ARSCP: An antimicrobial residue surveillance cloud platform for animal-derived foods.

Antibiotics have been widely used for improving human and animal health and well-being for many decades. However, the enormous antibiotic usage in agriculture especially for livestock leads to considerable quantities of antibiotic residues in associated food products and can reach potentially hazardous levels for consumers. Therefore, timely detection and systematical surveillance on residual antibiotics in food materials are of significance to minimize the negative impact caused by such unwanted antibiotic leftovers. To this end, we constructed a cloud-platform-based system (ARSCP) for comprehensive surveillance of antibiotic residues in food materials. With the system, we collected 126,560 samples from 68 chicken farms across China and detected the antibiotic residues using a rapid detection colorimetric commercial (Explorer 2.0) kit and UPLC-MS/MS. Only 108 (0.085 %) of the samples contained residual antibiotics exceeding the MRLs and all data were subjected to ARSCP system to provide a landscape of antibiotic residues in China. As a proof-of-concept, we provided an overview of residual antibiotics based on data from China, but the system is generally applicable to track and monitor the antibiotic residues globally when the data from other countries are incorporated. We used the combined Explorer 2.0 and MS data to construct ARSCP, an antimicrobial residue surveillance cloud platform for raw chicken samples. ARSCP can be used for rapid detection and real-time monitoring of antibiotic residues in animal food and provides both data management and risk warning functions. This system provides a solution to improve the management of facilities that must monitor antibiotic MRLs in food animal products that can reduce the pollution of antibiotics to the environment.

Prognostic performance of multiple biomarkers in patients with acute coronary syndrome without standard cardiovascular risk factors.

Background and aims: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) without standard modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (SMuRFs) represents a special case of ACS. Multiple biomarkers have been shown to improve risk stratification in patients with ACS. However, the utility of biomarkers for prognostic stratification in patients with ACS without SMuRFs remains uncertain. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prognostic value of various biomarkers in patents with ACS without SMuRFs. Methods: Data of consecutive patients with ACS without SMuRFs who underwent coronary angiography in Tianjin Chest Hospital between January 2014 and December 2017 were retrospectively collected. The primary outcome was the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE), defined as a composite of cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction and stroke. Seven candidate biomarkers analyses were analyzed using models adjusted for established risk factors. Results: During a median 5-year follow-up, 81 of the 621 patients experienced a MACE. After adjustment for important covariates, elevated fibrinogen, D-dimer, N-terminal proB-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)] were found to be individually associated with MACE. However, only D-dimer, NT-proBNP and Lp(a) significantly improved risk reclassification for MACE (all P < 0.05). The multimarker analysis showed that there was a clear increase in the risk of MACE with an increasing number of elevated biomarkers and a higher multimarker score. The adjusted hazard ratio- for MACE (95% confidential intervals) for patients with 4 elevated biomarkers was 6.008 (1.9650-18.367) relative to those without any elevated biomarker-. Adding- the 4 biomarkers or the multimarker score to the basic model significantly improved the C-statistic value, the net reclassification index and the integrated discrimination index (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Fibrinogen, D-dimer, NT-proBNP and Lp(a) provided valuable prognostic information for MACE when applied to patients with ACS without SMuRFs. The multimarker strategy, which combined multiple biomarkers reflecting different pathophysiological process with traditional risk factors improved the cardiovascular risk stratification.

Prognostic Significance of Preprocedural N-Terminal Pro-B-Type Natriuretic Peptide Assessment in Diabetic Patients With Multivessel Coronary Disease Undergoing Revascularization.

Background and Aims: The N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) may predict adverse cardiovascular outcomes in patients with diabetes. However, its prognostic value in patients with multivessel disease (MVD) undergoing coronary revascularization remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of preprocedural NT-proBNP levels in diabetic patients with MVD undergoing coronary revascularization. Methods: A total of 886 consecutive diabetic patients with MVD who underwent coronary revascularization were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into quartiles according to their pre-procedural NT-proBNP levels. Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate the risk of cardiovascular events, including all-cause death, cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), according to the NT-proBNP quartiles. Results: During a median follow-up period of 4.2 years, 111 patients died (with 82 being caused by cardiovascular disease), 133 had MI, 55 suffered from stroke, and 250 experienced MACE. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated that NT-proBNP levels were significantly associated with higher incidences of all-cause death, cardiovascular death, MI, and MACE (log-rank test, P < 0.001, respectively). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that NT-proBNP level was an independent predictor of adverse outcomes, including all-cause death (HR, 1.968; 95% CI, 1.377-2.812; P < 0.001), cardiovascular death (HR, 1.940; 95% CI, 1.278-2.945; P = 0.002), MI (HR, 1.722; 95% CI, 1.247-2.380; P = 0.001), and MACE (HR, 1.356; 95% CI, 1.066-1.725; P = 0.013). The role of NT-proBNP in predicting adverse outcomes was similar in patients with stable angina pectoris and acute coronary syndrome. Moreover, preprocedural NT-proBNP alone discriminated against the SYNTAX II score for predicting all-cause death [area under the curve (AUC), 0.662 vs. 0.626, P = 0.269], cardiovascular death (AUC, 0.680 vs. 0.622, P = 0.130), MI (AUC, 0.641 vs. 0.579, P = 0.050), and MACE (AUC, 0.593 vs. 0.559, P = 0.171). The addition of NT-proBNP to the SYNTAX II score showed a significant net reclassification improvement, integrated discrimination improvement, and improved C-statistic (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: NT-proBNP levels were an independent prognostic marker for adverse outcomes in diabetic patients with MVD undergoing coronary revascularization, suggesting that preprocedural NT-proBNP measurement might help in the risk stratification of high-risk patients.

Highly efficient electrocatalysts for overall water splitting: mesoporous CoS/MoS2 with hetero-interfaces.

Mesoporous CoS/MoS2 with abundant heterogeneous interfaces was faciley synthesized from a bimetallic hybrid zeolitic imidazolate framework, which showed excellent catalytic activity and reaction kinetics in both the HER and OER in 1 M KOH. Meanwhile, as a cathode and anode in water splitting electrocatalysis, it delivers a low cell voltage of 1.61 V at 10 mA cm-2 and excellent durability.

AI-Blue-Carba: A Rapid and Improved Carbapenemase Producer Detection Assay Using Blue-Carba With Deep Learning.

A rapid and accurate detection of carbapenemase-producing Gram-negative bacteria (CPGNB) has an immediate demand in the clinic. Here, we developed and validated a method for rapid detection of CPGNB using Blue-Carba combined with deep learning (designated as AI-Blue-Carba). The optimum bacterial suspension concentration and detection wavelength were determined using a Multimode Plate Reader and integrated with deep learning modeling. We examined 160 carbapenemase-producing and non-carbapenemase-producing bacteria using the Blue-Carba test and a series of time and optical density values were obtained to build and validate the machine models. Subsequently, a simplified model was re-evaluated by descending the dataset from 13 time points to 2 time points. The best suitable bacterial concentration was determined to be 1.5 optical density (OD) and the optimum detection wavelength for AI-Blue-Carba was set as 615 nm. Among the 2 models (LRM and LSTM), the LSTM model generated the higher ROC-AUC value. Moreover, the simplified LSTM model trained by short time points (0-15 min) did not impair the accuracy of LSTM model. Compared with the traditional Blue-Carba, the AI-Blue-Carba method has a sensitivity of 95.3% and a specificity of 95.7% at 15 min, which is a rapid and accurate method to detect CPGNB.

CoMo-bimetallic N-doped porous carbon materials embedded with highly dispersed Pt nanoparticles as pH-universal hydrogen evolution reaction electrocatalysts.

The hydrogen evolution reaction is a key half reaction for water electrolysis and is of great significance. Pt-based nanomaterials are promising candidates for HER electrocatalysts. However, the high price of platinum and poor durability impede their practical applications. Herein, a new CoMo-bimetallic hybrid zeolite imidazolate framework is employed to load Pt nanoparticles in a highly dispersed manner as a precursor to synthesize an efficient pH-universal HER electrocatalyst (PtCoMo@NC), which displays overpotentials of 26, 51, and 66 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm-2 in acidic, basic, and neutral media, respectively. The strong synergistic effect of highly dispersed multi-type catalytic species, including cobalt, molybdenum carbide, and platinum (4.7%) promotes the catalytic activity in the HER process. Meanwhile, the aggregation of Pt nanoparticles is greatly restrained by the carbon matrix so that a brilliant long-time durability of 12 hours and a negligible current decrease in the LSV curve after 10 000 CV cycles are achieved.

Water-Stable Metal-Organic Frameworks with Selective Sensing on Fe3+ and Nitroaromatic Explosives, and Stimuli-Responsive Luminescence on Lanthanide Encapsulation.

Three water-stable luminescent MOFs [Zn4(bptc)2(NMP)3(DMF)(H2O)2] n (1-a), [Cd4(bptc)2(NMP)3(DMF)2(H2O)1] n (1-b), and {[Zn2(bptc)(DMA)(H2O)2]·(DMA)2·H2O} n (2), possessing similar chemical components (M2:L1:Sol3) and topology structures, were synthesized by solvents control. Their excellent sensing on iron(III) cation and nitroaromatic explosives (NACs) with great selectivity, sensitivity and a high Ksv (4.54 × 104 for 1-b on PNP) were observed by quenching effects. Furthermore, Zn-MOFs exhibit interesting stimuli-responsive luminescence enhancement after the encapsulation of a series of IIIB cations stimulated different luminescent emitting and intensity enhancement through host-guest processes of the pores in MOFs, especially for two distinct responses of Zn-MOF on a Tb3+ cation.

Effects of Shenmai injection on the values of CO, SV, and EF in patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft: A randomized, clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: To explore the effects of Shenmai (SM) injection on the values of cardiac output (CO), stroke volume (SV), and the ejection fraction (EF) in patients treated with off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OPCABG). METHODS: Forty patients undergoing OPCABG were randomly divided into SM group (n = 20) and the 5% glucose (G) group (n = 20). The control liquids were injected from the beginning of the operation to the start of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). The values of CO, SV, and EF before induction (t1), at the beginning of operation (t2), 30 minutes after the start of operation (t3), at the beginning of coronary artery bypass graft (t4), at the end of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) (t5), and at the end of operation (t6) were recorded. RESULTS: The values of CO, SV, and EF in the patients of SM group at t3 to t6 were found to be significantly higher than those at t1 (P < .05). The values of CO, SV, and EF in the patients of G group were found to be increased at t5 and t6 (P < .05). At t3 and t4, the values of CO, SV, and EF in SM group were significantly higher than those in the G group (P < .05). CONCLUSION: In patients with OPCABG, the infusion of SM injection can effectively increase the values of CO, SV, and EF and increase the safety of anesthesia management.

Bergenin, Acting as an Agonist of PPARγ, Ameliorates Experimental Colitis in Mice through Improving Expression of SIRT1, and Therefore Inhibiting NF-κB-Mediated Macrophage Activation.

Bergenin, isolated from the herb of Saxifraga stolonifera Curt. (Hu-Er-Cao), has anti-inflammatory, antitussive and wound healing activities. The aim of the present study was to identify the effect of bergenin on experimental colitis, and explored the related mechanisms. Our results showed that oral administration of bergenin remarkably alleviated disease symptoms of mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, evidenced by reduced DAI scores, shortening of colon length, MPO activity and pathologic abnormalities in colons. Bergenin obviously inhibited the mRNA and protein expressions of IL-6 and TNF-α in colon tissues, but not that of mucosal barrier-associated proteins occludin, E-cadherin and MUC-2. In vitro, bergenin significantly inhibited the expressions of IL-6 and TNF-α as well as nuclear translocation and DNA binding activity of NF-κB-p65 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated peritoneal macrophages and RAW264.7 cells, which was almost reversed by addition of PPARγ antagonist GW9662 and siPPARγ. Subsequently, bergenin was identified as a PPARγ agonist. It could enter into macrophages, bind with PPARγ, promote nuclear translocation and transcriptional activity of PPARγ, and increase mRNA expressions of CD36, LPL and ap2. In addition, bergenin significantly up-regulated expression of SIRT1, inhibited acetylation of NF-κB-p65 and increased association NF-κB-p65 and IκBα. Finally, the correlation between activation of PPARγ and attenuation of colitis, inhibition of IL-6 and TNF-α expressions, NF-κB-p65 acetylation and nuclear translocation, and up-regulation of SIRT1 expression by bergenin was validated in mice with DSS-induced colitis and/or LPS-stimulated macrophages. In summary, bergenin could ameliorate colitis in mice through inhibiting the activation of macrophages via regulating PPARγ/SIRT1/NF-κB-p65 pathway. The findings can provide evidence for the further development of bergenin as an anti-UC drug, and offer a paradigm for the recognization of anti-UC mechanisms of compound with similar structure occurring in traditional Chinese medicines.

Diagnostic Value of Mean Platelet Volume Combined With Troponin I for Acute Coronary Syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: To explore diagnostic performance of mean platelet volume (MPV) for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). METHODS: We compared MPV and other indicators of 1,524 patients with ACS. Among them, 880 patients were diagnosed with AMI, 344 were diagnosed with unstable angina pectoris and 350 were the control group. RESULTS: The level of MPV in ACS group was significantly higher than the control group (9.5 ± 1.34fL versus 7.9 ± 1.03fL, P < 0.001). Additionally, MPV of AMI group was higher than unstable angina pectoris (9.4 ± 1.30fL versus 9.2 ± 1.42fL, P < 0.001). Increased MPV could be identified as an early independent predictor of AMI (odds ratio = 1.957, 95% CI: 1.389-2.758, P < 0.001). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curves curve for MPV combined with troponin I (TnI) was 0.816, the sensitivity (68.81%) and the specificity (97.98%) at the best cut-off value were higher than using MPV or TnI alone respectively. CONCLUSIONS: MPV has been shown as an independent risk factor for early onset of AMI and can be applied to assist AMI diagnosis of ACS patients. Additionally, measuring MPV in conjunction with TnI levels can improve the diagnostic performance of TnI with higher sensitivity and specificity.

Erratum to: Investigation of one-lung ventilation postoperative cognitive dysfunction and regional cerebral oxygen saturation relations.

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. In "Abstract" and the 1st para-graph of Section 2.1, the full name of the abbreviation "ASA" was incorrect in "American Standards Association (ASA)". The correct version should be "American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA)".

Investigation of one-lung ventilation postoperative cognitive dysfunction and regional cerebral oxygen saturation relations.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship of postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) in one-lung ventilation (OLV) patients and regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2). METHODS: Twenty-nine male and twenty-one female cases of OLV received thoracic surgery, with American Standards Association (ASA) physical status being at Grades I-III. Neuropsychological tests were performed on the day before operation and 7 d after operation, and there was an intraoperative continuous monitoring of rSO2. The values of rSO2 before anesthesia induction (t1), at the beginning of OLV (t2), and at the time of OLV 30 min (t3), OLV 60 min (t4), the end of OLV (t5), and the end of surgery (t6) were recorded. The intraoperative average of rSO2 , the intraoperative minimum value of rSO2 (rSO(2, min)), and the reduced maximum percentage of rSO2 (rSO(2, %max)) when compared with the baseline value were calculated. The volume of blood loss, urine output, and the amount of fluid infusion was recorded. RESULTS: A total of 14 patients (28%) in the 50 cases suffered from POCD. The values of mini-mental state examination (MMSE), the digit span and the digit symbol on the 7th day after the operation for POCD in OLV patients were found to be significantly lower than those before the operation (P<0.05). The values of MMSE and vocabulary fluency scores were significantly lower than those in the non-POCD group (P<0.05). The values of rSO2 in the POCD group of OLV patients at t2 and t3 and the values of rSO2 in the non-POCD group at t2 were found to be significantly higher than those at t1 (P<0.05). The values of rSO(2, %max) in the POCD group were significantly higher than those in the non-POCD group (P<0.05). When the value of rSO(2, %max) is more than 10.1%, it may act as an early warning index for cognitive function changes. CONCLUSIONS: POCD after OLV may be associated with a decline in rSO2.

Eupatilin protects against tumor necrosis factor-α-mediated inflammation inhuman umbilical vein endothelial cells.

Inflammatory responses in the blood vessel play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Eupatilin, a flavone derived from Artemisia princepsPampanini, has various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant, anti-tumor, and anti-inflammatory capacities. However, there has been no research examining the function of eupatilin on vascular inflammation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of eupatilin on tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) activation and the underlying molecular mechanisms. Our findings showed that eupatilin reduced U937 cells adhesion to TNF-α-stimulated HUVECs and attenuated TNF-α-induced the expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in HUVECs, as well as the production of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS). Moreover, eupatilininhibits TNF-α-induced phosphorylation of NF-kB p65 and MAPKs in HUVECs. Taken together, the results of the present study suggest that eupatilin inhibited inflammatory reaction through suppressing the ROS/MAPK-NF-ĸB pathway in HUVECs. Thus, eupatilin is proposed as an effective new anti-inflammatory agent to suppress vascular inflammation, and further prevent atherosclerosis.

Relationship between post-operative cognitive dysfunction and regional cerebral oxygen saturation and ß-amyloid protein.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) and regional cerebral oxygen saturation (rSO2) and ß-amyloid protein (Aß) in patients undergoing laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy. METHODS: Fifty patients undergoing elective laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy received five groups of neuropsychological tests 1 d pre-operatively and 7 d post-operatively, with continuous monitoring of rSO2 intra-operatively. Before anesthesia induction (t0), at the beginning of laparoscopy (t1), and at the time of pneumoperitoneum 120 min (t2), pneumoperitoneum 240 min (t3), pneumoperitoneum 480 min (t4), the end of pneumoperitoneum (t5), and 24 h after surgery, jugular venous blood was drawn respectively for the measurement of Aß by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Twenty-one cases of the fifty patients suffered from POCD after operation. We found that the maximum percentage drop in rSO2 (rSO(2, %max)) was significantly higher in the POCD group than in the non-POCD group. The rSO(2, %max) value of over 10.2% might be a potential predictor of neurocognitive injury for those patients. In the POCD group, the plasma Aß levels after 24 h were significantly higher than those of pre-operative values (P<0.01). After 24 h, levels of plasma Aß in the POCD group were significantly higher than those in the non-POCD group (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The development of POCD in patients undergoing laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy is associated with alterations of rSO2 and Aß. Monitoring of rSO2 might be useful in the prediction of POCD, and Aß might be used as a sensitive biochemical marker to predict the occurrence of POCD.

Palladium/copper-catalyzed oxidative arylation of terminal alkenes with aroyl hydrazides.

An unprecedented oxidative arylation reaction of terminal alkenes with simple aroyl hydrazides has been developed under aerobic conditions for the stereoselective synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted alkenes. A range of aroyl hydrazides underwent palladium/copper-catalyzed oxidative Mizoroki-Heck reaction with terminal alkenes open to air in a 1:1 mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide and acetonitrile to give structurally diverse 1,2-disubstituted alkenes in moderate to excellent yields with excellent regio- and E-selectivity. The reaction tolerated a wide variety of functional groups, such as alkoxy, hydroxy, amino, fluoro, chloro, bromo, cyano, nitro, ester, amide, imide, phosphine oxide, and sulfone groups, and, moreover, molecular oxygen and dimethyl sulfoxide were demonstrated to serve as terminal oxidants. This study provides a useful method for the stereoselective synthesis of 1,2-disubstituted alkenes through direct transformation of the vinylic CH bonds in terminal alkenes.

[Autopsy clinicopathologic comparison in different age groups of patients with coronary atherosclerosis].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the features of coronary atherosclerosis among the patients at different ages and examine their risk factors and pathological characteristics. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed for the clinicopathologic data of 87 patients with coronary atherosclerosis confirmed through autopsy from February 1986 to December 2011 at our hospital. They were divided into 3 groups according to age (20 - < 40 years, n = 12; 40 - < 60 years, n = 24; ≥ 60 years, n = 51). Comparative analysis was performed for the degree of coronary artery stenosis and cardiac pathological changes, vulnerable plaque occurrence and morphological features of acute coronary syndrome among different patient groups. RESULTS: There were 56 males and 31 females with a mean age of 66.8 years (range: 23 - 80). Great statistical differences existed in the degree of coronary artery stenosis between different genders (P < 0.05) while there was no significant difference among the above age groups (P > 0.05). In the above age groups of patients with acute coronary syndrome, the incidence of big lipid core was 23.5%, 38.5% and 53.8% (χ(2) = 6.282, P = 0.043), that of thin fibrous cap 29.4%, 41.0% and 58.8% (χ(2) = 6.589, P = 0.037), that of inflammatory cell in 2 filtration 58.8%, 69.2% and 85.0% (χ(2) = 7.435, P = 0.024) and that of calcification formation 35.3%, 56.4% and 71.3% respectively (χ(2) = 8.599, P = 0.014). And the incidence of vulnerable plaque occurrence was 76.5%, 84.6% and 88.8% (χ(2) = 1.850, P = 0.397) in the above age groups. CONCLUSIONS: The features and risk factors of coronary atherosclerosis are different according to different ages and genders. Thus we should pay more attention to the early diagnosis and reasonable treatments of young patients and those with both mild coronary stenosis and vulnerable plaque.

Formation of asymmetrical structured silica controlled by a phase separation process and implication for biosilicification.

Biogenetic silica displays intricate patterns assembling from nano- to microsize level and interesting non-spherical structures differentiating in specific directions. Several model systems have been proposed to explain the formation of biosilica nanostructures. Of them, phase separation based on the physicochemical properties of organic amines was considered to be responsible for the pattern formation of biosilica. In this paper, using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS, Si(OCH2CH3)4) as silica precursor, phospholipid (PL) and dodecylamine (DA) were introduced to initiate phase separation of organic components and influence silica precipitation. Morphology, structure and composition of the mineralized products were characterized using a range of techniques including field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG-DTA), infrared spectra (IR), and nitrogen physisorption. The results demonstrate that the phase separation process of the organic components leads to the formation of asymmetrically non-spherical silica structures, and the aspect ratios of the asymmetrical structures can be well controlled by varying the concentration of PL and DA. On the basis of the time-dependent experiments, a tentative mechanism is also proposed to illustrate the asymmetrical morphogenesis. Therefore, our results imply that in addition to explaining the hierarchical porous nanopatterning of biosilica, the phase separation process may also be responsible for the growth differentiation of siliceous structures in specific directions. Because organic amine (e.g., long-chair polyamines), phospholipids (e.g., silicalemma) and the phase separation process are associated with the biosilicification of diatoms, our results may provide a new insight into the mechanism of biosilicification.

Comparison of physiological and yield traits between purple- and white-pericarp rice using SLs.

Five physiological and eleven yield traits of two pairs of sister lines generated from a high generation with similar genetic background (SLs) for purple pericarp were investigated to explore the reasons behind low-yield production of colored rice. Of the five physiological traits examined, except grain anthocyanin content, there were generally similar trends between the P (purple-pericarp) lines and the corresponding W (white-pericarp) lines over two seasons (in the year 2009 and 2010 separately). The results demonstrated that the chlorophyll content of flag leaves, the net photosynthetic rate of flag leaves, and the grain anthocyanin content could be easily influenced by the environment. The physiological functions of the traits for the P lines were more active than those of the corresponding W lines in the year 2010. The grain anthocyanin content of the P lines was much greater in the year 2010 than in the year 2009 during the growth period. The investigation of yield traits revealed that the P lines had reduced 1000-grain weight, yield per plot and grain/brown rice thickness compared to the W lines. A difference comparison of these traits and a source-sink and transportation relationship analysis for these SLs suggested that small sink size was a key reason behind yield reduction of purple pericarp rice.

[Risk factors and scoring system in the prediction of contrast induced nephropathy in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a simplified risk scoring system of contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 1500 patients in the development set undergoing PCI from January 2008 to December 2009. And 1000 patients treated from January 2010 to May 2011 were selected for the validation set. Logistic regression analysis was applied to identify the risk factors of CIN. Based on the odds ratio, the sum of integers was a total risk score for each patient. RESULTS: (1) Among them, CIN occurred in 246 patients with an overall incidence of 16.4%. (2) Eleven identified variables were identified as the risk factors of CIN (with weighted integer): diabetes (3 scores), hypotension (3 scores), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF ≤ 45%) (3 scores), eGFR < 60 [ml×min(-1)·(1.73 m(2))(-1)] (3 scores), age >70 years (2 scores), myocardial infarction (2 scores), emergency PCI (2 scores), anemia (2 scores), decreased high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentration (< 1 mmol/L) (2 scores), contrast agent dose > 200 ml (2 scores) and low permeability contrast agent (1 score). (3) The sum of integers was a total risk score for each patient. The incidence of CIN was 5.2% in the low-risk group (≤ 4), 13.6% in the moderate-risk group (5 - 10), 32.3% in the high-risk group (11 - 14) and 59.0% in the very-high-risk group (≥ 15). (4) Good discriminative power was found in the validation population. And the risk score was strongly correlated with CIN (c-statistic = 0.82). CONCLUSION: This scoring system provides a good estimate of the risk of CIN after PCI. It may be used for the prevention and treatment of CIN.