Sex-specific differences in the association between triglyceride glucose index and carotid plaque in a cardiovascular high-risk population: a cross-sectional study based on a Chinese community-dwelling population

BackgroundTo date, numerous studies have investigated the relationship between the triglyceride glucose (TyG) index and carotid plaques, but the impact of gender on this relationship has not been explored. Therefore, this study aims to investigate gender-specific differences in the relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaques in a high cardiovascular risk population in China.MethodsThis cross-sectional study's data were derived from a longitudinal pilot study involving 1,085 high-risk cardiovascular subjects. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to analyze the relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaques. A generalized additive model combined with a stratified regression model was employed to assess the nonlinear relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaques across different genders. In the nonlinear relation, the inflection point was calculated by a two-piecewise linear regression model.ResultsAfter adjusting for confounders such as age, sex, BMI, SBP, DBP, AST/ALT, TC, LDL-c, HDL-c, creatinine, smoking, and antilipemic medication, the generalized additive model results revealed a nonlinear relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaque formation, with significant differences across genders. In males, the relationship between the TyG index and carotid plaques was S-shaped. The two-piecewise linear regression model identified two inflection points: TyG = 8.39 (P = 0.017) and TyG = 10.2 (P = 0.009).ConclusionThe relationship between the TyG index and the formation of carotid plaques is nonlinear, and there are significant differences in the correlation between males and females

Association between the heart rate to temperature ratio and 28-day mortality in patients with heart failure in intensive care unit: a multicenter retrospective cohort study

BackgroundHeart failure (HF) is a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate. The precise relationship between the heart rate and temperature (HR/T) ratio and mortality in patients with HF remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the HR/T ratio and 28-day intensive care unit (ICU) mortality rates in patients with HF.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study analyzed the data of 3,790 patients with congestive heart failure in a large electronic database. Patients were divided into quartiles based on their HR/T ratio: Q1 (1.28–1.76), Q2 (2.44–2.72), Q3 (2.88–3.14), and Q4 (3.29–4.13). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association between HR/T ratio and 28-day ICU mortality.ResultsPatients with higher HR/T ratios had greater disease severity and higher mortality rates. In the fully adjusted regression model, a significant association was observed between HR/T ratio and 28-day ICU mortality risk, with mortality increasing as HR/T ratio rose (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17–2.04). An E-value analysis indicated that unmeasured confounders had a minimal impact on the results, confirming the robustness of the study.ConclusionAmong ICU-admitted patients with HF, we identified a significant association between HR/T ratio and 28-day ICU mortality. As the HR/T ratio increased, the 28-day ICU mortality showed an upward trend

Development and validation of a clinical diagnostic model for pregnant women with renal colic in the emergency department in China: a protocol for a retrospective cohort study

IntroductionUrolithiasis affects many people throughout their lives. Among the maternal population, although the morbidity of acute urolithiasis in pregnant women is unremarkable, it is the leading cause of hospitalisation during pregnancy. There is no effective clinical diagnostic tool to help doctors diagnose diseases. Our primary aim was to develop and validate a clinical prediction model based on statistical methods to predict the probability of having disease in pregnant women who visited the emergency department because of urolithiasis-induced colic.Methods and analysisWe will use multivariate logistic regression analysis to build a multivariate regression linear model. A receiver operating characteristic curve plot and calibration plot will be used to measure the discrimination value and calibration value of the model, respectively. We will also use least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analysis combined with logistic regression analysis to select predictors and construct the multivariate regression model. The model will be simplified to an application that has been reported before, and users will only need to enter their clinical parameters so that risk probability is automatically derived.Ethics and disseminationThe review and approval documents of the clinical research ethics committee have been received from the ethics committee of our hospital (The Third Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University). We will disseminate research findings through presentations at scientific conferences and publication in peer-reviewed journals.</jats:sec

Surface charging and dose monitor on geosynchronous orbit satellite

Based on the typical dielectric materials and devices of satellite, a surface charging and dose monitor (SCAD) was developed to measure the surface charging voltage, current, and dose under different shielding depths. The SCAD has been successfully launched into orbit on June 23, 2020. The measurement results on orbit show that the SCAD works normally, and the data of SCAD are reasonable. The results show that the radiation dose rate on geosynchronous orbit is about 0.4 mrad(Si)/s, and the maximum charging voltage is about −800 V during the initial measuring period. The charging voltage is consistent with the trends of geomagnetic disturbance Kp index. The on-orbit data provide basic data on surface charging and discharging effect and total dose effect, supporting the safe and reliable operation of the satellite

Acetylcysteine increases sensitivity of ceftazidime-avibactam–resistant enterobacterales with different enzymatic resistance to ceftazidime-avibactam in vitro and in vivo

Abstract Background Ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) improves treatment outcomes for infections caused by carbapenem-resistant organisms, but has led to serious bacterial resistance. Acetylcysteine (NAC) is an approved medication that protects the respiratory tract through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Results This study found that NAC combined with CZA effectively inhibits the growth of CZA-resistant clinical Enterobacterales strains. The CZA/NAC combination inhibits biofilm formation in vitro and decreases bacterial burden in a mouse thigh infection model. The combination is biocompatible and primarily increases cell membrane permeability to cause bacterial death. Conclusions These findings prove that the CZA/NAC combination has potential as a treatment for CZA-resistant Enterobacterales infections

ZnO nanoparticle-based seed priming modulates early growth and enhances physio-biochemical and metabolic profiles of fragrant rice against cadmium toxicity

Abstract Background Cadmium (Cd) is amongst the most toxic heavy metals that severely affects crop growth, whereas application of nanoparticles (NPs) to negate the toxic effects of heavy metals could be an effective management approach. In the present study, the seeds of two fragrant rice varieties i.e., Yuxiangyouzhan and Xiangyaxiangzhan under normal and Cd stress conditions i.e., 0 and 100 mg L− 1 applied with four levels of ZnO NPs i.e., 0, 25, 50, and 100 mg L− 1. Results Seed priming with ZnO NPs had no significant effect on the seed germination (p &gt; 0.05) however, it substantially improved the seedling growth and other related physiological attributes under the Cd stress. The mean fresh weight of the shoot, and whole seedling was increased by 16.92–27.88% and by 16.92–27.88% after ZnO NPs application. The root fresh weight, root-shoot length was also substantially improved under ZnO NPs treatment. Moreover, application of ZnO NPs induced modulations in physiological and biochemical attributes e.g., the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in root and shoot, the peroxidase (POD) activity and metallothionein contents in root were increased under low levels of ZnO NPs. The α-amylase and total amylase activity were improved by ZnO NPs application under Cd Stress. Besides, modulation in Zn concentration and ZnO NPs uptake in the seedling were detected. The metabolomic analysis indicated that various pathways such as alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were possibly important for rice response to ZnO NPs and Cd. Conclusion Overall, application of ZnO NPs substantially improved the early growth and related physio-biochemical attributes in rice. Our findings provide new insights regarding the effects of ZnO NPs on seed germination, and early growth of rice, and its potential applications in developing crop resilience against Cd contaminated soils. </jats:sec