thresholds to improve the detection of hypertension. RESULTS: During the one-visit survey, the mean BP value was about 8 mmHg higher than that determined by daytime ambulatory BP monitoring. The prevalence of hypertension was 29.84% and 14.07% during the one-visit and daytime multiple visit surveys, respectively. The risk factors for overestimated hypertension were female sex, body mass index < 24.00 kg/m2, and diastolic BP of 100 mmHg. The positive predictive value of the one-visit population survey for diagnosing hypertension was 36.34%. Furthermore, receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that in males, the best diagnostic threshold for hypertension diagnosis was 148/96 mmHg. CONCLUSION: The hypertension prevalence was likely overestimated by 2-fold in the one-visit survey group compared to the daytime ambulatory BP monitoring group. Thus, the threshold for one-visit BP screening should be raised to 148/96 mmHg to improve the accuracy of hypertension diagnosis.

Pupil maximum constriction velocity predicts post-induction hypotension in patients with lower ASA status: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Individuals affected by autonomic dysfunction are at a higher risk of developing hypotension following anesthesia induction. Dynamic pupillometry has previously been employed as a means of assessing autonomic function. This prospective observational study was developed to determine whether pupillary light reflex (PLR) parameters can reliably predict post-induction hypotension (PIH). METHODS: This study enrolled patients with lower ASA status (I-II) undergoing elective surgery. PLR recordings for these patients prior to anesthesia induction were made with an infrared pupil camcorder, with a computer being used to assess Average Constriction Velocity (ACV), Maximum Constriction Velocity (MCV), and Constriction Ratio (CR). PIH was defined by a > 30% reduction in mean arterial pressure (MAP) or any MAP recording < 65 mmHg for at least 1 min from the time of induction until 10 minutes following intubation. Patients were stratified into PIH and non-PIH groups based on whether or not they developed hypotension. RESULTS: This study enrolled 61 total patients, of whom 31 (50.8%) exhibited one or more hypotensive episodes. Patients in the PIH group exhibited significantly smaller ACV (P = 0.003) and MCV values (P < 0.001), as well as a higher CR (P = 0.003). Following adjustment for certain factors (Model 2), MCV was identified as a protective factor for PIH (Odds Ratio: 0.369). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses revealed that relative to CR (AUC: 0.695, 95% CI: 0.563-0.806; P = 0.004), the reciprocal of MCV (1/MCV) offered greater value as a predictor of PIH (AUC: 0.803,95%CI: 0.681-0.894; P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that pupil maximum constriction velocity is a reliable predictor of post-induction hypotension in individuals of ASA I-II status undergoing elective surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2200057164, registration date: 01/03/2022).

Characteristics of circular RNAs expression of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in humans with coronary artery disease.

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) function as promising biomarkers and therapeutic targets for coronary artery disease due to their high stability, covalently closed structure, and potential gene regulation. We aimed to identify the expression profile and role of circular RNAs (circRNAs) in coronary artery disease (CAD). We performed RNA sequence analysis of circRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of five patients with CAD and five controls. Bioinformatics analyses were adopted to explore biological functions of differentially expressed circRNAs. The miRanda and TargetScan tools were used to predict the microRNA (miRNA)-targeting interactions and to construct a triple network of differentially expressed gene-circRNA-miRNA-mRNA. In total, 13,160 downregulated and 12,905 upregulated circRNAs were identified in CAD. A gene ontology annotation analysis showed that genes in the network were involved in organelle organization, cell cycle, mitotic cycle, and cellular metabolic process. Parental genes of the 10 dysregulated circRNAs were involved in metabolism and protein modification, and these circRNAs might regulate gene expression associated with CAD via miRNA sponges. As potential competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs), dysregulated circRNAs may be involved in the pathogenesis of CAD, which provides new insights into the diagnosis and prognosis of coronary artery disease.

Detection of Early Vascular Atherosclerosis in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Using Ultrasound Radiofrequency-Data Technique.

OBJECTIVES: To quantitatively evaluate changes in vascular elasticity and intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) with Ultrasound radiofrequency (RF)-data technology in asymptomatic patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-seven T2DM patients and 39 controls were enrolled. Arterial elasticity and CCA-IMT were quantitatively assessed by RF-data technology. The CCA diameters in the diastolic and systolic phases, carotid distensibility (CD), IMT, values of stiffness (ß) and local pulse wave velocity (PWVß) were measured and compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The T2DM group had significantly larger CCA diastolic and systolic diameter, lower CD values, higher IMT measurements (all p < 0.001), and higher values of ß and PWVß (all P < 0.05) than the controls. Significant differences were not revealed in the mean values of IMT, ß, PWVß and CD across both sides of the CCA (all P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Higher IMT measurement and lower arterial elasticity of the CCA are significantly pronounced in asymptomatic T2DM patients and may suggest atherosclerotic changes, and the ultrasound RF-data technique may be used as a potential approach for detection of early-stage atherosclerosis.

Effect of hyperbaric oxygen combined with alprostadil in the treatment of elderly diabetic nephropathy and effects on serum miR-126 and miR-342 levels.

This study aims to investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen combined with alprostadil in the treatment of elderly diabetic nephropathy (DN) and its effect on serum miR-126 and miR-342 levels. The total effective rate of the study group was 91.53% after treatment, which was higher than that (74.58%) of the control group (p<0.05); the levels of UAER, Scr, BUN and HbA1c, FPG, 2h PG were lowered in the two groups after treatment, and the levels of these indexes were lower in the study group than those in the control group (p<0.05); the levels of vWF, ET-1, CD8+, miR-342 were lowered after treatment for the two groups, and the levels of these indexes were lower in the study group than those in the control group; the levels of NO, CD3+, CD4+ and miR-126 were increased after treatment and the levels were higher in the study group than those in the control group (p<0.05). The application of hyperbaric oxygen combined with alprostadil in the treatment of elderly DN patients can improve renal function, lower blood glucose, improve vascular endothelial function and immune function, adjust serum miR-126 and miR-342 levels, thereby increasing curative effect.

The effectiveness of quarantine of Wuhan city against the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A well-mixed SEIR model analysis.

A novel coronavirus pneumonia, first identified in Wuhan City and referred to as COVID-19 by the World Health Organization, has been quickly spreading to other cities and countries. To control the epidemic, the Chinese government mandated a quarantine of the Wuhan city on January 23, 2020. To explore the effectiveness of the quarantine of the Wuhan city against this epidemic, transmission dynamics of COVID-19 have been estimated. A well-mixed "susceptible exposed infectious recovered" (SEIR) compartmental model was employed to describe the dynamics of the COVID-19 epidemic based on epidemiological characteristics of individuals, clinical progression of COVID-19, and quarantine intervention measures of the authority. Considering infected individuals as contagious during the latency period, the well-mixed SEIR model fitting results based on the assumed contact rate of latent individuals are within 6-18, which represented the possible impact of quarantine and isolation interventions on disease infections, whereas other parameter were suppose as unchanged under the current intervention. The present study shows that, by reducing the contact rate of latent individuals, interventions such as quarantine and isolation can effectively reduce the potential peak number of COVID-19 infections and delay the time of peak infection.

Association between circular RNA expression content and severity of coronary atherosclerosis in human coronary artery.

BACKGROUND: Circular RNAs (circRNAs) may act as biomarkers of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the relationship between expression characteristics of circRNAs and coronary atherosclerosis has not been fully explored. The aim of this study was to determine and characterize the circRNAs from human coronary artery. METHODS: The coronary artery segments were obtained from an 81-year-old male patient with sudden death of myocardial infarction at autopsy. The coronary stenosis and atherosclerosis were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, and the circRNAs expression profile was characterized by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). The differentially expressed circRNAs were validated by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: The analysis of H&E staining indicated that coronary atherosclerosis grade and extent in the LM was more serious than that in other coronary arteries. Twenty-seven circRNAs were selected for expression validation in coronary artery. CircRNAs corresponding cyclization sites of 3 circRNAs (hsa_circ_0016868, hsa_circ_0001364, hsa_circ_0006731) have been verified by Sanger sequencing. CONCLUSION: The 3 circRNAs are suggested to play a pathological role underlying the coronary arteries atherosclerosis and may serve as a valuable resource as diagnostic or therapeutic targets against CAD.

Wintertime Optical Properties of Primary and Secondary Brown Carbon at a Regional Site in the North China Plain.

The light-absorbing properties of atmospheric brown carbon (BrC) are poorly understood due to its complex chemical composition. Here, a black-carbon-tracer method was coupled with source apportionments of organic aerosol (OA) to explore the light-absorbing properties of primary and secondary BrC from the North China Plain (NCP). Primary emissions of BrC contributed more to OA light absorption than secondary processes, and biomass burning OA accounted for 60% of primary BrC absorption at λ = 370 nm, followed by coal combustion OA (35%) and hydrocarbon-like OA (5%). Secondary BrC absorption was high in the early morning and later decreased due to the bleaching of chromophores. Nighttime aqueous-phase chemistry promoted the formation of secondary light-absorbing compounds and the production of strongly absorbing particles. Source analysis showed that the NCP region was the most important source for primary and secondary BrC subtypes at the study site. The mean direct radiative forcing for BrC was 0.15 W m-2 (0.11 W m-2 and 0.04 W m-2 for the primary and secondary fractions, respectively). This study provides new information on the optical properties of primary and secondary BrC and highlights the importance of atmospheric oxidation on BrC absorption.

Elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein combined with procalcitonin predicts high risk of contrast-induced nephropathy after percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) is common after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and always leads to a poor prognosis. Compared with conventional detection methods, either high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) or procalcitonin have higher sensitivity and specificity for predicting CIN, but their combination has not been explored. This prospective study investigated the value of hs-CRP combined with procalcitonin for predicting CIN after PCI. METHODS: All patients undergoing PCI admitted to our hospital during the year 2016 were consecutively enrolled (n = 343). The patients received adequate hydration before PCI and 20 mg furosemide after the procedure. CIN was diagnosed by a 25% elevation in serum creatinine or ≥ 44.2 µmol/L (0.5 mg/dL) serum creatinine within 48 to 72 h after intravenous injection of contrast media. RESULTS: Patients with high hs-CRP or procalcitonin had higher rates of CIN relative to those patients with low values. For predicting CIN, hs-CRP combined with procalcitonin showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.67, with optimal cut-off value 0.0643610, and the sensitivity and specificity were higher than hs-CRP or procalcitonin alone. The logistic regression analysis showed that high-risk factors of CIN were acute myocardial infarction and highly elevated hsCRP and procalcitonin. CONCLUSIONS: Prior to PCI, an elevation of the inflammatory biomarkers hsCRP and procalcitonin are a risk factor for postoperative CIN. This study suggests that the combination of hsCRP and procalcitonin is a better predictor of CIN after PCI then either hsCRP or procalcitonin alone. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR-IOR-14005250. Date of registration 2014-09-24.

Exploring the impact of chemical composition on aerosol light extinction during winter in a heavily polluted urban area of China.

An intensive measurement campaign was conducted in Xi'an, China from December 2012-January 2013 to investigate the chemical composition, formation, and optical properties of PM1. The PM1 mass concentration (average = 138.8 ±â€¯83.2 µg m-3) accounted for ∼50% of the PM2.5 mass. Organic aerosols (OA) and secondary inorganic aerosols (SIA) were the most abundant PM1 components, contributing 53.0% and 35.0% to the mass, respectively. Both primary emissions and aqueous-phase oxidation of secondary aerosols played roles in the pollution episodes. The average light scattering and absorption coefficients during the campaign were 805 ±â€¯581 Mm-1 and 123 ±â€¯96 Mm-1, respectively. Both the mass scattering and mass absorption efficiencies for PM1 were higher than that for PM2.5-1, indicating stronger ability of light extinction for the smaller particles at visible wavelengths compared with the larger ones. The contributions of aerosol species to light extinction coefficients under two visibility conditions were estimated based on multiple linear regression models, and the OA was found to be the largest contributor to light extinction in both cases. A larger contribution of SIA to light extinction for visibility <5 km demonstrated its greater impacts on visibility during heavy pollution conditions. These findings provide insights into the importance of submicron particles for pollution and visibility degradation in northwestern China.

Inverse correlation between left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and contrast-induced nephropathy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.

BACKGROUND: There is a rising incidence of contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN), which is defined as either a 25% relative increase or an absolute increase of 0.5 mg/dL (44.2 µmol/L) in the serum creatinine (Scr) level at 48-72 h after administration of iodinated contrast media (CM). We investigated the relationship between left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) and CIN in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A total of 431 consecutive patients with coronary artery disease undergoing PCI were divided into four groups based on LVEDP quartile cut-off points. Enrolled patients were given continuous intravenous infusion of normal saline starting 4 h before PCI and lasting 24 h. At the end of hydration administration, 20 mg furosemide was slowly injected intravenously. Serum creatinine (Scr), creatinine clearance rate (Ccr), and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were detected before and after PCI. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the incidences of CIN in the four groups: 10.25% in the Q1 group, 5.55% in the Q2 group, 5.31% in the Q3 group, and 1.06% in the Q4 group (P < 0.05). With increasing LVEDP, the incidence of CIN decreased significantly (OR 0.581, 95% CI 0.367-0.920). Received operating characteristic curve analysis of the predictive value of LVEDP for CIN produced area under the curve values was 0.641, with a sensitivity of 74.1% and specificity of 48%. The optimal LVEDP cut-off for the occurrence of CIN was 14.5 mmHg. CONCLUSIONS: LVEDP correlated inversely with CIN in patients undergoing PCI.

Increased prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms in patients with coronary artery disease before and after percutaneous coronary intervention treatment.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that coronary heart disease (CHD) is associated with increased anxiety and a high incidence of comorbid anxiety and depression. However, the association between percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and comorbid anxiety and depression has not been previously investigated. This study aims to determine the relationship between PCI and anxiety and depression symptoms in CHD patients in terms of the occurrence, prone factors, and long-term outcomes of CHD. METHODS: One hundred seventy CHD patients who underwent PCI treatment between September 2013 and February 2014 at the Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University were randomly selected. All patients independently completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and a preoperative questionnaire; they also provided details regarding their PCI-related concerns one day before PCI, as well as one day and one, three, six, and 12 months after PCI. RESULTS: PCI treatment was significantly associated with the symptoms of anxiety, depression, affective disorders, and comorbid anxiety and depression (χ(2) = 90.18, 54.45, 101.59, 64.83; p < 0.01) at each follow-up time point. Moreover, PCI treatment was linearly correlated with each of these psychological issues (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of anxiety, depression, and comorbid anxiety and depression symptoms significantly increases one day before and after PCI treatment; however, the incidence of these psychological issues significantly decreases with time following PCI. A low level of education, apprehension with regard to nursing quality, potential cardiac dysfunction, surgery sequelae, and surgery failure are also associated with a high prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms.