Use of coronary CT angiography in the diagnosis of patients with suspected coronary artery disease： findings and clinical indications

Objective To investigate the clinical applications of coronary CT angiography in patients with suspected coronary artery disease and identify factors that affect CT findings. Methods Medical records of patients suspected of coronary artery disease over a period of 12 months from a tertiary teaching hospital were retrospectively reviewed. Patient age, sex （male/female）, duration of symptoms and abnormal rates of coronary CT angiography scans were analysed to investigate the relationship among these parameters. The patients by age were characterized into five groups： under 36 years, 36-45 years, 46-55 years, 56455 years and more than 66 years, respectively; while the duration of symptoms was also classified into five groups： less than one week, one week to one month, one to three months, three to six months and more than six months. Results Of the 880 patient records reviewed, 800 met the above study criteria. Five hundred and forty nine patients demonstrated abnormal CT findings （68.6%）. There was no significant difference in the percentage of abnormal CT findings based on patient sex and the duration of symptoms （P = 0.14）. The abnormal rates of coronary CT angiography, however, increased significantly with increasing age （P 〈 0.001）; with patients over 65 years of age 2.5 times more likely to have an abnormal CT scan relative to a patient under 45 years. A significant difference was found between abnormal coronary CT angiography and the duration of symptoms （P = 0.012）. Conclusions Our results indicate coronary CT angiography findings are significantly related to the patient age group and duration of symptoms. Clinical referral for coronary CT angiography of patients with suspected coronary artery disease needs to be justified with regard to the judicious use of this imaging modality.

Eco-toxicity and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of Burullus Lake in Egypt

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)are ubiquitous environmental contaminants of growing concern due to their potential ecological and human health risks.This study presents a comprehensive assessment of PAHs contamination in the surface sediments of Burullus Lake,a vital and second largest delta lake in Egypt.The aim was to evaluate the eco-toxicity and potential health risks associated with the presence of these compounds.Surface seven sediment samples were collected from various drains in the southern part of Burullus Lake.Soxhlet extraction method was employed to extract PAHs(16PAHs)from the sediment sample.Analytically,target compounds were located using HPLC.The results showed that samples contained PAHs levels ranging from 0.038×10^(-6)to 0.459×10^(-6),which is considered heavily polluted by the European standard for PAHs pollution.Additionally,there was no apparent source of PAHs in the ElKhashah drain or the Brinbal Canal,as HPLC found none of the compounds.The most prevalent compound in sediment samples along the study area was fluoranthene.The diagnostic indices in the present study indicated that the hydrocarbons in the region originated from pyrolytic and man-made sources along the drains of Burullus Lake.The principal component analysis(PCA)and diagnostic ratios revealed that coal combustion and pyrolytic sources were responsible for the PAHs contamination in the surface sediments.The non-carcinogenic risk(HI),which is the product of the HQs for the adult and child populations,respectively,was calculated.HI values under 1,therefore,demonstrated that they had no carcinogenic effects on human health.TEQs and MEQs in the sediments of Burullus Lake do not have a cancer-causing impact on people.For the safety of nearby wildlife,aquatic life,and people,all activities that raise petroleum hydrocarbon levels in Burullus Lake must be adequately regulated and controlled.According to the ecological risk assessment,there is little chance that PAHs will be found in the sediments of Burullus Lake.This study underscores the urgent need for effective pollution control measures and regular monitoring of PAHs levels in Burullus Lake sediments to protect the aquatic ecosystem and public health.It also highlights the importance of considering eco-toxicity and human health risks in integrated risk assessments of PAHs-contaminated environments.

sLe^(x) expression in invasive micropapillary breast carcinoma is associated with poor prognosis and can be combined with MUC1/EMA as a supplementary diagnostic indicator

Objective: Mucin 1(MUC1/EMA) and sialyl Lewis X(sLe^(x)) indicate polarity reversal in invasive micropapillary carcinoma(IMPC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of MUC1/EMA and sLe^(x) and to assess their diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with IMPC.Methods: The expression of sLe^(x) and MUC1/EMA in 100 patients with IMPC and a control group of 89 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma not otherwise specified(IDC-NOS) were analyzed with IHC. Fresh tumor tissues were collected from patients with IMPC or IDC-NOS for primary culture and immunofluorescence analysis.Results: The rate of nodal metastasis was higher in patients with IMPC than those with IDC-NOS, and IMPC cells tended to express more sLe^(x) and MUC1/EMA in the cytomembranes(the stroma-facing surfaces of the micropapillary clusters) than IDC-NOS cells. In IMPC, high cytomembrane expression of sLe^(x), but not MUC1/EMA, indicated poor prognosis. In addition, among the 100 patients with IMPC, 10 patients had sLe^(x)+/EMA-expression patterns, and 8 patients had sLe^(x)-/EMA+ expression patterns. The primary IMPC cells were suspended, non-adherent tumor cell clusters, whereas the primary IDC cells were adherent tumor cells. Immunofluorescence analysis showed that MUC1/EMA and sLe^(x) were co-expressed on the cytomembranes in IMPC cell clusters and in the cytoplasm in IDC-NOS cells.Conclusions: sLe^(x) can be used as a prognostic indicator and can be combined with MUC1/EMA as a complementary diagnostic indicator to avoid missed IMPC diagnosis.

Cut-off Values of Diagnostic Indices to Detect Iron Deficiency in Chinese Breast-fed Infants

Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most prevalent nutritional deficiency worldwide. The commonly used cut-off values for identifying iron deficiency are extrapolated from older children and may not be suitable for infants. Therefore, our study aimed to establish appropriate cut-off values for the evaluation of iron status in Chinese infants. Pregnant women who delivered at 〉37 gestational weeks with normal iron status were recruited. Later, infants with normal birth weight and who were breastfed in the first 4 months were selected. Blood samples were collected to assess hemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor, mean corpuscular volume and free erythrocyte protoporphyrin. Cut-offs of all iron indices were determined as the limit of 95% confidence interval.

Source diagnostic and weathering indicators of oil spills utilizing bicyclic sesquiterpanes

Bicyclic Sesquiterpanes （BSs） are ubiquitous components of crude oils and ancient sediments. BSs in crude oils and diesel oil were identified and characterized, the effects of moderate weathering on BS distributions were discussed, and a methodology using diagnostic indices of BSs was developed for oil correlation and dif- ferentiation. The results showed that crude oils and oil products had different abundances and distributions of BSs and, consequently, resulted in different diagnostic ratios. The selected diagnostic ratio indices of BSs, such as BS4/BS5 （ratio of 4,4,8,9,9-pentamethyl-decahydronaphthalene to 8/3 （H）-drimane）, BS6/BS5 （ratio of 4,4,9,9,10-pentamethyl-decahydronaphthalene to 8/3 （H）-drimane）, BS8/BS9 （ratio of the second peak to the third peak of C16 sequiterpane）, and BS8/BSIO （ratio of C16 sequiterpane to 8fl （H）-homodrimane）, still maintained better stabilities （%RSD 〈 5%） after weathering for 30 d. The longer weathering process （150 d） had some effect on such ratios （5% 〈 %RSD 〈 10%）. The facts of the uniqueness, abundance in petroleum, and chemical stability of BSs enable them to be suitable as an effective diagnostic means for identifying spilled oil with moderate weathering, particularly for lighter refined product samples that are difficult to identify by current techniques.

Roles of lncRNAs in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Diagnosis,treatment, and the development of drug resistance

Background: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC) is one of the most lethal cancers, primarily due to its late diagnosis, high propensity to metastasis, and the development of resistance to chemo-/radiotherapy. Accumulating evidence suggests that long non-coding RNAs(lnc RNAs) are intimately involved in the treatment resistance of pancreatic cancer cells via interacting with critical signaling pathways and may serve as potential diagnostic/prognostic markers or therapeutic targets in PDAC. Data sources: We carried out a systematic review on lnc RNAs-based research in the context of pancreatic cancer and presented an overview of the updated information regarding the molecular mechanisms underlying lnc RNAs-modulated pancreatic cancer progression and drug resistance, together with their potential value in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of PDAC. Literature mining was performed in Pub Med with the following keywords: long non-coding RNA, pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, pancreatic cancer up to January 2022. Publications relevant to the roles of lnc RNAs in diagnosis, prognosis, drug resistance, and therapy of PDAC were collected and systematically reviewed. Results: Lnc RNAs, such as HOTAIR, HOTTIP, and PVT1, play essential roles in regulating pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and drug resistance, thus may serve as potential diagnostic/prognostic markers or therapeutic targets in PDAC. They participate in tumorigenesis mainly by targeting mi RNAs, interacting with signaling molecules, and involving in the epithelial-mesenchymal transition process. Conclusions: The functional lnc RNAs play essential roles in pancreatic cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and drug resistance and have potential values in diagnosis, prognostic prediction, and treatment of PDAC.

Dynamic change and diagnosis of physical, chemical and biological properties in bauxite residue disposal areas

Vegetation encroachment occurred in bauxite residue disposal area(BRDA)following natural weathering processes,whilst the typical indicators of soil formation are still uncertain.Residue samples were collected from the BRDA in Central China,and related physical,chemical and biological indicators of bauxite residue with different storage years were determined.The indicators of soil formation in bauxite residue were selected using principal component analysis,factor analysis,and comprehensive evaluation to establish soil quality diagnostic index model on disposal areas.Following natural weathering processes,the texture of bauxite residue changed from silty loam to sandy loam.The pH and EC decreased,whilst porosity,nutrient element content and microbial biomass increased.The identified minimum data set(MDS)included available phosphorus(AP),moisture content(MC),C/N,sand content,total nitrogen(TN),microbial biomass carbon(MBC),and pH.The soil quality index of bauxite residue increased,and the relative soil quality index decreased from 1.89 to 0.15,which indicated that natural weathering had a significant effect on improveing the quality of bauxite residue and forming a new soil-like matrix.The diagnostic model of bauxite residue was established to provide data support for the regeneration on disposal area.

Characterization of aliphatic hydrocarbons in deep subsurface soils near the outskirts of Beijing, China

Thirty-nine deep subsurface soils(150—180 cm depth) near the outskirts of Beijing were investagated. The concentrations including n-alkanes from C_ 13 to C_ 36, pristane and phytane were in the range of 0.60 to 170.10 μg/g, with a median value of 4.26. Carbon preference index values for n-alkanes ranged from 1.08 to 2.98, with a median value of 1.48. The percentage contribution of “wax' n-alkanes was in the range of 6.03%—46.22%. A predominance of odd/even carbon n-alkanes and unresolved complex mixtures with different shapes and ranges were frequently observed. Factor analysis reduced the data set into three principal components and confirming contributions from low(19.58%), medium(20.49%) molecular weight species and long-chain n-alkanes(43.41%), respectively. Molecular biomarkers such as pristane, phytane, hopanes and steranes were detected. Based on the principal component analysis, the concentration profiles and molecular markers, it was found that the aliphatic hydrocarbons were from both biogenic and anthropogenic sources.

Validation of a Critical Nitrogen Curve for Summer Maize in the North China Plain

The concept of critical N concentration(N_c)has been widely used in agronomy as the basis for diagnosis of crop N status,and allows discrimination between field situations of sub-optimal and supra-optimal N supply.A critical N dilution curve of N_c=34.0W^(-0.37),where W is the aboveground biomass(Mg DM ha^(-1))and N_c the critical N concentration in aboveground dry matter(g kg^(-1)DM),was developed for spring maize in Europe.Our objectives were to validate whether this European critical N dilution curve was appropriate for summer maize production in the North China Plain(NCP)and to develop a critical N dilution curve especially for summer maize production in this region.In total 231 data points from 16 experiments were used to test the European critical N dilution curve.These observations showed that the European critical N dilution curve was unsuitable for summer maize in the NCP,especially at the early growth stage.From the data obtained,a critical N dilution curve for summer maize in the NCP was described by the equation of N_c=27.2W^(-0,27),when aboveground biomass was between 0.64 and 11.17 Mg DM ha^(-1).Based on this curve,more than 90%of the data for the N deficiency supply treatments had an N nutrition index(NNI)<1 and 92%of the data for the N excess supply treatments had an NNI>1.