[Traceability Analysis and Environmental Quality Assessment of Soil Heavy Metal Pollution in West Hunan Province].

In order to explore the status of soil heavy metal pollution and environmental quality in west Hunan, relevant areas of Phoenix County were selected as the study area. Using data from 440 soil samples collected in the study area from June to August 2022, the pH value of the soil and contents of eight heavy metal elements, namely, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn, were analyzed. The PMF model was used for traceability analysis and geochemical evaluation of soil environmental quality.

Study on the clinical correlation between the expression of serum TNF-α and iNOS as well as cognitive impairment and disease burden in patients with schizophrenia.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical correlation between the expression of serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) as well as cognitive impairment and disease burden in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

Methods: A total of 102 patients with first-episode schizophrenia admitted to the Department of Psychiatry, Hainan Province Anning Hospital from June 2018 to June 2020 were randomly selected as the observation group, and 102 healthy people who underwent physical examination in our hospital during the same period were selected as the control group. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the expression level of serum TNF-α in each group, and the colorimetric method was adopted for detecting the expression level of serum iNOS in each group; Moreover, cognitive function of patients was assessed by MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB), disease burden was assessed by Family Burden of Disease Scale (FBS), and the correlation between the expression of serum TNF-α and iNOS as well as cognitive impairment and disease burden was analyzed by method.

Cardiac Denervation for Arrhythmia Treatment with Transesophageal Ultrasonic Strategy in Canine Models.

Stellate ganglion (SG) modification has been investigated for arrhythmia treatment. In this study, transesophageal SG imaging and intervention were explored using a homemade 30F integrated focused ultrasonic catheter in healthy mongrel canines in vivo. Anatomic details of SGs were ultrasonically imaged and evaluated.

Association of EVI5 rs11808092, CD58 rs2300747, and CIITA rs3087456 polymorphisms with multiple sclerosis risk: A meta-analysis.

Purpose: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a major demyelinating disease of the central nervous system with a strong genetic component. Previous studies have reported that the association of EVI5 rs11808092, CD58 rs2300747, and CIITA rs3087456 polymorphisms with the susceptibility to MS. However, the results were inconsistent.

The effect of renal denervation on resistant hypertension: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials.

Background: This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the efficiency of renal denervation (RDN) on resistant hypertension.

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central database were searched for eligible randomized controlled clinical trials (RCTs). Changes from the baseline of the office blood pressure and the 24-h ambulatory blood pressure were extracted.

Retrospective analysis of population-based causes of death and life expectancy in urban Western China from 2003 to 2012.

Background: Hitherto, a population-based analysis of the cause of death in urban areas of Western China has not been undertaken over an extended period. The aims of this study were to calculate the overall and annual cause-specific mortality rates by age and sex in urban areas of Western China from 2003 to 2012 and to evaluate the quality of the data.

Methods: We used Excel software, cause-of-death registrations, and International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision, codes to calculate the overall and yearly cause-specific crude mortality rates by age and sex, the Chinese age-standardized mortality rate, and life expectancies.

The short-term and long-term effects of tolvaptan in patients with heart failure: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

A comprehensive evaluation of the benefits of tolvaptan for the management of heart failure (HF) is lacking. The objective of this meta-analysis was to assess the short-term and long-term effects of tolvaptan in patients with HF. Articles were searched from PubMed, MEDLINE and Cochrane Library before March 31, 2015.

Characterization and precise mapping of a QTL increasing spike number with pleiotropic effects in wheat.

Tiller number (TN) and spike number per plant (SN) are key components of grain yield and/or biomass in wheat. In this study, an introgression line 05210, developed by introgression of chromosomal segments from a synthetic exotic wheat Am3 into an elite cultivar Laizhou953, showed a significantly increased TN and SN, but shorter spike length (SL) and fewer grain number per spike (GNS) than Laizhou953. To investigate the quantitative trait locus (QTL) responsible for these variations, the introgressed segments in 05210 were screened by SSR markers and one follow-up segregation population was developed from the cross 05210/Laizhou953.