A hydrothermal route to water-stable luminescent carbon dots as nanosensors for pH and temperature

Carbon dots (CDs) as a class of heavy-metal-free fluorescent nanomaterials has drawn increasing attention in recent years due to their high optical absorptivity, chemical stability, biocompatibility, and low toxicity. Herein, we report a facile method to prepare stable CDs by hydrothermal treatment of glucose (glc) in the presence of glutathione (GSH). With this approach, the formation and the surface passivation of CDs are carried out simultaneously, resulting in intrinsic fluorescence emission. The influence of reaction temperature, reaction time and feed ratio of GSH/glc on the photoluminescence property of CDs is studied. The as-prepared CDs are characterized by UV–Vis, photoluminescence, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and transmission electron microscope, from which their structural information and property are interpreted. These CDs may be useful as pH sensors or as versatile nanothermometry devices based on the pronounced temperature dependence of their steady-state fluorescence emission spectra, which changes considerably over the physiological temperature range (15–60 °C).This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 50925207), the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, China (BK20140157), Programme of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities (111 Project B13025), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (JUSRP11418)

Association of the metabolic score for insulin resistance with cardiovascular diseases, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in Chinese hypertensive population

ImportanceLittle is known about the relationship between the metabolic score for insulin resistance (METS-IR) and the prognosis of hypertensive patients in China.ObjectiveTo investigate the association between the novel non–insulin‐based METS-IR index and the cardiovascular composite endpoints and all-cause mortality in Chinese hypertensive participants.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study used data from the China H-Type Hypertension Project, a long-term prospective cohort consisting of 14234 hypertensive patients in southern China, with a baseline from March to August 2018. The median follow-up period for participants was 3.94 years, as of 2022. The data analysis period is from July 2023 to September 2023.ExposuresMETS-IR index of participants in the Chinese H-type hypertension project. The calculation formula for METS-IR is (Ln (2 × FPG) +TG) × BMI/Ln (HDL-C).Main outcomes and measuresCardiovascular events and cardiovascular, all-cause mortality were identified by linking the cohort database with the health care system through October, 2023.ResultsA total of 14220 participants were included in this study. The prevalence rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), cardiovascular death, and all-cause death were 2.59% (369/14220), 2.79% (397/14220), and 5.66% (805/14220), respectively. After adjusting for confounding factors in the multivariate logistic regression analysis models, the METS-IR index was significantly positively correlated with CVD, and cardiovascular, all-cause mortality, whether as a categorical or continuous variable. Layered analysis showed that the METS-IR index of hypertensive participants in different subgroups was positively correlated with the endpoint event.Conclusions and relevanceThis large, prospective cohort study demonstrated that the METS-IR index, a new IR evaluation index, were independently associated with a higher risk of the cardiovascular composite endpoint and all-cause mortality among Chinese hypertensive population. Importantly, our finding provides an independent indicator for evaluating the prognosis of hypertensive patients

Treatment of avulsion fracture of posterior cruciate ligament tibial insertion by minimally invasive approach in posterior medial knee

ObjectiveThe study aims to explore the feasibility and clinical effect of posterior minimally invasive treatment of cruciate ligament tibial avulsion fracture.MethodsPosterior knee minimally invasive approach was used to treat avulsion fracture of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) tibia in 15 males and 11 females. The length of the incision, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative hospital stay, residual relaxation, and fracture healing time were analyzed to evaluate the curative effect, learning curve, and advantages of the new technology. Neurovascular complications were recorded. During the postoperative follow-up, the International Knee Joint Documentation Committee (IKDC), Lysholm knee joint score, and knee joint range of motion were recorded to evaluate the function.ResultsAll 26 patients were followed up for 18–24 months, with an average of 24.42 ± 5.00 months. The incision length was 3–6 cm, with an average of 4.04 ± 0.82 cm. The intraoperative blood loss was about 45–60 ml, with an average of 48.85 ± 5.88 ml. The operation time was 39–64 min, with an average of 52.46 ± 7.64 min. The postoperative hospital stay was 2–5 days, with an average of 2.73 ± 0.87 days. All incisions healed grade I without neurovascular injury. All fractures healed well with an average healing time of 9.46 ± 1.33 weeks (range, 8–12 weeks). The Lysholm score of the affected knee was 89–98 (mean, 94.12 ± 2.49) at 12-month follow-up. The IKDC score was 87–95 with an average of 91.85 ± 2.19, and the knee range of motion was 129–148° with an average of 137.08 ± 5.59°. The residual relaxation was 1–3 mm, with an average of 1.46 ± 0.65 mm.ConclusionThis minimally invasive method provides sufficient exposure for internal fixation of PCL tibial avulsion fractures without the surgical complications associated with traditional open surgical methods. The process is safe, less invasive, and does not require a long learning curve

Predicting blood pressure from physiological index data using the SVR algorithm

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Blood pressure diseases have increasingly been identified as among the main factors threatening human health. How to accurately and conveniently measure blood pressure is the key to the implementation of effective prevention and control measures for blood pressure diseases. Traditional blood pressure measurement methods exhibit many inherent disadvantages, for example, the time needed for each measurement is difficult to determine, continuous measurement causes discomfort, and the measurement process is relatively cumbersome. Wearable devices that enable continuous measurement of blood pressure provide new opportunities and hopes. Although machine learning methods for blood pressure prediction have been studied, the accuracy of the results does not satisfy the needs of practical applications. Results: This paper proposes an efficient blood pressure prediction method based on the support vector machine regression (SVR) algorithm to solve the key gap between the need for continuous measurement for prophylaxis and the lack of an effective method for continuous measurement. The results of the algorithm were compared with those obtained from two classical machine learning algorithms, i.e., linear regression (LinearR), back propagation neural network (BP), with respect to six evaluation indexes (accuracy, pass rate, mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), mean absolute error (MAE), R-squared coefficient of determination (R 2) and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient). The experimental results showed that the SVR model can accurately and effectively predict blood pressure. Conclusion: The multi-feature joint training and predicting techniques in machine learning can potentially complement and greatly improve the accuracy of traditional blood pressure measurement, resulting in better disease classification and more accurate clinical judgements

Positive correlation between fatty liver index and hyperuricemia in hypertensive Chinese adults: a H-type hypertension registry study

BackgroundFew studies have examined the relationship between fatty liver index (FLI) and hyperuricemia (HUA). This study explores the relationship between FLI and HUA in hypertensive patients.MethodsA total of 13,716 hypertensive subjects were included in the current study. FLI, a simple index calculated from triglycerides (TG), waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and γ -glutamyltransferase (GGT), was used as a useful predictor of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) distribution. HUA was defined as serum uric acid ≥ 360 μmol/L for females and ≥ 420 μmol/L for males.ResultsThe mean value of total FLI was 31.8 ± 25.1. Multiple logistic analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between FLI and HUA (OR, 1.78; 95% CI: 1.69–1.87). A subgroup analysis demonstrated that the correlation between FLI (< 30 vs. ≥ 30) and HUA was significant in both sexes (P for interaction = 0.006). Further analyses stratified by sex indicated a positive correlation between FLI and HUA prevalence among male and female subjects. However, the correlation between FLI and HUA was stronger in female subjects than in males (male: OR, 1.70; 95% CI: 1.58–1.83; female: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.73–1.98).ConclusionThis study demonstrates a positive correlation between FLI and HUA in hypertensive adults, but stronger in females than males

Association between serum uric acid levels and peripheral artery disease in Chinese adults with hypertension

BackgroundHigher serum uric acid (SUA) can cause gout, which is principally characterized by arthritis due to monosodium urate crystal deposition in the lower extremities. High levels of SUA have been linked to endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation, all of which are involved in the pathogenesis of peripheral artery disease(PAD). To date, the relationship between SUA levels and PAD is still poorly understood.MethodAn analysis of 9,839 Chinese adults with essential hypertension from the ongoing China H-type Hypertension Registry Study was conducted in this cross-sectional study. Patients with an ABI ≤0.9 was diagnosed with PAD. Hyperuricemia was defined as SUA levels >420 mol/L in men and >360 mol/L in women. The association between SUA levels and PAD was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models based on odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs).ResultsThe enrolled subjects ranged in age from 27 to 93 years, with a mean age of 63.14 ± 8.99 years. The proportion of male patients was 46.22%, and the prevalence of hyperuricemia was 50.72%. In males, hyperuricemia was positively associated with the risk of PAD (adjusted OR per SD increase: 1.72, 95% CI 1.17 to 2.53, P =0.006). Males in the highest SUA tertile were significantly more likely to have PAD (adjusted OR: 2.63, 95% CI 1.42 to 4.86, P = 0.002; P for trend = 0.001). However, this positive relationship was not observed in females (adjusted OR: 1.29, 95% CI 0.77 to 2.17, P = 0.327; P for trend = 0.347).ConclusionAccording to this cross-sectional study, higher SUA levels were positively associated with PAD in male hypertensive patients, while this positive relationship disappeared in female participants