The clinical value of inflammation index in predicting ICU mortality of critically ill patients with intracerebral hemorrhage

BackgroundThe inflammatory response holds paramount significance in the context of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and exhibits a robust correlation with mortality rates. Biological markers such as the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), systemic immune inflammation index (SII), and systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) play crucial roles in influencing the systemic inflammatory response following ICH. This study aims to compare the predictive efficacy of NLR, PLR, LMR, SII, and SIRI concerning the risk of mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU) among critically ill patients with ICH. Such a comparison seeks to elucidate their early warning capabilities in the management and treatment of ICH.MethodsPatients with severe ICH requiring admission to the ICU were screened from the Medical Information Marketplace for Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database. The outcomes studied included ICU mortality and 30 day ICU hospitalization rates, based on tertiles of the NLR index level. To explore the relationship between the NLR index and clinical outcomes in critically ill patients with ICH, we utilized receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, decision curve analysis (DCA), and multivariate logistic regression analysis.ResultsA total of 869 patients (51.9% male) were included in the study, with an ICU mortality rate of 22.9% and a 30 day ICU hospitalization rate of 98.4%. Among the five indicators examined, both the ROC curve and DCA indicated that NLR (AUC: 0.660, 95%CI: 0.617–0.703) had the highest predictive ability for ICU mortality. Moreover, this association remained significant even after adjusting for other confounding factors during multivariate analysis (HR: 3.520, 95%CI: 2.039–6.077). Based on the results of the multivariate analysis, incorporating age, albumin, lactic acid, NLR, and GCS score as variables, we developed a nomogram to predict ICU mortality in critically ill patients with ICH.ConclusionNLR emerges as the most effective predictor of ICU mortality risk among critically ill patients grappling with ICH when compared to the other four indicators. Furthermore, the integration of albumin and lactic acid indicators into the NLR nomogram enhances the ability to promptly identify ICU mortality in individuals facing severe ICH

MicroRNA-483 amelioration of experimental pulmonary hypertension.

Endothelial dysfunction is critically involved in the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and that exogenously administered microRNA may be of therapeutic benefit. Lower levels of miR-483 were found in serum from patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), particularly those with more severe disease. RNA-seq and bioinformatics analyses showed that miR-483 targets several PAH-related genes, including transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), TGF-β receptor 2 (TGFBR2), β-catenin, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), and endothelin-1 (ET-1). Overexpression of miR-483 in ECs inhibited inflammatory and fibrogenic responses, revealed by the decreased expression of TGF-β, TGFBR2, β-catenin, CTGF, IL-1β, and ET-1. In contrast, inhibition of miR-483 increased these genes in ECs. Rats with EC-specific miR-483 overexpression exhibited ameliorated pulmonary hypertension (PH) and reduced right ventricular hypertrophy on challenge with monocrotaline (MCT) or Sugen + hypoxia. A reversal effect was observed in rats that received MCT with inhaled lentivirus overexpressing miR-483. These results indicate that PAH is associated with a reduced level of miR-483 and that miR-483 might reduce experimental PH by inhibition of multiple adverse responses

Analysis on the intention and influencing factors of free influenza vaccination among the elderly people aged 70 and above in Hangzhou in 2022

BackgroundAlthough influenza vaccination is recommended for people aged 70 and above in Hangzhou, and the vaccine is provided free of charge, the elderly influenza vaccination rate is still low. The purpose of this study was to understand the barriers and motivations of older people in deciding to receive free influenza vaccine through questionnaires.MethodsThe method of stratified random sampling was adopted to take samples. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the elderly aged 70 years and above by face-to-face interview or telephone interview.ResultsA total of 11,663 elderly people aged 70–100 years were successfully and effectively interviewed. 85.98% of the respondent were willing to get the influenza shot, 8.91% were unwilling to get the influenza shot, and 5.11% were on vaccine hesitancy. The people of age of 70–79 years old (hesitancy: OR70~79 = 0.668, 95%CI: 0.571 0.782, Unwilling: OR70 − 79 = 0.755, 95%CI: 0.622 0.916), primary school degree or below (hesitancy: ORSecondary school degree or above = 1.467, 95%CI: 1.249 1.724, Unwilling: ORSecondary school degree or above = 1.255, 95%CI: 1.028 1.535), remote areas (hesitancy: ORnear central urban area = 2.111, 95%CI: 1.604 2.778, ORcentral urban area = 2.957, 95%CI: 2.255 3.877, Unwilling: ORnear central urban area = 1.687, 95%CI: 1.230 2.313. ORcentralurbanarea = 2.218, 95%CI: 1.626 3.027), and convenient for movement (hesitancy: ORyes = 0.494, 95%CI: 0.420 0.580, Unwilling: ORyes = 0.585, 95%CI: 0.480 0.713), understanding of the free vaccine policy (hesitancy: ORunderstand = 0.204, 95%CI: 0.171 0.245, Unwilling: ORunderstand = 0.164, 95%CI: 0.128 0.210), influenza knowledge level≥ 13 points (hesitancy: OR≥13points = 0.628, 95%CI: 0.533 0.739, Unwilling: OR≥13points = 0.538, 95%CI: 0.437 0.662), influenza vaccine knowledge level≥ 12 points (hesitancy: OR≥12points = 0.422, 95%CI: 0.350 0.508, Unwilling: OR≥12points = 0.370, 95%CI: 0.290 0.472), and social trust level ≥ 12 points (hesitancy: OR≥12points = 0.134, 95%CI: 0.112 0.160, Unwilling: OR≥12points = 0.220, 95%CI: 0.180 0.269) are more willing to receive free influenza vaccine.ConclusionThe proportion of elderly people aged 70 and above who are willing to receive free influenza vaccine is high in Hangzhou. But the level of knowledge about influenza, vaccine and trust in society is low. The government should continue to improve the elderly's awareness and trust in society through medical staff, family members, television and radio media, and guide the elderly to actively vaccinate against influenza. Effective publicity should be carried out through the above channels to guide the elderly to actively vaccinate against influenza

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Measurement of forward charged hadron flow harmonics in peripheral PbPb collisions at √sNN = 5.02 TeV with the LHCb detector

Flow harmonic coefficients, v n , which are the key to studying the hydrodynamics of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) created in heavy-ion collisions, have been measured in various collision systems and kinematic regions and using various particle species. The study of flow harmonics in a wide pseudorapidity range is particularly valuable to understand the temperature dependence of the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio of the QGP. This paper presents the first LHCb results of the second- and the third-order flow harmonic coefficients of charged hadrons as a function of transverse momentum in the forward region, corresponding to pseudorapidities between 2.0 and 4.9, using the data collected from PbPb collisions in 2018 at a center-of-mass energy of 5.02 TeV . The coefficients measured using the two-particle angular correlation analysis method are smaller than the central-pseudorapidity measurements at ALICE and ATLAS from the same collision system but share similar features

Study of CP violation in B0 → DK⋆(892)0 decays with D → Kπ(ππ), ππ(ππ), and KK final states

A measurement of CP-violating observables associated with the interference of B0 → D0K⋆ (892)0 and B0 → D¯ 0K⋆ (892)0 decay amplitudes is performed in the D0 → K∓π ±(π +π −), D0 → π +π −(π +π −), and D0 → K+K− fnal states using data collected by the LHCb experiment corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 9 fb−1 . CP-violating observables related to the interference of B0 s → D0K¯ ⋆ (892)0 and B0 s → D¯ 0K¯ ⋆ (892)0 are also measured, but no evidence for interference is found. The B0 observables are used to constrain the parameter space of the CKM angle γ and the hadronic parameters r DK⋆ B0 and δ DK⋆ B0 with inputs from other measurements. In a combined analysis, these measurements allow for four solutions in the parameter space, only one of which is consistent with the world average

Poly(1,2-glycerol carbonate) nanoparticles for delivery of hydrophilic therapeutics

Hydrophilic therapeutics, including a wide range of peptides, proteins and small molecule drugs, play a pivotal role in biomedicine. To overcome their unfavorable pharmacokinetics such as rapid clearance and poor permeability through lipid membranes, various delivery strategies based on liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, lipophilic prodrugs have been investigated. However, the toxicity associated with the systemic administration of these formulations limits their applications. Previously, we developed poly(1,2-glycerol carbonate) nanoparticles (PGC NPs) that readily entrap a hydrophobic small molecule drug and deliver it to peritoneal tumors post intraperitoneal injection. Here, we designed PGC NPs capable of loading hydrophilic drugs with high efficiency. The Cy5-BSA loaded NPs achieved a high encapsulation efficiency of 92.97% and drug loading of 3.55 wt%, with sustained release for one week. AntiPD1-loaded NPs reached ~100% encapsulation efficiency and released a substantial dose of antibodies by day 7. The secondary structure of polyclonal antibodies loaded in the NPs was not affected by the formulation process, as demonstrated by the characteristic peaks and valleys on the CD spectra. Minimal cytotoxicity to NIH/3T3 and MSTO-211H/Luc cells was observed after treatment with up to 1.5 mg/mL blank NPs over 24 hours, indicating biosafety of the NPs. Additionally, a promising assay was developed for assessing anti-PD1/PDL1 efficacy in vitro. Our findings suggest that PGC NPs loaded with hydrophilic drugs hold potential as safe and effective drug delivery systems.2025-05-24T00:00:00

Lanthanum Significantly Contributes to the Growth of the Fine Roots’ Morphology and Phosphorus Uptake Efficiency by Increasing the Yield and Quality of <i>Glycyrrhiza uralensis</i> Taproots

The occurrence of different degrees of phosphorus deficiency in the vast majority of G. uralensis cultivation regions worldwide is common. There is a pressing need within the cultivated G. uralensis industry to identify appropriate exogenous substances that can enhance the uptake of phosphorus and improve both the yield and quality of the taproots of G. uralensis. This study was conducted to investigate the fine root and taproot morphology, physiological characteristics, and secondary metabolite accumulation in response to the supply of varying concentrations of LaCl3 to G. uralensis, to determine the optimal concentration of LaCl3 that can effectively enhance the yield and quality of G. uralensis’s taproots, while also alleviating its reliance on soil phosphate fertilizer. The findings indicate that the foliar application of lanthanum enhanced root activity and increased APase activity, eliciting alterations in the fine root morphology, leading to promoting the accumulation of biomass in grown G. uralensis when subjected to P-deficient conditions. Furthermore, it was observed that the nutrient uptake of G. uralensis was significantly improved when subjected to P-deficient conditions but treated with LaCl3. Additionally, the yield and quality of the medicinal organs of G. uralensis were significantly enhanced

Opposing effects of energy migration and cross-relaxation on surface sensitivity of lanthanide-doped nanocrystals

10.1016/j.omx.2021.100104Optical Materials: X1210010

Generating Multi-group Homogenized Cross-sections Using Continuous-energy Monte Carlo Method for Fast Reactor Analysis

The deterministic two-step method for the fast reactor neutronics calculation, composed of cross-section homogenization and diffusion or transport core calculations, was widely applied in the fast reactor engineering design and analysis field. The homogenized cross-section calculation method based on Monte Carlo with continuous-energy and fine geometry can provide high-precision cross-sections for advanced fast reactors. The current development status and trends of coupling Monte Carlo-generated homogenized cross-sections with diffusion and transport core calculations were briefly reviewed in this paper. The methods discussed include the Monte Carlo flux-volume homogenization method, the superhomogenization equivalence technique (SPH), and the Monte Carlo flux-moment homogenization method (MHT). The MET-1000 metal fuel fast reactor is used as a benchmark. The SPH equivalent techniques are widely used to preserve the reaction rates of a reference heterogeneous model and a homogenous model. In this paper, the SPH was applied to the control rods' cross-section address to improve the diffusion core calculations. This equivalence technique reduces the overestimation of the control rod worth using the diffusion core solver from 13.5% to 0.35% and improves power distribution prediction accuracy. With SPH correction, the MC/diffusion in this work exhibits about <±4% error as the insertion of control rods in power distribution. For the transport core calculations, the reasons for core reactivity overestimation were quantitatively analyzed, and the MHT method was developed. The basic principle of the MHT homogenization method is to incorporate the anisotropy of the total cross-section concerning the incident angle into the scattering matrix. This allows for the consideration of cross-section anisotropy while maintaining the generality of the generated total cross-section within the core transport solver. The MHT reduces the error of the transport core solving of MET-1000 by 698 pcm. The factors that cause the residual bias were discussed, but there is only about 130 pcm unsolved bias. The flux-volume homogenization method exhibits uneven error distribution, tending to underestimate the power at the inner core top and overestimate the power at the outer core bottom, with errors ranging from -3.63% to +4.02%. The MHT homogenization method reduces power prediction errors, with errors ranging between -2.39% and +2.76%, and achieves a more uniform error distribution. This work presented Monte Carlo homogenized cross-section generation methods applicable to diffusion and transport core calculations for fast reactor neutronics analysis. The MHT homogenization method provides a novel approach for generating cross-sections suitable for core transport calculations in Monte Carlo simulations. However, further validation is needed with different core solvers and fast reactors such as small fast reactors and more heterogenous fast reactors. The Monte Carlo homogenization method still requires extensive research in various aspects, including the generation of discontinuous factors, the BN leakage model, and methods for handling historical effects