Count Ratio Research Articles

Immuno markers in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients underwent Stupp protocol after neurosurgery: a retrospective series

PurposeThe aims of our retrospective study investigated the role of immune system in glioblastoma (GBM), which is the most aggressive primary brain tumor in adults characterized by a poor prognosis. The recurrence rate remains high, probably due to “immune-desert” tumor microenvironment (TME) making GBM hidden from the anti-tumoral immune clearance. Considering this, we aimed to create a panel of prognostic markers from blood and tumor tissue correlating with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).MethodsFirstly, we analyzed the inflammatory markers NLR and PLR as the ratio of the absolute neutrophil count and absolute platelet count by the absolute lymphocyte count respectively, collected at different time points in the peripheral blood of 95 patients. Furthermore, in 31 patients of the same cohort, we analyzed the formalin-fixed paraffin embedded samples to further compare the impact of circulating and inflammatory markers within the TME.ResultsPatients aged < 60 years and with methylated MGMT showed better OS. While, pre-chemotherapy Systemic Inflammatory Index (SII) < 480 was related to a better OS and PFS, we observed that only CD68+macrophage and CD66b+neutrophils expressed in vascular/perivascular area (V) showed a statistically significant prognostic role in median OS and PFS.ConclusionsThus, we underscored a role of SII as predictive value of response to STUPP protocol. Regarding the TME-related markers, we suggested to take into consideration for future studies with new immunotherapy combinations, each component relating to expression of immune infiltrating subsets.

A social relationship-based energy efficient routing scheme for Opportunistic Internet of Things

Opportunistic Internet of Things (OppIoT) combines Opportunistic Networks and the Internet of Things to provide opportunistic communication between IoT devices and human-created communities in order to improve network connectivity, reliability, and longevity. This is significant because it introduces a new approach to connect and communicate smart devices in situations where there is no end-to-end connectivity. Due to the non-stable existence of connectivity between nodes, building a scalable, flexible, interoperable, and energy efficient routing protocol is a difficult issue. This study presents a new routing protocol for the Opportunistic Internet of Things called Social relationship based Energy Efficient Routing (SEER), which bases routing decisions on the forwarding feasibility degree, residual energy, and buffer capacity of nodes. SEER surpasses EBR and EDR in terms of delivery probability, hop count, and overhead ratio, according to simulation results utilizing the Opportunistic Network Environment (The ONE) simulator.

The Diagnostic Value of Kinetics of NLR to Identify Secondary Pulmonary Bacterial Infection Among COVID-19 Patients at Single Tertiary Hospital in Indonesia.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a new respiratory tract infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2. The presence of secondary pulmonary bacterial infection (SPBI) made COVID-19 difficult to treat. Neutrophil-lymphocyte count ratio (NLR) is a systemic inflammatory marker used in the diagnosis and prognosis of viral or bacterial infection. At the first 3-5 days after hyperinflammation, it occurs in relation to clinical outcome. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of NLR based on leukocyte kinetics upon admission and after 72 hours among COVID-19 patients with or without SPBI. This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed medical records data of admitted patients with COVID-19 according to the International Classification of Disease 10th Revision (ICD-10) between January and December 2021. The list of patients was extracted and followed by a hand search to identify the inclusion or exclusion criteria and stratified into proven and non-proven SPBI based on clinical data. The study distinguished between SPBI by means of a cut-off value (COV) on the first (D1) and third day (D3), assessed using receiver operating characteristics (ROC), as well as determined the magnitude of sensitivity, specificity, and prevalence ratio. A screening process was conducted on 2902 COVID-19 patients, of which 236 were included, accounting for 8.1%. Among these patients, 87 (36.9%) were found to have proven SPBI. A considerable difference in NLR value between proven and non-proven SPBI was observed on both D1 (11.1 vs 4.2) and D3 (15.3 vs 5.2), with optimal COV of NLR on D1, D3 was found to be 5.29, 9.47, respectively (p < 0.001). NLR on the D1 and D3 distinguished the occurrence of SPBI among COVID-19 patients. The application of NLR assisted in the early determination of bacterial infection and helped in controlling the empirical use of antibiotics.

Cross-sectional study evaluating the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on Long COVID outcomes in UK hospital survivors

ObjectivesCOVID-19 studies report on hospital admission outcomes across SARS-CoV-2 waves of infection but knowledge of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants on the development of Long COVID in hospital survivors is...

Antiretroviral Treatment-Induced Galectin-9 Might Impact HIV Viremia in Addition to Contributing to Inflammaging.

Galectin-9 induces HIV reactivation and also contributes to non-AIDS events through inflammaging. Hence, it is important to assess its levels in HIV-infected individuals to determine their association with HIV viremia and other comorbidities. Plasma galectin-9 levels were estimated in viremic (n = 152) and aviremic (n = 395) individuals on first-line antiretroviral therapy (ART). They were assessed for correlation with HIV-1 viral load (VL), CD4 count, and ART duration, as well as for receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Plasma galectin-9 levels correlated positively with VL (r = 0.507, p < 0.0001) and ART duration (r = 0.308, p = 0.002) and negatively with CD4 count (r = -0.186, p < 0.0001). Area under the curve for galectin-9/CD4 count ratio for identifying viremic individuals was 0.906. Sensitivity and specificity of the ratio at a cutoff of 14.47 were 90.13% and 70.05%, respectively, for detecting viremic individuals. Further, galectin-9 levels correlated with cystatin C (r = 0.239, p = 0.0183), IL-18 (r = 0.311, p = 0.006), and systolic blood pressure (r = 0.220, p = 0.0355). Galectin-9-induced HIV reactivation was significantly lower in individuals on long-term ART than those on short-term ART. The galectin-9-to-CD4 count ratio indicated the potential of galectin-9 as a cheaper monitoring tool to detect HIV viremia. Strategies for countering the effects of galectin-9 for controlling HIV viremia and non-AIDS events are urgently warranted.

The Role of Chemotherapy Status, Absolute Lymphocyte Count and Neutrophil Lymphocyte Ratio as Biomarkers of Candidiasis in Lung Cancer Patients

Background: Gradually, fungal infections are growing and have become a medical concern. Candida species are one of the most common pathogens in immunocompromised patients, such as those with lung cancer causing invasive fungal disease. Early diagnosis of candidiasis is critical for patient care in lung cancer patients. Anti-mannan IgM and IgG biomarkers are used to diagnose candidiasis. This study aims to determine the relationship between chemotherapy status, absolute lymphocyte count, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio to antimannan IgM and IgG.Methods: A correlative analytic cross-sectional study was conducted on 37 lung cancer patients with positive candida sputum cultures in Dr. Saiful Anwar Malang Hospital. The 37 patients were examined for total lymphocyte level, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio, anti-mannan IgM, and IgG. Data analysis used a contingency coefficient to determine the relationship between chemotherapy status, absolute lymphocyte count, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio to anti-mannan IgM and IgG.Results: This study showed a positive correlation between chemotherapy status with anti-mannan IgM and IgG, although insignificant (p&gt;0.05). However, there was a significant correlation between total lymphocytes and anti-mannan IgG (p=0.000;α=0.05) and between neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio and antimannan IgM (p=0.004; α=0.05).Conclusion: The study revealed that chemotherapy status, absolute lymphocyte count, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio could be a biomarker of candidiasis, so lung cancer patients with a history of chemotherapy, lymphopenia, and increased neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio should consider receiving antifungals earlier.

THE TOTAL LEUKOCYTE COUNT OF ELDERLY PATIENTS CONFIRMED COVID-19 WITH/WITHOUT A VENTILATOR IN A SURABAYA GENERAL HOSPITAL IN 2021

Background: Coronavirus is a virus that attacks the immune system, especially the human respiratory system. The elderly are at high risk of being infected with Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19), and as they get older, they are at risk of experiencing severe symptoms when infected with COVID-19. Leukocytes play a role in the immune system against foreign objects. The leukocyte count will decrease in the elderly. On the other hand, the increase of leukocytes plays a role as a clinical sign that is useful to be a predictor of body immunity when infected with COVID-19. Purpose: To determine the total leukocyte count in elderly patients that were confirmed COVID-19 and hospitalized with and without a ventilator. Method: This study was a cross-sectional design study involving 93 elderly patients in General Hospital Surabaya. Result: The results showed no difference in the total leukocyte count in elderly hospitalized patients with and without a ventilator (p-value = 0.756). Age above 70 years old increases the risk of patients requiring a ventilator up to 1.7 times compared to patients under 70 years old. The highest leukocyte count was 20.880/mm3, and the lowest was 3.760/mm3. The ratio of leukocyte count in elderly patients with a ventilator group is 1 : 3 for low and high leukocyte counts, respectively. Conclusion: Leukocyte count is an important parameter as the predictor of the progression of the disease and helps in the decision regarding treatment strategy to prevent the cytokine storm.

Correlation between Preoperative Platelet Count/(Lymphocyte Count × Prealbumin Count) Ratio and the Prognosis of Patients with Gastric Cancer Undergoing Radical Operation.

To clarify the relationship between preoperative platelet count/(lymphocyte count × prealbumin count) ratio (PLPR) and the prognosis of patients with gastric cancer undergoing a radical operation, combined with Tumor Node Metastasis (TNM) staging, a scoring system was established to guide clinical application. The clinical data of 238 patients receiving radical operations for gastric cancer were retrospectively analyzed. According to the area under the Receiver operating characteristic curve, the predictive value of the preoperative PLPR for the 5-year overall survival (OS) of gastric cancer was determined, and the best cut-off value of the ratio was corresponding to the maximum value of Yoden index. Chi-squared test was applied to analyze the correlation between the ratio and clinicopathological features. Kaplan-Meier curve was applied to analyze the influence of this ratio on 5-year OS. The Cox regression model was applied to analyze the hazards affecting the long-term survival of patients. The nomogram model was used to predict the long-term survival rate. The optimal cut-off point of preoperative PLPR ratio was 7.46, and the patients were segmented into two sets: one set of ratio <7.46 and another set of ratio ≥7.46. The ratio was correlated with the size of the tumor, T stage, N stage, total stage, vascular cancer thrombus, and nerve invasion. In stage I-III patients, the prognosis was better in the low-ratio set than in the high-ratio set (P < 0.001), subgroup analysis indicated the prognosis was obviously better in the low-ratio set than in the high-ratio set in stage II and III patients (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001), but there was no difference in stage I patients (P > 0.05). Age, T stage, N stage, total TNM stage, tumor size, vascular tumor thrombus, nerve invasion, preoperative neutrophil count/lymphocyte count (NLR; reference value 3.68), preoperative PLPR (reference value 7.46), preoperative platelet count/lymphocyte count (PLR; reference value 159.56), and preoperative platelet count × NLR (SII; reference value 915.48) were related to patient prognosis (P < 0.05); meanwhile age, total TNM stage, preoperative PLPR (reference value 7.46), preoperative PLR (reference value 159.56), and preoperative SII (reference value 915.48) were independent hazards for prognosis (P < 0.05). Five independent risk factors were analyzed by nomogram model to predict the 5-year OS of patients who underwent a radical operation for carcinoma of the stomach. Preoperative PLPR ratio (reference value 7.46) is an independent risk factor for long-term prognosis in patients undergoing a radical operation for gastric cancer. The nomogram scoring system established by postoperative TNM staging combined with this ratio and age, PLR, and SII can better forecast the survival of patients who underwent radical operation for carcinoma of the stomach.

An integrated density correction method of four-detector density logging in cased holes

Density logging is critical to shale oil and gas exploration. In density logging of cased holes, the inelastic gamma count and hydrogen index are closely related to the correction of formation density. Aimed at the problems of obtaining the pure inelastic gamma count and correcting the hydrogen index in density logging, the relevant research is implemented in the four detector logging tool. Firstly, a technique to separate the pure inelastic gamma count for density logging is provided. It is based on the pure count coefficient. Then on the basis of determining the density through the pure inelastic count ratio, the hydrogen index is corrected by the epithermal neutron and thermal neutron count ratio. Finally, the integrated density correction equation is proposed. The accuracy of this method is checked using a Monte Carlo model, which provides a strong experimental foundation. By examining the influencing factors, the results show that while the density after Halliburton correction is significantly impacted by borehole size, lithology, salinity, and borehole fluid, the density after integrated correction is least affected by these variables. Besides, the integrated density correction method is more favorable for large borehole size, low salinity and sandstone formation. Through logging examples, it is discovered that the overall uncertainty of the density log after the integrated density correction is lower than the Halliburton density correction log, with a maximum of only 0.013 g/cm3, indicating that the density results are more reliable. The study's findings offer a correction technique for precisely estimating the density of cased holes.

Preoperative alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet count ratio as a prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma with microvascular invasion.

The association between platelet status and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognoses remains controversial. Herein, we aimed to clarify the prognostic value of multiple platelet-related biomarkers, including platelet count, platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), and alkaline phosphatase-to-platelet count ratio index (APPRI) in HCC with microvascular invasion (MVI) after curative resection or liver transplantation. A retrospective review of 169 patients with solitary HCC and MVI who underwent resection or liver transplantation between January 2015 and December 2018 was conducted. Preoperative clinical, laboratory, pathologic, and imaging data were collected and analyzed. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were defined as the clinical endpoints. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses were conducted to investigate potential predictors of DFS and OS. Multivariate Cox regression analyses revealed that maximum tumor diameter, poor cell differentiation, and APPRI were independent predictors of DFS; while poor cell differentiation, APRI, APPRI, prothrombin time, and alpha-fetoprotein were independent prognostic factors for OS. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year DFS rates were 66.90%, 48.40%, and 37.40% for patients with APPRI ≤0.74 and 40.40%, 24.20%,and 24.20% for patients with APPRI>0.74. The corresponding rates of OS over 1, 3, and 5 years were 92.40%, 88.10% and 77.70%, and 72.30%, 38.20%, and 19.10%, respectively. The DFS and OS rates of patients whose APPRI was more than 0.74 were substantially lower than those of patients whose APPRI was less than or equal to 0.74 (p = 0.002 and p < 0.001, respectively). Elevated preoperative APPRI is a noninvasive, simple, and easily assessable parameter linked to poor prognosis in individuals with single HCC and MVI after resection or liver transplantation.

The Prognostic Value of Serum Biomarkers for Survival of Children with Osteosarcoma of the Extremities.

Osteosarcoma is a highly aggressive malignant bone tumor that affects mainly adolescents and young adults. We analyzed serum biomarkers for their prognostic significance in children with osteosarcoma. In this retrospective study, we investigated the prognostic factors in 210 children who were treated for appendicular osteosarcoma, including patient age and sex, tumor site and size (≥8 cm or <8 cm), presence of metastasis, chemotherapy-induced tumor necrosis, serum levels of alkaline phosphatase (AP), C-reactive protein, serum hemoglobin, lactate dehydrogenase, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), leukocyte counts, platelet count, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio. A multivariate Cox regression model showed that high level of AP [HR of 1.73; 95% CI, 1.02 to 2.94], poor chemotherapy-induced tumor necrosis [HR of 2.40; 95% CI, 1.41 to 4.08] and presence of metastases at presentation [HR of 3.71; 95% CI, 2.19 to 6.29] were associated with poor prognosis at 5 years (p < 0.05). Inadequate surgical margins [HR 11.28; 95% CI, 1.37 to 92.79] and high levels of ESR [HR 3.58; 95% CI, 1.29 to 9.98] showed a greater risk of local recurrence at 5 years follow-up (p < 0.05). AP and ESR can identify osteosarcoma-diagnosed children with a greater risk of death and local recurrence, respectively.

Bone Marrow Quality Index: A Predictor of Acute Graft-versus-Host Disease in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Thalassemia

Bone marrow continues to be the preferred source of stem cells in allogenic transplantations for non-malignant disorders. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF)-primed bone marrow (BM) is associated with low rates of acute GVHD and allows reduced collection volumes while ensuring speedy engraftment. However, variability in bone marrow harvest quality is a concern. This report analyses the utility of a novel indicator - Bone Marrow Quality Index (BMQI), which is a ratio of marrow cell count to peripheral blood cell counts, to predict acute GVHD. We analysed 184 consecutive first matched related donor bone marrow transplants for thalassemia using G-CSF-primed bone marrow over 6 years from March-2017 to April-2023 across 2 centres in India. Bone Marrow Quality Index (BMQI) was defined as the ratio of WBC count of G-CSF primed bone marrow to Peripheral WBC count within 24 hours of harvest. EBMT criteria were used for grading GVHD. Log-rank test was used to assess the impact of BMQI on GVHD. Chi-squared test was used to compare categorical data and Wilcoxon test was used to compare the numeric data. Cox proportional-hazards model was used to investigate the association of BMQI vis-à-vis other factors on acute GVHD. Of the 184 patients, 19 had a BMQI <0.9 and 18 between 0.9 and 1. The remaining 147 had BMQI >1. The proportion of patients with acute GVHD grade II-IV was 37%, 22% and 12% respectively for patients who received BMQI <0.9, 0.9-1 and >1 (p= 0.018). Patients who received BMQI <0.9 had a 3.1 times higher chance (95% CI being 0.9 to 10.6) of developing aGVHD II-IV and in those with BMQI 0.9-1 this was 2 times (95% CI being 0.5 to 6.6) higher. BMQI was the significant predictor associated with GVHD hazard (p=0.014). BMQI seems to be the most relevant and controllable predictor of acute GVHD. BMQI is a novel, informative, and very simple indicator which could influence GVHD prophylaxis decision-making. Our indicator is accurately measurable, inexpensive, precise, and timely; further it does not involve any sophisticated equipment, thus may be widely applicable. Prior knowledge of poor marrow quality may help intensify prophylaxis and monitoring for acute GVHD besides triggering review of collection procedures.

1631 ASSOCIATION BETWEEN ADMISSION INFLAMMATORY MARKERS AND 30-DAY MORTALITY IN PATIENTS WITH HIP FRACTURE

Abstract Introduction Risk prediction tools help guide prognostic conversations and benchmarking in hip fracture care. The Nottingham Hip Fracture Score (NHFS) shows only moderate predictive ability for 30-day mortality. We assessed whether routine markers of inflammation could improve the discriminant ability of the NHFS to predict 30-day mortality following hip fracture surgery. Methods We studied consecutive patients admitted with hip fractures at a large-volume trauma unit between 2015 and 2020. Baseline NHFS and postoperative outcome data were extracted from a local registry and linked to routine laboratory data from patients’ electronic clinical records. We selected measurements taken closest to admission pre-operatively. The biomarkers studied were albumin (negative acute-phase reactant), C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil count, and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed separately for each combination of NHFS and inflammatory marker. C-statistics were calculated to assess the discriminant ability of the NHFS with and without each inflammatory marker for 30-day mortality. Results We included 1710 patients, mean age 82.5 years (SD 8.2). 1199 (70.1%) were women. 104 (6.1%) patients died within 30 days of admission. In univariate analysis, admission NHFS, albumin, CRP and NLR were significantly different between those alive and dead at 30 days. Higher admission albumin was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality in multivariate analysis (OR=0.86 [95%CI 0.81-0.91], p≤0.001) as was higher CRP (OR=1.93 [95%CI 1.04-1.44], p=0.013). The addition of albumin significantly improved the discriminant ability of the NHFS for 30-day mortality (p≤0.001) (c-statistic 0.742 [95%CI 0.683-0.800] vs 0.681 [95%CI 0.617-0.745] for the NHFS alone). Other inflammatory biomarkers did not significantly improve discrimination of 30-day mortality when added to the NHFS. Conclusions Admission albumin improves the discrimination of 30-day mortality in patients undergoing hip fracture surgery when combined with the NHFS, whereas other markers of inflammation including CRP, neutrophil count and NLR did not.

The association between drug pricing and drug shortage in Saudi Arabia: a retrospective database analysis

BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that drug pricing could contribute to drug shortages; however, there is limited quantitative assessment of this potential causal association. This retrospective database analysis aimed to investigate the association between drug prices and drug shortage incidents in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis was a retrospective database analysis study. Drugs with shortage notifications sent to the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) between January 2017 and December 2020 were included. Each drug's foreign-to-Saudi price ratio (FTSPR) was calculated by dividing the mean international price by the Saudi price. Drugs were categorized into three groups based on their FTSPR: Group 1 (FTSPR > 1), Group 2 (FTSPR = 1), and Group 3 (FTSPR < 1). The primary outcome was the ratio of mean counts (mCR) between the three groups, with Group 3 serving as the control group. The analysis was adjusted for the measured confounders using a negative binomial regression model.ResultsA total of 900 drugs were included in the study, with 348 in Group 1, 345 in Group 2, and 209 in Group 3. The mean count in Group 1 was higher compared to Group 3 (mCR: 1.88; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24 to 2.83), while the mean counts between Group 2 and Group 3 were comparable (mCR: 1.39; 95% CI 0.92 to 2.09).ConclusionsOur findings indicate an association between drug shortage incidents and higher prices of drugs outside Saudi Arabia. Further studies are needed to explore this causal relationship in different contexts.

Prediction of bone metastasis risk of early breast cancer based on nomogram of clinicopathological characteristics and hematological parameters.

The purpose of this study was to determine the independent risk factors for bone metastasis in breast cancer and to establish a nomogram to predict the risk of bone metastasis in early stages through clinicopathological characteristics and hematological parameters. We selected 1042 patients with breast cancer from the database of Shandong Cancer Hospital for retrospective analysis, and determined independent risk factors for bone metastatic breast cancer (BMBC). A BMBC nomogram based on clinicopathological characteristics and hematological parameters was constructed using logistic regression analysis. The performance of the nomograph was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and calibration curves. The clinical effect of risk stratification was tested using Kaplan-Meier analysis. BMBC patients were found to be at risk for eight independent risk factors based on multivariate analysis: age at diagnosis, lymphovascular invasion, pathological stage, pathological node stage, molecular subtype, platelet count/lymphocyte count, platelet count * neutrophil count/lymphocyte count ratio, Systemic Immunological Inflammation Index, and radiotherapy. The prediction accuracy of the BMBC nomogram was good. In the training set, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was 0.909, and in the validation set, it was 0.926, which proved that our model had good calibration. The risk stratification system can analyze the risk of relapse in individuals into high- and low-risk groups. The proposed nomogram may predict the possibility of breast cancer bone metastasis, which will help clinicians optimize metastatic breast cancer treatment strategies and monitoring plans to provide patients with better treatment.

Evaluating fabrics produced by blending hollow fibres and bamboo with cotton/polyester wastes using the Kawabata system

PurposeWearing clothes requires specifications for feeling comfortable, derived from the fibres, fabrics and finishing properties. This study aims to deal with the effect of economic blends containing hollow fibres, bamboo and cotton/polyester waste on the mechanical properties of the produced fabrics and the appropriate end use.Design/methodology/approachThis research included two blends: one consisted of cotton/polyester wastes blended with bamboo and the other to which Chorisia fibres were added. Two weft counts 10,6/1 Ne were made from each blend, which were used to produce four fabric samples (S1 Chorisia-free and S2 with Chorisia); additionally, another two samples were dyed that contain Chorisia (S3) from each count. The six samples were tested by Kawabata Evaluation System (KES).FindingsThe samples gave a good total hand value (THV) for use as men's winter suits, where the thicker count 6/1, with and without Chorisia had better properties, also both counts 6, 10/1 with dye. The hollow fibres affected the fabrics’ properties, including thickness, shear, bending, thermal conductivity and weight. Both blends had a positive effect on THV.Research limitations/implicationsCotton/polyester waste, Chorisia and bamboo fibres were tested, and 2% Remazol Yellow GNL dye was used.Practical implicationsThe ratio of blending, weft counts and dye affected the fabric’s properties, with consequences for the use of the Kawabata system and its applications.Social implicationsThe fabrics used in this research may be considered to be economical and have good THV.Originality/valueThe study proved the usefulness of fabrics made of two blends. The Chorisia component may be seen as a good alternative to cotton fibres to reduce the cost of producing high-consumption winter suit fabrics.

Prognostic value of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer receiving prostate-specific membrane antigen targeted radionuclide therapy.

Neutrophil count:lymphocyte count ratio (NLR) may be a prognostic factor for men with advanced prostate cancer. We hypothesized that it is associated with prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response and survival in men treated with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT). Data of 180 men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who were treated in sequential prospective radionuclide clinical trials from 2002 to 2021 (utilizing 177Lu-J591, 90Y-J591, 177Lu-PSMA-617, or 225Ac-J591) were retrospectively analyzed. We used a logistic regression to determine the association between NLR and ≥50% PSA decline (PSA50) and a Cox proportional hazards model to investigate the association between NLR and overall survival (OS). A total of 94 subjects (52.2%) received 177Lu-J591, 51 (28.3%) 177Lu-PSMA-617, 28 (15.6%) 225Ac-J591, and 7 (3.9%) 90Y-J591. The median NLR of 3.75 was used as cut-off (low vs. high NLR; n = 90, respectively). On univariate analysis, NLR was not associated with PSA50 (HR 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.99-1.17, p = 0.067). However, it was associated with worse OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.09, p = 0.002), also after controlling for circulating tumor cell count and cancer and leukemia group B risk group (HR 1.05; 95% CI 1.003-1.11, p = 0.036). Men with high NLR were at a higher hazard of death from all causes (HR 1.43, 95% CI 1.05-1.94, p = 0.024). NLR provides prognostic information in the setting of patients with mCRPC receiving treatment with PSMA-TRT.

C-reactive protein to albumin ratio in atrial fibrillation

Objectives: Atrial fibrillation (AF) may cause thromboembolism and cardiac morbidity and mortality. Patients with cardiovascular diseases are at risk for developing AF. In this study, the relationship between inflammation markers and AF was examined. Methods: Among 689 people followed up in the cardiology outpatient clinic for reasons such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and rheumatic valve disease, 88 patients with AF and 601 patients without AF were compared. The blood parameters of the AF group were examined during the period when AF developed in the patients. Hemogram and biochemistry parameters of AF and non-AF groups were compared. Results: C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR), neutrophil count to albumin ratio, neutrophil count to lymphocyte count ratio, and monocyte count to lymphocyte count ratio were significantly higher in the AF group than in the non-AF group (p &amp;lt; 0.001, p &amp;lt; 0.001, p = 0.001, and p &amp;lt; 0.001; respectively). According to the Receiver Operating Characteristics analysis, it was found that the CAR value of cut-off: 0.0533 could diagnose AF with 74% sensitivity (AUC: 0.789, CI 95%: 0.726-0.853, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Albumin value of cut-off: 3.75 was found to be able to diagnose AF with 82% specificity (AUC: 0.772, CI 95%: 0.707-0.836, p &amp;lt; 0.001). Conclusions: AF is an arrhythmia that should be recognized early due to the complications it causes, and the CAR value can be used in the diagnosis of AF in individuals with cardiac disease.

The ratio of monocyte count and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol mediates the association between urinary tungsten and cardiovascular disease: a study from NHANES 2005-2018.

Tungsten (W) is an emerging contaminant that can damage multiple systems in humans. However, studies of its effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) are limited. The monocyte count to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio (MHR) is a composite inflammatory index of great concern in recent years, derived from lipid and cell inflammation parameters, that is used to indicate the risk of CVD. This study aimed to investigate the association between urinary W and CVD in the general population and compare the mediating effects of lipids, cell inflammatory parameters, and MHR to find a better target for intervention. We analyzed data from 9137 (≥ 20years) participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), from 2005 to 2018. Restricted cubic splines (RCS) and survey-weighted generalized linear models (SWGLMs) were used to assess the relationship between W and CVD. Mediated analyses were used to explore lipids, cell inflammatory parameters, and MHR in the possible mediating pathways between W and CVD. In SWGLM, we found that W enhances the risk of CVD, especially congestive heart failure (CHF), coronary heart disease (CHD), and angina pectoris (AP). Women, higher age groups (≥ 55years), and those with hypertension were vulnerable to W in the subgroup analysis. Mediation analysis showed that monocyte count (MC), white blood cell count (WBC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and MHR played a mediating role between W and CVD in proportions of 8.49%, 3.70%, 5.18%, and 12.95%, respectively. In conclusion, our study shows that urinary W can increase the risk of CVD, especially for CHF, CHD, and AP. Women, older age groups, and people with hypertension seem to be more vulnerable to W. In addition, MC, WBC, HDL, and MHR mediated the association between W and CVD, especially MHR, which suggests that we should consider it as a priority intervention target in the future.

Ultra-weak photon emission as a potential tool for evaluating the therapeutic effect of traditional Chinese medicine in patients with type 2 diabetes

BackgroundTraditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been used to prevent and treat type 2 diabetes (T2DM) for thousands of years. The holistic view of TCM and the “multitarget” characteristics of Chinese medicine have unique advantages in the prevention and treatment of T2DM. TCM syndrome differentiation and treatment are effective for T2DM; however, currently, the therapeutic effect of TCM is generally evaluated by asking for patients' subjective feelings, or by checking the changes in relevant indicators. The main problems are that the patient's descriptions are unclear and subjective, and although the self-reported symptoms may have improved significantly, the relevant indicators are sometimes not obvious, which cannot truly reflect the therapeutic effect of TCM. Therefore, it is urgent to develop a novel, sensitive, and noninvasive method to quantitatively evaluate the therapeutic effect of TCM. MethodsIn this study, ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) was measured at four sites of hands of T2DM patients with Qi-Yin deficiency before treatment and after 1 and 2 weeks of treatment with TCM. The UPE intensity and spectral distribution were calculated and analyzed using the results measured at these four sites. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to quantify the correlation between the UPE parameters and the syndrome scores of TCM. ResultsThe UPE intensity of T2DM patients with Qi-Yin deficiency decreased gradually with the course of the treatment and was significantly lower than that before the treatment. The ratio of photon counts between the wavelength ranges of 495–550 nm and 550–610 nm after the treatment was higher than that before the treatment and negatively correlated with the corresponding syndrome scores so that the degree of symptoms improvement could be characterized by the ratio (495–550 nm/550–610 nm). ConclusionsThe therapeutic effect of TCM in T2DM patients with Qi-Yin deficiency can be shown at the level of UPE. UPE is a potential and noninvasive tool for evaluating the therapeutic effect of TCM in patients with T2DM.