Wrightpower6654

BACKGROUND AND AIMS Long-term data relating coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) to coronary artery disease (CAD) prognosis including novel CTA-biomarkers ("high-risk plaque criteria") is scarce. The aim of this study was to define predictors of long-term outcomes. METHODS 1430 low-to-intermediate risk patients (57.9 ± 11.1 years; 44.4% females) who underwent CTA and coronary calcium scoring (CCS) were prospectively enrolled. CTAs were evaluated for (1) stenosis severity CADRADS 0-4 (minimal 100 AU predicted only all-cause mortality (p = 0.045) but not MACE. The high risk plaque criteria LAP less then 60HU (HR 4.00, 95%CI 95% 1.52-10.52, p = 0.005) and napkin-ring (HR 4.11, CI 95% 1.77-9.52, p = 0.001) predicted MACE but not all-cause-mortality, after adjusting for risk factors, while spotty calcification and remodeling index did not. Similarly, mixed plaque burden predicted MACE (p  less then  0.0001). HRP criteria, if added to CADRADS + CCS for prediction of MACE, were superior to CCS (c = 0.816 vs 0.716, p  less then 0.001). In 33.5% of CCS zero patients, non-calcified fibroatheroma were found. CONCLUSIONS Long-term prognosis is excellent if CTA is negative for CAD. The high-risk plaque criteria LAP less then 60HU and napkin-ring-sign were independent predictors of MACE while HRP criteria added incremental prognostic value. BACKGROUND Radiation therapy (RT) to the brain may result in cognitive impairment. The primary objective of the present study was to examine the relationship between RT dose to the hippocampus and learning and memory functions. Secondary objective was to examine relationships between doses to other brain structures and specific cognitive functions. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis was undertaken in 78 primary brain tumour patients after RT. Cognitive function was assessed by neuropsychological tests. Test scores were standardized using normative data adjusted for age and level of education. Test-specific cognitive impairment was determined as a z-score ≤-1.5. Radiation dose to brain structures and test-specific cognitive impairment outcomes were fitted to a logistic regression model. RESULTS High RT dose to the left hippocampus was associated with impaired verbal learning and memory (p = 0.04). RT dose to the left hippocampus, left temporal lobe, left frontal lobe and total frontal lobe were associated with verbal fluency impairment (p  less then  0.05) and doses to the thalamus and the left frontal lobe with impaired executive functioning (p ≤ 0.03). Finally, RT dose to the brain and thalamus were associated with impaired processing speed (p ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION The present study indicates that the hippocampus may be vulnerable to radiation and that high radiation doses to the left hippocampus may lead to significant verbal learning and memory impairment. High RT doses to the left hippocampus and other left side structures may result in impairments in verbal fluency, executive function, and processing speed. Validation of these findings are being undertaken in a prospective study. BACKGROUND Since 2011 human leptospirosis incidence in China has remained steadily low with persistent pockets of notifications reported in communities within the Upper Yangtze River Basin (UYRB) and Pearl River Basin (PRB). To help guide health authorities within these residual areas to identify communities where interventions should be targeted, this study quantified the local effect of socioeconomic and environmental factors on the spatial distribution of leptospirosis incidence and developed predictive maps of leptospirosis incidence for UYRB and PRB. METHODS Data on all human leptospirosis cases reported during 2005-2016 across the UYRB and PRB regions were geolocated at the county-level and included in the analysis. Bayesian conditional autoregressive (CAR) models with zero-inflated Poisson link for leptospirosis incidence were developed after adjustment of environmental and socioeconomic factors such as precipitation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), modified normalized difference water incidence was also identified in counties in the central and lower reaches of the PRB. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated significant geographical heterogeneity in leptospirosis incidence within UYRB and PRB, providing an evidence base for prioritising targeted interventions in counties identified with the highest predicted incidence. Furthermore, environmental drivers of leptospirosis incidence were highly specific to each of the regions, emphasizing the importance of localized control measures. The findings also suggested the need to expand interventional coverage and to support surveillance and diagnostic capacity on the predicted high-risk areas. To explore the chronic phototoxicity of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) on stream ecosystems, a microcosm experiment was conducted on Populus nigra L. leaf decomposition with ZnO NPs under different light components (visible and ultraviolet (UV) light) with a natural photoperiod. click here Light components significantly affected the transformation dynamic of ZnO NPs. After chronic exposure (day 15 to 30), ZnO NPs under light irradiation caused significant decrease in the microbial biomass, but significant increase in the fungal biomass. Compared to visible light, UV light led to lower microbial biomass and metabolic activity but higher antioxidant activity when ZnO NP concentrations were 10 and 20 mg L-1, eventually causing significant reductions in decomposition rates. Pleosporales sp., Montagnulaceae sp., and Volutella citronella responded sensitively to ZnO NPs. However, higher decomposition efficiency of leaf nitrogen was achieved under UV light when ZnO NPs concentrations were 10 mg L-1, suggesting that microbial nitrogen-related enzymes and ZnO nanoparticle photocatalytic properties contribute to leaf degradation. In conclusion, the results of this study provide compelling evidence that light components strongly affect ZnO NPs transformation, which impacts microbial communities with consequences for ecological processes in stream ecosystems. INTRODUCTION Air pollution is a global phenomenon which invariably leads to a serious environmental and health related sequalae. "Black carbon" (BC), a subset of fine particulate matter ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), is a fossil fuel emission by-product and has more recently been recognized as a major health hazard. The objective of this study is to statistically analyze the BC concentration and its correlation with cardiorespiratory related mortality and to estimate the benefits of BC reduction on the health of the population in the capital city of Tehran. METHODS We analyzed the ambient air BC concentration and its correlation with cardiorespiratory related mortality and conducted health impact assessment of BC in Tehran (Jan 2018-Jan 2019). The data pertaining to BC concentration was obtained from Tehran's four major pollution monitoring stations. The mortality data was obtained from Tehran's cemetery registry. We calculated and analyzed BC concentration statistics including the mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, skewness, and kurtosis.