Investigation of the Clinical Diagnostic Significance of the T-Cell Test for Tuberculosis combined with Erythrocyte Sedimentation Test in Pulmonary Tuberculosis

Objective:To investigate the clinical diagnostic significance of peripheral blood T-cell test(T-spot test)for tuberculosis(TB)infection combined with erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)in pulmonary TB.Methods:41 patients with a clinical diagnosis of TB during hospitalization from January 2020 to April 2023 in our hospital were selected as the experimental group,and 45 patients without TB(bronchopneumonia patients)were selected as the control group.The diagnostic specificity,sensitivity,and accuracy of the T-spot TB test,ESR test,and the combined test of the two were calculated respectively.Results:The sensitivity,specificity,and accuracy of the T-spot TB test combined with ESR for the diagnosis of TB in the experimental group were significantly higher than the individual results of the T-spot TB test and ESR test alone(P<0.05).Conclusion:The T-spot TB test combined with the ESR test for TB diagnosis has greater clinical value than carrying out the tests individually.

Modern sedimentation rates in the intertidal zone on the west coast of the Bohai Gulf

On the basis of the measurement of 210Pbex and 137Cs activities in the sediment cores taken from the intertidal zone on the west coast of the Bohai Gulf, the average sedimentation rates of modern sediments are calculated. The results indicate that in the sandy area of the intertidal zone (from Daogouzi to the Duliujian River), the sedimentation rate from 1955 to 1963 is 3.43-4.06 cm/a, and is within the range of 0.65￣1.59 cm/a since 1963. The average sedimentation rate in the muddy area (around Qikou) is approximately 1.81 cm/a. The results above suggest that the sandy area of the intertidal zone has experienced rapid sedimentation from the 1950s to the 1960s, and the sedimentation slows down after the 1960s, and the sedimentation rates increase from north to south spatially. The rapid sedi- mentation from the 1950s to the 1960s in the sandy area is due to the fact that North China has plentiful precipitation during this period and the intertidal zone is supplied with abundant matter sources for sedimentation. After the 1960s, the weakened sedimentation may be a result of the reduction of sand transported to the intertidal zone, which is a consequence of diminished rainfall in North China and intensive human activities in the Haihe basin.

MODERN SEDIMENTATION RATES AND SEDIMENTATION FEATURE IN THE HUANGHE RIVER ESTUARY BASED ON ^(210)Pb TECHNIQUE

Based on Pb technique, sedimentation rates of 11 cores collected from the Huanghe River estuary were determined. CaCO3 distribution of 4 cores chosen from among these was measured. Profiles of 210Pb in the cores showed that the distribution of 210Pb activity decayed with depth, appeared in stages and in more than one segment. The sedimentation rates,210Pb and CaCO3 data have similar distribution trend in the 4 cores. Jhe profiles of Pb and CaCO3 were used to study sedimentation in -tensity, transportation trend of material and sedimentation features in the coring area.

The sedimentation rates in the Okinawa Trough during the Late Quaternary

On the basis of accelerator mass spectrometer radiocarbon （AMS ^14C） dating, sedimentation rates of 11 cores collected from the northern to southern Okinawa Trough are discussed. The sedimentation rates in the Okinawa Trough roughly range from 11 to 39cm/ka, and the average is 23.0cm/ka. China＇s continental matter is the main sediment source of the middle Okinawa Trough and has important contribution to the northern and southern Okinawa Trough. The sedimentation rates during the marine oxygen isotope （MIS） 2 are uniformly higher than those during MIS 1 in the northern and middle Okinawa Trough while they are on the contrary in the southern Okinawa Trough. Sedimentation rates in the Okinawa Trough can be one of the proxies of sediment source and an indicator of cooling events.

STUDY OF OKINAWA TROUGH SEDIMENTATION RATES AND PALEOENVIRONMENT BASED ON URANIUM SERIES ISOTOPE

Spectrometry of 238U, 234U, 230Th and, 232Th in three Okinawa Trough cores showed that, based on the230Th/232Th activity ratio, the sedimentation rates were about 2.5 cm/ka, 2.8 cm/ka and 8.5 cm/ka respectivelyduring the Holocene and about 20.1 cm/ka, 12.29 cm/ka, 8.8 cm/ka and 12.6 cm/ka respectively during theWurm glacial. To examine the past global climatic and oceanographic changes, the stable oxygen isotopesδ18O and CaCO3 were measured. The Th content and Th/U ratio showed that variations of terrigenous materialinput from the continental shelf were associated with glacial and interglacial changes and sea

Discordantly Elevated Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and Depressed C-Reactive Protein (CRP) Values in Early Diagnosis of Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Background: ESR and CRP measurements reflect different aspects of systemic inflammation. Generally, they are either elevated or depressed at the same time. This study was aimed at evaluating the clinical ability of these markers in the early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 (male 39, female 21) patients who tested positive to Acid Alcohol Fast Bacilli (AAFB) were studied. ESR and CRP values were estimated using standard procedures. Results: The mean ESR value among the AAFB positive patients was 53.16 ± 4.92 mm/hr while the CRP value was 0.273 ± 0.035 mg/L. Gender and age were not found to have any influence on the ESR and CRP values. No relationship was found to exist between ESR and CRP (r = 0.17;p = 0.235) and age (r = 0.125;p = 0.388). Conclusion: A moderately elevated ESR and low CRP values exist at the early diagnosis of tuberculosis. There is no correlation between ESR and CRP at the onset of tuberculosis;hence CRP cannot be used as a screening tool for early diagnosis of tuberculosis.

Settlement prediction model of slurry suspension based on sedimentation rate attenuation

This paper introduces a slurry suspension settlement prediction model for cohesive sediment in a still water environment. With no sediment input and a still water environment condition, control forces between settling particles are significantly different in the process of sedimentation rate attenuation, and the settlement process includes the free sedimentation stage, the log-linear attenuation stage, and the stable consolidation stage according to sedimentation rate attenuation. Settlement equations for sedimentation height and time were established based on sedimentation rate attenuation properties of different sedimentation stages. Finally, a slurry suspension settlement prediction model based on slurry parameters was set up with a foundation being that the model parameters were determined by the basic parameters of slurry. The results of the settlement prediction model show good agreement with those of the settlement column experiment and reflect the main characteristics of cohesive sediment. The model can be applied to the prediction of cohesive soil settlement in still water environments.

Effects of Different Cations on the Flocculation and Sedimentation of Static Fine-Grained

Natural water bodies mostly contain cations,and the type and content of these cations are the main factors affecting the flocculation of fine-grained cohesive sediments and the floc sedimentation rate at the interface between clear and turbid water.From the microscopic aspect,this study examined the changing patterns of porosity and the fractal dimension of the flocs of fine-grained cohesive sediments.Sedimentation experiments under different sediment contents and electrolyte conditions were conducted,and microscopic images of the flocs were analysed using Image-Pro Plus(IPP)and MATLAB based on the fractal theory.From the macroscopic aspect,this study experimentally investigated the flocculation and sedimentation of fine-grained cohesive sediments and proposed a sedimentation rate equation by introducing an ion concentration-related parameter into an existing sedimentation rate equation(stagnation zone)based on the adsorption isotherm equation.The equation proposed in this study was validated with measured data.The calculated values were in good agreement with the measured values,with a relative error of 16%.The findings of this study provide a reference for further research on the flocculation and sedimentation of fine-grained cohesive sediments in different water bodies.

Relationship between reference value (Wintrobe) of Chinese people's erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and geographical factors

In order to provide a scientific basis for laying out a unified standard of the reference value (Wintrobe) of Chinese people's erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). this paper studies the relationship between the reference values (Wintrobe) of Chinese healthy people's ESR, and the test is done according to the Wintrobe Laws and five geographical factors. It is found that the altitude is the modt important factor affecting the reference value (Wintrobe) of Chinese people's ESR. As altitude increases gradually, the reference value (Wintrobe) of people's ESR decreases accordingly, the correlation is quite obvious. By using the method of regression analysis, two multivariate regression equations and ten univariate regression equations are deduced If the geographical index values in a particular area are known, the reference value (Wintrobe) of Chinese people's ESR of this region can be established by means of the regression equations. Furthermore, according to the dependent relationship of the reference value (Wintrobe) of Chinese people's ESR on geographical factors.China can be divided into sin districts: Qinghai-Tibet, Southwest. Northwest. Southeast, North and Northeast China.

A New Method to Predict Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate with Natural Geographical Factors and Location by Case-based Reasoning: A Case Study of China

Reference values of erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)are the key to interpret ESR blood test in clinic.The common local reference ESR values are more accuracy in blood test that are established with natural geographical factors by using the multiple linear regression(MLR)model and the artificial neural network(ANN).These knowledge-based methods have limitations since the knowledge domains of ESR and natural geographical factors are limited.This paper presents a new cases-depended model to establish reference ESR values with natural geographical factors and location using case-based reasoning(CBR)since knowledge domain of ESR and geographical factors is weak.Overall 224 local normal ESR values of China that calculated from 13623 samples were obtained,and the corresponding natural geographical factors and location that include altitude,sunshine hours,relative humidity,temperature,precipitation,annual temperature range and annual average wind speed were obtained from the National Geomatics Center of China.CBR was used to predict the unseen local reference ESR values with cases.The average absolute deviation(AAD),mean square error(MSE),prediction accuracy(PA),and Pearson correlation coefficient(r)between the observed and estimated data of proposed model is 33.07%,9.02,66.93% and 0.78,which are better than those of ANN and MLR model.The results show that the proposed model provides higher prediction accuracy than those of the artificial neural network and multiple linear regression models.The predicted values are very close to the observed values.Model results show significant agreement of cases data.Consequently,the model is used to predict the unseen local reference ESR with natural geographical factors and location.In spatial,the highest ESR reference areas are distributed in the southern-western district of China that includes Sichuan,Chongqing,Guangxi and Guizhou provinces,and the reference ESR values are greater than 23 mm/60 min.The higher ESR reference values are distributed in the middle part and northern-eastern of China which include Hubei,Henan,Shaanxi,Shanxi,Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces,and the reference ESR values are greater than 18 mm/60min.The lowest ESR reference values are distributed in the northern-western of China that includes Tibet and Xinjiang,and the reference ESR values are lower than 5 mm/60min.

Sedimentation rates in the Wanggang salt marshes,Jiangsu

Coastal salt-marshes represent an important coastal wetland system. The total area of coastal wetlands exceeds 5000 km2 in Jiangsu Province, China, but it is decreasing rapidly in response to the intense reclamation activities and coastal erosion along a part of the coastline. Hence, two types of plants, Spartina angelica and Spartina alterniflora, were introduced successively into the Jiangsu coastal areas, in order to protect the coastline from erosion and to increase the accumulation rate. Pb-210 and Cs-137 analyses were carried out for sediment samples from the salt-marshes of Wanggang to determine the sedimentation rate, on the basis of an evaluation of the background activity values and the factors affecting the enrichment of Pb-210. Analysis of a typical sediment column of the tidal flat shows that there is weak absorption of Pb-210 in the silt-dominated sediment. Because of the influences of factors such as storm events, bioturbation, material sources and analytical error, some abnormal data points appear in the Pb-210 record. After ignoring these data the calculated sedimentation rate was 3.3 cm yr-1 on average. Based upon analysis of the Cs-137 dating, the rate since 1963 was 3.1 cm yr-1 on average, similar to the data by Pb-210 dating and the previous studies. The dating results show that there were three stages of sedimentation, with the most rapid accretion being taking place after Spartina angelica was introduced into the area. The study also shows that at the stage of Spartina alterniflora growth, the accretion rate was higher than on the flat surface with the same elevation without the cover of this plant.

Changes in Sedimentation Rate of Tidal Flat and Environmental Significance at Qidong Foreland of the Yangtze Estuary

The sedimentation rate is an important environmental parameter to understand the evolution of coastal geomorphology. The tidal flat around Qidong foreland is located in the junction between Yangtze Estuary and Jiangsu coast,where the land-ocean interactions are strong and highly sensitive to environmental changes. The QDZ-1 core sediments collected at Qidong foreland was analyzed for137 Cs dating and grain size.The results showed that silt is the main sedimentary type with a trend of gradually fining from the bottom to the top,conforming to the sedimentation characteristic of the silt muddy tidal flat. The sedimentation rate could be divided into three distinct stages: 1963 to 1986 was 2. 61 cm/yr,1963 to 2011 was 1. 82 cm/yr,and 1986 to 2011 was 1. 10 cm/yr. Based on these,further explanation was made for the significance of environmental changes. According to the estimation of sedimentation rate,the impact of extreme environmental change was reflected by the sudden increase in sand proportion at the depth of 172. 5 cm. Since the introduction of Spartina alterniflora in the 1970 s,it has played an important role in tidal flat development. The tidal flat has a high sedimentary rate during this time. With continuous accretion of the tidal flat,low tidal flat turns to high tidal flat,the sedimentation rate gradually declines,and tidal flat sedimentation appears.

Unexplained elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate in a patient recovering from COVID-19:A case report

BACKGROUND A disease caused by a novel coronavirus virus,named coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),broke out in Wuhan,China in December 2019,and spread around the word.As of March 4,2020,93090 confirmed cases and 2984 deaths have been reported in more than 80 countries and territories.It has triggered global public health security.However,the features and prognosis of COVID-19 are incompletely understood.CASE SUMMARY We here report that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)increased in a confirmed COVID patient.The high level of ESR sustained for a long time even after the patient recovered from COVID-19,while all results related to tumor,tuberculosis,rheumatic diseases,anemia,etc.cannot explain the abnormal elevation of ESR presented in this case.CONCLUSION Although the increased ESR cannot be explained by all existing evidence,it possibly links the abnormal pathologic change in some COVID-19 patients and negative prognosis,and provides the clue to dissect the mechanism of illness progressing in COVID-19 and its prognosis.

Erosion Rates in Dam Catchments in Jordan—Effects of Topography, Geology, and Urbanizations

Erosion as a natural process produces soils, which are very important natural resources for the fest land plant- and animal kingdoms. Loss of the soil cover reduces agricultural production, biodiversity, and the role of soil as a filter for infiltrating water to replenish the groundwater. It also threatens the food supplies. The knowledge of erosion rates of rocks and terrains is important for developing proactive measures to protect soils from erosion and loss. In this study, erosion rates of catchment areas were calculated based on dams’ catchment extensions and the sediment loads transported by flood flows into dams’ lakes. The study results show that the chemically, via floodwater, transported quantities of materials are negligible compared to the solid materials transported by the water. It calculates erosion rates ranging from 0.013 to 0.212 mm/yr (13 - 212 m/106 yr) for the different catchment areas. Erosion rates in Jordan are, generally, higher than those calculated for the different parts of the world ranging from 2.5 to 60 m/106 yr. This fact can be explained by the very steep topography, calcareous rock cover of the catchment areas and the barren rock exposures.

Determination of sedimentation rates in Izmir Bay using ^(210)Pb radionuclide

In this study, using the constant rate of supply model, sedimentation rates of Izmir Bay were calculated and discussed. For this purpose, eight sediment cores were collected from inner part of the bay and sedimentation rates were calculated from vertical distribution of^(210)Pb.^(210)Pb activities were determined indirectly from ^(210)Po activities.Sedimentation rates ranged from 0.10 to 0.52 cm/year. The highest sedimentation rates were determined in stations close to the Poligon stream. It was concluded that main transporting mechanism for sediments is river and streams in the area. In addition, sediment cores taken from the harbor were mixed due to bioturbation, water circulation and/or other factors.

Value of preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate, CRP and D-D levels in evaluating the prognosis of elderly patients after hip replacement

Objective: To analyze the clinical value of blood sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein (CRP) and D-dimer (D-D) expression levels in elderly patients before hip replacement for judging the prognosis after operation. Methods 88 patients who needed hip replacement in orthopaedic surgery of our hospital from January 2014 to December 2017 were selected as the research object. According to the prognosis of patients, they were divided into two groups. 42 patients with good prognosis were treated as observation group and 46 patients with poor prognosis were treated as control group. The ESR and CRP of the two groups were recorded and analyzed before and after operation. The expression level of D-D, perioperative changes, and the prognostic value of the area under the curve (AUC) were compared by drawing the patient's working characteristic curve (ROC curve). Results The expression levels of ESR, CRP and D-D in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of CRP in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The expression levels of ESR and CRP in the observation group before discharge were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). There was significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05);the level of ESR expression before and 2 days after operation was significantly lower than that before discharge (P < 0.05);the level of ESR expression before operation was significantly lower than that 2 days after operation (P < 0.05);and the CRP and D-D table before operation were compared between the two groups (P < 0.05). The level of CRP and D-D expression in two groups was significantly higher than that before discharge (P < 0.05). In this study, two groups of patients were infected. The incidence of thrombosis in the observation group was higher than that in the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The Harris score of the observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusion There are abnormal levels of ESR, CRP and D-D expression in elderly patients with hip replacement before operation, and they have certain clinical value in evaluating the prognosis of elderly patients after hip replacement.

Soil loss and sedimentation rates in a subcatchment of the Yellow river Basin in China

Soil loss by water erosion is one of the main threats to soil health and food production in intensively used agricultural areas.To assess its significance to overall sediment production,we applied the Water and Tillage Erosion Model/Sediment Delivery model(WaTEM/SEDEM)to the Luoyugou catchment,a sub-catchment of the Yellow River Basin within the Chinese Loess Plateau.WaTEM/SEDEM considers rill and interrill erosion and deposition rates to calculate the sediment yield rates leaving the catchment.Ter-races were established in the 1990s to reduce soil loss in this area,but no soil erosion modeling has been published regarding the effect of this mitigation measure.Therefore,we applied 1000 Monte Carlo simulations of the WaTEM/SEDEM,and the modeled average soil loss by rill and interrill erosion for 2020 was 12.2±0.5 t ha^(-1)yr^(-1),with a sediment yield at the outlet of 53,207.8±11,244.1 t yr^(-1).The results indicated that the terracing reduced gross soil loss rates(from 51.8t ha^(-1)yr^(-1)in 1986 to 12.2±0.5 t ha^(-1)yr^(-1)in 2020),while land cover changes,mainly the conversion of forests and grassland,partly coun-teracted the mitigation(combined effect:76%reduction).Modeled sediment loads by rill and interrill erosion accounted for 22.8%of the total long-term sediment production recorded by flow discharge measurements.Other processes not considered by the model,such as landslides,gully erosion,riverbank erosion,and sediment production by construction,seem to predominantly influence the overall sedi-ment yield.Considering years with baseline sediment production only,the measured and modeled sediment yields compared favorably,indicating that the latter processes primarily contribute during extreme events.

Sedimentation and morphological changes at Yuantuojiao Point, estuary of the North Branch, Changjiang River

The North Branch, separated by the Chongming Island, was once the main channel in the estuary of the Changjiang River. Reclamation and a decrease in runoffto the North Branch had led to the narrowing and shallowing of the channel. The Yuantuojiao Point is located at the intersecting point connecting the North Branch of the Changjiang River and the Jiangsu coastline. Erosion cliffs are developed between the typical silty-muddy tidal flat and the salt marsh occupied by Spartina alterniflorea, and this has changed rapidly over the past few years. The sediment grain size analysis results of the surficial and two core samples indi- cate that the Yuantuoiiao Point tidal fiat experienced continuous accretional processes. Based upon 137Cs analysis results of the YT and YY Cores sampled from the tidal flat at the Yuantuojiao Point, the average sed- imentation rate of the YT Core was 2.30 cm/a from 1963 to 2007, and 2.38 cm/a from 1954 to 2007 for the YY Core. The sedimentation rates of both core locations have declined since the 1960s corresponding to the seaward reclamation at the Yuantuojiao Point. The average sedimentation rates at the Yuantnojiao Point were similar to that of the silty-muddy tidal flat at the northern ]iangsu coast, but lower than that of the south of the Changjiang River Estuary. According to field morphological investigations from 2006 to 2008 on the salt marsh at the Yuantuojiao Point, cliffs retreated markedly by storm surges and disappeared gradu- ally because of the rapid sedimentation on the silty-muddy tidal flat. The maximum annual retreat reached 10 m. The recent sedimentation and morphological changes of the Yuantuojiao Point tidal flat not only displayed the retreat of the salt marsh and the disappearance of cliffs, but also was accompanied by rapid sedimentation of the silty-muddy tidal flat and the salt marsh, indicating the responses to the tidal currents, storm surges, Spartina alterniflorea trapping sediments and large-scale reclamation. The sediment grain size and their trends, southward coastal flow, and sandspits of the longshore bars suggest that the main sediment source at the Yuantuoijao Point, estuary of the North Branch was possibly from the Changjiang River before 1958, since then, it has been from the south of the submarine radial sand ridges of the southern Huanghai Sea （Yellow Sea）.

Analysis on Suspended Sediment Deposition Rate for Muddy Coast of Reclaimed Land

A new expression for calculating suspended fine-sediment deposition rate is developed based on theoretic analysis and experiments. The resulting equation is applied to simulation of fine sediment deposition in the reclaimed land in the Hangzhou Bay, China. The hydrodynamic environment in this area is solved by use of a long wave model, which gives the 2D-velocity field and considers bathymetric changes due to fine sediment deposition. The expression is proved convenient to use in engineering practice, and the predicted deposition rate agrees with the annual data available from field measurements from the first year to the third year after the construction of the long groin as a reclaiming method.

RECENT SEDIMENTATION AND SUSPENDED MATTER IN ERHAI LAKE,YUNNAN PROVINCE,CHINA

Ths study on the physico-geograpical environment of Erhai Lake focused on the suspended matter and recent deposition rates, 14 C, 210 Pb and 137 Cs methods were used to determine the ageand sedimentation rate, which was found to be 0.5 t0 2.0 mm/a, average of 0.9 mm/a. The authors calculated the budget of some elements by studying the deposition, and fuUnd that about 30% of nitrogen,and most of the phosphorous, were transported into the lake by the ediments.