BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease(CHD)and heart failure(HF)are the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.Early and accurate diagnoses of CHD and HF are essential for optimal management and prognosis.Howeve...BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease(CHD)and heart failure(HF)are the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.Early and accurate diagnoses of CHD and HF are essential for optimal management and prognosis.However,conventional diagnostic methods such as electrocardiography,echocardiography,and cardiac biomarkers have certain limitations,such as low sensitivity,specificity,availability,and cost-effectiveness.Therefore,there is a need for simple,noninvasive,and reliable biomarkers to diagnose CHD and HF.AIM To investigate serum cystatin C(Cys-C),monocyte/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio(MHR),and uric acid(UA)diagnostic values for CHD and HF.METHODS We enrolled 80 patients with suspected CHD or HF who were admitted to our hospital between July 2022 and July 2023.The patients were divided into CHD(n=20),HF(n=20),CHD+HF(n=20),and control groups(n=20).The serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were measured using immunonephelometry and an enzymatic method,respectively,and the diagnostic values for CHD and HF were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.RESULTS Serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were significantly higher in the CHD,HF,and CHD+HF groups than those in the control group.The serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were significantly higher in the CHD+HF group than those in the CHD or HF group.The ROC curve analysis showed that serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA had good diagnostic performance for CHD and HF,with areas under the curve ranging from 0.78 to 0.93.The optimal cutoff values of serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA for diagnosing CHD,HF,and CHD+HF were 1.2 mg/L,0.9×10^(9),and 389μmol/L;1.4 mg/L,1.0×10^(9),and 449μmol/L;and 1.6 mg/L,1.1×10^(9),and 508μmol/L,respectively.CONCLUSION Serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA are useful biomarkers for diagnosing CHD and HF,and CHD+HF.These can provide information for decision-making and risk stratification in patients with CHD and HF.展开更多
BACKGROUND Proteinuria is an important and well-known biomarker of many forms of kidney injury.Its quantitation is of particular importance in the diagnosis and management of glomerular diseases.Its quantification can...BACKGROUND Proteinuria is an important and well-known biomarker of many forms of kidney injury.Its quantitation is of particular importance in the diagnosis and management of glomerular diseases.Its quantification can be done by several methods.Among these,the measurement of 24-h urinary protein excretion is the gold standard method.However,it is cumbersome,time-consuming,and inconvenient for patients and is not completely foolproof.Many alternative methods have been tested over time albeit with conflicting results.Among the latter,the measurement of urine protein-to-creatinine ratio(uPCR)in singlevoided urinary samples is widely used.The majority of studies found a good correlation between uPCR in single urine samples with 24-h urinary protein estimation,whereas others did not.AIM To investigate the correlation of spot uPCR with 24-h urinary protein estimation in patients suffering from different forms of glomerulopathies at a single largevolume nephrological center in Pakistan.METHODS This cross-sectional,observational study was conducted at the Department of Nephrology,Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation,Karachi,Pakistan from September 2017 to March 2018.All newly presenting adult patients with proteinuria who were being investigated for suspected glomerulonephritis and persistent proteinuria with ages between 18 to 60 years were enrolled.All patients were given detailed advice regarding 24-h urine collection starting at 7:00 AM for total protein and creatinine excretion estimations.A spot urine sample was collected the next day at the time of submission of a 24-h urine sample for measuring uPCR along with a blood sample.The data of patients were collected in a proforma.SPSS version 20.0 was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS A total of 157 patients were included.Their mean age was 30.45±12.11 years.There were 94(59.8%)males and 63(40.2%)females.The mean 24-h urinary protein excretion was 3192.78±1959.79 mg and the mean spot uPCR was 3.16±1.52 in all patients.A weak but significant correlation was observed between spot uPCR and 24-h urinary protein excretion(r=0.342,P=0.01)among all patients.On subgroup analysis,a slightly better correlation was found in patients older than 47 years(r=0.78),and those with body mass index>25 kg/m2(r=0.45).The Bland and Altman's plot analysis comparing the differences between spot uPCR and 24-h protein measurement also showed a wide range of the limits of agreement between the two methods.CONCLUSION Overall,the results from this study showed a significant and weakly positive correlation between spot uPCR and 24-h urinary protein estimation in different forms of glomerulopathies.The agreement between the two methods was also poor.Hence,there is a need for careful interpretation of the ratio in an unselected group of patients with kidney disease.展开更多
The operation of biomass treatment devices such as gasifiers is based on the control of key parameters that play an important role in product formation. These include: temperature, excess oxygen, relative humidity and...The operation of biomass treatment devices such as gasifiers is based on the control of key parameters that play an important role in product formation. These include: temperature, excess oxygen, relative humidity and biomass composition. This work focuses on excess oxygen and temperature. Unfortunately, flue gas oxygen analyzers are expensive and not accessible to small industries. However, the equivalence ratio is linked to excess oxygen and has the advantage of not depending on biomass composition. This study therefore focuses on the design and development of a device for controlling this equivalence ratio by measuring oxygen concentration using a self-propelled Lambda probe, and a system for monitoring this equivalence ratio using an Arduino Uno 3 microcontroller. The temperature is recorded with an accuracy of ±1.5°C. For a heating time of 10 minutes, the response time to temperature change is around 3 seconds, which is sufficient for the device to function properly. This simple device is an efficient and cost-effective means of checking the equivalence ratio.展开更多
BACKGROUND The lymphocyte to monocyte ratio(LMR)is considered a marker of systemic inflammation in cardiovascular disease and acts as predictor of mortality in coronary artery disease.AIM To investigate the predictive...BACKGROUND The lymphocyte to monocyte ratio(LMR)is considered a marker of systemic inflammation in cardiovascular disease and acts as predictor of mortality in coronary artery disease.AIM To investigate the predictive role of LMR in diabetic coronary artery disease patients.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted at tertiary care super-specialty hospital at New Delhi,India.A total of 200 angiography-proven coronary artery disease(CAD)patients were enrolled and grouped into two categories:Group I[CAD patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)levels≥6.5%],and Group II(CAD patients without T2DM and HbA1c levels<6.5%).Serum lipoproteins,HbA1c,and complete blood count of enrolled patients were analyzed using fully automatic analyzers.RESULTS The logistic regression analysis showed an odds ratio of 1.48(95%CI:1.28-1.72,P<0.05)for diabetic coronary artery disease patients(Group I)in unadjusted model.After adjusting for age,gender,diet,smoking,and hypertension history,the odds ratio increased to 1.49(95%CI:1.29-1.74,P<0.01)in close association with LMR.Further adjustment for high cholesterol and triglycerides yielded the same odds ratio of 1.49(95%CI:1.27-1.75,P<0.01).Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed 74%sensitivity,64%specificity,and 0.74 area under the curve(95%CI:0.67-0.80,P<0.001),suggesting moderate predictive accuracy for diabetic CAD patients.CONCLUSION LMR showed positive association with diabetic coronary artery disease,with moderate predictive accuracy.These findings have implications for improving CAD management in diabetics,necessitating further research and targeted interventions.展开更多
目的:探讨治疗前淋巴细胞与C反应蛋白比值(LCR)对结外NK/T细胞淋巴瘤(ENKTL)预后的判断价值。方法:回顾性分析郑州大学第一附属医院收治的203例初诊为ENKTL患者的临床资料,ROC曲线得到LCR预测5 a总生存期(OS)的最佳截断值,并根据截断值...目的:探讨治疗前淋巴细胞与C反应蛋白比值(LCR)对结外NK/T细胞淋巴瘤(ENKTL)预后的判断价值。方法:回顾性分析郑州大学第一附属医院收治的203例初诊为ENKTL患者的临床资料,ROC曲线得到LCR预测5 a总生存期(OS)的最佳截断值,并根据截断值将患者分为两组,绘制Kaplan-Meier生存曲线,采用Cox回归分析无进展生存期(PFS)和OS的影响因素。结果:LCR预测5 a OS的最佳截断值为0.19,低LCR组患者预后较差(P<0.001)。Cox回归分析结果表明,低LCR组ENKTL患者预后较差,PFS和OS的HR(95%CI)分别为0.462(0.336~0.636)和0.381(0.275~0.527)。结论:治疗前LCR可影响ENKTL预后,低LCR患者的预后较差。展开更多
Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,t...Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.Therefore,a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e.,0,6,12and 18 Mg ha~(–1)) of straw returned as an interlayer.Compared with no straw interlayer (CK),straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively.The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration,which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm),which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.Generally,compared with other treatments,the application of 12 Mg ha~(–1) straw had higher SOC,TN and C:N ratio,and lower soil stratification ratio in the2015–2017 period.The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years,and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Coronary heart disease(CHD)and heart failure(HF)are the major causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide.Early and accurate diagnoses of CHD and HF are essential for optimal management and prognosis.However,conventional diagnostic methods such as electrocardiography,echocardiography,and cardiac biomarkers have certain limitations,such as low sensitivity,specificity,availability,and cost-effectiveness.Therefore,there is a need for simple,noninvasive,and reliable biomarkers to diagnose CHD and HF.AIM To investigate serum cystatin C(Cys-C),monocyte/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio(MHR),and uric acid(UA)diagnostic values for CHD and HF.METHODS We enrolled 80 patients with suspected CHD or HF who were admitted to our hospital between July 2022 and July 2023.The patients were divided into CHD(n=20),HF(n=20),CHD+HF(n=20),and control groups(n=20).The serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were measured using immunonephelometry and an enzymatic method,respectively,and the diagnostic values for CHD and HF were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis.RESULTS Serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were significantly higher in the CHD,HF,and CHD+HF groups than those in the control group.The serum levels of Cys-C,MHR,and UA were significantly higher in the CHD+HF group than those in the CHD or HF group.The ROC curve analysis showed that serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA had good diagnostic performance for CHD and HF,with areas under the curve ranging from 0.78 to 0.93.The optimal cutoff values of serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA for diagnosing CHD,HF,and CHD+HF were 1.2 mg/L,0.9×10^(9),and 389μmol/L;1.4 mg/L,1.0×10^(9),and 449μmol/L;and 1.6 mg/L,1.1×10^(9),and 508μmol/L,respectively.CONCLUSION Serum Cys-C,MHR,and UA are useful biomarkers for diagnosing CHD and HF,and CHD+HF.These can provide information for decision-making and risk stratification in patients with CHD and HF.
文摘BACKGROUND Proteinuria is an important and well-known biomarker of many forms of kidney injury.Its quantitation is of particular importance in the diagnosis and management of glomerular diseases.Its quantification can be done by several methods.Among these,the measurement of 24-h urinary protein excretion is the gold standard method.However,it is cumbersome,time-consuming,and inconvenient for patients and is not completely foolproof.Many alternative methods have been tested over time albeit with conflicting results.Among the latter,the measurement of urine protein-to-creatinine ratio(uPCR)in singlevoided urinary samples is widely used.The majority of studies found a good correlation between uPCR in single urine samples with 24-h urinary protein estimation,whereas others did not.AIM To investigate the correlation of spot uPCR with 24-h urinary protein estimation in patients suffering from different forms of glomerulopathies at a single largevolume nephrological center in Pakistan.METHODS This cross-sectional,observational study was conducted at the Department of Nephrology,Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation,Karachi,Pakistan from September 2017 to March 2018.All newly presenting adult patients with proteinuria who were being investigated for suspected glomerulonephritis and persistent proteinuria with ages between 18 to 60 years were enrolled.All patients were given detailed advice regarding 24-h urine collection starting at 7:00 AM for total protein and creatinine excretion estimations.A spot urine sample was collected the next day at the time of submission of a 24-h urine sample for measuring uPCR along with a blood sample.The data of patients were collected in a proforma.SPSS version 20.0 was used for statistical analysis.RESULTS A total of 157 patients were included.Their mean age was 30.45±12.11 years.There were 94(59.8%)males and 63(40.2%)females.The mean 24-h urinary protein excretion was 3192.78±1959.79 mg and the mean spot uPCR was 3.16±1.52 in all patients.A weak but significant correlation was observed between spot uPCR and 24-h urinary protein excretion(r=0.342,P=0.01)among all patients.On subgroup analysis,a slightly better correlation was found in patients older than 47 years(r=0.78),and those with body mass index>25 kg/m2(r=0.45).The Bland and Altman's plot analysis comparing the differences between spot uPCR and 24-h protein measurement also showed a wide range of the limits of agreement between the two methods.CONCLUSION Overall,the results from this study showed a significant and weakly positive correlation between spot uPCR and 24-h urinary protein estimation in different forms of glomerulopathies.The agreement between the two methods was also poor.Hence,there is a need for careful interpretation of the ratio in an unselected group of patients with kidney disease.
文摘The operation of biomass treatment devices such as gasifiers is based on the control of key parameters that play an important role in product formation. These include: temperature, excess oxygen, relative humidity and biomass composition. This work focuses on excess oxygen and temperature. Unfortunately, flue gas oxygen analyzers are expensive and not accessible to small industries. However, the equivalence ratio is linked to excess oxygen and has the advantage of not depending on biomass composition. This study therefore focuses on the design and development of a device for controlling this equivalence ratio by measuring oxygen concentration using a self-propelled Lambda probe, and a system for monitoring this equivalence ratio using an Arduino Uno 3 microcontroller. The temperature is recorded with an accuracy of ±1.5°C. For a heating time of 10 minutes, the response time to temperature change is around 3 seconds, which is sufficient for the device to function properly. This simple device is an efficient and cost-effective means of checking the equivalence ratio.
文摘BACKGROUND The lymphocyte to monocyte ratio(LMR)is considered a marker of systemic inflammation in cardiovascular disease and acts as predictor of mortality in coronary artery disease.AIM To investigate the predictive role of LMR in diabetic coronary artery disease patients.METHODS This cross-sectional study was conducted at tertiary care super-specialty hospital at New Delhi,India.A total of 200 angiography-proven coronary artery disease(CAD)patients were enrolled and grouped into two categories:Group I[CAD patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)and glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)levels≥6.5%],and Group II(CAD patients without T2DM and HbA1c levels<6.5%).Serum lipoproteins,HbA1c,and complete blood count of enrolled patients were analyzed using fully automatic analyzers.RESULTS The logistic regression analysis showed an odds ratio of 1.48(95%CI:1.28-1.72,P<0.05)for diabetic coronary artery disease patients(Group I)in unadjusted model.After adjusting for age,gender,diet,smoking,and hypertension history,the odds ratio increased to 1.49(95%CI:1.29-1.74,P<0.01)in close association with LMR.Further adjustment for high cholesterol and triglycerides yielded the same odds ratio of 1.49(95%CI:1.27-1.75,P<0.01).Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed 74%sensitivity,64%specificity,and 0.74 area under the curve(95%CI:0.67-0.80,P<0.001),suggesting moderate predictive accuracy for diabetic CAD patients.CONCLUSION LMR showed positive association with diabetic coronary artery disease,with moderate predictive accuracy.These findings have implications for improving CAD management in diabetics,necessitating further research and targeted interventions.
文摘目的:探讨治疗前淋巴细胞与C反应蛋白比值(LCR)对结外NK/T细胞淋巴瘤(ENKTL)预后的判断价值。方法:回顾性分析郑州大学第一附属医院收治的203例初诊为ENKTL患者的临床资料,ROC曲线得到LCR预测5 a总生存期(OS)的最佳截断值,并根据截断值将患者分为两组,绘制Kaplan-Meier生存曲线,采用Cox回归分析无进展生存期(PFS)和OS的影响因素。结果:LCR预测5 a OS的最佳截断值为0.19,低LCR组患者预后较差(P<0.001)。Cox回归分析结果表明,低LCR组ENKTL患者预后较差,PFS和OS的HR(95%CI)分别为0.462(0.336~0.636)和0.381(0.275~0.527)。结论:治疗前LCR可影响ENKTL预后,低LCR患者的预后较差。
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31871584)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS-ZDRW202201)+2 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for Central Non-profit Scientific Institution, China (1610132020011)the “Open the list” in charge of the Science and Technology Project of Ordos, Center for Agro-pastoral Ecology and Resource Conservation of Ordos City, Inner Mongolia, China (JBGS2021-001)the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Research Project (2021EEDSCXSFQZD011)。
文摘Soil salinization is a critical environmental issue restricting agricultural production.Deep return of straw to the soil as an interlayer (at 40 cm depth) has been a popular practice to alleviate salt stress.However,the legacy effects of straw added as an interlayer at different rates on soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) in saline soils still remain inconclusive.Therefore,a four-year (2015–2018) field experiment was conducted with four levels (i.e.,0,6,12and 18 Mg ha~(–1)) of straw returned as an interlayer.Compared with no straw interlayer (CK),straw addition increased SOC concentration by 14–32 and 11–57%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively.The increases in soil TN concentration (8–22 and 6–34%in the 20–40 and 40–60 cm soil layers,respectively) were lower than that for SOC concentration,which led to increased soil C:N ratio in the 20–60 cm soil depth.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations in the 20–60 cm soil layer with straw addition led to a decrease in stratification ratios (0–20 cm:20–60 cm),which promoted uniform distributions of SOC and TN in the soil profile.Increases in SOC and TN concentrations were associated with soil salinity and moisture regulation and improved sunflower yield.Generally,compared with other treatments,the application of 12 Mg ha~(–1) straw had higher SOC,TN and C:N ratio,and lower soil stratification ratio in the2015–2017 period.The results highlighted that legacy effects of straw application as an interlayer were maintained for at least four years,and demonstrated that deep soil straw application had a great potential for improving subsoil fertility in salt-affected soils.
