The relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms in FGID patients and D-type personality and emotion regulation strategies.

This study examines the relationship between gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and type D personality traits, as well as emotion regulation strategies. Analyzing a diverse group of FGID patients, we uncover significant effects of gender and age on gastrointestinal symptoms. Negative Affectivity emerges as a key predictor, positively associated with symptom severity, whereas Social Inhibition correlates negatively with Abdominal Pain. Additionally, our findings suggest that the expressive suppression strategy predicts heightened gastrointestinal symptoms, whereas cognitive reappraisal predicts lower levels of certain symptoms. These findings provide valuable insights for precise diagnosis and tailored treatments of FGIDs. Further research is warranted to explore underlying mechanisms and inform evidence-based interventions.

[Determination of 12 prohibited veterinary drug residues in pig urine by ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry].

A method was established for the simultaneous detection of 12 prohibited veterinary drugs, including ß2-receptor agonists, nitrofuran metabolites, nitroimidazoles, chlorpromazine, and chloramphenicol, in pig urine. The sample was pretreated by enzymolysis, acid hydrolysis/derivatization, and liquid-liquid extraction combined with solid-phase extraction. Detection was performed using ultra high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Ammonium acetate solution (0.2 mol/L, 4.5 mL) and ß-glucuronidase/aryl sulfatase (40 µL) were added to the sample, which was subsequently enzymolized at 37 ℃ for 2 h. Then, 1.5 mL of 1.0 mol/L hydrochloric acid solution and 100 µL of 0.1 mol/L o-nitrobenzaldehyde solution were added to the sample. The mixture was incubated at 37 ℃ for 16 h, and the analytes were extracted with 8 mL of ethyl acetate by liquid-liquid extraction. The lower aqueous phase obtained after extraction was extracted and purified using a mixed cation-exchange solid-phase extraction column. The extracts were combined, the extraction solution was blow-dried with nitrogen, and the residue was redissolved for determination. The samples were analyzed under multiple-reaction monitoring mode with both positive and negative electrospray ionization, and quantified using an isotope internal standard method. The correlation coefficients (r) of the 12 compounds were >0.99. The limits of detection (LODs) and quantification (LOQs) of chloramphenicol were 0.05 and 0.1 µg/L, respectively, and the LODs and LOQs of the other compounds were 0.25 and 0.5 µg/L, respectively. The mean recoveries and RSDs at 1, 2, and 10 times the LOQ were 83.6%-115.3% and 2.20%-12.34%, respectively. The proposed method has the advantages of high sensitivity, good stability, and accurate quantification; thus, it is suitable for the simultaneous determination of the 12 prohibited veterinary drug residues in pig urine.

Effects of grazing on soil water recharge of rehabilitated grassland under natural rainfall on the Loess Pla-teau, Northwest China.

Rainfall is critical to the regulation of slope runoff and soil water recharge. Grazing affects land cover and soil structure, with consequence on slope runoff generation and soil water recharge. Little attention has been paid to the effects of rainfall on soil water recharge caused by grazing. In this study, we examined land covers and soil water contents under different grazing intensities (G1-G5: 2.2, 3.0, 4.2, 6.7, 16.7 sheep·hm-2) and no grazing sites (NG), aiming to analyze soil water recharge under natural rainfall conditions after grazing. The results showed that grazing exerted significant effects on vegetation and biocrust coverage. The vegetation coverage was decreased by 8.3%-16.4% under G1-G5 grazing, while the biocrust coverage was increased by 106.9% under G2 grazing compared to NG. The soil surface roughness under G1-G5 grazing was increased by 53.1%-152.5%, and the thickness of biocrust was decreased by 24.1% under G5. Soil wetting front velocity decreased with increasing rainfall intensity, and that of 0-5 cm layer under the G2 grazing intensity decreased by 60.0% to 83.3% under rainfall between 18.0 mm and 70.3 mm compared to NG. The effect of grazing on soil wetting front velocity was significantly related to biocrust coverage and soil bulk density of 0-5 cm soil layer. Generally, grazing did not affect soil water recharge rates of the slope grassland on the Loess Plateau. G2 grazing may prolong the migration time of soil water in the surface layer by increasing the coverage of cyanobacteria biocrusts, which may be beneficial to the restoration of soil microenvironment. Our results provided scientific basis for water management in the enclosure grassland of the Loess Plateau in the "post-conversion era".

Glucose Biosensor Based on Glucose Oxidase Immobilized on BSA Cross-Linked Nanocomposite Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode.

Glucose sensors based blood glucose detection are of great significance for the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes because diabetes has aroused wide concern in the world. In this study, bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used to cross-link glucose oxidase (GOD) on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) modified by a composite of hydroxy fullerene (HFs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and protected with a glutaraldehyde (GLA)/Nafion (NF) composite membrane to prepare a novel glucose biosensor. The modified materials were analyzed by UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The prepared MWCNTs-HFs composite has excellent conductivity, the addition of BSA regulates MWCNTs-HFs hydrophobicity and biocompatibility, and better immobilizes GOD on MWCNTs-HFs. MWCNTs-BSA-HFs plays a synergistic role in the electrochemical response to glucose. The biosensor shows high sensitivity (167 µA·mM-1·cm-2), wide calibration range (0.01-3.5 mM), and low detection limit (17 µM). The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant Kmapp is 119 µM. Additionally, the proposed biosensor has good selectivity and excellent storage stability (120 days). The practicability of the biosensor was evaluated in real plasma samples, and the recovery rate was satisfactory.

MWCNTs-CTAB and HFs-Lac Nanocomposite-Modified Glassy Carbon Electrode for Rutin Determination.

Rutin is a flavonoid glycoside compound, which is mainly transported via the blood circulation system in the human body. The monitoring of the blood concentration of rutin is of great significance in many fields such as pharmacology and pharmacokinetics. In this work, a biosensor based on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), hydroxyl fullerenes (HFs), and laccase (Lac) nanocomposite-modified glassy carbon electrodes was constructed. The modified materials were characterized with a transmission electron microscope (TEM), cyclic voltammograms (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). CTAB is used to disperse MWCNTs and improve hydrophilicity and biocompatibility of MWCNTs, while the use of Lac can enhance the oxidation of catechol structure in rutin, thus significantly improving the sensitivity and selectivity of the modified electrode. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) studies showed that the determination linear ranges of rutin were 0.1 µmol L-1 to 2 µmol L-1 and 2 µmol L-1 to 11 µmol L-1, with the determination limits of 30 nmol L-1 and 95.5 nmol L-1, respectively. The proposed biosensor can be used to detect rutin tablets and serum samples with high recovery, which indicates a good accuracy of this method, and the results are consistent with those measured by the traditional ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) method. Hence, this biosensor has potential practical application value in rutin drug quality testing and clinical blood drug concentration monitoring.

Aberrant Volume-Wise and Voxel-Wise Concordance Among Dynamic Intrinsic Brain Activity Indices in Parkinson's Disease: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Researches using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) have applied different regional measurements to study the intrinsic brain activity (IBA) of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Most previous studies have only examined the static characteristics of IBA in patients with PD, neglecting the dynamic features. We sought to explore the concordance between the dynamics of different rs-fMRI regional indices. This study included 31 healthy controls (HCs) and 57 PD patients to calculate the volume-wise (across voxels) and voxel-wise (across periods) concordance using a sliding time window approach. This allowed us to compare the concordance of dynamic alterations in frequently used metrics such as degree centrality (DC), global signal connectivity (GSC), voxel-mirrored heterotopic connectivity (VMHC), the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF), and regional homogeneity (ReHo). We analyzed the changes of concordance indices in the PD patients and investigated the relationship between aberrant concordance values and clinical/neuropsychological assessments in the PD patients. We found that, compared with the HCs, the PD patients had lower volume concordance in the whole brain and lower voxel-wise concordance in the posterior cerebellar lobe, cerebellar tonsils, superior temporal gyrus, and supplementary motor region. We also found negative correlations between these concordance alterations and patients' age. The exploratory results contribute to a better understanding of IBA alterations and pathophysiological mechanisms in PD.

[Effects of grazing on soil organic carbon stocks in the revegetated grasslands on the Loess Plateau, China]. / 放牧对黄土高原退耕草地土壤有机碳储量的影响.

Grazing is an important driving factor for soil carbon sequestration in grasslands. The objective of this study was to clarify the effects of grazing and its intensity on soil organic carbon stocks (SOCS) in the revegetated grasslands in the Loess Plateau region. With the grasslands excluded from grazing ＞20 years as the control, we investigated the SOCS in the 0-20 cm soil layer in three grazing intensities in the west, middle, and east of wind-water erosion crisscross region and the water erosion region. The intensity of grazing in the study was represented by the number of goat dung in the sampling sites, which included 0-10, 10-20, and more than 20 goat dung·m-2, respectively. Results showed that grazing significantly affected SOCS in the 0-20 cm soil layer in the west of crisscross region, 0-10 cm soil layer in the east of crisscross region, and 0-5 cm soil layer in the water erosion region. There was no significant effect in each soil layer in the middle of crisscross region. Only in the west of crisscross region, the SOCS in the grazing intensity of 0-10 and ＞20 goat dung·m-2 significantly decreased by 34.8%-50.9%, whereas the SOCS in each grazing intensity was not different from that in the enclosure in the other three regions. The SOCS was mainly affected by grazing intensity in the east of crisscross region and by soil physical and chemical properties and (or) litter biomass in the other three regions. In conclusion, grazing intensity of 10-20 goat dung·m-2 did not affect SOCS in the 0-20 cm soil layer in the revegetated grassland on the Loess Plateau, China.

Incremental predictive value of left atrial strain and left atrial appendage function in rhythm outcome of non-valvular atrial fibrillation patients after catheter ablation.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to develop a non-invasive and convenient nomogram based on speckle tracking echocardiography, left atrial appendage function and clinical factors to predict the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after catheter ablation. METHODS: A total of 124 prospectively consecutive patients with AF treated with catheter ablation in our hospital was retrospectively analysis. Baseline echocardiographic parameters were measured by using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography before ablation. Multivariate analysis was performed for selecting predictors for a nomogram and internal validation and calibration were evaluated by the bootstep method. RESULTS: During the follow-up of 12±3 months, 41 patients (33.1%) occurred AF recurrence after catheter ablation, while 83 patients (66.9%) had maintained sinus rhythm. Four predictors (AF type, left atrial appendage emptying flow velocity, left Atrial maximal volumes index and global longitudinal strain) with the P<0.5 was selected into the nomogram according to multivariate findings. Internal validation by bootstrapping with 1000 resamples was determined C-index of the nomogram for prediction AF recurrence was 0.901, which showed optimal discrimination and calibration of the established nomogram. CONCLUSIONS: Nomogram based on echocardiography and clinical characteristics had good predictive performance for the possibility of AF recurrence, which providing practical guidance for individualised management of patients with AF after catheter ablation.

Motor Symptom Lateralization Influences Cortico-Striatal Functional Connectivity in Parkinson's Disease.

Objective: The striatum is unevenly impaired bilaterally in Parkinson's disease (PD). Because the striatum plays a key role in cortico-striatal circuits, we assume that lateralization affects cortico-striatal functional connectivity in PD. The present study sought to evaluate the effect of lateralization on various cortico-striatal circuits through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods: Thirty left-onset Parkinson's disease (LPD) patients, 27 right-onset Parkinson's disease (RPD) patients, and 32 normal controls with satisfactory data were recruited. Their demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological information was collected. Resting-state fMRI was performed, and functional connectivity changes of seven subdivisions of the striatum were explored in the two PD groups. In addition, the associations between altered functional connectivity and various clinical and neuropsychological characteristics were analyzed by Pearson's or Spearman's correlation. Results: Directly comparing the LPD and RPD patients demonstrated that the LPD patients had lower FC between the left dorsal rostral putamen and the left orbitofrontal cortex than the RPD patients. In addition, the LPD patients showed aberrant functional connectivity involving several striatal subdivisions in the right hemisphere. The right dorsal caudate, ventral rostral putamen, and superior ventral striatum had decreased functional connectivity with the cerebellum and parietal and occipital lobes relative to the normal control group. The comparison between RPD patients and the controls did not obtain significant difference in functional connectivity. The functional connectivity between the left dorsal rostral putamen and the left orbitofrontal cortex was associated with contralateral motor symptom severity in PD patients. Conclusions: Our findings provide new insights into the distinct characteristics of cortico-striatal circuits in LPD and RPD patients. Lateralization of motor symptoms is associated with lateralized striatal functional connectivity.

Abnormal Spontaneous Brain Activity in Left-Onset Parkinson Disease: A Resting-State Functional MRI Study.

Objective: Motor asymmetry is characteristic in Parkinson disease (PD). This phenomenon is originated from uneven degeneration of bilateral substantia nigra. However, this asymmetry may not restrict to substantia nigra or striatum. We aimed to determine the effect of asymmetry on spontaneous brain activity across the whole brain. Methods: We consecutively recruited 71 patients with PD, as well as 35 healthy controls, and collected relevant demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological information. The PD patients were divided into two groups according to the side of motor symptom onset. All the participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, and spontaneous brain activity was assessed using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). The associations between areas showing significant group differences and various clinical and neuropsychological measures were analyzed. Results: Finally, the data of 30 PD patients with left-onset (LPD), 27 PD patients with right-onset (RPD), and 32 healthy controls were obtained. The three groups had similar age and gender ratios. Our results demonstrated that LPD patients had increased ALFF in the left inferior temporal gyrus and decreased ALFF in bilateral thalamus and cerebellum anterior lobes than the control group. The value of ALFF of the left inferior temporal gyrus was correlated with motor function, and ALFF value of the thalamus was associated with cognition. Comparisons between LPD and RPD patients and between RPD patients and the controls did not yield significant difference. Conclusions: The present study provides new insights into the distinct characteristics of spontaneous brain activity in LPD, which may be associated with motor and cognitive function.

The Relationship between Side of Onset and Cerebral Regional Homogeneity in Parkinson's Disease: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

OBJECTIVE: Motor symptoms are usually asymmetric in Parkinson's disease (PD), and asymmetry in PD may involve widespread brain areas. We sought to evaluate the effect of asymmetry on the whole brain spontaneous activity using the measure regional homogeneity (ReHo) through resting-state functional MRI. METHODS: We recruited 30 PD patients with left onset (LPD), 27 with right side (RPD), and 32 controls with satisfactory data. Their demographic, clinical, and neuropsychological information were obtained. Resting-state functional MRI was performed, and ReHo was used to determine the brain activity. ANCOVA was utilized to analyze between-group differences in ReHo and the associations between abnormal ReHo, and various clinical and neuropsychological variables were explored by Spearman's correlation. RESULTS: LPD patients had higher ReHo in the right temporal pole than the controls. RPD patients had increased ReHo in the right temporal pole and decreased ReHo in the primary motor cortex and premotor area, compared with the controls. Directly comparing LPD and RPD patients did not show a significant difference in ReHo. ReHo of the right temporal pole was significantly correlated with depression and anxiety in RPD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Both LPD and RPD have increased brain activity synchronization in the right temporal pole, and only RPD has decreased brain activity synchronization in the right frontal motor areas. The changed brain activity in the right temporal pole may play a compensatory role for depression and anxiety in PD, and the altered cerebral function in the right frontal motor area in RPD may represent the reorganization of the motor system in RPD.

Contrasting distribution of antibiotic resistance genes and microbial communities in suspended activated sludge versus attached biofilms in an integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) system.

Suspended activated sludge (AS) and carrier-attached biofilms simultaneously exist in an integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS) system. However, the differentiation of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) and microbial communities in different types of biofilms is rarely reported. In this study, successions of ARGs and microbial communities of AS and two types of suspended carrier-attached biofilms over seasons were investigated in the IFAS system of one municipal wastewater treatment plant. Results showed that substantial differences were found in the distribution pattern of ARGs, bacterial communities, and predicted microbial function between AS and attached biofilms. The relative abundances of all detected ARGs in AS were significantly higher than those in attached biofilms. ARGs with higher relative abundances generally existed in K3 carrier (surface area ≥ 800 m2/m3) attached biofilms than those in K1 carrier (surface area ≥ 450 m2/m3) biofilms. The relative abundances of ARGs were negatively correlated with temperature and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and positively correlated with ammonium nitrogen contents for AS but not for attached biofilms. No significant relationship was found between the extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) content and ARG abundance for all samples. Temperature, BOD5, and ammonium nitrogen contents were closely connected to microbial communities. The Bray-Curtis distance of bacterial communities between two adjacent sampling seasons for AS was larger than those of two attached biofilms. Network analysis indicated that the AS network had more positive links and intense connections than the attached biofilm networks, potentially facilitating the dissemination of ARGs. The differential distribution of ARGs among the three types of samples was significantly correlated with the microbial co-occurrence network topological properties. Bray-Curtis distance and network analysis suggest that microbial community is more robust in attached biofilms than in suspended AS. This work provides a more in-depth understanding of ARGs and microbial community distributions in wastewater biofilms.

Impaired Left Atrial Performance Resulting From Age-Related Arial Fibrillation Is Associated With Increased Fibrosis Burden: Insights From a Clinical Study Combining With an in vivo Experiment.

Background: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is increasingly considered an age-related degenerative disease, whose process is associated with the development of impaired left atrial (LA) performance. However, the subtle dynamic changes of LA performance in AF during aging have yet to be fully elucidated. Atrial fibrosis is a key substrate for the development of AF, but the progression of fibrosis during aging and its relationship with LA dysfunction need to be further explored. Methods: A total of 132 control individuals and 117 persistent AF patients were prospectively studied. Subjects were further stratified into three age groups (age group 1: younger than 65 years, age group 2: between 65 and 79 years old, and age group 3: older than 80 years). The two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging was carried out for analyzing the alterations in LA function underlying LA remodeling, whereas electroanatomic mapping was performed to investigate LA fibrosis burden. In animal study, aged mice and young mice served as research subjects. Echocardiography and histological staining were used to assess LA performance and fibrosis burden, respectively. Results: Echocardiography showed progressive increases in LA dimension and LA stiffness index, and progressive decreases in LA global longitudinal strain and LA strain rates with advancing age in both AF and control cohorts, which was more prominent in AF cohort. Electroanatomic mapping showed progressive decrease in mean LA voltage and progressive increases in LA surface area, low-voltage area %, and LA volume with advancing age, whereas more significant alterations were observed in AF patients. Moreover, left atrial global longitudinal strain was positively correlated with mean LA voltage, whereas LA stiffness index was negatively related to mean LA voltage. In animal experiment, increased LA size and pulmonary artery dimension as well as longer P-wave duration and more prominent LA fibrosis were found in aged mice. Conclusions: This study provides new evidence of subtle changes in structure and performance of left atrium and their association with atrial fibrosis in both AF and non-AF subjects during physiological aging. In addition, our study also provides normal values for LA structure and performance in both AF and non-AF conditions during aging. These measurements may provide an early marker for onset of AF and LA adverse remodeling.

The value of left atrial strain and strain rate in predicting left atrial appendage stasis in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the value of left atrial (LA) strain and strain rate (S/SR) by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in predicting left atrial appendage (LAA) stasis, in order to find a way for LAA stasis screening which is easily performed in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). METHODS: One hundred and thirty NVAF patients prepared for AF ablation were enrolled. TTE and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were performed in all patients. LA S/SR in each phase was analyzed off-line. LAA blood flow state and LAA function were assessed by using TEE. RESULTS: LA S/SRs during atrial reservoir phase (LA Sres/SRres) were significantly negatively cor-related with LAA spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) grade (r = -0.567 and -0.520, respectively; all p < 0.01), and positively correlated with LAA emptying fraction (r = 0.602 and 0.619, respectively; all p < 0.01) and with LAA peak emptying flow velocity (r = 0.623 and 0.642, respectively; all p < 0.01). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed LA Sres to be the strongest independent predictor of LAA stasis, followed by LA volume index. LA Sres < 13% was recommended to predict LAA stasis with sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 74%. CONCLUSIONS: LA Sres by TTE can noninvasively predict LAA stasis and may be used as a screening tool to assist in the detection of LAA stasis in patients with NVAF. (Cardiol J 2018; 25, 1: 87-96).

Left ventricular longitudinal systolic function analysed by 2D speckle-tracking echocardiography in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to confirm if the global longitudinal systolic function of the left ventricle (LV) is altered in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). METHODS: We searched in different databases (Medline, Embase and Cochrane) studies that analysed LV global longitudinal systolic strain (GLS) in patients with HFpEF and in controls (such as healthy subjects or asymptomatic patients with arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus or coronary artery disease). RESULTS: Twenty-two studies (2284 patients with HFpEF and 2302 controls) were included in the final analysis. Patients with HFpEF had significantly lower GLS than healthy subjects (mean -15.7% (range -12% to -18.9%) vs mean -19.9% (range -17.1% to -21.5%), weighted mean difference -4.2% (95% CI -3.3% to -5.0%), p < 0.001, respectively). In addition, patients with HFpEF had also significantly lower GLS than asymptomatic patients (mean -15.5% (range -13.4% to -18.4%) vs mean -18.3% (range -15.1% to -20.4%), weighted mean difference -2.8%(95% CI -1.9% to -3.6%), p < 0.001, respectively). In line, 10 studies showed that the rate of abnormal GLS was significantly higher in patients with HFpEF (mean 65.4% (range 37%-95%)) than in asymptomatic subjects (mean 13% (range 0%-29.6%)). Regarding the prognostic relevance of abnormal GLS in HFpEF, two multicentre studies with large sample size (447 and 348) and high number of events (115 and 177) showed that patients with abnormal GLS had worse cardiovascular (CV) outcomes than those with normal GLS (HR for CV mortality and HF hospitalisation 2.14 (95% CI 1.26 to 3.66) and 1.94 (95% CI 1.22 to 3.07)), even adjusting these analyses for multiples clinical and echocardiographic variables. CONCLUSION: The present meta-analysis analysing 2284 patients with HFpEF and 2302 controls confirms that the longitudinal systolic function of the LV is significantly altered in high proportion of patients with HFpEF. Further large multicentre studies with the aim to confirm the prognostic role of abnormal GLS in HFpEF are warranted.

The usefulness of global left atrial strain for predicting atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation in patients with persistent and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

BACKGROUND: Given the potential complications of atrial fibrillation (AF) recurrence after ablation, better predictors of the effectiveness of the procedure are necessary to guide patient selection. AIM: This prospective study was conducted to evaluate the clinical relevance of global left atrial longitudinal strain (GLAS) and AF recurrence after catheter ablation. METHODS: In 115 consecutive patients with AF (persistent, n=62; paroxysmal, n=53), transthoracic echocardiography was performed before catheter ablation to assess baseline left atrial mechanical function using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). RESULTS: After 12 months of follow-up, 22 (35.5%) patients in the persistent AF group and 15 (28.3%) in the paroxysmal AF group exhibited AF recurrence. In both the paroxysmal and persistent AF populations, patients with recurrence presented with significantly impaired GLAS compared with patients without recurrence. Patients with recurrence also had a significantly higher pro-B-type natriuretic peptide concentration. A receiver operator curve analysis yielded area under the curve values of 0.94 and 0.86 for paroxysmal and persistent AF, respectively. In a multivariable Cox proportional-hazards analysis, GLAS was an independent predictor of AF recurrence after catheter ablation in both the paroxysmal AF group (hazard ratio: 0.79, 95% confidence interval: 0.67-0.96; P=0.01) and the persistent AF group (hazard ratio: 0.81, 95% confidence interval: 0.71-0.93; P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: In both paroxysmal and persistent AF, decreased baseline left atrial deformation capabilities assessed by two-dimensional STE can help to identify patients at high risk of AF recurrence after catheter ablation. This variable may help to guide candidate selection and improve therapeutic strategies.

Study on the Simultaneously Quantitative Detection for ß-Lactoglobulin and Lactoferrin of Cow Milk by Using Protein Chip Technique.

OBJECTIVE: To research a protein chip method which can simultaneously quantitative detect ß-Lactoglobulin (ß-L) and Lactoferrin (Lf) at one time. METHODS: Protein chip printer was used to print both anti-ß-L antibodies and anti-Lf antibodies on each block of protein chip. And then an improved sandwich detection method was applied while the other two detecting antibodies for the two antigens were added in the block after they were mixed. The detection conditions of the quantitative detection for simultaneous measurement of ß-L and Lf with protein chip were optimized and evaluated. Based on these detected conditions, two standard curves of the two proteins were simultaneously established on one protein chip. Finally, the new detection method was evaluated by using the analysis of precision and accuracy. RESULTS: By comparison experiment, mouse monoclonal antibodies of the two antigens were chosen as the printing probe. The concentrations of ß-L and Lf probes were 0.5 mg/mL and 0.5 mg/mL, respectively, while the titers of detection antibodies both of ß-L and Lf were 1:2,000. Intra- and inter-assay variability was between 4.88% and 38.33% for all tests. The regression coefficients of protein chip comparing with ELISA for ß-L and Lf were better than 0.734, and both of the two regression coefficients were statistically significant (r = 0.734, t = 2.644, P = 0.038; and r = 0.774, t = 2.998, P = 0.024). CONCLUSION: A protein chip method of simultaneously quantitative detection for ß-L and Lf has been established and this method is worthy in further application.

Association between left atrial appendage emptying velocity, N-terminal plasma brain natriuretic peptide levels, and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation.

PURPOSE: Multiple studies have shown the efficacy and potentially curative effect of catheter ablation (CA). However, CA is always accompanied by a considerable recurrence rate for atrial fibrillation (AF). We hypothesized that pre-procedure assessments of baseline left atrial appendage emptying flow velocity (LAAFV) and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels would help identify abnormal atrial substrate and offer preliminary evidence regarding susceptibility to AF recurrence in patients with paroxysmal or persistent AF, respectively. METHODS: In 120 patients with AF (paroxysmal, 55; persistent, 65), transesophageal echocardiography was performed with assessment of LAAFV and NT-proBNP was measured before the first AF ablation. RESULTS: After 12 months of follow-up, 16 patients (29.1%) in the paroxysmal AF and 23 patients (35.4%) in the persistent AF experienced recurrence of AF. In ROC analysis, a NT-proBNP value of ≥291 pg/ml in the paroxysmal AF and ≥368 pg/ml in the persistent AF discriminated AFR and non-AFR with the greatest sensitivity and specificity. In multivariate regression analysis, LAAFV (OR 0.88, 95% CI 0.79-0.98, p = 0.023) was identified as an independent predictor of AFR in the paroxysmal AF population post-CA after adjustment for other risk factors; however, in the persistent AF population, LAAFV (OR 0.81, 95% CI 0.68-0.94, p = 0.007) and a NT-proBNP value ≥368 pg/ml (OR 18.29, 95% CI 1.32-252.84, p = 0.030) were identified as independent predictors for rhythm outcome compared to other parameters. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with persistent AF, elevated plasma NT-proBNP concentrations combined with low LAAFV were associated with rhythm outcome after AF ablation; however, LAAFV was the only independent predictor of CA efficacy in patients with paroxysmal AF.

Clinical Relevance of Left Atrial Strain to Predict Recurrence of Atrial Fibrillation after Catheter Ablation: A Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to analyze the clinical relevance of left atrial (LA) strain to predict recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after catheter ablation (CA). METHODS AND RESULTS: We searched in different databases (Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane) prospective studies that analyzed LA strain before CA. Eight studies (2 with only paroxysmal AF and 6 with mixed population of paroxysmal and persistent AF) were included in the final analysis (total patient number = 686). Patients with recurrence of AF were principally characterized by lower LA strain in comparison with those without AF recurrence (mean 18.4% [range 8.8-24.5%] versus 25.3% [13.6-32.7%], weighted mean difference -4.89% [95% CI -5.83% to -3.95%], P < 0.001). In addition, receiver operating curves shown that LA strain was strongly associated with recurrence of AF after CA (weighted mean: AUC 0.798 [95% CI 0.700-0.943], cutoff 22.8% [18.8-30%], sensitivity 78% [65-86%], and specificity 75% [66-100%]). In line, these results were similar using LA strain with QRS-analysis and P-analysis as well as using different software package such as Echo-Pac, QLab, TomTec, and VVI. CONCLUSION: In patients with AF candidate for CA, the analysis of the LA using LA strain could be of great usefulness to identify patients with high risk of AF recurrence. Nonetheless, further studies are needed to establish the clinical relevance of LA strain in patients with persistent AF.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Outcomes of Pregnancy in CKD and CKD Outcomes in Pregnancy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of published cohort studies and case-control studies to estimate (1) the risk of pregnancy complications among patients with CKD versus those without CKD and (2) the risk of CKD progression among pregnant patients versus nonpregnant controls with CKD. DESIGN, SETTING, PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS: We searched electronic databases for studies published between 1946 and 2014, and we reviewed articles using validity criteria. Random-effects analytical methods were used. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies (14 with data for adverse pregnancy outcomes and 9 for renal outcomes) with 506,340 pregnancies were included. Pregnancy with CKD had greater odds of preeclampsia (odds ratio [OR], 10.36; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 6.28 to 17.09), premature delivery (OR, 5.72; 95% CI, 3.26 to 10.03), small for gestational age/low birth weight (OR, 4.85; 95% CI, 3.03 to 7.76), cesarean section (OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 2.01 to 3.54), and failure of pregnancy (OR, 1.80; 95% CI, 1.03 to 3.13). Subgroup analysis showed that odds of preeclampsia (P<0.01) and premature delivery (P<0.01) were higher in women with nondiabetic nephropathy compared with diabetic nephropathy, and the odds of preeclampsia (P=0.01) and premature delivery (P<0.01) were higher in women with macroproteinuria compared with microproteinuria. The median for follow-up time for renal events was 5 years (interquartile range, 5-14.7 years). There were no significant differences in the occurrence of renal events between CKD pregnant women and those without pregnancy (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.69 to 1.35). Subgroup analysis showed that publication year, sample size, follow-up years, type of primary disease, CKD classification, level of serum creatinine at baseline, proteinuria, and level of systolic BP did not modify the renal outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The risks of adverse maternal and fetal outcomes in pregnancy are higher for women with CKD versus pregnant women without CKD. However, pregnancy was not a risk factor for progression of renal disease in women with CKD before pregnancy.