Development and Validation of CCTA-based Radiomics Signature for Predicting Coronary Plaques With Rapid Progression.

BACKGROUND: Rapid plaque progression (RPP) is associated with a higher risk of acute coronary syndromes compared with gradual plaque progression. We aimed to develop and validate a coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-based radiomics signature (RS) of plaques for predicting RPP. METHODS: A total of 214 patients who underwent serial CCTA examinations from 2 tertiary hospitals (development group, 137 patients with 164 lesions; validation group, 77 patients with 101 lesions) were retrospectively enrolled. Conventional CCTA-defined morphological parameters (eg, high-risk plaque characteristics and plaque burden) and radiomics features of plaques were analyzed. RPP was defined as an annual progression of plaque burden ≥1.0% on lesion-level at follow-up CCTA. RS was built to predict RPP using XGBoost method. RESULTS: RS significantly outperformed morphological parameters for predicting RPP in both the development group (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.82 versus 0.74; P=0.04) and validation group (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.81 versus 0.69; P=0.04). Multivariable analysis identified RS (odds ratio, 2.35 [95% CI, 1.32-4.46]; P=0.005) as an independent predictor of subsequent RPP in the validation group after adjustment of morphological confounders. Unlike unchanged RS in the non-RPP group, RS increased significantly in the RPP group at follow-up in the whole dataset (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The proposed CCTA-based RS had a better discriminative value to identify plaques at risk of rapid progression compared with conventional morphological plaque parameters. These data suggest the promising utility of radiomics for predicting RPP in a low-risk group on CCTA.

Nitrogen metabolic rate and differential ammonia volatilization regulate resistance against opportunistic fungus Alternaria alternata in tobacco.

Nutritional correlations between plants and pathogens can crucially affect disease severity. As an essential macronutrient, the availability of nitrogen (N) and the types of N content play a fundamental part not only in energy metabolism and protein synthesis but also in pathogenesis. However, a direct connection has not yet been established between differences in the level of resistance and N metabolism. Pertinently, former studies hold ammonia (NH3) accountable for the development of diseases in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and in some post-harvest fruits. With a purpose of pinpointing the function of NH3 volatilization on Alternaria alternata (Fries) Keissl pathogenesis and its correlation with both N metabolism and resistance differences to Alternaria alternata infection in tobacco, leaf tissue of two tobacco cultivars with susceptibility (Changbohuang; CBH), or resistance (Jingyehuang; JYH) were analyzed apropos of ammonia compensation point, apoplastic NH4 + concentration, pH value as well as activities of key enzymes and N status. At the leaf age of 40 to 60 d, the susceptible cultivar had a significantly higher foliar apoplastic ammonium (NH4 +) concentration, pH value and NH3 volatilization potential compared to the resistant one accompanied by a significant reduction in glutamine synthetase (GS), which in particular was a primary factor causing the NH3 volatilization. The NH4 + concentration in CBH was 1.44 times higher than that in JYH, and CBH had NH3 compensation points that were 7.09, 6.15 and 4.35-fold higher than those of JYH at 40, 50 and 60 d, respectively. Moreover, the glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) activity had an upward tendency related to an increased NH4 + accumulation in both leaf tissues and apoplast but not with the NH3 compensation point. Collectively, our results strongly suggest that the accumulation of NH3 volatilization, rather than NH4 + and total N, was the primary factor inducing the Alternaria alternata infection in tobacco. Meanwhile, the susceptible cultivar was characterized by a higher N re-transfer ability of NH3 volatilization, in contrast to the disease-resistant cultivar, and had a stronger capability of N assimilation and reutilization. This study provides a deeper understanding of the pathogenicity mechanism induced by Alternaria alternata, which is useful for breeding Alternaria alternata-resistant varieties of tobacco, at the same time, our research is also conducive to control tobacco brown spot caused by Alternaria alternata in the field.

Presence of L1014F Knockdown-Resistance Mutation in Anopheles gambiae s.s. From São Tomé and Príncipe.

Malaria, one of the most serious parasitic diseases, kills thousands of people every year, especially in Africa. São Tomé and Príncipe are known to have stable transmission of malaria. Indoor residual spraying (IRS) of insecticides and long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLIN) are considered as an effective malaria control interventions in these places. The resistance status of Anopheles gambiae s.s. from Agua Grande, Caue, and Lemba of São Tomé and Príncipe to insecticides, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) (4.0%), deltamethrin (0.05%), permethrin (0.75%), fenitrothion (1.0%), and malathion (5.0%), were tested according to the WHO standard protocol. DNA extraction, species identification, as well as kdr and ace-1R genotyping were done with the surviving and dead mosquitoes post testing. They showed resistance to cypermethrin with mortality rates ranging from 89.06% to 89.66%. Mosquitoes collected from Agua Grande, Caue, and Lemba displayed resistance to DDT and fenitrothion with mortality rates higher than 90%. No other species were detected in these study localities other than Anopheles gambiae s.s. The frequency of L1014F was high in the three investigated sites, which was detected for the first time in São Tomé and Príncipe. No ace-1R mutation was detected in all investigated sites. The high frequency of L1014F showed that kdr L1014F mutation might be related to insecticide resistance to Anopheles gambiae s.s. populations from São Tomé and Príncipe. Insecticide resistance status is alarming and, therefore, future malaria vector management should be seriously considered by the government of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Would environmental pollution affect home prices? An empirical study based on China's key cities.

With the development of China's economy, the problem of environmental pollution has become increasingly more serious, affecting the sustained and healthy development of Chinese cities and the willingness of residents to invest in fixed assets. In this paper, a panel data set of 70 of China's key cities from 2003 to 2014 is used to study the effect of environmental pollution on home prices in China's key cities. In addition to the static panel data regression model, this paper uses the generalized method of moments (GMM) to control for the potential endogeneity and introduce the dynamics. To ensure the robustness of the research results, this paper uses four typical pollutants: per capita volume of SO2 emissions, industrial soot (dust) emissions, industrial wastewater discharge, and industrial chemical oxygen demand discharge. The analysis shows that environmental pollution does have a negative impact on home prices, and the magnitude of this effect is dependent on the level of economic development. When GDP per capita increases, the size of the negative impact on home prices tends to reduce. Industrial soot (dust) has the greatest impact, and the impact of industrial wastewater is relatively small. It is also found that some other social and economic factors, including greening, public transport, citizen income, fiscal situation, loans, FDI, and population density, have positive effects on home prices, but the effect of employment on home prices is relatively weak.

Aerosol effects on ozone concentrations in Beijing: a model sensitivity study.

Most previous O3 simulations were based only on gaseous phase photochemistry. However, some aerosol-related processes, namely, heterogeneous reactions occurring on the aerosol surface and photolysis rate alternated by aerosol radiative influence, may affect O3 photochemistry under high aerosol loads. A three-dimensional air quality model, Models-3/Community Multi-scale Air Quality-Model of Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionization, and Dissolution, was employed to simulate the effects of the above-mentioned processes on O3 formation under typical high O3 episodes in Beijing during summer. Five heterogeneous reactions, i.e., NO2, NO3, N2O5, HO2, and O3, were individually investigated to elucidate their effects on 03 formation. The results showed that the heterogeneous reactions significantly affected O3 formation in the urban plume. NO2 heterogeneous reaction increased O3 to 90 ppb, while HO2 heterogeneous reaction decreased O3 to 33 ppb. In addition, O3 heterogeneous loss decreased O3 to 31 ppb. The effects of NO2, NO3, and N2O5 heterogeneous reactions showed opposite O3 concentration changes between the urban and extra-urban areas because of the response of the reactions to the two types of O3 formation regimes. When the aerosol radiative influence was included, the photolysis rate decreased and O3 decreased significantly to 73 ppb O3. The two aerosol-related processes should be considered in the study of O3 formation because high aerosol concentration is a ubiquitous phenomenon that affects the urban- and regional air quality in China.

Process analysis of typical summertime ozone episodes over the Beijing area.

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games will be held in Beijing; however, summer is the season in which Beijing is marked by frequent high-O(3) episodes. Observation analysis reveals that the urban plume is transported by a southerly wind and undergoes chemical reaction during propagation, resulting in the common occurrence of high O(3) concentrations in the urban downwind area; this is the typical scenario of the formation of high summertime O(3) levels over the Beijing area. The typical high-O(3) episode is well reproduced by the 3-dimensional air-quality model CMAQ-MADRID (Community Multi-scale Air-Quality Model of Aerosol Dynamics, Reaction, Ionization, and Dissolution). Radical cycle analysis reveals that the Beijing urban area was in a VOC-limited regime for O(3) formation, while the urban downwind area changed gradually to a NO(x)-limited condition. The urban downwind area, Dingling, is readily affected by intrusion of the urban plume. Detailed process analysis indicated that although the O(3) peaks reached the same level on 26 and 27 June 2000, the dominant process contributing to the O(3) increase was different on each day. On 26 June, the major contributor to the O(3) peak at Dingling was the arrival of high O(3) levels with propagation of the urban plume; in contrast, on 27 June O(3) precursors were transported rapidly to the urban downwind area by strong transportation processes that occurred earlier than those on the previous day, resulting in O(3) production by local photochemistry becoming the major contributor to the high-O(3) episode.