BACKGROUND Heart failure(HF),a common cardiovascular condition,is characterized by significant morbidity and mortality.While traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is often used as a complementary approach in HF management,...BACKGROUND Heart failure(HF),a common cardiovascular condition,is characterized by significant morbidity and mortality.While traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is often used as a complementary approach in HF management,systematic evalua-tions of its impact on clinical outcomes,TCM syndrome scores,and B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP)levels are lacking.This study fills this gap through a comprehensive analysis of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)focusing on TCM for HF treatment.It encompasses an assessment of methodological quality,a meta-analysis,and an evaluation of evidence quality based on established standards.The results offer crucial insights into the potential advantages and constraints of TCM in HF management.RCTs on TCM for HF treatment published since the establishment of the database were searched in four Chinese and English databases,including China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang,VIP Information Chinese Science and Technology Journal,and PubMed.Methodological quality was assessed for the included studies with the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool,and the meta-analysis and publication bias assessment was performed with the RevMan5.3 software.Finally,the quality of evidence was rated according to the GRADE criteria.RESULTS A total of 1098 RCTs were initially retrieved.After screening,16 RCTs were finally included in our study,which were published between 2020 and 2023.These RCTs involved 1660 HF patients,including 832 in the TCM group[TCM combined with conventional Western medicine(CMW)treatment]and 828 in the CWM group(CWM treatment).The course of treatments varied from 1 wk to 3 months.TCM syndrome differentiation was analyzed in 11 of the included RCTs.In all included RCTs,outcome indicators included comprehensive clinical outcomes,TCM syndrome scores,and BNP levels.The meta-analysis results showed significant differences between the TCM and CWM groups in terms of comprehensive clinical outcomes[risk ratio=-0.54;95%confidence interval(CI)=-0.61,-0.47;P<0.00001],TCM syndrome scores[weighted mean difference(WMD)=-142.07;95%CI=-147.56,-136.57;P<0.00001],and BNP levels(WMD=-142.07;95%CI=-147.56,-136.57;P<0.00001).According to the GRADE criteria,RCTs where"TCM improves clinical comprehensive outcomes"were rated as low-quality evidence,and RCTs where"TCM reduces TCM syndrome scores"or"TCM decreases BNP levels"were rated as medium-quality evidence.CONCLUSION TCM combined with CWM treatment effectively improves comprehensive clinical outcomes and diminishes TCM syndrome scores and BNP levels in HF patients.Given the low and medium quality of the included RCTs,the application of these results should be cautious.展开更多
Background Heart failure （HF） is a common disease with complex pathophysiological causes. The diagnosis of HF commonly relies on comprehensive analyses of medical history and symptoms, and results from echocardiogra...Background Heart failure （HF） is a common disease with complex pathophysiological causes. The diagnosis of HF commonly relies on comprehensive analyses of medical history and symptoms, and results from echocardiography and biochemical tests. Galectin-3, a rela-tively new biomarker in HF, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2010 as a marker in the stratification of risk for HF. We assessed galectin-3 as a biomarker for HF diagnosis in patients with preserved ejection fraction （pEF） and compared its performance with that of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP）. Methods Thirty-five pEF patients with HF （HFpEF group） and 43 pEF patients without HF （control group） were enrolled. Plasma levels of galectin-3 and BNP in HFpEF and control subjects were determined. Sensitivity, specificity, pre dictive values, and accuracy of galectin-3 and BNP as markers for HF diagnosis were calculated and compared. Results Levels of galec- tin-3 and BNP were 23.09 ±6.97 ng/mL and 270.46 ± 330.41 pg/mL in the HFpEF group, and 16.74 ± 2.75 ng/mL and 59.94 ± 29.93 pg/mL in the control group, respectively. Differences in levels of galectin-3 and BNP between the two groups were significant （P 〈 0.01）. As a bio- marker for HF diagnosis in study subjects, galectin-3 showed sensitivity and specificity of 94.3% and 65.1%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 17.8 ug/mL. BNP showed sensitivity and specificity of 77.1% and 90.7%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 100 pg/mL. Galectin-3 was a significantly more sensitive （P 〈 0.05） but less specific （P 〈 0.01） biomarker compared with BNP. Differences in positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy between galectin-3 and BNP markers were not significant （P 〉 0.05）. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve （95% confidence interval） were 0.891 （0.808-0.974） and 0.896 （0.809-0.984） for galectin-3 and BNP, respec- tively, with no significant difference between the two values （P 〉 0.05）. Conclusions The level of galectin-3 is significantly elevated in patients with HF. Galectin-3 and BNP are useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of HF in patients with pEF.展开更多
Marked elevations of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） are not generally seen in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction （HFpEF）. The objective of this study was to examine the clinical and labo...Marked elevations of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） are not generally seen in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction （HFpEF）. The objective of this study was to examine the clinical and laboratory characteristics of a large cohort of patients with HFpEF and markedly elevated BNP. A retrospective examination of 421 inpatients at a university hospital admitted with a diagnosis of HFpEF was performed. Clinical and echocardiographic data in 4 groups of patients with levels of BNP ≤ 100 pg/mL, 100-400 pg/mL, 400-1,000 pg/mL and 〉 1,000 pg/mL were compared. Patients with HFpEF and BNP 〉 1,000 pg/mL （28% of the population） were characterized by impaired renal function and greater use of anti-hypertensive medications. A subset of these patients with BNP 〉 1,000 pg/mL had normal renal function （21%） and were significantly older, more frequently female, and tended to have lower ejection fractions. Conversely, patients with HFpEF and BNP ≤100 pg/mL were younger and had preserved renal function. BNP was inversely related to the likelihood of subsequent admission for heart failure, but not to myocardial infarction or death. In conclusion： BNP 〉 1,000 pg/mL is seen in almost 1/3 of patients hospitalized with HFpEF. This elevation of BNP often reflects impaired renal function, but can also be seen in patients with preserved renal function but relatively impaired systolic function.展开更多
Wheat grain natural transverse sections of 12 periods were observed and analyzed using scanning electron micrographs technology and Bio-Quant system IV image analyzer in order to detect the developing process of A- an...Wheat grain natural transverse sections of 12 periods were observed and analyzed using scanning electron micrographs technology and Bio-Quant system IV image analyzer in order to detect the developing process of A- and B-type starch granules. In addition, the chemical composition and starch granule-bound proteins （SGPs） of A- and B-type starch granules were tested and analyzed. The results showed that A-type starch granules in wheat began from 3 d post anthesis （DPA） till grain maturing and B-type starch granules occured after 15 DPA till grain maturing. Approximately 98.5% of chemical compositions in both A- and B-type starch granules were amylose and amylopectin, and more than half of which were amylopectin. The amylopectin contents, average chain length, and chain length distribution （degree of polymerization〉 40） of amylopectin in A-type starch granules were significant higher than that of B-type starch granules. SGP-145, SGP-140, and SGP-26 kD were associated with A-type starch formation in wheat grain.展开更多
BACKGROUND: Although pneumonia severity index(PSI) is widely used to evaluate the severity of community-acquired pneumonia(CAP), the calculation of PSI is very complicated. The present study aimed to evaluate the role...BACKGROUND: Although pneumonia severity index(PSI) is widely used to evaluate the severity of community-acquired pneumonia(CAP), the calculation of PSI is very complicated. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) in predicting the severity of CAP.METHODS: For 202 patients with CAP admitted to the emergency department, BNP levels, cardiac load indexes, inf lammatory indexes including C-reactive protein(CRP), white blood cell count(WBC), and PSI were detected. The correlation between the indexes and PSI was investigated. BNP levels for survivor and non-survivor groups were compared, and a receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analysis was performed on the BNP levels versus PSI.RESULTS: The BNP levels increased with CAP severity(r=0.782, P<0.001). The BNP levels of the high-risk group(PSI classes IV and V) were signifi cantly higher than those of the low-risk group(PSI classes I–III)(P<0.001). The BNP levels were signifi cantly higher in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group(P<0.001). In addition, there were positive correlations between BNP levels and PSI scores(r=0.782, P<0.001). The BNP level was highly accurate in predicting the severity of CAP(AUC=0.952). The optimal cut-off point of BNP level for distinguishing high-risk patients from low-risk ones was 125.0 pg/m L, with a sensitivity of 0.891 and a specifi city of 0.946. Moreover, BNP level was accurate in predicting mortality(AUC=0.823). Its optimal cut-off point for predicting death was 299.0 pg/m L, with a sensitivity of 0.675 and a specifi city of 0.816. Its negative predictive cut-off value was 0.926, and the positive predictive cut-off value was 0.426.CONCLUSION: BNP level is positively correlated with the severity of CAP, and may be used as a biomarker for evaluating the severity of CAP.展开更多
Environmental embrittlement in A3B-type intermetallics based on Ni3Al and Fe3Al has been studied in this paper. For the Ni3Al doped with 120 wt ppm B and Ni,(Al,Cr.Zr) doped with 80 wt ppm B,their elongation and ultim...Environmental embrittlement in A3B-type intermetallics based on Ni3Al and Fe3Al has been studied in this paper. For the Ni3Al doped with 120 wt ppm B and Ni,(Al,Cr.Zr) doped with 80 wt ppm B,their elongation and ultimate tensile strength decreased in the sequence:of vacuum > air >hydrogen. while for Ni,(Al,Mn) doped with 400 wt ppm B no envifonmental degradation was ob served, although a -Ni3(Al,Mn) alloy without B showed a decrease in ductility when tested in air in stead of oxygen. It is supposed that boron and hydrogen compete for the occupation of interstitial sites near grain boundaries. If boron content is sufficiently low, hydrogen embrittlement occurs ;however, if its content is sufficiently high. boron addition is capable of eliminating envjronmental ef fect in Ni3Al-based alloysi As to the micromechanism of hydrogen embrittlement in Ni3Al+B. S EM in situ observations showed that both grain boundary decohesion and a high stress concentration con tributed to hydrogen-assisted jntergranu lar cracking in this alloy. For the Fe3Al and Fe3 (Al.Cr) alloys.their mechanical properties depended strongly on grain size / grain shape and testing environment. A strain rate effect on ductiIity and fracture strength was also observed in the Fe3Al and Fe,(Al,Cr)+B aIloys. Preoxidation increased the ductility of the Fe,(Al,Cr)+B alloy. All these results can be rationalized from a hypothesis that surface reaction is the controlling process in embrittling Fe3Al-based alloys.展开更多
Starch is the major component of wheat flour and serves as a multifunctional ingredient in food industry. The objective of the present study was to investigate starch granule size distribution of Chinese wheat cultiva...Starch is the major component of wheat flour and serves as a multifunctional ingredient in food industry. The objective of the present study was to investigate starch granule size distribution of Chinese wheat cultivars, and to compare structure and functionality of starches in four leading cultivars Zhongmai 175, CA12092, Lunxuan 987, and Zhongyou 206. A wide variation in volume percentages of A- and B-type starch granules among genotypes was observed. Volume percentages of A- and B-type granules had ranges of 68.4–88.9% and 9.7–27.9% in the first cropping seasons, 74.1–90.1% and 7.2–25.3% in the second. Wheat cultivars with higher volume percentages of A- and B-type granules could serve as parents in breeding program for selecting high and low amylose wheat cultivars, respectively. In comparison with the B-type starch granules, the A-type granules starch showed difference in three aspects：（1） higher amount of ordered short-range structure and a lower relative crystallinity,（2） higher gelatinization onset（To） temperatures and enthalpies（ΔH）, and lower gelatinization conclusion temperatures（Tc）,（3） greater peak, though, and final viscosity, and lower breakdown viscosity and pasting temperature. It provides important information for breeders to develop potentially useful cultivars with particular functional properties of their starches suited to specific applications.展开更多
A 57-year-old man consulted a local hospital because of a persistent slight fever. At the age of 37 years he was diagnosed having B-type hepatitis, but left the liver dysfunction untreated. Twenty years later, he was ...A 57-year-old man consulted a local hospital because of a persistent slight fever. At the age of 37 years he was diagnosed having B-type hepatitis, but left the liver dysfunction untreated. Twenty years later, he was diagnosed having chronic hepatitis B, hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and macrocytic anemia, and referred to our hospital for further investigation. A HCC with a maximum diameter of 5.2 cm was detected in segment 8. Results of blood tests included 1.8 mg/dL serum total bilirubin, 0.9 mg/dL bilirubin, less than 10 mg/dL haptoglobin, 7.9 g/dL hemoglobin, 130 fL MCV, and 14.5% reticuloo/tes. A bone marrow sample showed erythroid hyperplasia. The direct Coombs test gave a positive result. We diagnosed the anemia as autoimmmune hemolytic anemia （AIHA）, for which prednisolone could not be administered due to positivity for HBsAg and HBeAg. After preparation of washed blood cells for later transfusion, the patient underwent systematic resection of segment 8. The cut surface of the resected specimen demonstrated an encapsulated yellow-brownish tumor measuring 52 mmx 40 mm which was diagnosed pathologicaly as moderately differentiated HCC. On the 9th postoperative day, the patient＇s temperature rose to 38℃, and exacerbated hemolysis was observed. The maximum total bilirubin value was 5.8 mg/dL and minimum hemoglobin level was 4.6 g/dL. He tolerated this period without blood transfusion. Currently he is being followed up as an outpatient, and shows no signs of HCC recurrence or symptoms of anemia. AIHA associated with HBV infection has been described in only three previous cases, and the present case is the first in which surgery was performed for accompanying HCC.展开更多
Phase evolution and magnetic properties of (Nd_o.95La_0.05)9.5-11Febal.M_2B10.5. where M=Cr, Ti, Nb, V, Mo, Zr, Hf, Ta, Mn or W, melt spun ribbons have been investigated. Almost all the alloy ribbons. except for(Nd_0....Phase evolution and magnetic properties of (Nd_o.95La_0.05)9.5-11Febal.M_2B10.5. where M=Cr, Ti, Nb, V, Mo, Zr, Hf, Ta, Mn or W, melt spun ribbons have been investigated. Almost all the alloy ribbons. except for(Nd_0.95La_0.05)_9.5Fe_78M_2B_10.5(M=Mo and Mn),consist merely two magnetic phases, namely α-Fe and R_2Fe_14B, which display a better combination of _iH_c and magnetic energy product. Remanence (Br) and coercivity (i_H_c) values in the range of 8.0 to 9.1 kG and 9.5 to 18.9 kOe. respectively, can be achieved. Among compositions studied, the Ti and W-substitutions were found to be most effective in increasing the Br and i_H_c, respectively. For a fixed refractory metal substitution, namely, M=C_r, Ti or Nb, an increase in the total rare earth concentration resulted in nanocomposites of small grain sizes and a high volume fraction of the R_2Fe_14B phase, leading to an increase in the magnetic properties.展开更多
Aim: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a severe cardiovascular disorder seen in the Emergency Department (ED). B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) is usually ordered to evaluate the CHF severity. However, it is difficult...Aim: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a severe cardiovascular disorder seen in the Emergency Department (ED). B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) is usually ordered to evaluate the CHF severity. However, it is difficult to interpret serum BNP level when different clinical entities existed. The aim of this study is to illustrate the correlation between serum BNP level and relevant clinical variables and further determine the role of serum BNP in different CHF patients. Methods: Univariate comparisons between 26 clinical variables and serum BNP level were analyzed. In order to avoid confounding factors, potential independent clinical variables were analyzed together using multivariate regression. Results: 529 CHF patients were reviewed and divided into different groups by 26 clinical variables. Serum BNP levels were found statistically significant different by univariate compareson between groups divided by 8 clinical variables that included obesity, diastolic/systolic heart failure (HF), serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level, serum creatinine (Cr) level, serum sodium (Na) level, patients taking loop diuretics, history of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and history of dementia. Among all 8 clinical variables, obesity, serum BUN, Cr level, and diastolic/systolic HF had weak-to-moderate correlation effects with serum BNP level by correlation coefficient analysis. However, only obesity and dia- stolic/systolic HF were two moderately stronger clini- cal variables that can affect the serum BNP levels by multivariate regression. Analyzing CHF patients separately by obesity and diastolic/systolic HF subsets showed longer hospitalization in diastolic HF patients with relatively higher serum Cr level. In addition, poor correlation was found between serum BNP level and length of hospitalization (LOH) as well. Conclusion: High variability of serum BNP levels exists in CHF patients with weak-to-moderate correlation effects particularly on obesity and diastolic/systolic HF.It is recommended that physicians should be cautious on interpreting BNP in different CHF populations.展开更多
Background: Acute heart failure timely and effective diagnosis and treatment directly affects the prognosis of patients, so early diagnosis of acute heart failure treatment is very important. The current diagnosis of ...Background: Acute heart failure timely and effective diagnosis and treatment directly affects the prognosis of patients, so early diagnosis of acute heart failure treatment is very important. The current diagnosis of acute heart failure has yet to be further improved. To investigate the relationship between plasma levels of Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP in cardiac structure and function in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) Early detection of failure. Methods: The clinical data of 86 patients with acute heart failure in our hospital were analyzed and followed up. Twenty-six healthy subjects with normal cardiac function were used as control group. The plasma Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP levels were compared between the two groups to observe the value of plasma Galectin-3 combined with NT-proBNP in the diagnosis of acute heart failure. Results: There was no significant difference in the level of Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP between heart function group II and control group, and the levels of cardiac function III and IVG plasma Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP were significantly higher in patients with heart failure Compared with the healthy control group, the patients’ LVEF decreased and their cardiac function increased. The levels of plasma Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP increased significantly (P 0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that plasma levels of Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP were independent of cardiac function. The area under the ROC curve for the combined detection of plasma Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP was greater than the area under the two alone tests. Conclusion: The combined detection of Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of acute heart failure and can be used as a new detection mode.展开更多
Heart failure (HF) is a common disease associated with increasing age. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), is a cardiac neurohormone, and is released as prepro BNP and then enzyrnatically cleaved to the Ntenninal-proBNP...Heart failure (HF) is a common disease associated with increasing age. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), is a cardiac neurohormone, and is released as prepro BNP and then enzyrnatically cleaved to the Ntenninal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) and BNP upon ventricular myocyte stretch. Blood measurements of BNP have been used to identify patients with I-IF. The BNP assay is currently used as a diagnostic and prognostic aid in HF. In general, a BNP level below 100 pg/mL excludes acutely decompensated HF and levels ＞ 500 pg/ml indicate decompensation. Recombinant human BNP (hBNP, nesiritide) is an approved intravenous treatment for acute,decompensated -HF. Nesiritide given in supraphysiologic doses causes vasodilation, natriuresis, diuresis, and improved symptoms over the course of a 48-hour infusion. This paper will sort out the literature concerning the use of this peptide both as a diagnostic test and as an intravenous therapy.展开更多
We present model atmosphere analysis for a sample of B-type stars in optical region to obtain their fundamental parameters e.g. effective temperature, surface gravities, and rotational velocities. Approximate masses f...We present model atmosphere analysis for a sample of B-type stars in optical region to obtain their fundamental parameters e.g. effective temperature, surface gravities, and rotational velocities. Approximate masses for the sample of stars under study are obtained by comparing the resulted effective temperatures and surface gravities with the evolutionary tracks. Comparison between these masses and the empirical effective temperatures-mass relation revealed good agreement.展开更多
Objectives To assess the prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） in severe AMI patients treated with intra-aortic ballon counterpulsation（IABP）. Methods A total of 42 AMI patients with cardiogenic sho...Objectives To assess the prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） in severe AMI patients treated with intra-aortic ballon counterpulsation（IABP）. Methods A total of 42 AMI patients with cardiogenic shock were retrospectively studied. BNP plasma level was recorded in the 24th hour and 4th day after myocardial infarction. The different mortality were compared among patients with different BNP levels. Results With aggressive treatment, 20 patients survived short term hospitalization. Plasma concentration of BNP in dying patients is much higher than in survivals（1369 ± 353 vs 651 ± 302 pg/ml. P〈 0.01）.Patients with BNP higher than 1474 pg/mL had a mortality of 92.9 %. Conclusions Elevated BNP level in AMI patients with cardiogenic shock treated with IABP is highly associated with poor prognosis.展开更多
Tong's B-type water drive method was proposed as early as the 1970s and has been widely applied in the dynamic prediction and effective evaluation of oilfield development.Through extensive applications and studies...Tong's B-type water drive method was proposed as early as the 1970s and has been widely applied in the dynamic prediction and effective evaluation of oilfield development.Through extensive applications and studies,many researchers found that the statistical constants in the formula of the Tong's B-type water drive method(also referred to as the Tong's B-type formula)are not applicable to multiple types of reservoirs,especially low-permeability ones,due to the limited range of reservoir types when the formula was conceived.Moreover,they put forward suggestions to improve the Tong's B-type formula,most of which focused on the research and calculation of the first constant in the formula.For oilfields in the development stages of high or ultra-high water cuts,it is widely accepted that different types of reservoirs have different limit water cuts.This understanding naturally makes it necessary to further modify the Tong's B-type formula.It is practically significant to establish the water drive formula and cross plot considering that the two constants in the formula vary with reservoir type.By analyzing the derivation process and conditions of the Tong's B-type formula,this study points out two key problems,i.e.,the two constants 7.5 and 1.69 in the formula are not applicable to all types of reservoir.Given this,this study establishes a function between key reservoir parameters and the first constant and another function between key reservoir parameters and recovery efficiency.Based on the established two functions and considering that different types of oil reservoir have different limit water cuts,this study develops an improved Tong's B-type formula and prepares the corresponding improved cross plot.The results of this study will improve the applicability and accuracy of Tong's B-type water drive method in predicting the trend of water cut increasing for different types of oil reservoirs.展开更多
Objective:To investigate the value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),and homocysteine(Hcy)levels in predicting cardiovascular events(CV)in patients wit...Objective:To investigate the value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),and homocysteine(Hcy)levels in predicting cardiovascular events(CV)in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods:A total of 63 patients with CHF admitted to our hospital between June 2019 and July 2021 were selected.Their NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy levels were detected at discharge,and a 12-month follow-up was done after their discharge to collect clinical data.The collected data were inclusive of data from 21 CHF patients with cardiovascular disease and 42 CHF patients without cardiovascular disease.The effect of NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy levels on the occurrence of CV was analyzed.Results:The levels of NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy in the group with cardiovascular disease were significantly higher than those in the group without cardiovascular disease(P<0.05);the levels of serum NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy at discharge had certain value in predicting short-term CV in CHF patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy levels can be used to predict CV in CHF patients,thus having clinical application value.展开更多
This paper presents a class of Cn- continuous B- type spline curves with some paramet- ric factors.The length of their local support is equal to4.Taking the different values of the parametric factors,the curves can ...This paper presents a class of Cn- continuous B- type spline curves with some paramet- ric factors.The length of their local support is equal to4.Taking the different values of the parametric factors,the curves can become free- type curves or interpolate a set of given points even mix the both cases.When the parametric factors satisfy the certain conditions,the degrees of the curves can be decreased as low as possible.Besides,when all the parametric factors tend to zero,the curves globally approximate to the control polygon.展开更多
Postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction is reversible heart failure and B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） is a biochemical marker of ventricular disorders secreted from ventricle, which can be used to assess the sta...Postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction is reversible heart failure and B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） is a biochemical marker of ventricular disorders secreted from ventricle, which can be used to assess the status of left ventricular function. This study investigated the effect of β-adrenergic blocker on concentration of BNP and cardiac function after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in rabbits.展开更多
In recent years, the indications of cardiac pacing have extended continuously with the rapid development of pacing technique. Pacemaker treatment has not only limited in arrhythmias of bradycardia and the number of pa...In recent years, the indications of cardiac pacing have extended continuously with the rapid development of pacing technique. Pacemaker treatment has not only limited in arrhythmias of bradycardia and the number of pacemaker treatment has increased year by year. However, more and more new congestive heart failure （ CHF ） and aggravated CHF have appeared in patients after pacing therapy. Therefore, it is a hot topic that how to select reasonable pacing mode to reduce CHF occurrence or relieve CHF symptoms in patients with CHF.展开更多
文摘BACKGROUND Heart failure(HF),a common cardiovascular condition,is characterized by significant morbidity and mortality.While traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is often used as a complementary approach in HF management,systematic evalua-tions of its impact on clinical outcomes,TCM syndrome scores,and B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP)levels are lacking.This study fills this gap through a comprehensive analysis of randomized controlled trials(RCTs)focusing on TCM for HF treatment.It encompasses an assessment of methodological quality,a meta-analysis,and an evaluation of evidence quality based on established standards.The results offer crucial insights into the potential advantages and constraints of TCM in HF management.RCTs on TCM for HF treatment published since the establishment of the database were searched in four Chinese and English databases,including China National Knowledge Infrastructure,Wanfang,VIP Information Chinese Science and Technology Journal,and PubMed.Methodological quality was assessed for the included studies with the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool,and the meta-analysis and publication bias assessment was performed with the RevMan5.3 software.Finally,the quality of evidence was rated according to the GRADE criteria.RESULTS A total of 1098 RCTs were initially retrieved.After screening,16 RCTs were finally included in our study,which were published between 2020 and 2023.These RCTs involved 1660 HF patients,including 832 in the TCM group[TCM combined with conventional Western medicine(CMW)treatment]and 828 in the CWM group(CWM treatment).The course of treatments varied from 1 wk to 3 months.TCM syndrome differentiation was analyzed in 11 of the included RCTs.In all included RCTs,outcome indicators included comprehensive clinical outcomes,TCM syndrome scores,and BNP levels.The meta-analysis results showed significant differences between the TCM and CWM groups in terms of comprehensive clinical outcomes[risk ratio=-0.54;95%confidence interval(CI)=-0.61,-0.47;P<0.00001],TCM syndrome scores[weighted mean difference(WMD)=-142.07;95%CI=-147.56,-136.57;P<0.00001],and BNP levels(WMD=-142.07;95%CI=-147.56,-136.57;P<0.00001).According to the GRADE criteria,RCTs where"TCM improves clinical comprehensive outcomes"were rated as low-quality evidence,and RCTs where"TCM reduces TCM syndrome scores"or"TCM decreases BNP levels"were rated as medium-quality evidence.CONCLUSION TCM combined with CWM treatment effectively improves comprehensive clinical outcomes and diminishes TCM syndrome scores and BNP levels in HF patients.Given the low and medium quality of the included RCTs,the application of these results should be cautious.
文摘Background Heart failure （HF） is a common disease with complex pathophysiological causes. The diagnosis of HF commonly relies on comprehensive analyses of medical history and symptoms, and results from echocardiography and biochemical tests. Galectin-3, a rela-tively new biomarker in HF, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2010 as a marker in the stratification of risk for HF. We assessed galectin-3 as a biomarker for HF diagnosis in patients with preserved ejection fraction （pEF） and compared its performance with that of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP）. Methods Thirty-five pEF patients with HF （HFpEF group） and 43 pEF patients without HF （control group） were enrolled. Plasma levels of galectin-3 and BNP in HFpEF and control subjects were determined. Sensitivity, specificity, pre dictive values, and accuracy of galectin-3 and BNP as markers for HF diagnosis were calculated and compared. Results Levels of galec- tin-3 and BNP were 23.09 ±6.97 ng/mL and 270.46 ± 330.41 pg/mL in the HFpEF group, and 16.74 ± 2.75 ng/mL and 59.94 ± 29.93 pg/mL in the control group, respectively. Differences in levels of galectin-3 and BNP between the two groups were significant （P 〈 0.01）. As a bio- marker for HF diagnosis in study subjects, galectin-3 showed sensitivity and specificity of 94.3% and 65.1%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 17.8 ug/mL. BNP showed sensitivity and specificity of 77.1% and 90.7%, respectively, at a cutoff value of 100 pg/mL. Galectin-3 was a significantly more sensitive （P 〈 0.05） but less specific （P 〈 0.01） biomarker compared with BNP. Differences in positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy between galectin-3 and BNP markers were not significant （P 〉 0.05）. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve （95% confidence interval） were 0.891 （0.808-0.974） and 0.896 （0.809-0.984） for galectin-3 and BNP, respec- tively, with no significant difference between the two values （P 〉 0.05）. Conclusions The level of galectin-3 is significantly elevated in patients with HF. Galectin-3 and BNP are useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of HF in patients with pEF.
基金supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS),National Institutes of Health(NIH),through grant #UL1 TR000002
文摘Marked elevations of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） are not generally seen in patients with heart failure and preserved ejection fraction （HFpEF）. The objective of this study was to examine the clinical and laboratory characteristics of a large cohort of patients with HFpEF and markedly elevated BNP. A retrospective examination of 421 inpatients at a university hospital admitted with a diagnosis of HFpEF was performed. Clinical and echocardiographic data in 4 groups of patients with levels of BNP ≤ 100 pg/mL, 100-400 pg/mL, 400-1,000 pg/mL and 〉 1,000 pg/mL were compared. Patients with HFpEF and BNP 〉 1,000 pg/mL （28% of the population） were characterized by impaired renal function and greater use of anti-hypertensive medications. A subset of these patients with BNP 〉 1,000 pg/mL had normal renal function （21%） and were significantly older, more frequently female, and tended to have lower ejection fractions. Conversely, patients with HFpEF and BNP ≤100 pg/mL were younger and had preserved renal function. BNP was inversely related to the likelihood of subsequent admission for heart failure, but not to myocardial infarction or death. In conclusion： BNP 〉 1,000 pg/mL is seen in almost 1/3 of patients hospitalized with HFpEF. This elevation of BNP often reflects impaired renal function, but can also be seen in patients with preserved renal function but relatively impaired systolic function.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30860145)
文摘Wheat grain natural transverse sections of 12 periods were observed and analyzed using scanning electron micrographs technology and Bio-Quant system IV image analyzer in order to detect the developing process of A- and B-type starch granules. In addition, the chemical composition and starch granule-bound proteins （SGPs） of A- and B-type starch granules were tested and analyzed. The results showed that A-type starch granules in wheat began from 3 d post anthesis （DPA） till grain maturing and B-type starch granules occured after 15 DPA till grain maturing. Approximately 98.5% of chemical compositions in both A- and B-type starch granules were amylose and amylopectin, and more than half of which were amylopectin. The amylopectin contents, average chain length, and chain length distribution （degree of polymerization〉 40） of amylopectin in A-type starch granules were significant higher than that of B-type starch granules. SGP-145, SGP-140, and SGP-26 kD were associated with A-type starch formation in wheat grain.
基金supported by a grant from the Excellent Talent Training Special Fund,Xicheng District of Beijing(20110046)
文摘BACKGROUND: Although pneumonia severity index(PSI) is widely used to evaluate the severity of community-acquired pneumonia(CAP), the calculation of PSI is very complicated. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP) in predicting the severity of CAP.METHODS: For 202 patients with CAP admitted to the emergency department, BNP levels, cardiac load indexes, inf lammatory indexes including C-reactive protein(CRP), white blood cell count(WBC), and PSI were detected. The correlation between the indexes and PSI was investigated. BNP levels for survivor and non-survivor groups were compared, and a receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve analysis was performed on the BNP levels versus PSI.RESULTS: The BNP levels increased with CAP severity(r=0.782, P<0.001). The BNP levels of the high-risk group(PSI classes IV and V) were signifi cantly higher than those of the low-risk group(PSI classes I–III)(P<0.001). The BNP levels were signifi cantly higher in the non-survivor group than in the survivor group(P<0.001). In addition, there were positive correlations between BNP levels and PSI scores(r=0.782, P<0.001). The BNP level was highly accurate in predicting the severity of CAP(AUC=0.952). The optimal cut-off point of BNP level for distinguishing high-risk patients from low-risk ones was 125.0 pg/m L, with a sensitivity of 0.891 and a specifi city of 0.946. Moreover, BNP level was accurate in predicting mortality(AUC=0.823). Its optimal cut-off point for predicting death was 299.0 pg/m L, with a sensitivity of 0.675 and a specifi city of 0.816. Its negative predictive cut-off value was 0.926, and the positive predictive cut-off value was 0.426.CONCLUSION: BNP level is positively correlated with the severity of CAP, and may be used as a biomarker for evaluating the severity of CAP.
文摘Environmental embrittlement in A3B-type intermetallics based on Ni3Al and Fe3Al has been studied in this paper. For the Ni3Al doped with 120 wt ppm B and Ni,(Al,Cr.Zr) doped with 80 wt ppm B,their elongation and ultimate tensile strength decreased in the sequence:of vacuum > air >hydrogen. while for Ni,(Al,Mn) doped with 400 wt ppm B no envifonmental degradation was ob served, although a -Ni3(Al,Mn) alloy without B showed a decrease in ductility when tested in air in stead of oxygen. It is supposed that boron and hydrogen compete for the occupation of interstitial sites near grain boundaries. If boron content is sufficiently low, hydrogen embrittlement occurs ;however, if its content is sufficiently high. boron addition is capable of eliminating envjronmental ef fect in Ni3Al-based alloysi As to the micromechanism of hydrogen embrittlement in Ni3Al+B. S EM in situ observations showed that both grain boundary decohesion and a high stress concentration con tributed to hydrogen-assisted jntergranu lar cracking in this alloy. For the Fe3Al and Fe3 (Al.Cr) alloys.their mechanical properties depended strongly on grain size / grain shape and testing environment. A strain rate effect on ductiIity and fracture strength was also observed in the Fe3Al and Fe,(Al,Cr)+B aIloys. Preoxidation increased the ductility of the Fe,(Al,Cr)+B alloy. All these results can be rationalized from a hypothesis that surface reaction is the controlling process in embrittling Fe3Al-based alloys.
基金financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31171547,31401651)
文摘Starch is the major component of wheat flour and serves as a multifunctional ingredient in food industry. The objective of the present study was to investigate starch granule size distribution of Chinese wheat cultivars, and to compare structure and functionality of starches in four leading cultivars Zhongmai 175, CA12092, Lunxuan 987, and Zhongyou 206. A wide variation in volume percentages of A- and B-type starch granules among genotypes was observed. Volume percentages of A- and B-type granules had ranges of 68.4–88.9% and 9.7–27.9% in the first cropping seasons, 74.1–90.1% and 7.2–25.3% in the second. Wheat cultivars with higher volume percentages of A- and B-type granules could serve as parents in breeding program for selecting high and low amylose wheat cultivars, respectively. In comparison with the B-type starch granules, the A-type granules starch showed difference in three aspects：（1） higher amount of ordered short-range structure and a lower relative crystallinity,（2） higher gelatinization onset（To） temperatures and enthalpies（ΔH）, and lower gelatinization conclusion temperatures（Tc）,（3） greater peak, though, and final viscosity, and lower breakdown viscosity and pasting temperature. It provides important information for breeders to develop potentially useful cultivars with particular functional properties of their starches suited to specific applications.
文摘A 57-year-old man consulted a local hospital because of a persistent slight fever. At the age of 37 years he was diagnosed having B-type hepatitis, but left the liver dysfunction untreated. Twenty years later, he was diagnosed having chronic hepatitis B, hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and macrocytic anemia, and referred to our hospital for further investigation. A HCC with a maximum diameter of 5.2 cm was detected in segment 8. Results of blood tests included 1.8 mg/dL serum total bilirubin, 0.9 mg/dL bilirubin, less than 10 mg/dL haptoglobin, 7.9 g/dL hemoglobin, 130 fL MCV, and 14.5% reticuloo/tes. A bone marrow sample showed erythroid hyperplasia. The direct Coombs test gave a positive result. We diagnosed the anemia as autoimmmune hemolytic anemia （AIHA）, for which prednisolone could not be administered due to positivity for HBsAg and HBeAg. After preparation of washed blood cells for later transfusion, the patient underwent systematic resection of segment 8. The cut surface of the resected specimen demonstrated an encapsulated yellow-brownish tumor measuring 52 mmx 40 mm which was diagnosed pathologicaly as moderately differentiated HCC. On the 9th postoperative day, the patient＇s temperature rose to 38℃, and exacerbated hemolysis was observed. The maximum total bilirubin value was 5.8 mg/dL and minimum hemoglobin level was 4.6 g/dL. He tolerated this period without blood transfusion. Currently he is being followed up as an outpatient, and shows no signs of HCC recurrence or symptoms of anemia. AIHA associated with HBV infection has been described in only three previous cases, and the present case is the first in which surgery was performed for accompanying HCC.
基金National Science Council, Taiwan! under grant !No. NSC-87-2112-M194-005.
文摘Phase evolution and magnetic properties of (Nd_o.95La_0.05)9.5-11Febal.M_2B10.5. where M=Cr, Ti, Nb, V, Mo, Zr, Hf, Ta, Mn or W, melt spun ribbons have been investigated. Almost all the alloy ribbons. except for(Nd_0.95La_0.05)_9.5Fe_78M_2B_10.5(M=Mo and Mn),consist merely two magnetic phases, namely α-Fe and R_2Fe_14B, which display a better combination of _iH_c and magnetic energy product. Remanence (Br) and coercivity (i_H_c) values in the range of 8.0 to 9.1 kG and 9.5 to 18.9 kOe. respectively, can be achieved. Among compositions studied, the Ti and W-substitutions were found to be most effective in increasing the Br and i_H_c, respectively. For a fixed refractory metal substitution, namely, M=C_r, Ti or Nb, an increase in the total rare earth concentration resulted in nanocomposites of small grain sizes and a high volume fraction of the R_2Fe_14B phase, leading to an increase in the magnetic properties.
文摘Aim: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a severe cardiovascular disorder seen in the Emergency Department (ED). B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) is usually ordered to evaluate the CHF severity. However, it is difficult to interpret serum BNP level when different clinical entities existed. The aim of this study is to illustrate the correlation between serum BNP level and relevant clinical variables and further determine the role of serum BNP in different CHF patients. Methods: Univariate comparisons between 26 clinical variables and serum BNP level were analyzed. In order to avoid confounding factors, potential independent clinical variables were analyzed together using multivariate regression. Results: 529 CHF patients were reviewed and divided into different groups by 26 clinical variables. Serum BNP levels were found statistically significant different by univariate compareson between groups divided by 8 clinical variables that included obesity, diastolic/systolic heart failure (HF), serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level, serum creatinine (Cr) level, serum sodium (Na) level, patients taking loop diuretics, history of cerebrovascular accident (CVA), and history of dementia. Among all 8 clinical variables, obesity, serum BUN, Cr level, and diastolic/systolic HF had weak-to-moderate correlation effects with serum BNP level by correlation coefficient analysis. However, only obesity and dia- stolic/systolic HF were two moderately stronger clini- cal variables that can affect the serum BNP levels by multivariate regression. Analyzing CHF patients separately by obesity and diastolic/systolic HF subsets showed longer hospitalization in diastolic HF patients with relatively higher serum Cr level. In addition, poor correlation was found between serum BNP level and length of hospitalization (LOH) as well. Conclusion: High variability of serum BNP levels exists in CHF patients with weak-to-moderate correlation effects particularly on obesity and diastolic/systolic HF.It is recommended that physicians should be cautious on interpreting BNP in different CHF populations.
文摘Background: Acute heart failure timely and effective diagnosis and treatment directly affects the prognosis of patients, so early diagnosis of acute heart failure treatment is very important. The current diagnosis of acute heart failure has yet to be further improved. To investigate the relationship between plasma levels of Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP in cardiac structure and function in patients with acute heart failure (AHF) Early detection of failure. Methods: The clinical data of 86 patients with acute heart failure in our hospital were analyzed and followed up. Twenty-six healthy subjects with normal cardiac function were used as control group. The plasma Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP levels were compared between the two groups to observe the value of plasma Galectin-3 combined with NT-proBNP in the diagnosis of acute heart failure. Results: There was no significant difference in the level of Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP between heart function group II and control group, and the levels of cardiac function III and IVG plasma Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP were significantly higher in patients with heart failure Compared with the healthy control group, the patients’ LVEF decreased and their cardiac function increased. The levels of plasma Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP increased significantly (P 0.01). Multivariate Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that plasma levels of Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP were independent of cardiac function. The area under the ROC curve for the combined detection of plasma Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP was greater than the area under the two alone tests. Conclusion: The combined detection of Galectin-3 and NT-proBNP has high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of acute heart failure and can be used as a new detection mode.
文摘Heart failure (HF) is a common disease associated with increasing age. B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), is a cardiac neurohormone, and is released as prepro BNP and then enzyrnatically cleaved to the Ntenninal-proBNP (NT-proBNP) and BNP upon ventricular myocyte stretch. Blood measurements of BNP have been used to identify patients with I-IF. The BNP assay is currently used as a diagnostic and prognostic aid in HF. In general, a BNP level below 100 pg/mL excludes acutely decompensated HF and levels ＞ 500 pg/ml indicate decompensation. Recombinant human BNP (hBNP, nesiritide) is an approved intravenous treatment for acute,decompensated -HF. Nesiritide given in supraphysiologic doses causes vasodilation, natriuresis, diuresis, and improved symptoms over the course of a 48-hour infusion. This paper will sort out the literature concerning the use of this peptide both as a diagnostic test and as an intravenous therapy.
文摘We present model atmosphere analysis for a sample of B-type stars in optical region to obtain their fundamental parameters e.g. effective temperature, surface gravities, and rotational velocities. Approximate masses for the sample of stars under study are obtained by comparing the resulted effective temperatures and surface gravities with the evolutionary tracks. Comparison between these masses and the empirical effective temperatures-mass relation revealed good agreement.
文摘Objectives To assess the prognostic value of B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） in severe AMI patients treated with intra-aortic ballon counterpulsation（IABP）. Methods A total of 42 AMI patients with cardiogenic shock were retrospectively studied. BNP plasma level was recorded in the 24th hour and 4th day after myocardial infarction. The different mortality were compared among patients with different BNP levels. Results With aggressive treatment, 20 patients survived short term hospitalization. Plasma concentration of BNP in dying patients is much higher than in survivals（1369 ± 353 vs 651 ± 302 pg/ml. P〈 0.01）.Patients with BNP higher than 1474 pg/mL had a mortality of 92.9 %. Conclusions Elevated BNP level in AMI patients with cardiogenic shock treated with IABP is highly associated with poor prognosis.
文摘Tong's B-type water drive method was proposed as early as the 1970s and has been widely applied in the dynamic prediction and effective evaluation of oilfield development.Through extensive applications and studies,many researchers found that the statistical constants in the formula of the Tong's B-type water drive method(also referred to as the Tong's B-type formula)are not applicable to multiple types of reservoirs,especially low-permeability ones,due to the limited range of reservoir types when the formula was conceived.Moreover,they put forward suggestions to improve the Tong's B-type formula,most of which focused on the research and calculation of the first constant in the formula.For oilfields in the development stages of high or ultra-high water cuts,it is widely accepted that different types of reservoirs have different limit water cuts.This understanding naturally makes it necessary to further modify the Tong's B-type formula.It is practically significant to establish the water drive formula and cross plot considering that the two constants in the formula vary with reservoir type.By analyzing the derivation process and conditions of the Tong's B-type formula,this study points out two key problems,i.e.,the two constants 7.5 and 1.69 in the formula are not applicable to all types of reservoir.Given this,this study establishes a function between key reservoir parameters and the first constant and another function between key reservoir parameters and recovery efficiency.Based on the established two functions and considering that different types of oil reservoir have different limit water cuts,this study develops an improved Tong's B-type formula and prepares the corresponding improved cross plot.The results of this study will improve the applicability and accuracy of Tong's B-type water drive method in predicting the trend of water cut increasing for different types of oil reservoirs.
基金supported by the Project of Baoding Science and Technology Bureau(Project number:2241ZF343).
文摘Objective:To investigate the value of N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide(NT-proBNP),high-sensitivity C-reactive protein(hs-CRP),and homocysteine(Hcy)levels in predicting cardiovascular events(CV)in patients with chronic heart failure(CHF).Methods:A total of 63 patients with CHF admitted to our hospital between June 2019 and July 2021 were selected.Their NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy levels were detected at discharge,and a 12-month follow-up was done after their discharge to collect clinical data.The collected data were inclusive of data from 21 CHF patients with cardiovascular disease and 42 CHF patients without cardiovascular disease.The effect of NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy levels on the occurrence of CV was analyzed.Results:The levels of NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy in the group with cardiovascular disease were significantly higher than those in the group without cardiovascular disease(P<0.05);the levels of serum NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy at discharge had certain value in predicting short-term CV in CHF patients(P<0.05).Conclusion:NT-proBNP,hs-CRP,and Hcy levels can be used to predict CV in CHF patients,thus having clinical application value.
文摘This paper presents a class of Cn- continuous B- type spline curves with some paramet- ric factors.The length of their local support is equal to4.Taking the different values of the parametric factors,the curves can become free- type curves or interpolate a set of given points even mix the both cases.When the parametric factors satisfy the certain conditions,the degrees of the curves can be decreased as low as possible.Besides,when all the parametric factors tend to zero,the curves globally approximate to the control polygon.
基金This study was supported by a grant from the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province (No.YS-011-A23-19).
文摘Postresuscitation myocardial dysfunction is reversible heart failure and B-type natriuretic peptide （BNP） is a biochemical marker of ventricular disorders secreted from ventricle, which can be used to assess the status of left ventricular function. This study investigated the effect of β-adrenergic blocker on concentration of BNP and cardiac function after cardiopulmonary resuscitation in rabbits.
文摘In recent years, the indications of cardiac pacing have extended continuously with the rapid development of pacing technique. Pacemaker treatment has not only limited in arrhythmias of bradycardia and the number of pacemaker treatment has increased year by year. However, more and more new congestive heart failure （ CHF ） and aggravated CHF have appeared in patients after pacing therapy. Therefore, it is a hot topic that how to select reasonable pacing mode to reduce CHF occurrence or relieve CHF symptoms in patients with CHF.
