Effect of cardiac function in patients with gastrointestinal cancer with or without acute kidney injury assessed using a non-invasive impedance cardiography: a case-control study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to analyze the possible causes of changes in cardiac function and investigate the feasibility of clinical assessment of gastrointestinal cancer in patients with or without acute kidney injury (AKI) assessed using a non-invasive impedance cardiography (ICG, Bioz. Cardio Dynamics, USA) to identify independent risk factors. METHODS: Patients admitted to the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, China, between May 1, 2019, and February 15, 2022, were included in this study. A total of 51 patients with gastrointestinal cancer (31 men and 20 women, mean age 61.1 ± 10.9 years) with or without AKI were evaluated for ICG. A total of 19 patients underwent ultrasound cardiography (UCG) and ICG evaluations. RESULT: There was a significant positive correlation between cardiac output (CO), cardiac index (CI), stroke volume (SV), left cardiac work index (LCWI), and ejection fraction (EF) measured using UCG and ICG. The relationship was observed between COICG and COUCG (r = 0.707, P = 0.001), CIICG and CIUCG (r = 0.718, P = 0.001), SVICG and SVUCG (r = 0.837, P < 0.001), and LCWIICG and EFUCG (r = 0.540, P = 0.017). Cardiac function parameters measured using ICG were statistically different between patients with gastrointestinal cancer with or without AKI (P ≤ 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that AKI independently affects cardiac function in patients with gastrointestinal cancer. CONCLUSIONS: UCG and ICG methods are significantly associated with cardiac function in patients with or without AKI, and patients with gastrointestinal cancer with AKI are worse than those without AKI. AKI is an independent risk factor for cardiac function in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

A nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model with damage and experimental validation for composite solid propellant.

The development of a nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model of composite solid propellant (CSP) coupled with effects of strain rate and confining pressure is essential to assess the reliability of solid propellant grains during ignition operation process. In the present work, a nonlinear viscoelastic constitutive model with novel energy-based damage initiation criterion and evolution model was firstly proposed to describe the coupled effects of confining pressure and strain rate on mechanical responses of CSP. In the developed damage initiation criterion and evolution model, the linear viscoelastic strain energy density was introduced as the damage driving force, and the coupled effects of strain rate, damage history and confining pressure on damage growth were taken into account. Then, uniaxial tensile tests from low strain rates to medium strain rates and various confining pressures, and stress relaxation tests were conducted using a self-made active confining pressure device. Finally, the identification procedures of model parameters and validation results of the constitutive model were presented. Moreover, the master curve of damage initiation parameter was constructed through the time-pressure superposition principle (TPSP). The results show that the developed nonlinear constitutive model is capable of predicting the stress-strain responses of CSP under different strain rates and confining pressures.

High-frequency plasma exchange therapy for immunocompromised, type I crescentic glomerulonephritis complicated with IgA nephropathy: A case report and literature review.

RATIONALE: Anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease has been reported to coexist with other immune-mediated glomerular disorders, including antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody positive glomerulonephritis and membranous glomerulopathy. It is well known that anti-GBM disease often manifests as type I crescentic glomerulonephritis on renal biopsy. However, concurrent cases of both type I crescentic glomerulonephritis and IgA nephropathy are rare. PATIENT CONCERNS: We report the case of a 40-years-old woman with microscopic hematuria, mild proteinuria and an immunocompromised status. Laboratory data revealed serum creatinine showed progressive progress, suddenly rising from the normal range to 316.2µmol/L within 4 months. The CD4 lymphocyte count was 0.274 × 109/L (reference value 0.35-1.82 × 109/L). The anti-GBM antibody titer was 192.4 IU/mL (reference range: <20 RU/mL). DIAGNOSES: Renal biopsy was performed after admission. The pathological diagnosis was type I crescentic glomerulonephritis, IgA nephropathy, and clinical anti-GBM disease. INTERVENTIONS: The patient was seriously ill on admission and progressed rapidly. Combined with poor immune function, we immediately initiated high-frequency plasma exchange (PE). In addition, to avoid rebound of antibody levels, PE was performed for 5 times. Follow-up treatment was combined with standard-dose corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide. OUTCOMES: The patient was followed up for 1 year. On the last visit, her serum creatinine decreased to 103.5µmol/L, anti-GBM antibody remained negative, and proteinuria and hematuria disappeared. LESSONS: This case illustrates that when crescentic nephritis or anti-GBM disease is combined with other immune diseases, especially when the immune function is extremely low, if the application of high-dose steroid shocks may induce fatal infections, to some extent high frequency PE has certain advantages.

Poly[diaqua[µ4-4-(isonicotinamido)phthalato]nickel(II)] displaying an sra topology.

In the title compound, [Ni(C14H8N2O5)(H2O)2]n, the Ni(II) cation is six-coordinate with a slightly distorted octahedral coordination geometry and the 4-(isonicotinamido)phthalate ligand links the Ni(II) centres into a three-dimensional structure with sra topology. The structure is also stabilized by N-H···O hydrogen bonding between the uncoordinated amide groups of the ligand and extensive O-H···O hydrogen bonding between the two coordinated water molecules. The magnetic and thermal stability properties of the title compound are also discussed.

Poly[[(µ2-4,4'-bipyridine)(µ3-5-isonicotinamidoisophthalato)cobalt(II)] trihydrate].

In the title compound, {[Co(C(14)H(8)N(2)O(5))(C(10)H(8)N(2))]·3H(2)O}(n), the Co(II) cation is five-coordinated with a slightly distorted trigonal-bipyramidal geometry, and the 5-isonicotinamidoisophthalate ligands link Co(II) atoms into a layered structure. These two-dimensional arrays are further pillared by rod-like 4,4'-bipyridine ligands to give a three-dimensional framework with pcu (primitive cubic) topology. The magnetic and adsorption properties of the title compound are also discussed.

[Expression of EphA2 and EphrinA1 in human renal cell carcinoma and its relationship with angiogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression of EphA2 and EphrinA1 and its relationship with angiogenesis in renal cell carcinoma and its relevance to clinicopathologic features. METHODS: The expression of the EphA2 and EphrinA1 was detected by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in the tissues samples from 68 renal cell carcinomas and 24 normal kidneys, and quantitatively analyzed. The microvessel density (MVD) was determined by CD34 immunostaining of microvascular endothelial cells. Statistical analysis was performed using the software SPSS (version 13.0). RESULTS: The expression of EphA2, EphrinA1 and MND in the cancerous tissues were significantly higher (P<0.01) than that in the normal ones. Significantly increased expression of EphA2, EphrinA1 and MVD (P<0.01) was detected in cancer tissues with higher grade differentiation, more advanced stage and more lymph node metastasis, respectively (P<0.05 for each group). Expression of the EphA2 and EphrinA1 protein was shown to be positively associated with the MVD assessed by Spearman's correlation and factor analysis (r=0.555, r=0.485, P<0.01). The MVD was also significantly correlated with the diameter of the tumor (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: EphA2 and EphrinA1 are highly expressed in renal cell carcinoma, and positively correlated with histological differentiation, clinical stage and angiogenesis in the cancer.

[Preparation, spectral analysis and photocatalytic activities of TiO2 films codoped with iron and nitrogen].

Using tetrabutyl titanate as the titanium source, and ammonia and ferric nitrate as the sources of nitrogen and ferrum respectively, iron and nitrogen-codoped nano-TiO2 gelatins were prepared by sol-gel method. The iron and nitrogen-codoped nano-TiO2 complex films were prepared with the obtained gelatins used to coat the surface of cleaned glass slides by several times of dipping-lifting procedure, followed by natural seasoning at room temperature and calcined at 450 degrees C for 3 hours, then the films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS) and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectrum (UV-Vis). The XRD spectra o f samples showed that the Fe-TiO(2-x)Nx, filmswere of anatase structure with a few of oxygen atoms in the lattice of anatase TiO2 substituted by nitrogen atoms, resulting in the distortion of crystal lattice. The SEM image showed that the nanoparticles of the films have a good dispersion characteristic and uniform orbicular shape with an average diameter of about 19 nm. The absorption edges of UV-Vis spectra exhibited a red shift up to 740 nm when the TiO2 films were codoped with iron and nitrogen. The XPS of the Fe-TiO(2-x)Nx film presented a lowering of Ti 2p(3/2) electron binding energy because of the codoping of iron and nitrogen, which then resulted in the widening of the absorption of visible light range. The photocatalytic properties were studied by photocatalytical degradation of sudan I as a model reaction in a self-assembled light-reactor. When the atomic ratio of Fe3+/Ti4+ reached 0.4%, the Fe-TiO(2-x)Nx film showed the highest catalytic performance in degradation of sudan I which was decomposed by up to 97% after 4 hours of photocatalytic reaction. Codoping of nitrogen and appropriate amount of iron in TiO2 enhances photoresponse and utilizing efficiency in visible light region, and then improves the performances of Fe-TiO(2-x)Nx photocatalyst. The complex film catalyst prepared by this method will have potential application in areas of wastewater disposal.

Modified glomerular filtration rate estimating equation for Chinese patients with chronic kidney disease.

The Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) equations provide a rapid method of assessing GFR in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, previous research indicated that modification of these equations is necessary for application in Chinese patients with CKD. The objective of this study was to modify MDRD equations on the basis of the data from the Chinese CKD population and compare the diagnostic performance of the modified MDRD equations with that of the original MDRD equations across CKD stages in a multicenter, cross-sectional study of GFR estimation from plasma creatinine, demographic data, and clinical characteristics. A total of 684 adult patients with CKD, from nine geographic regions of China were selected. A random sample of 454 of these patients were included in the training sample set, and the remaining 230 patients were included in the testing sample set. With the use of the dual plasma sampling (99m)Tc-DTPA plasma clearance method as a reference for GFR measurement, the original MDRD equations were modified by two methods: First, by adding a racial factor for Chinese in the original MDRD equations, and, second, by applying multiple linear regression to the training sample and modifying the coefficient that is associated with each variable in the original MDRD equations and then validating in the testing sample and comparing it with the original MDRD equations. All modified MDRD equations showed significant performance improvement in bias, precision, and accuracy compared with the original MDRD equations, and the percentage of estimated GFR that did not deviate >30% from the reference GFR was >75%. The modified MDRD equations that were based on the Chinese patients with CKD offered significant advantages in different CKD stages and could be applied in clinical practice, at least in Chinese patients with CKD.

[Comparative study on GOD-trinder method for measuring glucose in serum with different benzene-original phenols].

Comparative studies were carried out on GOD-trinder method for measuring glucose in serum with four different kinds of benzene-original phenols-phenyl hydroxide, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,6-dichlorophenol and resorcinol. It is shown that when the three coloring systems-phenyl hydroxide, 2,4-dichlorophenol or resorcinol coupling with glucose oxidase-peroxidase-4-a minoantipyrine-hydrogen peroxide (GOD-POD-4-AA-H2O2) respectively were used for clinical assay of glucose in serum, the determination results showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). Compared with phenyl hydroxide, the coloring system of 2,4-dichlorophenol is better in the aspects of sensitivity, precision and accuracy; the resorcinol system has lower sensitivity with the advantage of faster detecting velocity, and larger linear range, and can be used for on-line rapid analysis of samples with more concentrated glucose in industry.

[Direct determination of ammonia in plasma with indophenol method].

A new method for direct determination of ammonia in plasmas with indophenol reagent is described. It is shown that using sodium citrate as anticoagulant in phosphate buffer within pH 10.5-11.2, indophenol reagent reacts sensitively with ammonia in the plasmas to form a stable blue compound with a maximum absorption at 630 nm with low interference. The apparent molor absorptivity is 2.48 x 10(4) L x mol(-1) cm(-1) , and the linear range 0-1500 micromol x L(-1) (r = 0.9999) with a detection limit of 1.7 micromol x L(-1). The relative standard deviation is 1.13% (n=11) and the recoveries are in the range of 93.6%-101.6% with an average recovery of 97. 0%. The proposed method has been applied to detect ammonia in the plasmas from 43 healthy persons and 97 patients who suffered from liver diseases with satisfactory results.

Thymocyte and peripheral blood T lymphocyte subpopulation changes in piglets following in utero infection with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.

Piglets infected in utero with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) are born severely immunocompromised. In this article we more closely examine the effects of in utero PRRSV infection on circulating and thymic T cell populations. Numbers of CD4+, CD8+, and dual-positive lymphocytes were quantitated in circulation and in the thymus during the 2 weeks following birth. At birth we found that the number of circulating lymphocytes was suppressed by 60%. Lymphocyte numbers were also suppressed by 42% at day 7, but by day 14 the number of lymphocytes had rebounded and was actually 47% greater than controls. At birth and day 7, a drop in the number of CD4+ cells could partially explain the suppression we observed, while the rebound in total lymphocyte numbers seen at day 14 was due to a nearly fourfold increase in the number of circulating CD8+ cells. As a result, the normal CD4+:CD8+ ratio of between 1.4 and 2.2 for neonatal pigs was reduced to 0.1-0.5. The thymuses of infected piglets were found to be 50% smaller than those of control pigs and were characterized by cortical involution and severe cortical depletion of thymocytes. Analysis of the population of thymocytes revealed that double-positive thymocytes were suppressed to a greater degree than either single positive subpopulation. In addition, we show that the number of thymocytes undergoing apoptosis was increased twofold in piglets infected with PRRSV. Taken together, these results help explain the dramatic immunosuppression observed in neonatal animals infected in utero with PRRSV.

[Determination of nitrate and nitrite by catalytic spectrophotometry of potassium bromate-methylene blue system].

Nitrate and nitrite is one of important physical and chemical index in the analysis of environmental samples. A new catalytic spectrophotometric method for the determination of nitrate and nitrite has been established based on the catalytic action of nitrite on the oxidative fading reaction of methylene blue with potassium bromate in dilute phosphoric acid medium. The optimum experimental conditions were investigated in detail, including the selection of measuring wave-length and catalytic reactive medium, the dosage of indicator and oxidizer, the influence of temperature and reactive time, and the interference of co-existent ions with the assay. The results showed that, the linear responses of nitrite and nitrate are in the ranges of 0-200 and 0.003-310 micrograms.L-1 respectively. The method offers the advantages of simplicity, rapidity and sensitivity. It has been applied to analyse water samples with satisfactory results.