Elevated Values Research Articles

Triglyceride-glucose index is associated with all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with alcohol use disorder: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundThe relationship between Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and clinical outcomes in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between TyG index and all-cause mortality in critically ill patients with AUD.MethodsWe used data from the multi-parameter intelligent monitoring in intensive care IV (MIMIC-IV) database. The patients were equally divided into quartiles. Kaplan–Meier curves were used for survival analysis. The primary endpoint of the study was 28-day mortality, followed by 1-year mortality. We used Cox proportional hazard models to assess the relationship between TyG index and all-cause mortality at different endpoints.ResultsA total of 537 AUD patients were included. Using TyG value as a continuous variable (HR 1.460, 95% CI 1.121–1.903, p = 0.005) and categorical variable (HR 1.447–3.477 from Q2 to Q4, with Q1 as reference), elevated TyG value was significantly associated with increased 28-day mortality. TyG was positively associated with 1-year mortality in AUD patients with an HR of 1.295 (95% CI 1.011–1.659, p = 0.041).ConclusionTyG index is positively associated with different clinical outcomes of critically ill AUD patients.

Computed tomography image quality in patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma: intraindividual comparison of contrast agent concentrations.

This study aimed to assess the impact of the different concentrations of iodine contrast agents used on the quality of computed tomography (CT) images obtained intraindividually in hepatocellular carcinoma patients. In this retrospective study, data from a cohort of 29 patients diagnosed with primary hepatocellular carcinoma who had undergone two preoperative CT-enhanced examinations within a 3-month timeframe were analyzed. Each patient was randomly assigned to receive either a low-concentration contrast agent (300 mg I/mL iohexol) or a high-concentration contrast agent (350 mg I/mL iohexol) for the first scan and the alternative contrast agent for the second scan. CT images of different liver regions of each patient were compared between low-and high-concentration scans using their before-and-after control design. Subjective image quality scores for portal vein images were also assessed. The findings of this study indicate that patients in the high-concentration group presented significantly elevated CT values across various anatomical regions, including the liver parenchyma, abdominal aorta, and hepatic portal vein, compared to those in the low-concentration group (p < 0.05). Moreover, the high-concentration group demonstrated superior subjective image ratings (p < 0.05). Nevertheless, there was no statistically significant difference in the CT values observed in liver cancer parenchyma scans at different phases between the two groups (p > 0.05). In summary, using a high-concentration iodine contrast agent is efficient in enhancing the visual clarity of the liver parenchyma, the aorta, and the portal vein in individuals diagnosed with primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Platelet Indices in Patients With Gram-Negative and Gram-Positive Sepsis: A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study.

Different inflammatory processes and sepsis can significantly affect the number of platelets and platelet indices. Therefore, in this study, total platelet count (PLT), thrombocrit (Pct), platelet distribution width (PDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), and platelet-large cell ratio (P-LCR) were analyzed in patients with Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial sepsis and in sterile blood cultures. Inclusion criteria were an increased number of inflammatory parameters (elevated values ​​of leukocytes,C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), andpositive blood culture. Exclusion criteria were patients who did not have elevated values ​​of inflammatory parameters and did not have a positive blood culture.Samples were collected from patients who had sepsis confirmed by blood cultures at the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Diagnostics at University Clinical Hospital Mostar in the period from 2019 to 2022. Three groups were analyzed, patients who had sterile blood cultures, patients with blood cultures with isolated Gram-positive bacteria, and patients with blood cultures with isolated Gram-negative bacteria. Specific infectious agents were identified for each group of patients. In addition to the above, PLT, Pct, MPV, PDW, P-LCR, PCT, CRP, the total number of leukocytes, and the number of neutrophil leukocytes were analyzed in each group. The values of PCT, CRP, and the number of neutrophile leukocytes were significantly higher in patients with Gram-negative sepsis as compared to Gram-positive sepsis and to control group. Patients with sepsis have decreased PLT and Ptc and increased values of MPV, PDW, and P-LCR. In sepsis caused by the Gram-negative bacteria, i.e., Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Acinetobacter baumannii, the values of the same parameters were more changed compared to sepsis caused by Gram-positive bacteria, i.e., Streptococcus pneumoniae, Enterococcus spp., and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). When comparing Gram-negative negative bacteria, PLT was lowest in sepsis caused by Escherichia coli, the PDW value was highest in sepsis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii, and MPV and P-LCR were the highest in sepsis caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae. Our study showed that platelet indices are significantly changed in patients with sepsis. Patients with sepsis have decreased values of PLT and Pct and increased values of MPV, PDW, and P-LCR, indicating an increase in thrombocyte production. Moreover, the results were more prominent in sepsis caused by Gram-negative bacteria compared to sepsis caused by Gram-positive bacteria.

Association between Serum Fatty Acids Profile and MetScore in Women with Severe Obesity

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a set of conditions associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. Several serum fatty acids (FAs) seem to play an essential role in the development of cardiometabolic diseases and mortality. Thus, it is imperative to explore the impact of FAs on MetS parameters, using an early MetS screening tool such as MetScore, which is readily available in clinical practice. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the potential correlation between serum FAs and cardiovascular risk using a MetScore. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 41 women with severe obesity. The MetScore was calculated, and participants were categorized into high- and low-cardiovascular-risk groups based on the median MetScore value. Gas chromatography was used to quantify serum FAs. Generalized Linear Models were used to compare group means. The association was assessed through simple logistic regression, and an adjusted logistic regression was conducted to validate the association between Metscore and serum FAs. Results: The high-cardiovascular-risk group exhibited elevated values of HOMA-IR, palmitic, oleic, cis-vaccenic, and monounsaturated fatty acids, as well as the SCD-18C, indicating a heightened cardiovascular risk. Conversely, HDL-c, QUICK, gamma-linolenic, and eicosatetraenoic fatty acids showed lower values compared to the low-risk group. Conclusions: Women with severe obesity and high cardiovascular risk have lower values of some omega-3 and omega-6 FAs, considered cardioprotective and anti-inflammatory, and have higher lipogenic activity and FAs, correlated with high cardiovascular risk. These findings emphasize the need to address lipid metabolism in this population as a therapeutic target to reduce cardiovascular risk. Future research should explore clinical interventions that modulate fatty acid metabolism to mitigate cardiometabolic complications.

Assessing motorcyclist safety at unsignalized intersection using automated trajectory data analysis

Objective In a developing country like India, where the share of motorcyclists is increasing exponentially, their road crashes are also rising at an alarming rate. The majority of these road crashes occur at unsignalized intersections. Therefore, the present study aims to analyze the safety of motorcyclists at unsignalized three-arm intersections under a heterogeneous traffic environment using a fully automated trajectory data extraction tool. Methods The study first analyses the most frequent types of interactions that occur between motorcyclists and other road users at unsignalized intersections. Then, the study examines the interactions between motorcyclists and other vehicles by analyzing the speed of both vehicles involved in these interactions. Lastly, the study employs a supervised classification technique, Support Vector Machine (SVM), to categorize these interactions into critical, mild, and safe based on surrogate safety indicators (for the proximity of interaction) and the maximum speed (for the severity of an interaction) at which the vehicles interact. Result The results indicate that rear-end conflict was the most frequently observed conflict at the unsignalized intersections. Further, the study emphasizes the crucial role of speed during interactions, particularly at higher speeds, where elevated threshold values of PET and TTC significantly influence the severity of the interaction. Conclusion Overall, the research provides an essential insight into motorcyclists’ safety in terms of critical conflicts at an unsignalized three-arm intersection. The findings of the research demonstrate the remarkable potential of fully automated trajectory data analysis software in evaluating safety at unsignalized intersections.

Optimizing ZnSe nanorods with La doping for structural, electrical, and dielectric properties in device applications

Nano-materials, pure Zinc Selenide (ZnSe), and rare earth (Lanthanum) doped ZnSe (Zn1-xLaxSe, x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06) were synthesized via a facile and low-cost hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) demonstrated that the nanoparticles grow in cubic crystal phase with high degree crystallinity, and the measured crystallite size of La-doped ZnSe ranges from 31.95 to 31.11 nm. Mitigation in crystallite size was observed with the inclusion of La and enhancement in the lattice constant ‘a’ from 5.6565 Å to 5.6818 Å. Morphological study (FESEM) depicts synthesized materials' morphologies as nanorods. The FESEM images indicate the random distribution of the nanorods across the crystal lattice, regardless of the accumulation of the nanorods, showing lumps in the synthesized material sample. The estimated grain size of pure ZnSe nanorods ranges from 137.6 to 496.9 nm. Electrical features revealed that direct current (DC) electrical conductivity ‘σdc’ enhances with temperature, affirming the semiconducting behavior of the materials. Increased lanthanum content enhances the ‘σdc’ from 3.08 × 10–5 (Ω cm)-1 to 5.94 × 10–5 (Ω cm)-1 at 303 K while lessening the activation energy value from 0.134 to 0.104 eV. Dielectric features, including relative permittivity (ε'), loss factor or dielectric loss (ε''), tangent loss (tanδ), as well as AC conductivity (σac), indicate a direct proportionality with temperature, and elevated values of all the dielectric parameters are noted with La-doping. An increase in dielectric constant with doping concentration displayed that the prepared nanocrystals have valuable dielectric and capacitive behavior. The outcomes of electrical and dielectric features display that the prepared nanorods have vital characteristics for developing optoelectronic devices, solar cells, photocatalysts, and light-emitting diode applications.

Is enzymatic stoichiometry a reliable indicator of microbial limitations in carbon, nitrogen, or phosphorus?

The enzymatic stoichiometry approach is based on the assumption that the metabolic and stoichiometric requirements of soil microorganisms are reflected in the production of enzymes targeting specific nutrient resources, making enzyme activities a useful tool for assessing microbial nutrient limitations. In this approach, β-1,4-glucosidase (BG), β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG) (occasionally combined with leucine aminopeptidase, LAP), and acid/alkaline phosphatase (AP) are used as proxies for the broader suite of enzymes responsible for catalyzing complex substrates containing carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), respectively, because these enzymes catalyze the terminal reactions that release products containing C, N, and P. The fundamental premise of the approach can thus be reformulated as follows: BG:NAG and BG:AP ratios reflect the relative limitations of C versus N and C versus P, respectively, with higher ratios indicating stronger C limitation. Previous meta-analyses have suggested that the enzymatic stoichiometry approach is unreliable, as N and P fertilization often leads to reduction in BG:NAG and BG:AP, respectively, contradicting the predictions of the approach. However, some researchers question the validity of assessing enzymatic stoichiometry after the artificial addition of nutrients via fertilizers. For providing more convincing evidence, this study conducted a meta-analysis to assess the impact of incorporating various C sources, largely representative of those found in natural ecosystems—glucose, cellulose, and plant residues—on the BG:NAG or BG:AP ratios. The results demonstrated that a considerable number of data points exhibited elevated values (i.e., C addition accelerated C limitations), undoubtedly contradicting the fundamental premise of the approach. These findings highlight the unreliability of enzymatic stoichiometry as an indicator of microbial nutrient limitation.

Thyroid gland dysfunction and keratoconus.

The association between keratoconus and thyroid gland dysfunction (TGD) remains controversial. We aimed to determine the frequency of keratoconus among patients with laboratory-confirmed, treatment-naive TGD compared with that of age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Moreover, we investigated the potential relationship between TGD and corneal topographic and tomographic parameters. This multicenter, cross-sectional study recruited individuals with treatment-naive, laboratory-confirmed TGD and sex- and age-matched healthy controls. Demographic and ophthalmic data of all participants were recorded. All participants underwent comprehensive ocular examinations and corneal tomography. Patterns of symmetric bowtie, asymmetric bowtie, asymmetric bowtie/superior steep, asymmetric bowtie/inferior steep, or asymmetric bowtie pattern with a skewed radial axis were documented if present. Furthermore, the maximum simulated keratometry value (Kmax), corneal thinnest thickness (CTT), and back elevation (BE) values were recorded. We measured the serum concentrations of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroid hormones (free thyroxine [FT4] and free tri-iodothyronine [FT3]) using an immunoassay method. We included 200 eyes of 200 individuals with TGD and 200 eyes of 200 healthy age- and sex-matched controls, with female predominance in both groups. The mean FT4 concentration was significantly higher and the TSH concentration was significantly lower in the TGD group than in the control group (both P < 0.0001), whereas the FT3 level was comparable between groups (P > 0.05). In the TGD group, the frequencies of hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism were 190 (95%) and 10 (5%), respectively. We found significantly lower mean CTT, higher Kmax, and greater BE values with a significantly higher frequency of abnormal topographic patterns among eyes in the TGD group than in controls (all P < 0.05). The frequency of eyes with keratoconus was significantly higher in the TGD (7.5%) group than in the control (0.5%) group (P < 0.0001). Except for a statistically significant correlation of Kmax (r = - 0.23, P < 0.05) and CTT (r = + 0.15, P < 0.05) with TSH level in the TGD group, no significant correlation was found between corneal characteristics and thyroid profile in either group (all P > 0.05). We observed a higher frequency of keratoconus, with female predominance, in the TGD group. TGD was associated with significant changes in certain corneal topographic and tomographic parameters. Compared with healthy controls, individuals with TGD demonstrated increased Kmax and BE values with more corneal thinning, highlighting the potential association between keratoconus and TGD. However, further large-scale longitudinal studies are essential to confirm our findings.

Oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranoside: A novel therapeutic agent against ulcerative colitis via anti-inflammatory, barrier-preservation, and gut microbiota-modulation

Ulcerative colitis (UC), an incurable and recurrent inflammatory bowel disease, presents a significant threat to health and highlights the need for novel therapeutic strategies. Oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (OAG) is a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid found in ginseng. In this study, we demonstrated that OAG exhibited remarkable anti-UC activity in LPS-induced Caco-2 cells and DSS-induced model mice. First, OAG alleviated the symptoms of UC by mitigating weight loss, reducing the DAI score, and increasing colon length. Second, the inflammatory response was inhibited after OAG intervention, evidenced decreases in the spleen coefficient, cytokine levels, and inflammatory cell infiltration in colon tissue. Thirdly, OAG also enhanced intestinal epithelial barrier function, as evidenced by elevated TEER values, increased expression of tight junction proteins, diminished bacterial translocation, and maintained intact ultrastructure of colonic mucosal cells. Notably, compared with 5-aminosalicylic acid, OAG demonstrated superior efficacy in enhancing mucosal barrier function. Fourth, OAG increased microbial diversity, promoted the abundance of beneficial bacteria, reduced the abundance of harmful bacteria, and rebalanced the gut microbiome. Finally, the PI3K-AKT and MAPK signaling pathways were identified as crucial mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of OAG against UC through multi-omics. In summary, we identified OAG as a novel therapeutic agent against UC, demonstrating anti-inflammatory, barrier-preserving, and gut microbiota-modulating effects, highlighting its promising potential as a candidate UC drug.

The Prediction of Radiation-Induced Trismus by the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Values of Masseter Muscles before Chemoradiotherapy in Locally Advanced Nasopharyngeal Carcinomas.

Although the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value from diffusion-weighted imaging can provide insights into various pathological processes, no studies have examined the relationship between the pre-concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) mean ADC (ADCmean) values of the masseter muscles and radiation-induced trismus (RIT) in locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (LA-NPC) patients. Therefore, the current research aimed to investigate the significance of pre-CCRT masseter muscle ADCmean values for predicting the RIT rates in LA-NPC patients treated with definitive CCRT. The pre-CCRT ADCmean values of the masseter muscles and the post-CCRT RIT rates were evaluated. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was employed to determine the optimal ADCmean cutoff. The primary objective was to examine the relationship between the pre-CCRT masseter muscle ADCmean values and the post-CCRT RIT rates. Seventy-seven patients were included. The optimal ADCmean cutoff value was 1381.30 × 10-6 mm2/s, which divided the patients into two groups: an ADCmean < 1381.30 × 10-6 mm2/s (n = 49) versus an ADCmean > 1381.30 × 10-6 mm2/s (n = 28). A masseter muscle ADCmean > 1381.30 × 10-6 mm2/s was found to be associated with significantly higher RIT rates than an ADCmean < 1381.30 × 10-6 mm2/s (71.42% vs. 6.12%; p < 0.001). The multivariate analysis results confirmed a pre-CCRT masseter muscle ADCmean > 1381.30 × 10-6 mm2/s as an independent predictor of RIT. Our study presents the first evidence establishing a connection between elevated masseter muscle ADCmean values and higher RIT rates in LA-NPC patients following CCRT. If confirmed with further research, these findings may help to categorize the risk of RIT in these patients.

Assessing the relationship between river water pollution and the LULC composition of a basin in the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Oaxaca, Mexico

Water pollution originating from land use and land cover (LULC) can disrupt river ecosystems, posing a threat to public health, safety, and socioeconomic sustainability. Although the interactions between terrestrial and aquatic systems have been investigated for decades, the scale at which land use practices, whether in the entire basin or separately in parts, significantly impact water quality still needs to be determined. In this research, we used multitemporal data (field measurements, Sentinel 2 images, and elevation data) to investigate how the LULC composition in the catchment area (CA) of each water pollution measurement station located in the river course of the Los Perros Basin affects water pollution indicators (WPIs). We examined whether the CAs form a sequential runoff aggregation system for certain pollutants from the highest to the lowest part of the basin. Our research applied statistical (correlation, time series analysis, and canonical correspondence analysis) and geo-visual analyses to identify relationships at the CA level between satellite-based LULC composition and WPI concentrations. We observed that pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, coliforms, and water temperature form a sequential runoff aggregation system from the highest to the lowest part of the basin. We concluded that the observed decrease in natural cover and increase in built-up and agricultural cover in the upper CAs of the study basin between the study period (2016 to 2020) are related to elevated WPI values for suspended solids and coliforms, which exceeded the allowed limits on all CAs and measured dates.

Effects of coolant pH on crud deposition behavior on fuel cladding tube under subcooled nucleate boiling condition in high temperature pressurized water

The effects of coolant pH on the crud deposition behavior on the Zr alloy and the FeCrAl fuel cladding tubes under subcooled nucleate boiling condition were investigated. With the increase of coolant pH, the coverage rate and thickness of crud on the surfaces of both the Zr alloy and the FeCrAl fuel cladding tubes showed a decreasing trend. The solubility of crud compositions was reduced due to the increase of coolant pH, which resulted in the inhibition of the crud deposition process caused by SNB condition. Consequently, the elevated coolant pH value reduced the amount of crud on the surface of the fuel cladding tube.

The value of amide proton transfer imaging in assessing brain damage in patients with obstructive sleep apnea

ObjectiveTo investigate the application value of amide proton transfer (APT) magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating brain damage in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Materials and methods49 OSA patients and 25 healthy individuals matched for age and sex were included as case and control groups. All study participants underwent conventional 3D T1WI and APT imaging of the head. The APT values were measured in each of the brain regions of interest (ROI). To compare the differences in APT values of each brain region between the case and control groups, to compare the differences in the efficacy of APT values of each brain region in diagnosing OSA, and to investigate the correlation between APT values of each brain region and Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI) and minimum blood oxygen saturation. ResultsCompared to the control group, patients with OSA had elevated APT values in several brain regions (P < 0.05), and the diagnostic efficacy of the combined diagnosis of OSA by multiple brain regions is better than that by each brain region alone.Left frontal APT values were positively correlated with AHI in the case group (r = 0.33, P = 0.020).In the case group, the APT values of bilateral frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, left temporal lobe, right thalamus, left internal capsule, left lenticular nucleus, right cerebellar hemisphere and splenium of corpus callosum were negatively correlated with the minimum blood oxygen saturation, and the APT values for each of the above ROIs were positively correlated. ConclusionAPT imaging has a certain value in evaluating brain damage in OSA patients, which may provide a new objective imaging basis for the clinical diagnosis of OSA.

Internal radiation dose estimates in organs of Wistar rats exposed to sprayed neutron-activated 31SiO2 microparticles: first results of international multicenter study.

Neutron-activated 31Si is an almost pure beta emitter and is one of the short-lived radionuclides, including beta-gamma emitter 56Mn, which were created in a form of residual radioactivity in the early period after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The features of the biological effects of internal irradiation by these radionuclides are a subject of scientific discussions and research. The publication presents data on internal radiation doses in experimental Wistar rats that were exposed to sprayed neutron-activated microparticles of 31SiO2. Doses of internal radiation could be conditionally divided into three groups according to their values. It has been found that elevated values of internal radiation doses in rats' organs/tissues as a result of exposure to sprayed 31SiO2 microparticles with initial activity of 3.2 × 107Bq varied from 10 to 120mGy (eyes, lungs, skin, stomach, jejunum, large intestine). The moderate dose values were in the range from 1.9 to 3.7mGy (trachea, esophagus, ileum). The smallest doses were received by the kidney, testis, blood, cerebellum, heart, liver, cerebrum, bladder, spleen and thymus (from 0.11 to 0.94mGy). The obtained data are important for interpreting the results of ongoing and planned biological experiments with 31SiO2 microparticles-in comparison with the previously published data on features of biological effects caused by beta-gamma emitting 56MnO2 neutron-activated microparticles.

Association of baseline neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and prognosis in melanoma patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Immunotherapy treatments that target programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) or its ligand (PD-L1) have revolutionized the treatment of metastatic melanoma and currently represent the standard first-line treatment for this type of cancer. However, it is still not entirely clear which biomarkers are cost-effective, simple, and highly reliable. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to analyze the predictive value of the baseline neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) regarding disease progression and overall survival of patients with metastatic melanoma undergoing treatment with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for studies comparing high versus low NLR. We performed the meta-analysis using RStudio v4.4.2 software. A total of 20 studies and 2691 patients were included, all with diagnoses of melanoma. The majority of the individuals were male 2278 (84, 65%). The median overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) ranged from 5.0 to 44.4 and from 1.8 to 15.0 months, respectively. Compared with the high NLR ratio, the low exposure group achieved better rates of OS [hazard ratio (HR), 2.07; 95% CI, 1.73-2.48; P < 0.00001; I² = 47%]. Regarding PFS, there was a statistically significant difference between groups with tendencies toward the low NLR exposure group (HR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.39-1.81; P < 0.00001; I²=31%]. This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed significant lower OS in melanoma patients treated with PD-1/PD-L1 blockade who had elevated baseline NLR values. Furthermore, an increased PFS was observed in patients with a lower baseline NLR value. This study highlights NLR as an important prognostic biomarker for patients with metastatic melanoma who are candidates for treatment with PD-1 and PD-L1.

Investigation of Hemorheological Parameters in Ischemic Stroke Patients.

The aim of this study is to determine whether there are any changes in hemorheological parameters, including whole blood viscosity (WBV), plasma viscosity, erythrocyte aggregation, and erythrocyte deformability, in acute ischemic stroke patients, and to establish their relationship with stroke etiology. The study also aims to observe the changes in these parameters, if any, over time and after treatment, and to assess the correlation between risk factors for ischemic stroke and neuroimaging findings. This was a prospective observational study including 70 patients diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke within the first 3 days of the onset of symptoms and 96 healthy controls. Stroke patients were categorized based on TOAST criteria, and hemorheological parameters were measured at admission and on the fifth day post-treatment. Erythrocyte aggregation and deformability were measured using a laser ektacytometer, and viscosity assessment was conducted with a rotational viscometer. Stroke patients exhibited significant differences from the control group in aggregation amplitude, aggregation index, and aggregation half-time (p = 0.001, p = 0.013, p = 0.009, respectively) and showed elevated maximum value of elongation index (p = 0.000). No significant differences in WBV and plasma viscosity were observed between the groups. Post-treatment, the small vessel occlusion subgroup demonstrated a notable reduction in WBV. Additionally, homocysteine levels showed a positive correlation with scattered white matter lesions in basal ganglia and infratentorial regions (p = 0.002, p = 0.039, respectively). Increased predisposition to erythrocyte aggregation may contribute to the occurrence of acute ischemic stroke. Moreover, gaining the ability of erythrocytes to deform and increase blood flow may serve as a compensatory mechanism in the chronic vascular disease process. The risk factors for ischemic stroke may exhibit connections to specific areas within the brain.

LightGBM hybrid model based DEM correction for forested areas.

The accuracy of digital elevation models (DEMs) in forested areas plays a crucial role in canopy height monitoring and ecological sensitivity analysis. Despite extensive research on DEMs in recent years, significant errors still exist in forested areas due to factors such as canopy occlusion, terrain complexity, and limited penetration, posing challenges for subsequent analyses based on DEMs. Therefore, a CNN-LightGBM hybrid model is proposed in this paper, with four different types of forests (tropical rainforest, coniferous forest, mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest, and broad-leaved forest) selected as study sites to validate the performance of the hybrid model in correcting COP30DEM in different forest area DEMs. In the hybrid model of this paper, the choice was made to use the Densenet architecture of CNN models with LightGBM as the primary model. This choice is based on LightGBM's leaf-growth strategy and histogram linking methods, which are effective in reducing the data's memory footprint and utilising more of the data without sacrificing speed. The study uses elevation values from ICESat-2 as ground truth, covering several parameters including COP30DEM, canopy height, forest coverage, slope, terrain roughness and relief amplitude. To validate the superiority of the CNN-LightGBM hybrid model in DEMs correction compared to other models, a test of LightGBM model, CNN-SVR model, and SVR model is conducted within the same sample space. To prevent issues such as overfitting or underfitting during model training, although common meta-heuristic optimisation algorithms can alleviate these problems to a certain extent, they still have some shortcomings. To overcome these shortcomings, this paper cites an improved SSA search algorithm that incorporates the ingestion strategy of the FA algorithm to increase the diversity of solutions and global search capability, the Firefly Algorithm-based Sparrow Search Optimization Algorithm (FA-SSA algorithm) is introduced. By comparing multiple models and validating the data with an airborne LiDAR reference dataset, the results show that the R2 (R-Square) of the CNN-LightGBM model improves by more than 0.05 compared to the other models, and performs better in the experiments. The FA-SSA-CNN-LightGBM model has the highest accuracy, with an RMSE of 1.09 meters, and a reduction of more than 30% of the RMSE when compared to the LightGBM and other hybrid models. Compared to other forested area DEMs (such as FABDEM and GEDI), its accuracy is improved by more than 50%, and the performance is significantly better than other commonly used DEMs in forested areas, indicating the feasibility of this method in correcting elevation errors in forested area DEMs and its significant importance in advancing global topographic mapping.

Bioactives in Berry Fruits with Emphasis on In Vitro Bioaccessibility for Human Nutrition

This study aimed to investigate the bioaccessibility and biostability of carotenoids, vitamin E isomers, and individual polyphenolic compounds after the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of two types of berries (raspberry and blackberry fruits). The results of the polyphenols analysis showed that raspberry fruits contained higher concentrations of hydroxybenzoic acids, hydroxycinnamic acids, flavanols, and flavonols compared to blackberry fruits, but exhibited the lowest bioaccessibility values for all the studied polyphenol classes. Ellagic acid represented 13.63% and 2.65% of the hydroxybenzoic acids in raspberry and blackberry fruits. The hydroxybenzoic acids exhibited the highest bioaccessibility index in the intestinal phase of both types of berries, and gallic acid emerged as one of the most bioaccessible phenolic compounds. The bioaccessibility of carotenoids ranged between 15.7 and 17.30% for lutein, 5.52 and 7.56% for astaxanthin, and 7.85 and 9.93% for canthaxanthin, with elevated values being observed in raspberry fruits. Although vitamin E and carotenoids follow a similar path for absorption, the bioaccessibility of vitamin E isomers was higher than that of carotenoids, with γ-tocopherol being the most bioaccessible isomer in both raspberries and blackberries. Knowing the bioaccessibility of food constituents during digestion is crucial, as the potential effectiveness of bioactives for human health largely depends on the bioavailability of these molecules.

The Prospective Analysis of Biomarkers in Sepsis: Correlation With Clinical Outcomes.

Background Sepsis is a medical emergency and necessitates immediate diagnosis and treatment to prevent the progression to severe sepsis, septic shock, and potentially mortality. Aim This study aims to study the diagnostic significance of conventional and new markers, interleukin-10 (IL-10), in predicting the severity of sepsis. Methodology A prospective observational study was conducted in the department of surgery in a tertiary care hospital in Pune, India. The study included 100 patients diagnosed with a quick Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (qSOFA) score of ≥2. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP), procalcitonin (PCT), and interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were measured. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to assess the diagnostic performance of these biomarkers. Results The mean serum CRP level on day 7 was significantly higher than the baseline, day 1, and day 3 groups (p=0.0001). On analysis by repeated measure, the ANOVA test revealed that the mean CRP levels on day 7were significantly higher. The mean PCT levels on day 7, day 3, and day 1 groups were significantly lower than those on day 1, day 2, and day 2, respectively (p=0.0001). The mean p-value of 3.3 g/L CRP was significantly lower on day 1 than that on day 3. IL-10 levels showed a significant upward trend, rising from 5.21 pg/mL at baseline to 7.57 pg/mL by day 7, with a p-value of <0.0001. Our cohort population showed elevated IL-10 values on the day of admission in a total of 15 patients. In our study, we observed that 11 patients with elevated IL-10 levels progressed towardmultiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) and four mortalities. IL-10 is a crucial marker for identifying patients with worsening surgical sepsis. Conclusion IL-10, CRP, and PCT have potential as prognostic markers in assessing and predicting disease severity.The dynamic changes in these biomarkers correlate strongly with clinical outcomes, suggesting their role in guiding treatment decisions.

Is Zagreb Green Enough? Influence of Urban Green Spaces on Mitigation of Urban Heat Island: A Satellite-Based Study

The urban heat island phenomenon is a climatic condition in which urbanized areas exhibit higher temperature values than their natural surroundings. This occurs due to an unbalanced energy budget caused by the extensive use of synthetic materials. In such a scenario, urban green areas act as stressors to mitigate the intensity of the urban heat island and improve urban well-being. This study analyzes the spatial-temporal characteristics of the urban heat island in Zagreb, Croatia, aiming to examine the role of different types of green infrastructure in mitigating elevated temperature values and facilitating the definition of greener planning strategies. To achieve this, a multitemporal remote sensing- and NDVI-based analysis was conducted for the time series 1984–2014. An urban heat island intensity map was obtained for the selected 30-year period, along with thermal graphs registering land surface temperature values among different city districts. The results reveal significant heterogeneity, displaying variable behavior dependent on the city district. The role of Zagreb’s urban green areas in urban heat island mitigation is evident but largely dependent on urban morphology, construction types, and periods. Urban forests and urban parks play the most significant role in temperature reduction, followed by residential building neighborhoods and extensive neighborhoods consisting of familiar houses with gardens. Continuously built areas, such as the city center and industrial zones, are less prone to registering lower intensity values. Additionally, multitemporal intensity variations based on land use changes are registered in several districts.