Lung function, coronary artery calcification, and metabolic syndrome in 4905 Korean males

SummaryBackgroundImpaired lung function is an independent predictor of cardiovascular mortality. We assessed the relationships of lung function with insulin resistance (IR), metabolic syndrome (MetS), systemic inflammation and coronary artery calcification score (CACS) measured by computed tomography (CT) scan an indicator of coronary atherosclerosis.MethodsWe identified 4905 adult male patients of the Health Promotion Center in Samsung Medical Center between March 2005 and February 2008 and retrospectively reviewed the following data for these patients: pulmonary function, CT-measured CACS, anthropometric measurement, fasting glucose, insulin, lipid profiles, serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and homeostatic model assessment (HOMA-IR). MetS was defined according to the AHA/NHLBI criteria.ResultsWhen the subjects were divided into four groups according to quartiles of FVC or FEV1 (% pred), serum CRP level, HOMA-IR, prevalence of MetS and CACS significantly increased as the FVC or FEV1 (% pred) decreased. The odds ratios (ORs) for MetS in the lowest quartiles of FVC and FEV1 (% pred) were 1.85 (95% CI, 1.49–2.30; p<0.001) and 1.47 (95% CI, 1.20–1.81; p<0.001) respectively. The ORs for the presence of coronary artery calcification in the lowest quartiles of FVC and FEV1 (% pred) were 1.31 (95% CI, 1.09–1.58; p=0.004) and 1.22 (95% CI, 1.02–1.46; p=0.029) respectively. Obesity, CRP, HOMA-IR, and the presence of coronary artery calcium were independent risk predictors for impaired lung function.ConclusionMetabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, coronary atherosclerosis, and systemic inflammation are closely related to the impaired lung function

Bibliometric Analysis on the Trend of the Computed Tomography (CT)-Related Studies in the Field of Forensic Science

The computed tomography (CT) technique has attracted much attention as a promising tool for non-invasive diagnosis and examination in the field of forensic science. The purpose of this study is to assess the trend in CT-related forensic studies through bibliometric methods and thus present a holistic idea about the application of CT in the field of forensic science of the past and present. A total of 2084 articles published in the Scopus index journals between 1978 and 2020 were analyzed using VOSviewer 1.6.15. A drastic increase in the number of CT-related articles was noticed in forensic science since the early 2000s. Switzerland, having the most productive institution (University of Zurich) and author (Michael J. Thali), contributed most to the increasing number of publications. Forensic Science International was the top journal, where approximately 12.5% of the articles (261 out of 2084) have been published. CT was frequently used for autopsy and diagnosis purposes, but recently its applicability has expanded to the field of forensic anthropology and personal identification. This research is expected to provide researchers using CT with not only an understanding about past research trends but also an insight about future research topics and potential collaborative opportunities

Programmable RF Built-In Self-Test Circuit for 5GHz Wireless LAN

This paper proposes a new programmable RF Built-In Self-Test (BIST) circuit for 5GHz Wireless LAN. It is fabricated using 0.18-µm SiGe technology. This circuit is useful for testability of GHz-band RF IC devices in a complete RF transceiver environment. The proposed circuit helps it to provide DC output voltages and accurate phase difference. It contains two peak detectors and a phase detector. The proposed circuit showed excellent performance

Estimation of plasma apolipoprotein B concentration using routinely measured lipid biochemical tests in apparently healthy Asian adults

Background Increased low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) concentration is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) but a substantial risk of cardiovascular disease often remains after LDL concentrations have been treated to target. Apolipoprotein B (apo B) is the major apolipoprotein contained within atherogenic lipoproteins such as LDL, and apo B is a more reliable indicator of cardiovascular risk than LDL concentration. Aim and methods Our aim was to develop a formula for calculating apo B using lipid biochemistry measurements that are commonly available in clinical practice. We examined the clinical and laboratory data from 73,047 Koreans who underwent a medical health check that included apolipoprotein B concentration. The study sample was randomly divided into a training set for prediction model building and a validation set of equal size. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to develop a prediction model equation for estimating apo B and to validate the developed model.Results: The best results for estimating apo B were derived from an equation utilising LDL and triglyceride (TG) concentrations [ApoB=-33.12+0.675*LDL+11.95*ln(tg)]. This equation predicted the apo B result with a concordance correlation coefficient (CCC and 95%CIs) = 0.936 (0.935,0.937)) Conclusion: Our equation for predicting apo B concentrations from routine analytical lipid biochemistry provides a simple method for obtaining precise information about an important cardiovascular risk marker

Workload and delay analysis in manufacturing process using process mining

Process analysis is one of the important topics in manufacturing industry. Recently process mining has been applied to analyze manufacturing processes. In this paper we investigate the characteristics of event logs in make-toorder production and propose a method to analyze manufacturing processes in make-to-order production such as construction, shipbuilding and aviation by utilizing and extending existing process mining techniques. Among three major analysis perspectives in process mining such as process discovery, performance analysis, and conformance checking, this paper focuses on the performance analysis including workload analysis and delay analysis. To validate the proposed method, a case study with real data is conducted.ope

Cisplatin Induces Overactivation of the Dormant Primordial Follicle through PTEN/AKT/FOXO3a Pathway which Leads to Loss of Ovarian Reserve in Mice.

Cisplatin is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent for ovarian cancer that acts by promoting DNA cross links and adduct. However drug resistance and considerable side effects including reproductive toxicity remain a significant challenge. PTEN is well known as a tumor suppressor function which plays a fundamental role in the regulation of the cell cycle, apoptosis and development of cancer. At the same time PTEN has been revealed to be critically important for the maintenance of the primordial follicle pool. In this study, we investigated the role of PTEN/Akt/FOXO3 pathway in cisplatin-induced primordial follicle depletion. Cisplatin induced ovarian failure mouse model was used to evaluate how this pathway involves. In vitro maturation was used for oocyte rescue after cisplatin damage. We found that cisplatin treatment decreased PTEN levels, leading to a subsequent increase in the phosphorylation of key molecules in the pathway. The activation of the PTEN/Akt/FOXO3 pathway cascade increased cytoplasmic translocation of FOXO3a in cisplatin-treated follicles, which in turn increased the pool size of growing follicles, and rapidly depleted the number of dormant follicles. Once activated, the follicles were more prone to apoptosis, and their cumulus cells showed a loss of luteinizing hormone (LH) receptor expression, which leads to failure during final maturation and ovulation. In vitro maturation to rescue oocytes in a cisplatin-treated mouse model resulted in successful maturation and fertilization. This study is the first to show the involvement of the PTEN/Akt/FOXO3 pathway in premature ovarian failure after cisplatin treatment and the possibility of rescue through in vitro maturation

Use of Gallbladder Width Measurement by Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Acute Cholecystitis

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of gallbladder width measurement with computed tomography (CT) in patients with acute cholecystitis. This retrospective case–control study was conducted between March 2016 and March 2020 at a tertiary emergency department. Of 310 patients, 254 patients with acute cholecystitis confirmed by surgery were compared with 254 patients diagnosed with other diseases (controls). In the acute cholecystitis group, the number of older patients with underlying illnesses was much higher (64% of men). Upon CT, the median (interquartile range [IQR]) gallbladder width was significantly longer in patients with acute cholecystitis (2.26 [1.82–2.78] cm vs. 3.73 [3.32–4.16] cm, p p < 0.001). Therefore, an increase in gallbladder width (≥3.12 cm) measured with CT can be a simple and sensitive diagnostic sign of acute cholecystitis, supporting the underlying pathophysiology of bile outflow obstruction

TUNEL staining of ovaries from cisplatin-injected mice.

<p><b>(a)</b> Ovary tissues from mice treated with 2mg/kg daily cisplatin. The sections were stained with TUNEL and counterstained with hematoxylin at each time point. The granulosa cells of secondary follicles after 15 days of cisplatin injections are positive for TUNEL while the oocyte is protected. <b>(b)</b> The number of TUNEL-positive follicles for each stage at different time points. Data represent means ± SEM. Stars denote significant differences relative to control (*P <0.05, **P<0.01).</p

Body weight, mortality, ovarian weight, and gross morphology of the mice and ovaries after cisplatin daily injection.

<p><b>(a)</b> Bodyweight of the mice after 15 days of daily injections with various doses of cisplatin. <b>(b)</b> Mortality (bar) and bodyweight (continuous line) of the mice receiving 2.0mg/kg daily cisplatin. <b>(c)</b> Ovarian weight after 15 days of daily injections with various doses of cisplatin. <b>(d)</b> Gross morphology of mice and ovaries after 2.0mg/kg daily injections with cisplatin (at 0, 5, 10, and 15 days starting from the left in the picture). <b>(a-c)</b> mean values ± SEM; stars denote significant differences relative to control (*P<0.05, ** P<0.01).</p