Preoperative serum total bilirubin-albumin ratio as a prognostic indicator in patients with hepatitis-related cirrhosis after splenectomy

BACKGROUND Splenectomy is an effective yet invasive intervention for alleviating portal pressure in patients with hepatitis cirrhosis.However,the current prognostic indicators for predicting long-term overall survival of these patients have several limitations.AIM To assess the potential of preoperative total bilirubin-albumin(B/A)ratio as a prognostic indicator for patients with hepatitis cirrhosis undergoing splenectomy.METHODS A total of 257 patients diagnosed with hepatitis cirrhosis were retrospectively enrolled in the study.Normality test,t-test,Wilcoxon test,χ2 test,or Fisher’s exact test was employed to analyze the intraoperative and postoperative conditions of the patients.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was utilized to depict the 10-year overall survival rate.RESULTS During the follow-up period,85.99%of the patients survived,with a median survival time of 64.6 months.Multivariate analysis revealed that total serum B/A ratio was an independent risk factor for overall survival(P=0.037).ROC curve analysis demonstrated that a B/A ratio of 0.87 was the optimal cut-off value.Consequently,the patients were categorized into two groups:High B/A group(n=64)and low B/A group(n=193).The median follow-up time for the high B/A group and low B/A group was 56.8 months and 67.2 months,respectively(P=0.045).Notably,the high B/A group exhibited a significantly lower 10-year overall survival compared to the low B/A group(P<0.001).Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)had lower overall survival rates.Patients with a high B/A ratio exhibited a lower overall survival than those with a low B/A rate in the overall cohort and the subgroups of patients with HCC or not,early Child-Pugh grade,low albumin-bilirubin grade,and model for end-stage liver disease score≥10(log-rank test,P<0.001 for all).CONCLUSION The B/A ratio can serve as an effective prognostic indicator for overall survival in patients with hepatitis B virusrelated cirrhosis following splenectomy,and a higher B/A ratio may suggest a poorer prognosis.

Causal associations between intermediate very-low-density lipoprotein cholesterol-to-total lipids ratio and peptic ulcer:A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study

BACKGROUND Previous epidemiologic investigations have consistently demonstrated a strong association between the ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in medium very-lowdensity lipoprotein(VLDL)and the occurrence of peptic ulcers(PU).However,the precise causal relationship between these factors remains ambiguous.Consequently,this study aims to elucidate the potential correlation between the ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in medium VLDL and the incidence of peptic ulcer.AIM To investigate the ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in medium very-low-density lipoprotein(VLDL)association with PU via genetic methods,guiding future clinical research.METHODS Genome-wide association study(GWAS)datasets for the ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in intermediate VLDL and peptic ulcer were retrieved from the IEU OpenGWAS project(https://gwas.mrcieu.ac.uk).For the forward Mendelian randomization(MR)analysis,72 single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)were identified as instrumental variables.These SNPs were selected based on their association with the ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in intermediate VLDL,with peptic ulcer as the outcome variable.Conversely,for the inverse MR analysis,no SNPs were identified with peptic ulcer as the exposure variable and the ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in intermediate VLDL as the outcome.All MR analyses utilized inverse variance weighted(IVW)as the primary analytical method.Additionally,weighted median and MR-Egger methods were employed as supplementary analytical approaches to assess causal effects.Egger regression was used as a supplementary method to evaluate potential directional pleiotropy.Heterogeneity and multiplicity tests were conducted using the leave-one-out method to evaluate result stability and mitigate biases associated with multiple testing.RESULTS The genetically predicted ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in medium VLDL was significantly associated with an elevated risk of peptic ulcer(IVW:OR=2.557,95%CI=1.274-5.132,P=0.008).However,no causal association of peptic ulcer with the ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in medium VLDL was observed in the inverse Mendelian randomization analysis.CONCLUSION In conclusion,our study reveals a significant association between the ratio of cholesterol to total lipids in medium VLDL and an elevated risk of peptic ulcers.However,further validation through laboratory investigations and larger-scale studies is warranted to strengthen the evidence and confirm the causal relationship between these factors.

Effect of the number of positive lymph nodes and lymph node ratio on prognosis of patients after resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND： The prognostic factors related to lymph node involvement [lymph node status, the number of positive lymph nodes, lymph node ratio （LNR）] and the number of nodes evaluated in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma after pancreatectomy are poorly defined. METHODS： A total of 167 patients who had undergone resection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma from February 2010 to August 2011 were included in this study. Histological examination was performed to evaluate the tumor differentiation and lymph node involvement. Univariate and multivariate analyses were made to determine the relationship between the variables related to nodal involvement and the number of nodes and survival. RESULTS： The median number of total nodes examined was 10 （range 0-44） for the entire cohort. The median number of total nodes examined in node-negative （pN0） patients was similar to that in node-positive （pN1） patients. Patients with pN1 diseases had significantly worse survival than those with pN0 ones （P=0.000）. Patients with three or more positive nodes had a poorer prognosis compared with those with the negative nodes （P=0.000）. The prognosis of the patients with negative nodes was similar to that of those with one to two positive nodes （P=0.114）. The median survival of patients with an LNR ≥0.4 was shorter than that of patients with an LNR 〈0.4 in the pN1 cohort （P=0.014）. No significance was found between the number of total nodes examined and the prognosis, regardless of the cutoff of 10 or 12 and in the entire cohort or the pN0 and pN1 groups. Based on the multivariate analysis of the entire cohort and the pN1 group, the nodal status, the number of positive nodes and the LNR were all associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS： In addition to the nodal status, the number of positive nodes and the LNR can serve as comprehensive factors for the evaluation of nodal involvement. This approach may be more effective for predicting the survival of patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma after pancreatectomy.

Effects of total pressures and equivalence ratios on kerosene/air rotating detonation engines using a paralleling CE/SE method

In this paper,the kerosene/air rotating detonation engines(RDE)are numerically investigated,and the emphasis is laid on the effects of total pressures and equivalence ratios on the operation characteristics of RDE including the initiation,instabilities,and propulsive performance.A hybrid MPI t OpenMP parallel computing model is applied and it is proved to be able to obtain a more effective parallel performance on high performance computing(HPC)systems.A series of cases with the total pressure of 1 MPa,1.5 MPa,2 MPa,and the equivalence ratio of 0.9,1,1.4 are simulated.On one hand,the total pressure shows a significant impact on the instabilities of rotating detonation waves.The instability phenomenon is observed in cases with low total pressure(1 MPa)and weakened with the increase of the total pressure.The total pressure has a small impact on the detonation wave velocity and the specific impulse.On the other hand,the equivalence ratio shows a negligible influence on the instabilities,while it affects the ignition process and accounts for the detonation velocity deficit.It is more difficult to initiate rotating detonation waves directly in the lean fuel operation condition.Little difference was observed in the thrust with different equivalence ratios of 0.9,1,and 1.4.The highest specific impulse was obtained in the lean fuel cases,which is around 2700 s.The findings could provide insights into the understanding of the operation characteristics of kerosene/air RDE.

Characteristics of Soil Organic Carbon, Total Nitrogen, and C/N Ratio in Chinese Apple Orchards

Soil organic carbon and nitrogen are used as indexes of soil quality assessment and sustainable land use management. At the same time, soil C/N ratio is a sensitive indicator of soil quality and for assessing the carbon and nitrogen nutrition balance of soils. We studied the characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen by investigating a large number of apple orchards in major apple production areas in China. High apple orchard soil organic carbon content was observed in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, and Yunnan, whereas low content was found in the provinces of Shandong, Henan, Hebei, and Shaanxi, with the values ranging between 6.44 and 7.76 g·kg-1. Similar to soil organic carbon, soil total nitrogen content also exhibited obvious differences in the 12 major apple producing provinces. Shandong apple orchard soil had the highest total nitrogen content (1.26 g·kg-1), followed by Beijing (1.23 g·kg-1). No significant difference was noted between these two regions, but their total nitrogen content was significantly higher than the other nine provinces, excluding Yunnan. The soil total nitrogen content for Xinjiang, Heilongjiang, Hebei, Henan, and Gansu was between 0.87 and 1.03 g·kg-1, which was significantly lower than that in Shandong and Beijing, but significantly higher than that in Liaoning, Shanxi, and Shaanxi. Six provinces exhibited apple orchard soil C/N ratio higher than 10, including Heilongjiang (15.42), Xinjiang (13.38), Ningxia (14.45), Liaoning (12.24), Yunnan (11.03), and Gansu (10.63). The soil C/N ratio was below 10 in the remaining six provinces, in which the highest was found in Shaanxi (9.47), followed by Beijing (8.98), Henan (7.99), and Shanxi (7.62), and the lowest was found in Hebei (6.80) and Shandong (6.05). Therefore, the improvement of soil organic carbon should be given more attention to increase the steady growth of soil C/N ratio.

Novel prognostic score based on the preoperative total bilirubinalbumin ratio and fibrinogen-albumin ratio in ampullary adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND The preoperative total bilirubin-albumin ratio(TBAR)and fibrinogen-albumin ratio(FAR)have been proven to be valuable prognostic factors in various cancers.AIM To detect the prognostic value of TBAR and FAR in ampullary adenocarcinoma(AC)patients who underwent curative pancreaticoduodenectomy.METHODS AC patients who underwent curative pancreaticoduodenectomy in the National Cancer Center of China between 1998 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed.The prognostic cutoff values of TBAR and FAR were determined through the best survival separation model.Then,a novel prognostic score combining TBAR and FAR was calculated and validated through the logistic regression analysis and Cox regression analysis.RESULTS A total of 188 AC patients were enrolled in the current study.The best cutoff values of TBAR and FAR for predicting overall survival were 1.7943 and 0.1329,respectively.AC patients were divided into a TBAR-low group(score=0)vs a TBAR-high group(score=1)and a FAR-low group(score=0)vs a FAR-high group(score=1).The total score was calculated as a novel prognostic factor.Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that a high score was an independent protective factor for recurrence[score=1 vs score=0:Odds ratio(OR)=0.517,P=0.046;score=2 vs score=0 OR=0.236,P=0.038].In addition,multivariable survival analysis also demonstrated that a high score was an independent protective factor in AC patients(score=2 vs score=0:Hazard ratio=0.230,P=0.046).CONCLUSION A novel prognostic score based on preoperative TBAR and FAR has been demonstrated to have good predictive power in AC patients who underwent curative pancreaticoduodenectomy.However,more studies with larger samples are needed to validate this conclusion.

Effect of Pelleted Total Mixed Ration with Different Concentrate-roughage Ratios on Production Performance and Serum Biochemical Parameters of Fattening Hainan Black Goats

[Objective] This paper was to study effects of pelleted total mixed ration with different concentrate-roughage ratios on production performance and serum biochemical parameters of fattening Hainan black goats.[Method] Thirty-six fattening Hainan black goats with the same genetic background and similar initial weight of(14.08±0.13) kg were randomly assigned into three treatments. Goats were fed with Juncao + concentrate(control group), pelleted total mixed ration I(concentrate: roughage 50 ∶50, group Ⅰ) and Ⅱ(concentrate: roughage 45∶55, group Ⅱ), respectively. The test lasted 45 d.[Result] The final weight, daily gain and feed intake of rams in experimental group Ⅰ were significantly higher than those of control group and experimental group Ⅱ(P<0.05);the final weight and daily gain of rams in experimental group Ⅰ were also markedly higher than those of experimental group Ⅱ(P<0.05);the feed/gain of rams in experimental group Ⅰ was significantly lower than those in control group and experimental group Ⅱ(P<0.05). The feed gain cost of rams in experimental group Ⅰ was markedly lower than that in experimental group Ⅱ( P<0.05), but was significantly higher than that in experimental group Ⅰ(P<0.05);the gross profit of rams in experimental group Ⅰ was significantly higher than those in control group and experimental group Ⅱ(P<0.05). Compared with control group and experimental group Ⅱ, the serum total protein and glucose lev-els in experimental group Ⅱ increased significantly(P<0.05), but the urea nitrogen content reduced(P>0.05).[Conclusion] When the concentrateroughage ratio of pelleted total mixed ration was 50∶50, the fattening effect of Hainan black goat was better, and the serum total protein and glucose levels were evidently improved.

The enrichments of organic matter and total nitrogen in sediment as affected by relavant factors

Serious soil erosion has already resulted in degradation of the Loess Plateau of China. Soil erosion is commonly accompanied by extensive soil nutrient loss. Because of enrichment processes,sediment nutrient content is often higher than that of natural soil. The objective of this study is to determine the enrichments of organic matter and total nitrogen in sediment in hilly and gully loess areas on the Loess Plateau of China. Measurements of enrichment ratios (ER) of organic matter (EROM) and total nitrogen (ERTN) in sediment as affected by rainfall, slope gradient, tillage, and fertilization were made in the field under natural rainfall conditions. The results showed that the enrichment of clay in sediment resulted in the enrichment of organic matter (OM) and total nitrogen (TN) in sediment. The averages of sediment clay ER, EROM and ERTN for the various slope gradients were 1.77, 2.09 and 1.61, respectively. The soil erosive module was negatively correlated with EROM and ERTN. Our results indicate that measures to reduce soil erosion, i.e. reducing rainfall erosivity, decreasing soil slope gradient, decreasing fertilizer use, and using level trenches, may increase EROM and ERTN. Both quantity and quality of sediment yield should be considered when implementing erosion control measures.

Effects of Groundwater with Various Salinities on Evaporation and Redistribution of Water and Salt in Saline-sodic Soils in Songnen Plain,Northeast China

Groundwater mineralization is one of the main factors affecting the transport of soil water and salt in saline-sodic areas.To investigate the effects of groundwater with different levels of salinity on evaporation and distributions of soil water and salt in Songnen Plain,Northeast China,five levels of groundwater sodium adsorption ration of water(SARw)and total salt content(TSC mmol/L)were conducted in an oil column lysimeters.The five treated groundwater labeled as ST0:0,ST0:10,ST5:40,ST10:70 and ST20:100,were prepared with NaCl and CaCl2 in proportion,respectively.The results showed the groundwater evaporation(GWE)and soil evaporation(SE)increased firstly and then decreased with the increase of groundwater salinity.The values of GWE and SE in ST10:70 treatment were the highest,which were 2.09 and 1.84 times the values in the ST0:0 treatment with the lowest GWE and SE.There was a positive linear correlation between GWE and the Ca^(2+)content in groundwater,with R^(2)=0.998.The soil water content(SWC)of ST0:0 treatment was significantly(P<0.05)less than those of other treatments during the test.The SWC of the ST0:0 and ST0:10 treatments increased with the increase of soil depth,while the other treatments showed the opposite trend.Statistical analysis indicated the SWC in the 0–60 cm soil layer was positively correlated with the groundwater TSC and its ion contents during the test.Salt accumulation occurred in the topsoil and the salt accumulation in the 0–20 cm soil layer was significantly(P<0.05)greater than that in the subsoil.This study revealed the effects of the salinity level of groundwater,especially the Ca^(2+)content and TSC of groundwater,on the GWE and distributions of soil water and salt,which provided important support for the prevention and reclamation of soil salinization and sodificaton in shallow groundwater regions.

Study on the Environmental Quality Guarantee Ratio on the Basis of Total Air Pollutant Emission Amount Control

The hourly and daily air quality concentration in the total air pollutant emission amount control zone is not sure to be continuously up to national ambient air quality standard, even though the total annual air pollutant emission is permitted under the total air pollutant emission amount control (TAPEAC) on the basis of A-value method. So the concept of the environmental quality guarantee ratio (EQGR) for TAPEAC is advanced in this paper and its quantitative formula is figured out for both hourly and daily EQGR. It is concluded that the EQGR is related with the yearly arrangement of A-value besides the pollutant type. According to the meteorological data in a lower area along Yangtze River in 2000, the yearly A-value trend is analyzed. Based on the data, the hourly EQGR of SO 2 and NO 2 is respectively 97.4% and 90.2%, and daily EQGR respectively 90.2% and 79.5%.

Residue management induced changes in soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under different tillage practices in the North China Plain

Crop residue retention has been considered a practicable strategy to improve soil organic carbon(SOC)and total nitrogen(TN),but the effectiveness of residue retention might be different under varied tillage practices.To evaluate the effects of residue management on the distribution and stocks of SOC and TN under different tillage practices,a bifactorial experiment with three levels for tillage practices(no-tillage,rotary tillage,and conventional tillage)and two levels for residue managements(residue retention and residue removal)was conducted in the North China Plain(NCP).Results showed that after a short experimental duration(3–4 years),concentrations of SOC and TN in the 0–10 cm layer were higher under no-tillage than under conventional tillage,no matter whether crop residues were retained or not.Residue retention increased SOC and TN concentrations in the upper layers of soil to some degree for all tillage practices,as compared with residue removal,with the greatest increment of SOC concentration occurred in the 0–10 cm layer under rotary tillage,but in the 10–30 cm layer under conventional tillage.The stocks of SOC in the 0–50 cm depth increased from 49.89 Mg ha–1 with residue removal to 53.03 Mg ha–1 with residue retention.However,no-tillage did not increase SOC stock to a depth of 50 cm relative to conventional tillage,and increased only by 5.35%as compared with rotary tillage.Thus,residue retention may contribute more towards SOC sequestration than no-tillage.Furthermore,the combination between residue retention and no-tillage has the greatest advantage in enhancing SOC and TN in the NCP region.

Optimization of the reflux ratio of benzene-toluene stage distillation columns by the Cuckoo algorithm

In this study, an enthalpy-concentration method was applied in order to model a steady state continuous benzene-toluene mixture distillation column. For a distillation tower such as the benzene- toluene splitter, there are relatively few degrees of freedom that can be manipulated in order to minimize the total annualized cost. The reflux ratio can influence the steady-state operating point and therefore influence the total annualized cost. The trade-offs between reflux ratios and total annualized cost were discussed. The Cuckoo optimization algorithm was applied to obtain a correlation for the optimum value of the reflux ratio as a power function of the economic parameters of energy price and capital cost. The results show that, at low energy price or high capital cost, the optimum reflux factor is high.

Evaluation of axial length/total corneal refractive power ratio as a potential marker for ocular diagnosis of Marfan’s syndrome in children

AIM:To investigate whether the axial length(AL)/total corneal refractive power(TCRP)ratio is a sensitive and simple factor that can be used for the early diagnosis of Marfan’s syndrome(MFS)in children.METHODS:The relationship between the AL/TCRP ratio and the diagnosis of MFS for 192 eyes in 97 children were evaluate.The biological characteristics,including age,sex,AL,and TCRP,were collected from medical records.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis was performed to investigate whether the AL/TCRP ratio effectively distinguishes MFS from other subjects.The Youden index was used to re-divide the whole population into two groups according to an AL/TCRP ratio of 0.59.RESULTS:Of 96 subjects(mean age 7.46±3.28 y)evaluated,56(110 eyes)had a definite diagnosis of MFS in childhood based on the revised Ghent criteria,41(82 eyes)with diagnosis of congenital ectopia lentis(EL)were included as a control group.AL was negatively correlated with TCRP,with a linear regression coefficient of-0.36(R2=0.08).A significant correlation was found between age and the AL/TCRP ratio(P=0.023).ROC curve analysis showed that the AL/TCRP ratio distinguished MFS from the other patients at a threshold of 0.59.MFS patients were present in 24/58(41.38%)patients with an AL/TCRP ratio of≤0.59 and in 34/39(87.18%)patients with an AL/TCRP ratio of>0.59.CONCLUSION:An AL/TCRP ratio of>0.59 is significantly associated with the risk of MFS.The AL/TCRP ratio should be measured as a promising marker for the prognosis of children MFS.Changes in the AL/TCRP ratio should be monitored over time.

Characteristics of soil organic carbon andtotal nitrogen storages for differentland-use types in Central Yunnan Plateau

Two-factor analysis of variance and redundancy analysis were used to analyze the characte-ristics of soil organic carbon total nitrogen storage in garden land,forestland,grassland,farmland,and bare land in the Dachunhe watershed of Jinning District,Kunming City,Yunnan Province,China.The effects of the soil organic carbon,total nitrogen stratification ratio,soil physical and chemical factors on the storage characteristics of organic carbon and total nitrogen of different land-use types were analyzed.The results show that the rates of carbon and nitrogen stratification in soil from 0-20 cm and 40-60 cm of the same land-use types differed are statistically significant(P<0.05).The organic carbon and total nitrogen stratification ratio SR1 of garden land soil are 38.5%and 25.3%,respectively,which are higher than SR^(2).The soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stratification ratio SR^(2) of different land-use types are greater than SR1.There are statistically significant differences in the SR^(2) soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stratification ratios(P<0.05).Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage of diffe-rent land-use types gradually decrease with increasing soil depth,with the maximum soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage in the 0-20 cm soil layer.Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen sto-rage at the same soil depth are significantly different(P<0.05).Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage in the garden land are greater than those in the other land-use types.Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage in 0-20 cm garden land are 4.96 and 3.19 times than those in bare land,respectively;soil organic carbon and total nitrogen storage are explained by 93.66%and 1.53%in redundancy analysis RDA1 and RDA2,respectively.All physicochemical factors except Available Phosphorus and pH are statistically significance with carbon and nitrogen storage(P<0.05).Soil cationic exchange capacity,Available Phosphorus,C/N ratio,and Moisture Content are positively correlated with organic carbon and total nitrogen storage.In contrast,soil Bulk Density is negatively correlated with organic carbon storage and total nitrogen storage.Available Phosphorus,C/N ratio,and Moisture Content are the main factors promoting soil organic carbon and total nitrogen accumulation.

Role of fibrinogen,albumin and fibrinogen to albumin ratio in determining angiographic severity and outcomes in acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic unmasked the huge deficit in healthcare resources worldwide.It highlighted the need for efficient risk stratification in management of cardiovascular emergencies.AIM To study the applicability of the old,available and affordable nonconventional biomarkers:albumin and fibrinogen in their ability to predict angiographic severity and clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome(ACS).METHODS In this prospective,observational study,166 consecutive patients with ACS were enrolled.Fibrinogen,albumin and their ratio were determined from serum.Patients with underlying chronic liver disease,active malignancy,autoimmune disease,active COVID-19 infection and undergoing thrombolysis were excluded.RESULTS Mean age of the population was 60.5±1.5 years,74.1%being males.ST elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)was most common presentation of ACS seen in 57%patients.Fibrinogen albumin ratio(FAR)≥19.2,had a sensitivity of 76.9%and specificity of 78.9%[area under the receiver operating characteristic curves(AUROC)=0.8,P=0.001]to predict≤thrombolysis in myocardial infarction(TIMI)1 flow in culprit artery in STEMI patients.Even in non-STEMI patients,FAR≥18.85 predicted the same with 80%sensitivity and 63%specificity(AUROC=0.715,P=0.006).CONCLUSION Novel biomarkers,with their high cost,lack of availability and long turn over time are impractical for real-world use.Identifying≤TIMI 1 flow in the culprit artery has significant impact of management and outcome.Our study has shown that readily available biomarkers like fibrinogen and albumin can help identify these high-risk patients with good accuracy.This allows risk-stratification and individualization of treatment in ACS.

Impact of Environmental Protection Tax on Enterprise Capital-Labor Allocation in the Context of High-Quality Economic Development

Using a double-difference model,this paper examines the impact of the 2018 Environmental Protection Tax Law of the People’s Republic of China on the capital-labor ratio of A-share listed enterprises in China.The results indicate that the implementation of the environmental protection tax significantly increases the capital-labor ratio of firms,leading to a preference for capital-intensive production.The mediating role of total factor productivity(TFP)in this process suggests that the environmental protection tax enhances the capital-labor ratio by fostering TFP growth.Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the effect of the environmental protection tax on the capital-labor ratio is more pronounced in economically developed regions,state-owned enterprises,and enterprises with a longer operational history.

Early diagnosis of prostate cancer using free/total prostate specific antigen ratio: a population based screening data

Aim: To evaluate the use of free/total prostate specific antigen ratio (fPSA/tPSA ratio) in improving the early diagnosis of prostate cancer. Methods: The fPSA/tPSA ratio in the serum was analyzed in 187 men with tPSA ranging between 4.0 and 20.0 μg/L. All of them underwent ultrasound guided sextant prostatic biopsy. The results were calculated by SPSS 10.0 software. Results: (1) When the tPSA was within the ranges of 4.0 - 10.0 and 10.0 -20.0 μg/L, the prostate cancer detection rate was 18.1 % and 22.5 %, respectively; (2) The area under the curve (AUC) was bigger in fPSA/tPSA than in tPSA (P<0.05) in all the men; (3) When the cut off value of fPSA/tPSA ratio was set at 0.25 and the tPSA at 4.0 - 10.0 μg/L and 10.0 - 20.0 μg/L, the diagnostic sensitivity of tPSA was 90.5 % and 87.5 %, respectively. Thus at the tPSA ranges of 4.0 - 10.0 and 10.0 - 20.0 μg/L, 26.7 % and 11.3 % of biopsies could be avoided, respectively. Conclusion: The use of fPSA/tPSA ratio can improve the prostate cancer detection rate and reduce unnecessary biopsies when tPSA is within the range of 4.0 - 20.0 μg/L.

Complementary effects of organic and mineral fertilizers on maize production in the smallholder farms of Meru South District, Kenya

Low soil fertility is a major constraint to maize production in the small holder farms of Meru South District. This is mainly attributed to the mining of nutrients due to cropping without external addition of adequate nutrients. Mineral fertilizers are expensive hence un affordable by most small holder farmers. The use of organic matter to increase and maintain soil fertility is being considered as a solution to help the low-income small holder farmers. A study was conducted in Mucwa location, Meru South District to determine the levels of complementarity between organic and mineral N amendments on maize yields and their influence on soil chemical properties. The experiment was set in a complete randomized block design (CRBD) with three replicates. The treatments were compared with the response obtained from control. The general soil fertility parameters changed slightly with Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium increasing in all treatments. The organic Carbon and total Nitrogen was higher in treatments that received sole organic N sources than in sole mineral N and a combination of organic and mineral N sources. The highest maize grain yield of 4.8 t·ha-1 and 4.2 t·ha-1 were realized from sole application of calliandra during the 2005 Short rains and 2006 Long rains cropping seasons. Generally the maize grain yields were lower in treatments with mineral N alone compared to the treatments with organics. Treatments with sole calliandra and sole tithonia had the highest benefit cost ratio (BCR), followed closely by manure treatment. More so, integration of organic and mineral N sources resulted to higher net benefit and BCR than the application of the recommended rate of mineral fertilizers. Results obtained indicated that the use of either organic or combined organic/mineral N soil amendment appear to be superior to using mineral amendment sources alone.

Correlation between Surface Area Ratio of Medial to Lateral Tibial Plateau and Knee Alignment in Adults

Objective This study aimed to investigate the correlation between the surface area ratio of medial tibial plateau(MTP)to lateral tibial plateau(LTP)and the mechanical tibiofemoral angle(mTFA).Methods Lower limb computed tomography(CT)images were collected at our hospital.Then,the original CT data were analyzed and reconstructed using medical image processing software.The proximal and distal centres of the femur and tibia were marked.The surface areas of MTP and LTP were identified using image processing software.GraphPad Prism 8.0.2 was used to perform the statistical analysis.Results The surface area ratio of MTP to LTP was significantly correlated with the mTFA in all patients(P<0.0001),male group(P<0.0001),female group(P<0.0001),varus group(P<0.0001),and valgus group(P=0.002).Furthermore,the surface area of MTP and LTP was significantly greater in the male group than in the female group(P<0.0001).There was significant difference in the surface area of the MTP between the varus and valgus groups(P<0.0001).Significant difference was also observed in the surface area ratio of MTP to LTP between the varus and valgus groups(P<0.0001).Conclusion The surface area ratio of MTP to LTP was correlated with the mTFA.Within a certain range,the smaller the mTFA,the greater the surface area ratio of MTP to LTP.For patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty,of whom the surface area of the MTP was basically equal to that of the LTP,it is recommended that the osteotomy should be performed in accordance with mechanical alignment standards,and that a symmetrical tibial plateau prosthesis should be used.For patients whose surface area of MTP is significantly greater than that of the LTP,it is recommended that the osteotomy should be performed in accordance with kinematic alignment standards,and that an anatomical tibial plateau prosthesis should be used.

Distribution Characteristics of Ozone and the Relationship with Typhoon Processes in the Northwest Pacific Ocean

Based on the vertical ozone reanalysis data and total ozone column data derived from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts,the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of ozone on each isobaric surface in the troposphere over the Northwest Pacific Ocean were analyzed,and the backward trajectory method was used to track the influence of typhoon on the distribution of ozone.The results show that the updraft near the typhoon center transported the air with low O_(3)content in the lower layer to the upper layer,which reduced O_(3)content in the upper layer and formed a low-value area of O_(3).The variation trend of total ozone column in the regions where typhoons"Megi"and"Fengshen"occurred was analyzed by the case analysis method.It is found that there was a low-value area of total ozone column anomaly near the typhoon center,and there was a certain correlation between typhoon intensity PDI and total ozone column anomaly at the development and maturity stages of typhoons.